scholarly journals To Purge or Not to Purge? An Individual-Level Quantitative Analysis of Elite Purges in Dictatorships

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Edward Goldring ◽  
Austin S. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Individual Level

Abstract Why do dictators purge specific elites but not others? And why do dictators purge these elites in certain ways? Examining these related questions helps us understand not only how dictators retain sufficient competence in their regimes to alleviate popular and foreign threats, but also how dictators nullify elite threats. Dictators are more likely to purge first-generation elites, who are more powerful because they can negotiate their role from a position of strength and possess valuable vertical and horizontal linkages with other elites. Further, dictators tend to imprison purged first-generation elites – rather than execute, exile or simply remove them – to avoid retaliation from other elites or the purged elite continuing to sow discord. We find empirical support for our predictions from novel data on autocratic elites in 16 regimes from 1922 to 2020.

The Bias of Individuals (In Crowds): Why Implicit Bias is Probably a Noisily-Measured Individual-Level Construct

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Robert Connor ◽  
Ellen Riemke Katrien Evers
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Error ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Implicit Bias ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Substantial Error

Payne, Vuletich, and Lundberg’s bias-of-crowds model proposes that a number of empirical puzzles can be resolved by conceptualizing implicit bias as a feature of situations rather than a feature of individuals. In the present article we argue against this model and propose that, given the existing evidence, implicit bias is best understood as an individual-level construct measured with substantial error. First, using real and simulated data, we show how each of Payne and colleagues’ proposed puzzles can be explained as being the result of measurement error and its reduction via aggregation. Second, we discuss why the authors’ counterarguments against this explanation have been unconvincing. Finally, we test a hypothesis derived from the bias-of-crowds model about the effect of an individually targeted “implicit-bias-based expulsion program” within universities and show the model to lack empirical support. We conclude by considering the implications of conceptualizing implicit bias as a noisily measured individual-level construct for ongoing implicit-bias research. All data and code are available at https://osf.io/tj8u6/.

scholarly journals Honeybee dance-followers respond similarly to dances regardless of their spatial information content

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Hasenjager ◽  
William Hoppitt ◽  
Ellouise Leadbeater
Keyword(s):  
Information Content ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Self Organized ◽  
Diffusion Analysis ◽  
Novel Targets ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Collective Influence

AbstractHoneybees famously use waggle dances to communicate foraging locations to nestmates in the hive, thereby recruiting them to those sites. The decision to dance is governed by rules that, when operating collectively, are assumed to direct foragers to the most profitable locations with little input from potential recruits, who are presumed to respond similarly to any dance regardless of its information content. Yet variation in receiver responses can qualitatively alter collective outcomes. Here, we use network-based diffusion analysis to compare the collective influence of dance information during recruitment to feeders at different distances. We further assess how any such effects might be achieved at the individual level by dance-followers either persisting with known sites when novel targets are distant and/or seeking more accurate spatial information to guide long-distance searches. Contrary to predictions, we found no evidence that dance-followers’ responses depended on target distance. While dance information was always key to feeder discovery, its importance did not vary with feeder distance, and bees were in fact quicker to abandon previously rewarding sites for distant alternatives. These findings provide empirical support for the longstanding assumption that self-organized foraging by honeybee colonies relies heavily on signal performance rules with limited input from recipients.

The influence of immigrant status and concentration on psychiatric disorder in Canada: a multi-level analysis

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (10) ◽  
pp. 2221-2231 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. M. Menezes ◽  
K. Georgiades ◽  
M. H. Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Immigrant Status ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Immigrant Concentration ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Neighborhood Level

BackgroundMany studies have reported an increased incidence of psychiatric disorder (particularly psychotic disorders) among first generation adult immigrants, along with an increasing risk for ethnic minorities living in low-minority concentration neighborhoods. These studies have depended mostly on European case-based databases. In contrast, North American studies have suggested a lower risk for psychiatric disorder in immigrants, although the effect of neighborhood immigrant concentration has not been studied extensively.MethodUsing multi-level modeling to disaggregate individual from area-level influences, this study examines the influence of first generation immigrant status at the individual level, immigrant concentration at the neighborhood-level and their combined effect on 12-month prevalence of mood, anxiety and substance-dependence disorders and lifetime prevalence of psychotic disorder, among Canadians.ResultsIndividual-level data came from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 1.2, a cross-sectional study of psychiatric disorder among Canadians over the age of 15 years; the sample for analysis wasn=35 708. The CCHS data were linked with neighborhood-level data from the Canadian Census 2001 for multi-level logistic regression. Immigrant status was associated with a lower prevalence of psychiatric disorder, with an added protective effect for immigrants living in neighborhoods with higher immigrant concentrations. Immigrant concentration was not associated with elevated prevalence of psychiatric disorder among non-immigrants.ConclusionsThe finding of lower 12-month prevalence of psychiatric disorder in Canadian immigrants, with further lessening as the neighborhood immigrant concentration increases, reflects a model of person–environment fit, highlighting the importance of studying individual risk factors within environmental contexts.

