Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Theoretical Explanations (theoretical + explanation)
Selected AbstractsTuning the Magnetic Moment of [Ru2(DPhF)3(O2CMe)L]+ Complexes (DPhF=N,N, -Diphenylformamidinate): A Theoretical Explanation of the Axial Ligand InfluenceCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 21 2010Carmen Barral Dr. Abstract The magnetic behaviour of the compounds containing the [Ru2(DPhF)3(O2CMe)]+ ion (DPhF,=N,N, -diphenylformamidinate) shows a strong dependence on the nature of the ligand bonded to the axial position. The new complexes [Ru2(DPhF)3(O2CMe)(OPMe3)][BF4],0.5,CH2Cl2 (1, 0.5,CH2Cl2) and [Ru2(DPhF)3(O2CMe)(4-pic)][BF4] (2) (4-pic=4-methylpyridine) clearly display this influence. Complex 1,0.5,CH2Cl2 shows a magnetic moment corresponding to a S=3/2 system affected by the common zero-field splitting (ZFS) and a weak antiferromagnetic interaction, whereas complex 2 displays an intermediate behaviour between S=3/2 and S=1/2 systems. The experimental data of complex 1 are fitted with a model that considers the ZFS effect using the Hamiltonian ,D=S,D,S. The weak antiferromagnetic coupling is introduced as a perturbation, using the molecular field approximation. DFT calculations demonstrate that, in the [Ru2(O2CMe)(DPhF)3(L)]+ complexes, the energy level of the metal,metal molecular orbitals is strongly dependent on the nature of the axial ligand (L). This study reveals that the increase in the ,-acceptor character of L leads to a greater split between the ,* and ,* HOMO orbitals. The influence of the axial ligand in the relative energy between the doublet and quartet states in this type of complexes was also analysed. This study was performed on the new complexes 1,0.5,CH2Cl2 and 2. The previously isolated [Ru2(DPhF)3(O2CMe)(OH2)][BF4],0.5,CH2Cl2 (3, 0.5,CH2Cl2) and [Ru2(DPhF)3(O2CMe)(CO)][BF4],CH2Cl2 (4,CH2Cl2) complexes were also included in this study as representative examples of spin-admixed and low-spin configurations, respectively. The [Ru2(DPhF)3(O2CMe)]+ (5) unit was used as a reference compound. These theoretical studies are in accordance with the different magnetic behaviour experimentally observed. [source] Narrative Methods and Children: Theoretical Explanations and Practice IssuesJOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSING, Issue 1 2008Lorna Bennett RN TOPIC:,The Narrative approach is an innovative way of working with children and adolescents experiencing mental health problems. This approach can be effectively integrated with the expressive arts and other nonverbal ways of accessing the life world of children. In addition, the approach promotes respect for and collaboration with the child in working towards healing and growth. PURPOSE:,In this paper core features of the narrative approach are described; the theoretical and philosophical and evidence base for this approach as well as its congruence with the special nature and needs of children will be explored. Finally, the benefits and challenges of this approach in relation to a specific clinical situation will be highlighted. SOURCES USED:,Published literature and the author's clinical experiences. CONCLUSION:,Narrative methods are ideally suited for addressing needs of children experiencing mental health problems and can enhance therapeutic effectiveness. Some of the challenges associated with its use include: finding creative ways to apply specific narrative concepts and methods with diverse clinical issues/problems; learning to collaborate with children and respect them as experts in their own lives; and shifting the nursing focus from a problem-focused orientation to a strength-oriented and child-centered approach. [source] Gearing up for mobile advertising: A cross-cultural examination of key factors that drive mobile messages home to consumersPSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 8 2008Yung Kyun Choi Mobile advertising is gearing up for success, but researchers and practitioners need to understand how to measure the effectiveness of this advertising form,particularly the factors that drive mobile messages home in different cultures. This study identifies key measures of effectiveness as well as antecedent variables in the context of 629 Korean and American consumers. Entertainment and credibility were key factors predicting positive attitude and purchase intention among both Koreans and Americans. However, this study found multiple cross-cultural differences,particularly in informativeness, perceived interactivity, and the value of mobile advertising. Theoretical explanations and practical implications are suggested. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Low Pay in the UK: The Case for a Three Sector Comparative ApproachANNALS OF PUBLIC AND COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2001Stephen Almond This paper represents a first attempt to examine empirically the comparative extensiveness of low pay in the third sector against the theoretical backdrop of both the generic labour market literature and the newly emerging specialist third sector literature. It shows that the third sector occupies an intermediate position between relatively high concentrations of low pay in the private sector and low concentrations in the public sector. These differences do not emerge simply because the categories of vulnerable workers identified in the generic labour market literature are less likely to be found in the third sector. Nor do they reflect differences in sectoral industry and occupation composition. Theoretical explanations for these differences are to be found in