bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endogenous Spillovers and the Performance of Research Joint Ventures
Authors: Katsoutacos Yannis , Ulph David
Published: September 2010

We present a model of R&D with endogenous spillovers and demonstrate that noncooperation can produce maximal spillovers. The only other noncooperative outcome is minimal spillovers. When noncooperation achieves maximal spillovers so does an RJV, whereas minimal noncooperative spillovers imply partial—but not necessarily maximal—spillovers by an RJV. Partial RJV spillovers are chosen for anti‐competitive reasons and an RJV may also close a lab for anti‐competitive reasons. The possibility of anti‐competitive outcomes is precluded in the existing literature on RJVs which focuses on symmetric outcomes. Our model predicts when anti‐competitive behaviour by an RJV arises.
Innovations, Prices and Employment: A Theoretical Model and an Empirical Application for West German Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Smolny Werner
Published: September 2010

In this paper a theoretical model of the impact of product and process innovations on output, capacity utilization, employment and prices is developed. The model is estimated with a unique set of micro‐data from West German manufacturing firms. The empirical results reveal that innovative firms are more successful. They show a higher utilization and more output and employment growth than non‐innovative firms. Innovations also change market behaviour. In sectors with a large share of product innovators, firms more often change employment and less often change prices, i.e. product innovations reduce price competition.
Technological Competition and the Structure of the Computer Industry
Authors: Bresnahan Timothy F. , Greenstein Shane
Published: September 2010

We examine thirty years of computer industry market structure. Our analysis explains the persistence of dominant computer firms, their recent decline, and the changing success of competitive entry. It emphasizes the importance of technological competition between computer ‘platforms’, not firms. This aspect of competition has changed little over time. Two things did change. Young platforms serving newly founded segments eventually challenged established platforms across segment boundaries through a process of indirect entry. Vertically disintegrated platforms have led to divided technical leadership in important segments. The result is an industry with far more technological competition.
The Number of Firms and Production Capacity in Relation to Market Size
Authors: Asplund Marcus , Sandin Rickard
Published: September 2010

Many oligopoly theories predict a positive correlation between market size and the equilibrium number of firms and some also imply that competition is more intense in larger markets. We test these predictions on a sample of driving schools in 250 Swedish regional markets by estimating the relation between the number of firms, production capacity, and market size. The number of firms increases less than proportionally with market size. Market size per capacity unit is smaller in large markets. Since firms produce a fairly homogenous good, we argue that this is evidence that profits per capita is decreasing in market size.
The Electricity Contract Market in England and Wales
Authors: Green Richard
Published: September 2010

In England and Wales, wholesale electricity is sold in a spot market partly covered by long‐term contracts which hedge the spot price. Two dominant conventional generators can raise spot prices well above marginal costs, and this is profitable in the absence of contracts. If fully hedged, however, the generators lose their incentive to raise prices above marginal costs. Competition in the contract market could lead the generators to sell contracts for much of their output. Since privatisation the generators have indeed covered most of their sales in the contract market.
The Welfare Losses From Price‐Matching PolicIes
Authors: Edlin Aaron S. , Emch Eric R.
Published: September 2010

Several recent papers argue that price‐matching policies raise equilibrium prices. We add to this literature by considering potential welfare losses, which have two sources: Harberger triangles from high prices and Posner rectangles from over‐entry. We compare price‐matching markets with entry to monopoly and price‐matching markets without entry, and find that price matching with entry creates greater welfare losses than monopoly in markets with a low ratio of fixed to marginal cost. We illustrate this result using parameters from the US wholesale gasoline and air travel markets, and relate our model to price matching among NASDAQ market makers.
Advantageous Semi‐Collusion
Authors: Brod Andrew , Shivakumar Ram
Published: September 2010

The textbook view that cartels increase industry profits and lower consumer welfare ignores the effects of competition in other activities. A revisionist view shows that when cartel members compete in other activities, i.e. when they semi‐collude, the cartel members may be worse off and consumers better off. Using a two‐stage model in which the non‐production activity is R&D and is subject to technological spillovers, we show that both the traditional and revisionist views can be wrong, that consumers and producers can both be made worse off, or both better off, by a semi‐collusive production cartel.
Monopoly in the UK: What determines whether the MMC finds against the investigated firms?
Authors: Davies Stephen W. , Driffield Nigel L. , Clarke Roger
Published: September 2010

This paper draws on data from 73 UK Monopolies and Mergers Commission reports on monopoly between 1973 and 1995. It shows that there is a roughly two in three chance that the Commission will come to an adverse conclusion against the investigated firms in a given case. 75–80% of decisions can be explained purely in terms of the market share of the leading firm and knowledge of the broad nature of the alleged anti‐competitive practice. An adverse finding is most likely in cases involving exclusive dealing, and least likely where other vertical restraints are involved.
An Empirical Analysis of the Potential for Market Power in California’s Electricity Industry
Authors: Borenstein Severin , Bushnell James
Published: September 2010

