In this paper we elicit preferences for discounting via experimental techniques. We then estimate a general speci…cation of discounting that nests exponential and hyperbolic discounting, as well as various forms of present bias, including quasihyperbolic discounting. The data strongly favor a speci…cation with a small present bias in the form of a …xed cost, of the order of $4 on average across...

This research examines whether married low-income renters are more likely to become home owners than comparable single, low-income renters. To do so, it employs data from the Community Advantage Panel Study and discrete-time survival analysis with propensityscore matching. Results suggest that married couples buy homes at higher rates, and buy them more quickly, than do their unmarried counterp...

In this article we reply to C. J. Ferguson and J. Kilburn’s (2010) critique of our meta-analysis on violent video game effects (C. A. Anderson et al., 2010). We rely on well-established methodological and statistical theory and on empirical data to show that claims of bias and misinterpretation on our part are simply wrong. One should not systematically exclude unpublished studies from meta-ana...

Hypothetical estimates of willingness to pay tend to overstate real willingness to pay. Several methods to mitigate this so called hypothetical bias have been developed. This paper contributes by presenting the first simultaneous comparison of three common hypothetical bias mitigation methods as well as their interactions. In addition, the study represents the first use of the contingent valuat...

Here we study polysemy as a potential learning bias in vocabulary learning in children. We employ a massive set of transcriptions of conversations between children and adults in English, to analyze the evolution of mean polysemy in the words produced by children whose ages range between 10 and 60 months. Our results show that mean polysemy in children increases over time in two phases, i.e. a f...

Regulators, investors, consumers, and insurance brokers use insurer financial strength ratings to evaluate the insolvency risk of insurers. This article investigates the factors influencing the decision to obtain a rating or multiple ratings, the determinants of ratings for the three major insurer rating agencies, and reasons for differences in ratings across agencies. This study indicates that...

A long standing question in radio astronomy has been why some elliptical galaxies host strong radio sources and others not. The reason may have something to do with the physical conditions near the (active) nucleus from which the radio source emanates. The resolution of HST images is such that dust features close to the nucleus can be detected, and these may often be in the form of circumnuclea...

Data on over 7,000 offenders were collected to evaluate the impact of industrial work experience and vocational and apprenticeship training on in-prison and post-release outcomes. Prior research on prison training outcomes failed to find any significant training effects. Related research on the economic conditions faced by ex-offenders has demonstrated the difficult conditions under which these...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of a higher publishing probability for statistically significant positive outcomes on the false-positive rate in meta-analysis. DESIGN Meta-analyses of different sizes (N=10, N=20, N=50 and N=100), levels of heterogeneity and levels of publication bias were simulated. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES The type I error rate for the test of the mean ef...