scholarly journals Experimental Philosophy and the Incentivisation Challenge: a Proposed Application of the Bayesian Truth Serum

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Schoenegger
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Philosophy ◽  
Incentive Compatibility ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Data ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Additional Costs

AbstractA key challenge in experimental social science research is the incentivisation of subjects such that they take the tasks presented to them seriously and answer honestly. If subject responses can be evaluated against an objective baseline, a standard way of incentivising participants is by rewarding them monetarily as a function of their performance. However, the subject area of experimental philosophy is such that this mode of incentivisation is not applicable as participant responses cannot easily be scored along a true-false spectrum by the experimenters. We claim that experimental philosophers’ neglect of and claims of unimportance about incentivisation mechanisms in their surveys and experiments has plausibly led to poorer data quality and worse conclusions drawn overall, potentially threatening the research programme of experimental philosophy in the long run. As a solution to this, we propose the adoption of the Bayesian Truth Serum, an incentive-compatible mechanism used in economics and marketing, designed for eliciting honest responding in subjective data designs by rewarding participant answers that are surprisingly common. We argue that the Bayesian Truth Serum (i) adequately addresses the issue of incentive compatibility in subjective data research designs and (ii) that it should be applied to the vast majority of research in experimental philosophy. Further, we (iii) provide an empirical application of the method, demonstrating its qualified impact on the distribution of answers on a number of standard experimental philosophy items and outline guidance for researchers aiming to apply this mechanism in future research by specifying the additional costs and design steps involved.

Citizenship

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Mettler ◽  
Alexis Walker
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Political Development ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Political Community ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Policies ◽  
Political Rights

Besides its impact on poverty, inequality, and economic security, social policy also bears crucial significance for the meaning and quality of citizenship in a political community. Historical research on American political development has revealed that ideas about citizenship played a central role in the development of social policy. Throughout U.S. history, policy makers have often justified social policies on the basis that they would develop Americans' civic capacity and inculcate participatory norms. In addition, U.S. social policy has shaped citizens' experiences of government and their political participation and attitudes. Established social policies have influenced citizens' ability to practice their political rights, the extent of solidarity or division in society, and people's inclination to engage in civic life. In sum, American civil and political rights cannot be fully understood apart from their interaction with social rights and provision. This essay offers an introduction to thinking about the relationship between citizenship and social policy. It considers the place of social policy in different theoretical understandings of citizenship in social science research. It explores the mechanisms through which social policies can influence citizenship, tracing their impact on: membership, identity, and belonging; political attitudes; and political participation and other forms of civic involvement. Finally, it considers the contemporary relationship between social policy and citizenship and offer directions for future research on this relationship.

Environment and access to resources in Africa

Africa ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piers Blaikie
Keyword(s):  
Future Orientation ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Access To Resources ◽  
Research Issues ◽  
The Social ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Opening Paragraph ◽  
Agrarian Crisis

Opening ParagraphThis article has been written as a contribution to the future orientation of a research programme on the agrarian crisis in Africa, which has been set up by the Joint Committee on African Studies (JCAS) of the American Council of Learned Societies and the Social Science Research Council. The aim of this article is to provide an agenda for research on the environment and access to resources in Africa and is one of four which both provide a review of some of the most important research issues and suggest ways in which they might be tackled.

The Nature and Impact of Policy-Induced Partnerships Between Research and Practice Communities

1996 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bradley Cousins ◽  
Marielle Simon
Keyword(s):  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Grant Application ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Allocation Policy ◽  
Grant Program ◽  
Grant Allocation

To enhance the relevance and usefulness of social science research, large-scale research grant allocation policies are emphasizing, if not requiring, the formation of research partnerships between researchers and members of the community of practice. The emergence of a revisionist conception of traditional dissemination and utilization theoretical frameworks is consistent with this policy direction, but supportive empirical evidence remains thin. This study reports on a multi-method evaluation of a major Canadian strategic grant program that has such partnership guidelines. Surveys of 74 funded projects and four case profiles and interviews with researchers, members of the community of practice, and grant application adjudicators concerning a strategic grant program called Education and Work in a Changing Society provided the primary basis for investigating the nature and impact of policy-induced partnerships. Results show favorable effects of partnerships on research and dissemination strategies and impact in the practice community, but ideological and pragmatic issues surfaced as inhibitory factors. The results are discussed in terms of implications for the revisionist dissemination and utilization framework, the role of granting agencies and ramifications for future research and grant allocation policy.

scholarly journals Casino capitalism in the era of COVID-19: examining Macau’s pandemic response

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Loretta Lou
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Economic Resilience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gambling Industry ◽  
Tax Revenues ◽  
Pandemic Response ◽  
The Government

