158 research outputs found

    A Fortran IV Program Generalizing the Schönemann-Carroll Matrix Fitting Algorithm To Monotone and Linear Fitting of Configurations

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    Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66700/2/10.1177_001316447403400117.pd

    Alternative measures of fit for the Schönemann-carroll matrix fitting algorithm

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    In connection with a least-squares solution for fitting one matrix, A , to another, B , under optimal choice of a rigid motion and a dilation, Schönemann and Carroll suggested two measures of fit: a raw measure, e , and a refined similarity measure, e s , which is symmetric. Both measures share the weakness of depending upon the norm of the target matrix, B , e.g. , e ( A , kB ) ≠ e ( A , B ) for k ≠ 1. Therefore, both measures are useless for answering questions of the type: “Does A fit B better than A fits C ?”. In this note two new measures of fit are suggested which do not depend upon the norms of A and B , which are (0, 1)-bounded, and which, therefore, provide meaningful answers for comparative analyses.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45731/1/11336_2005_Article_BF02291666.pd

    Body Part Removal: A Thematic Exploration of U.K. Homicide Offenses

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    Body part removal (BPR) is a rare homicide phenomena, which emerges as a result of a variety of motives. Fifty-eight BPR U.K. homicide cases were analyzed. Findings indicated key characteristics within BPR murder offenses, with most offenders males; aged around 31 years; knew their victims; with presence of alcohol, drugs, and mental health issues; and more than two thirds of the sample had previous convictions, more than 50% for theft. Offense behaviors showed “multiple wounds” and “victim naked” as highest frequency, with the head as the most frequently removed body part. Smallest space analysis (SSA) identified two behavioral themes (expressive and instrumental) with 62.1% of cases classified as one of these. The study has provided the largest U.K. sample of BPR homicide, furthering understanding this type of offense and the offenders who commit it

    Offenders' Crime Narratives across Different Types of Crimes

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    The current study explores the roles offenders see themselves playing during an offence and their relationship to different crime types. One hundred and twenty incarcerated offenders indicated the narrative roles they acted out whilst committing a specific crime they remembered well. The data were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis (SSA) and four themes were identified: Hero, Professional, Revenger and Victim in line with the recent theoretical framework posited for Narrative Offence Roles (Youngs & Canter, 2012). Further analysis showed that different subsets of crimes were more like to be associated with different narrative offence roles. Hero and Professional were found to be associated with property offences (theft, burglary and shoplifting), drug offences and robbery and Revenger and Victim were found to be associated with violence, sexual offences and murder. The theoretical implications for understanding crime on the basis of offenders' narrative roles as well as practical implications are discussed

    The characteristics of sexual abuse in sport: A multidimensional scaling analysis of events described in media reports

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    Most research on sexual abuse has been conducted within family settings (Fergusson & Mullen, 1999). In recent years, following several high profile convictions and scandals, research into sexual abuse has also encompassed institutional and community settings such as sport and the church (Gallagher, 2000; Wolfe et al., 2003). Research into sexual abuse in sport, for example, began with both prevalence studies (Kirby & Greaves, 1996; Leahy, Pretty & Tenenbaum, 2002) and qualitative analyses of the processes and experiences of athlete sexual abuse (Brackenridge, 1997; Cense & Brackenridge, 2001, Toftegaard Nielsen, 2001). From such work, descriptions of the modus operandi of abusers in sport, and the experiences and consequences for athlete victims, have been provided, informing both abuse prevention work and coach education. To date, however, no study has provided empirical support for multiple associations or identified patterns of sex offending in sport in ways that might allow comparisons with research-generated models of offending outside sport. This paper reports on an analysis of 159 cases of criminally defined sexual abuse, reported in the print media over a period of 15 years. The main aim of the study was to identify the nature of sex offending in sport focusing on the methods and locations of offences. The data were analysed using multidimensional scaling (MDS), as a data reduction method, in order to identify the underlying themes within the abuse and explore the inter-relationships of behaviour, victim and context variables. The findings indicate that there are specific themes that can be identified within the perpetrator strategies that include ‘intimate’, ‘aggressive’, and ‘’dominant’ modes of interaction. The same patterns that are described here within the specific context of sport are consistent with themes that emerge from similar behavioural analyses of rapists (Canter & Heritage, 1990; Bishopp, 2003) and child molester groups (Canter, Hughes & Kirby, 1998). These patterns show a correspondence to a broader behavioural model – the interpersonal circumplex (e.g., Leary 1957). Implications for accreditation and continuing professional education of sport psychologists are noted