Using historical cost data, we simulate the California electricity market after deregulation as a static Cournot market with a competitive fringe. Our model indicates that, under the pre‐deregulation structure of generation ownership, there is potential for significant market power in high demand hours, particularly in the fall and early winter months when hydroelectric output is at its lowest level relative to demand. The results also show that two of the most important factors in determining the extent and severity of market power are the level of available hydroelectric production and the elasticity of demand.
The Performance of US Corporations: 1981–1994
Authors: McGahan Anita M.
Published: September 2010

This study decomposes the performance of US public firms between 1981 and 1994 into year, industry, corporate‐focus and firm effects. Performance is measured by Tobin’s q, accounting profitability, and a hybrid measure. The results show that firm effects were more important to performance than industry effects, although industry effects had a large permanent component. Corporate focus was not important. The stylized facts suggest that competitive advantages – that is, differences between direct competitors in the same industry – were at least as important as industry influences on performance. Industry influences were more predictable and sustainable than competitive advantages, however.
Product Line Rivalry and Market Segmentation—with an Application to Automobile Optional Engine Pricing
Authors: Verboven Frank
Published: September 2010

This paper addresses the questions whether and when the pricing practices on base products may differ from those of premium products, sold with options or add‐ons. Various alternative models are considered: a monopoly model, a model of brand rivalry with full consumer information and a model of rivalry in which consumers are only well informed about base product prices. Only the brand rivalry model with limited consumer information predicts that premium products have larger percentage markups than base products, provided that brand rivalry is sufficiently intense. Empirical evidence on base and premium product pricing in the automobile market is consistent with the limited information model and inconsistent with the other two models.
Price Competition and Market Structure: The Impact of Cartel Policy on Concentration in the UK
Authors: Symeonidis George
Published: September 2010

This paper examines the impact of firms’ conduct on market structure. It studies the evolution of concentration in UK manufacturing following the abolition of cartels using a theoretical framework based on Sutton’s theory of market structure and a panel data set of four‐digit industries over 1958–1977. The econometric results suggest that the intensity of price competition has a positive effect on concentration in exogenous sunk cost industries as well as in advertising‐intensive and R&D‐intensive industries. The concentration‐market size relationship, while negative in exogenous sunk cost industries, breaks down in industries with high advertising or R&D intensity.
Compatibility and Bundling with Generalist and Specialist Firms
Authors: Denicolo Vincenzo
Published: September 2010

I analyze compatibility and bundling choices when one generalist firm offering both components of a system competes against two specialist firms each supplying one component only (but not the same one). I show that the generalist firm may have an incentive to choose incompatibility or engage in pure bundling when one component is less differentiated than the other. In this case, the system is more differentiated than the relatively undifferentiated component, and so under incompatibility the specialist firm that produces the undifferentiated component will relax price competition. This may result in higher profits for some of the competing firms.
Cumulative Investment and Spillovers in the Formation of Technological Landscapes
Authors: Duranton Gilles
Published: September 2010

In this paper, the evolution of product differentiation in industries is modeled as the result of a cumulative cost‐reduction process subject to spillovers in a differentiated oligopoly. Our results suggest that the long‐run outcome is dependent on the intensity of spillovers and the shape of their diffusion function. With weak spillovers, firms dig their niche over time, differentiation remains important and cost‐reduction keeps going. By contrast, if spillovers are strong and have a concave diffusion function, firms gradually use more similar technologies. This standardization process involves less and less investment. For spillovers of intermediate strength, complex technological landscapes may arise.
What Fraction of a Capital Investment is Sunk Costs?
Authors: Asplund Marcus
Published: September 2010

To what extent are capital investments sunk costs? This question is addressed by examining the salvage values of discarded metalworking machinery. Even though such assets are expected to be non‐specific, many discarded assets are scrapped rather than sold on second‐hand markets. Econometric results suggest that firms can only expect to get back 20–50 percent of the initial price of a ‘new’ machine once it is installed. The results also indicate differences in value‐age profiles across firms, but provide only weak support for the hypothesis that salvage values are particularly low during recessions.
The Market Structure of Broadband Telecommunications
Authors: Faulhaber Gerald R. , Hogendorn Christiaan
Published: September 2010

The recent growth of the Internet is creating markets for broadband telecommunications networks. In the past, virtually all such ‘infrastructure’ networks have been subject to government regulation. Two reasons advanced for this market intervention are (i) such networks constitute a natural monopoly, and (ii) to achieve ‘universal service’, in which all citizens have access to services. In this paper, we develop a model and estimate it using engineering data which tests if these two hypotheses are likely to obtain for broadband networks. We find that oligopolistic competition is likely to emerge for demand levels approaching that of today’s cable television.
Quality Leadership when Regulatory Standards are Forthcoming
Authors: Lutz Stefan , Lyon Thomas P. , Maxwell John W.
Published: September 2010

