Instrumental Value Research Articles

The Cancer-Specific Health Economic Measure QLU-C10D is Valid and Responsive for Assessing Health Utility in Patients with Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Health economic appraisals often rely on the assessment of health utilities using preference-based measures (PBM). The cancer-specific PBM, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Utility - Core 10 Dimensions (EORTC QLU-C10D), was developed recently, and now needs to be validated in various clinical populations. Methods: In a multicenter, multinational prospective cohort study, we longitudinally collected EORTC QLQ-C30 and EQ-5D-5L data from patients with thyroid cancer. We applied seven country-specific value sets to the QLQ-C30 data to derive country-specific utility values and used the EQ-5D-5L as a comparator PBM. Criterion validity was assessed by correlating index scores and Bland-Altman plots. Construct validity was investigated by correlating domain scores. Known-group comparisons and responsiveness were assessed using external clinical criteria. Results: A total of 181 patients with thyroid cancer from nine countries (three continents) provided analyzable data. Patients were included if they had differentiated, medullary, or anaplastic thyroid cancer. Mean utility values of both instruments were generally lower compared to general population norms. No floor or ceiling effects were present for the QLU-C10D. The intra-class correlation for EQ-5D-5L and QLU-C10D index values ranged from 0.761 to 0.901 across the measurement timepoints, supporting criterion validity. Spearman's correlation coefficients ranged from 0.289 to 0.716 for theoretically corresponding domain pairs. The QLU-C10D detected differences in 9 of 15 known-group comparisons, supporting sensitivity. Clinically important changes were detected by all QLU-C10D country specific value sets, supporting responsiveness. Further, the QLU-C10D had higher statistical efficiency than the EQ-5D-5L in 74.7% of comparisons. Conclusions: The QLU-C10D is a valid PBM for health economic evaluations in thyroid cancer studies. We recommend its use to estimate health utilities in economic evaluations of thyroid cancer therapies.

Changing human–nature relationships: Insights from Guinea‐Bissau woodlands

Abstract The ecological impacts of landscape changes resulting in significant simplification of natural systems have been extensively studied worldwide. Yet, few studies have examined how such biophysical changes affect the value local communities place on nature and their relationships with it. In this study, we delve into the case of Guinea‐Bissau, where woodland cover has been increasingly replaced by commercial cashew plantations. Using a sociocultural valuation approach, our empirical research provides a comprehensive assessment of the woodlands' contributions to local communities as well as the potential disruptions caused by the ongoing biophysical changes on the woodlands. We focused on 20 villages of four different ethnic groups—Manjack, Balanta, Mandinka and Fulani—and used a combination of focus group discussions and walks‐in‐the‐woods. The study's participants identified 19 nature's contributions to people from the woodlands, which revealed a combination of instrumental, relational and intrinsic values in ways that reflect their subsistence needs and social–cultural contexts. We also found that these values are being impacted, mostly negatively, by the ongoing biophysical changes in the ‘natural’ landscapes tied to regional and global dynamics. Moreover, our study reveals that local communities are aware of ongoing biophysical changes in their woodlands and perceive them as having negative ecological and psychological consequences for them. Synthesis and applications: Our study highlights the significance of using a sociocultural perspective to investigate how changes in the landscape affect local peoples' values of nature and their relationships with it. This information can help shape policies and management decisions towards creating better futures that are meaningful for both humans and non‐humans. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Correcting for Misclassified Binary Regressors Using Instrumental Variables

Estimators that exploit an instrumental variable to correct for misclassification in a binary regressor typically assume that the misclassification rates are invariant across all values of the instrument. We show this assumption is invalid in routine empirical settings. We derive a new estimator which allows misclassification rates to vary across values of the instrumental variable. Our key identifying assumption, that the sum of misclassification rates remains constant across instrument values, follows from the empirical examples we present. We also show this assumption can be relaxed using moment inequalities that arise from our model. We demonstrate the usefulness of our estimator through Monte Carlo simulations and a re-analysis of the extent to which Medicaid eligibility crowds out other forms of health insurance. Correcting for measurement error substantially reduces estimates of crowd out and the extent to which Medicaid eligibility lowers the share of the uninsured.