the third sector literature. [source] Attachment theory in adolescence and its relevance to developmental psychopathologyCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 1 2001Lucy Scott Brown The relationship between the quality of early attachment and later psychological adaptation is frequently emphasized. To date, the significance of attachment during infancy and adulthood has been a central focus in the literature, with remarkably little attention being given to adolescence. The aim of this selective review is to introduce and critically consider the key concepts of attachment theory, and to then discuss the relevance of attachment to the period of adolescence. More specifically, an emphasis will be placed upon the importance of early attachment experiences in the development of adolescent psychopathology. Theoretical explanations for this relationship are considered alongside implications for clinical practice and research. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Is there more assimilation in Catalonia than in the Basque Country?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 6 2008Analysing dynamics of assimilation in nationalist contexts This article builds on recent attempts in political science to illuminate the ,micro-level' mechanisms of identity formation. It analyses the dynamics of assimilation in two similar contexts with extremely salient regional-nationalist movements: Catalonia and the Basque Country. It poses the question: In which of the two regions has there been more assimilation of demographically significant, internal-immigrant segments of the population? It tests whether there has been more assimilation in Catalonia , a result expected from the allegedly more ,civic' nature of the nationalist movement there. To do so, it draws on and goes beyond the tools provided by David Laitin for operationalising assimilation. It uses existing public opinion surveys to construct and present assimilation indices for both regions. The authors show that though rates of ,linguistic adaptation' are higher in Catalonia, such adaptation correlates weakly with assimilation into feelings of subjective identification and the espousal of nationalist views and aspirations more generally. The article goes on to demonstrate that rates of assimilation, when measured using several more robust proxies for the feeling of national identity, are actually lower in Catalonia. The authors then proceed to provide a theoretical explanation for their surprising empirical results. The explanation stresses the causal role of institutional pressures , themselves the product of nationalist coalition-building strategies , in accounting for patterns of linguistic adaptation and of cultural assimilation. Furthermore, it emphasises the relevance of ,cultural demography', particularly among natives/insiders, in accounting for the different nationalist strategies and the different intensity as well as different types of institutional pressures faced by immigrants/outsiders in the two regions. [source] Option Expensing and Managerial Equity IncentivesFINANCIAL MARKETS, INSTITUTIONS & INSTRUMENTS, Issue 3 2009Yi Feng We examine the impact of mandatory option expensing on managerial equity incentives. Though effective only after June 15, 2005, there is evidence that U.S. firms begin preparing for option expensing as early as 2002 by making changes to their equity incentive plans. We find that (1) CEO option incentives exhibit a sharp reversal during the period 1993-2005, with the median CEO option incentives increasing 25% a year before 2002 but declining 17% a year after 2001; (2) the reduction in option incentives after 2001 is larger for firms that use excessive levels of equity incentives prior to 2002; (3) firms make similar reductions to options granted to CEOs, other top executives and lower-level employees; (4) CEO stock incentives increase throughout the entire 13-year period, rising at an even greater rate after 2001; and (5) the increase in stock incentives after 2001 is far from offsetting the corresponding decrease in option incentives. These findings are robust to controls for firm and CEO characteristics and for concurrent regulatory, business and market events such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the option backdating scandal, and the 2000 stock market crash. We also provide a theoretical explanation for the documented changes in option incentives. [source] Following START: Risk Acceptance and the 1991,1992 Presidential Nuclear InitiativesFOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS, Issue 1 2008Matthew Fuhrmann In September 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush launched the Presidential Nuclear Initiatives (PNIs), which were unilateral measures that led to the largest reductions in the American and Soviet/Russian nuclear arsenals to date. Despite their eventual success, the United States took on significant risks in launching the PNIs. To uncover the best theoretical explanation for their onset, this article uses realism, neorealism, the bureaucratic politics model, expected utility theory, and prospect theory to generate ex ante predictions regarding nuclear arms control at the end of the Cold War. It then tests the theories' predictions against the empirical record. The results suggest that a focus on an individual decision maker,President Bush,is necessary to fully understand the PNIs and that an explanation rooted in prospect theory offers the most explanatory power. This study speaks to an important debate in discipline regarding the significance of individuals, while