Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-85).

The purpose of this thesis is to empirically explore the characteristics of the monetary transmission mechanism, with a particular emphasis on the role of banks, in Turkey. By looking at the banking sector at the micro level and exploiting dynamic panel data modeling approaches, the heterogeneity in banks&rsquo / response in terms of their lending and risk-taking to changes in policy interest rates is analyzed. The first essay is an empirical analysis of the bank lending channel of monetary transmission. In this regard, the lending behavior of banks operating over the period 1988-2009 is examined. Given the changes in the policy stance and developments in the financial system following the 2000-01 crisis, the analysis is further conducted for the two sub-periods: 1988-2001 and 2002 2009, to examine whether there is a change in the functioning of the credit channel. Empirical evidence suggests cross sectional heterogeneity in banks&rsquo / response to monetary policy changes during 1988-2009. Regarding the results of the pre-crisis and post-crisis periods, it is found that an operative bank lending channel existed in 1988-2001, however its impact became much stronger thereafter. Furthermore, there are significant differences in the distributional effects due to bank specific characteristics in the impact of monetary policy on credit supply between the two sub-periods. The second essay investigates the existence of risk-taking channel of monetary policy by using quarterly data over the period 2002-2012. Four alternative risk measures are used in the analysis / three accounting-based risk indicators and a market-based indicator. Our findings show that low levels of interest rates have a positive impact of banks&rsquo / risk-taking behavior for all risk measures. In terms of bank specific characteristics, our results imply that large, liquid and well-capitalized banks are less prone to risk-taking.

This doctoral thesis consists of four papers. Strategic behavior across gender: A comparison of female and male expert chess players analyzes gender differences in risk behavior in chess. We use a panel data set with 1.4 million games. Most notably, the data contains an objective measure of individual playing skill. We find that women are more risk averse and that men choose riskier strategies when playing against female opponents even though this reduces their winning probability. Gender differences in time preference and inconsistency among expert chess players presents findings on gender differences in time preference and inconsistency in chess. Impatience is estimated by measuring preferences for game durations while inconsistency by exploiting the 40th move time control. The results reveal that men are more impatient while women are more time inconsistent. Moreover, the difference in impatience increases with expertise while the difference in inconsistency decreases. Beauty queens and battling knights: Risk taking and attractiveness in chess explores the relationship between attractiveness and risk taking in chess. We examine whether people use riskier strategies when playing with attractive opponents and whether this affects performance. Our results suggest that male, but not female, chess players choose significantly riskier strategies when playing against an attractive female opponent, although this does not improve their performance. Strategic Learning in Repeated Chess Games, examines if chess players in repeated games with the same opponent, learn about the opponent’s type and adapt future strategies accordingly. It also shows how matching background characteristics affect the choice of strategy. The findings show that chess players learn about the opponent’s type. Players with similar background characteristics coordinate better than players of different gender or nationality but this difference decreases as the players update their beliefs. / At the time of doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows:Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.