Educational Justice and the Value of Excellence

Developing educational excellence is a goal espoused by education systems. Yet despite its universal endorsement, philosophers have not given sufficient attention to questions such as: Why is excellence good? For whom is it good? And is the value it generates different in nature or in importance from the value generated by developing low or average abilities? This paper examines the instrumental and noninstrumental value of excellence, aiming to contribute to the scholarship of educational justice by elucidating the value of excellence and the tension between developing it and meeting the needs of students with lower levels of ability.

Digital Duplicates, Relational Scarcity, and Value: Commentary on Danaher and Nyholm (2024)

Danaher and Nyholm (2024a) have recently proposed that digital duplicates—such as fine-tuned, “personalized” large language models that closely mimic a particular individual—might reduce that individual’s scarcity and thus increase the amount of instrumental value they can bring to the world. In this commentary, we introduce the notion of relational scarcity and explore how digital duplicates would affect the value of interpersonal relationships.

Education as oppression

In assessing leverage points to promote educational equality, this paper examines Freire’s concept of education as oppression to highlight the potential of reclaiming resources currently dedicated to oppressive education. Harel Ben-Shahar’s concepts of education as a positional good as well as the potential lack of instrumental value in contributing to students’ social, health, relational, and other holistic aspects of wellbeing are mobilized to disentangle varying forms of education. Practitioner experience with students living with disabilities in a postcolonial global south establishes the foundational context to consider how education has capacity to challenge the following: economic domination; restraint on traditional Indigenous knowledge; limited basic livelihood; and media stereotypes on effort committed by the marginalized—yet often chooses not to. Disentangling what precisely constitutes education as oppression emerges as a challenging task, since Freire’s conceptualization of conformity is often required of students if they wish to meet essential survival needs. Lisu case studies in rural agricultural economies, traditional ecological knowledge, and postcolonial curriculum demonstrate that education as oppression can emerge naturally with or without intent, and that education mobilized to gatekeep social resources or justify the inequitable distribution of life opportunities can reinforce existing systematic inequalities. Notably, resources and opportunities in disadvantaged communities can already be stratified by preexisting racist; sexist; ableist; classist; or colonial discrimination, and suggest that the intersection between education and basic survival of students should not be viewed as too tangential or basic for future policy discourse. Four forms of education as oppression are preliminarily considered, toward supporting future discourse on eliminating inadvertent oppressive impacts via funded pedagogy.

AN EXAMINATION OF SOCIAL DOMINANCE ORIENTATION OF GENERATION Z LIVING IN TURKEY ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT VARIABLES

In this study, the social dominance orientations of the generation Z were examined according to different variables (gender identity, view of socio-economic class, occupation field, identity attitudes, purposive and instrumental values). The research sample consists of 640 individuals aged between 19-25 and living in different regions of Turkey. Socio-demographic Information Form, Social Dominance Orientation Scale, Identity Attitudes Scale and Rokearch Values Inventory were applied to the participants within the scope of the research. The results of the study show that the social dominance orientations differ significantly between the gender identities. In addition, social dominance orientation differs significantly according to occupation field. There were positive or negative correlations between social dominance orientation and some of the purposive and instrumental values. In addition, social dominance orientation predicts gender identity, education, and income status assessment.

Synergistic effects of gamma irradiation and butylated hydroxyanisole on the sensory, physicochemical, and microbiological quality of beef