    Criminal narrative experience: relating emotions to offence narrative roles during crime commission

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    A neglected area of research within criminality has been that of the experience of the offence for the offender. The present study investigates the emotions and narrative roles that are experienced by an offender while committing a broad range of crimes and proposes a model of Criminal Narrative Experience (CNE). Hypotheses were derived from the Circumplex of Emotions (Russell, 1997), Frye (1957), Narrative Theory (McAdams, 1988) and its link with Investigative Psychology (Canter, 1994). The analysis was based on 120 cases. Convicted for a variety of crimes, incarcerated criminals were interviewed and the data were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis (SSA). Four themes of Criminal Narrative Experience (CNE) were identified: Elated Hero, Calm Professional, Distressed Revenger and Depressed Victim in line with the recent theoretical framework posited for Narrative Offence Roles (Youngs & Canter, 2012). The theoretical implications for understanding crime on the basis of the Criminal Narrative Experience (CNE) as well as practical implications are discussed

    Expressive and Instrumental Offending: Reconciling the Paradox of Specialisation and Versatility

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    Although previous research into specialisation has been dominated by the debate over the existence of specialisation versus versatility, it is suggested that research needs to move beyond the restrictions of this dispute. The current study explores the criminal careers of 200 offenders based on their criminal records, obtained from a police database in the North West of England, aiming to understand the patterns and nature of specialisation by determining the presence of differentiation within their general offending behaviours and examining whether the framework of Expressive and Instrumental offending styles can account for any specialised tendencies that emerge. Fifty-eight offences were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis. Results revealed that a model of criminal differentiation could be identified and that any specialisation is represented in terms of Expressive and Instrumental offending styles

    A model and algorithm for multidimensional scaling with external constraints on the distances

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    A method for externally constraining certain distances in multidimensional scaling configurations is introduced and illustrated. The approach defines an objective function which is a linear composite of the loss function of the point configuration X relative to the proximity data P and the loss of X relative to a pseudo-data matrix R . The matrix R is set up such that the side constraints to be imposed on X 's distances are expressed by the relations among R 's numerical elements. One then uses a double-phase procedure with relative penalties on the loss components to generate a constrained solution X . Various possibilities for constructing actual MDS algorithms are conceivable: the major classes are defined by the specification of metric or nonmetric loss for data and/or constraints, and by the various possibilities for partitioning the matrices P and R . Further generalizations are introduced by substituting R by a set of R matrices, R i , i =1, ... r , which opens the way for formulating overlapping constraints as, e.g., in patterns that are both row- and column-conditional at the same time.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45739/1/11336_2005_Article_BF02293597.pd

    The structure of subjective well-being in nine western societies

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    The structure of subjective well-being is analyzed by multidimensional mapping of evaluations of life concerns. For example, one finds that evaluations of Income are close to (i.e., relatively strongly related to) evaluations of Standard of living, but remote from (weakly related to) evaluations of Health. These structures show how evaluations of life components fit together and hence illuminate the psychological meaning of life quality. They can be useful for determining the breadth of coverage and degree of redundancy of social indicators of perceived well-being. Analyzed here are data from representative sample surveys in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, and the United States (each N≈1000). Eleven life concerns are considered, including Income, Housing, Job, Health, Leisure, Neighborhood, Transportation, and Relations with other people. It is found that structures in all of these countries have a basic similarity and that the European countries tend to be more similar to one another than they are to USA. These results suggest that comparative research on subjective well-being is feasible within this group of nations.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43699/1/11205_2004_Article_BF00305437.pd
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