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Hindsight bias in predictions of the 2008 Financial Crisis
No full textThe 2008 Financial Crisis led to one of the worst recessions in United States history. Select individuals such as Dean Baker, Robert Shiller, Michael Burry and more, published predictions of this financial crisis prior to it beginning, yet none of the predictions were taken seriously at the time. An irrationality within the field of Behavioural Finance by the name of hindsight bias, suggests that the likelihood of an event becomes more apparent after the event is underway. The null
hypothesis used in this paper is that predictions published by a sample of individuals who correctly predicted the 2008 Financial Crisis were contaminated with hindsight bias, discrediting their validity. Analyzing each prediction against the facets that make up hindsight bias is used to determine any existence of the bias. Once a level of credibility has been
established, the current 2018/2019 commentary of the same sample will be considered in an attempt to discover future market implications. The results of the analysis show that in fact no hindsight bias was present in any of the predictions
made by the sample. The validity of all six predictions of the 2008 Financial Crisis indicates that current commentary
regarding the economy should be taken seriously. This paper presents opportunities for future study between Hindsight Bias and the 2008 Financial Crisis; such as an extension of the current study with a larger sample size to explore hindsight bias within other predictions of the 2008 Financial Crisis
An exploration of spoken rhyme effects in adults using event-related potentials
No full textIt is widely accepted that the N400, an event-related potential (ERP) associated with phonological and semantic processing, will be attenuated in amplitude to rhyming word pairs compared to non-rhyming word pairs. However, the timing of the rhyme effect has varied across studies from as early as (150 ms) to as late as (500 ms). The current study explored whether the reason for this discrepancy relates to the use of an implicit rhyming task versus an explicit one. Participants (N=16)
completed a picture-word matching task while ERP responses were recorded. Spoken words either matched the picture or mismatched the picture in one of two ways: the spoken word either rhymed with the picture (e.g., CONE, bone) or was unrelated to the picture (e.g., CONE, fox). An early response, the Phonological Mapping Negativity (PMN) did not show a rhyme effect, nor did the early part of the N400. However, the later part of the N400 did demonstrate a rhyme effect as it was attenuated to rhyming words compared to unrelated words. The late occurring rhyme effect suggests that implicit tasks delay rhyming effects, which has implications for the type of tasks employed to study the development of the N400
How does political culture affect abortion accessibility?: a study of abortion pill access in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
No full textThis thesis asks how political culture impacts accessibility to the abortion pill (Mifegymiso) in Canada by focusing on two case studies, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Abortions have been decriminalized since the 1980s, yet women in different provinces continue to struggle to acquire access to this legal right and basic autonomy over their own bodies. In Prince Edward Island (PEI), women had a distinct problem with access until very recently, having to request time off and find a referral in order to travel to another province to get access to an abortion. This lack of access can be attributed in large part to the political culture of the province. This thesis takes a most similar cases approach. These two provinces
share many commonalities that are useful for this study and have connections in terms of abortion access, as Nova Scotia has frequently provided women from PEI with abortions. For the period of this study, both provinces had the same provincial party in power, and despite their different political culture in the past, their cultural difference gap has since diminished and is no longer evident on this divisive topic and have quite similar policies. By focusing on the years following the decriminalization of abortion, particularly 2015 onward (when the abortion pill was legalized in Canada), this thesis argues that political culture is an important explanatory variable for understanding differences in the abortion policies in these two provinces
The Nova Scotian wine industry and its relationship with climate change
No full textHistory and viticulture are inextricably intertwined. The reputation of a winery extends beyond the quality of its wine; it is the historical narrative, production methods, personal touch, and influences from the natural environment which justify
the price and value underpinning wines. The modern Nova Scotian winery principals face the issue of having a fragmented historical narrative and must decide the nature of the wine industry. Historically, winemaking began during the seventeenth century in Nova Scotia, under French governor Isaac de Razilly, but due to a series of factors, when the British assumed control over Nova Scotia winemaking largely ended. Thus, the change of imperial ownership created a gap in
