Casual Analysis Research Articles

A causal analytical method for group decision-making under fuzzy environment

Causal analysis largely influences the effectiveness of decision-making and the productivity of actions. The complex relationship between cause and effect as well as the fuzzy nature of human life make the casual analysis difficult. In this paper, we develop a fuzzy DEMATEL method for group decision-making to gather group ideas and analyze the cause-effect relationship of complex problems in fuzzy environments. Procedures of the fuzzy DEMATEL method are then proposed. Using the fuzzy DEMATEL procedures, the involved criteria of a system (or subsystem) are separated into the cause and effect groups for helping decision-makers focus on those criteria that provide great influence. An empirical study applies the proposed fuzzy DEMATEL method to the R&D project selection of a Taiwanese company. The result shows that, within the cause group, the criterion of ''probability of technical success'' is the most important factor for R&D project selection, whereas the ''strategic fit'' and ''potential size of market'' have the best effect on the other criteria. By contrast, the ''net present value'' is the most easily improved of the effect group criteria.

Casual Analysis on the relationship between excursion behavior and Information usage in Fuji Five Lakes Area

Casual Analysis on the relationship between excursion behavior and Information usage in Fuji Five Lakes Area

Casual Analysis on the Relationship between Excursion Behavior and Information Usage in Fuji Five Lakes Area

Casual Analysis on the Relationship between Excursion Behavior and Information Usage in Fuji Five Lakes Area

Across the divide (?): Reconciling farm and town views of agriculture–community linkages

In North America and elsewhere it is frequently asserted that changes in rural society have led to an economic and social ‘decoupling’ of agriculture from the wider rural community. Casual analysis of contemporary media reporting and popular discourse would suggest that interactions between the two spheres are as often characterized by neglect or conflict as by complementarity and collaboration. However, scholarly interpretation of evolving relations between farming and the wider rural community, and whether these constitute a trend to relinking or decoupling, has remained elusive and problematic. This paper advocates for and articulates a case study approach to the analysis of ‘ambiguous interdependency’ at the local level. Specifically, it is argued that much can be learned from a comparative analysis of farm and town views of sector-specific development trajectories and of implications for agriculture–community linkages. Insights obtained from in-depth interviews with 68 farm and town residents of South Huron County, Ontario, suggest a strong tendency for farmers to undervalue their importance and influence within the local community, but also highlight certain consequences of ongoing agricultural change and recent municipal restructuring that point toward the continued reshaping of agricultural community linkages. The research suggests both points of convergence and divergence that may be valuable in understanding, and perhaps managing, future development at the local scale and beyond.

Information-theoretic analysis of information hiding

An information-theoretic analysis of information hiding is presented, forming the theoretical basis for design of information-hiding systems. Information hiding is an emerging research area which encompasses applications such as copyright protection for digital media, watermarking, fingerprinting, steganography, and data embedding. In these applications, information is hidden within a host data set and is to be reliably communicated to a receiver. The host data set is intentionally corrupted, but in a covert way, designed to be imperceptible to a casual analysis. Next, an attacker may seek to destroy this hidden information, and for this purpose, introduce additional distortion to the data set. Side information (in the form of cryptographic keys and/or information about the host signal) may be available to the information hider and to the decoder. We formalize these notions and evaluate the hiding capacity, which upper-bounds the rates of reliable transmission and quantifies the fundamental tradeoff between three quantities: the achievable information-hiding rates and the allowed distortion levels for the information hider and the attacker. The hiding capacity is the value of a game between the information hider and the attacker. The optimal attack strategy is the solution of a particular rate-distortion problem, and the optimal hiding strategy is the solution to a channel-coding problem. The hiding capacity is derived by extending the Gel'fand-Pinsker (1980) theory of communication with side information at the encoder. The extensions include the presence of distortion constraints, side information at the decoder, and unknown communication channel. Explicit formulas for capacity are given in several cases, including Bernoulli and Gaussian problems, as well as the important special case of small distortions. In some cases, including the last two above, the hiding capacity is the same whether or not the decoder knows the host data set. It is shown that many existing information-hiding systems in the literature operate far below capacity.