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of gamma irradiation, in combination with the synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), on the safety and quality characteristics of refrigerated beef. The samples were divided into four treatment groups, which were subjected to marinating with 0.01% BHA and gamma irradiation at different dosages. The treatment groups were labeled as follows: T0 (control, non-irradiated), T1 (3 kGy), T2 (5 kGy), and T3 (7 kGy). The specimens in each group were stored under refrigerated conditions at a temperature of 4°C for intervals of 0, 5, 10, or 15 days. Data analyses were conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with a 4 × 4 factorial experiment. The experiment consisted of two factors, each with four treatments, and was reproduced three times with a 4-day gap. The instrumental color value CIE: lightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) and physicochemical properties, including pH, drip loss, cook loss, extract release volume, and water holding capacity, were analyzed. The proximate components, including dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), ash, and moisture, were found to have a significant effect (p < 0.01)(p < 0.01) among treatment groups, time intervals, and their interaction. Free fatty acids (FFA), peroxide value (POV), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) significantly increased (p < 0.01)(p < 0.01)(p < 0.01) among treatments and over the course of storage. Following the irradiation with BHA, there was a notable reduction in microbial populations and a delay in lipid oxidation. The sensory characteristics stipulated that both the control samples and the samples treated with BHA were more favored than the irradiated samples as the storage time progressed. Although treatment may cause some changes in the sensory characteristics of the meat, the samples were deemed suitable for refrigerated storage for a maximum duration of 10 days. In summary, the utilization of irradiation in conjunction with BHA presents a possible avenue for enhancing the quality and safety of refrigerated beef storage, hence offering promising applications within the meat sector.

Особенности саморегуляции социокультурных девиаций молодежи

In the youth environment in transition conditions, processes related to the rethinking of life goals and ways of achieving them become more active. In social reality, deviant ways of achieving goals are presented in the form of meaningsjudgements, reflecting the principles of separation and self-assertion at the expense of others. In the article they are understood as sociocultural deviations. Their formation in social reality is conditioned by the contradictions forming in society. The selfregulation of sociocultural deviations is understood as a conscious choice by young people in their own self-determination of the principles of dissociation and selfaffirmation as optimal, from their point of view, in the emerging conditions of the ways of achieving the goals of life activity. Based on empirical research by the Centre for Sociology of Youth (Institute of Social and Political Research, Federal Research Centre for Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences), the author considers the peculiarities of self-regulation of socio-cultural deviations of young people depending on their age, place of residence, religious identification, family and trust factor. Young people aged 15-17 are more often oriented in their life activities towards the choice in favour of sociocultural deviations than young people from older age groups. Respondents from low-income groups are more willing to use physical force in a dispute with opponents. In groups in which respondents conceptualise family as an instrumental value, young people are more likely to assert themselves at the expense of others and show disrespect for adults in order to achieve their goals than in groups in which family is conceptualised as a terminal value. Young people who do not trust others are more likely to focus on socio-cultural deviations to achieve their life goals, compared to respondents who build relationships with others on trust.

A Classification and Interpretation of Methodological Approaches to Pursue Natural Capital Valuation in Forest Research

This paper reviews natural capital (NC) valuation approaches in the context of woodland, forest, and riparian ecosystems, emphasising the need for participatory methods to take priority over neoclassical economics approaches. Focusing on research carried out in Scotland, the study analyses findings according to a classification of natural capital initiatives that we have developed, building on ideas proposed by the UK ENCA initiative, a guideline proposed to help researchers and practitioners understand NC and take it into account in valuation, decision-making and policy. We have found that landscape-scale initiatives that address the relationships between people and place to inform value and decision-making beyond the economic (monetary) benefits generated by ecosystem services (ES) are becoming popular. For instance, recent methods employed to capture stakeholders’ non-utilitarian preferences include the use of participatory GIS mapping, scenario planning, and other participatory methods to identify, explore and quantify less tangible cultural ecosystem services (CES). The review shows that many studies provide information relevant to the formulation of a place-based NC approach, working towards the integration of contextual and relational values into land management decisions to help formulate management strategies that maximise ES delivery. Conversely, we have not found evidence of the integration of shared values arising from an eco-centric perspective of nature valuation into the more classical, instrumental value lens. Such an approach would help inform broader, overarching aspects of woodland and forest management that may foster more effective conservation and help to manage conflicts.

THE VALUE ORIENTATIONS OF ADOLESCENTS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

This article presents general characteristics of the concepts of emotional intelligence and value orientations from the perspective of several authors. There are presented some theoretical approaches with reference to the components of emotional intelligence and the types of value orientations. Moreover, in this paper some sequences of the research carried out on the subject of emotional intelligence and value orientations in adolescents are described. They directly relate to the hierarchies of terminal and instrumental value orientations of adolescents with different levels of emotional intelligence development: high level and low level. At a comparative level, priority values and values rejected by teenagers are presented, which denote different levels of emotional intelligence. The obtained results demonstrate that the value hierarchies in the experimental subjects are not identical. We emphasize that the research sample consists of 341 teenagers from the Republic of Moldova.

