Measuring Dispersion and Serial Dependence in Ordinal Time Series Based on the Cumulative Paired ϕ-Entropy

The family of cumulative paired ϕ-entropies offers a wide variety of ordinal dispersion measures, covering many well-known dispersion measures as a special case. After a comprehensive analysis of this family of entropies, we consider the corresponding sample versions and derive their asymptotic distributions for stationary ordinal time series data. Based on an investigation of their asymptotic bias, we propose a family of signed serial dependence measures, which can be understood as weighted types of Cohen’s κ, with the weights being related to the actual choice of ϕ. Again, the asymptotic distribution of the corresponding sample κϕ is derived and applied to test for serial dependence in ordinal time series. Using numerical computations and simulations, the practical relevance of the dispersion and dependence measures is investigated. We conclude with an environmental data example, where the novel ϕ-entropy-related measures are applied to an ordinal time series on the daily level of air quality.

Рідна мова vs мова повсякденного спілкування в оцінках українців

Native Language vs the Language of Everyday Communication in Ukrainians’ OpinionsThe Russian language is used every day by a lot of Ukrainians who consider their native language to be Ukrainian and who attribute themselves to the largest ethnic community. Based on a mass survey respondents from different regions of Ukraine, as well as focus group discussions with Ukrainian and Russian-speaking residents of Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa and Kharkiv, how linguistic and ethnic self-identifications of Ukrainians correlate with the actual choice of language for everyday and situational communication is analyzed. Ukrainians’ interpretations of the concept of “native language” and their explanations regarding what language they use and why in different situations and with different speakers is described. Język ojczysty a język komunikacji codziennej w opiniach UkraińcówJęzyk rosyjski jest używany na co dzień przez wielu Ukraińców, którzy uważają język ukraiński za swój język ojczysty i zgłaszają swój akces do najliczniejszej w kraju społeczności etnicznej. Analizę wyboru języka w komunikacji codziennej i sytuacyjnie nacechowanej wykonano zarówno na podstawie wyników uzyskanych z szeroko przeprowadzonych badań ankietowych w różnych regionach Ukrainy, jak również przy wykorzystaniu materiałów zgromadzonych w trakcie dyskusji prowadzonych z celowo dobranymi grupami ukraińsko- i rosyjskojęzycznych mieszkańców Kijowa, Lwowa, Odessy i Charkowa, w których rozmówcom zadawano pytanie, w jaki sposób językowa i etniczna samoidentyfikacja Ukraińców koreluje z faktycznym wyborem języka. W artykule przedstawiono sposoby interpretacji przez Ukraińców pojęcia „język ojczysty” oraz zasady, jakimi się kierują w doborze języka w zależności od sytuacji komunikacyjnej i typu rozmówcy.

Fault enhancement using probabilistic neural networks and Laplacian of a Gaussian filter: a case study in the Great South Basin, New Zealand.

Fault identification is critical in defining the structural framework for both exploration and reservoir characterization studies. Interpreters routinely use edge-sensitive attributes such as coherence to accelerate the manual picking process, where the actual choice of a particular edge-sensitive attribute varies with the seismic data quality and with the reflectivity response of the faulted geologic formations. CMY color blending provides an effective way to combine the information content of two or three edge-sensitive attributes when more than one attribute is sensitive to faults. We evaluate whether combining the information content of more than three attributes using probabilistic neural networks (PNN) provides any additional uplift. We employ a training data consisting of manually picked faults on a coarse grid of 3D seismic lines, and then we employ an exhaustive search PNN to identify the optimal set of attributes to create a fault probability volume for a 3D survey acquired over the Great South Basin, New Zealand. We construct a suite of candidate attributes using our understanding of the attribute response to faults seen in the data and examples extracted from the published literature to use the list as the analyzed attributes. Using a subset of picked faults as training data, we evaluate which suite of attributes and hyperparameters exhibit the highest validation on the remaining training data. When used together, we find that volume aberrancy magnitude, GLCM homogeneity, GLCM entropy, Sobel filter similarity, and envelope best predict the faults for this dataset. The PNN supervised classification creates a seismic image volume that exhibits fault probabilities providing a simple combination of multiple seismic attributes. We also find that applying a directional Laplacian of a Gaussian and skeletonization filters to the PNN fault volumes provides a superior result to simple CMY blending techniques.