the history of Nova Scotian wine and this needs to be accommodated in the creation of history by modern wineries. Those wineries are part of a new wave of wineries in Nova Scotia, and their appearance and growth were due partly to the increasingly beneficial (for wine-growing) effects of climate change. Winemaking in Nova Scotia currently plays an essential
economic role in the agricultural development of the province; the challenges pointed out by the Ivany Report can be
addressed in part by a sustainable wine industry in the province. An investigation of the significance of climate change throughout the different periods of Nova Scotia's wine industry, and of the importance of human agency, can help to
determine the industry's future sustainability and competitivenes
Failing at happiness: queer time in Rubyfruit Jungle, Stone Butch Blues, and Tomboy Survival Guide
No full textThere is minimal scholarship focusing on Rubyfruit Jungle (1973) by Rita Mae Brown, Stone Butch Blues (1993) by Leslie Feinberg, and Tomboy Survival Guide (2016) by Ivan E. Coyote. In an attempt to remedy this lack in existing research, my thesis explores the temporal relationship between the three queer narrators of these texts and their failures to embody heteronormative ideals of happiness and success. The literary analyses of these texts are informed by a theoretical framework that is predominantly comprised of Judith Butler's Gender Trouble, Jack Halberstam's The Queer Art of Failure, and Sarah Ahmed's
The Promise of Happiness. I demonstrate that each narrator has memories of their repeated failure to be made happy by heteronormative ideals, and that these past experiences continue to affect them in the future. In addition, I demonstrate that, while the narrators attempt to forget their painful pasts of failure and their consequences, forgetting is an impossible task. Nevertheless, while forgetting is not an effective means for them to move on from these experiences, collective action is represented as a way for the narrators to cope with their memories of failure and pursue a hopeful future. However, their ability to connect with collectives is influenced by their respective sociopolitical moments
Social network members' disapproving opinions of marginalized and non-marginalized relationships
No full textThe purpose of the current thesis was to examine a hypothesized model for social network members' (SNM) disapproval of their friend or family member's romantic relationship. Specifically, it explored whether others' disapproval of the relationship, accumulated evidence, cognitive rigidity, and prejudiced beliefs
predicted overall relationship disapproval. The current study further investigated whether these factors varied by relationship type (i.e., visibly marginalized versus non-visibly marginalized). Using structural equation modeling, the online study (N = 486) observed a strong model fit. As hypothesized, better evidence and others' disapproval predicted stronger SNM disapproval. However, contrary to predictions, rigid thinking and prejudice were unrelated to SNM's disapproval. Also, no differences amongst the variables were found by relationship type. Further exploration through supplementary analyses revealed that the majority of respondents provided justifiable reasons for their disapproval, yet when choice of relationship was restricted (i.e., the relationship to be evaluated was chosen for them), prejudiced attitudes emerged. The implications and theoretical explanations for the findings are discusse
The effects of short-term simulated microgravity on the cardiovascular system and cognitive function
No full textHumans having the capability to travel to space has opened many doors and opportunities for new research concepts and understandings to occur. Space is a very unique environment, filled with harsh and challenging components. A main component of spaces' environment that researchers are particularly interested in, especially in regards to its effect on physiological functions, is microgravity. Microgravity has been shown to impact many physiological systems, however, research surrounding short-term effects of microgravity on systems such as the cardiovascular system, cognition, and cerebral hemodynamics and cerebral oxygenation are scarce.
In existing literature, the cardiovascular systems' response to acute microgravity is nearly unvarying. Components of this system such as blood flow, blood pressure, cardiac output, heart rate and stroke volume have all been reported to change upon exposure. Significant changes in variables such as cardiac output, heart rate and stroke volume have been found, with all variables decreasing from baseline measures.
There has been little research conducted on how cognitive performance is influenced by short-term microgravity. Researchers looking at cognition in acute microgravity have mostly focused on changes in executive function. Results of these studies have revealed that cognitive performances show either no differences from baseline testing, or improvements in acute exposure.
Regarding cerebral hemodynamics, contradicting results appear in the available literature . Research has shown that cerebral blood flow either increases or decreases during short-term exposure to microgravity.
