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Credible
Terms modified by Credible Selected AbstractsAn evidence-based iterative content trust algorithm for the credibility of online newsCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 15 2009Guosun Zeng Abstract People encounter more information than they can possibly use every day. But all information is not necessarily of equal value. In many cases, certain information appears to be better, or more trustworthy, than other information. And the challenge that most people then face is to judge which information is more credible. In this paper we propose a new problem called Corroboration Trust, which studies how to find credible news events by seeking more than one source to verify information on a given topic. We design an evidence-based corroboration trust algorithm called TrustNewsFinder, which utilizes the relationships between news articles and related evidence information (person, location, time and keywords about the news). A news article is trustworthy if it provides many pieces of trustworthy evidence, and a piece of evidence is likely to be true if it is provided by many trustworthy news articles. Our experiments show that TrustNewsFinder successfully finds true events among conflicting information and identifies trustworthy news better than the popular search engines. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Accounting Recognition, Moral Hazard, and Communication,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 3 2000PIERRE JINGHONG LIANG Abstract Two complementary sources of information are studied in a multiperiod agency model. One is an accounting source that partially but credibly conveys the agent's private information through accounting recognition. The other is an unverified communication by the agent (i.e., a self-report). In a simple setting with no communication, alternative labor market frictions lead to alternative optimal recognition policies. When the agent is allowed to communicate his or her private information, accounting signals serve as a veracity check on the agent's self-report. Finally, such communication sometimes makes delaying the recognition optimal. We see contracting and confirmatory roles of accounting as its comparative advantage. As a source of information, accounting is valuable because accounting reports are credible, comprehensive, and subject to careful and professional judgement. While other information sources may be more timely in providing valuation information about an entity, audited accounting information, when used in explicit or implicit contracts, ensures the accuracy of the reports from nonaccounting sources. [source] Shareholding Versus Stakeholding: a critical review of corporate governanceCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2004Steve Letza The current debate and theorising on corporate governance has been polarised between a shareholder perspective and a stakeholder perspective. While advocates and supporters of each camp attempt to justify the superiority, rationality and universality of each model in theory, they rarely pay attention to the age-old conceptions, assumptions and presuppositions underpinning their perspectives which are less credible and valid in matching the continually changing practice of corporate governance. This paper serves as a survey and critical review of major current theories on corporate governance. In so doing, it reveals the inadequacy of conventional approaches employed in corporate governance theorising. It calls for a new mode of thinking in analysing corporate governance and concludes by outlining a new direction of research in this field. [source] Prediction of the maximum credible ground motion in Singapore due to a great Sumatran subduction earthquake: the worst-case scenarioEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 8 2002Kusnowidjaja Megawati Abstract Although Singapore is located in a low-seismicity region, huge but infrequent Sumatran subduction earthquakes might pose structural problems to medium- and high-rise buildings in the city. Based on a series of ground motion simulations of potential earthquakes that may affect Singapore, the 1833 Sumatran subduction earthquake (Mw=9.0) has been identified to be the worst-case scenario earthquake. Bedrock motions in Singapore due to the hypothesized earthquake are simulated using an extended reflectivity method, taking into account uncertainties in source rupture process. Random rupture models, considering the uncertainties in rupture directivity, slip distribution, presence of asperities, rupture velocity and dislocation rise time, are made based on a range of seismologically possible models. The simulated bedrock motions have a very long duration of about 250 s with a predominant period between 1.8 and 2.5 s, which coincides with the natural periods of medium- and high-rise buildings widely found in Singapore. The 90-percentile horizontal peak ground acceleration is estimated to be 33 gal and the 90-percentile horizontal spectral acceleration with 5% damping ratio is 100 gal within the predominant period range. The 90-percentile bedrock motion would generate base shear force higher than that required by the current design code, where seismic design has yet to be considered. This has not taken into account effects of local soil response that might further amplify the bedrock motion. