Farmers in the high plateau region of Algeria are assumed to exhibit risk averse behavior, particularly, due to highly variable weather conditions inducing income instability over time. This in turn directly affects their production behavior. The Eastern High Plateau (Setif) is not a homogeneous region. In the El-Eulma daira, for example, three different agroecological zones have been identified on the basis of climate, topography and soil quality. In addition, two distinct agricultural sectors (private and socialist) coexist side by side in each of the agroecological zones. This study constitutes an attempt to measure farmers' risk attitudes in three communes (El-Eulma, Oum Ladjoul and Beni Fouda) which are representative of the three agroecological zones of the El-Eulma daira. Farmers' risk attitudes were measured through the experimental approach developed by Binswanger in India. The technique used consisted of presenting the subjects, i.e. the farmers, with a set of alternative prospects involving real money. Based on the derived risk aversion coefficients, a series of tests was run to determine if farmers' risk attitudes are dependent on the zone and/or the sector. The effect of socioeconomic characteristics (age, schooling, number of working children, etc.) on partial risk aversion was analyzed. Finally, the derived risk aversion coefficients were used in a risk programming model (MOTAD) to determine optimal farming plans for private as well as socialist sector farmers. The experiment results indicate that regardless of the zone and the sector, farmers unanimously exhibit risk averse attitudes. At low payoff level, the distribution of risk preferences is more spread. A narrower distribution occurs at higher payoff levels (e.g. 200 DA scale). There was no evidence of significant difference among sites and between sectors. Also socioeconomic attributes correlate poorly with the estimated partial risk aversion coefficients. In the socialist sector major discrepancies between the risk programming model solutions and actual activity levels occured. They were expected because of the specific structure of this sector. The inclusion of government cropping pattern recommendations in the constraint matrix indicates that government interventions have a different effect on socialist farmers' welfare of the three zones. / Graduation date: 1986

No description available.

The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on December 29, 2009). Thesis advisor: Dr. Bruce D. Bartholow. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Economics, August 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2000. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-72). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ67735

Background: Adolescent risk behaviors are important public health problems worldwide. They can lead to significant mortalities and morbidities. Common and important adolescent risk behaviors include tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, drug abuse, dating, sexual activity, suicide, participation in fighting and gambling. Various factors were studied on the association with youth risk behaviors. Families, schools and communities play important roles. Having meals with families have been shown to be associated with less risk behaviors in youths in other studies. However, there is no study on the association between family dinner and youth risk behaviors in Hong Kong. Objectives: The objectives of the current study are to test for any association between the frequency of family dinner and youth risk behaviors and to raise the public awareness of the importance of youth risk behaviors and the associated factors. Methods: The data in the current study was extracted from the Child Health Survey (CHS) conducted in 2005/2006. The CHS was commissioned by the Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch Centre for Health Protection under Department of Health. Children in the age group of 11 to 14 years old were included in this study. In CHS, self-administered questionnaires including Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) which were validated were completed by the parent. For children of 11 to 14 years of age, except those who were mentally handicapped, data on quality of life, psychological assessment and risk behaviors were collected through a separate face-to-face interview and a self- administered questionnaire in Chinese. The association between number of family dinners per week and youth problems including smoking, alcohol drinking, drug abuse, dating, sexual experience, suicidal ideation, participation in fighting and gambling were tested using univariate analysis. Risk behaviors found to be significantly associated with frequency of family dinner were further tested by adjustment of possible confounders using logistic regression. Results: Family dinner of 3 times or more per week was associated with less alcohol drinking, dating and participation in fighting. Alcohol drinking, sexual experience and peer smoking were significantly associated with youth smoking. Youth alcohol drinking was found to be associated with smoking, dating, gambling and externalization problem. Smoking and alcohol drinking were significantly associated with dating. Alcohol drinking, drug abuse, participation in fighting, anxiety and depression problem were associated with suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation, gambling, anxiety and depression problem, and externalization problem were significantly associated with participation in fighting. Factors associated with youth gambling included alcohol drinking, suicidal ideation and participation in fighting. Conclusion: Family dinner is likely to be a protective factor against certain youth risk behaviors, including alcohol drinking, youth dating and participation in fighting. It should be promoted to all families in Hong Kong. Youth risk behaviors were inter-related. Detection of one youth risk problem should prompt the detection of other risk problems. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

The three reported studies examine the possible etiology of gambling behavior and its correlates in adolescents with respect to motivational factors, predisposing factors as assessed by personality, depression and risk-taking traits, and by testing Jacobs' (1986) General Theory of Addictions which specifies a path toward the development of an addiction. Furthermore, the validity of the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking (AISS) (Arnett, 1994) as a sensitive measure for assessing risk-taking in adolescent gamblers is assessed. Findings offer support for the premise of an addictive personality with problem and pathological gamblers differing from the norm on several personality dimensions including Excitability, Conformity, Self-Discipline, and Cheerfulness as assessed by the High School Personality Questionnaire. Furthermore, this group of adolescent problem gamblers was characterized by depression, high risk-taking, and tendencies toward dissociation. Support for Jacobs' General Theory of Addictions was ascertained, and the AISS was found to be a useful instrument for evaluating risk-taking among adolescents as it pertains to gambling behavior.

No description available.

Positive and negative outcome expectancies have been found to play a significant role in adolescents' decisions to engage in drug and alcohol use. In light of the parallel risk and protective factors among high-risk behaviors, youth gambling outcome expectancies were explored through the development of the 23-item Gambling Expectancy Questionnaire (GEQ) using a sample of 1,013 students aged 12-18. The final GEQ consists of three positive expectancy scales (i.e., Enjoyment/Arousal, Self-Enhancement, Money) and two negative expectancy scales (i.e., Over-Involvement, Emotional Impact). Significant gender, age and DSM-IV-MR-J gambling group differences were identified on the scales of the GEQ. Stepwise logistic regression among gamblers was performed separately for males and females to predict group membership into either social or problem gambling categories. The results of this study suggest that non-gamblers, social gamblers, at-risk gamblers and PPGs differ in their expectancies of the positive and negative outcomes of gambling behavior. In particular, PPGs highly anticipate both the positive and negative outcomes of gambling. Among males, these perceptions differentiate those who gamble excessively and those who do not. For females, on the other hand, outcome expectancies may have less predictive value. These findings were interpreted in terms of their implications for prevention, treatment and future research.

Risk-sensitivity theory predicts that decision-makers shift from risk-aversion to riskpreference in situations where low-risk options are unlikely to meet their needs. Risksensitive theory is contrasted with more traditional unbounded models of decision-making predicting that decision-makers seek to optimize utility in all decisions. In this dissertation, I review influential theories of decision-making from the various behavioral sciences, and offer an integrated approach to understanding decision-making informed by evolutionary theory. I then present evidence suggesting that risk-taking comprises a general phenomenon, inclusive of such behaviors as gambling and antisocial conduct. Finally, I demonstrate in several laboratory experiments that conditions of need, such as inequality, are important motivators of risky behavior. Together, the results suggest that risk-taking represents a functional triggering of preference for variable outcomes in response to conditions of need, consistent with risk-sensitivity theory. / xiv, 149 leaves ; 29 cm