Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Global Collateral: How Financial Innovation Drives Capital Flows And Increases Financial Instability, Ana Fostel, John Geanakoplos, Gregory Phelan

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We show that cross-border financial flows arise when countries differ in their abilities to use assets as collateral. Financial integration is a way of sharing scarce collateral. The ability of one country to leverage and tranche assets provides attractive financial contracts to investors in the other country, and general equilibrium effects on prices create opportunities for investors in the financially advanced country to invest abroad. Foreign demand for collateral and for collateral-backed financial promises increases the collateral value of domestic assets, and cheap foreign assets provide attractive returns to investors who do not demand collateral to issue promises. Gross global …

Inefficient Liquidity Provision, John Geanakoplos, Kieran James Walsh

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We prove that in competitive market economies with no insurance for idiosyncratic risks, agents will always overinvest in illiquid long term assets and underinvest in short term liquid assets. We take as our setting the seminal model of Diamond and Dybvig (1983), who first posed the question in a tractable model. We reach such a simple conclusion under mild conditions because we stick to the basic competitive market framework, avoiding the banks and intermediaries that Diamond and Dybvig and others introduced.

The Scope Of Sequential Screening With Ex-Post Participation Constraints, Dirk Bergemann, Francisco Castro, Gabriel Weintraub

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We study the classic sequential screening problem in the presence of ex-post participation constraints. We establish necessary and sufficient conditions that determine exhaustively when the optimal selling mechanism is either static or sequential. In the static contract, the buyers are not screened with respect to their interim type and the object is sold at a posted price. In the sequential contract, the buyers are screened with respect to their interim type and a menu of quantities is offered. We completely characterize the optimal sequential contract with binary interim types and a continuum of ex-post values. Importantly, the optimal sequential contract …

Zone Pricing In Retail Oligopoly, Brian Adams, Kevin R. Williams

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We quantify the welfare effects of zone pricing, or setting common prices across distinct markets, in retail oligopoly. Although monopolists can only increase profits by price discriminating, this need not be true when firms face competition. With novel data covering the retail home improvement industry, we find that Home Depot would benefit from finer pricing but that Lowe’s would prefer coarser pricing. The use of zone pricing softens competition in markets where firms compete, but it shields consumers from higher prices in markets where firms might otherwise exercise market power. Overall, zone pricing produces higher consumer surplus than finer pricing …

Plans And Living Practices For The Green Campus Of Portland State University, Yoon Jung Choi, Minjung Oh, Jihye Kang, Loren Lutzenhiser

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study aims to comprehend Portland State University (PSU)’s green campus strategies, and students’ level of knowledge and living practices relating to green campus. PSU’s sustainable campus plan has been nationally and internationally recognized. A literature review, field investigation, and interviews were conducted to ascertain the PSU green campus strategies. This study also used a survey to understand students’ level of knowledge and practices. The survey results were analyzed by SPSS. Green campus projects at PSU were operated by official organizations and funded according to PSU’s long term plans in 12 multilateral categories: administration, energy, water, climate action, green buildings, …

Behavioral Characterizations Of Naiveté For Time-Inconsistent Preferences, David S. Ahn, Ryota Iijima, Yves Le Yaouanq, Todd Sarver

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We propose nonparametric definitions of absolute and comparative naivete. These definitions leverage ex-ante choice of menu to identify predictions of future behavior and ex-post (random) choices from menus to identify actual behavior. The main advantage of our definitions is their independence from any assumed functional form for the utility function representing behavior. An individual is sophisticated if she is indifferent between choosing from a menu ex-post or committing to the actual distribution of choices from that menu ex-ante. She is naive if she prefers the flexibility in the menu, reflecting a mistaken belief that she will act more virtuously than …

Behavioral Characterizations Of Naiveté For Time-Inconsistent Preferences, David S. Ahn, Ryota Iijima, Yves Le Yaouanq, Todd Sarver

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We propose nonparametric definitions of absolute and comparative naivete. These definitions leverage ex-ante choice of menu to identify predictions of future behavior and ex-post (random) choices from menus to identify actual behavior. The main advantage of our definitions is their independence from any assumed functional form for the utility function representing behavior. An individual is sophisticated if she is indifferent ex-ante between retaining the option to choose from a menu ex-post or committing to her actual distribution of choices from that menu. She is naive if she prefers the flexibility in the menu, reflecting a mistaken belief that she will …

Information Design: A Unified Perspective, Dirk Bergemann, Stephen Morris

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Fixing a game with uncertain payoffs, information design identi.es the information structure and equilibrium that maximizes the payoff of an information designer. We show how this perspective unifies existing work, including that on communication in games (Myerson (1991)), Bayesian persuasion (Kamenica and Gentzkow (2011)) and some of our own recent work. Information design has a literal interpretation, under which there is a real information designer who can commit to the choice of the best information structure (from her perspective) for a set of participants in a game. We emphasize a metaphorical interpretation, under which the information design problem is used …

