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The following dissertation contains three studies examining academic boredom development in five high-track German secondary schools (AVG-project data; Study 1: N = 1,432; Study 2: N = 1,861; Study 3: N = 1,428). The investigation period spanned 3.5 years, with four waves of measurement from grades 5 to 8 (T1: 5th grade, after transition to secondary school; T2: 5th grade, after mid-term evaluations; T3: 6th grade, after mid-term evaluations; T4: 8th grade, after mid-term evaluations). All three studies featured cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, separating, and comparing the subject domains of mathematics and German.
Study 1 provided an investigation of academic boredom’s factorial structure alongside correlational and reciprocal relations of different forms of boredom and academic self-concept. Analyses included reciprocal effects models and latent correlation analyses. Results indicated separability of boredom intensity, boredom due to underchallenge and boredom due to overchallenge, as separate, correlated factors. Evidence for reciprocal relations between boredom and academic self-concept was limited.
Study 2 examined the effectiveness and efficacy of full-time ability grouping for as a boredom intervention directed at the intellectually gifted. Analyses included propensity score matching, and latent growth curve modelling. Results pointed to limited effectiveness and efficacy for full-time ability grouping regarding boredom reduction.
Study 3 explored gender differences in academic boredom development, mediated by academic interest, academic self-concept, and previous academic achievement. Analyses included measurement invariance testing, and multiple-indicator-multi-cause-models. Results showed one-sided gender differences, with boys reporting less favorable boredom development compared to girls, even beyond the inclusion of relevant mediators.
Findings from all three studies were embedded into the theoretical framework of control-value theory (Pekrun, 2006; 2019; Pekrun et al., 2023). Limitations, directions for future research, and practical implications were acknowledged and discussed.
Overall, this dissertation yielded important insights into boredom’s conceptual complexity. This concerned factorial structure, developmental trajectories, interrelations to other learning variables, individual differences, and domain specificities.
Keywords: Academic boredom, boredom intensity, boredom due to underchallenge, boredom due to overchallenge, ability grouping, gender differences, longitudinal data analysis, control-value theory
As a target for condemnation, the thematic prevalence of racism in African American novels of satire is not surprising. In order to confront this vice in its shifting manifestations, however, the African American satirist has to employ special techniques. This thesis examines some of these devices as they occur in George Schuyler- Black No More, Charles Wright- The Wig, and Percival Everett- Erasure. Given the reciprocity of target and technique in the satiric context, close attention is paid to how the authors under study locate and interrogate racism in their narratives. In this respect, the significance of anti-essentialist Marxist criticism in Schuyler- Black No More and the author- portrayal of the society of his time as capitalist machinery is examined. While Schuyler is concerned with exposing the general socioeconomic workings of the 1920s from a Marxist perspective, Wright offers the reader perspective into how this oppressive machinery psychologically manipulates and corrupts the individual in the historic context of Lyndon B. Johnson- political vision of the Great Society. Everett then elaborates on the epistemological concern which is traceable in Wright- work and addresses the role media representation plays in manufacturing images and rigid categories that shape systematic racism. As such, the present study not only highlights the versatility of satire as a rhetorical secret weapon and thus ventures toward the idiosyncrasies of the African American novel of satire, it also makes an effort to trace the ever-changing face of racial discrimination.
