bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative and Dynamic Analysis of the Oli Variables Determining Fdi in China
Authors: Hong Mao , Chen Luo Shou
Published: March 2003

The main determinants of foreign direct investment in China are analyzed quantitatively and dynamically based on Dunning’s eclectic theory and empirical models corresponding to location‐specific advantages, ownership‐specific advantages and internalization advantage. More specifically, the correlation between each OLI variable and FDI is tested and explained in detail. It is concluded that monopolistic advantages of technology and management experience of foreign investors along with China’s low labor cost and great market potential might be important factors attracting FDI in China. In addition, using an internal market to establish a network of international production might also be an important determinant for foreigners to directly invest in China. Others might include searching for attractive yields available in equity investment, devaluation of the Chinese currency, distance, culture and global business strategies.
Transitions and Transformations: A Global History of Christianity
Authors: Morris Jeremy
Published: March 2003

Book reviewed in this article:

David Chidester, Christianity: A Global History
Tax Enforcement Problems
Authors: Marhuenda Francisco , Ortuño‐Ortín Ignacio
Published: March 2003

We study an income tax enforcement problem using a principal‐agent model where the government sets the tax and inspection functions. These are announced to the agents and there is no commitment problem. The penalty function for dishonest taxpayers is given exogenously and satisfies certain social norms. We prove that, for a large family of penalty functions, this policy is such that honesty implies regressiveness. This result does not depend on the fact that agents know the true probability of inspection.
Collusion and Renegotiation in a Principal–Supervisor–Agent Relationship
Authors: Strausz Roland
Published: March 2003

We describe a principal–supervisor–agent relationship in which agent and supervisor may collude. To prevent collusion, the principal may contract on a noisy signal which is correlated with the occurrence of collusion. When the signal is informative enough, the principal uses it and no collusion occurs in equilibrium. These contracts, however, are ex post inefficient and are only optimal if the principal can commit not to renegotiate. With renegotiation it is never optimal for the principal to prevent collusion and, at the same time, condition contracts on the signal. In fact, when the signal is informative enough collusion occurs in equilibrium.
On Central Bank Independence and the Stability of Policy Targets
Authors: Lippi Francesco
Published: March 2003

It is argued that impediments to the establishment of an independent central bank arise in the presence of unstable policy targets. Changing policy targets may occur with an office‐motivated policymaker. This differs from politico‐economic models where targets change depending on the partisanship of the politicians in office. In the model the principal faces a tradeoff between the credibility benefits of an independent central bank and the flexibility to pursue shifts in his policy targets allowed by a regime of policy discretion. An empirical section addresses the issue of the correlation between central bank independence and the stability of policy targets.
Wage Drift and the Relevance of Centralised Wage Setting
Authors: Holden Steinar
Published: March 2003

The system of wage setting in the Nordic countries is often regarded as highly centralised, contributing to considerable real wage flexibility. This view has been questioned, as sizeable wage drift may offset the effect of central negotiations. This paper presents evidence from the four major Nordic countries, suggesting that there is little or no such offsetting effect. Yet, at central negotiations, the institutional system of wage formation may induce nominal rigidities that may prevent wage restraint when there is little room for money wage growth. Empirical evidence supports the existence of nominal rigidity.
Partnerships, Buy‐Out Options and Investment in Emerging Markets
Authors: Møllgaard H. Peter , Overgaard Per Baltzer
Published: March 2003

Asymmetric information and fear of acquiring a “lemon” may explain the paucity of foreign investment in emerging market economies. If investors are uncertain about the profitability of investments, intrinsically inefficient, temporary partnerships or joint ventures may serve as mechanisms through which information is transmitted. Temporary partnerships with joint investments by the domestic firm and the investor, together with a buy‐out option to the investor, may sometimes separate good and bad investment prospects in equilibrium. However, separating equilibria may fail to exist. Implications for foreign direct investment are traced and briefly related to the experience of transition economies.

JEL classification: D8; F2; L14; O12
R&D, Human Capital and International Technology Spillovers: A Cross‐country Analysis
Authors: Frantzen Dirk
Published: March 2003

This paper is based on recent developments in the theory of innovation‐driven growth that emphasize both the importance of R&D efforts — domestic as well as foreign — for explaining national productivity, and the complementarity between R&D and human capital investments. Estimates of specifications, in growth terms and in level terms, on a cross‐section of OECD countries from the early 1960s to the early 1990s lend strong support to this thesis. The data show a significant influence of both domestic and foreign R&D. Moreover, there is clearly a net positive impact of human capital. The level and growth rate of human capital are shown to affect productivity growth and there is evidence of interaction with the catch‐up process.