Information Design: A Unified Perspective, Dirk Bergemann, Stephen Morris

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Given a game with uncertain payoffs, information design analyzes the extent to which the provision of information alone can influence the behavior of the players. Information design has a literal interpretation, under which there is a real information designer who can commit to the choice of the best information structure (from her perspective) for a set of participants in a game. We emphasize a metaphorical interpretation, under which the information design problem is used by the analyst to characterize play in the game under many different information structures. We provide an introduction into the basic issues and insights of a …

The Scope Of Sequential Screening With Ex-Post Participation Constraints, Dirk Bergemann, Francisco Castro, Gabriel Weintraub

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We study the classic sequential screening problem under ex-post participation constraints. Thus the seller is required to satisfy buyers’ ex-post participation constraints. A leading example is the online display advertising market, in which publishers frequently cannot use up-front fees and instead use transaction-contingent fees. We establish when the optimal selling mechanism is static (buyers are not screened) or dynamic (buyers are screened), and obtain a full characterization of such contracts. We begin by analyzing our model within the leading case of exponential distributions with two types. We provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the optimality of the static contract. …

The Scope Of Sequential Screening With Ex-Post Participation Constraints, Dirk Bergemann, Francisco Castro, Gabriel Weintraub

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We study the classic sequential screening problem under ex-post participation constraints. Thus the seller is required to satisfy buyers’ ex-post participation constraints. A leading example is the online display advertising market, in which publishers frequently cannot use up-front fees and instead use transaction-contingent fees. We establish when the optimal selling mechanism is static (buyers are not screened) or dynamic (buyers are screened), and obtain a full characterization of such contracts. We begin by analyzing our model within the leading case of exponential distributions with two types. We provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the optimality of the static contract. …

The Scope Of Sequential Screening With Ex-Post Participation Constraints, Dirk Bergemann, Francisco Castro, Gabriel Weintraub

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We study the classic sequential screening problem in the presence of buyers’ ex-post participation constraints. A leading example is the online display advertising market, in which publishers frequently do not use up-front fees and instead use transaction-contingent fees. We establish conditions under which the optimal selling mechanism is static and buyers are not screened with respect to their interim type, or sequential and the buyers are screened with respect to their interim type. In particular, we provide an intuitive necessary and sufficient condition under which the static contract is optimal for general distributions of ex-post values. Further, we completely characterize …

The Scope Of Sequential Screening With Ex-Post Participation Constraints, Dirk Bergemann, Francisco Castro, Gabriel Weintraub

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We study the classic sequential screening problem in the presence of ex-post participation constraints. We establish necessary and sufficient conditions that determine when the optimal selling mechanism is either static or sequential. In the static contract, the buyers are not screened with respect to their interim type and the object is sold at a posted price. In the sequential contract, the buyers are screened with respect to their interim type and a menu of quantities is offered. We completely characterize the optimal sequential contract with binary interim types and a continuum of ex-post values. Importantly, the optimal sequential contract randomizes …

Zone Pricing In Retail Oligopoly, Brian Adams, Kevin R. Williams

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We quantify the welfare effects of zone pricing, or setting common prices across distinct markets, in retail oligopoly. Although monopolists can only increase profits by price discriminating, this need not be true when firms face competition. With novel data covering the retail home improvement industry, we find that Home Depot would benefit from finer pricing but that Lowe’s would prefer coarser pricing. Zone pricing softens competition in markets where firms compete, but it shields consumers from higher prices in rural markets, where firms might otherwise exercise market power. Overall, zone pricing produces higher consumer surplus than finer price discrimination does.

Zone Pricing In Retail Oligopoly, Brian Adams, Kevin R. Williams

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We quantify the welfare effects of zone pricing, or setting common prices across distinct markets, in retail oligopoly. Although monopolists can only increase profits by price discriminating, this need not be true when firms face competition. With novel data covering the retail home improvement industry, we find that Home Depot would benefit from finer pricing but that Lowe’s would prefer coarser pricing. Zone pricing softens competition in markets where firms compete, but it shields consumers from higher prices in markets where firms might otherwise exercise market power. Overall, zone pricing produces higher consumer surplus than finer pricing discrimination does.