The Importance of Bystanders in Threat Assessment and Management

2021 ◽  
pp. 423-436
Author(s):  
Randy Borum ◽  
Mary Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Threat Assessment ◽  
School Shootings ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Targeted Violence ◽  
Intentional Acts ◽  
Common Barriers

Bystanders—those who observe or come to know about potential wrongdoing—are often the best source of preattack intelligence, including indicators of intent and “warning” behaviors. They are the reason that some planned attacks are foiled before they occur. Numerous studies of targeted violence (e.g., mass shootings and school shootings) have demonstrated that peers and bystanders often have knowledge of an attacker’s intentions, concerning communication, and troubling behavior before the attack occurs. This chapter describes—with empirical support—why threat assessment professionals should consider bystanders; outlines a model for understanding bystander decision-making; reviews common barriers to bystander reporting; and suggests ways to mitigate those barriers, to engage bystanders at an individual level, and to improve reporting. The principal aim of threat assessment is to prevent (primarily) intentional acts of harm. When tragic incidents of planned violence occur, however, it is almost always uncovered “that someone knew something” about the attack before it happened. This happens because, as attack plans unfold, people in several different roles may know, or come to know, something about what is happening before harm occurs. The perpetrators know, and so might others, including targets, family members, friends, coworkers, or even casual observers.

Patency and compliance of pulmonary veins when airway pressure exceeds blood pressure

1983 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1538-1549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. C. Fung ◽  
S. S. Sobin ◽  
H. Tremer ◽  
M. R. Yen ◽  
H. H. Ho
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Blood Flow ◽  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Airway Pressure ◽  
Pulmonary Blood Flow ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Pulmonary Veins ◽  
Branching Pattern ◽  
Flow Limitation ◽  
Compliance Constants

Our measurements on cat's lung show that pulmonary veins and venules are not collapsible, but remain open when the alveolar gas pressure (PA) exceeds the local blood pressure (Pv). Their compliance constants show no discontinuity as Pv falls below PA. The capillaries, however, do collapse when PA greater than Pv. The explanation of the patency of the veins when PA greater than Pv is the pulling on the blood vessels by tension in the interalveolar septa. Photomicrographs show that each venule (or vein) is pulled radially by three or more interalveolar septa. Capillary sheets, however, are exposed to gas on the lateral sides and can readily collapse when PA greater than Pv. These facts provide the key to the analysis of pulmonary blood flow in zone 2. The “sluicing” gate, i.e., the site of flow limitation, must be located at the junctions of capillary sheets and the first generation of venules. Further, data on the branching pattern and compliance of small pulmonary veins, which are needed in quantitative analysis of pulmonary circulation, are presented.

scholarly journals Who Wishes to Return? Ties to Home Country among the Romanian Migrants

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 876-890
Author(s):  
Sergiu Gherghina ◽  
Aurelian Plopeanu
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Home Country ◽  
Country Of Origin ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Original Dataset ◽  
Level Data ◽  
First Generation Migrants ◽  
Economic Ties ◽  
Intention To Return

AbstractThe research focusing on return migration from the perspective of migrants’ relationship with the country of origin has emphasized the emotional and economic ties. Quite often, these ties have been examined separately and there is little indication of what counts more. This article addresses this gap in the literature and analyzes the extent to which the sense of belonging, media consumption, networks of friends, and regular visits in the country of origin could affect the intention to return. It controls for remittances, voting in the elections of their home country, and age. The empirical analysis uses an original dataset including individual level data. This was collected through an online survey in January 2018 on a sample of 1,839 first generation migrants from Romania.