JEL classification: O33; O47
Social Insurance with In‐kind Provision of Private Goods
Authors: Anderberg Dan
Published: March 2003

This paper addresses the desirability of providing in‐kind transfers as a screening device to facilitate redistribution of income from able to disabled persons within a social insurance system. An optimal policy—consisting of cash transfers, income‐contingent in‐kind transfers of one good particularly demanded by disabled workers, and linear taxation of other commodities—is characterized. It is then asked whether and, if so, when this policy can be replaced by an “earning‐tested scheme” that provides the in‐kind good only to those indivi duals who have no earnings from labor or by a non‐linear pricing policy.
Are Family Transfers Crowded Out by Public Transfers?
Authors: GÜth Werner , Offerman Theo , Potters Jan , Strobel Martin , Verbon Harrie A. A.
Published: March 2003

We give an account of an overlapping–generations experiment with multiple families in which voluntary transfers can take the form of support to the elderly or grants to children. Support to the old is a purely intergenerational (intra–family) transfer, whereas grants to children also involve an element of intra–generational (inter–family) redistribution through a compulsory pension system. Our data show that higher compulsory inter–family transfers lead subjects to place relatively more emphasis on support instead of grants: grants are crowded out, but support is not significantly affected. The efficiency of voluntary transfers increases, however. Furthermore, if subjects give transfers, they do not use tokens of direct reciprocity; evidence of indirect reciprocity in transfer behavior can only be obtained for the case where compulsory transfers are high.

JEL classification: C91; H55
Unemployment, coping and psychological distress
Authors: Smári Jakob , Arason Elvar , Hafsteinsson Hafsteinn , Ingimarsson Snorri
Published: March 2003

This study addressed the role of coping sytle in anxiety and depression of unemployed people. Two‐hundred thirty‐three people checking in at unemployment services participated. They filled in Carver, Scheier and Weintraub’s (1989) coping measure (COPE), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD), gave information as to age, duration of unemployment and their appraisal of their situation. Four secondary dimensions of COPE were used in data analyses. Multiple regression analyses were undertaken with anxiety/depression as dependent and the coping variables as independent variables, with background/appraisal variables entered first. Coping variables added to the prediction of anxiety and depression over and above background/appraisal variables. For women Focus on Emotion coping as well as Avoidance was related to higher anxiety/depression scores (p<0.01), whereas Reappraisal was related to lower anxiety/depression (p<0.05). For men only Avoidance was related to anxiety/depression (p<0.01). More Avoidance co‐occurred with higher levels of anxiety as well as depression. The results are discussed with respect to possible intervention.
Rational or uncommitted? Depression and indecisiveness in interpersonal decision making
Authors: Lewicka Maria
Published: March 2003

Two studies were run which tested the prediction that clinically depressed persons, known for difficulties in making a decision, would process predecisional information relevant to an interpersonal choice in a more impartial, less biased way than non‐depressed persons. Both studies provided confirmation for this hypothesis. In each case, the depressed group focused less on specific alternatives, asked more criterion‐based questions, and made decisions on the basis of information which was more evenly distributed over alternatives, thus conforming less to biasing, dominance structuring processes, than non‐depressed participants. The depressed and non‐depressed participants did not differ, however, in evaluative aspects of their decisions, suggesting a relative independence of affective and informational aspects of predecisional processes. The question arises: are depressed patients less biased and hence more rational when making decisions or are they just indifferent and uncommitted? The data have been discussed with reference to research on effortful versus automatic information processing in depression.
The coupling of head, reach and grasp movement in nine months old infant prehension
Authors: Savelsbergh Geert , Von Hofstein Claes , Jonsson Bert
Published: March 2003

In 9‐month‐old‐infants adjustments in the reaching pattern to sudden changes in object location were examined. An attractive ball was presented to the infants at their midline and on some trials (perturbation trials) the ball suddenly changed position 15 cm to the right or left during the reach. For the perturbed trials the movement times approximately doubled compared to the control trials and significantly fewer balls were grasped. The results indicate that infants need to finish the first movement before being able to redirect the reach to a new destination. The correlation between the latency of the head and hand adjustment to the perturbation were 0.85 and 0.78 for movements to the left and to the right, respectively, indicating a tight coupling. The time between the start of the perturbation and peak velocity (TPPV) was significantly shorter for the head movement than for the hand movement, indicating that the head is leading the hand.
Individuation, ego development and the quality of conflict negotiation in the family of adolescent girls
Authors: Von Der Lippe Anna Louise , Amundsen Eva
Published: March 2003