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Knowledge, trust and recourse: imperfect substitutes as sources of assurance in emerging economiesECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 1 2001Bruce L. Benson Uncertainty prevents voluntary interactions, but institutions of trust and/or recourse can substitute for knowledge by making promises relatively credible. Trust and various sources of recourse are imperfect substitutes, however, as demonstrated by consideration of the trade-offs between trust based on repeated dealings, recourse to informal private sanctions such as reputation threats, ostracism sanctions and third-party dispute resolution through formal commercial organizations operating under customary law, and the state's coercive legal system. The problems of knowledge and interest imply that, though not perfect, private sources of trust and recourse are superior in emerging markets to state-provided recourse. [source] DETERRENCE: CREDIBILITY AND PROPORTIONALITYECONOMICS & POLITICS, Issue 3 2009DANIEL G. ARCE This paper extends the analysis of deterrence to examine terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and rogue nations. Such situations are characterized by differential pre-emptive and response capacity, in contrast to the traditional deterrence literature on nuclear superpowers, where such factors are absent. We focus on the credibility of deterrence responses to pre-emption and show that credible (subgame-perfect) responses are rarely proportional. The analysis is also extended to asymmetric deterrence scenarios whereby credibility and proportionality depend on the potential aggressor's access to conflict technology and the responder's preferences for indirect conflict vs. the status quo. [source] Child-Rearing: On government intervention and the discourse of expertsEDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY, Issue 6 2008Paul Smeyers Abstract For Kant, education was understood as the ,means' to become human,and that is to say, rational. For Rousseau by contrast, and the many child-centred educators that followed him, the adult world, far from representing reason, is essentially corrupt and given over to the superficialities of worldly vanity. On this view, the child, as a product of nature, is essentially good and will learn all she needs to know from experience. Both positions have their own problems, but beyond this ,internal debate', the change in the content of education (i.e. child-rearing and schooling) is now furthermore due to a radical pluralism that has swept the world. Moreover, there may be differences in value between individual parents and between values held within the family and those held in society at large. Among other reasons this has put more generally children's (and parents') ,rights' on the agenda, which differs from thinking of education in terms of a ,practice'. The paper develops this latter concept and the criticisms to which it has been subject and argues that there is no necessary incompatibility between initiation into an existing practice and transforming that practice in some way, if it is emphasized how practices are learned and enacted. It then turns to the tendency in education and child-rearing, as in other spheres of human interaction, for more laws and codes of conduct and to call upon experts for all kind of matters. It argues that performativity rules on the level of the practitioner, of the experts, and even on the level of educational research. It argues that many governments have adopted in matters of schooling the language of output and school effectiveness and that something similar is now bound to happen in the sphere of child-rearing (with talk of parenting skills and courses). This is made credible due to a particular model of educational research, i.e. an empiricist quasi-causal model of explaining human behaviour. The paper then discusses the problems with this stance and argues that we should part company from the entrepreneurial manipulative educator to open up a sphere of responsiveness for the child and that for these reasons, the concept of the ,practice of child-rearing' should be revisited. Insisting on the complexities that have to be taken into account and thus surpassing a discourse of effectiveness and output as well as of codes of conduct and rulings of courts of law, may help us to focus on what is really at stake: to lead a meaningful life, to be initiated into what is ,real for us' and what we value. It concludes that thus restoring a place for child-rearing as a practice will do justice to the responsiveness to which each child is entitled. [source] The Emerging Role of the European Commission in Merger and Acquisition Monitoring: The Boeing,McDonnell Douglas CaseEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2001Nihat Aktas The object of this study is to evaluate the consequences of the application of the EEC Regulation 4064/89 to non,European companies. We focus on the Boeing,McDonnell Douglas merger case, one of the first non,European mergers considered by the Commission. The analysis of abnormal returns on the two securities shows that the threat of a ban of the merger by the Commission were not perceived as credible at first. But when Boeing decided to ask the support of the American government, just after the decision of the European Commission to extend its investigations to the long term exclusivity contracts, the role of the Commission emerged. [source] A Critique of Schopenhauer's MetaphysicGERMAN LIFE AND LETTERS, Issue 3 2006G.A. Wells Schopenhauer's metaphysic is not more credible than the systems of his contemporaries Fichte, Schelling and Hegel, all of whom he criticised so severely. But as his writings, unlike theirs, are so lucid, they illustrate very clearly the metaphysician's endeavour to reach knowledge that is immediate and indubitable, not mediated by the sense organs and the brain, as is knowledge of the external world. He argues that ,das Einzige wirklich und unbedingt Gegebene ist das Selbstbewußtsein', which alone can yield ,die letzten und wichtigsten Aufschlüsse über das Wesen der Dinge'. He himself was not religious, but this doctrine has appealed to theologians seeking a basis for their belief that is independent of external (historical) testimony. In this connection, Albert Schweitzer expressly urged a return to the German metaphysical tradition, in particular to Schopenhauer's view of the will as the transcendent reality at the basis of self-consciousness. The present article argues, in the British empirical tradition, that there is really no reason to distinguish self-consciousness and experiences attributable to will from other kinds of experience. The practical distinction is that the