Incentive-aligned Conjoint Analysis

Because most conjoint studies are conducted in hypothetical situations with no consumption consequences for the participants, the extent to which the studies are able to uncover "true" consumer preference structures is questionable. Experimental economics literature, with its emphasis on incentive alignment and hypothetical bias, suggests that more realistic incentivealigned studies will result in stronger out-of-sample predictive performance of actual purchase behaviors and provide better estimates of consumer preference structures than hypothetical studies. To test this hypothesis, the authors design an experiment with conventional (hypothetical) conditions and their parallel incentive-aligned counterparts. Using Chinese dinner specials as the context, the authors conducted a field experiment in a Chinese restaurant during dinnertime. The results provide strong evidence in favor of incentive-aligned choice conjoint analysis, in that incentive-aligned choice conjoint outperforms hypothetical choice conjoint in out-of-sample predictions (59% versus 26% for incentive-aligned choice conjoint and hypothetical choice conjoint, respectively for the top two choices). As expected, subjects in the incentive-aligned choice condition exhibit preference structures that are systematically different from the preference structures of subjects in the hypothetical condition. Most notably, the subjects in the incentive-aligned choice condition are more price sensitive and exhibit different heterogeneity patterns. To determine the robustness of these results, the authors conducted a second study that used snacks as the context and only considered the choice treatments. This study confirmed the results by again providing strong evidence in favor of incentive-aligned choice analysis in out-of-sample predictions (36% versus 16% for incentive-aligned choice conjoint and hypothetical choice conjoint, respectively for the top two choices). The results provide a strong motivation for conjoint practitioners to consider conducting their studies in realistic settings using incentive structures that require participants to æ–—ive with?their decisions.

The η(2225)\eta(2225) observed by the BES Collaboration

In the framework of the $^3P_0$ meson decay model, the strong decays of the $3 ^1S_0$ and $4 ^1S_0$ $s\bar{s}$ states are investigated. It is found that in the presence of the initial state mass being 2.24 GeV, the total widths of the $3 ^1S_0$ and $4 ^1S_0$ $s\bar{s}$ states are about 438 MeV and 125 MeV, respectively. Also, when the initial state mass varies from 2220 to 2400 MeV, the total width of the $4 ^1S_0$ $s\bar{s}$ state varies from about 100 to 132 MeV, while the total width of the $3 ^1S_0$ $s\bar{s}$ state varies from about 400 to 594 MeV. A comparison of the predicted widths and the experimental result of $(0.19\pm 0.03^{+0.04}_{-0.06})$ GeV, the width of the $\eta(2225)$ with a mass of $(2.24^{+0.03+0.03}_{-0.02-0.02})$ GeV recently observed by the BES Collaboration in the radiative decay $J/\psi\to\gamma\phi\phi\to\gamma K^+K^-K^0_SK^0_L$, suggests that it would be very difficult to identify the $\eta(2225)$ as the $3 ^1S_0$ $s\bar{s}$ state, and the $\eta(2225)$ seams a good candidate for the $4 ^1S_0$ $s\bar{s}$ state.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, typos corrected, Accepted by Physical Review

Deformation and faulting of subduction overriding plate caused by a subducted seamount

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2016. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geophysical Research Letters 43 (2016): 8936–8944, doi:10.1002/2016GL069785.We conducted numerical experiments to simulate elastoplastic deformation of the overriding plate caused by a subducted seamount. Calculations revealed development of a distinct pair of fault-like shear zones, including a landward dipping forethrust fault initiated from the seamount top and a seaward dipping backthrust fault from the landward base of the seamount. Significant dome-shaped surface uplift was predicted above the thrust faults. Lesser-developed seaward dipping backthrust faults were calculated to develop under certain conditions. The overriding plate was calculated to deform in two stages: In Stage I, elastic deformation leads to the formation of fault-like shear zones. After major faults have cut through the entire plate, plastic deformation on faults dominates Stage II. On the subduction interface, compressional normal stress was calculated to increase on the landward leading flank of the seamount and decrease on the seaward trailing flank. These changes, together with associated stress singularities at seamount edges, could affect earthquake processes.NSF Grant Number: OCE-1141785; Mariana Trench Initiative of SCSIO; WHOI DOEI Graduate Student Fellowship2017-03-0

A light Higgs scalar in the NMSSM confronted with the latest LHC Higgs data

In the Next-to-Minimal Supersymemtric Standard Model (NMSSM), one of the neutral Higgs scalars (CP-even or CP-odd) may be lighter than half of the SM-like Higgs boson. In this case, the SM-like Higgs boson h can decay into such a light scalar pair and consequently the diphoton and ZZ signal rates at the LHC will be suppressed. In this work, we examine the constraints of the latest LHC Higgs data on such a possibility. We perform a comprehensive scan over the parameter space of the NMSSM by considering various experimental constraints and find that the LHC Higgs data can readily constrain the parameter space and the properties of the light scalar, e.g., at 3 $\sigma$ level this light scalar should be highly singlet dominant and the branching ratio of the SM-like Higgs boson decay into the scalar pair should be less than about 30%. Also we investigate the detection of this scalar at various colliders. Through a detailed Monte Carlo simulation we find that under the constraints of the current Higgs data this light scalar can be accessible at the LHC-14 with an integrated luminosity over 300 fb$^{-1}$.Comment: Accepted by JHE