Empirical Facts Research Articles

The playing field of empirical facts: on the interrelations between moral and empirical beliefs in reflective equilibrium

AbstractWhat exactly is the role of empirical beliefs in moral reflective equilibrium (RE)? And if they have a part to play, can changes in our empirical beliefs effectuate changes in the moral principles we adopt? Conversely, can empirical beliefs be adjusted in light of certain moral convictions? While it is generally accepted that empirical background theory is of importance to the method of wide reflective equilibrium (WRE), this article focuses on a different aspect, namely the role of empirical beliefs that is intrinsic to the coherence relation of moral beliefs in any (narrow or wide) conception of RE. First, it is shown that in the application of RE, empirical beliefs are crucial to the procedure of matching principles to considered judgments. Changes in our empirical beliefs may therefore upset the relevant coherence relation and motivate changes in the moral principles we adopt. This more detailed account of the interplay between empirical and moral beliefs can help evaluate the overall philosophical appeal of RE. Finally, it is argued that, at least in WRE, the relation between empirical and moral beliefs need not be a one-way street, that is, moral convictions can provide us with some epistemic means of adjudicating between competing empirical descriptions of the world.

Expecting the Expected? Documenting Nostalgia Effects on Baseball Card Prices

Identifying anomalies, or empirical facts that contradict theoretical predictions, is a common form of proof by contradiction in economics and finance. We identify an apparent pricing anomaly in the market for trading cards: large and persistent death effects of about 20% are observed following the death of legendary baseball players. Rational investors should anticipate each player's eventual death, so these results suggest that profit opportunities are being left on the table. The arguably causal estimates come from interrupted time series models that adjust flexibly for time pre- and post-death and the time of sale using high-frequency sales data. The effect is largest in the days immediately following the death, but prices remain elevated for at least 60 days. Generally, our findings reaffirm the presence of a causal “nostalgia effect” of celebrity deaths on consumer demand for collectibles and products associated with the celebrity.

Intermediary Capital and the Credit Market

We propose a tractable framework to examine the role of intermediary capital in the allocation and pricing of credit. In our model, regulated financial intermediaries compete with unregulated investors, targeting distributions of heterogeneous borrowers. We derive a sufficient statistic that characterizes intermediaries’ cross-sectional lending decisions and provide a novel intermediary asset pricing equation that accounts for the endogenous segmentation of marginal investors across securities. These formulae reveal the central role of intermediaries’ shadow cost of capital in both credit allocation and pricing. Our results can concurrently rationalize a broad array of empirical facts documented in the context of credit markets. This paper was accepted by Tomasz Piskorski, finance. Funding: This work was supported by Marcus och Amalia Wallenbergs minnesfond [Grant 2021.0122].

Lithium Metal Anode in Electrochemical Perspective

AbstractLithium metal is a possible anode material for building high energy density secondary batteries, but its problems during cycling have hindered the commercialization of lithium metal secondary batteries. Until now, many sophisticated techniques have been used to obtain rich micro‐morphological and physicochemical information of the deposition layer and the solid electrolyte interface (SEI), and to develop improvement strategies based on the information and achieve remarkable results. Regulating the reaction process around key links is a classic strategy to achieve expected results. Based on this empirical fact, we artificially highlighted the differences in the apparent performance of lithium metal anode using different series of electrolytes. We used microelectrode technology to analyze the reaction mechanisms and kinetic characteristics of each elementary step under all electrolyte conditions, revealing common laws that affect apparent performance and the basic steps that have a decisive impact on apparent performance. We discussed and elucidated the relevant physical and chemical principles, providing a clear basis for improving the pertinence and efficiency of improvement strategies.