Individuation, ego development and family negotiation of conflict were studied in 27 Norwegian families with an adolescent daughter, 16–19 years, drawn from a larger sample to represent a rectangular distribution of ego development. Individuality and Connectedness (individuation) as conceptualized and scored by Condonet al. (1984) was modified and adapted to a Norwegian material. Four factors were extracted, one related to individuality (self‐assertion and separateness) and two to connectedness (clarification and acceptance). Ego development, measured by the Washington University Sentence Completion Test (Loevinger & Wessler, 1970) was related to connectedness between mother and daughter and between father and daughter, but not to individuality. Maturity of conflict negotiation was positively related to connectedness between mother and daughter and negatively to individuality between father and daughter. It was argued that for women, individuality may not be a singular goal in ego development or in individuation and that self‐other differentiation of identity and interests may develop within a close relationship and not only through separation.
Age‐associated memory impairment—pathological memory decline or normal aging?
Authors: Nielsen Henry , Lolk Annette , Kragh‐SØRensen Per
Published: March 2003

The aim of the study was to determine whether the memory capacity of individuals with age‐associated memory impairment (AAMI) over a period of approximately 3½ years declines more, if at all, than the memory capacity of persons without AAMI. Four computerized and three non‐computerized memory tests, a naming test, and a test of visuo‐motor speed were administered twice. Two estimates of intellectual capacity were made, one at the first examination and the other 3½ years later. One person in the AAMI group (n=44) developed vascular dementia. The group of AAMI subjects did less well on two of the seven memory tests after 3½ years than they did initially; the control group (n=18) had lower scores on one memory test at follow‐up than they had previously. The data suggest that the memory capacity of subjects with AAMI is not pathologically impaired. The general intellectual level significantly influences whether an individual with memory complaints will be classified AAMI or not. People with high intelligence are less likely than people with lower intellectual capacity to fulfill the AAMI criteria. This suggests that AAMI lacks in construct validity.
Gender differences and the Defense Mechanism Test: A comparative study of adolescents in psychiatric care and healthy controls
Authors: Fransson Per , Sundbom Elisabet
Published: March 2003

The aim of this paper was to study gender differences in the percept‐genetic method Defense Mechanism Test (DMT) among a group of 60 adolescent subjects. Three subgroups were used: patients with psychotic disorders (Axis 1); borderline personality disorder (Axis 2) according to the DSM‐IV classification system, and a non‐patient group. The test protocols were scored with respect to 124 DMT variables and analyzed by means of the multivariate projection method Partial Least Squares (PLS) in latent structures. The overall results showed considerable gender differences in the whole group as well as in the subgroups. The most striking finding was that girls compared to boys were characterized by the perceptual defense identification with the opposite sex, which means that they perceived male gestalts instead of females in the stimulus picture. When both gender and diagnostic group membership were considered simultaneously, the influence of diagnostic group membership seemed to be stronger than gender even if there was an interaction between diagnoses and gender. It was concluded that gender must be considered when the DMT is used on adolescent populations.
Psychometric properties of a Danish translation of the Rutter Scale B in a community sample of seven‐year‐old children
Authors: LARSEN HELMER B. , HUTCHINGS BARRY
Published: March 2003

The psychometric properties of a Danish translation of the Rutter Scale B for completion by teachers were examined in a nonreferred sample of 686 7‐year‐old children. The Danish translation of the Rutter scale had a similar factor structure to the original, producing a three‐factor structure corresponding to the subscales. The agreement between the questionnaire and direct observations of the children ten months earlier was fair (K=0.42). The findings suggest that the translated scale could serve as a rapid and useful screening instrument in clinical and in research settings.
The Association between Implicit Theories of Personality and the Attributional Process
Authors: Silvera David, H. , Moe Stein‐Kjetil , Iversen Pål
Published: March 2003

The influence of implicit theories of personality (entity vs. incremental theorists; see Dweck, Chiu and Hong, 1995) on the stages of the Sequential Operations Model of attribution (Gilbert, Pelham, and Krull, 1988) was investigated. Two hundred eighty Norwegian participants were given a Norwegian translation of the implicit personality theories measure. Participants then read two essays, one advocating the pro‐life position and the other advocating the pro‐choice position on the abortion issue. The essay positions were ostensibly assigned rather than freely chosen by the author. After each essay, participants were asked to rate the essay position and the true attitude of the author. Entity and incremental theorists showed no differences in their ratings of the essay position; however, entity theorists made significantly stronger correspondent inferences about the author’s attitude than did incremental theorists. These results support the contention that entity theorists engage in less attributional correction than incremental theorists.
Errors in subtractions: Judged and observed frequencies
Authors: Hedenborg Maj‐Lene , Svenson Ola
Published: March 2003

