Stability of Dependencies of Contingent Subgroups with Merged Groups: Vaccination Case Study

The answers to extreme phenomena both in nature and in business sectors are the constructions of the distribution of random variables with extreme values. Another area in which appropriate theoretical research is conducted regarding the influence of suppressor (third) variables in categorical data. When examining dependencies in PivotTables, we often find it necessary to merge data into larger sets (e.g., due to a greater number of theoretical frequencies lower than their critical value). A phenomenon many exist wherein the partial relation is stronger than the zero relation. For example, in such a combination, instability may occur, which indicates contingent subgroups with the merged group. The dependence of dependencies is practically manifested because the data of contingent subgroups indicate inconsistent (inverted) conclusions compared to the associated group. For this reason, this paper aimed to find the critical ratios of partial probabilities in the contingency table of subgroups of the original variables, and to determine the conditions of result consistency and contingency stability, including the proof. For practical use and for the ease of repeating the proposed procedure, the solution is based on a case study that compares the effectiveness of vaccination.

In the Tracks of the Reindeer: The Emotional Effects of Digital Information on Raindeer Herders

Through a story about a reindeer that wandered off from its grazing area, this article explores the emotional effects mediated by digital technology. It concerns the way in which reindeer movements are made visible through the use of digital tools. As reindeer movements are documented by GPS (Global Positional Systems) technology and transformed into inscriptions, the movements become easier to observe. It makes a difference when herders can follow reindeer movements from above, instead of from the ground. New knowledge emerges with increased amounts of information. As GPS data makes reindeer movement visible, it creates a new, partial relation between seeing and knowing. The strong emotional effects that are induced by this relation on the herder are observed and described through a narrative of the reindeer that wandered into another Sámi community.

Examining Public Opinion About LGBTQ-Related Issues in the United States and Across Multiple Nations

Over the last three decades, many countries across the world, including the United States, have experienced major increases in support for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) individuals and related issues. In partial relation to these changes, multiple studies have examined the factors shaping public opinion. In this review, we focus on four major areas of research on public opinion in this field of study. First, we assess the terms that scholars typically use when examining attitudes and highlight the areas of public opinion research that have received the most attention. Second, we focus on the data and measurement challenges related to examining attitudes in the United States and across many nations. Third, we consider how and why attitudes and related laws have changed over time and across nations. Finally, we discuss the major micro and macro empirical forces that influence and the theoretical explanations for why there are such differences in attitudes. We end by offering several suggestions for future research.

The Stock-Bond Return Relation, the Term Structure’s Slope, and Asset-Class Risk Dynamics

We study whether asset-class risk dynamics can help explain the predominantly negative stock-bond return relation and movements in the term structure’s slope over 1997–2011. Using option-derived implied volatilities to measure risk, we find i) the negative stock-bond return relation largely disappears when controlling for risk movements, at both monthly and weekly horizons; ii) the partial relation between equity-risk changes and 10-year T-bond excess returns (term-slope movements) is reliably positive (negative); and iii) a stronger link between equity risk and stock returns implies a more negative stock-bond return correlation. Our results suggest a flight-to-quality influence between equity-risk dynamics and longer-term Treasury pricing.

Cross-Sectional Return Dispersion and Time Variation in Value and Momentum Premiums

We find that the market’s recent cross-sectional dispersion in stock returns is positively related to the subsequent value book-to-market premium and negatively related to the subsequent momentum premium. The partial relation between return dispersion (RD) and the subsequent value and momentum premiums remains strong when controlling for macroeconomic state variables suggested by the literature. Our findings are consistent with recent theoretical insights and empirical evidence that suggest that the market’s RD may serve as a leading countercyclical state variable, that the value premium is countercyclical, and that the momentum premium is procyclical.