Efficacy Foundations for Risk Communication: How People Think About Reducing the Risks of Climate Change

Believing action to reduce the risks of climate change is both possible (self‐efficacy) and effective (response efficacy) is essential to motivate and sustain risk mitigation efforts, according to current risk communication theory. Although the public recognizes the dangers of climate change, and is deluged with lists of possible mitigative actions, little is known about public efficacy beliefs in the context of climate change. Prior efficacy studies rely on conflicting constructs and measures of efficacy, and links between efficacy and risk management actions are muddled. As a result, much remains to learn about how laypersons think about the ease and effectiveness of potential mitigative actions. To bring clarity and inform risk communication and management efforts, we investigate how people think about efficacy in the context of climate change risk management by analyzing unprompted and prompted beliefs from two national surveys (N = 405, N = 1,820). In general, respondents distinguish little between effective and ineffective climate strategies. While many respondents appreciate that reducing fossil fuel use is an effective risk mitigation strategy, overall assessments reflect persistent misconceptions about climate change causes, and uncertainties about the effectiveness of risk mitigation strategies. Our findings suggest targeting climate change risk communication and management strategies to (1) address gaps in people's existing mental models of climate action, (2) leverage existing public understanding of both potentially effective mitigation strategies and the collective action dilemma at the heart of climate change action, and (3) take into account ideologically driven reactions to behavior change and government action framed as climate action.     

Efficacy,Action, and Support for Reducing Climate Change Risks

A growing body of research demonstrates that believing action to reduce the risks of climate change is both possible (self‐efficacy) and effective (response efficacy) is essential to motivate and sustain risk mitigation efforts. Despite this potentially critical role of efficacy beliefs, measures and their use vary wildly in climate change risk perception and communication research, making it hard to compare and learn from efficacy studies. To address this problem and advance our understanding of efficacy beliefs, this article makes three contributions. First, we present a theoretically motivated approach to measuring climate change mitigation efficacy, in light of diverse proposed, perceived, and previously researched strategies. Second, we test this in two national survey samples (Amazon's Mechanical Turk N = 405, GfK Knowledge Panel N = 1,820), demonstrating largely coherent beliefs by level of action and discrimination between types of efficacy. Four additive efficacy scales emerge: personal self‐efficacy, personal response efficacy, government and collective self‐efficacy, and government and collective response efficacy. Third, we employ the resulting efficacy scales in mediation models to test how well efficacy beliefs predict climate change policy support, controlling for specific knowledge, risk perceptions, and ideology, and allowing for mediation by concern. Concern fully mediates the relatively strong effects of perceived risk on policy support, but only partly mediates efficacy beliefs. Stronger government and collective response efficacy beliefs and personal self‐efficacy beliefs are both directly and indirectly associated with greater support for reducing the risks of climate change, even after controlling for ideology and causal beliefs about climate change.     

The quantile-based flattened logistic distribution: Some properties and applications

In this paper, the quantile-based flattened logistic distribution has been studied. Some classical and quantile-based properties of the distribution have been obtained. Closed form expressions of L-moments, L-moment ratios and expectation of order statistics of the distribution have been obtained. A quantile-based analysis concerning the method of matching L-moments estimation is employed to estimate the parameters of the proposed model. We further derive the asymptotic variance–covariance matrix of the matching L-Moments estimators of the proposed model. Finally, we apply the proposed model to simulated as well as two real life datasets and compare the fit with the logistic distribution.     

不动产物权变动登记外的公示方式

按现有立法,不动产物权变动的公示方式均是登记。但立法上却有不登记的例外,实践中也有这种需要。如果法律上能够明确,在一定条件下,不动产的物权变动可以以登记外的公示方式存在,它对于保障交易安全、提高交易效率具有较强的现实意义。为了减少负面效应——实施这种公示方式可能出现的问题,如二重买卖、重复抵押等,可采取相应的措施予以解决。     

自我效度对单词记忆的影响

采用班杜拉的自我效度理论,在大量实证调查的基础上,考察其与单词记忆的关系,为英语词汇教学提供启示.研究表明,较之其它认知或情感因素,自我效度能对学生的学习动机、目标及结果作出更准确的预测和解释.自我效度强的学生在记忆的规律性、记忆方法的技巧性及自我调控的科学性上都要明显优于效度弱的学生.     

GMM tests for the Katz family of distributions

Generalized method of moments (GMM) is used to develop tests for discriminating discrete distributions among the two-parameter family of Katz distributions. Relationships involving moments are exploited to obtain identifying and over-identifying restrictions. The asymptotic relative efficiencies of tests based on GMM are analyzed using the local power approach and the approximate Bahadur efficiency. The paper also gives results of Monte Carlo experiments designed to check the validity of the theoretical findings and to shed light on the small sample properties of the proposed tests. Extensions of the results to compound Poisson alternative hypotheses are discussed.     

Bias Correction in the Dynamic Panel Data Model with a Nonscalar Disturbance Covariance Matrix

Approximation formulae are developed for the bias of ordinary and generalized Least Squares Dummy Variable (LSDV) estimators in dynamic panel data models. Results from Kiviet [Kiviet, J. F. (1995), on bias, inconsistency, and efficiency of various estimators in dynamic panel data models, J. Econometrics68:53-78; Kiviet, J. F. (1999), Expectations of expansions for estimators in a dynamic panel data model: some results for weakly exogenous regressors, In: Hsiao, C., Lahiri, K., Lee, L-F., Pesaran, M. H., eds., Analysis of Panels and Limited Dependent Variables, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 199-225] are extended to higher-order dynamic panel data models with general covariance structure. The focus is on estimation of both short- and long-run coefficients. The results show that proper modelling of the disturbance covariance structure is indispensable. The bias approximations are used to construct bias corrected estimators which are then applied to quarterly data from 14 European Union countries. Money demand functions for M1, M2 and M3 are estimated for the EU area as a whole for the period 1991: I-1995: IV. Significant spillovers between countries are found reflecting the dependence of domestic money demand on foreign developments. The empirical results show that in general plausible long-run effects are obtained by the bias corrected estimators. Moreover, finite sample bias, although of moderate magnitude, is present underlining the importance of more refined estimation techniques. Also the efficiency gains by exploiting the heteroscedasticity and cross-correlation patterns between countries are sometimes considerable.     

无因管理问题的研究

无因管理作为民法法律之债的发生依据之一,应当根据社会的发展赋予其新的价值。本文试从无因管理的社会意义和法律性质、成立条件、效力、类型化及类型化无因管理的法律效果等方面就无因管理的有关问题进行了研究。     

教师效能感研究述评

教师效能感的主要理论模型建构主要有罗特的控制点理论和班杜拉的自我效能理论。教师效能感通过教师行为而对学生自我效能及学习能力与成绩起作用,与此同时,环境因素和教师自身因素也对教师的教学效能感产生影响。     

公务员激励机制对行政效能的影响及其完善

公务员的激励机制是影响行政效能的重要环节。当前我国正处于由旧的人事管理体制向新的国家公务员制度过渡的历史时期 ,因此 ,一方面必须把新的公务员制度落实下去 ;另一方面 ,必须以提高行政效能为目标 ,在考核、工资、晋升、奖惩等制度的具体环节与运行上不断加以完善。