Every day we are exposed to a large set of appetitive food cues, mostly of high caloric, high carbohydrate content. Environmental factors like food cue exposition can impact eating behavior, by triggering anticipatory endocrinal responses and reinforcing the reward value of food. Additionally, it has been shown that eating behavior is largely influence by neuroendocrine factors. Energy homeostasis is of great importance for survival in all animal species. It is challenged under the state of food deprivation which is considered to be a metabolic stressor. Interestingly, the systems regulating stress and food intake share neural circuits. Adrenal glucocorticoids, as cortisol, and the pancreatic hormone insulin have been shown to be crucial to maintain catabolic and anabolic balance. Cortisol and insulin can cross the blood-brain barrier and interact with receptors distributed throughout the brain, influencing appetite and eating behavior. At the same time, these hormones have an important impact on the stress response. The aim of the current work is to broaden the knowledge on reward related food cue processing. With that purpose, we studied how food cue processing is influenced by food deprivation in women (in different phases of the menstrual cycle) and men. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of the stress/metabolic hormones, insulin and cortisol, at neural sites important for energy metabolism and in the processing of visual food cues. The Chapter I of this thesis details the underlying mechanisms of the startle response and its application in the investigation of food cue processing. Moreover, it describes the effects of food deprivation and of the stress-metabolic hormones insulin and cortisol in reward related processing of food cues. It explains the rationale for the studies presented in Chapter II-IV and describes their main findings. A general discussion of the results and recommendations for future research is given. In the study described in Chapter II, startle methodology was used to study the impact of food deprivation in the processing of reward related food cues. Women in different phases of the menstrual cycle and men were studied, in order to address potential effects of sex and menstrual cycle. All participants were studied either satiated or food deprived. Food deprivation provoked enhanced acoustic startle (ASR) response during foreground presentation of visual food cues. Sex and menstrual cycle did not influence this effect. The startle pattern towards food cues during fasting can be explained by a frustrative nonreward effect (FNR), driven by the impossibility to consume the exposed food. In Chapter III, a study is described, which was carried out to explore the central effects of insulin and cortisol, using continuous arterial spin labeling to map cerebral blood flow patterns. Following standardized periods of fasting, male participants received either intranasal insulin, oral cortisol, both, or placebo. Intranasal insulin increased resting regional cerebral blood flow in the putamen and insular cortex, structures that are involved in the regulation of eating behavior. Neither cortisol nor interaction effects were found. These results demonstrate that insulin exerts an action in metabolic centers during resting state, which is not affected by glucocorticoids. The study described in Chapter IV uses a similar pharmacological manipulation as the one presented in Chapter III, while assessing processing of reward related food cues through the startle paradigm validated in Chapter II. A sample of men was studied during short-term food deprivation. Considering the importance of both cortisol and insulin in glucose metabolism, food pictures were divided by glycemic index. Cortisol administration enhanced ASR during foreground presentation of "high glycemic" food pictures. This result suggests that cortisol provokes an increase in reward value of high glycemic food cues, which is congruent with previous research on stress and food consumption. This thesis gives support to the FNR hypothesis towards food cues during states of deprivation. Furthermore, it highlights the potential effects of stress related hormones in metabolism-connected neuronal structures, and in the reward related mechanisms of food cue processing. In a society marked by increased food exposure and availability, alongside with increased stress, it is important to better understand the impact of food exposition and its interaction with relevant hormones. This thesis contributes to the knowledge in this field. More research in this direction is needed.
Rückkehrprozesse aus Genderperspektive: remigrierte (Spät-)Aussiedler-Ehepaare in Westsibirien
(2019)
Die Studie untersucht die Rückkehrprozesse von (Spät-)Aussiedler-Ehepaaren aus Deutschland nach Westsibirien. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wird auf die Sichtweisen der Frauen und Männer hinsichtlich ihrer gemachten Erfahrung der Remigration gelegt. Darüber hinaus analysiert die Studie einerseits die Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede beider Geschlechter im Hinblick auf die Rückkehrmotive, die Zufriedenheit mit der Wiederanpassung in Russland sowie die Einstellung hinsichtlich einer erneuten Migration nach Deutschland. Andererseits fokussiert die Arbeit auf die Geschlechterverhältnisse unter den Ehegatten im Prozess der Entscheidungsfindung zur Remigration. Die Studie folgt einem qualitativen methodischen Ansatz und verbindet verschiedene Forschungsrichtungen, genauer (Re)Migrations-, Familien-, (Spät-)AussiedlerInnen- und Geschlechterforschung.