The Place of Animals in Wollstonecraft's Early Educational Writings

Abstract Thomas Taylor's parody of Mary Wollstonecraft's support for rights of women and humans raises a question: does his satire unwittingly propose a defence of animal rights found in Wollstonecraft's arguments? While Wollstonecraft's later works do not mention animal rights, her early educational writings offer arguments on animal ethics. These works explore the value of animals from moral, theological, and consequentialist perspectives, emphasizing both their instrumental and inherent value. This article argues that Wollstonecraft's moral psychology and theology highlight a benevolent attitude towards animals, underscoring their value beyond their utility.

Chinese heritage language learners' motivation and intention to continue learning Mandarin

AbstractThis study explored Chinese heritage language learners' prior Mandarin experiences and their current Mandarin‐learning experiences to reveal factors that influence their motivation and intention to continue or discontinue their Mandarin coursework. Using a Grounded Theory approach, we conducted demographic surveys and semi‐structured interviews with eight participants taking beginner‐level Mandarin courses. Following open, axial, and selective coding procedures, we developed a model portraying factors that influenced HLLs' decision to continue their enrollment in Mandarin classes. The model revealed that their decisions were fueled by ongoing appraisals via their motivational orientations, course expectations, and emotional experiences that drove their approach or avoidance focus. In particular, Mandarin high dropout rates may result from 1) HLLs' unmet course expectations, 2) lack of specific future‐oriented instrumental values, and 3) unpleasant emotional experiences within the class. The study concluded with four pedagogical implications (e.g., adopting task‐based language teaching) to sustain HLLs' motivation in college HL courses.

Human–nature connectedness is positively correlated with the perceived value of nature regardless of urbanization levels

AbstractUrbanization has affected the economy, ecosystem, and human health. In addition to these direct and physical impacts, urbanization is suggested to affect our preferences and valuation with respect to nature, including people’s perceived values of nature and human–nature connectedness (HNC). Perceived values of nature and HNC are essential for constructing and maintaining sustainable cities. However, the relationship between urbanization, HNC, and perceived values of nature has not been sufficiently elucidated. This study aimed to quantitatively examine this relationship and to generate new insights into methods for enhancing people’s perceived values of nature. The study focused on the following research questions: (1) How different is residents’ HNC under varying urbanization levels? (2) How different is the relationship between HNC and the perceived values of nature under varying urbanization levels? This study categorized perceived values of nature into “relational values” and “instrumental values”. A questionnaire was administered to the residential population in three study areas in Nagareyama City, Japan, each representing a rural, urbanizing, and urban area. The data were subjected to factor analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and multi-group SEM. The results indicate that residents’ HNC is weaker in urbanizing and urban areas than in rural areas. The findings also suggest that HNC positively correlates with the perceived values of nature, regardless of urbanization levels. These results indicate that considering HNC is crucial in nature management to understand people’s value perceptions and conservation attitudes as well as to enhance their value perceptions toward surrounding nature under varying urbanization levels.