Household Income, Portfolio Choice, and Heterogeneous Consumption Responses to Monetary Policy Shocks

AbstractThis paper quantifies the roles played by income‐level heterogeneity in the response of consumption to monetary policy shocks using U.S. household data. We show empirically that the response of consumption to expansionary monetary policy shocks is larger for high‐income households than for low‐income households. Empirical facts related to household characteristics suggest two channels: the presence of illiquid assets and heterogeneity in government transfers. Motivated by these empirical findings, we develop a model that incorporates illiquid assets and heterogeneity in government transfers to quantify the importance. Simulations based on the model indicate that the presence of illiquid assets, whose return increases in response to expansionary monetary shocks, is essential for explaining the heterogeneous consumption response.

COVID-19 AND PUBLIC SCEPTICISM OF VACCINATION AS A CONTROL MEASURE: A STUDY OF EDO SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT, NIGERIA (2019-2021)

The world woke up to a global epidemic disease known as coronavirus in December 2019. Coronavirus also known as Covid-19 has taken many lives and disrupted the political economy of states around the world. Unfortunately, people are still dying of the virus to date. Scientists quickly came up with vaccines to halt the deaths and re-ignite the global economy which nose-dived after the epidemic broke out in China. Despite the presence of vaccines, a lot of people are still sceptical about its efficacy and the motive of the vaccination. This study based on Qualitative research was embarked upon to find out about the high rate of scepticism about the vaccines by people of Edo South Senatorial District, Nigeria. Using thematic analysis; the findings revealed that mistrust of government, social media, vaccine mandate, religion and other multi-faceted factors are responsible for the scepticism. The majority of the residents are against vaccine mandates, they believe they should be given the free will and liberty to opt for or decline vaccination. Hence, it is suggested that the Government, NGOs and Christian leaders need to carry out more enlightenment with empirical facts and introduce incentives to convince the unvaccinated to join the vaccinated queue.

"Follow the Science" in COVID-19 Policy: A Scoping Review.

"Follow the science" was commonly repeated during debates on COVID-19-related policy. The phrase "follow the science" raises questions that are central to our theories of knowledge and the application of scientific knowledge to maximize the wellbeing of our society. The purpose of this study was to (1) perform a scoping review of literature discussing "follow the science" and COVID-19, and (2) consider "follow the science" in the context of pediatric health. A comprehensive search of 14 databases was performed on May 23, 2023. Articles were included if they used terms such as "follow the science", "follow the scientists", "listen to science" or "listen to scientists", and discussed COVID-19. There were 24 articles included in the final review. Existing literature on "follow the science" (1) differentiates between scientific knowledge and policy decisions; (2) emphasizes the importance of social sciences in policy making; (3) calls for more transparency in the knowledge synthesis and policy generating process; and (4) finds that scientific advisors see their role as advising on science rather than policy decision making. There was no definitional, epistemological, or philosophical intellectual defense of "follow the science" in the peer reviewed literature. Policy requires (1) reliable data and (2) agreement on what to do considering those empirical facts by appealing to values, ethics, morality, and law. A review of school shutdowns is used as an example of the inadequacy of "follow the science" as a guiding principle for public policy.

Nature’s decline and recovery — Structural change, regulatory costs, and the onset of resource use regulation

Many renewable natural resources have been extracted beyond sustainable levels. While some resource stocks have recovered, others are still over-extracted, causing substantial economic losses. This paper develops a model motivated by empirical facts about resource use and regulation to understand these patterns. The model is a dynamic model of a dual economy with technological progress, structural change, and costly resource regulation. Based on this model, we show that technological progress explains the initial increase in resource use. Technological progress also induces structural change and a decline in resource users. While the declining number of resource users does not directly lead to resource recovery, it does reduce regulatory costs, paving the way for resource regulation and recovery. Our results show that although technological progress can contribute to resource degradation, it also helps resource recovery through reduced regulatory costs. Our results suggest further that a temporal use beyond sustainable levels can be socially optimal until regulatory costs fall below the benefits of regulation.