Phonetic Convergence Across Multiple Measures And Model Talkers, Jennifer S. Pardo, Adelya Urmanche, Sherilyn Wilman-Depena, Jaclyn Wiener

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study consolidates findings on phonetic convergence in a large-scale examination of the impacts of talker sex, word frequency, and model talkers on multiple measures of convergence. A survey of nearly three dozen published reports revealed that most shadowing studies used very few model talkers and did not assess whether phonetic convergence varied across same- and mixed-sex pairings. Furthermore, some studies have reported effects of talker sex or word frequency on phonetic convergence, but others have failed to replicate these effects or have reported opposing patterns. In the present study, a set of 92 talkers (47 female) shadowed either same-sex …

The Influence Of Disclosure History And Body Diagrams On Children's Reports Of Inappropriate Touching: Evidence From A New Analog Paradigm, Jason Dickinson, Debra Ann Poole

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We tested a new paradigm for child eyewitness research that incorporates children's disclosure histories into analog study designs. Mr. Science - Germ Detective creates meaningful touching experiences and varied patterns of preinterview disclosures by convincing children that touching in the laboratory is potentially contaminating (germy). Children (N = 287, 4 to 8 years) heard that Mr. Science could no longer touch children's skin and then participated in an educational program involving 2 attempted touches. A week later, their disclosure histories were determined by a phone call that occurred a day before a forensic-style interview in the laboratory. This interview was …

Doing Sustainable Trauma Research, Michael Salter

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This article reflects on the lessons that I’ve learnt on how to make trauma-intensive research a sustainable professional practice. I draw on my own experiences and emphasise, firstly, the development of a reliable ethical framework for trauma research, and, secondly, key aspects of self-care that can be woven into trauma research to ensure that the work enriches rather than defeats us.

Statewide Survey On Budget Situation And Special Session, Edward Chervenak

Survey Research Center Publications

The Survey Research Center conducted an interactive voice response telephone survey, also known as a “robo-poll,” of 919 respondents on Feb. 7. According to the survey, Governor John Bel Edwards enjoys an approval rating of 49 percent. Three quarters of respondents believe that the state is experiencing financial difficulties, and two-thirds of respondents say there is a need for a special legislative session.

Kidnapping And Mental Health In Iraqi Refugees: The Role Of Resilience, A. Michelle Wright, Yousif R. Talia, Abir Aldhalimi, Carissa L. Broadbridge, Hikmet Jamil, Mark A. Lumley, Nnamdi Pole, Bengt B. Arnetz, Judith E. Arnetz

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although kidnapping is common in war-torn countries, there is little research examining its psychological effects. Iraqi refugees (N = 298) were assessed upon arrival to the U.S. and 1 year later. At arrival, refugees were asked about prior trauma exposure, including kidnapping. One year later refugees were assessed for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression disorder (MDD) using the SCID-I. Individual resilience and narratives of the kidnapping were also assessed. Twenty-six refugees (9 %) reported being kidnapped. Compared to those not kidnapped, those who were had a higher prevalence of PTSD, but not MDD, diagnoses. Analyses examining kidnapping victims …

Preferences Toward Leniency Under Mandatory Criminal Sentencing Guidelines: Role-In-The-Offense Adjustments For Federal Drug Trafficking Defendants, Andrew Nutting

Economics Faculty Research and Scholarship

This paper tests whether judges and/or prosecutors manipulated mandatory federal sentencing guidelines to shorten prison sentences. It finds that, among drug traffickers convicted under the federal guidelines’ former mandatory sentencing system, those who faced harsher underlying charges were found to have played significantly lower-level roles in their conspiracies. This is consistent with guideline manipulation for defendants facing longer sentences. Women received significantly larger role-in-the-offense reductions related to harsher underlying charges than men. Effects were insignificant if defendants were eligible for lower-cost alternative methods of sentence reduction, namely substantial assistance departures and safety-valve reductions from mandatory minimum sentences.

Spr Bulletin, Fall 2016, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

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Picking The President: Understanding The Electoral College, Eric Burin

Digital Press Books

The 2016 presidential election has sparked an unprecedented interest in the Electoral College. In response to Donald Trump winning the presidency despite losing the popular vote, numerous individuals have weighed in with letters-to-the-editor, op-eds, blog posts, videos, and the like, and thanks to the revolution in digital communications, these items have reached an exceptionally wide audience. In short, never before have so many people had so much to say about the Electoral College.

To facilitate and expand the conversation, Picking the President: Understanding the Electoral College offers brief essays that examine the Electoral College from different disciplinary perspectives, including philosophy, …

Democracy At Work: Moving Beyond Elections To Improve Well-Being, Michael Touchton, Natasha Borges Sugiyama, Brian Wampler

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

How does democracy work to improve well-being? In this paper, we disentangle the component parts of democratic practice—elections, civic participation, expansion of social provisioning, local administrative capacity—to identify their relationship with well-being. Our analysis of an original dataset covering over 5,550 Brazilian municipalities demonstrates that competitive elections alone do not explain variation in infant mortality rates, one outcome associated with well-being. We move beyond elections to show how participatory institutions, social programs, and local state capacity can interact to buttress one another and reduce infant mortality rates. The result is a new understanding of how different aspects of democracy work …

服務研習通訊第二十二期 Office Of Service-Learning Newsletters, Volume 22, Office Of Service-Learning, Lingnan University

SLant 嶺召

嶺南大學服務研習處一直努力通過與學系及社區夥伴的緊密合作，為學生提供平台實踐所學，並以專業知識回應社會不同議題。服務研習做就個人成長，促進社會和諧進步。它既帶給同學們及社會正能量，也構成我們堅守使命的動力!