In a first study 10 adults, aged 24–44 years, solved all 105 subtraction problems in the form M − N = , where 0 ≤ M ≤ 13, 0 ≤ N ≤ 13 and N ≤ M. Each participant solved every problem 10 times and in total there were 10 500 answers. Answers, response latencies and errors were registered. Retrospective verbal reports were also given, indicating how a solution was reached: (1) via a (conscious) reconstructive cognitive process or (2) via an (unconscious) reproductive (retrieval) process. The participants made 291 errors (2.8%) when solving the subtractions in study 1. The rate of self‐correction was very high, 92%. In a second study 27 undergraduate students estimated overall error rates, including self‐corrected errors for the 105 subtraction problems used in the first study. Judged and actual error rates were compared. The participants systematically underestimated error rates for error prone problems and overestimated error rates for error free problems. The participants were fairly accurate when they predicted problems that were most error prone, with a hit rate of 0.67 for the (18) problems predicted as the most error prone ones. In contrast, predictions of which problems were error free were very poor with a hit rate of only 0.20 of the problems predicted as error free really having no errors in study 1. The correlation between judged error rates and frequencies for actually made errors was 0.69 for answers belonging to reconstructive solutions. In contrast, there was no significant correlation between judged and actual error rates at all for retrieved solutions, possibly reflecting the inaccessibility to consciousness of quick retrieval processes.
Perceived structure from optic flow: Consistent versus variable mapping of 3‐D Euclidean structure
Authors: Lind Mats , Börjesson Erik
Published: March 2003

In an earlier study (Börjesson & Lind, 1996), the perception of Euclidean structure from polar projected two‐frame apparent motion sequences was studied. The results showed that Euclidean structure is not perceived. However, at larger visual angles a certain consistency in the mapping between distal and perceived structure exists. The aim of the present study was to more precisely examine how this degree of consistency varies as a function of visual angle. In Experiments 1 and 2, slant judgments of simulated and real planes indicated that the degree of consistency is a positive function of visual angle. No definite sign of a Euclidean mapping could, however, be found even in the full view condition. Experiment 3 examined texture gradients and the response method used. The results showed that texture gradients did not influence the degree of consistency of the mapping between distal and judged depth and that the response method was both reliable and valid. However, texture gradients did influence the absolute values of the slant judgments.

The role of Euclidean and affine mappings of distal structure is discussed and it is proposed that the perceptually important distinction is not between affine and Euclidean mapping, but rather between two types of affine mappings—consistent and variable.
The impact of Eysenck's extraversion‐introversion personality dimension on prospective memory
Authors: Heffernan Thomas , Ling Jonathan
Published: March 2003

Prospective memory (PM) is memory for future events. PM is a developing area of research (e.g., Brandimonte, Einstein & McDaniel, 1996) with recent work linking personality types and their utilisation of PM (Goschke & Kuhl, 1996; Searleman, 1996). The present study compared 28 extraverts and 28 introverts on their short‐ and long‐term prospective memory using the Prospective Memory Scale developed by Hannon, Adams, Harrington, Fries‐Dias & Gibson (1995). The main finding was that extraverts reported significantly fewer errors on short‐ and long‐term PM than introverts, and this difference could not be explained in terms of the number of strategies used to support prospective remembering. These findings are discussed in relation to differences between the personality types.
Age as a modifier of sexually aggressive attitudes in men
Authors: Aromäki Anu S. , Haebich Kim , Lindman Ralf E.
Published: March 2003

Male attitudes and behaviours related to imagined sexual aggression were investigated in 99 Finnish men (mean age 24.3 years). Structural equation modelling suggested that imagined sexual aggression was directly predicted by hostile masculine ideologies and past antisocial acts, and indirectly by subject age (hostile masculinity decreased with age). For more detailed analyses of age effects on attitudes, the subjects were split into an older and a younger group. A small group of incarcerated rapists (n= 8; mean age 33.4 years) was included for comparative purposes; these were similar in age to the older group (n= 34; mean age 31.5 years) and were given the same attitude items. The younger men and the rapists expressed significantly more hostility toward women and acceptance of rape myths, and had a higher likelihood of committing rape than older men. Although younger men accepted interpersonal violence and sexual dominance, their attitudes were not necessarily reflected in past sexually aggressive behaviours, as they were in the rapists who differed from the younger men mainly in terms of their past antisocial activities.
Blind children recognizing tactile pictures respond like sighted children given guidance in exploration
Authors: D’Angiulli Amede , Kennedy John M , Helle Morton A
Published: March 2003

