Confirmatory factor analysis with missing data in a small sample: cognitive reserve in people with Down Syndrome

Quality & Quantity - The presence of missing data and small sample sizes are very common in social and health sciences. Concurrently to present a methodology to solve the small sample size and...     

The rise of risk: risk related bills submitted to the Swedish parliament in 1964-65 and 1993-95

Bills submitted to the Swedish parliament in 1964-65 and in 1993-95 were scored according to their major concern: risk, resource allocation or resource growth. It was found that risk related bills had increased strongly, from 11% to 28%, implying that currently almost a third of all bills in the Swedish parliament are related to risk issues. The absolute number of risk bills increased by a factor of four. Resource allocation bills, on the other hand, decreased strongly, and resource growth bills, a minority of bills, remained at a relatively low level. All parties except the Conservatives showed a strong trend towards increased risk concern, especially the Social Democrats. The most frequently encountered type of risks in the 60s were health related, while environmental risks predominated in the 90s. These changes are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that risks become more important during periods of slower economic growth. It is concluded that risk is currently a very important issue on the Swedish political agenda.     

Addiction – and rational choice theory

Becker and Murphy's theory is a well‐known contribution to economists on the discussion of addiction. This class of rational choice theory is still the most important reference for economists studying addiction. In this paper, the model and the economist's rational choice theory were challenged by modern neurobiological theory. The paper suggested reconstruction work of the standard inter‐temporal choice model along four lines to reduce the gap between the theory and the clinical definition of addiction: (1) a discount rate that varies; (2) revision of the concept consumption capital; (3) the possibility for genetic predisposition to addiction (even if the research up to now has not identified such a gene); and (4) social mechanisms that influence our behaviour.     

Endogenous Pollution Havens: Does FDI Influence Environmental Regulations?*

We suggest a novel perspective on the relationship between the stringency of environmental policies and foreign direct investment (FDI). We develop a political economy model with imperfect product market competition where local and foreign firms jointly lobby the local government for a favorable pollution tax. FDI is found to affect environmental policy, and the effect is conditional on the local government's degree of corruptibility. If the degree of corruptibility is sufficiently high (low), FDI leads to less (more) stringent environmental policy, and FDI thus contributes to (mitigates) the creation of a pollution haven. Our empirical results using panel data from 33 countries support the predictions of the model.     

The medical doctors as gatekeepers in the sickness insurance?

Based on a randomized experiment, we estimate effects from notification to medical doctors of tighter monitoring of their Medical Certificates (MCs). Both the time prescribed by the doctor certificates for sick leave (prescribed sick leave) and the impact on the length of the actual sickness absence (actual sick leave) is studied. We find no effect on the total number of prescribed sick leave days. However, we do find an increase in both prescribed and actual sick leave with a 25% work inability. We also find that the notification letter causes an increase in actual sick leave (i.e. the number of reimbursed sick days). We discuss a number of potential explanations for this rather surprising result.     

On the jump activity index for semimartingales

Empirical evidence of asset price discontinuities or “jumps” in financial markets has been well documented in the literature. Recently, Aït-Sahalia and Jacod (2009b) defined a general “jump activity index” to describe the degree of jump activities for asset price semimartingales, and provided a consistent estimator when the underlying process contains both a continuous and a jump component. However, only large increments were used in their estimator so that the effective sample size is very small even for large sample sizes. In this paper, we explore ways to improve the Aït-Sahalia and Jacod estimator by making use of all increments, large and small. The improvement is verified through simulations. A real example is also given.     

Derivative Usage by Nonfinancial Firms in Sweden with an International Comparison

This paper provides survey evidence on the use of derivatives among Swedish nonfinancial firms. The evidence is compared with the findings by Bodnar et al. (1995, 1996) and Berkman et al. (1997) for the USA and New Zealand, respectively. By comparing firms in Sweden with firms in New Zealand and the USA differences in derivative usage can be related to differences in their underlying economies and history of trading in derivatives. Among other issues, the results showed that (1) 52% of the nonfinancial firms in Sweden used derivatives compared with 53% in New Zealand and 39% in the USA; (2) the usage of derivatives was more common among larger than among smaller firms; (3) the principal use of derivatives was for hedging purposes and those firms that engaged in speculative activity tended to be larger rather than smaller firms; and (4) lack of knowledge about derivatives within the firm was the issue of most concern for financial directors. The latter was in contrast with the USA where lack of knowledge was the issue of least concern.     

The use of imagery in statistical reasoning by university undergraduate students: a preliminary study

Many students have difficulty in grasping several concepts that are related to the solution of statistical problems. The bibliography reports how the ability of students to solve problems can be affected by the mode of the statistical problem presentation: verbal–numerical and pictorial–graphical. The dual-coding theory predicts that the graphical representation mode should enhance students’ statistical reasoning. Solving these problems requires the building, by the subjects, of a mental model, which in turn relies on visuo-spatial processing. To test this hypothesis we analysed how the ability to solve problems of 473 undergraduate students is affected by the mode of the statistical problem presentation. The study used a quasi-experimental mixed design to explore how the student’s performance is related to visuo-spatial and numerical abilities, statistical expertise, time pressure and problem representation mode (verbal/pictorial). Data analysis, based on the Hierarchical Loglinear Model and then the Logit Model, highlighted that the effect of facilitation, induced by the graphical presentation mode, would seem more likely to occur in inexperienced subjects with high visuo-spatial competence.     

Analysing Place and Place‐making: Urbanization in Suburban Oslo

Despite developments within planning theory challenging the ideal of the rational master plan it may be argued that there is still use for the production of knowledge through analysis in planning. However, the cultural complexity of today's planning contexts, and a move towards governance and entrepreneurial policies, makes it difficult to make places, to achieve social welfare and sustainability. Traditionally, the analysis of places has been done by architects and planners focusing on physical form, having an essentialist perspective of place resembling the theory of genius loci. In Norway, the planning authorities refined this methodology in the 1990s. This approach is, however, not in tune with a progressive view of places as multiple and dynamic social constructions, and may be accused of ‘symbolic violence’. If one is to take this view seriously and still be able to make plans, planning must also be based on other types of knowledge. In this article I argue for a socio‐cultural approach to reveal social representations and practices that make a place. I use the case of place‐making in Sandvika, a suburban ‘minicity’ outside Oslo, as an example of how a constructivist understanding differs from and may supplement an essentialist approach.     

Engineers’ non-scientific models in technology education

Engineers commonly use rules, theories and models that lack scientific justification. Examples include rules of thumb based on experience, but also models based on obsolete science or folk theories. Centrifugal forces, heat and cold as substances, and sucking vacuum all belong to the latter group. These models contradict scientific knowledge, but are useful for prediction in limited contexts and they are used for this when convenient. Engineers’ work is a common prototype for the pupils’ work with product development and systematic problem solving during technology lessons. Therefore pupils should be allowed to use the engineers’ non-scientific models as well as scientific ones when doing design work in school technology. The acceptance of the non-scientific models for action guidance could be experienced as contradictory by pupils and teachers alike: a model that is allowed, or even encouraged in technology class is considered wrong when doing science. To account for this, different epistemological frameworks must be used in science and technology. Technology is first and foremost what leads to useful results, not about finding the truth or generally applicable laws. This could cause pedagogical problems, but also provide useful examples to explain the limitations of models, the relation between model and reality, and the differences between science and technology.