2017 年，是嶺南大學推行服務研習的第十一個年頭。今期【嶺召】為大家帶來六個故事，透過八位學生及畢業生在服務研習經歷中的點滴和感想，我們盼望能與您一起見證服務研習為他們帶來的成長歷程。我們亦想將這份盼望延續，願服務研習能伴您同行，編寫出另一個屬於您的成長故事!

The Office of Service-Learning at Lingnan University works closely with academic departments and community partners in order to provide a platform for students to apply and utilize their professional knowledge in response to various social issues. Service-Learning enhances personal development and facilitates harmony and improvement in society. It fosters positive energy in students and the community, while acting as the driving force of our mission!

2017 is the eleventh year since the launch of Service-Learning at Lingnan. In this issue of “SLANT,” we’ve included six stories about eight students’ and graduates’ Service-Learning experiences. We’d like for you …

By Beauty Damned: Millennial Feminism And The Exploitation Of Women's Empowerment In Pop Culture And Corporate Advertising, Maria L. Carreon

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Feminism has become a trendy cultural identity, leaving it open to exploitation by capitalists. Notions relating to “women’s empowerment” are used by capitalists to sell products to women, and yet many of those capitalists fund political campaigns that directly seek to quash or inhibit the advancement of women’s rights. With a little effort, any consumer can find out who their big purveyors are supporting politically. For example, Procter Gamble, who makes many products bought by women, gives the majority of its political contributions to republicans who oppose women’s reproductive rights. The same is true of McAndrews & Forbes, the parent …

Contextual Differences In The Effect Of Interference During Language Switching In Korean-English Bilingual Speakers, Jungmee Yoon

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Bilingual speakers are assumed to activate two languages during language comprehension and production even when the input or output is in only one language. The parallel activation of both languages may result in competition between languages (e.g., Costa et al., 2006, Kroll, Bobb, & Wodniecka, 2006, La Heij, 2005). Earlier studies examined how the two languages are processed and controlled by mitigating interference during language selection (e.g., Abutalebi & Green, 2008; Marian & Spivey, 2003; Poulisse, 1999).

One way to study language control processes is to examine language-switching behaviors, a unique marker for these control processes (e.g., Bobb & Wodniecka, …

Expanding Intersectionality Praxis: Informing Culturally-Responsive Programming For Black And Latino Gay And Bisexual Young Men, Justin T. Brown

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Black/Latino gay/bisexual young men face a multitude of health disparities caused by various determinants of health. However, despite the awareness of the gaps, health intervention research rarely explores the impact of current health intervention strategies on Black/Latino gay/bisexual young men’s overall health and well-being. Traditional health interventions are deficit-based, health condition-specific, and often limited in their cultural-specificity. As health-related fields move toward holistic, evidence-based practices, new primary prevention approaches need to emerge. Using qualitative investigation strategies, this study included primary analysis of participatory workshop artifacts, and secondary analysis of survey and focus group data. This study identified critical factors necessary …

Dehumanization: A Case Study, Regina Varthi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The capstone “Dehumanization” is divided into three main parts.

The first part contains a brief presentation on the UN family (or UN system), showing its role through its organizational and managerial structures. All data are derived from UN corresponding websites.

The second part, “Homelessness,” focuses on the SDG 11 of the 2030 GA Agenda. In 2014 the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Leilani Farha Special Rapporteur on adequate housing in order to conduct research on the subject of homelessness as a violation of human rights. In her report, presented at the Human Rights Council in March 2016, Farha claims …

Should We Talk?: Examining Individual And Aggregate Level Predictors Of Mediation Selection At The New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, Cynthia-Lee Williams

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Currently, there are few studies that examine mediation programs within civilian complaint review boards. Research that analyzes these programs mainly focus on the degree of citizen satisfaction. This study adds to existing research by examining possible individual and aggregate-level characteristics linked to mediation selection. Specifically, this study considers the long standing tensions shared between the police and certain groups (e.g. minorities, youths, and residents of disadvantaged communities), and attempts to uncover which groups are more or less likely to meet with officers to resolve police complaints. The data (obtained by the CCRB and US Census 2010) allows for the analysis …