Theory of tactile pictures argues that untrained blind subjects can recognize raised, outline pictures. It contends the blind person’s knowledge of the shapes of common objects is like that of the sighted, and the blind person’s pictorial abilities use the same principles as the sighted person’s. To test this theory, blind children (aged 8–13) and blindfolded age‐matched sighted children were asked to identify raised‐line drawings of common objects. Their performances were correlated. In addition, the blind children identified more than sighted children exploring the pictures actively, but the same number of pictures as sighted children who were given passive, guided exploration. We argue blind and sighted children use the same principles to identify the pictures, but the blind have superior exploration skills. The differences in the effects of exploration skills on recognition scores are minimized when the sighted children are given guidance, since the sighted children then have efficient contact with the displays, and the performance of the sighted and the blind is then governed by the same principles, without one group benefitting from advantages in exploration skills.
A cross‐cultural investigation of the communication of suicidal intent in Swedish and Turkish adolescents
Authors: Eskin Mehmet
Published: March 2003

A recent study found that Swedish adolescents were more disapproving of a suicidal disclosure by a fictional friend than their Turkish counterparts. Given this finding, the present study investigated whether or not more adolescents in Turkey than in Sweden disclose their own suicidal thoughts to someone, to whom adolescents disclose their suicidal thoughts, what reactions such disclosures produce, and reasons for not disclosing suicidal feelings among 966 Swedish and 956 Turkish high school students. A questionnaire was used to collect information about different aspects of suicidal disclosures. More Turkish than Swedish adolescent suicide ideators disclosed their thoughts. More Turkish than Swedish students believed also that young people thinking about and planning suicide tell others of their plans and thereby ask for help. An overwhelming majority of adolescents in both groups revealed their thoughts to peers. The social reactions to suicidal disclosures in both samples were mainly positive. The two most common reasons for not disclosing in both groups involved interpersonal hopelessness. Adolescents who disclosed their past suicidal thoughts to someone reported having lower current suicidal ideation than those who had not. In line with favorable social attitudes towards suicidal disclosures and lower suicidal mortality rates in Turkey compared with Sweden, more Turkish than Swedish adolescents reported having disclosed their own suicidal thoughts to someone in their social milieu.
A Comparison of the Cost‐efficiencies of the Sequential, Group‐sequential, and Variable‐sample‐size‐sequential Probability Ratio Tests
Authors: Morgan Peter B. , Cressie Noel
Published: March 2003

Wald and Wolfowitz (1948) have shown that the Sequential Probability Ratio Test (SPRT) for deciding between two simple hypotheses is, under very restrictive conditions, optimal in three attractive senses. First, it can be a Bayes‐optimal rule. Second, of all level α tests having the same power, the test with the smallest joint‐expected number of observations is the SPRT, where this expectation is taken jointly with respect to both data and prior over the two hypotheses. Third, the level α test needing the fewest conditional‐expected number of observat ions is the SPRT, where this expectation is now taken with respect to the data conditional on either hypothesis being true. Principal among the strong restrictions is that sampling can proceed only in a one‐at‐a‐time manner. In this paper, we relax some of the conditions and show that there are sequential procedures that strictly dominate the SPRT in all three senses. We conclude that the third type of optimality occurs rarely and that decision‐makers are better served by looking for sequential procedures that possess the first two types of optimality. By relaxing the one‐at‐a‐time sampling restriction, we obtain optimal (in the first two senses) variable‐s ample‐size‐ sequential probability ratio tests.
The Two‐interval Line‐segment Problem
Authors: Van Der Laan Mark J.
Published: March 2003

In this paper we define and study the non‐parametric maximum likelihood estimator (NPMLE) in the one‐dimensional line‐segment problem, where we observe line‐segments on the real line through an interval with a gap which is smaller than the two remaining intervals. We define the self‐consistency equations for the NPMLE and provide a quick algorithm for solving them. We prove supremum norm weak convergence to a Gaussian process and efficiency of the NPMLE. The problem has a geological application in the study of the lifespan of species
Logspline Density Estimation under Censoring and Truncation
Authors: Koo Ja‐Yong , Kooperberg Charles , Park Jinho
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT. In this paper we consider logspline density estimation for data that may be left‐truncated or right‐censored. For randomly left‐truncated and right‐censored data the product‐limit estimator is known to be a consistent estimator of the survivor function, having a faster rate of convergence than many density estimators. The product‐limit estimator and B‐splines are used to construct the logspline density estimate for possibly censored or truncated data. Rates of convergence are established when the log‐density function is assumed to be in a Besov space. An algorithm involving a procedure similar to maximum likelihood, stepwise knot addition, and stepwise knot deletion is proposed for the estimation of the density function based upon sample data. Numerical examples are used to show the finite‐sample performance of inference based on the logspline density estimation.
Model Reduction for Prediction in Regression Models
Authors: Helland Inge S.
Published: March 2003

We look at prediction in regression models under squared loss for the random x case with many explanatory variables. Model reduction is done by conditioning upon only a small number of linear combinations of the original variables. The corresponding reduced model will then essentially be the population model for the chemometricians' partial least squares algorithm. Estimation of the selection matrix under this model is briefly discussed, and analoguous results for the case with multivariate response are formulated. Finally, it is shown that an assumption of multinormality may be weakened to assuming elliptically symmetric distribution, and that some of the results are valid without any distributional assumption at all.
Density Approximation by Summary Statistics: An Information‐theoretic Approach
Authors: Gilula Zvi , Haberman S. J.
Published: March 2003

