Gun-shy: Refusal to answer questions about firearm ownership

Gun-shy: Refusal to answer questions about firearm ownership. R. Urbatsch. The Social Science Journal, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2018.04.003

Highlights
•    Americans increasingly decline to answer survey questions about gun ownership.
•    Refusal to answer is not similarly increasing for queries about owning other goods.
•    Republican-leaning respondents’ rate of refusal has risen particularly steeply.

Abstract: In recent years, surveys in the United States have faced increasing refusal to answer questions about firearm ownership, even as other similar questions see no comparable up-tick in item nonresponse. Asymmetrical polarization, elite messaging, and changing media institutions all suggest that the surging nonresponse concerning gun-ownership questions may be increasingly concentrated among those with rightward political and partisan leanings, potentially skewing inferences about gun-related issues. Data from the General Social Survey confirms that the increase in probability of declining to answer firearm-ownership questions is particularly stark among those identifying as Republicans, particularly those with a conservative outlook skeptical of government.

Keywords: Guns; Non-response; Partisanship; United States

Norway, 2016: Higher income transparency increased the happiness gap between rich & poor by 29% & the life satisfaction gap by 21%. Also, higher income transparency corrected misperceptions about the income distribution and changed preferences for redistribution.

Perez-Truglia, Ricardo, The Effects of Income Transparency on Well-Being: Evidence from a Natural Experiment (February 10, 2016). https://ssrn.com/abstract=2657808

Abstract: In 2001, Norwegian tax records became easily accessible online, allowing individuals to observe the incomes of others. Because of self-image and social-image concerns, higher income transparency can increase the differences in well-being between rich and poor. We test this hypothesis using survey data from 1985-2013. We identify the causal effect of income transparency on subjective well-being by using differences-in-differences, triple-differences, and event-study analyses. We find that higher income transparency increased the happiness gap between rich and poor by 29% and the life satisfaction gap by 21%. Additionally, higher income transparency corrected misperceptions about the income distribution and changed preferences for redistribution. Last, we use the estimates for back-of-the-envelope calculations of the value of self-image and social-image.

Keywords: self-image, social-image, happiness, life satisfaction, income comparisons, relative income, disclosure policy

JEL Classification: D03, D60, D31, D80, I31, K34, Z10

Past focus is generally maladaptive in terms of work and life outcomes such as depression; present focus increases life satisfaction, but correlates with impulsive behaviors; future focus is more cognitive in nature and leads to life and work achievements

Temporal Focus: Thinking about the Past, Present, and Future. Abbie J.Shipp, Brad Aeon. Current Opinion in Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.04.005

Highlights
•    Temporal focus is the degree to which people generally think about the past, present, and future.
•    Past focus is generally maladaptive in terms of work and life outcomes such as depression.
•    Present focus increases life satisfaction, but correlates with impulsive behaviors.
•    Future focus is more cognitive in nature and leads to life and work achievements.
•    Emerging research is testing multilevel models, spatial modeling, and profiles related to time.

Abstract: We review recent findings on temporal focus—the degree to which individuals think about the past, present, and/or future. Hypothetically, focusing on each time period could be beneficial as one can learn from the past, savor the present moment, and plan for the future. Yet research demonstrates that characteristically thinking about the past is disadvantageous, thinking about the future is advantageous, and thinking about the present has mixed outcomes. This paper examines these findings to consider where individuals should focus their attention in time, highlighting established (e.g., country level differences) and emerging (e.g., temporal focus profiles) research on the topic.

Animal models of binge drinking, current challenges to improve face validity

Animal models of binge drinking, current challenges to improve face validity. Jerome Jeanblanc et al. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.05.002

Highlights
•    Binge drinking (BD) is an increasing public health issue.
•    BD needs to be better defined in humans.
•    BD is associated with brain damages and cognitive deficits.
•    BD is a risk factor in the vulnerability to addiction.
•    Either forced or voluntary exposure to ethanol are used in animals to mimic human BD.
•    Relevant criteria for an animal model of BD may include voluntary and fast ingestion of a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time and at least for several days or weeks interspersed by abstinence periods.

Abstract: Binge drinking (BD), i.e., consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time, is an increasing public health issue. Though no clear definition has been adopted worldwide the speed of drinking seems to be a keystone of this behavior. Developing relevant animal models of BD is a priority for gaining a better characterization of the neurobiological and psychobiological mechanisms underlying this dangerous and harmful behavior. Until recently, preclinical research on BD has been conducted mostly using forced administration of alcohol, but more recent studies used scheduled access to alcohol, to model more voluntary excessive intakes, and to achieve signs of intoxications that mimic the human behavior. The main challenges for future research are discussed regarding the need of good face validity, construct validity and predictive validity of animal models of BD.

Abbreviations: BEC, Blood Ethanol Concentration; BD, Binge Drinking; DID, Drinking In the Dark; NIAAA, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Keywords: binge drinking; animal models; rodents; validity; alcohol