State-Level Determinants of Entrepreneurship and a Preliminary Measure of Entrepreneurial Climate

State and local governments increasingly look to entrepreneurship as a means of stimulating economic growth. However, can the public sector play a role in promoting entrepreneurial activity—and if so, what should that role be? The authors investigate independent effects of financial and human entrepreneurial capital and ideas on entrepreneurial activity in the 50 states. Financial entrepreneurial capital has an inverse U-shaped relationship with entrepreneurial activity, suggesting there are limits to using increasing amounts of financial capital to stimulate entrepreneurship, all else being equal. The authors rank each state in terms of predicted and actual entrepreneurial activity scores and propose a preliminary measure of the entrepreneurial “climate” of each state. Although most states are ranked near where casual analysis might place them, the authors find that others have predicted values that differ significantly from actual values. This suggests that climate may be an important factor in stimulating entrepreneurial activity.

Foreign direct investment flows and fiscal discipline in South Africa

This paper investigates the impact of fiscal policy on foreign direct investment (PDI) in South Africa during the past 30 years. Casual empirical analysis reveals a definite linkage between FDI flows and variables such as the deficit/GDP ratio, representing fiscal discipline, and the tax burden on foreign investors. This relationship is substantiated by econometric analysis. Given the economy's large degree of dependence on foreign capital, the government may contribute to an investor-friendly environment by adjusting fiscal policy. Some inroads have been made in this regard with the government's Medium-term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which projects a policy of strict fiscal discipline in years to come. However, the tax burden is still relatively high and, due to its impact on foreign direct capital flows, requires urgent attention.

Casual Analysis with Panel Data

Casual Analysis with Panel Data

Attitudes toward community policing: A casual analysis

This article presents a model of police officers attitude toward community policing. A theory of community policing is proposed. This theory identifies several dimensions which influence community policing attitudes. We apply Analysis of Covariance Structures (Lisrel) in estimating the causal model of the several dimensions explaining attitudes toward community policing. We also assess the overall goodness of fit of the proposed model. Lisrel findings show ‘commitment’ and ‘support’ to negatively affect strain. Likewise, these exogenous variables significantly influence frustration. The results also show strain to negatively affect police attitudes.

在宅福祉サービス専門職におけるバーンアウトの形成要因に関する研究

在宅福祉サービス専門職におけるバーンアウトの形成要因に関する研究

Sources of Fluctuations in Relative Prices: Evidence from High Inflation Countries

Casual analysis of six high-inflation episodes indicates a strong positive relationship between movements in the relative price ratio, measured by (WPI/CPI), and the inflation rate. The authors estimate a vector autoregression model in which relative price movements are driven by several fundamental disturbances (fiscal, monetary, output, and exchange rate), identified using only long-run restrictions based on a general-equilibrium optimizing model. Analysis of the endogenous response of relative price changes to these disturbances suggests that output and monetary shocks are the most important driving forces, although fiscal and exchange rate shocks are also influential in explaining relative price movements in some countries. Copyright 1993 by MIT Press.

New Books

This work presents a theory of planning called Case-Based Planning that suggests the use of a planner's dynamic memory of experience rather than a static base of rules. This view of planning from experience is supported by a learning system that incorporates new experiences into the planner's episodic memory. A process of plan repair is also presented in which plan failures are diagnosed through a casual analysis of the steps and states that led to their occurrence. Successful plans, failures, and past repairs are stored, with successes being accessed and modified to create new plans, failures being used to warn the planner of impending problems, and repair strategies being referenced to tell the planner how to deal with faulty plans at hand. By storing failures as well as successes, the planner is able to anticipate and avoid future plan failures. These ideas of memory, learning, and planning are implemented in the case-based planner CHEF, which creates new plans in the domain of Szechwan cooking.

An Analysis of the Effect of Schooling, Experience and Sex On Earnings in the Government and Private Sectors of Urban Java

The returns to education in Indonesia are analysed using Susenas data. The private sector is found to reward education more generously than the public sector, while the latter puts a premium on experience. A casual analysis suggests general sex discrimination against female workers at any given level of education; however, once experience is allowed for, the negative sex differentials become insignificant. Finally, the general returns to education are of the order of 15–17% additional income for each additional year of schooling, which is a very high rate of return compared with other countries.

Serum α‐Fetoprotein Levels in Normal Infants

Age‐dependent changes of serum α‐fetoprotein (AFP) levels were analyzed in 284 normal infants, including 113 full‐term neonates and 171 infants between 1–12 months old. Serial statistical analyses attempted to clarify some confusing and conflicting observations presently existing in the literature. The results showed the following: (a) variations of AFP values were homogeneous throughout infancy, after the logarithmic transformation that is essential in dealing with AFP data. (b) To obtain an approximately 95% prediction band of normal AFP levels in infancy, the regression analysis should be based on the power regression rather than the exponential progression model: log Y = 7.397 ‐ 2.622 · log (X + 10), where X = age in days and Y = AFP level in nanograms per milliliter. (c) A sex‐related difference existed with higher mean values for male babies between 2–4 days of age, a fact that may be missed with casual analysis. In addition, the mean AFP level was found to be relatively constant at some time during the 1st week of life, in contrast to its subsequent extremely rapid decline. These characteristic changes deserve further investigation.

