Downright Sexy: Verticality, Implicit Power, and Perceived Physical Attractiveness
Brian Meier & Sarah Dionne, Social Cognition, December 2009, Pages 883-892
Abstract: Grounded theory proposes that abstract concepts (e.g., power) are represented by perceptions of vertical space (e.g., up is powerful; down is powerless). We used this theory to examine predictions made by evolutionary psychologists who suggest that desirable males are those who have status and resources (i.e., powerful) while desirable females are those who are youthful and faithful (i.e., powerless). Using vertical position as an implicit cue for power, we found that male participants rated pictures of females as more attractive when their images were presented near the bottom of a computer screen, whereas female participants rated pictures of males as more attractive when their images were presented near the top of a computer screen. Our results support the evolutionary theory of attraction and reveal the social-judgment consequences of grounded theories of cognition.
(Nod to Kevin L)
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Interesting: Fed Making Money, But May Need to Have Fire Sale
Interesting article.
The Fed is making huge "profits," and depositing them with the Treasury.
Now, in order to support the financial sector and stop deflation, the Fed bought up huge quantities of debt, spending down its account at the Treasury.
It is making lots of money on some of that debt, which turns out to have been pretty solid.
On the other hand, lots of that debt is still pretty low in value, because of uncertainty. More than $1.5 trillion of that debt is private, or quasi-private (it's not t-bills!), in the sense that it is made up of mortgage-backed securities or collateralized debt obligations, or else bonds issued directly by the mortgage giants.
Here's the thing: if inflation cranks up, the Fed is going to have to unload a buttload of debt, really fast. The only way to sell that much debt, and take excess cash out of the economy, is to sell at fire sale prices.
So, if there is inflation, the Fed is going to take truly ginormous capital losses on the debt it will have to sell. But this is exactly Bernanke's plan, the one he is so sure will work to prevent inflation. Big Ben's talk at the AEA meetings made much of this policy. But who in the world is going to buy CDOs in this market?
The lagniappe: Lots of the CDOs are based on fixed interest rate mortgages. If there is inflation, the capital value of those gets hammered. All the rest are based on ARMs of some kind. And for those the PAYMENTS skyrocket with nominal interest rates, and defaults go up, and AGAIN the CDOs' capital value takes it right up the ol' gazoch, with a red hot poker.
This is not really a good policy.
(Nod to the Ward Boss)
The Fed is making huge "profits," and depositing them with the Treasury.
Now, in order to support the financial sector and stop deflation, the Fed bought up huge quantities of debt, spending down its account at the Treasury.
It is making lots of money on some of that debt, which turns out to have been pretty solid.
On the other hand, lots of that debt is still pretty low in value, because of uncertainty. More than $1.5 trillion of that debt is private, or quasi-private (it's not t-bills!), in the sense that it is made up of mortgage-backed securities or collateralized debt obligations, or else bonds issued directly by the mortgage giants.
Here's the thing: if inflation cranks up, the Fed is going to have to unload a buttload of debt, really fast. The only way to sell that much debt, and take excess cash out of the economy, is to sell at fire sale prices.
So, if there is inflation, the Fed is going to take truly ginormous capital losses on the debt it will have to sell. But this is exactly Bernanke's plan, the one he is so sure will work to prevent inflation. Big Ben's talk at the AEA meetings made much of this policy. But who in the world is going to buy CDOs in this market?
The lagniappe: Lots of the CDOs are based on fixed interest rate mortgages. If there is inflation, the capital value of those gets hammered. All the rest are based on ARMs of some kind. And for those the PAYMENTS skyrocket with nominal interest rates, and defaults go up, and AGAIN the CDOs' capital value takes it right up the ol' gazoch, with a red hot poker.
This is not really a good policy.
(Nod to the Ward Boss)
The Pot Calling the Kettle Whack
Glen Beck v. Sarah Palin: Who is the bigger whack job? "All of them"? Yikes!
(Nod to Anonyman)
(Nod to Anonyman)
Nutty Buddy--Redux!
(I wrote about the "El Jefe" Nutty Buddy four years ago...)