Purpose This purpose of this paper is to explain Macau’s successful pandemic response through an analysis of its social, political and economic landscapes. In particular, it focusses on the economic relief brought by casino capitalism in this era of COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach As mobility is highly restricted during the coronavirus pandemic, digital technologies have become central to ongoing social science research. Thanks to videoconferencing programmes such as Zoom, Facetime and WhatsApp, the author was able to carry out virtual interviews with 13 local people from different sectors of Macau in July 2020. In addition to in-depth interviews, the author also undertook an extensive review of the Macau government’s pandemic policies. Findings This paper argues that the Macau government’s swift and effective coronavirus policies are deeply intertwined with the urban fabric and political economy of the city’s casino capitalism, which endowed the government with surplus funds and an infrastructure that enabled the implementation of an array of strict measures that few other countries could afford to subsidise. Factors that have led to Macau’s extraordinarily low rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths include: competent leadership and the public’s high compliance with mandatory health measures; the generous benefits and financial support for citizens and businesses; and the compulsory quarantine required of all incoming travellers, who are lodged in hotel rooms left empty when casino tourists stopped coming. All of these measures have been made possible by a political economy backed by the peculiarities of casino capitalism and its resultant tax revenues. Research limitations/implications Future research could compare the case of Macau with other small but affluent economies (ideally economies that do not depend on the gambling industry) to ascertain the role of casino capitalism in building up economic resilience. Originality/value Although previous studies tend to emphasise the negative impacts of casino capitalism, this paper shows how tax revenues and infrastructure from the gambling industry can make a contribution to the host society in times of crisis.

Studying Electoral Persuasion Using Online Experiments

2019 ◽  
pp. 1015-1036
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Leeper
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Internal Validity ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Experiments ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Online Experimentation ◽  
Experimental Realism

Online experimental methods have become a major part of contemporary social science research. Yet the method is also controversial and experiments are frequently misunderstood. This chapter introduces online experimentation as a method, by explaining the logic of experimental design for causal inference. While experiments can be deployed in almost any setting, online experiments tend to take two forms: online survey experiments and experiments in naturalistic online environments. Discussing the advantages and disadvantages of these types relative to each other and relative to their offline analogues, the chapter demonstrates ways that experimentation has been used to learn about political behavior, media and campaign dynamics, and public opinion. Emphasizing trade-offs between internal validity, experimental realism, and external validity, the chapter demonstrates how researchers have used online platforms in tandem with randomization to gain insights into both online and offline phenomena. Though experiments are sometimes seen as trading off external for internal validity, this is not an accurate depiction of all experimental work. Rather, online experiments exist on spectrums that trade-off these features to varying degrees. And with those trade-offs come key challenges related to experimental control, the generalizability of experimental results across settings, units, treatments, and outcomes, and the ethics of online experimentation. The chapter concludes by suggesting how future research might innovatively push beyond existing work.

scholarly journals A Bibliometric Analysis of COVID-19 across Science and Social Science Research Landscape

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 9132
Author(s):  
Aleksander Aristovnik ◽  
Dejan Ravšelj ◽  
Lan Umek
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Venn Diagram ◽  
Scientific Disciplines

The lack of knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged extensive research in the academic sphere, reflected in the exponentially growing scientific literature. While the state of COVID-19 research reveals it is currently in an early stage of developing knowledge, a comprehensive and in-depth overview is still missing. Accordingly, the paper’s main aim is to provide an extensive bibliometric analysis of COVID-19 research across the science and social science research landscape, using innovative bibliometric approaches (e.g., Venn diagram, Biblioshiny descriptive statistics, VOSviewer co-occurrence network analysis, Jaccard distance cluster analysis, text mining based on binary logistic regression). The bibliometric analysis considers the Scopus database, including all relevant information on COVID-19 related publications (n = 16,866) available in the first half of 2020. The empirical results indicate the domination of health sciences in terms of number of relevant publications and total citations, while physical sciences and social sciences and humanities lag behind significantly. Nevertheless, there is an evidence of COVID-19 research collaboration within and between different subject area classifications with a gradual increase in importance of non-health scientific disciplines. The findings emphasize the great need for a comprehensive and in-depth approach that considers various scientific disciplines in COVID-19 research so as to benefit not only the scientific community but evidence-based policymaking as part of efforts to properly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Democratic Advantage in Theory

2020 ◽  
pp. 11-35
Author(s):  
Matthew Kroenig
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Great Powers ◽  
International Capital ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Key Terms ◽  
Democratic Advantage

This chapter puts forth the argument that democracies enjoy built-in advantages in long-run geopolitical competitions. It begins by defining key terms, such as “democracy” and “autocracy.” Then, drawing on the writing of political philosophers, such as Herodotus, Machiavelli, and Montesquieu, and contemporary social science research, this chapter explains the unique economic, diplomatic, and military advantages that democracies bring to the international arena. These advantages include: higher long-run rates of economic growth, access to international capital, larger and more reliable alliances, and a tendency to win international wars. It then explains how these advantages grant democracies an edge in amassing wealth and power, becoming great powers, and achieving global hegemony at rates greater than their autocratic rivals.

