Behavioral implications of shortlisting procedures

We consider two-stage “shortlisting procedures” in which the menu of alternatives is first pruned by some process or criterion and then a binary relation is maximized. Given a particular first-stage process, our main result supplies a necessary and sufficient condition for choice data to be consistent with a procedure in the designated class. This result applies to any class of procedures with a certain lattice structure, including the cases of “consideration filters,” “satisficing with salience effects,” and “rational shortlist methods.” The theory avoids background assumptions made for mathematical convenience; in this and other respects following Richter’s classical analysis of preference-maximizing choice in the absence of shortlisting

The "O3E" program: raising awareness on natural hazards

Earthquakes may be traumatic events and as many other environmental emergencies, like storm or floods, may cause more damages than expected when who experiences the phenomena does not know how to behave in the fall. Provided that it is always not feasible to rely on prediction when dealing with earthquakes or extreme meteorological events, preparedness proves to be an efficient (and certainly the most recommendable and cheap) way to face emergencies. Education and training are thus two ingredients to help citizens to perceive the scientific information formerly confined in the laboratories, in particular in the domain of the environmental risk. The “O3E” innovative program (European Observatory for Education and Environment) is established after 10 years (1997-2007) of regional and national original programs (“Sismos of the Schools”), and from Italian and Swiss experiences concerning environment tools for education. The project, that is a cooperation between France, Italy and Switzerland, is born to promote a responsible behaviour of citizens in front of the evolution of a society where scientific information is promptly available. ARGAL (Agency for Geological Risk in the Latin Arc) operates the administrative and technical coordination. The objective of this program is to create a school network in the Alpine and Mediterranean areas equipped with environmental sensors of an educational vocation. The data on the movement of the ground (seismometers), the temperatures and precipitations (weather stations), the flows of rivers (hydrogeology) recorded in the schools and processed by the students are collected on dedicated servers and then made available through internet to the entire educational community. This network “O3E”, once installed, is the starting point of activities. Indeed, various general objectives are pursued: - To promote the applied sciences and new technologies. - To put in network the actors of Education and formation. - To develop the sense of the autonomy and the responsibility in the young people. - To reinforce and develop relationships with regional partners of the educational and university fields. - To support a rational awakening for the prevention of the natural risks that can make the difference during the event in terms of safety. With these premises, the “O3E” experience sets up a permanent educational network of citizens in the Alpine and Mediterranean areas, building an exchange of knowledge on natural risks prevention.PublishedAix en Provence5.9. Formazione e informazioneope

Health and Society: reflections on policy

SUMMARY Improvements in health among the populations of developed countries have come about largely through improved living standards and public health measures, and the contribution of medicine has been relatively small. In addition, many medical techniques of the present have not yet been evaluated. A health policy giving due weight to broad social measures is applicable to both developed and underdeveloped countries, but this may involve change in underlying socioeconomic structures and so encounter political obstacles. RESUMEN Salud y sociedad: reflexiones sobre polk?tica Los progresos en salud registrados en los países desarrollados, derivan principalmente de mejoramientos en los niveles de vida y de medidas de salud pública, siendo relativamente pequeña la contribución de la medicina. Por otra parte, muchas de las técnicas médicas actuales no han sido evaluadas hasta ahora. Una política de salud que otorgue el debido peso a amplias medidas sociales, es aplicable tanto a los países desarrollados como a los subdesarrollados. No obstante, esto puede involucrar cambios en las estructuras socioeconómicas subyacentes y, en concecuencia, encontrar obstáculos políticos. RESUMES Santé et société: réflections sur le système L'amélioration de la santé chez les populations des pays développés se doit, en grande partie, à un meilleur niveau de vie et aux mesures plus appropriées introduites par la santé publique, la médecine même n'y ayant joué qu'un rôle relativement minime. De plus, beaucoup de techniques médicales actuelles n'ont pas été adéquatement évaluées. Un programme de santé qui prend en juste considération l'ensemble des intérêts sociaux, serait applicable aussi bien pour les pays développés que sous?développés, mais ceci peut entraîner un changement fondamental des structures socio?économiques et rencontrer par conséquent des obstacles politiques