Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Misspecification-Robust Impulse Response Estimator, Pao Li Chang, Shinichi Sakata

Research Collection School Of Economics

Impulse response analysis is typically conducted by fitting an autoregression model to a time series and calculating the moving average coefficients implied by the estimated autoregression model. The possible shape and persistence of the impulse response function implied by a parsimonious autoregression specification are very limited. This paper proposes an alternative approach to estimating impulse response function, which is asymptotically valid yet is less sensitive to model misspecifications in small samples. The small sample advantages of the proposed impulse response estimator over the conventional approach is demonstrated by Monte Carlo studies. The large sample validity of the proposed estimator is …

Craniometric Variation Among Medieval Croatian Populations, Derinna Vivian Kopp

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine craniometric variation among a series of medieval Croatian skeletons to determine if the populations inhabiting the coastal (Dalmatian) and continental (Pannionian) regions are morphometrically dissimilar. Differing historical population movements in the regions provide possible evidence for genetic, ethnic, and cultural dissimilarity between the Dalmatian and Pannionian regions. Cranial measurements from three coastal and three continental medieval Croatian sites are subjected to multivariate analyses to assess craniometric variation among the groups. Canonical variates analysis and distance matrix comparisons are completed for male and female mean data separately.

Plots of the first two canonical …

Frozen Human Bone: A Histological Investigation, Mariateresa Anne Tersigni

Masters Theses

A plethora of research has been produced concerning the fate of human bone when it has been exposed to various external stressors. These include taphonomic processes such as natural weathering, decomposition and burning studies. Each study attempts to aid an investigator by trying to determine, for example, what exactly a human skeleton would look like after it had been exposed to an accelerated fire for thirty minutes. The result of this type of research may afford an investigator the opportunity to analyze the evidence at the crime scene and compare it to the research in order to draw educated conclusions …

Education, Social Security, And The Welfare State: Alternative Policy Choices In The United States And Germany, Karl G. Hokenmaier

Dissertations

Western welfare states have not all followed the same path in their social policy development. Still, certain similarities have been identified in the types and combinations of social insurance supported by specific groupings of these states. Titmuss (1974) described "three contrasting models or functions of social policy." Heclo (1985) argued "three broad groups of nations can be distinguished” with different models of social welfare policy. Esping-Andersen (1990) identified "three worlds of welfare capitalism," each with a unique social policy agenda and distinctive social insurance system. Education is typically not included with other social programs in depicting the policy profiles of …

Family Structure And Attachment And Their Role In Reducing Delinquency In The African American Family, Kiesha Warren

Dissertations

The study uses data from the over sampling of African American youth (4,808) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to explore the relationship between family structure, attachment and their role in reducing delinquency. Using theelement of attachment from Hirschi’s (1969) social control theory, this study examines the historical development of the various family structures and the role attachment plays in reducing delinquency in those family structures. The study uses structural equation modeling to test this hypothesis. This study shows that when attachment is present regardless of the family structure delinquency will be reduced.

Behaviorally Disruptive Children's Reasoning About The Emotional Consequences Of Victimization, Kim Van Zee

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A sample of 58, 6 to 12 year-old children drawn from admissions to a local psychiatric hospital were read stories depicting acts of victimization and questioned about how both victims and victimizers would be feeling. Participants were randomly assigned to either imagine themselves as victimizers in the stories, or victimizers were presented as hypothetical characters. Acts of both physical and psychological harm were portrayed in which the victimizer either obtained a tangible gain or no gain was received. Children in the self-as-victimizer condition attributed fewer positive emotions and gave more moral rationales than did children in the hypothetical condition who …

Editorial (Occasional Papers On Religion In Eastern Europe: Volume 22, Number 4), Walter Sawatsky

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Judging By Heuristic: Cognitive Illusions In Judicial Decision Making, Chris Guthrie, Jeffrey J. Rachlinski, Andrew J. Wistrich

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Many people rely on mental shortcuts, or heuristics, to make complex decisions, but this sometimes leads to inaccurate inferences, or cognitive illusions. A recent study suggests such cognitive illusions influence judicial decision making.