idea of self depends largely not on the sensations provided by readily observable senses such as sight and hearing, but on muscular, articular and visceral receptors which constitute a less accessible internal sensorium. [source] Do nutrition labels improve dietary outcomes?,HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 6 2008Jayachandran N. Variyam Abstract The disclosure of nutritional characteristics of most packaged foods became mandatory in the United States with the implementation of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) in 1994. Under the NLEA regulations, a ,Nutrition Facts' panel displays information on nutrients such as calories, total and saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium in a standardized format. By providing nutrition information in a credible, distinctive, and easy-to-read format, the new label was expected to help consumers choose healthier, more nutritious diets. This paper examines whether the disclosure of nutrition information through the mandatory labels impacted consumer diets. Assessing the dietary effects of labeling is problematic due to the confounding of the label effect with unobserved label user characteristics. This self-selection problem is addressed by exploiting the fact that the NLEA exempts away-from-home foods from mandatory labeling. Difference-in-differences models that account for zero away-from-home intakes suggest that the labels increase fiber and iron intakes of label users compared with label nonusers. In comparison, a model that does not account for self-selection implies significant label effects for all but two of the 13 nutrients that are listed on the label. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Evaluating Medical Effectiveness for the California Health Benefits Review ProgramHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 3p2 2006Harold S. Luft An important aspect of the mandate assessments requested by the California legislature is a review of the scientific and medical literature on the medical effectiveness of the proposed health insurance benefit mandate. Although such a review bears many similarities to effectiveness reviews that might be undertaken for publication as research studies, several important differences arise from the requirements of the California legislation. Our reviews are intended to assist the legislators in deciding whether to support a specific mandate to modify health insurance benefits in a particular way. Thus, our assessments focus on how the scientific literature bears on the proposed mandate, which may involve a complicated chain of potential effects leading from altered coverage to ultimate impact on health. Evidence may be available for only some of the links in the chain. Furthermore, not all the evidence may be directly applicable to the diverse population of California or the subpopulation affected by the mandate. The mandate reviews, including the medical effectiveness analyses, may be used in a potentially contentious decision making setting. The legislative calendar requires that they need to be timely, yet they must be as valid, credible, and based on the best information available as possible. The focus on applicability also implies the need for informed, technical decisions concerning the relevance of the articles for the report, and these decisions need to be made as transparent as possible. These goals and constraints yield an approach that differs somewhat from an investigator-initiated review of the literature. [source] Study on constant stress: Accelerated life tests of fouling thermal resistanceHEAT TRANSFER - ASIAN RESEARCH (FORMERLY HEAT TRANSFER-JAPANESE RESEARCH), Issue 2 2006Yang Shan-rang Abstract To shorten the time of fouling tests, fouling life was defined. The statistical analysis method for type II-censored exponential life data under constant-stress accelerated life testing models and the accelerated coefficients a and b were obtained. By using an accelerated model, the estimators of the fouling life under usual stress could be obtained. A computing example was given. Results indicated that it is credible and feasible to perform accelerated life tests of asymptotic fouling thermal resistance, and will be of important value to experimental research of fouling. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 35(2): 110,114, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20105 [source] What Do Historians Argue About?HISTORY AND THEORY, Issue 1 2004C. Behan Mccullagh abstract Those who think that general historical interpretations do no more than express a personal point of view deny that arguments over their credibility can have any point. They commonly believe that historians decide upon particular facts about the past in the context of a general interpretation of those facts. Consequently they deny that there is any independent basis for judging the credibility of general interpretations of the past, and conclude that each coherent account is as good as every other. Similarly, those who think causal explanations are arbitrary can make no sense of arguments about their adequacy. They assume that historians simply pick out causes that interest them, and that there is no objective basis for judging the adequacy of the explanations they provide. This essay defends the credibility of interpretations against the skeptics, and the adequacy of causal explanations too. It shows that historians do discover a mass of particular facts independently of the general interpretations they finally provide, facts that provide a basis for assessing the credibility and fairness of those interpretations. It will also show that there is an objective basis for judging the adequacy of causal explanations, as some causes of an event are far more influential in bringing it about than others. A much more difficult problem concerns the need for historical interpretations to provide not just a credible account of the past, but also one that is fair, balanced, not misleading. Historians frequently argue about the fairness of general