O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o perfil sócio-demográfico, comportamento de jogo e variáveis associadas nos jogadores patológicos idosos. Realizou-se uma entrevista semi-estruturada com 586 pacientes que procuraram tratamento específico para jogo. Jogadores idosos (51) comparados com os adultos (535) apresentam características sociais típicas da idade que podem deixá-los vulneráveis ao jogo. Idosos começam a jogar mais tarde, desenvolvem mais lentamente a doença e apresentam menor gravidade do quadro clínico o que sugere um melhor prognóstico. Nos jogadores idosos existem dois subgrupos: os de início de jogo precoce ou início tardio. Os de início precoce começaram a jogar no início da vida adulta e são em sua maioria homens. Jogadores patológicos idosos necessitam de abordagens específicas de ajuda / The objective of this study was evaluate the social-demographic profile, gambling behavior and associated variables of elderly pathological gamblers. A half-structuralized interview with 586 patients, who had sought specific treatment for gambling, was done. Aged gamblers (51) compared with adults (53) present typical social characteristics of ageing that may make them vulnerable to gamble. They start to gamble later, develop the disease much more slowly and present lower severity of clinical features suggesting a better prognosis. There are two groups concerning aged gamblers: early or later onset of gambling. Early onset start gamble at the beginning of adult life and they are most likely to be male. The elderly pathological gamblers need specific boarding of aid and suggest one better prognostic

Debt holding by managers, i.e., inside debt, aligns the incentives of managers more closely with those of debtholders, reducing agency costs of debt (Jensen and Meckling (1976) and Edmans and Liu (2011)). My thesis investigates the effect of managerial ownership of debt on corporate risk-taking, bank loan contracting, and accounting conservatism. / In the first chapter I examine the effect of managerial ownership of debt on agency costs of debt problems related to risk-taking. I find that higher managerial ownership of debt implements lower corporate risk-taking, in terms of less investment in R&D, more investment in capital expenditures, and more corporate diversification. The role of inside debt in moderating risk-taking is more pronounced in firms with high level of default risk. These findings suggest that managers with large inside debt holdings are less likely to pursue risky projects that potentially transfer wealth from debtholders to shareholders. / In the second chapter I examine how terms of bank loans are related to managerial ownership of debt. Specifically, the analysis uncovers significant evidence of lower loan spreads for firms with larger debt ownership by CEOs. The negative relation is more pronounced when creditors face higher expropriation risk and when the CEO's expected retirement horizon is beyond loan maturity. I also find that loans to firms with larger managerial debt holdings are associated with smaller lending syndicates, fewer covenant restrictions, and less collateral requirement, consistent with lenders anticipating lower expropriation risk at these firms. / In the third chapter I examine the relation between accounting conservatism and managerial ownership of debt. Consistent with debt holdings by managers mitigating the debtholder-shareholder conflicts and reducing debtholders' demand for accounting conservatism, I find significant evidence of less conservative financial reporting at firms whose CEOs have accumulated more deferred compensation and pension benefits. This negative relation is more pronounced in firms with higher expected agency costs of debt and in firms that can credibly commit to a higher level of conservatism if required by debtholders. These findings are robust to using a number of alternative accounting conservatism measures and to correcting for potential endogeneity of managerial ownership of debt. / Xin, Xiangang. / Advisers: Danqing Young; Oliver M. Rui; Cong Wang. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-07(E), Section: A. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-140). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

These three studies on the effect of national culture on banking aim at advancing knowledge and understanding of bank risk-taking, deposits and profitability by adding culture to their determining factors. Banking is a highly regulated industry, and one would expect informal institutions such as national culture not to influence management decisions. However, it seems that bank managers but also bank customers are susceptible to cultural biases making their influence on risk taking, deposit and profitability levels statistically and economically significant. In the first study, I find that national culture is an important bank-risk determinant. Specifically, I find a positive (negative) association between the cultural values of individualism and hierarchy (trust) and domestic bank risk-taking. This relation weakened during the recent financial crisis and does not hold for global banks, regardless of the period under investigation. In the second study, I report a positive association between trust and deposits which holds for domestic as well as global banks, supporting the popular view that banking is based on trust. Motivated by two relatively new regulations (Net Stability Funding Ratio and Liquidity Coverage Ratio), enforced to safeguard stable liquidity, I use interaction effects to find that high deposit volatility mitigates the positive impact of trust on deposit levels. In the third study, I identify national culture as an important determinant of bank profitability. Looking separately into global and domestic banks, the former are less prone to cultural influences compared to the latter. Furthermore, domestic banks with foreign ownership/management are less susceptible to cultural biases compared to domestic banks with local ownership/management. Finally, banks operating in conservative, hierarchical societies are expected to face more challenges with fintech disturbance, compared to banks operating in egalitarian societies. My results are statistically and economically significant and robust to endogeneity tests mitigating reverse causality and confounding effect concerns.