In the case of exponential families, it is a straightforward matter to approximate a density function by use of summary statistics; however, an appropriate approach to such approximation is far less clear when an exponential family is not assumed. In this paper, a maximin argument based on information theory is used to derive a new approach to density approximation from summary statistics which is not restricted by the assumption of validity of an underlying exponential family. Information‐theoretic criteria are developed to assess loss of predictive power of summary statistics under such minimal knowledge. Under these criteria, optimal density approximations in the maximin sense are obtained and shown to be related to exponential families. Conditions for existence of optimal density approximations are developed. Applications of the proposed approach are illustrated, and methods for estimation of densities are provided in the case of simple random sampling. Large‐sample theory for estimates is developed.
Proper Dispersion State Space Models for Stochastic Volatility
Authors: Vidoni Paolo
Published: March 2003

This paper introduces a fairly general class of state space models, based on the notion of a proper dispersion model and on a suitable Markovian assumption, which can be fruitfully employed for stochastic variance description. This class is obtained by translating to state space models a new mixing procedure, which generalizes the “studentization” technique of Jørgensen (1997a). A preliminary investigation of the corresponding statistical properties is given and simple examples are presented.
The Bootstrap and Kriging Prediction Intervals
Authors: Sjöstedt‐de Luna Sara , Alastair Young
Published: March 2003

Kriging is a method for spatial prediction that, given observations of a spatial process, gives the optimal linear predictor of the process at a new specified point. The kriging predictor may be used to define a prediction interval for the value of interest. The coverage of the prediction interval will, however, equal the nominal desired coverage only if it is constructed using the correct underlying covariance structure of the process. If this is unknown, it must be estimated from the data. We study the effect on the coverage accuracy of the prediction interval of substituting the true covariance parameters by estimators, and the effect of bootstrap calibration of coverage properties of the resulting ‘plugin’ interval. We demonstrate that plugin and bootstrap calibrated intervals are asymptotically accurate in some generality and that bootstrap calibration appears to have a significant effect in improving the rate of convergence of coverage error.
Municipal Size and Democracy: A Critical Analysis of the Argument of Proximity Based on the Case of Denmark
Authors: Larsen Christian Albrekt
Published: March 2003

The Nordic welfare states are based on a unique system of highly decentralized municipalities. However, in Denmark a discussion about merging municipalities has emerged. The discussion has kept within the framework of the classic dichotomy between capacity and proximity, or been limited to considerations of effectiveness versus democracy. The assumptions behind both arguments can be nuanced and problematized, and a new study, based on an extensive set of data, analyses the basic assumptions behind the argument of proximity. In accordance with earlier studies, it finds that participation is higher in small municipalities. However, municipal size does not affect citizens’ interest in and knowledge of local politics. Nor does it affect citizens’ perception of local politicians and their trust in local political decisions. This is surprising, given previous research in this area.
Gang Graffiti as a Discourse Genre
Authors: Adams Karen L. , Winter Anne
Published: March 2003

This paper seeks to present a new understanding of the nature of gang graffiti. Through the analysis of 1522 utterances found on 107 surfaces in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area, we argue against the commonly held notion that the major function of gang graffiti is to mark territory. A careful consideration of the variety of utterance types, their interactive nature and their location reveals a more complex discourse system reflecting the social structure of the gang subculture. Gang graffiti serves to advertise individual members and gangs, indicate social networks within and between gangs, represent members’ views of gang life and honor the dead. While gang graffiti is an antilanguage, often antagonistic in its nature, it functions as cooperative discourse following explicit norms and conventions.
Deconstructing ‘Feminist Linguistics’
Authors: Preisler Bent
Published: March 2003

Victoria L. Bergvall, Janet M. Bing and Alice F. Freed (eds.). Rethinking Language and Gender Research: Theory and Practice.

Jennifer Coates. Women Talk: Conversation between Women Friends.

Mary Crawford. Talking Difference: On Gender and Language.

Kira Hall and Mary Bucholtz (eds.). Gender Articulated: Language and the Socially Constructed Self.