underscoring the value of exploring foreign policy decision making from multiple levels of analysis. It also advances the literatures on risk acceptance and prospect theory by shifting their applications away from militarized conflict and crises to diplomatic negotiations and cooperation. [source] Get Back into that Kitchen, Woman: Management Conferences and the Making of the Female Professional WorkerGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 5 2010Jackie Ford Conferences are a little studied aspect of working lives. In this article we explore how management conferences contribute to the continuing imbalance of power between men and women in management. We analyse data gathered from a reflexive ethnographic study of a management conference. We show that women arrive at conferences as knowing subjects, able easily to occupy the subject position of conference participant, but they are then subjected to processes of infantilization and seduction. They are made to feel scared and are given the order, as were their mothers and grandmothers: get back to the kitchen. We avoid using a theoretical explanation for these findings, preferring to offer them without much explanation, for we favour instead a political approach, and we use the findings as a way of making a call to arms to change the ways in which conferences are hostile to women. [source] The role and impact of affect in the process of resistance to persuasionHUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 2 2001M Pfau This investigation dealt with the role and impact of affect in the process of resistance. A total of 597 participants took part in the study in 4 phases spanning 6 weeks. Initial results indicated that the cognitive, affective-anger, and affective-happiness inoculation treatments all conferred resistance to persuasive attacks. Structural equation analyses were conducted on the cognitive, affective-anger, and affective-happiness experimental inoculation conditions in order to examine the process of resistance. The results across all 3 conditions revealed a direct path in which inoculation treatments directly induced resistance to persuasive attacks. However, indirect paths to resistance varied across the 3 experimental conditions. Cognitive inoculation treatments contributed to receiver threat and counterarguing output, which, in turn, enhanced resistance. Thus, the cognitive inoculation treatments triggered a process that is consistent with McGuire's theoretical explanation for resistance. By contrast, both affective-anger and affective-happiness inoculation treatments relied more heavily on elicited emotional responses. Finally, the results indicated that greater receiver involvement was positively associated with experienced anger and, therefore, indirectly contributed to resistance, whereas greater receiver self-efficacy tended to dampen resistance. [source] Effect of Framing on Applicants' Reactions to Personnel Selection MethodsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 3 2009Eyal Gamliel This research demonstrates the effect of framing on applicants' reactions to two personnel selection methods: undergraduate grade point average and personnel interview scores. Presenting a selection situation framed positively (to accept applicants) caused applicants to rate both selection methods more favorably relative to presenting them with an identical selection situation framed negatively (to reject the remaining applicants). Framing affected reactions that emphasized distributive justice aspects of the selection situation and procedural justice aspects. The results are consistent with Prospect theory and with Fairness Heuristic theory. The paper offers a theoretical explanation for the effect of framing on applicants' reactions to personnel selection methods, discusses the implications of this effect, and suggests directions for future research. [source] Morphological study of Czochralski-grown lanthanide orthovanadate single crystals and implications on the mechanism of bulk spiral formationJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2010Hengjiang Cong Single crystals of monoclinic Nd:LaVO4 with dimensions up to Ø28 × 21,mm have been grown from the near-stoichiometric melt by the Czochralski method, making use of various seed orientations that are perpendicular to the (010), (10), (001) and (00) crystal planes. A sample was also prepared with the seed orientation in an arbitrary direction relative to the crystal. The anisotropic properties of the crystal are manifested in the growth morphology of the as-grown crystals, where different degrees of bulk spiral growth were observed. It was also found that employing the (001) or (00) seed faces severely suppressed the bulk spiral growth, and thus high quality and large-scale Nd:LaVO4 crystals were obtained. The constituent segregation coefficients and high-temperature stability, including the melting point, were determined and evaluated. Based on the attachment energy model of Hartman,Perdok theory, morphology predictions were made for monoclinic LaVO4 and tetragonal YVO4 orthovanadate single crystals. Correlating with the as-grown morphology of both crystals developed along different seed orientations, a theoretical explanation is provided for the influences of seed crystals on bulk spiral formation, crystal quality and utilization ratio. It suggests that breaking the axial symmetry of the ideal atomic level interface between crystal and melt plays a crucial triggering role in bulk spiral formation in the Czochralski growth of lanthanide orthovanadate single crystals. Selecting a