interpretations. Does this mean that fairness is always required? Quite often historians produce partial interpretations, in both senses, with no apology. It would be wrong to call such interpretations "biased" because they do not pretend to be comprehensive. So long as they are credible, they are acceptable. On the other hand, many interpretations are intended to present a fair, comprehensive account of their subject. When judging the adequacy of interpretations, it is necessary to know whether they are meant to be fair or not. [source] Cognitive Biases and Nonverbal Cue Availability in Detecting DeceptionHUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 4 2008Judee K. Burgoon In potentially deceptive situations, people rely on mental shortcuts to help process information. These heuristic judgments are often biased and result in inaccurate assessments of sender veracity. Four such biases,truth bias, visual bias, demeanor bias, and expectancy violation bias,were examined in a judgment experiment that varied nonverbal cue availability and deception. Observers saw a complete videotaped interview (full access to visual, vocal, and verbal cues), heard the complete interview (vocal and verbal access), or read a transcript (verbal access) of a truthful or deceptive suspect being questioned about a mock theft and then rated the interviewee on information, behavior, and image management and truthfulness. Results supported the presence of all four biases, which were most evident when interviewees were deceptive and observers had access to all visual, vocal, and verbal modalities. Deceivers' messages were judged as increasingly complete, honest, clear, and relevant; their behavior as more involved and dominant; and their overall demeanor as more credible, with the addition of nonverbal cues. Deceivers were actually judged as more credible than truthtellers in the audiovisual modality, whereas best discrimination and detection accuracy occurred in the audio condition. Results have implications for what factors influence judgments of a sender's credibility and accuracy in distinguishing truth from deception, especially under conditions where senders are producing messages interactively. Résumé Les biais cognitifs et la disponibilité des indices non verbaux dans la détection du mensonge Dans les situations potentiellement trompeuses, les gens se fient sur des raccourcis mentaux afin d'aider à traiter l,information. Ces jugements heuristiques sont souvent biaisés et ont pour résultat des évaluations erronées de l'honnêteté de l,émetteur. Quatre de ces biais (le biais de vérité, le biais visuel, le biais comportemental et le biais de violation des attentes) furent examinés dans une expérience de jugements qui variait en disponibilité des indices non verbaux et en mensonge. Les observateurs ont vu un entretien complet enregistré sur vidéo (accès complet aux indices visuels, vocaux et verbaux), entendu l'entretien complet (accès vocal et verbal) ou lu une transcription (accès verbal) d,un suspect honnête ou trompeur, interrogéà propos d'un faux vol. Ils ont ensuite classé l,interviewé selon des critères d'information, de comportement, de gestion de l,image et d'honnêteté. Les résultats appuient la présence de chacun des quatre biais, qui étaient le plus évidents lorsque les interviewés mentaient et que les observateurs avaient accès à toutes les modalités visuelles, vocales et verbales. Avec l,ajout des indices non verbaux, les messages des menteurs étaient jugés comme étant de plus en plus complets, honnêtes, clairs et pertinents; leurs comportements comme étant plus complexes et dominants; leur comportement général comme plus crédible. Les menteurs étaient en fait jugés plus crédibles que les personnes honnêtes dans la modalité la plus complète (indices visuels, vocaux et verbaux), tandis que la plus grande exactitude dans la discrimination et la détection s'est produite chez les gens n,ayant eu accès qu'à l,enregistrement audio. Les résultats ont des implications pour les facteurs qui influencent les jugements de la crédibilité d'un émetteur et l,exactitude dans la distinction entre la vérité et le mensonge, surtout dans des conditions où les émetteurs produisent les messages de façon interactive. Mots clés : mensonge, comportement non verbal, communication interpersonnelle, crédibilité, confiance, modalité, CMO Abstract Kognitive Befangenheit und nonverbale Hinweisverfügbarkeit beim Aufdecken von Täuschung In potentiellen Täuschungssituationen greifen Menschen auf mentale Abkürzungen zurück, die ihnen helfen, Informationen zu verarbeiten. Diese heuristischen Urteile sind oft befangen und resultieren in einer fehlerhaften Beurteilung der Aufrichtigkeit des Senders. Vier solcher Befangenheiten , Wahrheitsbefangenheit, visuelle Befangenheit, Verhaltensbefangenheit und Erwartungsverletzungsbefangenheit , untersuchten wir in einem Beurteilungsexperiment mit variierter nonverbaler Hinweisverfügbarkeit und Täuschung. Beobachter sahen ein aufgezeichnetes Video (visueller, vokaler und verbaler Zugang), hörten ein Interview (vokaler und verbaler Zugang) oder lasen ein Manuskript (verbaler Zugang) eines wahrheitsgemäßen oder täuschenden Verdächtigen, der bezüglich eines Entwendungsdiebstahls verhört wurde. Danach beurteilten die Teilnehmer diesen hinsichtlich der Informationen und Verhaltensweisen, des Imagemanagement und der Wahrhaftigkeit. Die Ergebnisse stützen die Existenz aller vier Befangenheiten, die sich am deutlichsten zeigten, wenn Interviewte täuschten und die Beobachter Zugang zu allen visuellen, vokalen und verbalen Modalitäten hatten. Die Botschaft des Täuschenden wurde als zunehmend vollständig, ehrlich, klar und relevant, sein Verhalten als stärker involviert und dominant, und sein allgemeines Verhalten als glaubwürdiger beurteilt, wenn nonverbale Hinweise ergänzt wurden. Täuschende wurden in der AV-Variante sogar als glaubwürdiger beurteilt als jene, die die Wahrheit sagten. Die beste Unterscheidung und Entdeckungsgenauigkeit herrschte in der Audio-Kondition vor. Die Ergebnisse zeigen auf, welche Faktoren