Arena-based events and crime: an analysis of hourly robbery data

This article makes use of hourly crime counts to model the relationship between events that take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ and robberies, an arena that has caused local controversy regarding the costs and benefits of hosting such an entertainment venue. Results from the econometric model suggest that the NHL’s New Jersey Devils ice hockey games, concerts, and Disney-themed events are all associated with increases in robbery, while various other event categories such as the NBA basketball games played by the Nets and boxing, and mixed martial arts (MMA) matches are not associated with an increase. These findings support two complementary ecological theories of crime that focus on how events provide additional opportunities for crime by increasing the associated benefits while simultaneously decreasing the cost for economically motivated offenders to take advantage of.     

Rationality of weather predictions and insurance purchases: testing the gambler’s and hot hand fallacies

Deviations from the rational behaviour assumed in many economic models have been found in a variety of settings. Two such deviations, the gambler’s and hot hand fallacies have been found in lab settings, as well as in consequential real-world decisions. Previous economic experiments have shown that the behaviour of professionals can differ from that of the general population. In this paper, we use data from two experiments conducted with a particular group of professionals who make yearly high-stakes decisions in the face of uncertain weather and market conditions: agricultural producers. In the experiments, participants were asked to make predictions about the coming year’s weather and market conditions and make decisions in a familiar decision context. Results indicate evidence of the gambler’s fallacy, such that participants were less likely to predict a good outcome if the previous outcome(s) were good. We also observe that participants were more likely to gamble if a previous gamble was successful, but find no impact on two successful gambles. These combined results indicate that even professionals with many years of experience can exhibit behaviours that deviate from those assumed by classical models.     

论承认差异的平等正义

社会结构的差异性、利益主体的多元化、文化的多样性与生活方式的差异化是当下平等正义的时代背景。由于人与人、群体与群体之间的差异事实上存在,且会对到底什么是平等正义产生影响,因此主张对人与人、群体与群体之间的差异进行承认的差异平等才是当下的理性诉求。为了做到差异平等,应减少文化霸权、破除经济垄断、消灭政治歧视。     

从经济学角度探析“理性会计信息失真”

“理性会计信息失真”是现代会计信息失真”的基本特征，其中会计行为主体与会计信息的关系是研究的重点。在保持与建立现代企业制度相促进的前提下，适当增加或强化与隐性委托代理行为呈负相关关系的因素，减少或强化呈正相关关系的因素，是架构“理性会计信息失真”治理机制的现实选择。     

Preference purification and the inner rational agent: a critique of the conventional wisdom of behavioural welfare economics

Neoclassical economics assumes that individuals have stable and context-independent preferences, and uses preference satisfaction as a normative criterion. By calling this assumption into question, behavioural findings cause fundamental problems for normative economics. A common response to these problems is to treat deviations from conventional rational choice theory as mistakes, and to try to reconstruct the preferences that individuals would have acted on, had they reasoned correctly. We argue that this preference purification approach implicitly uses a dualistic model of the human being, in which an inner rational agent is trapped in an outer psychological shell. This model is psychologically and philosophically problematic.     

食用菌规模化快速发展背景下菇农生产意愿的分析*——基于泌阳、西峡两县的调查

[目的]食用菌规模化生产的快速发展对传统的菇农生产活动产生了深刻影响,其中一些菇农已经暂停或放弃生产,而其他菇农则采取了改变规模、改变品种、改善技术及与工厂化企业合作等生产调整措施以避免或减少潜在风险。文章运用河南省泌阳、西峡两个香菇生产大县的实地调查数据,从理性预期视角探索影响专业菇农继续生产意愿的主要因素,为研究规模化农业与传统小农户家庭生产方式之间的关系提供参考。[方法]采用二元Probit模型结合边际效应分析,分别从成本预期、收益预期和风险预期等3个方面,探索食用菌规模化生产迅速发展背景下菇农理性预期对其继续生产意愿的影响。[结果]实证结果显示,绝大多数样本菇农在规模化快速发展背景下愿意继续进行香菇生产;菇农继续生产的总体风险预期和总体机会预期、菇农生产方式被替代预期、年参加培训次数、工厂化企业工作经历等对菇农继续生产意愿影响显著;设施设备改造投入增加预期、产品滞销风险增加预期、继续生产的利润下降预期、文化程度、自制还是购买菌棒、年栽培棒数、贷款资金需求等因素的影响比较显著。[结论]菇农能够相对充分地认识到食用菌规模化生产方式所带来的风险和机会,进而通过主动学习来改进现有的菇农家庭生产方式,而不是直接退出生产;政府部门和金融机构等对以菇农为代表的专业化小农户的专项扶持,对于探索小农户与现代农业有机衔接的内源方式、实现农户家庭生产方式的历史跃迁具有重要意义。     

东北地区粮食型农户家庭农场经营风险认知的影响因素分析

［目的］东北地区作为维护国家粮食安全的“压舱石”，准确而系统地掌握东北地区粮食型农户家庭农场经营风险认知水平，为政府部门精准实施粮食型农户家庭农场配套扶持政策提供参考。［方法］文章利用黑龙江、吉林、辽宁3省301个粮食型农户家庭农场调研数据，运用交叉列表和多元有序logit模型分析家庭农场经营风险认知水平及其影响因素。［结果］（1）6312%的粮食型家庭农场有一定风险认知能力，土地经营面积在333~1333hm2（50~200亩）与1333~3333hm2（200~500亩）的家庭农场风险认知处于中等水平， 3333hm2（500亩）以上家庭农场经营风险认知低； （2）玉米种植型家庭农场风险认知水平高于水稻种植型家庭农场； （3）年龄、是否村干部、劳动力数量、土地经营规模、是否有自然灾害、农产品市场价格波动、是否“三品一标”认证、金融支持、农推人员技术指导和新型经营主体间合作稳定对东北地区粮食型农户家庭农场经营风险认知有影响。［结论］应培养家庭农场主个人特质，鼓励支农惠农政策向规模适度的家庭农场倾斜，从流程入手提高家庭农场风险防范能力。     

Interpolating the Lorenz Curve: Methods to Preserve Shape and Remain Consistent with the Concentration Curves for Components

C¹‐class interpolation methods that preserve monotonicity and convexity and are thus suitable for the estimation of the Lorenz curve from grouped data are not widely known. Instead, parametric models are usually applied for such estimation. Parametric models, however, have difficulty in accurately approximating every part of income/expenditure distributions. This paper proposes two types of C¹‐class shape‐preserving interpolation methods. One is a piecewise rational polynomial interpolation (proposed independently by Stineman and Delbourgo) that enables consistent interpolation of the concentration curves for income/expenditure components, attaining approximately the same accuracy as that of the existing methods when applied to decile‐grouped data or to more detailed aggregation. Another is a Hybrid interpolation that employs pieces of curves derived from parametric models on end intervals. Empirical comparisons show that the Hybrid interpolation (with the assistance of parametric models for class‐boundary estimation) outperforms the existing methods even when applied to quintile‐grouped data without class boundaries.     

The impact of perceived security and consumer innovativeness on e-loyalty in online travel shopping

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the impacts of perceived security and consumer innovativeness on online travel shopping. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data and a total of 283 questionnaires were used for data analysis. The mechanism of perceived security and consumer innovativeness was then identified. The study results indicate that: (1) higher perceived security increases the perception of website image and trust; (2) consumers with a higher level of innovativeness tend to trust travel websites; (3) website image has a mediating effect between perceived security and trust; and (4) trust has a mediating effect between website image and e-loyalty.