In many markets, governments set minimum quality standards while some sellers compete on the basis of quality by exceeding them. Such quality leadership strategies often win public acclaim, especially when they involve environmental attributes. Using a duopoly model of vertical product differentiation, we show that if the high‐quality firm can commit to a quality level before regulations are promulgated, it induces the regulator to weaken standards, and welfare falls. Our results raise doubts about the social benefits of corporate self‐regulation, and highlight the dangers of lengthy delays between legislative mandates for new regulations and their implementation.
The Importance of Doctors’ and Patients’ Preferences in the Prescription Decision
Authors: Coscelli Andrea
Published: September 2010

This paper studies the contribution of doctor and patient ‘habit’ to persistence in market shares in prescription drug markets. My unique panel dataset allows me to estimate the probability of switching brands as a function of patient and doctor attributes, with an emphasis on past prescribing behaviour so as to capture the degree of persistence. I find significant evidence of time‐dependence in prescription choices for both doctors and patients, which seems to imply that in molecular submarkets in which brands are not allowed to compete on the basis of price, doctor and patient ‘habit’ at the micro‐level can translate into sticky and persistent market shares at the aggregate level.
Pricing a Network Good To Deter Entry
Authors: Fudenberg Drew , Tirole Jean
Published: September 2010

This paper develops a model of pricing to deter entry by a sole supplier of a network good. We show that the installed user base of a network good can serve a preemptive function similar to that of an investment in capacity if the entrant’s good is incompatible with the incumbent’s good and there are network externalities in demand. Consequently, the threat of entry can lead the incumbent to set low prices. We identify some factors that should be considered in thinking about the welfare effects of entry deterrence in this and similar models.
Building and Delivering the Virtual World: Commercializing Services for Internet Access
Authors: Greenstein Shane
Published: September 2010

This study analyzes the service offerings of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the commercial suppliers of Internet access in the United States. It presents data on the services of 2089 ISPs in the summer of 1998. By this time many ISPs had begun to offer services other than basic access. This paper develops an Internet access industry product code which classifies these services. Significant heterogeneity across ISPs is found in the propensity to offer these services, a pattern with an unconditional urban/rural difference. Most of the explained variance in behavior arises from firm‐specific factors, with some evidence of location‐specific factors.
Innovation, Rent Extraction, and Integration in Systems Markets
Authors: Farrell Joseph , Katz Michael L.
Published: September 2010

We consider innovation incentives in markets where final goods are systems comprising two strictly complementary components, one of which is monopolized. We focus on the case in which the complementary component is competitively supplied and innovation is important. We explore ways in which the monopoly may have incentives to extract efficiency rents in the competitive sector, thus weakening or destroying incentives for independent innovation. We discuss how these problems are affected if the monopolist integrates into supply of the complement.
Buying, Sharing and Renting Information Goods
Authors: Varian Hal R.
Published: September 2010

Information goods such as books, journals, computer software, music and videos can be copied, shared, resold, or rented. When such opportunities for sharing are present, the content producer will generally sell a smaller amount at a higher price which may increase or decrease profits. I identify three circumstances where profits increase: (1) when the transactions cost of sharing is less than the marginal cost of production; (2) when content is viewed only a few times and transactions costs of sharing are low; and (3) when a sharing market provides a way to segment high‐value and low‐value users.
Product Diversity in Asymmetric Oligopoly: Is the Quality of Consumer Goods too Low?
Authors: Anderson Simon P. , Palma André de
Published: September 2010

We analyse an oligopoly model incorporating horizontal differentiation and quality differences. High quality goods are overpriced and underproduced. When the market is fairly well covered, low quality products may be profitable when their net social contribution is negative, implying excessive entry. In a relatively uncovered market, even low quality goods are underproduced and there may be underentry. When fixed costs are independent of quality, the market tends to select the right firms. Otherwise, the market may produce low quality products when it should produce high quality ones. The model is calibrated using market data for yoghurt.
Informative Advertising and Optimal Targeting in a Monopoly
Authors: Esteban Lola , Gil Agustín , Hernández Jose M.
Published: September 2010

This paper analyzes how the transition from mass to specialized advertising can affect the market outcomes. To that end, we consider a particular technology of information transmission which allows a monopolist to decide the optimal targeting strategy. From this starting point, we show that the use of targeted advertising is likely to increase the market price and reduce the level of advertising, and that the degree of media specialization chosen by the monopolist tends to exceed the socially optimal. Furthermore, our model indicates that the social loss resulting from the greater monopoly power might exceed the gain due to the lower wasting of ads, in such a way that targeting could reduce consumer surplus and, what is more important, the level of social welfare.
Technological Incompatibility, Endogenous Switching Costs and Lock‐in
Authors: Mariñoso Begoña Garcia
Published: September 2010