Background: Though there continues to be a significant amount of research aimed at understanding factors associated with participating in sexual risk behavior in populations of YBMSM, there has been far less research concerned with understanding how psychological distress may influence sexual risk behaviors and how emotional bond formation may affect the relationship between psychological distress and sexual risk behavior. This study aims to better understand the relationship between psychological distress and sexual risk behavior as well as the moderating effect of adult attachment insecurity on this relationship. Methods: Three data collection strategies were utilized to address the study aims: 1) cross-sectional (n = 228), 2) eight-week structured diary (n = 153), and 3) semi-structured interview (n = 30). The cross-sectional survey provided measurement information on adult attachment style using a modified version of the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR) that consists of the attachment avoidance and anxiety subscales, the Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI) and the Kessler-10 (K10). Sexual risk was measured by assessing unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) and serodiscordant UAI in the last two months. The eight-week structured diary utilized weekly reports of UAI encounter vs. no UAI encounter, and serodiscordant UAI encounter vs. no serodiscordant UAI encounter. The K10 and the Profile of Moods (POMS) anxiety and depression subscales measured psychological distress. The semi-structured interview assessed childhood attachment. Regression analyses were used to analyze the cross-sectional data. Random effects and population average regression models were used to analyze the structured diary data. A thematic inductive analysis technique was utilized to analyze the qualitative data. Results: Overall, participants reported slightly elevated mean scores on the attachment anxiety subscale while scores on the attachment avoidance subscale remained low. Participants reported an average of two UAI partners in the last month and an average of 1.3 UAI encounters over the eight-week diary period. Psychological distress scores were slightly elevated in the cross-sectional survey and depression scores were elevated in the diary component. For Aim 1, men higher on attachment insecurity (anxiety and avoidance) had higher levels of general psychological distress, depression, and anxiety in comparison to men who were more secure. The qualitative data supported the quantitative findings and showed that subjective appraisal of traumatic events and sexual orientation disclosure may mediate the relationship between childhood attachment and adult mental health. For Aim 2, the quantitative findings suggested that attachment insecurity was not related to sexual risk behavior. However, the qualitative component suggested that participants who were anxious used sex as a means to try to create an emotional bond, while participants who were avoidant used sex as a means to feel good without wanting to create an emotional bond. Both anxious and avoidant men seemed to participate in more concurrent sexual relationships which could increase their likelihood of HIV/STI transmission. For Aim 3, men who were more depressed and had higher levels of general psychological distress were more likely to report a serodiscordant UAI encounter in a given week. The qualitative data supported the quantitative findings and suggested that men might use sex as a means of escape their negative mood. This model of "escapism" could have lead to participation in sexual practices that increased men's risk of HIV/STI transmission. For Aim 4, adult attachment insecurity did not moderate the relationship between psychological distress and sexual risk. The qualitative data suggested that secure attachment in childhood was important to adequately coping with stressful situations, which in turn promoted overall well-being. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that understanding adult attachment may lead to a better understanding of psychological distress and sexual risk behavior among YBMSM. The results highlight the importance of considering childhood and young adult emotional bond formation in the development of HIV/STI prevention intervention activities aimed at addressing the heightened rates of sexual risk behavior among YBMSM. This research could have valuable implications for the development of HIV/STI and mental health prevention interventions aimed at reducing sexual risk behaviors and promoting well-being in populations of YBMSM