Public Displays Of Affection With Relation To Comfort Levels And Culture, Janice R. T. Bryden

Graduate Theses

To determine the tolerance levels of public displays of affection between males, females, Hispanics, and White Non-Hispanics (Whites), a total of 152 participants completed the Attitudes Toward Public Displays of Affection Inventory. While the hypothesis that males would be significantly more tolerant than females of observing public displays of affection was statistically supported for certain settings and certain levels of affection, overall, results may not be clinically meaningful. The second hypothesis, that there would be a significant difference between Hispanics and Whites and their tolerance levels for watching public displays of affection, was not supported. Overall trends indicate passionately kissing …

The First Estonian Bible After World War Two, Peeter Roosimaa

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

From Crisis To Post-Crisis In Macedonia, Paul Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

A 12-Year Prospective Study Of The Long-Term Effects Of Early Child Physical Maltreatment On Psychological, Behavioral, And Academic Problems In Adolescence., Jennifer E Lansford, Kenneth A Dodge, Gregory S Pettit, John E Bates, Joseph Crozier, Julie Kaplow

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether child physical maltreatment early in life has long-term effects on psychological, behavioral, and academic problems independent of other characteristics associated with maltreatment.

DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study with data collected annually from 1987 through 1999.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Randomly selected, community-based samples of 585 children from the ongoing Child Development Project were recruited the summer before children entered kindergarten in 3 geographic sites. Seventy-nine percent continued to participate in grade 11. The initial in-home interviews revealed that 69 children (11.8%) had experienced physical maltreatment prior to kindergarten matriculation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adolescent assessment of school grades, standardized …

Identifying Ekvall's Creative Climate Dimensions In Gifted Enrichment Programs, Tara Marie Richards

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Estimating Population Numbers Of Black Bears (Ursus Americanus) In Eastern Kentucky Using Microsatellite Analysis, Kelly Vowels

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Black bears (Ursus americanus) occur sporadically in eastern Kentucky, and there is some evidence that a breeding population exists. In order to establish management practices to enhance the black bear population in Kentucky, information about this population is needed. However, until recently, no population size estimate has been available. Gathering information on black bears is difficult because black bears are elusive animals. The development of new molecular methods has made it easier to track and gather information on black bear populations, including estimates of population size. Molecular markers are particularly useful in that they do not require physical contact with …

Tailoring Partnerships For Success: Experiences From The Djiboutian Humanitarian Demining Program, Alan Childress, Matt Zajac

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article examines the multiple partnerships that were formed during the planning and training deployment of a team comprised of a sailor, Special Operations Forces (SOF) soldiers, Marines, Department of State resourcers, a civilian demining organization, and U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) planners. Several of the first-time partnerships discussed could be applicable to future Humanitarian Demining (HD) programs. A fundamental lesson is that the organizational parameters of selected U.S. government HD operations require flexibility, and may need to be dismembered and recombined to successfully accomplish a program's goals. Equally important, thesecooperative efforts resulted in significant cost savings to U.S. taxpayers without …

Humanitarian Mine Action In Mozambique, Hildegard Scheu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mozambique is a geographically vast country populated by diverse ethnic and linguistic groups. While most areas are not heavily mined, landmines and UXO still affect a large part of its population. The author discusses the past, present and future of mine action in this country.

Demining In Ethiopia: A Demanding Task, Josef Strebel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mines and UXO are an ever-present danger for people and their livestock in many parts of Ethiopia, which has been ravaged by years of conflict and war. The Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO) is the focal point of humanitarian mine action in Ethiopia and therefore in charge of locating and destroying the cruel and hidden killers. A demining program under its auspices began in May 2002 with clearance work in the priority areas of Northern Tigray.

Update: The Landmine Situation In Chechnya, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Stemming from the ongoing war between Russian and Chechen forces, the use of anti-personnel mines throughout Chechnya continues today. As the landmine victim toll increases, much is being done in an attempt to alleviate the current state of affairs.

Building A Safer World “The Philly Way”, Mike Felker

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

With the creation of the Philadelphia-area Adopt-A-Minefield program, many community members have offered their time and effort to raise money and awareness for the landmine problem in Mozambique. With new goals at hand, Philadelphians can expect to see the campaign continue, focusing on Afghanistan and the rest of the world.