Numerical Feedback Roundness Affects the Choice of the Self vs. Others as a Reference Point

People can use social or personal information as a reference point against which they compare their performance. While previous research has shown that reference point choice can be affected by individual characteristics, situational factors, and goals, we suggest that properties of the performance feedback itself can also play a role in this choice. We focus on the effects of round vs. precise numerical feedback on reference point preferences. In three studies, we show that people are more likely to use themselves as a reference point to evaluate their performance following a feedback in the form of a round score (e.g., a score of 70 in a task) and to use others as a reference point following a precise score (e.g., a score of 71). Study 1 shows decreased interest in comparisons with others following round rather than precise feedback. Study 2 shows that round (vs. precise) feedback also increases actual choice of the self (vs. others) as a reference point. Study 3 demonstrates that the effect of the numerical feedback on reference point preferences extends to the choice of a benchmark for future comparisons. We discuss the implications of our results for the literature and practice, including how this can be used to encourage desirable behaviors.

Selective outcome reinstatement during evaluation drives heuristics in risky choice

A ubiquitous feature of human decision making under risk is that individuals differ from each other, as well as from normativity, in how they incorporate reward and probability information. One possible explanation for these deviations is a desire to reduce the number of potential outcomes considered during choice evaluation. Although multiple behavioral models can be invoked involving selective consideration of choice outcomes, whether differences in these tendencies underlie behavioral differences in sensitivity to reward and probability information is unknown. Here we consider neural evidence where we exploit magnetoencephalography (MEG) to decode the actual choice outcomes participants consider when they decide between a gamble and a safe outcome. We show that variability in tendencies of individual participants to reinstate neural outcome representations, based on either their probability or reward, explains variability in the extent to which their choices reflect consideration of probability and reward information. In keeping with this we also show that participants who are higher in behavioral impulsivity fail to preferentially reinstate outcomes with higher probability. Our results suggest that neural differences in the degree to which outcomes are considered shape risk taking strategy, both in decision making tasks, as well as in real life.

Does The GDPR Achieve Its Goal of “Protection of Youth”?

The increasing ‘datafication of society’1 and ubiquitous computing resulted in high privacy risks such as commercial exploitation of personal data, discrimination, identity theft and profiling (automated processing of personal data). 2 Especially, minor data subjects are more likely to be victims of unfair commercial practices due to their behavioral characteristics (emotional volatility and impulsiveness) and unawareness of consequences of their virtual activities.3 Accordingly, it has been claimed that thousands of mobile apps utilized by children collected their data and used it for tracking their location, processed it for the development of child profiles so as to tailor behavioral advertising targeted at them and shared it with third parties without children’s or parent’s knowledge.4 Following these concerns, recently adopted EU General Data Protection Regulation (679/2016) departed from its Data Protection Directive (DPD) in terms of children’s data protection by explicitly recognizing that minors need more protection than adults5 and providing specific provisions aimed at protecting children’s right to data protection.6 Unlike the GDPR, the DPD was designed to provide “equal” protection for all data subjects irrespective of their age.7 This paper argues that consent principle along with the requirement of parental consent cannot effectively be implemented for the protection of children’s data due to the lack of actual choice, verification issues and complexity of data processing, and also the outcome of the privacy notices in a child-appropriate form is limited. However, there are other mechanisms and restrictions embodied in the GDPR, which provide opportunities for the protection of children’s data by placing burden on data controllers rather than data subjects.