Into the Unknown: Conceptualizing the Experience of Uncertainty in Citizen–State Interactions

Abstract It is often argued that uncertainty is an inherent characteristic of citizen–state interactions. It is therefore hardly surprising that many scholars of street-level bureaucracy have studied how frontline workers cope with and make discretionary decisions under uncertain conditions. However, citizens’ experiences of uncertainty have received limited attention in the street-level bureaucracy literature. This article argues that understanding citizens’ experiences of uncertainty is highly relevant because experiences of uncertainty are likely to affect mental well-being of individuals negatively. The article seeks to address this gap by building a conceptual framework for understanding and analyzing citizens’ experiences with uncertainty in state–citizen interactions based on theoretical insights from the existing literature and in-depth qualitative analysis of 20 narrative interviews with former coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and their relatives concerning their encounter with health authorities. The article proposes a conceptual framework that distinguishes between epistemic uncertainty and moral uncertainty. Epistemic uncertainty concerns uncertainty about empirical facts or knowledge. Moral uncertainty concerns uncertainty about values due to conflicting or competing norms and values. The article illustrates how these forms of uncertainty may arise before, during, and after citizens’ interaction with frontline workers.

Uncertain Facts or Uncertain Values? Testing the Distinction Between Empirical and Normative Uncertainty in Moral Judgments.

People can be uncertain in their moral judgments. Philosophers have argued that such uncertainty can either refer to the underlying empirical facts (empirical uncertainty) or to the normative evaluation of these facts itself (normative uncertainty). Psychological investigations of this distinction, however, are rare. In this paper, we combined factor-analytical and experimental approaches to show that empirical and normative uncertainty describe two related but different psychological states. In Study 1, we asked N = 265 participants to describe a case of moral uncertainty and to rate different aspects of their uncertainty about this case. Across this wide range of moral scenarios, our items loaded onto three reliable factors: lack of information, unclear consequences, and normative uncertainty. In Study 2, we confirmed this factor structure using predefined stimulus material. N = 402 participants each rated eight scenarios that systematically varied in their degree of uncertainty regarding the consequences of the described actions and in the value conflict that was inherent to them. The empirical uncertainty factors were mainly affected by the introduction of uncertainty regarding consequences, and the normative uncertainty factor was mainly affected by the introduction of value conflict. Our studies provide evidence that the distinction between empirical and normative uncertainty accurately describes a psychological reality. We discuss the relevance of our findings for research on moral judgments and decision-making, and folk metaethics.

Reducing Discordant Religious Relationships: Ahmadiyya Case in Indonesia

The Ahmadiyya have been labeled as a controversial religious group by the majority of Indonesians. Its inclusion as a component of religious diversity is regarded as a trumping-up divergence. This research aims to analyze the reasons for hostility toward the Ahmadiyya through a review journal, historical storytelling, and exposure to empirical facts, and to provide recommendations for reducing discord and improving relations between different religious groups. The article investigates the role of state law, religious authority, and civil society in shaping attitudes toward Ahmadiyya Muslims, as well as strategies for promoting interfaith dialogue and tolerance. Overall, the article argues that it is critical to promote mutual respect and understanding among religious communities in order to reduce conflict and promote social harmony in Indonesia.

BASIC COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACHES IN LANGUAGE LEARNING (OBJECT PERFORMANCE FOCUS (OPF), USING PODCASTING AS A RESOURCE)

This paper aims to conduct research concerning some basic cognitive constructivist approaches in language learning, in this particular, English as a foreign language. On the focus are the English Language Department Students. The main focus of this study is Object Performance (OP), which uses Podcasting as the main resource. Furthermore, after an in-depth analytical approach to the use of podcasting in language learning, it aims to unveil some of the main students’ cognitive activities, related to the podcast content and facts, as seen from the object performance perspective, which helps them recall the previous empirical knowledge content and facts by linking them to those conveyed by the podcasting content. Such an analysis between the two types of processed content results in a strong impact on structuring ‘a new blended knowledge with the students’ in both oral and written language productivity. It has also been proven that this cognitive approach is a real spin of knowledge that strengthens their overall communication in English as a foreign language.