proper seed orientation that yields such a highly axially symmetric surface structure consisting of a series of large-area facets with similar growth velocities can greatly reduce bulk spiral formation and thus is preferable in the Czochralski growth of large-sized low-symmetry oxide crystals. [source] Entertainment-education and social change: an analysis of parasocial interaction, social learning, collective efficacy, and paradoxical communicationJOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Issue 4 2000MJ Papa Most past studies of entertainment-education programs have not provided an adequate theoretical explanation of the process through which community members enact system-level changes as a result of exposure to entertainment-education media message. Here we study the effects of an entertainment-education radio soap opera by means of an observational case study in one Indian village. We investigate the paradoxes, contradictions, and audience members' struggles in the process of media-stimulated change, a process involving parasocial interaction, peer communication, and collective efficacy. [source] Mechanism of 4-methyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-thione reaction with formaldehydeJOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2008Monika Wujec Abstract We have recently described theoretically the mechanism of the reaction between 4-methyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-thiol and formaldehyde that leads to the N- substituted product, N1 -hydroxymethyl-4-methyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-thione. New experimental findings indicate that the thione tautomeric form in reaction with formaldehyde also yields this product. This observation could not be explained on the basis of previous calculations, which predicted that the thione tautomer undergoes nucleophilic substitution at the sulfur atom, leading to the S- substituted product. We present theoretical explanation of the observed reactivity. We show that under experimental conditions this reaction proceeds with the intervention of the anionic form of the triazole with the Gibbs free energy of activation of only 1.8,kcal/mol. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A theoretical explanation for the retention mechanism of ion exclusion chromatographyJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 17 2003Bronis, aw K. G Abstract Ion Exclusion Chromatography is classically used for the separation of weak acid anions. Dilute strong acids (e.g. sulphuric or perchloric acid) or just water are used as eluents. To increase the exclusion effect, strong cation exchangers, characterized by high concentration of functional groups, are applied. The inner column volume of commercially available columns is increased by increasing their size in comparison to traditional ones (usually 300×7.8 mm ID). The description of the retention mechanism of this technique implicitly assumes that both mobile and stationary phases are typical aqueous solutions, and their dielectric constants are thus equal. This equality implies the equality of solute dissociation constants in both phases. Another implicit assumption is that the dead- and inner volumes of the column are constant, and independent of the mobile phase composition. The present paper shows that stationary and mobile phases are generally characterized by different physicochemical parameters. Thus, they cannot be considered as regular aqueous solutions. Additionally, we show that weak cation exchanger resins, which are characterized by a relatively small concentration of the functional groups, and weak acid based buffers can also be used in IEC. This would expand the possible applications of this method and enable, for example, the separation of strong acids (anions). The influence of ionic strength on the retention and dead- and inner column volumes is also discussed. Finally we also briefly describe the retention mechanism of Electrostatic Ion Chromatography. [source] Musings about the development of XAFSJOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 2 2001Edward A. Stern A personal recollection of the development of X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) into a structure-determination technique is presented. Because of confusion in the theoretical explanation of the `Kronig structure', now called EXAFS, the extended XAFS, its explanation remained unresolved for about 40 years. As I was introduced to the EXAFS phenomenon by Farrel Lytle and saw his impressive data, the thought came to me that scattering of the photoelectron from surrounding atoms could be the mechanism of the effect. My graduate student, Dale Sayers, agreed to work on developing the theory under my supervision and to make EXAFS measurements under Lytle's supervision as his PhD thesis. The theory led to the idea of a Fourier transform of the EXAFS, which showed peaks from surrounding atoms, proving the validity of the theory and suggesting the method of structure determination by using standards from known structures. Within a few years, facilities at synchrotron sources were developed to measure XAFS, opening up the technique to the general scientific community. In spite of some initial growing pains, XAFS has matured into a powerful technique for local structure and has been applied to obtain magnetic structure, in addition to distribution of atoms. Other related techniques have been spawned from XAFS, expanding the impact of the original phenomenon. [source] Three Conundrums of Language LateralizationLINGUISTICS & LANGUAGE COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1-2 