Herding by attribution of privileged information

We study a situation where agents take extreme actions and how these actions are imitated by others. First, Experiment 1 showed that an expert first mover had an advantage in obtaining herding by others on his investment decision, when compared to a non‐expert first mover. Experiment 2 showed that this advantage only appeared when the first mover's investment was out‐of‐the‐ordinary (in fact, highly aberrant). We obtained the same level of herding in Experiment 3 when the first mover had privileged information, instead of being an expert. Second, Experiment 4 showed that when people observed the same out‐of‐the‐ordinary investment and did not know whether the first mover had privileged information or not, they herded on him as if he had privileged information. In fact, our data revealed that participants thought that the unknown first mover had privileged information. Furthermore, herding was statistically indistinguishable from the condition where observers knew unambiguously that the first mover had privileged information. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analyse du langage et analyse des discours : quelques applications en psychologie

Discourse analysis is still underdeveloped in Psychology. However, it offers both a precise theoretical framework and various methods of analysis, which make it possible to deal with issues at the heart of psychology and the missions of the practicing psychologists. All discourse is the result of a join construction; it integrates cross-perceptions as well as inter-individual and inter-group relational dynamics. There is no border between the individual who produced the discourse, and the individual who receives it. One is in the other and the other is in one. This conception is particularly relevant when it comes to analyzing what takes place at the heart of social relations, whatever the field of intervention: health, training, work and even more broadly the political and societal debate. This special issue does not aim to be exhaustive but presents different possible applications of discourse analysis, in order to provide the reader, reading grids and tools, which inform practice and nourish theory.     

The cosmology of economy: West African witchcraft,finance and the futures market

In this article, the relationship between cosmology and financial transactions via the sacred and deeply secret discourses of West African traditional priests in Europe is explored, who believe that they can spiritually manipulate the monetary pricing of stocks and shares. Of particular interest is how West African witchcraft discourses, while still embedded in kinship relationships, become symbolically caught up in the economy and in the volatile movement of industrial commodity indexes. In analysing the financial imaginary and constant reconfiguration of the marketplace by different networks of stakeholders, Ghanaian fetish priests allow for a fiscal elasticity and material distorting of monetary flows such that the incoherence and uncertainty of global financial practices and the fictious pricing and purchase of unstable commodities are shaped and magnified through a thick Akan cosmology.     

Perceptions of stress and stress interventions in finance organizations: Overcoming resistance towards counselling

This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study conducted to gain further insight into the attitudes of finance organizations towards workplace stress and stress interventions. Semi-structured interviews were used and seven individuals, each representing their organization, participated in the study. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith, J., Jaraman, M., & Osborn, M. 1999 Smith J Jaraman M Osborn M 1999 Doing interpretative phenomenological analysis In M. Murray & K. Chamberlain (Eds) Qualitative Health Psychology London Sage [Crossref] [Google Scholar] was used to analyse the data. In M. Murray & K. Chamberlain (Eds), Qualitative Health Psychology. London: Sage.) was used to analyse the data. One main theme that emerged was “resistance towards counselling for stress”. This theme and several related sub-themes are discussed, and suggestions to reduce resistance to counselling for stress are presented in a model.     

Mental health treatment and medical utilization: First pilot study in the military

Savings in medical utilization, as a function of psychotherapeutic intervention, which has been widely demonstrated elsewhere, can be replicated in military medical settings. Results point not only to decreased medical utilization following mental health intervention, but also to more appropriate treatment.The material herein should in no way be construed as reflecting the views or opinions of the Department of Defense or the United States Air Force.     

管仲财税思想的现代观点分析

管仲的财税思想在治国方略、财政收入政策、财政支出政策上的应用,既保证了充足的财政收入,又深得民心,为齐桓公称霸中原打下了良好的经济基础,对于今天中国财税政策的制定和实施,也有很重要的现实意义。     

完善我国公共财政卫生投入体制的研究

由于医疗卫生领域存在市场失灵,政府必须进行干预。公共财政则需承担其在卫生领域的责任,因此研究公共财政对卫生领域的投入,对于我国卫生事业的发展具有重要意义。阐述了我国公共财政卫生投入的理论,描述了分税制改革以来我国卫生公共投入的现状及国际比较,并对此提出进一步完善的建议。     

Portfolio Selection from Multiple Benchmarks: A Goal Programming Approach to an Actual Case

This paper deals with benchmark‐based portfolio choice for buy‐and‐hold strategies of investing. Multiple benchmarks for returns are considered, which is more realistic than taking a unique benchmark – a unique aspiration difficult to select in practice among the various aspirations for returns that the investor has in mind. Portfolio selection with multiple benchmarks leads to a multi‐objective problem, which is addressed by mean value – stochastic goal programming. In particular, two benchmarks are considered, which involves two goals. Weights for goals depend on investor's preferences and Arrow's absolute risk aversion coefficients. An efficient frontier of portfolios is obtained. Advantages of this stochastic method in our context are as follows: (i) Mean value‐stochastic goal programming relies on classical utility theory under uncertainty and Arrow's absolute risk aversion, which ensures soundness and strictness, and (ii) the numerical model is easily solved by using available software such as mean–variance software. Numerical results are tabulated and discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Focusing on the emergencies or on their roots? The role of nonprofit organisations in immigration policymaking in Italy

Religious organisations are a relevant actor in immigration policymaking in Italy; they usually work in networks with institutions and other actors from the nonprofit sector to implement projects and services for migrants. However, the collaboration might lead to disagreement on which is the best way to face social problems related to immigration. In the province of Foggia, the reports on the precarious conditions of migrants employed in agriculture led to the development of a range of activities for improving their status and fighting their exploitation. While an issue network on the receipt and first assistance for migrants has arisen, there is no agreement on deeper interventions between nonprofit organisations (NPOs) which want to provide help for migrants in actual situations of precariousness and NPOs committed to face the causes of these situations. The tension between these two conceptions of nonprofit role in public policies might be divisive inside the religious associationism.