Re-Understanding the Problem of Induction in Empirical Science

<em>A problem is a statement or truth based on experience that is used as a hypothesis. In formulating a hypothesis based on statements as an inductive way of thinking. The problem of induction can also be formulated as a question about the validity or truth of universal statements based on experience. Thinking based on logic gives humans the possibility to gain knowledge, which is deeper than the meaning of what is thought. In formulating a hypothesis based on statements as an inductive way of thinking. The problem of induction can also be formulated as a question about the validity or truth of universal statements based on experience. In the case of inductive logic, however, these relationships vary in strength, measures of conditional probability reflect the degree of rational confidence that a person should have in the hypothesis that empirical science should be so characterized by its methods. With this method, we deal with science with a system based on what we do to what is done. The difference between the psychological view of knowledge which is related to empirical facts, and the logic of knowledge which is only related to empirical facts. With logical connections, the belief in inductive logic is largely due to confusion between psychological problems and epistemological problems.</em>

Veil of Light: The Role of Light in Cavendish’s Visual Perception

Margaret Cavendish’s views about the nature of bodies and perception leave her with a potentially problematic implication: that light has no role in visual perception. For her, perception occurs through the self-motion of animate matter, not through a mechanical system that appeals to local motions and collisions of contiguous bodies. This means that motion is not transferred from external objects with light playing a mediating role; the matter of our eyes simply moves itself to copy the sensible qualities of external bodies. However, Cavendish cannot ignore the simple empirical fact that we appear to have visual perceptions in the presence of light but not in the presence of darkness. Light must play some role. I argue that light for Cavendish plays an intermediary role but does not transfer motions as the mechanical model suggests. Rather, light behaves like our eyes by moving itself to form copies of external objects. Our eyes then see these copies. For Cavendish, we are directly acquainted with a “veil of light” rather than the objects themselves.

Embracing the other: Revisiting the epistemological foundations of family systems therapy.

Family systems therapy originated in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s through the work of innovative thinkers and clinicians. However, despite the creative contributions of the mentioned colleagues and of later innovations in family therapy theory and practice, it seems as though the dominant culture of establishment psychiatry in the United States (and in most Western countries) to this day has not seriously incorporated relationships, social context, or community connectedness into the treatment of individuals with psychiatric diagnoses. For the "psychiatric" patients diagnosed according to the DSM-5, the dominant underlying epistemological perspective is the medical "scientific" paradigm. Within this approach there is a dearth of reflections about the truthfulness of so-called "empirical facts" and a lack of skepticism about the techniques of "measurement" of the psychiatric illness. The alternative, relationship-oriented, context-sensitive, and community-connected thinking paradigm is highlighted here in contrast to the "psychiatric" foundation. This paradigm consists of (a) the awareness that all human Subjects (including "psychiatric" clients) are constituted as such by their relational connection to others; (b) the awareness of our sensitivity to and embeddedness in a socio-economic, cultural, and racial context; and (c) the awareness of our involvement in and connectedness with many kinds of communities.

The Impact of Commercial-Industry Development of Urban Vitality: A Study on the Central Urban Area of Guangzhou Using Multisource Data

Urban commercial centers play a critical role in the development of cities, and it is of significant relevance to research the influencing variables of the urban vitality of commercial centers to improve the quality of urban commercial centers. This study employs big data to construct a multiple linear regression model in order to uncover the spatial-distribution characteristics of urban vitality and commercial sectors in commercial centers within the primary urban region of Guangzhou. The findings indicate that the commercial sectors of life, business, finance, and leisure have a substantial influence on the fluctuation of pedestrian flow in commercial centers throughout the day. Conversely, public service commercial sectors do not have a significant impact on pedestrian flow. Furthermore, the effect of various commercial sectors on the vibrancy of urban commercial centers varies, and their performance differs on weekdays and holidays. Additionally, the level of integration among commercial sectors affects the vitality of the city’s commercial space. This research presents empirical facts that can be used to optimize the logical allocation of urban commercial resources in urban planning.