Ce travail cherche à mieux comprendre les facteurs cognitifs en jeu dans les différentes étapes d’élaboration et de réalisation du projet entrepreneurial : quel est l’impact de la cognition entrepreneuriale sur la réalisation et le succès d’une opportunité d’innovation ? Pour répondre à cette question nous décomposons la problématique en trois axes. Le premier essai propose un modèle conceptuel de l’innovation entrepreneuriale en tant que processus individuel. Nous conceptualisons les différentes activités – génération d’une idée créative, évaluation et implémentation – et examinons leurs spécificités et l’influence des facteurs cognitifs sur chaque étape. Le deuxième article présente une analyse empirique qui teste les hypothèses issues du modèle à travers une expérimentation avec 70 entrepreneurs. Le design expérimental permet de reproduire le processus d’innovation, depuis la génération de l’idée jusqu’à l’implémentation tout en offrant également une mesure de la performance de l’innovation sur le marché. Nos résultats montrent que la créativité est un facteur d’innovation mais que ce lien entre génération de l’idée et implémentation est influencé par les facteurs cognitifs : excès de confiance, optimisme et comportement face au risque. Le troisième article se concentre sur la décision par des individus innovants de créer ou non leur entreprise. Avec une étude quantitative sur 124 chercheurs, dont 76 ont créée leur entreprise, nous apportons un éclairage au lien entre innovation et création d’entreprise : être innovant ne suffit pas pour devenir entrepreneur, l’effet du sentiment d’auto-efficacité et du comportement face au risque sont des éléments déterminants. / This thesis investigates the cognitive factors involved all along the entrepreneurial process and their impact over the different activities underlying such process. We aim at answering the research question: What is the impact of entrepreneurial cognition on the successful implementation of an innovation?To tackle this question, we depicted the subject in three axes. The first essay proposes a conceptual model of individual innovation embedded in the entrepreneurial process. We conceptualize the different stages of creative idea generation, evaluation and implementation and examine the peculiarities of each stage and the influence of cognitive factors. The second paper presents an empirical analysis that tests the hypotheses issued from the model through an economic experiment with 70 entrepreneurs. The experimental design provides an objective measure of innovation and imitates every stage of the process: from the generation of ideas all throughout the implementation and performance of innovations in the market. Our findings show that although creativity is the source of innovations, the relationship between generation of ideas and its implementation is influenced by cognitive factors: overconfidence, optimism and risk-taking. The third essay focuses on the decision by innovative individuals to start a venture. Building on a quantitative study with 124 researches, from which 76 created their venture, we contribute to the debate about the link between innovation and entrepreneurship: being innovative is not enough for becoming an entrepreneur, self-efficacy beliefs an risk-taking behavior are two drivers of individual’s decision to start a venture.

Offenders accepting contraband cell phones in secured facilities violate state corrections law, and the possession of these cell phones is a form of risk taking behavior. When offenders continue this risky behavior, it affects their decision making in other domains where they are challenging authorities; and may impact the length of their incarceration. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experience of ex-offenders who had contraband cell phones in secured correctional facilities in order to better understand their reasons for taking risks with contraband cell phones. The theoretical foundation for this study was Trimpop's risk-homeostasis and risk-motivation theories that suggest an individual's behaviors adapt to negotiate between perceived risk and desired risk in order to achieve satisfaction. The research question explored beliefs and perceptions of ex-offenders who chose to accept the risk of using contraband cell phones during their time in secured facilities. Data were collected anonymously through recorded telephone interviews with 8 male adult ex-offenders and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings indicated participants felt empowered by possession of cell phones in prison, and it was an acceptable risk to stay connected to family out of concern for loved ones. The study contributes to social change by providing those justice system administrators, and prison managers responsible for prison cell phone policies with more detailed information about the motivations and perspectives of offenders in respect to using contraband cell phones while imprisoned in secured facilities.

Previous research examining high-risk sports participation has yielded discrepancies between the role assigned to risk and the perceptions of climbers regarding risk. Risk, as it applies to high-risk sport participation, has not been sufficiently defined in the literature. The current study sought to develop, by means of a grounded theory approach, a new, dynamic operational definition of risk as it applies to rock climbers, and to examine the role of risk management as a modifying factor in the perception of risk and its impact on motivation and participation. Nineteen subjects (twelve male and seven female) averaging 14.7 years of climbing experience were interviewed. A model for the processing of risk in high-risk sports participants is presented in which risk is perceived by the participant as operating on three levels: actual risk, assessed risk, and mental or perceived risk. The exposure to actual and assessed risk does not appear to be a goal of the climbers interviewed, but does provide meaning to decisions made by the participant, as well as defining limits and boundaries. Mental or perceived risk serves to provide a mental challenge to be overcome by the climber, and may provide a thrill or "adrenaline rush" that is sought out by some participants. The elimination of risk would change most participants' perceptions of climbing. Motivation would be negatively affected in most cases. The model presented describes a process of risk awareness, assessment, acceptance, mitigation, results, and consequences that is situation specific. The perception and assessment of risk varies from individual to individual, as well as across time. Individual climbers have a well defined risk threshold: a point at which the risk to which they are exposing themselves becomes too great and the decision will be made to reject risk. This threshold is stable and does not shift as the result of experience. It is suggested that future research which seeks to examine the role of risk in high-risk sports participation focus on the process by which risk is identified, evaluated, and accepted, as this will be of the most benefit to the participants.