2007Kathleen Baynes The lateralization of language to the left hemisphere of the brain in most right-handed individuals is well established; however, this arrangement has no widely accepted theoretical explanation. The distribution of language across the cerebral hemispheres raises issues and contradictions that are difficult for any theory to accommodate. In this article, we review three puzzles about the lateralization of language: (1) the clinical literature reveals profound deficits in language only after left-hemisphere damage, but the brain imaging literature shows bilateral activation in most language tasks; (2) language is left-hemisphere dominant in most individuals yet deviation from this pattern does not result in language dysfunction; and (3) lateralization and handedness are related, but the factors that underlie this relation are unknown. We also briefly discuss evolutionary and genetic theories that have been advanced to explain lateralization. [source] The Dog That Did Not Bark: Insider Trading and CrashesTHE JOURNAL OF FINANCE, Issue 5 2008JOSE M. MARIN ABSTRACT This paper documents that at the individual stock level, insiders' sales peak many months before a large drop in the stock price, while insiders' purchases peak only the month before a large jump. We provide a theoretical explanation for this phenomenon based on trading constraints and asymmetric information. A key feature of our theory is that rational uninformed investors may react more strongly to the absence of insider sales than to their presence (the "dog that did not bark" effect). We test our hypothesis against competing stories, such as insiders timing their trades to evade prosecution. [source] X-ray observations of classical novae: Theoretical implicationsASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN, Issue 2 2010M. Hernanz Abstract Detection of X-rays from classical novae, both in outburst and post-outburst, provides unique and crucial information about the explosion mechanism. Soft X-rays reveal the hot white dwarf photosphere, whenever hydrogen (H) nuclear burning is still on and expanding envelope is transparent enough, whereas harder X-rays give information about the ejecta and/or the accretion flow in the reborn cataclysmic variable. The duration of the supersoft X-ray emission phase is related to the turn-off of the classical nova, i.e., of the H-burning on top of the white dwarf core. A review of X-ray observations is presented, with a special emphasis on the implications for the duration of post-outburst steady H-burning and its theoretical explanation. The particular case of recurrent novae (both the "standard" objects and the recently discovered ones) will also be reviewed, in terms of theoretical feasibility of short recurrence periods, as well as regarding implications for scenarios of type Ia supernovae (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] UNEXPLAINED SPLIT SEX RATIOS IN THE NEOTROPICAL PLANT-ANT, ALLOMERUS OCTOARTICULATUS VAR. DEMERARAE (MYRMICINAE): A TEST OF HYPOTHESESEVOLUTION, Issue 1 2010Gabriel D. G. Debout We investigated sex allocation in the Neotropical ant Allomerus octoarticulatus var. demerarae. Because Allomerus is a plant symbiont, we could make geographically extensive collections of complete colonies and of foundresses in saplings, allowing us to estimate not only population- and colony-level sex allocation but also colony resource levels and the relatednesses of competing ant foundresses. This species exhibits a strongly split sex ratio, with 80% of mature colonies producing ,90% of one sex or the other. Our genetic analyses (DNA microsatellites) reveal that Allomerus has a breeding system characterized by almost complete monogyny and a low frequency of polyandry. Contrary to theoretical explanations, we find no difference in worker relatedness asymmetries between female- and male-specialist colonies. Furthermore, no clear link was found between colony sex allocation and life history traits such as the number of mates per queen, or colony size, resource level, or fecundity. We also failed to find significant support for male production by workers, infection by Wolbachia, local resource competition, or local mate competition. We are left with the possibility that Allomerus exhibits split sex ratios because of the evolution of alternative biasing strategies in queens or workers, as recently proposed in the literature. [source] Rheological properties of magnetic fluids and their microstructural backgroundGAMM - MITTEILUNGEN, Issue 1 2007S. Odenbach Abstract Beyond the changes exerted by magnetic fields on the flows and properties of suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles, the change of their viscous behavior attracts ongoing research interest since nearly four decades. Within this contribution we'll review the general rheological features of ferrofluids and will present theoretical explanations on microstructural basis providing an insight in the mechanisms leading to a magnetic field dependence of ferrofluid's rheology. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Cultural Influences on Immigrant Women's Labor Force Participation: The Arab-American Case,INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION REVIEW, Issue 1 2004Jen'nan Ghazal Read Research on the economic activity of immigrant women has flourished in recent years. The current study extends this literature to examine the labor force activity of Arab-American women, a group whose labor market experiences provide an exception to hitherto accepted theoretical explanations. The employment rates of Arab immigrant women rank among the lowest of any immigrant group, while the rates of native-born Arab-American women resemble those of U.S.