Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Despite the common claim that candidate personality plays a role in non-presidential elections, existing research has not convincingly demonstrated this to be true. Using new data from the 2006 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, I examine the effects of candidate traits in U.S. Senate elections. Testing the theory of “trait ownership,” I find some evidence of partisan stereotyping of candidates’ personal attributes, and strong evidence that trait perceptions affect candidate evaluation. As in presidential campaigns, the results also suggest senate candidates have an incentive to “trespass” on their opponent’s trait territory. In demonstrating the importance of personality, the findings show that scholars need to account for the effect of trait perceptions on candidate evaluation and vote choice, even in sub-presidential contests.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Operational Code Analysis (Op Code), Leadership Trait Analysis (LTA) are two recently automated methods used for the remote assessment of political figures. Theoretically, each of the methods provides information about different aspects of a leader's personality and style. However, until recently we have been unable to test this assumption quantitatively. Using data from 76 world leaders, we compare the unique contributions to remote assessment of LTA, and Op Code and determine the degree of overlap between each measure in both methods. This comparison leads to a number of suggested improvements and for two additional measures that should improve our ability to assess and predict the foreign policy behavior of national leaders.

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Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 aimed at ending
particular types of status-based discrimination whereby women or
blacks, for example,were denied employment opportunities because of
their status as such. Much of the employment discrimination taking
place today, however, targets not all women or all blacks but only
those with particular traits or characteristics. This paper addresses
the question of whether, and if so when, federal antidiscrimination law
should care if an employer willingly hires women (or men) but simply
refuses to hire women (or men) with particular traits--such as short
hair, or masculine mannerisms. In short, this paper addresses the
question of when trait discrimination
should be an actionable form of sex discrimination. Courts' and
scholars have suggested inconsistent and often inchoerent responses to
this question. This paper suggests a new approach to trait
discrimination that returns to Title VII's original focus on
stauts-based hierarchy. The group-empowerment approach to trait
discrimination advocated in this paper treats trait discrimination as
actionable sex discrimination only when it reinforces a sex-based
hierarchy in the work world.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to measure political knowledge results in a loss of significant digit (LSD) problem. We construct latent class models with hierarchical priors and propose monotone spline interpolation to correct for it.

Publication Type: Individual Poster
Abstract: Objectives : Our purpose was to study the levels of maternal trait anxiety and to determine the stress hormone in pregnant women at 30 weeks of gestation.
Methods : The study population consisted of 24 pregnant women who were admitted to the Obstetrical Clinic of Tokyo Women,s Medical University between October 1, 2004 and August 31, 2005. This protocol was approved by the Human Investigational Review Board for our University. Written agreement was obtained from all participants before this study. To assess maternal stress, we used the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and measured the stress hormone i.e. corticotropin releaseing hormone(CRH), adrenocorticotrophic hormone(ACTH), cortisol and chromogranin(CgA). Simultaneously, we measured fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern before and after the vibratory acoustic stimulation (VAS) and divided four response type:positive, triphasic, negative and non response. VAS was performed a single 3-second over the fetal vertex with (75Hz, 75 dB) after quiet phase.
Results : In state anxiety, response types after VAS were not significant in pregnant women with high and low anxiety. The response types after VAS were significant recognized in low trait anxiety (p< 0.01). On the other hand, the triphasic types were recognized in high trait anxiety (p< 0.05). The mean values of maximum acceleration in FHR after VAS was significantly lower in high trait than low trait anxiety (8.4 ± 2.1 vs. 17.6 ± 7.3 bpm, rspectively). The FHR response after VAS in pregnant women with high trait anxiety showed poor response and the rsponse pattern was recognised triphasic rather than normal response.
Conclusions : These findings suggest that the stress in pregnant women with high trait anxiety might influence FHR after VBS.