STATED WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR PUBLIC GOODS:

Abstract— In the contingent valuation method for the valuation of public goods, survey respondents are asked to indicate the amount they are willing to pay (WTP) for the provision of a good. We contrast economic and psychological analyses of WTP and describe a study in which respondents indicated their WTP to prevent or to remedy threats to public health or to the environment, attributed either to human or to natural causes. WTP was significantly higher when the cause of a harm was human, though the effect was not large. The means of WTP for 16 issues were highly correlated with the means of other measures of attitude, including a simple rating of the importance of the threat. The responses are better described as expressions of attitudes than as indications of economic value, contrary to the assumptions of the contingent valuation method.     

Potentiation of the pressor response to stress by tolbutamide in dogs

Tolbutamide has previously been shown to amplify the pressor effects of “exogenous” catecholamines in conscious dogs, possibly due to sensitization of the α₁-adrenoreceptor-mediated vasoconstriction. The objective of this study was to examine if tolbutamide also amplifies the pressor effects of “endogenous” catecholamines released during psychological stress (classical Pavlovian aversive conditioning). Experiments were conducted in β-adrenoreceptor-blocked (propranolol, 1 mg/kg, i.v.) conscious dogs (n=4) trained in classical aversive conditioning. Conditioning was accomplished by following a tone (CS+) with a 1/2 second shock; another tone (CS-) was not followed by any shock and served as control. With saline pretreatment, aversive conditioning (i.e., CS+) increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) only by approximately 4.7% when compared to CS-, whereas with tolbutamide (45 mg/kg, i.v.) pretreatment, the increase in MAP induced by CS+ beyond what was induced by the CS- (approximately 6.2%) was significantly (p<0.05) larger than that with saline pretreatment. In isolated canine femoral arterial segments (n=4), the vasoconstrictor effect of phenylephrine (an α₁-agonist) at 5×10^?6M (which was the EC₅₀ value) was amplified by 2×10^?2M of tolbutamide from 54.0±2.0% to 66.9±2.1%. In conclusion, tolbutamide amplifies the pressor effects of “endogenous” catecholamines in conscious dogs, possibly by sensitization of the α₁-adrenoreceptor-mediated vasoconstriction. This mechanism of action is novel and has not been reported with other agents.     

Some hypotheses concerning the evolution of polysemous words

The evolution of polysemous words is examined in three studies. Study 1 indicates that older words are more polysemous than recent words, and that frequently used words are more polysemous than infrequently used words. These effects were replicated, controlling for word concreteness (Study 2) and evaluation (Study 3), using two other samples of words. If words evolve additional meanings through metaphor (MacCormac, 1985), then variables (such as concreteness and evaluation) that play a role in metaphor may mediate the evolution of polysemy. The correlation between concreteness and polysemy was negligible (Study 2). As hypothesized, evaluation is a significant predictor of polysemy: Negative words are more polysemous than positive words, and relatively neutral words are more polysemous than evaluatively extreme words. These findings are consistent with the notion that polysemous words evolve, in part, through metaphor.     

Maladjustment in statistical minorities within ethnically unbalanced classrooms

Ascertained if being a member of a statistical minority influences children's adjustment in school, as measured by the AML, a teacher-administered adjustment rating scale. Teachers from a southwest school district evaluated elementary students on aggressive, acting-out behaviors, moody-internalized behaviors, and learning difficulties. Analyses conducted on 376 students revealed significant effects of statistical minority status on certain dimensions of adjustment ratings for both Hispanic and Anglo students. Hispanic students in the statistical minority received poorer ratings on the moodiness dimension of the AML than nonminority Hispanic students. Anglo students in the statistical minority received poorer ratings on the aggression dimension of the AML than nonminority Anglo students. These results were interpreted in terms of cultural differences in coping with statistical minority status. Traits commonly exhibited within a culture may intensify and be perceived as maladaptive when stress resulting from being a minority occurs. Implications of the finding that statistical minority status within the school environment influences adjustment are discussed.     

Are FACES-II ‘family satisfaction’ scores valid?

It has been suggested that family satisfaction can be measured by having a person complete the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-II) twice: once as the person essentially sees the family (actual version), and once as they wish the family to be (ideal version). The discrepancy between the actual and ideal scores is contended to be a measure of satisfaction with family. Though conceptually attractive, this measurement strategy was not verified, as assessed in the present study by correlating the actual-ideal discrepancy scores with family discord (Index of Family Relations) scores. Clinical adoption of the actual-ideal discrepancy-score as a measure of family satisfaction is thus seen as premature, until more supportive evidence is demonstrated.     

A further validation of the bem sex role inventory: A multitrait-multimethod study

The present study used a multitrait-multimethod technique [D.T. Campbell and D. W. Fiske (1959) “Convergent and Discriminant Validation by the Multitrait-Multimethod Matrix,” Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81–105] to examine Bem's [(1974) “The Measurement of Psychological Androgyny,” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 152–162] use of an instrumental-expressive dichotomy to conceptualize the Masculinity and Femininity scales of the Bem Sex Role Inventory as statistically orthogonal constructs. Results indicate that while perhaps reliable, masculinity and femininity lack clear convergent and discriminant validity. Therefore, Bem's contention that masculinity and femininity are orthogonal constructs is questioned. Results are discussed in light of trait- vs. method-driven research.     

The Association of Disease Severity, Functional Status, and Medical Utilization with Relationship Satisfaction among Asthma Patients and Their Partners

The association of relationship satisfaction to asthma-related illness factors was examined among 46 couples in which one person had asthma of mild-to-moderate severity. The asthma-related illness factors included measures of disease severity, functional status, and medical utilization. More asthma severity and greater use of asthma medications accounted for 27% of the variance in relationship satisfaction. These results diverge from the general notion that more illness should be associated with more relationship distress. The findings are discussed in the context of the potentially buffering effects of the relationship satisfaction among the couples in the present sample against the stress of a chronic illness.