Sammandrag Bakgrund: Sexualitet är en väsentlig del av att vara människa och varje individ har rätt till en trygg och hälsosam sexualitet. Upprepade studier påvisar dock förändrade sexualvanor hos ungdomar med mer tillåtande attityder och ett ökat risktagande kring sexualitet. Konsekvenserna av ett sexuellt risktagande kan bli allvarliga och det förebyggande arbetet blir alltmer viktigt. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att identifiera vilka faktorer som har samband med ett sexuellt risktagande hos ungdomar i årskurs 2 på gymnasiet, samt att undersöka om könsskillnader förelåg. Metod: En empirisk studie med kvantitativ metod har använts. Studien bygger på ett redan insamlat material som är byggt på en enkätundersökning. Materialet har analyserats i statistikprogrammet SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) och via Chi-square test testades där huvudvariabeln, >3 sexualpartners under det senaste året, mot relevanta variabler i enkäten. En logistisk regressionsanalys gjordes för att kunna utesluta eventuella slumpmässiga samband. Resultat: Alkoholkonsumtion, narkotikaanvändning och rökning var några av de faktorer som visade sig ha ett samband med ungdomarnas sexuella risktagande. Flertalet av riksfaktorerna skilde sig mellan könen, men alkoholkonsumtion var en gemensam riskfaktor för både flickor och pojkar. Slutsats: Studien visar att följande faktorer kan leda till ett ökat sexuellt risktagande hos ungdomar: äter inte frukt, rökande storasyster, snusande bästis, använt narkotika, varit full/ varit full >3ggr, rökt vattenpipa, trivs inte med livet, röker, rökande mamma, rökande storasyster och snusar. / Abstract Background: Sexuality is an essential part of human nature and each individual has the right to a safe and healthy sexuality. Repeated studies indicate, however, altered sexual behavior among adolescents, with more permissive attitudes and an increased risk taking concerning sexuality. The consequences of a sexual risk behavior can become severe and the preventive work becomes increasingly important. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with sexual risk taking among young people in Year 2 at high school, and to examine whether gender differences existed. Method: An empirical study using a quantitative method has been used. The study is based on an already collected material that is built on a survey. The material has been analyzed in the statistical program SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) and by chi-square test the main variable, >3 sexual partners during the last year, was tested against relevant variables in the survey. This was accompanied by a univariate frequency analysis to ensure the distribution and a logistic regression analysis to exclude any apparent connection. Results: Alcohol consumption, drug use and smoking were factors that appeared to be related to young people's sexual risk taking. The factors that were most significantly differed between the sexes, but alcohol consumption were a common risk factor for both girls and boys. Conclusion: The study shows that the following factors can lead to increased sexual risk-taking among young people: do not eat fruit, smoking big sister, snuff best friend, used drugs, been drunk / been completed> 3 times, smoked hookah, not happy with life, smokes, smoking mother, smoking big sister and sniffs.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a severe condition and a major cause of death and disability. There is no pharmacological treatment available in clinical practice today and knowledge of brain injury mechanisms is of importance for development of neuroprotective drugs. The aims of the thesis were to get a better understanding of astrocyte reactions and immune responses, as well as behavioral changes after focal unilateral cortical contusion injury and diffuse bilateral central fluid percussion injury in rats and mice. In the focal injury models, the astrocyte reactions were generally restricted to the ipsilateral hemisphere. After diffuse TBI, vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positive reactive astrocytes were bilaterally expressed in brain regions even distant from the injury site, including regions where axonal injury was seen. Early after diffuse TBI, there was a robust immune response, including activation of macrophages/microglia (Mac-2+) and infiltration of neutrophils (GR-1+) and T-cells (CD3+). In order to measure functional outcome, the recently established Multivariate Concentric Square Field™ (MCSF) test for complex behaviors, including risk taking and explorative strategies was used. The Morris water maze (MWM) was applied for testing learning and memory. The MCSF test revealed alterations in risk taking, risk assessment and exploratory behavior, in the mice subjected to focal injury whereas mice subjected to the diffuse injury showed a deviant stereotyped behavior. After focal injury mice showed a decreased ability to adapt to the arena in the second trial, when tested repeatedly in the MCSF test. Mice subjected to diffuse injury had an impaired memory but not learning, in the MWM test. Post-injury treatment with the anti-inflammatory anti-interleukin-1β (IgG2 a/k) antibody showed a positive effect on functional outcome in the diffuse injury model. Altogether, the results demonstrate that focal and diffuse TBI models produce differences in cellular reactions and behavioral outcome and that the immune response plays a key role in the pathology after brain injury.

The purpose of the present study is to examine the role of several demographic and personality characteristics of Turkish adolescent risk takers. More specifically, how well gender, age, sensation-seeking, self-esteem, and locus of control predict adolescent risk-taking behavior was examined in this study. Participants were between the ages of 15-19, from two Anatolian high schools and a general lycee in Ankara. They were given four different instruments to fill out -Modified Risk Involvement and Perception Scale (M-RIPS), Arnett Inventory of Sensation-Seeking (AISS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (IELOC)- and a demographic data form which was developed by the researcher (n = 867). Involvement subscale of the Risk Involvement and Perception Scale was adapted to Turkish culture by the researcher. A standard multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate how well sensation-seeking, self-esteem, locus of control, age, and gender predicted the risk-taking behaviors of adolescents. Results of the study indicated that except self-esteem, all other variables were significantly related to Turkish adolescent risk-taking behaviors. Gender and sensation-seeking were the most predictor variables in explaining adolescent risk-taking. The results also indicated that older male adolescent high sensation seekers who have external locus of control were more likely to engage in various risk-taking behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications, and recommendations for future research were presented.

The aim of the present study was to propose a model on safety climate by investigating the relationship between safety climate perceptions of employees and their safety-related behaviors in the workplace. Additionally, effects of fatalism views and risk taking/sensation seeking tendencies on safe behaviors were analyzed. The possible moderating effects of these variables on safety climate-safe behavior relationship were also investigated. A total of 185 blue-collar employees working in a manufacturing firm participated in the study. Participants filled out the questionnaires including scales of safety climate, cultural values (fatalism, individualism, hierarchy, and egaliterianism) and dimensions (collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance), and risk taking/sensation seeking. The outcome variables included self-reported compliance with safety rules and self-reported percentage of safety equipment use. Safety climate perceptions predicted compliance with the safety rules. Also, sensation seeking tendencies were found to predict use of protective equipments. The hypothesized relationships concerning fatalism views and moderations were not confirmed in the present study. In addition to the hypotheses, safety climate perceptions tended to be more positive as collectivism, power distance increased, and uncertainty avoidance of the employees increased. Sensation seeking tendencies were higher for employees who reported less equipment use. Employees who reported to have had an accident had higher risk taking scores than employees who reported not to have had an accident involvement. The results are discussed with the implications and contributions of the study. Limitations of the study are presented along with some suggestions for future research.