Systems are goods comprising of durables that are sequentially updated with complements. With sequential purchases, if suppliers produce incompatible brands, consumers who upgrade systems with complements of a different brand must replace the durables they own. Thus, the price of these durables is an endogenous switching cost. The paper deals with the concern that firms may use incompatibility to create consumer’s switching costs to reduce competition in aftermarkets. However, it shows that, with homogenous durables, and small costs of reaching compatibility, endogenous switching costs increase intertemporal price competition to the extent that producers prefer to have compatible technologies.
Vertical Foreclosure in Broadband Access?
Authors: Rubinfeld Daniel L. , Singer Hal J.
Published: September 2010

The merger of AOL and Time Warner involved a vertical combination of the largest Internet content provider and aggregator and a large cable system operator which offers a conduit through which broadband customers can access Internet content at high speeds. We consider the economic incentives of such a firm to engage in two distinct vertical foreclosure strategies: (1) conduit discrimination—insulating its own conduit from competition by limiting rival platform distribution of its affiliated content and services, and (2) content discrimination—insulating its own affiliated content from competition by blocking or degrading the quality of outside content.
Regulation, Vertical Integration and Sabotage
Authors: Beard T. Randolph , Kaserman David L. , Mayo John W.
Published: September 2010

We consider the incentive of a dominant firm that supplies a necessary input to a Bertrand‐competitive differentiated products downstream industry to: (1) vertically integrate forward, and (2) raise its downstream rivals’ costs through non‐price activities which we characterize generally as ‘sabotage’. We examine these incentives both in the absence and presence of a regulatory constraint on the upstream price. We find that, while an incentive for vertical integration is present regardless of the existence of the regulatory constraint, the incentive for sabotage emerges only in the presence of binding input price regulation. Welfare effects are also explored.
The Effects of Business‐to‐Business E‐Commerce on Transaction Costs
Authors: Garicano Luis , Kaplan Steven N.
Published: September 2010

This paper studies transaction costs changes arising from the introduction of the Internet in transactions between firms. We divide transaction costs into coordination costs and motivation costs. We classify coordination efficiencies into three categories: process improvements, marketplace benefits, and indirect improvements. For motivation costs, we focus on informational asymmetries. We apply this framework to internal data from an Internet‐based firm to measure process improvements, marketplace benefits, and motivation costs. Our results suggest potentially large process improvements and marketplace benefits. We find little evidence that informational asymmetries are more important in the electronic marketplace than in the existing physical ones.
Competition in the Computer Industry: Online Versus Retail
Authors: Goolsbee Austan
Published: September 2010

This paper estimates the price sensitivity of individuals’ choice of whether to buy computers online versus in retail stores using a new data source on the computer purchases of more than 20,000 people. The paper first fits hedonic regressions for the retail price of computers in a local area and then examines how that price influences the probability of buying online. The results indicate that the decision is sensitive to the relative price of retail computers and it varies by type of customer and type of computer. Conditional on buying a computer, the elasticity of buying remotely with respect to retail store prices is about 1.5.
Internet Car Retailing
Authors: Morton Fiona Scott , Zettelmeyer Florian , Silva‐Risso Jorge
Published: September 2010

We investigate the effect of Internet car referral services on dealer pricing of automobiles in California. Customers of an online service pay on average 2% less for their car ($450 for the average car). 25% of the savings come from purchasing at low‐price dealerships affiliated with the online service. The remaining 75% stem from information provision by the online service, bargaining by the service on behalf of consumers, and cost efficiencies. A consumer receiving the mean online price does better than 65% of offline consumers, conditional on the car being purchased.
Market size and vertical integration: Stigler’s hypothesis reconsidered
Authors: Elberfeld Walter
Published: September 2010

According to Stigler [1951], vertical disintegration should be the typical development in growing industries, vertical integration in declining industries. The basic argument is that firms will spin off production stages subject to increasing returns to scale in response to market growth. This paper re‐examines Stigler’s hypothesis within an equilibrium model of industrial structure in which the organization of firms is endogenous. Stigler’s hypothesis is confirmed when entry into markets is free and firms compete. However, when entry into the intermediate good market is restricted, or intermediate good producers collude, vertical integration increases with market size.
The productivity and wage effects of foreign acquisition in the United Kingdom
Authors: Conyon Martin J. , Girma Sourafel , Thompson Steve , Wright Peter W.
Published: September 2010