-born white women. This study examines potential explanations for these differences using data from the U.S. Census and a national mail survey of Arab-American women. Contrary to findings for other immigrant groups, differences among Arab-American women cannot be explained by their human capital characteristics or family resources, but are almost entirely due to traditional cultural norms that prioritize women's family obligations over their economic activity, and to ethnic and religious social networks that encourage the maintenance of traditional gender roles. This study concludes by underscoring the need for additional research on the impact of culture on immigrant women's employment. [source] Transnational Networks and Policy Diffusion: The Case of Gender MainstreamingINTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2001Jacqui True How can we account for the global diffusion of remarkably similar policy innovations across widely differing nation-states? In an era characterized by heightened globalization and increasingly radical state restructuring, this question has become especially acute. Scholars of international relations offer a number of theoretical explanations for the cross-national convergence of ideas, institutions, and interests. We examine the proliferation of state bureaucracies for gender mainstreaming. These organizations seek to integrate a gender-equality perspective across all areas of government policy. Although they so far have received scant attention outside of feminist policy circles, these mainstreaming bureaucracies,now in place in over 100 countries,represent a powerful challenge to business-as-usual politics and policymaking. As a policy innovation, the speed with which these institutional mechanisms have been adopted by the majority of national governments is unprecedented. We argue that transnational networks composed largely of nonstate actors (notably women's international nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations) have been the primary forces driving the diffusion of gender mainstreaming. In an event history analysis of 157 nation-states from 1975 to 1998, we assess how various national and transnational factors have affected the timing and the type of the institutional changes these states have made. Our findings support the claim that the diffusion of gender-mainstreaming mechanisms has been facilitated by the role played by transnational networks, in particular by the transnational feminist movement. Further, they suggest a major shift in the nature and the locus of global politics and national policymaking. [source] New Directions for IPE: Drawing From Behavioral EconomicsINTERNATIONAL STUDIES REVIEW, Issue 2 2008Deborah Kay Elms Many of the research approaches currently under investigation by behavioral economists are even better suited for international political economy research. The three research ideas illustrated in this article,framing and loss aversion, myopic time horizons, and fairness,highlight concepts of considerable utility for IPE researchers. This article uses previously published International Organization articles, reformulated to consider the same puzzles from a different angle, to illustrate the application of these concepts. This allows readers the opportunity to consider an extended comparison of theoretical explanations of the same empirical evidence. Incorporating more of the knowledge drawn from psychology and current economics will yield superior explanations for political economy research questions that are more accurate, generalizable, parsimonious, and testable. [source] Transaction Cost Estimation and International Regimes: Of Crystal Balls and Sheriff's PossesINTERNATIONAL STUDIES REVIEW, Issue 1 2004Michael Lipson In the aftermath of the 2003 war in Iraq, there is growing concern over the durability of international institutions and their capacity to withstand international change. Transaction costs are a central factor in theoretical explanations of the conditions under which international institutions will persist or be replaced. Rational institutionalists expect regimes to persist after conditions underlying their creation have changed because of the transaction costs of negotiating a replacement regime. Andrew Moravcsik has recently challenged this view, arguing that such costs are generally low and, in any case, arise from domestic and transnational sources rather than interstate bargaining. Others have argued that transaction costs shape the structure of security institutions. All these approaches assume that states can accurately forecast the transaction costs of maintaining or replacing an international regime. However, as an examination of the replacement of the Coordinating Committee on Multilateral Export Controls (CoCom) by the Wassenaar Arrangement demonstrates, this assumption is not necessarily warranted. This essay reviews transaction-cost-based theories of international cooperation and proposes that incorporation of a variable concerned with states' capacity to estimate transaction costs would improve our theoretical understanding of institutional persistence and change. Moreover, it considers problems of defining and measuring transaction costs, assesses factors limiting states' accurate estimation of transaction costs, and presents some propositions regarding transaction cost estimation and regime persistence. The essay also examines the implications of inaccurate