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Introduction: Previous epidemiologic studies suggest that the personality of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients differs from that of controls, and laboratory evidence supports a potential common pathophysiology of personality traits and PD. One nested case-control study found that PD cases were significantly more anxious than controls before the clinical onset of the disease, and additional data suggest that certain occupations may be risk factors for the disease. Additionally, the latent period that precedes the onset of motor symptoms of PD is unknown. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the association of PD with objective indicators of current and pre-morbid personality, to determine the correlation of early-adult life personality indicators with current personality characteristics and to evaluate the role of personality as indicated by occupational choice and employment patterns in the risk for PD using the Dictionary of Occupational Titles job classification system. Methods: Eighty-nine cases and 99 controls completed in-person structured interviews. Assessments included measures of current personality characteristics and indicators of early-adult (ages 20-35 years) personality, such as activities and lifestyle patterns. Associations between these latent personality variables and current personality characteristics were studied using correlation, partialling out the effects of age, sex and education. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations of early-adult personality and occupational characteristics and the risk for Parkinson's disease. Results: Cases with Parkinson's disease reported higher levels of neuroticism (OR=1.05 (95% CI 1.00-1.11)) and harm-avoidance (OR = 1.07 (95% CI 1.00-1.15)) compared with controls on measures of current personality. A stable association among many traits, particularly traits such as novelty-seeking, which are driven by dopaminergic function, was present not only among controls with presumably normal dopaminergic function throughout their lives, but also among cases. Early-adult life routinization was correlated with current levels of neuroticism (cases: r=0.33, p=0.01; controls: r=0.26, p=0.04), extraversion (cases: r=-0.33, p=0.01; controls: r=-0.33, p=0.04), novelty-seeking (cases: r=-0.33, p=0.015; controls: r=-0.34, p=0.007) and harm-avoidance (cases: r=0.47, p=0.0003; controls: r=0.45, p=0.0002) and for the association of early-adult life activity risks with harm-avoidance (cases: r=-0.47, p=0.0004; controls: r=-0.42, p=0.0006). Taking or wanting to take "activity risks," such as riding on roller coasters as a young adult was found to reduce the odds of Parkinson's disease (OR = 0.78 (95% CI 0.63-0.97)) in the entire sample, while higher levels of early-adult routinization were associated with a greater risk for Parkinson's disease among women (OR=1.63 (95% CI 1.05-2.53)). Parkinson's disease was inversely associated with the total number of jobs held (OR=0.87 (95% CI 0.75-0.99)) but not with the number of job categories or duration of the primary occupation. Increased complexity of work with people was associated with PD among women (OR=0.69 (95% CI 0.53-0.89), as was less complex work with things (OR=1.45 (95% CI 1.11-1.88). The complexity of work with data, people or things was not associated with the risk for PD among men or in the sample as a whole. Men with PD whose work involved greater complexity with data took fewer activity risks (r=0.32, p=0.02) and reported greater routinization (r=-0.34, p=0.01) as a young adult. Conclusions: This evaluation of early-adult risk factors advances current knowledge about the premorbid period of PD and supports the hypothesis that a long period of subclinical disease precedes the onset of motor symptoms. These findings validate the association of these early-adult personality traits and PD and support the idea that behaviors associated with PD personality exist many years before the presentation of motor symptoms. Dopaminergic aspects of personality were related to occupational choices and future consideration of this hypothesis is warranted. Since PD is a degenerative disorder, determining the age of onset of this illness is important in the search for modifiable risk factors and neuroprotective strategies.

Emerging adults- youth between the ages of 18-25- experience high rates of alcohol use and drinking-related consequences, yet risky drinking in this group seems to occur in the context of adaptive developmental processes. Such risk-taking behavior is thought to result from neurobehavioral changes impacting personality, cognitive development, and social functioning beginning in early adolescence. Youth seek out stimulation that, while objectively dangerous, may provide opportunity for evolutionary pay-offs. Social environmental cues signaling such pay-offs may facilitate risky behavior. This study aimed to manipulate social context, subsequent drinking-related behavior, and related shifts in risk and reward evaluation. Participants participated in a "focus group" and taste test of placebo beer (ad libitum drinking session) alone (Solo; SF condition) or in groups that either interacted in the focus group session (Social Facilitation; SF condition) or did not (Mere Presence; MP condition). Participants in the MP and SF conditions reported greater desire to drink and poured and drank more during the taste test than those in the S condition. SF participants reported the highest levels of post-manipulation affect valence, arousal, and positive group experience. Expected differences between conditions in risk/reward evaluation were not observed. Results indicate that despite differences in affective and social experiences between the group conditions, the simple presence of others had as strong an impact on drinking behavior as the social facilitation manipulation. Results underscore the complexity of social influences on human behavior.