Serum α-Fetoprotein Levels in Normal Infants

Age-dependent changes of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were analyzed in 284 normal infants, including 113 full-term neonates and 171 infants between 1-12 months old. Serial statistical analyses attempted to clarify some confusing and conflicting observations presently existing in the literature. The results showed the following: (a) variations of AFP values were homogeneous throughout infancy, after the logarithmic transformation that is essential in dealing with AFP data. (b) To obtain an approximately 95% prediction band of normal AFP levels in infancy, the regression analysis should be based on the power regression rather than the exponential progression model: log Y = 7.397 - 2.622.log (X + 10), where X = age in days and Y = AFP level in nanograms per milliliter. (c) A sex-related difference existed with higher mean values for male babies between 2-4 days of age, a fact that may be missed with casual analysis. In addition, the mean AFP level was found to be relatively constant at some time during the 1st week of life, in contrast to its subsequent extremely rapid decline. These characteristic changes deserve further investigation.

A casual VARMA model analysis with an application to Canadian money and income data

(1988). A casual VARMA model analysis with an application to Canadian money and income data. Applied Economics: Vol. 20, No. 9, pp. 1167-1183.

Interpretation and Casual Analysis: Theories in Environmental History

Previous articleNext article No AccessArticlesInterpretation and Casual Analysis: Theories in Environmental HistoryBarbara LeibhardtBarbara Leibhardt Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Volume 12, Number 1Spring 1988 Published for the American Society for Environmental History and the Forest History Society Views: 12Total views on this site Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/3984375 Views: 12Total views on this site Journal History This article was published in the Environmental Review (1976-1989), which was continued by the Environmental History Review (1990-1995). © 1988 American Society for Environmental History. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The Liability Nature of Unfunded Pension Obligations since ERISA

The Liability Nature of Unfunded Pension Obligations since ERISA

Relationships among Research Design Choices and Psychometric Properties of Rating Scales: A Meta-Analysis

The purpose of the article is to propose and empirically test a model of the relationships among research design variables and the psychometric criteria of reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and nomological validity, and among the psychometric criteria themselves. A fundamental premise of the article is that these relationships are much more complex than a casual analysis would suggest. More specifically, though all of the research design variables and psychometric criteria are related at a conceptual level, there is no necessary relationship between many of the variables at an empirical level. Meta-analysis techniques are applied to 162 measures found in the marketing literature to examine the relationships among the research design choices of sampling characteristics, measure characteristics, and measure development processes and the various psychometric criteria of measure quality. The proposed model makes predictions for positive, negative, and no effects relationships. All of the hypotheses in the model except one are supported, with systematic variance apparently the common element producing correlations among the various indicants of measure quality. The primary conclusion is that researchers must pay much greater attention to non-empirical evidence when judging construct validity. Three recommendations are offered for measurement research in marketing.

1984 Presidential election: issues of relevance to child and adolescent health.

Editor's Note:On November 6, 1984, we will go to the polls to elect a President. Even a casual analysis of the philosophies of the two major party candidates reveals significant differences in their positions concerning the nature, scope, and purpose of government; and these differences are reflected in their approaches toward a number of issues related to child and adolescent health. Several weeks ago, the Journal staff contacted the national campaign headquarters of the two candidates and requested assistance with the preparation of an article comparing the positions of the candidates on some issues of relevance to our readers. Both headquarters were very cooperative, and their assistance is appreciated.A concerted effort was made to ensure that the narrative expressing the views of Mr. Mondale and Mr. Reagan is accurate, objective, and fair. No information contained in the article was drawn from supplementary sources such as newspapers, magazines, or electronic media.Virtually all of the narrative is taken verbatim from materials provided by the two campaign headquarters; so the accuracy of any statistical data, budget figures, or other information presented as fact is the responsibility of the provider. Because the materials obtained from the two headquarters were provided in a variety of formats, the views of the candidates on the issues are stated in the first person to maintain uniformity of style; but it should be noted clearly that the article is not based upon personal interviews. While the article does not provide a comprehensive comparison of the political views of the two candidates, it does help to clarify their positions on selected issues of relevance to our readers. To this extent, we hope that it is helpful.