This paper provides a systematic empirical analysis of the impact of foreign ownership on productivity and wages in the United Kingdom. Using a specially constructed database for the period 1989–1994, it uses ownership change (acquisition) to control for unobserved differences between plants. It finds that foreign firms pay equivalent employees 3.4% more than domestic firms, though this is wholly attributable to their higher levels of productivity. Firms which are acquired by foreign companies exhibit an increase in labour productivity of 13%.
Payment Systems and Interchange Fees
Authors: Schmalensee Richard
Published: September 2010

In a typical bank credit card transaction, the merchant’s bank pays an interchange fee, collectively determined by all participating banks, to the cardholder’s bank. This paper shows how the interchange fee balances charges between cardholders and merchants under imperfect competition. The privately optimal fee depends mainly on differences between cardholders’ and merchants’ banks, not their collective market power. In a non‐extreme case, the profit‐maximizing interchange fee also maximizes total output and producers’ plus consumers’ surplus. There is no economic basis for favoring proprietary payment systems, which do not need interchange fees to balance charges, over the cooperative bank card systems.
The Competitive Effects of a New Product Introduction: A Case Study
Authors: Hausman Jerry A , Leonard Gregory K
Published: September 2010

This paper analyzes the competitive effect of a new product introduction. We break the overall competitive effect into two parts: the effect on the prices of existing products due to increased competition, and the effect of having additional product variety. Using data from both before and after the introduction, we directly estimate the price effects and the additional variety effect. Then, using only the estimated post–introduction demand structure, along with an assumed model of competition, we estimate the price effects indirectly. By comparing the ‘indirect’ and ‘direct’ estimates, we assess the validity of alternative models of competition for the industry.
Does a Seller’s eCommerce Reputation Matter? Evidence from eBay Auctions
Authors: Melnik Mikhail I , Alm James
Published: September 2010

With internet commerce, a buyer cannot directly examine the product and so must rely upon the accuracy and reliability of the seller in deciding whether and how much to bid. In this setting, the seller’s reputation can become an important factor in the bid. This paper examines the impact of the seller’s reputation on the willingness of buyers to bid on items sold via internet auctions, using a 1999 mint condition U.S. $5 gold coin whose average price was $32.73. The empirical results show that the seller’s reputation has a positive, statistically significant, but small impact on the price.
Understanding Stability and Change in Psychological Distress and Sense of Coherence: A Four‐Year Prospective Study1
Authors: Breslin F. Curtis , Hepburn C. Gail , Ibrahim Selahadin , Cole Donald
Published: September 2010

Concerns have been raised repeatedly regarding the temporal stability of sense of coherence measures and their unusually strong correlations with psychological distress measures. To examine these two issues prospectively in a general population sample, we used a structural equation model (SEM) that hypothesizes a stable and a time‐varying component for the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ), a measure of sense of coherence, and a distress scale. The stable component underlying distress levels was correlated strongly with the stable component of the OLQ. These findings suggest that the status of sense of coherence as a stable protective factor for health that is independent of known risk factors is not well served by the OLQ.
Causal Attributions, Perceived Control, and Psychological Adjustment: A Study of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome1
Authors: White Katherine , Lehman Darrin R. , Hemphill Kenneth J. , Mandel David R. , Lehman Anna M.
Published: September 2010

Causal attributions control, beliefs, and helpful and unhelpful support attempts were examined among people experiencing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and their close others. Results revealed that 84% of respondents with CFS believed that their illness was due, at least in part, to physical or external causes, whereas 47% mentioned internal/psychological causes. Reports of internal causal attributions for CFS were positively correlated with indicators of poor psychological adjustment among those with CFS. Having an external locus of control (i.e., to powerful others) was also associated with poorer psychological adjustment among respondents with CFS. Close others' causal attributions to internal factors were related to frequency of self‐reported unhelpful support attempts and to reports of depression and anxiety those respondents with CFS.
Justice Perceptions as Predictors of Customer Satisfaction: The Impact of Distributive, Procedural, and Interactional Justice1
Authors: Martínez‐Tur Vicente , Peiró José M. , Ramos José , Moliner Carolina
Published: September 2010

This article attempts to extend prior research by testing the effects of justice components (distributive, procedural, and interactional) on customer satisfaction beyond the expectancy disconfirmation paradigm. To this end, two separate field survey studies were conducted. A total of 568 customers were surveyed in 38 hotels and 40 restaurants. The results showed that distributive justice was critical in predicting customer satisfaction, while the influence of procedural and interactional justice was secondary. Justice concepts were also robust against the simultaneous inclusion of disconfirmation and performance in the satisfaction equation. The article concludes with theoretical and managerial implications, as well as opportunities for future research.
Rewarding Good Citizens: The Relationship Between Citizenship Behavior, Gender, and Organizational Rewards1
Authors: Allen Tammy D.
Published: September 2010