Teachers' Perceptions Of School Safety, Safety-Based Changes, And Their Resultant Impact On School Climate: A Case Study, Laura L. Finley

Dissertations

In the last decade, several high-profile shootings in suburban school districts have drawn attention to the issue of school-based violence. Consequently, schools all over have responded in many ways. The literature reveals that many suburban and rural schools have adopted the same measures as have urban districts, despite the fact that their discipline and violence problems are qualitatively different. These responses have generally been punitive and technological in nature, rather than curricular or structural reforms. This has included institution of metal detectors, more restrictive student dress codes, zero tolerance laws and others. Some, though, have suggested that these responses may …

Ideology Or Insanity? Media Presentation Of Ted Kaczynski And Tim Mcveigh, Matthew P. Sheptoski

Dissertations

This dissertation explores mainstream media presentation of two convicted murderers: Theodore J. Kaczynski, otherwise known as "The Unabomber," and Timothy J. McVeigh, found guilty of the 1995 destruction of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. More specifically, I analyze The New York Times's and Time's presentation of these two actors in order to assess whether their acts were attributed to political and ideological motivation or psychological abnormality and mental illness. Quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that Kaczynski's crimes were more likely to be attributed to psychological abnormality and mental illness, while McVeigh's crimes were more likely to be …

The Role Of Implicit Racial Attitudes And Universal Orientation In Cross-Racial Face Recognition, Gordon Campbell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The "other-race" effect refers to the common observation that individuals are better at remembering faces of their own race than faces of another race. The relevance of the "other-race" effect to social interaction between people of different races and eyewitness identification of criminal suspects has spurred much research into uncovering the nature of the asymmetry between recognition of own- and otherrace faces. So far, however, many attempts to consistently demonstrate factors that contribute to the "other-race" effect have failed. One of the factors that may play a role in the "other-race" effect, but has yet to be shown to do …

Three Factors That Contribute To College Students' Acceptance And Tolerance Of Diversity: Religiosity, Moral Reasoning And Attributional Complexity, Tara Clemons

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The responsibilities of teachers today include not only teaching academics but often include teaching about acceptance, diversity, and societal values as well. This study proposes that several factors, which may be involved in this teacher role of acceptance and tolerance of diversity, are connected—including the teacher's level of moral reasoning, attributional complexity, and religiosity. Subjects included 181 teacher education majors at Western Kentucky University. The subjects completed the Defining Issues Test, Attributional Complexity Scale, general diversity survey, and a measure of religiosity. Findings include a significant correlation between the level of attributional complexity and moral reasoning and attributional complexity as …

U.S. Humanitarian Demining In Africa, Sarah Kindig

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Due to the numerous internal conflicts, crises and wars that several of the nations in Africa have faced, this region is one of the places in the world that is significantly affected by landmines. In an attempt to alleviate the suffering from landmine injuries, the United States has set out to provide humanitarian mine action assistance to many of these afflicted nations.

Ensuring Effective Coordination: Unmas And Mine Action Coordination Centres In Africa, Sarah Campbell

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Effective coordination is an essential part of mine action efforts worldwide. The author discusses the United Nations Mine Action Service’s (UNMAS) coordination strategies, focusing on examples from Mine Action Coordination Centres (MACCs) in Africa .

Halo Trust In Angola, David Hartley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The HALO Trust, a British charity, is gaining acclaim for both the scope and quality of their demining operations. In Angola, HALO has successfully adapted to an unstable political climate to help clear mines and allow for the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced refugees. In light of Angola’s newfound peace, the Trust plans to expand their operations and finish the job.

An Interview With Hendrik Ehlers Of Mgm, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Hendrik Ehlers discusses the challenges facing demining in Africa, research and development, and mechanical clearance used by his company. His candid replies offer insight into the world of demining and managing a multifaceted organization.

Developing Safer Demining Handtools In Zimbabwe, Andy Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article reports on an R&D programme in Zimbabwe that led to the development of safer demining handtools. The programme is an example of the way in which small changes can make the deminers’ work safer.

Community Liaison In Mine Action: Partnerships For Growth, Tim Carstairs

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Using a Community Liaison model that emphasizes community participation, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) prioritises minefield clearance to lessen landmines’ impact on communities in Angola.

The Journal Of Mine Action Issue 6.2 (2002), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmines in Africa