scholarly journals The case for laboratory experiments in behavioural public policy

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER D. LUNN ◽  
ÁINE NÍ CHOISDEALBHA
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Behavioural Science ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Randomised Controlled

AbstractBehavioural science is increasingly applied to policy in many countries. While the empirical approach to policy development is welcome, we argue with reference to existing literature that laboratory experiments are presently underused in this domain, relative to field studies. Assumptions that field experiments, including randomised controlled trials, produce more generalisable results than laboratory experiments are often misplaced. This is because the experimental control offered by the laboratory allows underlying psychological mechanisms to be isolated and tested. We use examples from recent research on energy efficiency and financial decision-making to argue that mechanism-focused laboratory research is often not only complementary to field research, but also necessary to interpreting field results, and that such research can have direct policy implications. The issues discussed illustrate that in some policy contexts a well-designed laboratory study can be a good – perhaps the best – way to answer the kinds of research questions that policy-makers ask.

How can policy assist the development of community-based tourism in Guyana by 2025 and beyond?

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 555-568
Author(s):  
Aletha Connelly ◽  
Shenera Sam
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Agenda ◽  
Primary Means ◽  
Effective Policy

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to outline the policy directives in Guyana as it relates to community-based tourism and to argue that the development of this niche can only be driven by clear policies which speak to community empowerment and institutional strengthening.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is exploratory in nature and used document analysis as the primary means of data collection.FindingsCommunity-based tourism presents an opportunity to advance the goals of government to include communities into the economic growth and development agenda. The vision for community-based tourism is community empowerment that develops the industry in line with the needs and aspirations of host communities. However, this cannot be fully realized without the supporting role of government via effective policy development and implementation.Originality/valueIt is anticipated that this research will serve as a valuable reference tool for researchers, policy makers and other relevant bodies with an interest in community-based tourism and the policy implications.

Self-Control: Methods for Child Training

1979 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lewis Polsgrove
Keyword(s):  
Field Research ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Exceptional Children ◽  
Appropriate Behavior ◽  
External Stimuli

This article reports results from field research on training children in methods of behavioral self-control—an effort that has developed from interest in the generalization and maintenance of behavior and from concerns raised by educational “humanists.” Presented are concepts related to the process and acquisition of self-control, a research review, and a discussion of the implications of the research for training teachers and exceptional children.1 Two research and training procedures were identified: self-management methods and cognitive methods. Several self-management studies have concluded that children may maintain appropriate behavior following a training period in which external controls are gradually yielded to them. In most studies, however, because competing external stimuli were uncontrolled, children may have improved their ability to identify these rather than developed self-control. Although laboratory research suggests that cognitive training methods are potentially powerful, this has not been clearly demonstrated in field studies.2

Physical experiments in geomorphology

2021 ◽  
pp. M58-2021-3
Author(s):  
Michael Church
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Turn Of The Century ◽  
Critical Test ◽  
Wide Acceptance ◽  
Physical Experiments ◽  
Geomorphological Processes ◽  
Firm Evidence

AbstractAn experiment is a program of observations specially constructed to provide a critical test of theory or generalization about nature. It is designed to acquire firm evidence for or against the effect in question. Accordingly, it must be arranged to control all sources of variability contributing to the phenomena under examination save those it is intended to study. In the natural environment this is difficult to achieve. Consequently, classical geomorphology had no established tradition of experimentation. However, in the latter third of the 20th century, geomorphologists began to explore experimentation as a means to resolve questions that arise in the study of geomorphological processes. In the period 1976-84 an IGU commission on field experiments in geomorphology formally established an interest in the approach. Although few field studies before the turn of the century achieved experimental status, valuable experience was gained in laboratory experiments, scaled and unscaled, leading to present wide acceptance of experimentation as a means to approach questions about geomorphological processes.

Russia–Ethiopia: Humanitarian Ties Cooperation in Scientific Research

2018 ◽  
pp. 3-10
Author(s):  
Alexander Tkachenko
Keyword(s):  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Modern World ◽  
State University ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Scientific Project