The relationship between organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and two organizational rewards—salary and promotion—was examined. Employee gender also was tested as a moderator. Data from 440 individuals employed in multiple settings indicated that individuals who reported engaging more frequently in OCB directed toward the organization (OCBO) also reported receiving more promotions. Further, results indicated that gender was a moderator such that the relationship between OCBO and promotion was stronger for males than for females. The results also revealed an interaction between OCB directed toward individuals (OCBI) and OCBO. Specifically, high OCBI and low OCBO related to lower promotion rates than did low OCBI and low OCBO. Results are discussed in terms of implications for individual career development.
Values Following a Major Terrorist Incident: Finnish Adolescent and Student Values Before and After September 11, 2001
Authors: Verkasalo Markku , Goodwin Robin , Bezmenova Irina
Published: September 2010

The horrific terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, left an indelible mark on perceptions of security and threat across the world. This paper uses Schwartz's (1992) value circumplex model to examine value change across matched high school and university student samples in Finland, questioned before and after the World Trade Center (WTC) and associated attacks. In Study 1 (N=419), security values of adolescents were higher the day following the WTC attacks than before, but fell back toward pre‐attack levels in the subsequent two samples. In contrast, levels of stimulation were lower following the terrorist incidents. In Study 2 (N=222), security levels of students were also higher following the WTC attacks, but again were closer to pre‐attack levels in a subsequent cohort.
Enlisting the Influence of Others: Alternative Strategies for Persuasive Media Campaigns
Authors: Morton ThomasA. , Duck Julie M.
Published: September 2010

This study investigated an Australian antidrug campaign that targeted adolescents directly and indirectly via recruiting parents into drug prevention. Eighty‐six parent–child dyads completed surveys measuring campaign evaluations, discussions about drugs, and beliefs about risks to self (own child) and to the average young Australian. Adolescents were optimistic about risks, and media impact was evident only in perceptions of risk to others. Parents were less optimistic, and perceptions of campaign quality predicted perceived risk to own child and discussion about drugs. However, this was moderated by negative affect associated with the campaign. There was some evidence that discussions influenced adolescents' perceptions of personal risk. This demonstrates the importance of individual responses and communication processes in determining the impact of persuasive media messages.
Predictors of Attitudes Towards the Construction of a Waste Incinerator: Two Case Studies1
Authors: Lima Maria Luísa
Published: September 2010

This investigation examined the predictors of the acceptance of waste incineration facilities. A survey was conducted of a random sample of the residents in two sites where an incinerator was planned (450 participants in Study 1 and 300 in Study 2). Attitudes towards the incinerator were mainly predicted by the perception of the risks as dread, positive expectancies about the project, trust in social actors involved in the process, perceived distributive justice, and distance of residence to the site. The relationship between distance of residence and attitude towards the incinerator was partially mediated by perceived risk, perceived justice, and expectations. As expected from the elaboration likelihood model, substantive peripheral cues were better predictors of attitudes for involved than for noninvolved dwellers.
Effectiveness of a Media Campaign to Reduce
Authors: Whittam Kimberly P. , Dwyer William O. , Simpson Patricia W. , Leeming Frank C.
Published: September 2010

This article describes the evaluation of a 4‐1/2‐month multimedia traffic‐safety campaign that targeted young drivers in northeastern Tennessee. Discussion groups with teenagers provided the basis for public‐service announcements (TV, radio, and billboard), which were developed specifically for this intervention. To determine the impact on crash frequencies among drivers 16–19 years old, baseline, intervention, and follow‐up crash data were obtained from statistics maintained by the state. A time‐series analysis of these data indicated that during the intervention period, there was a 21.6% decrease in crashes for which 16–19‐year‐old drivers were at fault, whereas a control location in southeastern Tennessee exhibited no significant change.
Coping With Football‐Related Hooliganism: Healing Symptoms Versus Causes Prevention1
Authors: Piotrowski Przemysław
Published: September 2010

The paper presents the increasing prevalence of sports‐related violence in Poland, the distinctive characteristics of Polish football (soccer) hooliganism, and the psychosocial analysis of the phenomenon, based on a 3‐year prophylactic program geared toward boys from high‐risk groups. Football hooliganism may be described adequately in terms of coping with a sense of alienation. The article includes most of the important findings of the author's research pertaining to predisposing factors and mechanisms reducing the sense of alienation by one's affiliation with a group of football hooligans. The final part of the article touches on the consequences of the presented approach for the prevention of hooligan incidents.
Coping With Threats to Just‐World Beliefs: Derogate, Blame, or Help?1
Authors: Haynes Graeme A. , Olson James M.
Published: September 2010