The effect of nudges on autonomy in hypothetical and real life settings

Nudges have repeatedly been found to be effective, however they are claimed to harm autonomy, and it has been found that laypeople expect this too. To test whether these expectations translate to actual harm to experienced autonomy, three online studies were conducted. The paradigm used in all studies was that participants were asked to voluntarily participate in a longer version of the questionnaire. This was either done in a hypothetical setting, where participants imagined they were asked this question, but did not answer it, and reported their expectations for autonomy; Or in an actual choice setting where participants answered the question and then reported their actual autonomy. The first study utilized the hypothetical setting and tried to replicate that laypeople expect nudges to harm autonomy with the current paradigm. A total of 451 participants were randomly assigned to either a control, a default nudge, or a social norm nudge condition. In the default nudge condition, the affirmative answer was pre-selected, and in the social norm nudge condition it was stated that most people answered affirmative. The results showed a trend for lower expected autonomy in nudge conditions, but did not find significant evidence. In Study 2, with a sample size of 454, the same design was used in an actual choice setting. Only the default nudge was found to be effective, and no difference in autonomy was found. In Study 3, Studies 1 and 2 were replicated. Explanation of the nudge was added as an independent variable and the social norm nudge condition was dropped, resulting in six conditions and 1322 participants. The results showed that participants indeed expected default nudges to harm their autonomy, but only if the nudge was explained. When actually nudged, no effect on autonomy was found, independent of the presence of an explanation.

The Buzz Changes within Time: Native Apis mellifera mellifera Honeybee Subspecies Less and Less Popular among Polish Beekeepers Since 1980

Socio-cultural research might address anthropocentric reasons for honeybee (Apis mellifera) conservation. In some regions, particular honeybee subspecies are considered to be native; A. mellifera mellifera (“dark bee”) in the north-east and A. mellifera carnica in the Island Beskids in Poland. Additionally, A. mellifera caucasia (often incorrectly called A. mellifera caucasica) and Buckfast are reported across Poland. In order to verify the actual choice of beekeepers, a survey on honeybee subspecies kept in apiaries was conducted annually from 1980 to 2018. This is a way to verify if conservation management towards the dark bee influenced its maintenance at a sufficient level for their restoration. The analysis revealed that Polish beekeepers know what is “buzzing” in their hives, and the awareness of which subspecies/types of honeybee they maintain has grown through the years. Initially, they kept up to four different subspecies per apiary, but now most have only one (maximum of two). Currently, Polish apiaries approach a homogeneous share with the exclusive presence of A. mellifera carnica subspecies. The popularity of indigenous A. mellifera mellifera has declined over time and is low now. It seems that new solutions should be considered to increase the effectiveness of dark European bee conservation management efforts.

Analisis Ekuitas Merek

Brand equity continues to be one of the critical areas for marketing. This research explores some of the consequences attributes may have on brand equity such as the bias on consumer preference. For comparative purposes, this research is conducted on the high involvement using on the four soft drinks brands. This research being measured the impact of attributes preferences and actual choice frequency for brand attributes on brand equity. Attributes are examined from a tangible and intangible perspective and both are found to be important contributors to brand equity and brand choice.

Oversized Area Indications on Bonus Packs Fail to Affect Consumers’ Transactional Decisions—More Experimental Evidence on the Mars Case

Findings from behavioural research are gaining increased interest in EU legislation, specifically in the area of unfair commercial practices. Prior research on the Mars case (Purnhagen and van Herpen 2017) has left open whether empirical evidence can provide an indication that this practice of using oversized indications of additional volume alters the transactional decision of consumers. This, however, is required to determine the “misleadingness” of such a practice in the legal sense as stipulated by the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC. The current paper closes this gap by illustrating how behavioural research can inform legal interpretation. In particular, it extends the previous research in two important ways: first, by examining the actual choice that people make; and second, by investigating whether the effects remain present in a context where a comparison product is available. Yet, while supporting and extending the findings of the study from Purnhagen and van Herpen (2017) on deceptiveness, the current study could not produce empirical evidence of a clear influence on the transactional decision of consumers, in the way “UCPD” requires.