The Influence of Anogenital Injury on Women’s Willingness to Engage With the Criminal Justice Process After Rape

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 968-983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie Sue Fisher ◽  
Alyssa Kaplan ◽  
Mia Budescu ◽  
Jamison Fargo ◽  
Deborah Tiller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Sexual Intercourse ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Justice Process ◽  
Criminal Justice Process ◽  
Willingness To Engage

Medical-legal-social science research has documented that nongenital and/or anogenital injuries play a significant role throughout the criminal justice system from victims reporting to judges determining the length of a sentence. What remains an open question is whether the documentation of anogenital injury influences women’s willingness to engage in the criminal justice system. A sample of women age 21 years and older residing in an urban area were asked about willingness to report to police, file charges, and work with the courts to prosecute after rape. Questions were framed with a qualifying statement about the forensic examination being able to detect injury related to forced sexual intercourse. Results show that women had a high willingness to act if the examination could detect anogenital injury and women with and without a history of forced sexual intercourse had significant differences in their responses to these questions. Implications for health care, criminal justice system, and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Causality and Pleiotropy in the Association Between Bullying Victimization in Adolescence and Depressive Episodes in Adulthood

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Kretschmer ◽  
Felix C. Tropf ◽  
Nynke M. D. Niezink
Keyword(s):  
Causal Effect ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Cholesky Decomposition ◽  
Elevated Risk ◽  
Bullying Victimization ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Depressive Episodes ◽  
Shared Genetic

Children and adolescents who are victims or perpetrators of bullying victimization are at elevated risk for maladjustment problems, concurrently and in the long run. Previous studies suggest that this correlation is partly explained by genetic influence. However, whether the genetic correlation is independent of a causal effect of victimization on maladjustment remains unclear. Using data from 2,510 females from the TwinsUK registry, we applied an innovative extension of the Cholesky decomposition to investigate to what extent the association between victimization in adolescence and self-reported depressive episodes in adulthood is caused by shared genetic effects (pleiotropy), and to what extent it is due to a phenotypic causal relationship. We find that around 60% of the association between victimization and self-reported depressive episodes is due to a causal effect of victimization on depressive episodes, and 40% is due to pleiotropic effects. These findings underline the importance of integrating genetic information into social science research and demonstrate a neat strategy to elucidate causal mechanisms in the absence of experimental designs.

scholarly journals Gender and active travel: a qualitative data synthesis informed by machine learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Haynes ◽  
Judith Green ◽  
Ruth Garside ◽  
Michael P. Kelly ◽  
Cornelia Guell
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Practice Theory ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Active Travel ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Social Practice Theory ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background Innovative approaches are required to move beyond individual approaches to behaviour change and develop more appropriate insights for the complex challenge of increasing population levels of activity. Recent research has drawn on social practice theory to describe the recursive and relational character of active living but to date most evidence is limited to small-scale qualitative research studies. To ‘upscale’ insights from individual contexts, we pooled data from five qualitative studies and used machine learning software to explore gendered patterns in the context of active travel. Methods We drew on 280 transcripts from five research projects conducted in the UK, including studies of a range of populations, travel modes and settings, to conduct unsupervised ‘topic modelling analysis’. Text analytics software, Leximancer, was used in the first phase of the analysis to produce inter-topic distance maps to illustrate inter-related ‘concepts’. The outputs from this first phase guided a second researcher-led interpretive analysis of text excerpts to infer meaning from the computer-generated outputs. Results Guided by social practice theory, we identified ‘interrelated’ and ‘relating’ practices across the pooled datasets. For this study we particularly focused on respondents’ commutes, travelling to and from work, and on differentiated experiences by gender. Women largely described their commute as multifunctional journeys that included the school run or shopping, whereas men described relatively linear journeys from A to B but highlighted ‘relating’ practices resulting from or due to their choice of commute mode or journey such as showering or relaxing. Secondly, we identify a difference in discourses about practices across the included datasets. Women spoke more about ‘subjective’, internal feelings of safety (‘I feel unsafe’), whereas men spoke more about external conditions (‘it is a dangerous road’). Conclusion This rare application of machine learning to qualitative social science research has helped to identify potentially important differences in co-occurrence of practices and discourses about practice between men’s and women’s accounts of travel across diverse contexts. These findings can inform future research and policy decisions for promoting travel-related social practices associated with increased physical activity that are appropriate across genders.

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