die Beurteilung der Glaubwürdigkeit eines Senders und die Genauigkeit bei der Unterscheidung von Wahrheit und Täuschung beeinflussen; insbesondere unter Bedingungen, in denen der Sender die Botschaft interaktiv produziert. Resumen Los Prejuicios Cognitivos y La Disponibilidad de la Clave No Verbal en la Detección del Engaño En situaciones potencialmente engañosas, la gente confía en los atajos mentales para ayudarse en el procesamiento de información. Estos juicios heurísticos son a menudo tendenciosos y dan como resultado evaluaciones imprecisas acerca de la veracidad del emisor. Cuatro de esos prejuicios ,prejuicio sobre la veracidad, prejuicio visual, prejuicio sobre el comportamiento, y prejuicio sobre la violación de expectación ,fueron examinados en un experimento de juicio variando la disponibilidad de la clave no verbal y el engaño. Los observadores vieron una entrevista completa grabada en video (con acceso pleno a las claves visuales, vocales y verbales), escucharon la entrevista en su totalidad (acceso a lo vocal y verbal), ó leyeron una transcripción (acceso a lo verbal) de un sospechoso veraz ó mentiroso cuestionado sobre un presunto robo, luego clasificaron al entrevistado acerca de la información, el comportamiento, el manejo de la imagen y la veracidad. Los resultados respaldaron la presencia de los 4 prejuicios, que fueron más evidentes cuando los entrevistados mintieron y los observadores tuvieron acceso a las modalidades visuales, vocales, y verbales. Los mensajes de los impostores fueron juzgados como más completes, honestos, claros, y relevantes; sus comportamientos fueron más involucrados y dominantes; y sus comportamientos en general fueron más creíbles, con el aditamento de las claves no verbales. Los impostores fueron juzgados actualmente como más creíbles que aquellos que decían la verdad en la modalidad audio visual, mientras que la mayor discriminación y certeza de detección ocurrió en la condición auditiva. Los resultados tienen implicancias sobre qué factores influyen los juicios sobre la credibilidad del emisor de un mensaje y la certeza para distinguir la verdad de la mentira, especialmente bajo condiciones en la cuales los emisores producen mensajes en forma interactiva. Palabra claves: decepción, comportamiento no verbal, comunicación interpersonal, credibilidad, confianza, modalidad, CMC ZhaiYao Yo yak [source] Cigarette pack and advertising displays at point of purchase: community demand for restrictionsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 6 2008Jacqueline A. Hickling Abstract Tobacco promotion influences tobacco consumption. Traditional forms of tobacco promotion have been heavily restricted in response to the harmful effects of tobacco. Tobacco displays at the point of purchase are increasingly important as a means of communicating brand imagery for the tobacco industry, especially when advertising is restricted at these points. Previous research has demonstrated that children exposed to tobacco advertising at the point of purchase have inflated perceptions of availability, use and popularity of tobacco. Internationally, laws are being debated and implemented to prohibit or restrict the display of tobacco at the point of purchase or put tobacco out of sight. Such measures would reduce tobacco product exposure and, hence, tobacco marketing among youth and the community. In South Australia, a ban on all cigarette advertising at the point of purchase was introduced in 2005. This study was designed to assess community support for restrictions on cigarette displays and advertising at the point of purchase. A telephone survey was conducted with a random sample of 2026 South Australian adults (aged 18 years and over) in July 2005. Overall, 63% of the community approved of a hypothetical total ban on cigarette displays at the point of purchase, with over three-quarters believing this should happen in the next 12 months. A further 24% believed that cigarette displays should be restricted and 82% would approve of a ban on displays in stores that sell confectionary. Only 7% of adult smokers reported making their decision about the brand of cigarettes to buy at the point of purchase and 90% made their decision before they even entered the shop. The results strengthen arguments that cigarette displays are not necessary to maintain brand loyalty or to encourage brand switching of established smokers. Instead, the results make arguments more credible that cigarette displays normalize and promote smoking among young people and may also promote unplanned purchase or increased consumption among less frequent smokers or former smokers. Placing cigarettes out of sight would be unlikely to impact on brand choice for most smokers, who have already made up their mind before they enter the store. [source] Game Theory: Pitfalls and Opportunities in Applying It to International RelationsINTERNATIONAL STUDIES PERSPECTIVES, Issue 3 2000Steven J. Brams Four problems plague game-theoretic models in international relations (IR): (1) misspecifying the rules, (2) confusing goals and rational choice, (3) arbitrarily reducing the multiplicity of equilibria, and (4) forsaking backward induction. An alternative approach, theory of moves (TOM), is discussed and applied to Prisoners' Dilemma and then, more prescriptively, to the Iran hostage crisis of 1979,80. TOM incorporates into the framework of game theory an initial state in a payoff matrix, the moves and countermoves required to reach a "nonmyopic equilibrium," and threat, moving, and order power that reflect asymmetries in the capabilities of the players. It also allows for incomplete information, which in the Iran hostage crisis led to misperceptions and flawed play. Two general lessons come out of the U.S. foreign-policy failure in the Iran hostage crisis: (1) know the game you are playing, and (2) make threats only if they are likely to be credible. In specific games, TOM provides detailed prescriptions for optimal play, depending on where play starts and the powers of the players, that could aid foreign-policy