The report shows the results of the Russian-Ethiopian historic and ethnographic expedition – a joint scientific project of two countries, successfully implemented in the early 1990s. Advanced results achieved by this expedition were much owed to participation of several leading Russian and Ethiopian scientific centers and universities – the Institute for African Studies, the Institute of Asian and African Countries at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Addis Ababa University and Institute for Ethiopian Studies, The Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations, and others. The participants of the expedition gathered and summarized a large body of data acquired during opinion polls, held in the course of the visits to a number of educational, medical, economic and manufacturing centers and organizations, including workshops, agricultural farms, banks, scientific centers. The collected scientific data has allowed, based on multi-factor analysis, to specify the nature of evolutionary processes in communal relations, efficiency of various aspects of federalism policy in a cosmopolitan country. Its value is reflected by applicability and sharp demand for a scientific view on one of the most troubled sides of social and political life of many African countries, and of the modern world. Based on the field research, a high number of articles and monographs have been prepared and published in the Russian Federation. They include “Report on Field Studies of Ethiopia Carried Out by Russian Historical, Ethnic, Sociological, Expedition, 1990–1992”, “Ethiopia: History, Culture and Ethnicity”, “Ethiopia: the Particular Features of Federalism”, “Drama in Modern Ethiopian Literature and Theatre”, “Mission in Ethiopia. African Policy of the USSR in the eyes of the Soviet Diplomat. 1956–1982”, two volumes of “Africa” encyclopedia and others.

What Makes a City Bikeable? A Study of Intercity and Intracity Patterns of Bicycle Ridership using Mobike Big Data Records

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-75
Author(s):  
Ying Long ◽  
Jianting Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Average Distance ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Rating System ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Usage Frequency ◽  
Share Data ◽  
The City

This paper examines how mass ridership data can help describe cities from the bikers' perspective. We explore the possibility of using the data to reveal general bikeability patterns in 202 major Chinese cities. This process is conducted by constructing a bikeability rating system, the Mobike Riding Index (MRI), to measure bikeability in terms of usage frequency and the built environment. We first investigated mass ridership data and relevant supporting data; we then established the MRI framework and calculated MRI scores accordingly. This study finds that people tend to ride shared bikes at speeds close to 10 km/h for an average distance of 2 km roughly three times a day. The MRI results show that at the street level, the weekday and weekend MRI distributions are analogous, with an average score of 49.8 (range 0–100). At the township level, high-scoring townships are those close to the city centre; at the city level, the MRI is unevenly distributed, with high-MRI cities along the southern coastline or in the middle inland area. These patterns have policy implications for urban planners and policy-makers. This is the first and largest-scale study to incorporate mobile bike-share data into bikeability measurements, thus laying the groundwork for further research.

Concentration of Impurities during Melting of Snow Made from Secondary Sewage Effluent

1986 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Zapf-Gilje ◽  
S. O. Russell ◽  
D. S. Mavinic
Keyword(s):  
Potassium Chloride ◽  
Chloride Solution ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Sewage Effluent ◽  
Potassium Chloride Solution ◽  
Laboratory Results ◽  
Solution Field ◽  
Concentration Of Impurities

When snow is made from sewage effluent, the impurities become concentrated in the early melt leaving the later runoff relatively pure. This could provide a low cost method of separating nutrients from secondary sewage effluent. Laboratory experiments showed that the degree of concentration was largely independent of the number of melt freeze cycles or initial concentration of impurity in the snow. The first 20% of melt removed with it 65% of the phosphorus and 90% of the nitrogen from snow made from sewage effluent; and over 90% of potassium chloride from snow made from potassium chloride solution. Field experiments with a salt solution confirmed the laboratory results.

scholarly journals Effects of Institutions on Spatial Patterns of Manufacturing Industries and Policy Implications in Metropolitan Areas: A Case Study of Wuhan, China

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 710
Author(s):  
Min Zhou ◽  
Man Yuan ◽  
Yaping Huang ◽  
Kaixuan Lin
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Manufacturing Industries ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Land Policy ◽  
Spatial Transformation ◽  
Development Zone ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Spatial System ◽  
Big Cities

Manufacturing space is a spatial system that combines the interaction between capital and institutions at the enterprise, industry, and spatial levels. It is also an important functional type that promotes the spatial evolution of big cities. Most studies focus on the effects of a single institutional type on the manufacturing space of big cities and lack systematic and complete exploration of the institutional mechanism. Current empirical research on typical industrial cities in China is insufficient. This study uses a GIS spatial analysis technique and a Poisson regression model to analyze the mechanism by which institutions have influenced the spatial patterns of manufacturing industries in the Wuhan metropolitan area since the 1990s. The results show that land policy, development zone policy, urban planning, transportation strategy, and eco-environmental policy all have a significant impact on the restructuring process and distribution pattern of the manufacturing industries through incentives and constraints. This study expands our understanding of the influence mechanism of manufacturing spatial patterns and proposes spatial guiding strategies and policy implications for the spatial transformation of urban manufacturing.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurial intention: An analysis of the role of Student-Led Entrepreneurial Organizations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliano Sansone ◽  
Elisa Ughetto ◽  
Paolo Landoni
Keyword(s):  
Entrepreneurial Intention ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Student Entrepreneurship ◽  
Entrepreneurial Organizations ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Empirical Analysis