Exploring mathematical wellbeing across cultures: insights from diverse students

AbstractAcross many countries, including New Zealand, diverse groups including indigenous, migrant, and marginalised communities, are under-represented in mathematics, as evidenced by achievement disparities and disengagement from higher-level mathematics. Both research and policy have focused on developing equitable education outcomes for all students. A key aspect of this is wellbeing, including within mathematics classrooms, which includes identifying classroom environments that enable wellbeing. This study examines mathematical wellbeing (MWB) across different ethnicities and genders, with a case study focus on students from Pacific heritages. Analysing qualitative responses from over 12,000 diverse students revealed that positive relationships in the mathematics classroom were most commonly associated with students’ MWB. Accomplishment and cognitive factors, including mathematical accuracy, learning new things, and understanding, were also identified as important. Minor gender differences emerged, with female students emphasising mathematical understanding, accuracy, and relationships more than male students. The Pacific student case study highlighted the importance of both cognitive aspects (learning new things and understanding) and relationships (peer and teacher support), uncovering an alignment between cultural values and MWB. This study empirically confirms seven universal values supporting student MWB, previously identified in Australian and Chinese contexts, suggesting that teachers internationally may align pedagogical practices with these values to support most students’ MWB. However, the instrumental values serving these universal values appear culturally unique. This research contributes novel insights to the field by examining wellbeing with a subject-specific focus through student-generated responses, offering implications for developing more equitable and culturally inclusive mathematics classrooms.

A Time Series Study of Financial Sector Development and Original Sin in Nigeria

This study examined financial sector development and original sin in Nigeria financial market. Time series data was sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin from 1990-2023. Original sin measured by Nigeria external debt per exchange rate, Capital market development as market capitalization to gross domestic product, Foreign exchange market as variation in naira exchange rate per US Dollar, banking sector development as percentage total bank assets to gross domestic product, money market development as insurance total assets to gross domestic product, Money market development as value of money market instrument to gross domestic product. The study employed descriptive statistics and multiple regression models to estimate the relationship that exists between the dependent and independent variables. The null Hypotheses (H0) were tested at 0.05 level of significance, Ordinary Least Square (OLS), Augmented Dickey Fuller Test, Johansen Co-integration test, normalized co-integrating equations and parsimonious vector error correction model were used to conduct the investigations and analysis. The study found that 57.0% variation on original sin can be traced and explained by variation on the independent variables as formulated in the regression model. However, the F-Statistics and the F-probability justifies that the model is significant and adequate in explaining variation on the dependent variable. The β coefficient shows that capital market development have negative effect on original sin, foreign exchange market have positive effect on original sin, banking sector development have negative effect on original sin, insurance sector development and money market development have positive effect on original sin. From the findings, the study concludes that the independent variables determine positively and negatively original sin in Nigeria. We recommend that the need for policies to deepen the capital market as this can cushion the effect of the negative effect of external borrowing and domiciled in Nigeria currency rather than international currency. There should be institutionalized policies to enhance the value of the naira against other international currencies as this can reduce the pressure of exchange rate variation in international debt and international monetary environment. Public expenditure should be directed to the productive sector of the economy as this can enhance the productive capacity of the economy and reduce the negative effect on balance of payment and other macroeconomic variables. Policies should be advanced to reduce external borrowings; this can reduce the debt burden and reduce the incidence of original sin in the financial market.

Personal values and moral reasoning: An empirical study

This exploratory study examined the personal values (using the Rokeach values survey) and moral reasoning (according to the DIT-2 P-scores) of a sample of 51 students taking business courses at a Canadian University in Winter 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. The mean P-Score of the sample was 32.16 with females having a mean P-score (37.4) significantly higher (at 5% level) than the males (mean of 28.62). Health was ranked as the most important terminal value, followed by Family Security and Self-Respect while Honest was considered as the highest-ranking instrumental value, followed by Responsible and Ambitious. Female respondents considered the value of Self-Respect to be of more priority than the male respondents. The results suggest that most of the respondents (66%) according to the Musser-Orke classification, place emphasis on social than on personal goals and thus on serving others rather than themselves. No significant correlation was, however, detected between the respondents’ P-Scores and either their social terminal or moral instrumental value scores.

The limitations and risks of land use change tools in decision-making: Lessons from Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, Scotland