With cerebral oxygenation, studies have shown a common result as oxygen in the brain tends to increase upon exposure to acute microgravity. Furthering knowledge in these areas of research at an acute level could allow for a
greater understanding as to why some physiological conditions occur at a more chronic level. New insights to possible mechanisms of these outcomes could also occur. With space tourism quickly approaching, an in depth understanding of the effects of microgravity on human physiology is crucial. However, there are gaps within the literature, specifically
within the domain of how short-term microgravity impacts the cardiovascular system and cognitive function. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to gain an understanding as to how the cardiovascular system and cognitive functions are impacted by short-term simulated microgravity. Using a -6° head-down-tilt methodology to simulate microgravity,
twenty-three healthy young adults were tilted for an hour and a half. A cognitive test (Stroop Task) was completed pre and post an hour and a half to measure the effects of simulated microgravity of cognitive performance. Cardiovascular variables such as heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output were also measured to understand microgravity's impact. Significant findings occurred in the measured cardiovascular variables with all variables deceasing after exposure to an hour and a half of microgravity. Significant results were also found with the cognitive task, as improvements occurred in executive function post tilt. These results allow for an understanding as to what happens to these systems at an acute level of exposure to microgravity, also enabling possible mechanisms to be further investigated with regard to why these outcomes occurred
The relations of adult attachment style, desire to have children, and caregiver attitudes when raising a virtual child
No full textThe present study examines the interrelations of the attachment system, caregiver system, and the desire to have children within an Attachment Theory framework. Research has shown that attachment-related avoidance is related to negative caregiver attitudes that develop and less desire to have children (Symons, Adams, & Smith, 2016). In the current study, 66
students completed measures of attachment style, and the desire to have children before raising a virtual child from birth to 18 years of age through the MyVirtualChild© program. Participants then completed the same measures again after raising the child, as well as others reflecting caregiver attitudes. Correlations and hierarchical regression analysis of attachment style and caregiver attitudes showed that avoidance was negatively related to the caregiver attitudes of positive
feelings and perceived security, but not willingness to serve as an attachment figure. Furthermore, parental anxiety was unrelated to caregiver attitudes. The desire to have children did not significantly change during the parenting simulation and was unrelated to caregiver attitudes and attachment style. The present study systematically replicated the findings from Symons et al. (2016) that avoidance is negatively related to caregiver attitudes which form towards a virtual child
Transgression in queer theory
No full textThrough an analysis of several theorists who have influenced queer canon, this thesis explores the concept of transgression and queer subjectivity. Beginning with the claim that subjects experience queerness through a process as opposed to a fixed, internal queer identity possessed by a subject, the work frames social and institutional power and
subjectivity as intersecting phenomena in the production, reinscription, and performativity of queer transgression. Theoretically engaging Judith Butler, Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, Michel Foucault, and Sara Ahmed, the thesis draws upon frameworks of performativity, the Body without Organs, The History of Sexuality, and The Cultural Politics of Emotion to claim that queer subjectivity and institutional sexuality operate in tandem through the idea of transgression
Observing plant reactions from mimicking florivory from Mompha capella, (Momphidae) larvae on populations of Crocanthemum canadense (L.) Britt, (Cistaceae)
No full textCrocanthemum canadense is a small, flowering perennial that thrives in sand barren habitats. It is currently listed as critically imperiled in Nova Scotia with a few, relatively small populations contained in the Kings County area. This species employs dimorphic cleistogamy as its system ofreproduction. This specialized mating system produces two different flower types on the same plant in one growing season; chasmogamous (open, insect-pollinated) and cleistogamous (closed, self-
pollinating). Populations of C. canadense have been declining from habitat loss, lack of genetic diversity, and possibly from
florivory by Mompha capella larvae. To investigate the reproductive consequences of florivory, C. canadense populations in Kings County were subjected to three treatments; control, natural infection, and removal of terminal chasmogamous
flowers. Plants were monitored throughout the season for indication of infestation and were then harvested at fruit set to measure several vegetative and reproductive parameters (e.g., lateral branch production and length, cleistogamous fruit
production, etc.). The objective of this study was to investigate possible changes in allocation of reproductive energy in C. canadense when subjected to a treatment (decapitation) that aimed to mimic the effects of infestation from Mompha capella. Approximately 42.9% of control plants were naturally infected (N=142). Plants that had their terminal bud removed showed an increased number of axillary branches. Results from this study will be used to assist future conservation efforts of Crocanthemum canadense populations