Sally Johnson and Ulrike Hanna Meinhof (eds.). Language and Masculinity.
Codeswitching, speech community membership, and the construction of ethnic identity
Authors: Lo Adrienne
Published: March 2003

The relationship between codeswitching, speech community membership and the discursive construction of ethnic identity is examined through a discourse analysis of a conversation between two Asian American men in Los Angeles. In unraveling the ethnicity of a non‐present third party, the speakers take moral stances towards the desirability of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean women. Through codeswitching, these stances are constructed as characteristic of a given ethnic category, simultaneously projecting category memberships for speakers and recipients through the assignment of participant roles. These ethnic identities are contingent, as codeswitching which is not reciprocated rejects proposed claims to membership in a speech community. Speakers' ideologies about appropriate outgroup talk and the histories they attribute to a particular derogatory term are also shown to influence the local construction of ethnic identity.
Language ideologies and the consequences of standardization
Authors: Milroy James
Published: March 2003

This paper explores the effects of the standard language ideology on attitudes to language of nonlinguists and of language specialists, and considers how far linguists themselves have been affected by – and have contributed to – this ideology. The primary definition of standardization is taken to be the imposition of uniformity upon a class of objects. Attitudes to language within standard language cultures are then reviewed and contrasted with unstandardized situations, in which the boundaries of languages are indeterminate. It is therefore suggested that determinate languages, such as English, may be defined more by ideologies than by their internal structures. Some effects of standardization on the work of linguists are then reviewed. This is followed by a discussion of the importance of the process of legitimization in contributing to the standard language culture, and of the contribution of language specialists themselves to this process. Finally, certain matters arising are reviewed.
Dynamics of dialect convergence
Authors: Chambers J. K.
Published: March 2003

Mobility is the most effective leveller of dialect and accent, and mobility constitutes a powerful linguistic force today. The sociolinguistics of mobility unites several disparate threads in my own research. First, immigration represents extreme mobility, and societies with profuse immigration differ in partly predictable ways linguistically and culturally from those with little or no immigration. Second, dialect acquisition by the children of newcomers provides new perspectives on critical period effects and influences, including the Ethan Experience, in which the nativization of children is abetted by their imperception of foreign‐accent features in their parents’ speech. Third, identification of relatively recently‐arrived people from other dialect regions allows comparisons of their linguistic norms with the communal norms, and a measure of their linguistic influence. From the cumulative results, we are in a position to frame hypotheses about linguistic variables in terms of their susceptibility to change and their resistance to it, and the identities of inhibitors and accelerators. All these threads should ultimately form integral aspects of the dynamics of dialect convergence.
Wither Dutch Corporatism? Two Decades of Employment Policies and Welfare Reforms
Authors: Hartog Joop
Published: March 2003

The ‘Dutch model’ has widely attracted international attention for its presumed ability to reduce unemployment, introduce market incentives in the former public domain and maintain essential provisions of the welfare state. This paper documents and evaluates policy changes, labour market performance and welfare reform, with emphasis on the institutional framework, its continuity and the reforms.
Ethnic Differences in the Incidence and Determinants of Employer‐funded Training in Britain
Authors: Shields Michael , Wheatley Price Stephen
Published: March 2003

Non‐white full‐time employees were offered, and undertook, less training than whites in Britain in 1993–4, according to data from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Estimates of the determinants of training outcomes and training offers show a marked consistency across white and non‐white, male and female, employees. Over 90% of the average predicted training outcome differential, and 50%–60% of the difference in mean predicted training offers, cannot be explained by differences in observable characteristics between white and non‐white employees. These findings suggest that equal opportunities legislation has been unsuccessful in eliminating unequal access to employer‐funded training in Britain.
Corruption and Reputation
Authors: Andrianova Svetlana
Published: March 2003

This paper examines corruption in a random matching game where past actions are imperfectly observed and players have the option to continue trading with their existing partners. It shows that the effect of individual reputations for honesty may outweigh the effect of a bad collective reputation depending on the expected value of a continued match relative to the corruption gain.
Border Effects and the Gravity Equation: Consistent Methods for Estimation
Authors: Feenstra Robert C.
Published: March 2003

The CES monopolistic competition model is an especially convenient way to derive the gravity equation, especially when we allow for transport costs and other trade barriers. In that case, we need to take account of the overall price indexes in each country. We review three methods to do so: using published data on price indexes; using the computational method of Anderson and van Wincoop; or using country fixed effects to measure the price indexes. The latter two methods are compared on the dataset dealing with trade between and within Canada and the US. The fixed effects method produces consistent estimates of the average border effect across countries, and is simple to implement, so it might be considered to be the preferred estimation method.
Haze and Health in Brunei Darussalam: The Case of the 1997‐98 Episodes
Authors: Odihi John Onu
Published: March 2003