Land use change is needed to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss and is increasingly incentivised through natural capital approaches that reward delivery of ecosystem services including carbon sequestration and biodiversity. A proliferation of land use change decision-support tools are developed –often by private companies– to support land use change decision-making and measure success of government policy and private investment targets. However, understanding of land manager uptake of these tools is often limited, and the limitations and risks of tools used to support land use change decision-making is understudied. We explore these knowledge gaps in a UNESCO Biosphere in Galloway and Southern Ayrshire, Scotland through nineteen interviews with a wide range of land managers. We found that the promotion of tools as a mechanism to deliver rapid land use change is unlikely to be successful for three reasons: 1) the dominant focus on instrumental values, neglecting land managers’ broader values; 2) the technocratic tools-based approach to decision-making is at odds with land manager behaviour; and 3) the importance of peer-led networks is neglected. Framing the promotion of tools as another form of environmental rescaling, we argue that they are a red herring in addressing issues of land use change. The emphasis should instead be on appropriately supporting and resourcing local peer-led networks to enable and incentivise land-use change. These findings have global relevance given increasing promotion of these approaches within international policy and country-level policy in many countries worldwide.

Analyzing the Selective Stock Price Index Using Fractionally Integrated and Heteroskedastic Models

Stock market indices are important tools to measure and compare stock market performance. The Selective Stock Price (SSP) index reflects fluctuations in a set value of financial instruments of Santiago de Chile’s stock exchange. Stock indices also reflect volatility linked to high uncertainty or potential investment risk. However, economic shocks are altering volatility. Evidence of long memory in SSP time series also exists, which implies long-term persistence. In this paper, we studied the volatility of SSP time series from January 2010 to September 2023 using fractionally heteroskedastic models. We considered the Autoregressive Fractionally Integrated Moving Average (ARFIMA) process with Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) innovations—the ARFIMA-GARCH model—for SSP log returns, and the fractionally integrated GARCH, or FIGARCH model, was compared with a classical GARCH one. The results show that the ARFIMA-GARCH model performs best in terms of volatility fit and predictive quality. This model allows us to obtain a better understanding of the observed volatility and its behavior, which contributes to more effective investment risk management in the stock market. Moreover, the proposed model detects the influence volatility increments of the SSP index linked to external factors that impact the economic outlook, such as China’s economic slowdown in 2012 and the subprime crisis in 2008.

Value-based and goal-setting orientations of pre-service Russian sign language interpreters

Introduction. The relevance of research into the problem of training Russian sign language (RSL) interpreters for the university bachelor’s degree is ensured by the government procurement for the provision of translation services for people with hearing disabilities in public offices and state agencies, which is compliant with the UN principles of providing equal opportunities for disabled people to actively participate in the life of society. During the period of university studies students are supposed to learn sign language, master translator’s skills and become aware of the specificity of communication with representatives of deaf society. To succeed in achieving these results students should clearly understand what they study and how it is related to their values and future profession. In other words, they are supposed to have goals which university program can help to achieve. Thus, the aim of the research is to analyze valuebased and goal-setting orientations of future RSL interpreters and their perception of the professionally important qualities of an RSL interpreter. Materials and methods. The research was carried out at Novosibirsk state technical university (Russian Federation). The samples were the first-year and fourth-year students majoring in Linguistics, specialty ‘English language and Russian sign language interpreter’. The data collection was done by means of a survey based on the questionnaire with open ended questions and Rokeach Value survey. Results. The choice of sample groups of the first-year and the fourth-year students was determined by the need to compare educational goals which students set at the start of the university studies and educational goals of those who have covered most part of the program and are close to graduation. The analysis of the received results reveals that the goals of the senior students are more focused on professional activity – ‘to master profession through practice’ (61%), while the goals of the freshmen are more orientated at mastering English (36%) and learning new sign language (23%). It is worth noting that 7% of the first-year students and 7.5% of the fourth-year students have the goals that are not related to studying in the program, and after graduation they are not going to work in the field of RSL interpreting. Moreover, students have rather inconsistent understanding of professionally important qualities of an RSL interpreter. The results of the Rokeach Value survey test demonstrate that students’ terminal and instrumental values correlate with their answers to the questionnaire. The instrumental values students ranked as the most important demonstrate stronger focus on self than on other people. Conclusion. The findings suggest insufficiently developed students’ skills of goalsetting and defining the means of goal attaining. The future RSL interpreters need to develop goalsetting skills that could help them formulate the strategies of setting personally and professionally important goals and define the ways of their attainment. The continuation of present research is seen as an action research into the problem of the pre-service RSL interpreters’ goalsetting.