9,796 research outputs found
Social differences in women's use of personal care products: A study of magazine advertisements, 1950 - 1994
This study examined advertising for women's personal care products from 1950 through 1994 in widely read, long-lived magazines whose audience have different demographic profiles: Ladies' Home Journal, Mademoiselle, and Essence
Sequence reproduction, single trial learning, and mimicry based on a mammalian-like distributed code for time
Animals learn tasks requiring a sequence of actions over time. Waiting a
given time before taking an action is a simple example. Mimicry is a complex
example, e.g. in humans, humming a brief tune you have just heard.
Re-experiencing a sensory pattern mentally must involve reproducing a sequence
of neural activities over time. In mammals, neurons in prefrontal cortex have
time-dependent firing rates that vary smoothly and slowly in a stereotyped
fashion. We show through modeling that a Many are Equal computation can use
such slowly-varying activities to identify each timepoint in a sequence by the
population pattern of activity at the timepoint. The MAE operation implemented
here is facilitated by a common inhibitory conductivity due to a theta rhythm.
Sequences of analog values of discrete events, exemplified by a brief tune
having notes of different durations and intensities, can be learned in a single
trial through STDP. An action sequence can be played back sped up, slowed down,
or reversed by modulating the system that generates the slowly changing
stereotyped activities. Synaptic adaptation and cellular post-hyperpolarization
rebound contribute to robustness. An ability to mimic a sequence only seconds
after observing it requires the STDP to be effective within seconds.Comment: 18 page
Dynamical state reduction in an EPR experiment
A model is developed to describe state reduction in an EPR experiment as a
continuous, relativistically-invariant, dynamical process. The system under
consideration consists of two entangled isospin particles each of which undergo
isospin measurements at spacelike separated locations. The equations of motion
take the form of stochastic differential equations. These equations are solved
explicitly in terms of random variables with a priori known probability
distribution in the physical probability measure. In the course of solving
these equations a correspondence is made between the state reduction process
and the problem of classical nonlinear filtering. It is shown that the solution
is covariant, violates Bell inequalities, and does not permit superluminal
signaling. It is demonstrated that the model is not governed by the Free Will
Theorem and it is argued that the claims of Conway and Kochen, that there can
be no relativistic theory providing a mechanism for state reduction, are false.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure
Statistical Geometry in Quantum Mechanics
A statistical model M is a family of probability distributions, characterised
by a set of continuous parameters known as the parameter space. This possesses
natural geometrical properties induced by the embedding of the family of
probability distributions into the Hilbert space H. By consideration of the
square-root density function we can regard M as a submanifold of the unit
sphere in H. Therefore, H embodies the `state space' of the probability
distributions, and the geometry of M can be described in terms of the embedding
of in H. The geometry in question is characterised by a natural Riemannian
metric (the Fisher-Rao metric), thus allowing us to formulate the principles of
classical statistical inference in a natural geometric setting. In particular,
we focus attention on the variance lower bounds for statistical estimation, and
establish generalisations of the classical Cramer-Rao and Bhattacharyya
inequalities. The statistical model M is then specialised to the case of a
submanifold of the state space of a quantum mechanical system. This is pursued
by introducing a compatible complex structure on the underlying real Hilbert
space, which allows the operations of ordinary quantum mechanics to be
reinterpreted in the language of real Hilbert space geometry. The application
of generalised variance bounds in the case of quantum statistical estimation
leads to a set of higher order corrections to the Heisenberg uncertainty
relations for canonically conjugate observables.Comment: 32 pages, LaTex file, Extended version to include quantum measurement
theor
Hidden variable interpretation of spontaneous localization theory
The spontaneous localization theory of Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber (GRW) is a
theory in which wavepacket reduction is treated as a genuine physical process.
Here it is shown that the mathematical formalism of GRW can be given an
interpretation in terms of an evolving distribution of particles on
configuration space similar to Bohmian mechanics (BM). The GRW wavefunction
acts as a pilot wave for the set of particles. In addition, a continuous stream
of noisy information concerning the precise whereabouts of the particles must
be specified. Nonlinear filtering techniques are used to determine the dynamics
of the distribution of particles conditional on this noisy information and
consistency with the GRW wavefunction dynamics is demonstrated. Viewing this
development as a hybrid BM-GRW theory, it is argued that, besides helping to
clarify the relationship between the GRW theory and BM, its merits make it
worth considering in its own right.Comment: 13 page
Gameday Food and Beverage: The Perspective of College Football Fans
This study examines sport spectatorsâ food and beverage experience through the lens of service quality, targets of quality, and standards of quality in sport-based services. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 1,495 adults attending at least one American college football game. Thematic analysis produced five themes of price, variety, quality, service, and amenities while comparison analysis found several demographic differences. Findings reveal food and beverage to be critical in overall experience at sporting events. The overwhelming majority of comments were negative and findings provide feedback as to how important this aspect of the game experience is
Sport Fans and Online Data Collection: Challenges and Ethics
The growth of online communities and social networking has provided opportunities to investigate sport fans from a wide range of perspectives. Motivations to consume online media and engage in interactive web functions are areas providing new and innovative research opportunities. There are several ethical considerations when conducting research in an online environment. This article discusses four major ethical values of honesty, responsibility, justice, and beneficence and how each relates to online data collection. Specifically, these four values will guide the discussion focused on issues of intrusion, interaction, and invitation in online communication contexts. Researchers and administrators must consider fans and other stakeholdersâ core moral and ethical values in the data collection process
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