scholarly journals Environmental harshness is associated with lower investment in collective actions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Lettinga ◽  
P.O. Jacquet ◽  
J-B. André ◽  
N. Baumard ◽  
C. Chevallier
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Life History Strategy ◽  
World Values Survey ◽  
Collective Actions ◽  
The World ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study

AbstractAlthough humans cooperate universally, there is variability across individuals, times and cultures in the amount of resources people invest in cooperative activities. The origins of such variability are not known but recent work highlights that variations in environmental harshness may play a key role. A growing body of experimental work in evolutionary psychology suggests that humans adapt to their specific environment by calibrating their life-history strategy. In this paper, we apply structural equation models to test the association between current and childhood environmental harshness, life-history strategy and adult cooperation in two large-scale datasets (the World Values Survey and the European Values Study). The present study replicates existing research linking a harsher environment (both in adulthood and in childhood) with a modulated reproduction-maintenance trade-off and extends these findings to the domain of collective actions. Specifically, we find that a harsher environment (both in adulthood and in childhood) is associated with decreased involvement in collective action and that this association is mediated by individuals’ life-history strategy.

scholarly journals Understanding the Moral Attitudes Scale in International Surveys: an Exploratory Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alisa Remizova ◽  
Maksim Rudnev
Keyword(s):  
Concurrent Validity ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
World Values Survey ◽  
The World ◽  
European Values ◽  
Precise Measure ◽  
European Values Study ◽  
Country Differences ◽  
Female Homosexuality ◽  
Moral Attitudes

Several large international surveys, including the World Values Survey and the European Values Study, have been using the moral attitudes scale (MAS) to measure individual and country differences for decades. However, the validity of the instrument has been barely assessed. The current study addressed the concurrent and content validity of four popular MAS items (justifiability of homosexuality, suicide, prostitution, and euthanasia). A sample of 493 Russians completed both MAS and the four validated multi-item scales. Results demonstrated that, except for the homosexuality item, the MAS items had low concurrent validity, explaining less than 50% of the variance of the corresponding multi-item scales. The MAS items underestimated the justifiability of homosexuality, prostitution, and suicide, and overestimated the justifiability of euthanasia. The MAS homosexuality item appeared to be a precise measure of attitude towards male (but not female) homosexuality, responses to the prostitution and suicide items overlooked the positive arguments and the euthanasia item tapped more into attitudes towards active euthanasia of a dying person. The four items showed strong dependence on the overall justifiability. We conclude that separate MAS items should be used with caution, given the detected content bias and the items’ strong link to non-specific overall justifiability.

scholarly journals Russian Parental Values in the international Context, 1990/1991–2017/2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 32-52
Author(s):  
Lidia Okolskaya
Keyword(s):  
Personal Values ◽  
Hard Work ◽  
World Values Survey ◽  
International Context ◽  
Parental Values ◽  
The World ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study

The aim of the paper is to analyze parental values in Russia and 33 other countries, and explore how they’ve changed between 1990 and 2017–2020. Russian dynamics are shown on 7 waves, international — on 2 waves. We used a combination of data from the World Values Survey and the European Values Study. We found that in 1990 the Russian value agenda in regards to children was essentially directed towards survival. By 2017–2020 certain changes had occurred: Russians no longer considered survival values to be as important (such as hard work, thrift, obedience); self-expression values (e.g., independence and imagination) became more popular; humanistic values lost much of their importance for Russians. In 33 countries humanistic values remained as popular as in 1990, while survival values seem to be less important. Russian parental values change in the same direction as do Russian personal values.

scholarly journals Measuring Value Diversity within Countries

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sjoerd Beugelsdijk ◽  
Mariko J. Klasing
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Human Values ◽  
World Values Survey ◽  
The World ◽  
European Values ◽  
Value Diversity ◽  
European Values Study ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Diversity Research

Diversity research has shown that ethno-linguistic, religious, and genetic diversity are related to a variety of socio-economic outcomes. We complement this literature by focusing on a dimension of diversity so far ignored in diversity research for lack of data: Diversity in key human values. Using data from all available waves of the World Values Survey and the European Values Study we develop a multi-item indicator of value diversity. This measure reflects the extent to which key human values are shared among the inhabitants of a country. Our newly developed measure is available for up to 111 countries and three decades (1981-2014). We conclude by comparing our newly developed measure of value diversity with existing measures of social diversity and relating it to various indicator of socio-economic performance.