Black individuals have been disproportionately targeted by law enforcement, most notably in shooting deaths at the hands of police, and has contributed to a general distrust of law enforcement. A rise in citizen journalism has helped document excessive use of force by police on video; however, little is known how individuals respond to viewing this type of media. A history of race-based stress is likely to contribute to an expectation of racism and may impact how individuals respond to videos of the treatment of unarmed Black men at the hands of police, with some evidence suggesting ethnic identity may moderate this relationship. Additionally, stress has been previously associated with risky health behaviors and risk-taking more generally; however, little is known whether the response to race-related stressors is in line with past work and whether distress tolerance may moderate this relationship. This study sought to contribute to this literature by examining if racial differences exist in the stress response to a video of police fatally wounding an unarmed black man and if this response (1) was predicted by stigma-related stressors (discrimination, anticipatory racism); (2) was associated with risk-taking; and (3) was moderated by ethnic identity and distress tolerance. Results showed that White respondents evidence greater galvanic skin response than Black respondents; however, there were no other significant racial differences in heart rate variability, systolic blood pressure, or negative affect via facial electromyography in response to the video. The stress response did not predict risk-taking nor was distress tolerance a significant moderator of this relationship. Among Black respondents, stigma-related stressors did not predict the stress response. Levels of ethnic identity commitment marginally interacted with discrimination in predicting heart rate variability, such that individuals with greater levels of commitment evidenced lower heart rate variability as experiences of discrimination increased compared to those with lower levels of commitment. There were no other significant or marginally significant interactions of ethnic identity with stigma-related stressors in predicting the stress response. Stigma-related stressors did not predict risk-taking nor were there indirect effects through the stress response. Health implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Adolescents engage in risk behaviors at an alarming rate, and particularly when they are with peers. Despite efforts to develop prevention and intervention programs, rates of risk-taking among adolescents is still relatively high. Adolescents continue to engage in physical fights and aggressive behavior, use substances such as alcohol and illicit drugs, and make decisions that impact driving and motor vehicle incidents. The regulation of emotions plays a significant role in adolescents’ decisions to engage in such risk behaviors.Examining adolescents’ emotion expression and regulation is therefore critical to identifying ways to support positive development. This dissertation project explored important regulatory mechanisms that underlie adolescents’ behavior in 108 adolescents, by examining synchrony between emotion expression and physiological arousal (change from baseline heart rate to tasking heart rate)during a risk-taking task. The study also assessed the extent to which the social context of peers shifts emotion expression and physiological arousal, and whether this is associated with adolescents’ behavioral and social outcomes, and if these associations vary by gender. Study results suggest that the presence of a peer influences adolescents’ emotion expression. Specifically, adolescents showed greater expression of emotion when completing a risk-taking task in the presence of a peer, than when they completed the task alone. Additionally, adolescent girls are generally more expressive than their male counterparts and equally expressive alone and with a peer, but adolescent boys express more when they are with a peer than when they are alone. Synchrony between emotion expression and physiological arousal was not evident, however results of supplemental analyses suggest that physiological arousal (change from baseline heart rate to heart rate during the task)plays a moderating role in the association between emotion expression and social competence. Findings from the proposed study may inform intervention and policy efforts to understand and promote positive development among adolescents. In particular, results may shift how adults understand and respond to adolescent behavior in social contexts such as classrooms.

When trying to make sense of uncertain situations, we might rely on summary information from a description, or information gathered from our personal experience. There are two approaches that both attempt to explain how we make risky decisions using descriptive or experiential information—the cognitive-based explanation from the description-experience gap, and the emotion-based explanation from the somatic marker hypothesis (SMH). This dissertation brings together these two approaches to better understand how we make risky decisions. Four options were presented, with options differing in terms of advantageousness and riskiness. How easy or difficult it was to consciously comprehend the reward structure, or cognitive penetrability, was manipulated by displaying single outcomes or multiple, diverse outcomes per trial. Within the description or experience task, participants were randomly assigned to the more or less penetrable version of an all gain or all loss set of options. How often the riskier or advantageous options were chosen served as a measure of risky or advantageous decision making. Regardless of penetrability, risk preferences were generally but not completely as predicted by the SMH. Instead, the primary effect of cognitive penetrability was on advantageous decision making. Furthermore, description was found to be more cognitively penetrable than experience. Overall, the results suggest that clarification is needed regarding how somatic markers are formed in the loss versus gain domain, and future research should consider the difference in penetrability between description and experience when trying to explain preferences between the two decisions.