GAYA KEPEMIMPINAN TERHADAP ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR PADA PEGAWAI DINAS SOSIAL PROVINSI MALUKU UTARA

This research aims to determine the influence of transformational leadership and path goals on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The approach used is quantitative research. The population was obtained from all civil servants of the Social Service of North Maluku Province, and 134 respondents were used as research samples. The data analysis technique used in is regression analysis using Smart-PLS as a statistical test tool. The results of this research show that leadership style has a positive and significant effect on OCB. This empirical fact provides an explanation that leaders must be able to maintain and improve transformational and path-goal leadership styles in carrying out activities as institution leaders in the workplace, which have a significant impact on OCB. Future research could add happiness at work and organizational culture as independent variables with a broader unit of analysis.

A Dialogue between Hindu and Catholic Perspectives in Taking Care of Newborns at their End-of-Life.

Hinduism is considered one of the most ancient religions in the world. Although the technological innovation of modernization has undermined the reliance on their traditions, Hindus may still rely on Hindu Scripture when making decisions. From their standpoint, contrary to Western medicine, human lives cannot be reduced to statistical and empirical facts. They focus more on preserving the spirit, rather than considering survival as one of the goals of medicine. Consequently, when a preterm infant is born, Hindu parents might struggle to understand the goals of Western neonatologists. This divergence may create misunderstandings when discussing end-of-life decisions. Since they value relational aspects to be of utmost importance, they may accept treatments only in the likelihood of good neurological outcomes. Being able to interact allows Hindus to act virtuously with the aim of purifying their soul toward moksa. When it comes to end-of-life decisions on behalf of newborns, Hindu parents may opt to forgo treatments and let the baby peacefully die, while praying for their soul to have a better rebirth. This paper aims to evaluate quality-of-life assessment in the Hindu tradition in comparison with the Catholic tradition. It draws parallelisms between these two different religions to investigate whether an inter-religious dialogue is possible. This work will help Catholic, and more broadly Western, doctors to have a better understanding of the Hindu end-of-life views.

Land development and frictions to housing supply over the business cycle

Using a novel data set of U.S. residential land developments, we document that the average time to develop residential properties—which includes both the time spent preparing land infrastructures and construction—is about three years, consistent with sizable lags in housing investment projects. We show that the time to develop is highly dispersed across locations, a finding that helps quantify the housing supply elasticity that is relevant for assessing local housing variations over the business cycle. We also show that incorporating long and dispersed time to develop into an otherwise standard housing investment model helps rationalize some empirical facts on the housing market. Our model implies that policies to boost housing supply are less effective in immediately stabilizing house prices for regions where land development takes a long time.

Technology Architecture as an Instrument for Digital Taxation

Digital transformation fuels technological advancement and widespread public use of Internet networks, leading to a growth in digital platform users. This increase is highly likely to boost platform profits by obtaining more insights into user behavior. Additionally, digital platforms generate income through monetization. The purpose of this research is to examine the role and challenges of technology architecture as an instrument of digital tax imposition in Indonesia and to see further the digital tax arrangements in Indonesia and several countries in the world. This research uses a normative juridical approach by examining the norms or rules formulated in law without excluding empirical facts in the field. The results show that the imposition, implementation, and regulation of digital taxes have potential and challenges from various aspects. Their success will depend on the ability to overcome these challenges while maximizing the opportunities of technological architecture to increase digital taxes. Furthermore, to regulate digital tax itself, governments can update and integrate digital tax arrangements, as well as collaborate with other related parties regarding the arrangements or principles used for the imposition of digital tax.