scholarly journals Do political or ethnic and historical borders affect values and beliefs more? Some evidence from Central Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pál Czeglédi
Keyword(s):  
Central Europe ◽  
Ethnic Differences ◽  
Political Community ◽  
Linguistic Community ◽  
World Values Survey ◽  
The World ◽  
Values And Beliefs ◽  
European Values ◽  
Political Borders ◽  
European Values Study

AbstractThe paper uses data from the World Values Survey and the European Values Study on individuals in Hungary and its neighbouring countries to examine the effects of political borders on different beliefs, as opposed to that of ethnic differences or historical borders. The focus on Hungary and its neighbours is explained by the fact that parts of the Hungarian ethno-linguistic community can be found in all these countries, which makes it possible to separate the effect of culture from that of the current political community. By applying a cultural gravity model which is concerned with the differences in beliefs between all possible pairs of individuals in the sample, the paper finds that out of five areas of beliefs, it is the beliefs regarding work, markets, and democracy whose differences are robustly affected by political borders, giving some support to the approach which argues that values are shaped through the dialogue occurring within a political community.*

scholarly journals Understanding the Moral Attitudes Scale in International Surveys: an Exploratory Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alisa Remizova ◽  
Maksim Rudnev
Keyword(s):  
Concurrent Validity ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
World Values Survey ◽  
The World ◽  
European Values ◽  
Precise Measure ◽  
European Values Study ◽  
Country Differences ◽  
Female Homosexuality ◽  
Moral Attitudes

Several large international surveys, including the World Values Survey and the European Values Study, have been using the moral attitudes scale (MAS) to measure individual and country differences for decades. However, the validity of the instrument has been barely assessed. The current study addressed the concurrent and content validity of four popular MAS items (justifiability of homosexuality, suicide, prostitution, and euthanasia). A sample of 493 Russians completed both MAS and the four validated multi-item scales. Results demonstrated that, except for the homosexuality item, the MAS items had low concurrent validity, explaining less than 50% of the variance of the corresponding multi-item scales. The MAS items underestimated the justifiability of homosexuality, prostitution, and suicide, and overestimated the justifiability of euthanasia. The MAS homosexuality item appeared to be a precise measure of attitude towards male (but not female) homosexuality, responses to the prostitution and suicide items overlooked the positive arguments, and the euthanasia item tapped more into attitudes towards euthanasia of a dying person. The four items showed strong dependence on the overall justifiability. We conclude that separate MAS items should be used with caution, given the detected content bias and the items’ strong link to non-specific overall justifiability.

Structural equation modelling with complex sampling designs and non-random attrition: A tutorial using lavaan and Mplus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aja Louise Murray ◽  
Anastasia Ushakova ◽  
Helen Wright ◽  
Tom Booth ◽  
Peter Lynn
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Complex Sampling ◽  
Latent Trajectory ◽  
Adequate Sampling ◽  
Complex Sampling Designs ◽  
Selection Probabilities ◽  
Pseudo Maximum Likelihood

Complex sampling designs involving features such as stratification, cluster sampling, and unequal selection probabilities are often used in large-scale longitudinal surveys to improve cost-effectiveness and ensure adequate sampling of small or under-represented groups. However, complex sampling designs create challenges when there is a need to account for non-random attrition; a near inevitability in social science longitudinal studies. In this article we discuss these challenges and demonstrate the application of weighting approaches to simultaneously account for non-random attrition and complex design in a large UK-population representative survey. Using an auto-regressive latent trajectory model with structured residuals (ALT-SR) to model the relations between relationship satisfaction and mental health in the Understanding Society study as an example, we provide guidance on implementation of this approach in both R and Mplus is provided. Two standard error estimation approaches are illustrated: pseudo-maximum likelihood robust estimation and Bootstrap resampling. A comparison of unadjusted and design-adjusted results also highlights that ignoring the complex survey designs when fitting structural equation models can result in misleading conclusions.

scholarly journals A Practical Guide for Analyzing Large-Scale Assessment Data Using Mplus: A Case Demonstration Using the Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies Data

2020 ◽  
pp. 107699862097855
Author(s):  
Takashi Yamashita ◽  
Thomas J. Smith ◽  
Phyllis A. Cummins
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Preparation Process ◽  
Data Preparation ◽  
Assessment Data ◽  
Statistical Software ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
Scale Assessment ◽  
International Assessment