makers, especially in crises. [source] Simulation of Ni3Al-based Alloy and Investment Casting Process of its Thin Wall CastingsISRAEL JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 3-4 2007Xi-e Zhang It is very difficult to produce thin wall complex castings of the Ni3Al-based alloy by investment casting. Defects such as incomplete mold filling and hot tears appear commonly. In this paper, physical parameters of Ni3Al-based alloy are obtained by experiments and simulations using JmatPro software. The calculation results of physical parameters are credible by comparing with test results and can be used in the pre-processing of casting simulaton software ProCAST of thin wall castings. Gating and feeding system is optimized to decrease hot tearing tendentiousness and ensure filling ability according to casting simulation results. [source] Effects of Communicator Credibility and Fear on Adaptive and Maladaptive Coping Reactions to the HIV ThreatJOURNAL OF APPLIED BIOBEHAVIORAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2005Kanayo Umeh Late diagnosis is currently the principal cause of continued mortality among HIV-infected people. Consequently, medical experts (i.e., GPs) are now required to play a more active role in promoting HIV prevention. Social psychological studies suggest that communicator credibility (CC) affects persuasion. However, there is a paucity of research focusing on HIV/AIDS. We tested propositions that a credible (i.e., "expert") communicator is more persuasive than a noncredible source, and that this effect is moderated by fear. Drive-reduction models (Hovland, Janis, & Kelley, 1953) provided the theoretic framework. One hundred undergraduates were exposed to a communication about HIV/AIDS. CC and fear arousal were manipulated with adaptive coping (intentions to use condoms) and maladaptive coping (rationalizations, denial) treated as outcome variables. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed neither a main effect of CC nor an interaction with fear. However, fear arousal seemed to negate persuasion by increasing maladaptive coping. The partial eta-squared (n,2) value indicated a weak-to-modest effect size. Overall, these findings echo drive-reduction models but raise new questions about relevance of source expertise in health persuasion. [source] When Cross-Examination Offends: How Men and Women Assess Intrusive Questioning of Male and Female Expert WitnessesJOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Bridget A. Larson Personally intrusive questioning during cross-examination has become commonplace. The differential impact of this questioning on female vs. male experts was the focus in this study, thus these questions are referred to as gender-intrusive questions. The results demonstrated that the female expert was rated as less confident, trustworthy, likable, believable, and credible than the male expert. The male and female experts were both rated as more credible, trustworthy, and believable when subjected to gender-intrusive questions. Furthermore, the use of these questions left the jurors with a negative impression of the prosecuting attorney and his case. Jury members were more likely to believe that the evidence exhibited the most support for the defense's case when the witness was subjected to gender-intrusive questioning. [source] Effects of Interview Style and Witness Age on Perceptions of Children's Credibility in Sexual Abuse CasesJOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Paola Castelli The present study concerned effects of interview style and victim age on perceptions of child victim/witnesses and defendant guilt. In 2 experiments, participants read written scenarios of child sexual abuse trials. The scenarios included a transcript of the child victim/ witness's forensic interview, in which questioning varied from less leading to highly leading. In Experiment 1, child age (4 years vs. 7 years) did not significantly influence guilt ratings, but mock jurors were less likely to convict the alleged perpetrator and less likely to rate the child as credible and reliable when testimony was elicited through a highly leading vs. an intermediately or less leading interview. The effect of interview style on guilt ratings replicated in Experiment 2 for a 4-year-old victim/witness but not a 7-year-old victim/witness. In both studies, women compared to men were more likely to convict the defendant and to believe the child. Implications for understanding jurors' reactions to child victim/witness testimony are discussed. [source] Regulated Managerial Insider Trading as a Mechanism to Facilitate Shareholder ControlJOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 1-2 2001Guochang Zhang This paper shows that managerial insider trading, suitably regulated, reduces information asymmetry and helps shareholders better screen corporate decisions. In a setting where a firm's manager has private information about potential projects and his preferences differ from those of shareholders, I derive a unique perfect-sequential equilibrium (Grossman and Perry, 1986) where the manager's inside information is partially revealed through his voluntary purchase of the firm's stock, and shareholders screen investment proposals based on the revealed information. However, to make information revelation credible, the manager should be required to report his trading publicly and be prohibited from making a short-term reversal of his position. [source] Intergroup contact in Romania: When minority size is positively related to intergroup conflictJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Vasile Cernat Abstract Contexts in which minority size is positively related to intergroup conflict are challenging for the contact hypothesis. In such situations, if opportunities for contact increase prejudice, the contact hypothesis may seem less credible, but if they reduce prejudice, the contact hypothesis may seem less useful for improving intergroup relations. Based on path analyses run on a Romanian national probability sample (N,=,733), the current research shows that the contact hypothesis can nevertheless be relevant. Because the Hungarian minority is concentrated in Transylvania, a region with a long history of conflict between Romanians and Hungarians, Transylvanians have more opportunities for out-group contact than other Romanians. However, the analyses also detected significant differences within Transylvania: Urban Transylvanians have more opportunities for contact with Hungarians than rural Transylvanians and, consequently, are less negative towards them. The results, which closely match recent historical events, suggest that a proper application of the contact hypothesis at a societal level has to take into account that minority size is not necessarily equivalent to opportunities for contact and that inter-regional comparisons in opportunities for contact can hide significant intra-regional differences. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Impact of Synchronicity and Civility in Online Political Discussions on Perceptions and Intentions to ParticipateJOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, Issue 3 2005Elaine W. J. Ng Using a mixed-model factorial design, a laboratory experiment (n=153) was conducted to investigate the effects of two features of CMC-synchronicity and civility-on perceptions of online political discussions and discussants. Results indicate that the synchronous versions of the discussions were perceived as more informative and persuasive than the asynchronous versions. Discussants in the uncivil versions of the discussions were perceived as more dominant and less credible. However, neither synchronicity nor civility had a significant impact on people's intentions to participate. The results stand in contrast to those of previous content analysis research, suggesting the importance of studying perceptions in future research. The implications of the findings for online political communication are discussed. [source] Credibility Assessments of Online Health Information: The Effects of Source Expertise and Knowledge of ContentJOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, Issue 4 2001Matthew S. Eastin Millions of Americans use the Internet as a resource for information, with a large proportion seeking health information. Research indicates that medical professionals do not author an extensive amount of health information available on the Internet. This creates a possibility for false information, thereby potentially leading ill people away from proper care. One way to begin addressing this problem is to assess perceptions of credibility about information found online. A between-groups, 2 (message type) × 3 (source type) factorial design was tested by manipulating source expertise (high, medium, low) and content knowledge (known and unknown). While findings did not indicate a significant interaction between source and content type, they did indicate an overall tendency to rate all information as relatively credible. In addition, results indicate that both knowledge of content and source expertise affect perceptions of online health information. [source] Consumer confusion in the Thai mobile phone marketJOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 6 2006Sheena Leek Consumer confusion is likely to be an ever increasing problem as customers live in an environment where they are bombarded with information and where rapid technological developments are taking place. Although consumer confusion has been investigated in individualistic cultures such as the United Kingdom, it has received little attention in collectivist cultures such as Thailand. This research examines confusion in the Thai mobile phone industry. More specifically, it aims to determine what aspects of the mobile phone industry are confusing and what sources of information are used to reduce or eliminate it. Thai consumers experience confusion and find a number of aspects of the mobile phone industry to be problematic especially handsets, services and tariffs. In terms of reducing confusion, family and friends are the most popular source of information being both credible and reliable. It is put forward that the problems associated with handsets, services and tariffs are due to differing degrees of technological complexity and overchoice both of which are sub-components of confusion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Policy dependency and reform: economic gains versus political painsAGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2-3 2004David R. Harvey Abstract Economic analysis condemns market intervention in favour of farmers as inefficient and ineffective, and therefore worthy of radical reform. Practical experience, however, indicates that such lessons are hard to learn and implement. Economic analysis tends to ignore the path dependencies generated by the policy evolution process. Without reform strategies that take full account of these dependencies, policy reform will continue to be reluctant, slow and frequently counter-productive. This paper reconsiders the evolution of farm policies and the economic assessment of their costs and benefits. In so doing, it re-phrases conventional economic arguments in terms which seem to accord better with sensible intuition, which may prove more accessible and credible to policymakers and advisors. The difficulties of reconciling economic efficiency with political acceptability are identified. The paper concludes with a substantial challenge to the agricultural economics profession. [source] Lay food and health worker involvement in community nutrition and dietetics in England: roles, responsibilities and relationship with professionalsJOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 3 2008L. A. Kennedy Abstract Background, Community-based food initiatives have developed in recent years with the aim of engaging previously ,hard to reach' groups. Lay workers engaged in community nutrition activities are promoted as a cost-effective mechanism for reaching underserved groups. The main objective of the study was to explore perceptions and