(Nod to Josh H)
(SUPER UPDATE: I missed this the first time I saw it! Fantastic idiocy. Right at the six minute mark (5:59) in the video, the moron says that a baseball hits unprotected juevos with 2,400 pounds of force. Not clear what the units are...per square inch? Kinetic energy? But, okay, call it 2,400 pounds of force. THEN the moron says that the Nutty Buddy reduces this to 110 pounds of force. Let's suppose that's right. THE MORON CONTINUES: "That's a 2000% reduction in force!" Really? 2000% reduction? Impressive. Actually, going from 2,400 down to 110 is a 95% percent reduction in force, dude. Any decrease more than 100% means that those juevos are exploding outward and exerting force on the baseball. Ouchie!)
What sets the great ones apart is their attention to detail
Case in point:
Chavez says producers should be making "socialist soap operas."
He said Sunday he recently visited Cuba "and they have soaps there. But they're not capitalist soap operas."
Come on Venezolanos, show some initiative. He can't be expected to do EVERYTHING!!
CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez says there's too much capitalism on Venezuelan TV. So he's urging producers to start making films and TV shows that stress socialist values.
Chavez says producers should be making "socialist soap operas."
He said Sunday he recently visited Cuba "and they have soaps there. But they're not capitalist soap operas."
.... Chavez-allied producers made a 2004 soap opera called "Love Inside the Barrio" that emphasized socialist values but failed to draw many viewers.
Come on Venezolanos, show some initiative. He can't be expected to do EVERYTHING!!
Grade Inflation: Bad
Less grade inflation ==> more effort by students. Less "happiness," perhaps, but more effort and more learning.
Real Costs of Nominal Grade Inflation? New Evidence from Student Course
Evaluations
Philip Babcock, Economic Inquiry, forthcoming
Abstract: College grade point averages in the United States rose substantially between the 1960s and the 2000s. Over the same period, study time declined by almost
a half. This paper uses a 12-quarter panel of course evaluations from the University of California, San Diego to discern whether a link between grades and effort investment holds up in a micro setting. Results indicate that average study time would be about 50% lower in a class in which the average expected grade was an "A" than in the same course taught by the same instructor in which students expected a "C." Simultaneity suggests estimates are biased toward 0. Findings do not appear to be driven primarily by the individual student's expected grade, but by the average expected grade of others in the class. Class-specific characteristics that generate low expected grades appear to produce higher effort choices — evidence that
nominal changes in grades may lead to real changes in effort investment.
(Nod to Kevin L)
Real Costs of Nominal Grade Inflation? New Evidence from Student Course
Evaluations
Philip Babcock, Economic Inquiry, forthcoming
Abstract: College grade point averages in the United States rose substantially between the 1960s and the 2000s. Over the same period, study time declined by almost
a half. This paper uses a 12-quarter panel of course evaluations from the University of California, San Diego to discern whether a link between grades and effort investment holds up in a micro setting. Results indicate that average study time would be about 50% lower in a class in which the average expected grade was an "A" than in the same course taught by the same instructor in which students expected a "C." Simultaneity suggests estimates are biased toward 0. Findings do not appear to be driven primarily by the individual student's expected grade, but by the average expected grade of others in the class. Class-specific characteristics that generate low expected grades appear to produce higher effort choices — evidence that
nominal changes in grades may lead to real changes in effort investment.
(Nod to Kevin L)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Funky days are back again
People, Cornershop is back! Sweet! Here is a video from their new album (available for sale at cornershop.com)
Durant is the man in OKC
Great article in SI.com about how Kevin Durant has turned from a defensively liability to a defensive assest and how with him on board, the Thunder are winning with defense.
Thunder are third in the Western Conference in defensive efficiency and third in the entire Association in field goal percentage allowed, while they are actuall giving up fewer points per possession with Durant on the floor vs. him off the floor, which was not true in his first two years in the league.
Thunder v. Spurs tonight. Should be fun.
Hot Grandma N.E. Prostitute
Wow. The cops messed up.
Perhaps the cops should have to stay after school, and write 1,000 times: "Woman in tight clothing walking down street does NOT EQUAL prostitute."
(Nod to Anonyman, would never had to pay for it)
Perhaps the cops should have to stay after school, and write 1,000 times: "Woman in tight clothing walking down street does NOT EQUAL prostitute."
(Nod to Anonyman, would never had to pay for it)
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