In order to promote the use of increasingly available large-scale assessment data in education and expand the scope of analytic capabilities among applied researchers, this study provides step-by-step guidance, and practical examples of syntax and data analysis using Mplus. Concise overview and key unique aspects of large-scale assessment data from the 2012/2014 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) are described. Using commonly-used statistical software including SAS and R, a simple macro program and syntax are developed to streamline the data preparation process. Then, two examples of structural equation models are demonstrated using Mplus. The suggested data preparation and analytic approaches can be immediately applicable to existing large-scale assessment data.

Contact, Perceived Threat, and Attitudes Toward Assimilation and Multiculturalism: Evidence From a Majority and Minority Perspective in Luxembourg

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Sophie Callens ◽  
Bart Meuleman ◽  
Valentová Marie
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Perceived Threat ◽  
Threat Perceptions ◽  
Multiple Group ◽  
Integration Of Immigrants ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study

In this article, we study how attitudes toward the integration of immigrants (multiculturalism and assimilation) are formed through the interplay between immigration-related threat perceptions, intergroup contacts, and the different migratory backgrounds of residents in a host country. The analysis is conducted using Multiple Group Structural Equation Modeling on data from the 2008 Luxembourg European Values Study. Our findings indicate that stronger perceptions of threat are related to more support for assimilation among all residents and to less support for multiculturalism among native residents and culturally close immigrants. More contact with natives is associated with more support for assimilation among culturally close immigrants and with more threat perceptions among culturally distant immigrants.

scholarly journals Too risky to settle: avian community structure changes in response to perceived predation risk on adults and offspring

2013 ◽  
Vol 280 (1764) ◽  
pp. 20130762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangyuan Hua ◽  
Robert J. Fletcher ◽  
Kathryn E. Sieving ◽  
Robert M. Dorazio
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Life History Strategy ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Potential Force ◽  
Perceived Predation Risk

Predation risk is widely hypothesized as an important force structuring communities, but this potential force is rarely tested experimentally, particularly in terrestrial vertebrate communities. How animals respond to predation risk is generally considered predictable from species life-history and natural-history traits, but rigorous tests of these predictions remain scarce. We report on a large-scale playback experiment with a forest bird community that addresses two questions: (i) does perceived predation risk shape the richness and composition of a breeding bird community? And (ii) can species life-history and natural-history traits predict prey community responses to different types of predation risk? On 9 ha plots, we manipulated cues of three avian predators that preferentially prey on either adult birds or offspring, or both, throughout the breeding season. We found that increased perception of predation risk led to generally negative responses in the abundance, occurrence and/or detection probability of most prey species, which in turn reduced the species richness and shifted the composition of the breeding bird community. Species-level responses were largely predicted from the key natural-history trait of body size, but we did not find support for the life-history theory prediction of the relationship between species' slow/fast life-history strategy and their response to predation risk.

scholarly journals Science Self-Concept – More Than the Sum of its Parts? A Comparison of Different Assessment and Modeling Approaches

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Schroeders ◽  
Malte Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
General Science ◽  
Theoretical Status ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
Mean Structure ◽  
The Subject

Academic self-concept is understood as a multidimensional, hierarchical construct. Multidimensionality refers to the subject-specific differentiation of academic self-concepts, whereas hierarchy refers to the aggregation of more specific facets of self-concepts into more general ones. Previous research demonstrated that students distinguish between their self-concepts in biology, chemistry, and physics if taught as separate school subjects, as is done in Germany. However, large-scale international educational studies, such as PISA, often use a monolithic science self-concept measure. It is yet unclear whether an aggregate of subject-specific self-concepts is equivalent to a directly measured science self-concept. We assessed the subject-specific and and a general science self-concept of 1,232 German grade 10 students. A higher-order factor model and a bifactor model demonstrated a very high correlation between the “inferred” and the explicitly assessed general science self-concept. Despite the high empirical overlap, we argue for a more nuanced view of the science self-concept, because statistical unity is not to be confused with causal unity. Moreover, from a methodological perspective, we used multi-group confirmatory factor analysis to examine the mean structure and local weighted structural equation models to study measurement invariance across science ability. Implications for the theoretical status of self-concept as a hierarchical construct are discussed.

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