transaction cost estimation for recent US foreign policy and international order. [source] Theorizing Religious Effects Among American AdolescentsJOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 1 2003Christian Smith A large body of empirical studies shows that religion often serves as a factor promoting positive, healthy outcomes in the lives of American adolescents. Yet existing theoretical explanations for these religious effects remain largely disjointed and fragmented. This article attempts to formulate a more systematic, integrated, and coherent account of religion's constructive influence in the lives of American youth, suggesting nine key factors (moral directives, spiritual experiences, role models, community and leadership skills, coping skills, cultural capital, social capital, network closure, and extra,community links) that cluster around three key dimensions of influence (moral order, learned competencies, and social and organizational ties). [source] EMDR: A putative neurobiological mechanism of actionJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Robert Stickgold Numerous studies have provided evidence for the efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including recent studies showing it to be more efficient than therapist-directed flooding. But few theoretical explanations of how EMDR might work have been offered. Shapiro, in her original description of EMDR, proposed that its directed eye movements mimic the saccades of rapid eye movement sleep (REM), but provided no clear explanation of how such mimicry might lead to clinical improvement. We now revisit her original proposal and present a complete model for how EMDR could lead to specific improvement in PTSD and related conditions. We propose that the repetitive redirecting of attention in EMDR induces a neurobiological state, similar to that of REM sleep, which is optimally configured to support the cortical integration of traumatic memories into general semantic networks. We suggest that this integration can then lead to a reduction in the strength of hippocampally mediated episodic memories of the traumatic event as well as the memories' associated, amygdala-dependent, negative affect. Experimental data in support of this model are reviewed and possible tests of the model are suggested. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 58: 61,75, 2002. [source] Family decision at the turn of the century: has the changing structure of households impacted the family decision-making process?JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 2 2002Michael A. Belch Professor of Marketing Abstract Evaluation of husbands' and wives' influence in family decision making is heavily reliant on studies conducted in the 1970s and 1980s. Since that time, profound changes have occurred in the American family. These changes may have affected the nature of decision making in the household. To examine the degree to which earlier findings are still generalisable today, hypotheses are developed and tested with a contemporary sample of 458 men and women. Results suggest that there have been significant changes in the roles assumed in the family decision-making process, with the wife gaining more influence in all decision areas. The results indicate that marketers must re-examine their marketing strategies for some products and/or services. Possible theoretical explanations are suggested to explain why these changes may have occurred. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications. [source] Optimal diving behaviour for foraging in relation to body sizeJOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Y. Mori Overall, large animals dive longer and deeper than small animals; however, after the difference in body size is taken into account, smaller divers often tend to make relatively longer dives. Neither physiological nor theoretical explanations have been provided for this paradox. This paper develops an optimal foraging diving model to demonstrate the effect of body size on diving behaviour, and discusses optimal diving behaviour in relation to body size. The general features of the results are: (1) smaller divers should rely more heavily on anaerobic respiration, (2) larger divers should not always make longer dives than smaller divers, and (3) an optimal body size exists for each diving depth. These results explain the relatively greater diving ability observed in smaller divers, and suggest that if the vertical distribution of prey in the water column is patchy, there is opportunity for a population of diving animals to occupy habitat niches related to body size. [source] Women Solicitors as a Barometer for Problems within the Legal Profession , Time to Put Values before Profits?JOURNAL OF LAW AND SOCIETY, Issue 3 2007Lisa Webley This article will consider the theoretical explanations for why women are not remaining within and progressing through the ranks of the solicitors' profession in England and Wales. It sets out the findings from a Law Society commissioned project to examine the reasons why women have had a break from practice or chosen to leave the profession. Finally, it considers whether one of the purported strategies used to empower women solicitors , the business case for equality of opportunity in the solicitors' profession , is actively working against women and the profession (more broadly), and that only a return to a wider values-based approach to professional identity will meet the criticisms raised by many of the women who participated in this research. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||