A study of the impacts of the 1997‐98 haze episodes in Brunei Darussalam was carried out in two districts between September 1997 and September 1998 through random surveys of households. The aim of the study was to understand health problems caused by haze; whether such health impacts differed amongst different groups in the population; and the nature of the differences that might exist. The study also sought to understand whether health impacts of haze varied between urban and rural areas. Furthermore, the study aimed to understand respondents' perception of the haze problem. Some hypotheses formulated to establish the existence or otherwise of significant difference between health conditions during haze (September 1997 and January‐June 1998) and haze‐free periods (January‐June 1997 and September 1998) were verified through the p‐value statistical approach. The conclusions from the verifications are that adverse health effects of the haze were statistically significant and were not uniform with respect to different groups in the population. For example, the deleterious effects of haze appeared skewed towards the young (age 1‐5 years) and the aged (≥60 years). A higher proportion of urban population was more adversely affected than in rural areas and, other things being equal, a higher proportion of outdoor workers was more adversely affected by haze than their indoor counterparts. The paper suggests cooperative efforts amongst ASEAN governments to reduce poverty in communities that burn forests; improve their socioeconomic opportunities; lessen their dependence on land; and share information related to haze to prevent or mitigate its adverse effects. There is a need to intervene especially in the private sector with respect to work schedules of those who work outdoors (e.g. construction workers) and the housing of immigrant workers occupying makeshift structures to escape rents in proper accommodation. There is also a need for greater and sustained programme of educating the public on environmental hazards to mitigate their adverse impacts on society.
Competitive Adjustment and Advancement in Global Commodity Chains: I. Firm Strategies and Trajectories in the East Asian Apparel Industry
Authors: Grunsven Leo van , Smakman Floor
Published: March 2003

Globalisation discourses increasingly depart from a network‐centred view of the world, and focus on the possibilities of leveraging economic globalisation – through incorporation in international production networks and global commodity chains (GCCs)– as a strategy for less developed countries (LDCs) to industrialise and advance their position in the world economy. This article goes beyond the question of incorporation and addresses the issue of sustaining positions, upgrading to more rewarding roles, and advancing to less dependent positions within production networks and GCCs. Drawing on experiences in the East Asian apparel industry, we present a framework for analysing such processes at both the firm and industry levels. We demonstrate that the East Asian experience provides a rather positive picture, despite a decline in the region's share of world trade. The present paper is a preliminary contribution; further research, using the framework presented, would enhance insights into competitive adjustment and advancement in GCCs, specifically, the forces underlying success or failure.
Geographies of Displacement: The Karenni and The Shan Across The Myanmar‐Thailand Border
Authors: Grundy‐Warr Carl , Wong Siew Yin Elaine
Published: March 2003

First, central to our analysis is the argument that human movement within and across borders fundamentally challenges the view of geopolitics based upon fixed territorial states, inter‐state relations, national identities and citizenship; indeed the whole idea of “national geographic”. Using the examples of the Karen and Shan peoples, we explore the processes and patterns of forced relocation, displacement and migration in the border regions of Myanmar and Thailand. Our main concern is with forced displacement as a result of political and ethnic conflict; specifically, how the Burmese military regime’s desire for “national unity” within Myanmar’s “national space” has influenced the militarily inspired displacements of hundreds of thousands of villagers and civilians within the border zones inhabited mostly by so‐called “national minorities”. We examine the particular problems of the so‐called “internally displaced persons” within “national” boundaries compared with the “refugees” and “undocumented migrants” who make it across “international” space into Thailand. We illustrate the ways displaced people are represented by state agencies and the media as “threats” and “transgressors”. We consider some of the “long term” aspects of the displacement problem along the Myanmar‐Thai border and the vital contribution geographers can make to the study of displacement.
Intra‐Individual Differences and Relationship‐Specificity of Mentalising in Early Adolescence
Authors: O’Connor Thomas G. , Hirsch Nicola
Published: March 2003

There is increasing interest in understanding how relationships promote children’s understanding of their own and others’ thoughts and feelings. A key question in this research is whether children’s ability and motivation to represent and nderstand anothers’ thoughts and feelings is a function of the quality of the relationship with that individual or, alternatively, a more general characteristic of the child that is similarly expressed across relationship contexts. The current study sought to extend previous research by assessing mentalising behaviour in early adolescence and examining intra‐individual differences in adolescents’ mentalising behaviour about self and other in different relationships. The research design exploited the natural experiment of the secondary school, in which children develop very diverse relationships with different teachers. In the spring of the academic year, a vignette‐based, semi‐structured interview was administered, and students’ understanding and attributions of mental states of their most and least liked teachers were coded using a newly developed system. Results indicated that there were significant intra‐individual differences in adolescents’ mentalising; the psychological sophistication with which adolescents understood and described another’s behaviour was predicted from the affective quality of the relationship. In addition, there was significantly less incongruity or distortion in adolescents’ mentalising about their most liked teacher compared with their least liked teacher, highlighting the need to consider not only the presence but also the ‘accuracy’ of mentalising.