The present research investigated Lerner's (1970, 1980) just‐world theory by manipulating victim‐related factors in a scenario and measuring several possible strategies for dealing with the threat to participants' just‐world beliefs created by the victim's intense suffering. Participants read a story about a victim who varied in terms of his character (likeable vs. unlikeable) and behavioral responsibility for causing his accident (high vs. low). The general pattern of results showed that for the unlikeable low‐responsibility victim, the primary response to protect justice beliefs appeared to be character derogation; for the likeable high‐responsibility victim, the primary protective strategy appeared to be blame; and for the likeable low‐responsibility victim, the primary protective strategy appeared to be compensation. Implications for just‐world theory are discussed.
Medical Resource Allocation as a Function of Selected Patient Characteristics
Authors: Wiseman David
Published: September 2010

This study assessed how changes in the characteristics of parental status, intelligence level, and mental health of hypothetical patients suffering from a kidney disease altered participants' decisions about allocating access to a life‐supporting artificial‐kidney machine. Participants were given a list of hypothetical prospective patients who were described as having a kidney disease, yet varied with respect to the three aforementioned characteristics. Participants rank‐ordered patients on the basis of priority for treatment. Participants clearly favored hypothetical patients who (a) had children, (b) were of high intelligence, and (c) were mentally healthy.
Helping Behavior as a Subtle Measure of Discrimination Against Lesbians and Gay Men: German Data and a Comparison Across Countries1
Authors: Gabriel Ute , Banse Rainer
Published: September 2010

To unobtrusively assess attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, the wrong‐number technique was used in a field experiment in Germany. The results are compared to studies using the same paradigm in Switzerland, Great Britain, and the United States. This approach gives a realistic picture of intercultural differences in social behavior against lesbians and gay men. Across studies, the results indicated that homosexuals are less likely to receive help than are heterosexuals. The variation of this effect between countries closely corresponded to the ranking of attitudes toward homosexuality assessed in survey studies. Contrary to survey studies, however, women showed only marginally less negative attitudes toward gay persons than men, when actual helping behavior was used as an attitude index.
“Don't Tell Me, I Don't Want to Know”: Understanding People's Reluctance to Obtain Medical Diagnostic Information1
Authors: Dawson Erica , Savitsky Kenneth , Dunning David
Published: September 2010

Prominent theories of health‐protective behavior predict increasing information seeking as a function of increasing disease severity, yet diagnostic screens for serious diseases are notoriously underutilized. We suggest that in addition to severity, disease treatability impacts people's willingness to submit to medical tests. In two studies, participants were relatively likely to seek a diagnostic test for a disease they believed to be serious and treatable (Study 1) and to avoid a test for a disease they believed to be serious but untreatable (Study 2). Implications for health‐behavior models and persuasive health communication are discussed.
Predictors of Morale in U.S. Peacekeepers1
Authors: Maguen Shira , Litz Brett T.
Published: September 2010

In this prospective study, we examined pre‐ and postmission predictors of morale in U.S. military peacekeepers deployed to Kosovo. After controlling for demographic and military characteristics, current general life stressors, unit cohesion, and reports of patriotism and nationalism were predictive of predeployment morale. We also found that positive military experiences, general overseas military stressors, and postdeployment unit cohesion were significant predictors of postdeployment morale after controlling for demographic and military characteristics and predeployment morale, cohesion, and patriotism/nationalism. The results suggest the need to broaden our understanding of the factors that may assist and motivate soldiers during demanding peacekeeping operations and the factors that may mitigate the impact of stressful demands and associated mission‐related strain.
“If You're Frail You've Had It”: A Theory of Planned Behavior Study of Student Nurses' Attitudes Towards Working with Older Patients
Authors: McKinlay Andy , Cowan Sue
Published: September 2010

Background: The developed world's population is aging but care of older patients is unpopular in nursing.

Objectives: To determine student nurses' attitudes towards working with older patients and analyze underlying factors.

Method: 172 UK student nurses were surveyed using the theory of planned behavior.

Results: Positive intentions were related to attitudes (p<0.01) and subjective norms (p<0.05). Three underlying factors, intolerance (p<0.01), humanism (p<0.05), and concern about aging (p<0.01) differentiated more and less positive participants.

Discussion: Results are only partly consistent with previous findings. Future attitudinal research in this area must be more tightly specified to be relevant to health care and should measure actual behavior and employed nurses' views. Nursing curricula should refer to the three relevant factors.
An Exploratory Study of the Effects of Pregame Speeches on Team Efficacy Beliefs1
Authors: Vargas‐Tonsing Tiffanye M. , Bartholomew John B.
Published: September 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of pregame speeches on team efficacy. Male (n=45) and female (n=45) soccer players were presented with descriptions of two teams who were to play in an imagined soccer competition. Participants were asked to imagine themselves as being a member of team B. After reviewing team descriptions, participants listened to one of three randomly assigned pregame speeches. Speeches contained one of three themes: (a) uniform/field information that acted as a control, (b) strategic information, and (c) an emotionally persuasive plea. Results indicated that those exposed to the persuasive pregame speech reported significantly greater team efficacy beliefs. The control and strategy groups did not differ in team efficacy. Gender differences were also found.
Right‐Wing Authoritarianism and Managerial Assessment of a Schizophrenic Candidate
Authors: Fodor Eugene M.
Published: September 2010

