On the distributions of the inner distance functions in the multivariate normal populations with unequal covariance matrices

The sample distance functions between an observation and a population were deduced by the likelihood procedures for discrimination problem in the case of several normal populations with unequal covariance matrices(1986). The present paper gives the exact MGFs of the distance functions for the case that the observation and the sample come from the same population and the limiting distributions of the distance functions by using the MCFs.     

On Variance-Stabilizing Multivariate Non Parametric Regression Estimation

The mean squared error (MSE)-minimizing local variable bandwidth for the univariate local linear estimator (the LL) is well-known. This bandwidth does not stabilize variance over the domain. Moreover, in regions where a regression function has zero curvature, the LL estimator is discontinuous. In this paper, we propose a variance-stabilizing (VS) local variable diagonal bandwidth matrix for the multivariate LL estimator. Theoretically, the VS bandwidth can outperform the multivariate extension of the MSE-minimizing local variable scalar bandwidth in terms of asymptotic mean integrated squared error and can avoid discontinuity created by the MSE-minimizing bandwidth. We present an algorithm for estimating the VS bandwidth and simulation studies.     

The null distribution of multivariate kurtosis

The paper introduces a x²-approximation to multivariate kurtosis b_2,punder normality. It requires calculating the third moment of b_2,pwhich is obtained. We compare the approximation with simulated percentage points and the normal approximation, and find it to be adequate for p=l and 2. For p=3, the simple average of this estimate and the normal approximation is found to be generally superior to either approximation on its own. For p=4, the normal approximation is best for non-extreme values of ∝     

Racial Discrimination in Professional Basketball: Evidence from Nielsen Ratings

Using data on Nielsen ratings for locally televised NBA basketball games, we find strong evidence that viewership increases when there is greater participation by white players. This finding controls for a wide variety of other factors that could systematically affect Nielsen ratings, and signifies the presence of customer discrimination in the market for NBA players. We also find that higher Nielsen ratings allow NBA teams to realize greater advertising revenues, meaning that the marginal revenue product of white players exceeds that of comparable black players. This factor explains much of the race-based salary gap that exists in professional basketball.     

A theory of the value of children

This paper uses a non-standard value assumption—uncertainty reduction—to explain parenthood. We begin by reviewing the inadequacies of normative and standard rational choice explanations of shifts in fertility behavior. Then we propose a theory of the value of children based on the uncertainty-reduction assumption. Next we generate a range of hypotheses that follow both from this assumption and from a subsidiary assumption of marital solidarity enhancement. Finally, we explore the extent to which implications based on these new ideas are supported by the relevant empirical literature.     

CAN EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY EXPLAIN REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE CONTEMPORARY UNITED STATES?

Can evolutionary psychology explain human behavior in postindustrial societies? Critics point out that, contrary to its prediction, wealthy men in contemporary societies do not have more children than poor men. I replicate Pérusse's (1993) finding with a large, representative sample and demonstrate that, while they do not have more children, wealthy men nonetheless have more sex partners and copulate more frequently than poor men. They would therefore have achieved greater reproductive success in the ancestral environment without effective means of contraception.     

Social Capital and the Human Psyche: Why Is Social Life "Capital"?

In this article, we propose a revised definition of social capital, premised on the principles of evolutionary psychology. We define social capital as any feature of a social relationship that, directly or indirectly, confers reproductive benefits to a participant in that relationship. This definition grounds the construct of social capital in human nature by providing a basis for inferring the underlying motivations that humans may have in common, rather than leaving the matter of what humans use capital for unspoken. Discussions and empirical reviews are presented on the innateness of human sociability, sex differences in sociability, and psychological mechanisms that mediate sociability .     

An optimal variable cell histogram

A simple procedure for specifying a histogram with variable cell sizes is proposed. The procedure chooses a set of cutpoints that maximizes a criterion function based on the sample spacings:Under some conditions, this estimated set of cutpoints is shown to converge in probability to the theoretical set of cutpoints for the histogram estimate that minimizes the Hellingerdistance to the underlying density. An algorithm for finding the set of cutpoints that numerically maximizes the criterion function is presented along with an example. Performance for finite sample sizes is evaluated by simulations.     

Why Men Commit Crimes (and Why They Desist)

Hirschi and Gottfredson (1983) claim that the relationship between age and crime is similar in all social and cultural conditions and that no current sociological or criminological theory can account for this similarity. We introduce the new field of evolutionary psychology and extend Daly and Wilson's (1988) work on homicide to construct a general theory of male criminality, which explains why men commit violent and property crimes. The theory can also explain the age-crime curve. It might also account for some empirical anomalies such as why physically smaller boys are more delinquent, and why violent criminals desist more slowly.