A Complex Millenium of Zoos

A review of Eric Baratay and Elisabeth Hardouin-Fugier's Zoo: A History of Zoological Gardens in the West (Reaktion Books, London, 2002)

The Dread of Sameness

A review of Jackie Stacey, The Cinematic Life of the Gene

Valuing a Spatially Diverse Non-Market Good: The Benefits of Reduced Non-Point Source Pollution in Green Bay, WI

This article presents an empirical approach to correcting for spatial interactions in stated preference data when valuing large-scale, spatially variable environmental improvements. This approach is presented in the context of a contingent valuation study estimating the benefits of reduced non-point source pollution in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The significant spatial variation of water clarity conditions in this large water body was captured using satellite-derived GIS data. This article focuses on two significant challenges: first, ensuring respondents are adequately informed of how the proposed change will impact their individual utility stream; second, dealing with the spatial effects within the estimation model. The GIS water clarity data were used to measure the initial conditions faced by each individual parcel. Including this information in the analysis significantly increased the estimated expected WTP of some individuals but decreased that of others. Some of the difference in aggregated benefits is likely due to issues of spatial correlation between properties that is unaccounted for in the simpler models.Water quality, non-point source pollution, contingent valuation, spatial correlation, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Valuing a Spatially Variable Environmental Resource: Reducing Non-point Source Pollution in Green Bay, WI

This article investigates the value of reducing non-point source pollution in Green Bay, WI. Using stated preference methods, we find the lower bound on the benefits of reducing runoff enough to universally increase water clarity by four feet is greater than $9 million annually. Using a unique survey design, we show that because current water clarity in Green Bay is spatially variable, the value that a household places on this universal improvement depends on the distance of the household's residence from the Bay and on the particular geospatial location of the residence. This has important implications for estimating aggregate benefits.

Evaluation of a Theory-Based Farm to School Program

Fruit and vegetable (FV) intakes in MS children remain lower than recommended. Theory-based, multi-component nutrition education interventions like Farm to School (F2S) target FV consumption and utilize such interventions to improve children’s dietary behaviors by incorporating nutrition and agriculture education. The current study was designed with Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as its framework. An intervention was implemented to enhance beliefs, norms, and self-efficacy regarding FV, thus potentially increasing the intention to consume more FV. The research objectives of this study are to describe changes over the course of the intervention in (1) nutrition knowledge; (2) norms, beliefs, and self-efficacy towards eating FV; (3) FV preferences; (4) assess relationships between (a) FV knowledge scores and preferences, (b) reported access to FV at home and reported intakes of FV, (c) FV-related information obtained from teachers and participants’ beliefs or expectancies about consuming FV; and (5) determine the ability of norms, beliefs, and self-efficacy about eating FV in predicting intentions, and the ability of intentions to predict FV intake. Fifth grade students (N=124) were selected as the target of the intervention. Outcome data were collected regarding demographics, knowledge, preferences, norms, self-efficacy, intakes, beliefs, access, and intentions related to FV, via 84-item pre- and post-intervention surveys, which were administered before and one month following the intervention. Descriptive statistics, correlations, regressions, and Wilcoxon signed ranks tests were conducted using SPSS v.21. Nearly all (n=120, 96.5%) 5th grade students participated in both surveys. Significant improvements were noted for students’ FV beliefs (Z=-2.18; p=0.029). After a regression analysis of post-intervention TPB constructs, the overall model was found to be significant at F(3, 88) = 7.2, p\u3c0.001, although it appeared that only self-efficacy significantly predicted intentions, t(91) = 2.25, p=0.027. In contrast to what would be expected when using the TPB, intentions did not significantly predict FV intakes. Future F2S interventions should utilize dietary intake instruments validated for use in children, longer interventions, or longer follow-up periods to allow for assessment of greater impacts

A Comparison of Approaches to Mitigate Hypothetical Bias

We compare two approaches to mitigating hypothetical bias. The study design includes three treatments: an actual payment treatment, a contingent valuation (CV) treatment with a follow-up certainty question, and a CV treatment with a cheap talk script. Our results suggest that both the follow-up certainty treatment and the cheap talk treatment produce willingness-to-pay (WTP) estimates consistent with the actual payment treatment. However, the follow-up certainty treatment provides response distributions at all offer amounts that are statistically similar to the actual payment treatment, while the cheap talk treatment provides similar responses only at some offer amounts. Furthermore, the cheap talk treatment is effective only for inexperienced individuals. We conclude that the follow-up certainty approach is more consistent than the cheap talk approach for eliminating hypothetical bias.contingent valuation, hypothetical bias, follow-up certainty, cheap talk, nonmarket valuation, Environmental Economics and Policy, Public Economics, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Accounting for Respondent Uncertainty to Improve Willingness-to-Pay Estimates

In this paper we develop an econometric model of willingness to pay that integrates data on respondent uncertainty regarding their own willingness to pay. The integration is utility consistent and does not involve calibrating the contingent responses to actual payment data, and so the approach can "stand alone". In an application to a valuation study related to whooping crane restoration, we find that this model generates a statistically lower expected WTP than the standard CV model. Moreover, the WTP function estimated with this model is not statistically different from that estimated using actual payment data, suggesting that when properly analyzed using data on respondent uncertainty, contingent valuation decisions can simulate actual payment decisions. This method allows for more reliable estimates of WTP that incorporates respondent uncertainty without the need for collecting comparable actual payment data.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 19: Computer and information technology and aerospace knowledge diffusion

To remain a world leader in aerospace, the US must improve and maintain the professional competency of its engineers and scientists, increase the research and development (R&D) knowledge base, improve productivity, and maximize the integration of recent technological developments into the R&D process. How well these objectives are met, and at what cost, depends on a variety of factors, but largely on the ability of US aerospace engineers and scientists to acquire and process the results of federally funded R&D. The Federal Government's commitment to high speed computing and networking systems presupposes that computer and information technology will play a major role in the aerospace knowledge diffusion process. However, we know little about information technology needs, uses, and problems within the aerospace knowledge diffusion process. The use of computer and information technology by US aerospace engineers and scientists in academia, government, and industry is reported

NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 30: The electronic transfer of information and aerospace knowledge diffusion

Increasing reliance on and investment in information technology and electronic networking systems presupposes that computing and information technology will play a major role in the diffusion of aerospace knowledge. Little is known, however, about actual information technology needs, uses, and problems within the aerospace knowledge diffusion process. The authors state that the potential contributions of information technology to increased productivity and competitiveness will be diminished unless empirically derived knowledge regarding the information-seeking behavior of the members of the social system - those who are producing, transferring, and using scientific and technical information - is incorporated into a new technology policy framework. Research into the use of information technology and electronic networks by U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists, collected as part of a research project designed to study aerospace knowledge diffusion, is presented in support of this assertion

NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 31: The information-seeking behavior of engineers

Engineers are an extraordinarily diverse group of professionals, but an attribute common to all engineers is their use of information. Engineering can be conceptualized as an information processing system that must deal with work-related uncertainty through patterns of technical communications. Throughout the process, data, information, and tacit knowledge are being acquired, produced, transferred, and utilized. While acknowledging that other models exist, we have chosen to view the information-seeking behavior of engineers within a conceptual framework of the engineer as an information processor. This article uses the chosen framework to discuss information-seeking behavior of engineers, reviewing selected literature and empirical studies from library and information science, management, communications, and sociology. The article concludes by proposing a research agenda designed to extend our current, limited knowledge of the way engineers process information