The significance of fragrance and olfactory acuity for the consumer household product market

The research for this paper evolved from fragrance investigations undertaken within the Product Evaluation Department at SC Johnson Research and Development Centre. It aims to assess the odour perception capabilities of consumers, to compare their odour perception levels and fragrance preferences and to determine whether gender or age affect differential sensitivity to odours. Research into olfaction is inconclusive, but it is valuable for establishing some of the factors which affect the sense of smell. Olfaction and the realm of fragrance are closely related and one cannot be fully understood without the other. Both concepts will be examined through this research and reference will be made to the ‘trickle-down effect’ which is of particular relevance to the household product market.     

Vitamin supplementation practices: health/nutrition education implications

A sample of 310 supplement users, 216 nonsupplement users and 247 inconsistent (user/nonuser) supplementers were followed for 18 months to examine the consistency of supplementation. Since supplementation is often not required for a healthy diet, factors associated with persistence or stability of supplement use have implications for appropriate health/nutrition education. Consistent supplementation (at least 18 months' duration) was associated (P < 0·01) with (i) female sex, (ii) health beliefs in the efficacy of supplementation, (iii) seeking health information from physicians, nurses, dietitians and nutritionists, (iv) using periodicals, TV/radio and books for sources of nutrition information, (v) older age, (vi) higher income and (vii) higher levels of education. Nonusers were more likely to attribute health to chance on the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale, and inconsistent users were more likely to have experienced a change in employment status, relocation to another town/city and a higher number of ‘change’ events in the previous 18 months. Based on the characteristics of the consistent supplement user, ‘academic controversy’ may be an effective educational strategy to employ, if changes in supplementation attitudes and beliefs are desired.     

THE IMPACT OF WIFE'S EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS ON FAMILY NET WORTH ACCUMULATION

The major focus of this research was the relationship between wife's earnings and employment and family net worth accumulation. Multiple regression analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Surveys found that, for the total sample, family income had a much greater impact than wife's earnings on change in net worth during the 1967–1972 period. Wife's employment was not related to the dependent variable once the effects of other factors were taken into account When the sample was segmented into four groups on the basis of 1967 net worth, independent variables had differential impacts on net worth change. For each group the multiple regression model explained a much greater proportion of total variance than it did for the sample as a whole. Among the two groups in the mid ranges of 1967 net worth, wife's employment was positively related to net worth change even after taking wife's earnings and other factors into account.     

Improving Work Incentives and Incomes for Parents: The National and Geographic Impact of Liberalising the Family Tax Benefit Income Test*

The effective tax rates and possible work disincentives created by Australia’s tax and welfare systems have been receiving extensive policy attention in recent years. Family Tax Benefit‐Part A (FTB‐A) is one of the key causes of high effective marginal tax rates for many families. This study uses national and spatial microsimulation models to evaluate the national and local impacts of a possible FTB‐A reform option, which involves reducing the income test withdrawal rate associated with the FTB‐A income test. The modelling suggests that the option would be an effective way to reduce high effective marginal tax rates for around 415,000 parents of FTB‐A children, would benefit around 850,000 families, and would deliver additional assistance to middle income families living on the outskirts of our cities.     

Event Day 0? After‐Hours Earnings Announcements

In recent years, the proportion of after-hours earnings announcements has increased to more than 40%. For after-hours announcements, earnings-related volume and price changes are not observed on the Compustat or I/B/E/S earnings announcement date, but one trading day later. This study demonstrates the importance of accounting for after-hours announcements for event studies around earnings announcements.     

Impact of wife's employment on service expenditures

Data from the 1986 Consumer Expenditure Survey were used to examine the relationship between wife's employment and spending on services that are expected to be sensitive to the value of time. Tobit regression analysis indicated that wife's employment status was influential in explaining expenditure on food away from home, child care and total services only. Other independent variables, such as income, education and age. were more influential in explaining expenditure than was wife's employment status.     

Distributional Impact of Government Outlays on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2001–02

In recent years outlays on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme have increased rapidly, prompting both attempts by government to reduce growth in outlays and renewed interest in the characteristics of the beneficiaries of the Scheme. This article uses a microsimulation model to analyse the distributional impact of Australian Government outlays on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, by such characteristics as family income, family type, age, sex and lifecycle group. We find that there are pronounced distributional effects by such characteristics as income, age and sex, with both older and poorer Australians receiving far greater PBS benefits than younger and more affluent Australians.