definitions of lay food and health worker (LFHW) helping roles within the context of National Health Service (NHS) community nutrition and dietetic services in order to define the conceptual and practical elements of this new role and examine the interface with professional roles. Methods, Interpretive qualitative inquiry; semi-structured interviews with LFHW and NHS professionals employed by community-based programmes, serving ,hard-to-reach' neighbourhoods, across England. A total sampling framework was used to capture all existing and ,fully operational' lay food initiatives in England at the commencement of fieldwork (January 2002). Findings, In total, 29 professionals and 53 LFHWs were interviewed across 15 of the 18 projects identified. Although all 15 projects shared a universal goal, to promote healthy eating, this was achieved through a limited range of approaches, characterized by a narrow, individualistic focus. Lay roles spanned three broad areas: nutrition education; health promotion; and administration and personal development. Narratives from both professionals and LFHWs indicated that the primary role for LFHWs was to encourage dietary change by translating complex messages into credible and culturally appropriate advice. Conclusions, This research confirms the emerging discipline involving lay helping within the NHS and community dietetics. The primary role of LFHWs in the 15 projects involved was to support existing NHS services to promote healthy eating amongst ,hard to reach' communities. The activities undertaken by LFHWs are strongly influenced by professionals and the NHS. Inherent to this is a fairly narrow interpretation of health, resulting in a limited range of practice. [source] Eyewitness testimony and perceived credibility of youth with mild intellectual disabilityJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 7 2004M. Peled Abstract Background Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are more vulnerable to abuse compared to individuals without disabilities yet have limited access to the legal system. This study examined perceived credibility of youth with mild intellectual disability (MID) who provide courtroom testimony. Method Participants, 187 undergraduates, were asked general questions about credibility. They also read eyewitness testimony and answered questions about a particular witness's credibility. Half the participants were informed that the youth has MID [chronological age (CA) 15 years, mental age (MA) 10 years] and the others were informed that the youth is a typically developing 10-year-old. Results When participants were asked general questions about credibility they rated 15-year-olds with MID (MA 10 years) as less credible than typically developing 15-year-olds and as less credible than typically developing 10-year-olds. However, when participants read eyewitness testimony and answered questions about a particular witness's credibility, no statistically significant differences were found between participants who were informed that the witness was a 15-year-old with MID (MA 10 years) and those who were informed that the witness was a typically developing 10-year-old. Conclusions The present study provided a preliminary investigation of perceived credibility of witnesses with MID and suggests directions for future research in this area. [source] Tricks of the Trade: The Performance and Interpretation of AuthenticityJOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 5 2005Brian Moeran abstract This paper discusses a Tokyo advertising agency's preparation of campaign ideas for a competitive presentation made to a Japanese multinational corporation planning to advertise in both Germany and the United States, and the part played therein by the author as authentic foreign other. Based on anthropological fieldwork, the paper gives details of the client's orientation and the agency's subsequent market analysis and creative interpretations, while following the back-stage interpretations of key personnel's tastes by the agency's account team as a means towards making their final selection of campaign ideas for the presentation. This description gives rise to two complementary analyses of authenticity. One concerns advertising as ,authentic reproduction' in the context of the interpretation of cultural stereotypes. The other analyses back stage strategy and front stage performance to show how the performance and interpretation of authenticity are tricks of the trade that enable Japanese business organizations to be seen as professional and credible in the eyes of their clients, competitors, customers and partners. [source] Homology versus analogy: possible evolutionary relationship of immunoglobulins, cupredoxins, and Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutaseJOURNAL OF MOLECULAR RECOGNITION, Issue 1 2008Fred J. Stevens Abstract The ,immunoglobulin-like' fold is one of most common structural motifs observed in proteins. This topology is found in more than 80 superfamilies of proteins, including Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and cupredoxin. Evolutionary relationships have not been identified, but may exist. The challenge remains, therefore, of resolving the issue of whether the diverse distribution of the fold is accounted for by divergent evolution of function or convergent evolution of structure following multiple independent origins of function. Since the early studies that revealed conformational similarity of immunoglobulins and other proteins, the number of primary structures available for comparison has dramatically increased and new computational approaches for analysis of sequences have been developed. It now appears that a hypothesis of a common evolutionary origin for cupredoxins, Cu,Zn-SOD, and immunoglobulins may be credible. The distinction between protein homology and protein analogy is fundamental. The immunoglobulin-like fold may represent a robust system within which to examine again the issue of protein homology versus analogy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||