AbstractAlthough a great deal of attention has been paid to entrepreneurship education, only a few studies have analysed the impact of extra-curricular entrepreneurial activities on students’ entrepreneurial intention. The aim of this study is to fill this gap by exploring the role played by Student-Led Entrepreneurial Organizations (SLEOs) in shaping the entrepreneurial intention of their members. The analysis is based on a survey that was conducted in 2016 by one of the largest SLEOs in the world: the Junior Enterprises Europe (JEE). The main result of the empirical analysis is that the more time students spent on JEE and the higher the number of events students attended, the greater their entrepreneurial intention was. It has been found that other important drivers also increase students’ entrepreneurial intention, that is, the Science and Technology field of study and the knowledge of more than two foreign languages. These results confirm that SLEOs are able to foster students’ entrepreneurial intention. The findings provide several theoretical, practical and public policy implications. SLEOs are encouraged to enhance their visibility and lobbying potential in order to be recognized more as drivers of student entrepreneurship. In addition, it is advisable for universities and policy makers to support SLEOs by fostering their interactions with other actors operating in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, who promote entrepreneurship and technology transfer activities. Lastly, this paper advises policy makers to assist SLEOs’ activities inside and outside the university context.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Impact of Two Generalist Predators on the Leafhopper Erasmoneura vulnerata Population Density

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 321
Author(s):  
Stefan Cristian Prazaru ◽  
Giulia Zanettin ◽  
Alberto Pozzebon ◽  
Paola Tirello ◽  
Francesco Toffoletto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Generalist Predators ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Potted Plants ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Orius Majusculus ◽  
Limited Effectiveness ◽  
Pest Outbreaks ◽  
The Impact

Outbreaks of the Nearctic leafhopper Erasmoneura vulnerata represent a threat to vinegrowers in Southern Europe, in particular in North-eastern Italy. The pest outbreaks are frequent in organic vineyards because insecticides labeled for organic viticulture show limited effectiveness towards leafhoppers. On the other hand, the naturally occurring predators and parasitoids of E. vulnerata in vineyards are often not able to keep leafhopper densities at acceptable levels for vine-growers. In this study, we evaluated the potential of two generalist, commercially available predators, Chrysoperla carnea and Orius majusculus, in suppressing E. vulnerata. Laboratory and semi-field experiments were carried out to evaluate both species’ predation capacity on E. vulnerata nymphs. The experiments were conducted on grapevine leaves inside Petri dishes (laboratory) and on potted and caged grapevines (semi-field); in both experiments, the leaves or potted plants were infested with E. vulnerata nymphs prior to predator releases. Both predator species exhibited a remarkable voracity and significantly reduced leafhopper densities in laboratory and semi-field experiments. Therefore, field studies were carried out over two growing seasons in two vineyards. We released 4 O. majusculus adults and 30 C. carnea larvae per m2 of canopy. Predator releases in vineyards reduced leafhopper densities by about 30% compared to the control plots. Results obtained in this study showed that the two predators have a potential to suppress the pest density, but more research is required to define appropriate predator–prey release ratios and release timing. Studies on intraguild interactions and competition with naturally occurring predators are also suggested.

Tourism Productivity Theory and Measurement for Policy Implications: The Case of Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-266
Author(s):  
Tien Duc Pham
Keyword(s):  
Labor Productivity ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Multifactor Productivity ◽  
Capital Productivity ◽  
Productivity Theory

Tourism productivity measures are quite diverse, not always compatible and usually based partly on labor productivity for hotels and restaurants. This article develops a holistic approach that integrates the principles of the growth accounting framework and tourism satellite account to measure multifactor productivity, labor productivity and capital productivity for the Australian tourism industry. This study shows that tourism has been identified as a reservoir for other industries through the ebbs and flows of labor demands. Compared with the rest of the economy, the average growth of labor productivity—that is, income per unit of labor—for tourism is stagnant, and has reached an unprecedented low, six times below the market sector average, mainly because of low multifactor productivity. The results are valuable for policy makers and the lobbying groups wanting to identify areas of need for policy changes to ensure the healthy long-term growth of tourism.

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