An experiment examined the relationship between authoritarianism and managerial assessment of a person designated as a medically controlled schizophrenic. Participants rated a male applicant on both a candidate appraisal form and an affective attitudes scale. Half the participants saw background information and a videotaped interview describing the applicant as having left work for 6 months to receive psychiatric treatment for schizophrenia. He now was taking medication and doing well. Half the participants received background and interview information indicating that the candidate was out of work for 6 months due to a business slowdown. Participants high in authoritarianism who viewed the candidate as schizophrenic gave lower candidate appraisal ratings (p<.01) and expressed more negative affective attitudes (p<.01) than did other participants.
Toward an Integrated Model of Applicant Faking Behavior1
Authors: McFarland Lynn A. , Ryan Ann Marie
Published: September 2010

The present research tested a model that integrated the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with a model of faking presented by McFarland and Ryan (2000) to predict faking on a personality test. In Study 1, the TPB explained sizable variance in the intention to fake. In Study 2, the TPB explained both the intention to fake and actual faking behavior. Different faking measures (i.e., difference scores and social desirability scales) tended to yield similar conclusions, but the difference scores were more strongly related to the variables in the model. These results provide support for a model that may increase understanding of applicant faking behavior and suggest reasons for the discrepancies in past research regarding the prevalence and consequences of faking.
The Critical Mediating Role of Social Encouragement for Science Motivation and Confidence Among High School Girls and Boys1
Authors: Stake Jayne E.
Published: September 2010

Previous research has identified student status variables (gender, ability, and parent education level) and social influence variables (encouragement from family, teachers, and peers) as predictors of science attitudes. The present study tested the extent to which social encouragement mediates the relation between status variables and science motivation and confidence. In a sample of 184 senior high school students, social encouragement was a stronger predictor of science attitudes than status variables and mediated 72% of the variance in attitudes predicted by status variables. Encouragement from family, encouragement from teachers, and encouragement from peers were each independent predictors of science attitudes. The findings provide strong evidence of the critical importance of encouragement from social agents in the development of adolescents' motivation and confidence to achieve in science.
Hispanics' Self‐Esteem, Acculturation, and Skepticism of Women's Work1
Authors: Valentine Sean
Published: September 2010

This study investigated the relationships among Hispanics' self‐esteem, acculturation, and skepticism of women's employment. Using a sample of Hispanic students, mediated regression analysis was initiated to determine whether acculturation mediated a proposed negative relationship between self‐esteem and traditional gender attitudes. The results indicated that self‐esteem and acculturation were positively related; self‐esteem and employment skepticism were negatively related; and self‐esteem was unrelated to employment skepticism in the presence of acculturation, which supported full mediation. Organizations should consider using a combination of diversity training, employee assistance programs, career counseling, and job‐enrichment policies to facilitate Hispanics' self‐esteem and acculturation, and these efforts might lead ultimately to greater acceptance of women's employment.
Psychosocial Factors Predicting SARS‐Preventive Behaviors in Four Major SARS‐Affected Regions
Authors: Cheng Cecilia , Ng Aik‐Kwang
Published: September 2010

This multinational study examined intended and actual adoption of SARS‐preventive behaviors in major SARS‐affected regions: Guangdong (China), Hong Kong, Singapore, and Toronto (Canada). The theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) were adopted as theoretical frameworks. A measure was constructed to assess attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control (PBC), knowledge of SARS, and SARS‐preventive behaviors. Seventy‐five working adults were recruited from each region. They completed the new measure in an initial study, and reported their actual behaviors 2 weeks later. Results provided cross‐cultural generalizability of the TRA by showing that attitude and subject norm predicted SARS‐preventive behaviors for all the groups. PBC was a statistically significant predictor for all participants except those from Guangdong, indicating that the TPB is applicable only to people from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Toronto. Knowledge of SARS also was found to be an independent predictor.
Teachers' Pets and Why They Have Them: An Investigation of the Human Animal Bond1
Authors: Staats Sara , Sears Kelli , Pierfelice Loretta
Published: September 2010

The present study queried a random, university faculty sample as to their reasons for owning pets. Mere pet ownership was not correlated with self‐reported health, happiness, or quality of work life in this sample. Five dominant reasons were given for pet ownership. Women were more likely than men to self‐report reasons related to social support for pet ownership, including that a pet helped them get through hard times and that they would be lonely without a pet. Men were more likely to report pragmatic reasons, such as the pet facilitating exercise or serving a useful function. Beliefs in the positive effects of pets on health were typical. Those beliefs in the health promoting aspects of pets are suggested as a link to human health and a promising area for future research.