The Bias of Individuals (in Crowds): Why Implicit Bias Is Probably a Noisily Measured Individual-Level Construct

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1329-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Connor ◽  
Ellen R. K. Evers
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Error ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Implicit Bias ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Substantial Error

Payne, Vuletich, and Lundberg’s bias-of-crowds model proposes that a number of empirical puzzles can be resolved by conceptualizing implicit bias as a feature of situations rather than a feature of individuals. In the present article we argue against this model and propose that, given the existing evidence, implicit bias is best understood as an individual-level construct measured with substantial error. First, using real and simulated data, we show how each of Payne and colleagues’ proposed puzzles can be explained as being the result of measurement error and its reduction via aggregation. Second, we discuss why the authors’ counterarguments against this explanation have been unconvincing. Finally, we test a hypothesis derived from the bias-of-crowds model about the effect of an individually targeted “implicit-bias-based expulsion program” within universities and show the model to lack empirical support. We conclude by considering the implications of conceptualizing implicit bias as a noisily measured individual-level construct for ongoing implicit-bias research. All data and code are available at https://osf.io/tj8u6/ .

Europeans’ work and life – out of balance? An empirical test of assumptions from the “acceleration debate”

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine M Schöneck
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Test ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Private Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Level Data

Advanced modernity is regarded as an era of time obsession and people in modernized societies seem to live harried lives. Leading time sociologists like Hartmut Rosa adopt a modernization–critical stance and ascribe an accelerated pace of life and frequent time scarcity to socioeconomic and technological advancement. According to these protagonists of the “acceleration debate,” time becomes increasingly precious due to severely changed conditions of work and private life. Against this background it can be assumed that many people may suffer from an unsatisfactory work–life balance. This study uses individual-level data from the fifth round of the European Social Survey (fielded in 2010/11) as well as suitable country-level data capturing key features of advanced modernity to empirically test assumptions arising from the “acceleration debate.” Results from multilevel analyses of 23 European countries provide some confirmation of these assumptions. While most macro indicators for 2010 reflecting a certain stage of development are uninfluential, a country's degree of globalization matters, and moreover growth rates of crucial macro indicators signaling paces of development exert an impact on people's work–life balance in the assumed direction: In countries with accelerations in terms of economic development, coverage of households with internet access and numbers of new cars working people show a significantly greater inclination toward an unsatisfactory work–life balance. Aside from results at the country-level individual-level determinants and group-specific differences of work–life balance under different conditions of advanced modernity are presented. This study's two main findings—(1) paces of development matter more than stages of development and (2) assumptions arising from the “acceleration debate” receive some empirical support—are thoroughly reflected on and discussed.

Empirical Support for Systemic and Dyadic Explanations of International Conflict

1988 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita ◽  
David Lalman
Keyword(s):  
International Conflict ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Model Specification ◽  
Major Power ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Distribution Of Power ◽  
Systemic Constraints ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Systemic theorists emphasize the interplay of the distribution of power, the number of poles, and their tightness in predicting the occurrence of major-power war. The authors link individual-level incentives to these systemic constraints as factors that might affect the likelihood of war. They believe that their model specification is more comprehensive than any prior effort to evaluate the impact of structural attributes on the risk of major-power war. Empirical results from the individual-level prespective are encouraging when one examines European crises from 1816 to 1965, but there is no evidence that decision makers were significantly constrained by variations in the structural attributes. Neither the distribution of power nor the number or tightness of poles appears to influence the risk of war.

Individual and class room predictors of same-cultural friendship preferences in multicultural schools

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Stefanek ◽  
Dagmar Strohmeier ◽  
Rens van de Schoot
Keyword(s):  
Multicultural Education ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Generation Immigrant ◽  
Class Level ◽  
Class Room ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level ◽  
First And Second Generation

This study was an investigation of individual and contextual predictors for same-cultural friendship preferences among non-immigrant ( N = 125), Turkish ( N = 196) and former Yugoslavian ( N = 256) immigrant youths ( M age = 14.39 years) in 36 multicultural classes. At the individual level age, gender, cultural group, number of friends, and acculturation variables, such as immigrant status, cultural pride and racist victimization were investigated. At the class level, predictors drawn from contact theory such as cultural diversity and multicultural education were analyzed. Multilevel analyses have revealed that being a former Yugoslavian first and second generation immigrant, being a Turkish first generation immigrant, having fewer friends, a high level of cultural pride and a high level of cultural diversity in classes are related to more same-cultural friendship preferences. The present findings highlight the importance of acculturation-related and contextual factors for same-cultural friendship preferences.

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