Vor dem Hintergrund des globalen Klimawandels stellt die energetische Verwertung von Biomasse (NaWaRo, Bioenergie) eine Option zur Minderung der globalen Treibhausgas-Emissionen dar. Im Jahr 2011 betrug der Anteil der Bioenergie am deutschen Endenergieverbrauch 8,2 %. Zur Einhaltung politischer Klimaschutzziele ist von einer Ausweitung der NaWaRo-Anbaufläche auszugehen. Aus Sicht des vorsorgenden Bodenschutzes ist dabei relevant, dass mit dem Biomasseanbau sowohl positive als auch negative Effekte für das Schutzgut Boden einhergehen können. Befürchtet werden u.a. ein weiterer Rückgang der (Boden-)Biodiversität in den Agrarlandschaften sowie eine Reduktion der organischen Kohlenstoffvorräte des Bodens (Verlust an Bodenqualität, Quelle für Treibhausgase) infolge der Intensivierung der landwirtschaftlichen Bodennutzung. Dahingegen könnten extensive Landnutzungsformen jedoch bspw. auch zu einer Förderung der Biodiversität beitragen. Für die zukünftige Ausrichtung des Biomasseanbaus ist daher eine umfassende Evaluation der vorhandenen Anbausysteme notwendig. Anhand der Energiepflanzen Raps, Mais und Miscanthus wurden im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit die Effekte des Biomasseanbaus auf die für die Bodenfunktionen relevanten Schlüsselfaktoren Boden-Biodiversität und Humusgehalt ermittelt. Raps und Mais waren im Vergleich zu Miscanthus durch eine geringere Biodiversität gekennzeichnet. Langjähriger Miscanthus-Anbau führte zudem zu einer C-Akkumulation im Boden. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt lag in der Quantifizierung der Netto-Energieerträge, der Energieeffizienz sowie des Treibhausgas-Minderungspotenzials der Anbausysteme. Alle bilanzierten Energiepflanzen-Anbausysteme erzielten Energiegewinne und führten zu einer Reduktion der Treibhausgasemissionen. Den naturwissenschaftlichen Studien schloss sich eine Analyse der gegenwärtigen Regelungen zur guten fachlichen Praxis (gfP) als zentralem Steuerungselement des vorsorgenden Bodenschutzes an. Diese diente zur Klärung der Frage, ob es hinsichtlich des Biomasseanbaus einer NaWaRo-spezifischen Konkretisierung der Grundsätzekataloge zur gfP im Recht der Landwirtschaft bedarf. Auf den Ergebnissen der natur- und rechtswissenschaftlichen Studien aufbauend wurden die mit der energetischen Verwertung von Biomasse einhergehenden Effekte auf die Schutzgüter Boden und Klima anhand des internen Zielkonfliktes des -§ 1 Abs. 3 Nr. 2 und 4 BNatSchG, welcher exemplarisch für das Spannungsfeld zwischen Landwirtschaft und Naturschutz steht, bewertet. Insgesamt ist der Ausbau der erneuerbaren Energien ein geeignetes und erforderliches Mittel zum Schutze des Klimas und der Luft. Sofern die Grundsätze der gfP zum Schutze des Bodens konsequent umgesetzt werden, muss der Anbau nachwachsender Rohstoffe zur Bioenergie-Produktion in diesem Zusammenhang als allgemein verhältnismäßig, im Besonderen aber auch als angemessene Maßnahme hinsichtlich der sonstigen Anforderungen des Bodenschutzes, angesehen werden. Den Abschluss der Arbeit bildet ein nicht als abschließend zu verstehender Katalog NaWaRo-spezifischer sowie allgemeiner Konkretisierungsvorschläge zur guten fachlichen Praxis.
Climate change is expected to cause mountain species to shift their ranges to higher elevations. Due to the decreasing amounts of habitats with increasing elevation, such shifts are likely to increase their extinction risk. Heterogeneous mountain topography, however, may reduce this risk by providing microclimatic conditions that can buffer macroclimatic warming or provide nearby refugia. As aspect strongly influences the local microclimate, we here assess whether shifts from warm south-exposed aspects to cool north-exposed aspects in response to climate change can compensate for an upward shift into cooler elevations.
The stress hormone cortisol as the end-product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been found to play a crucial role in the release of aggressive behavior (Kruk et al., 2004; Böhnke et al., 2010). In order to further explore potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between stress and aggression, such as changes in (social) information processing, we conducted two experimental studies that are presented in this thesis. In both studies, acute stress was induced by means of the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test (SECP) designed by Schwabe et al. (2008). Stressed participants were classified as either cortisol responders or nonresponders depending on their rise in cortisol following the stressor. Moreover, basal HPA axis activity was measured prior to the experimental sessions and EEG was recorded throughout the experiments. The first study dealt with the influence of acute stress on cognitive control processes. 41 healthy male participants were assigned to either the stress condition or the non-stressful control procedure of the SECP. Before as well as after the stress induction, all participants performed a cued task-switching paradigm in order to measure cognitive control processes. Results revealed a significant influence of acute and basal cortisol levels, respectively, on the motor preparation of the upcoming behavioral response, that was reflected in changes in the magnitude of the terminal Contingent Negative Variation (CNV). In the second study, the effect of acute stress and subsequent social provocation on approach-avoidance motivation was examined. 72 healthy students (36 males, 36 females) took part in the study. They performed an approach-avoidance task, using emotional facial expressions as stimuli, before as well as after the experimental manipulation of acute stress (again via the SECP) and social provocation realized by means of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (Taylor, 1967). Additionally to salivary cortisol, testosterone samples were collected at several points in time during the experimental session. Results indicated a positive relationship between acute testosterone levels and the motivation to approach social threat stimuli in highly provoked cortisol responders. Similar results were found when the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio at baseline was taken into account instead of acute testosterone levels. Moreover, brain activity during the approach-avoidance task was significantly influenced by acute stress and social provocation, as reflected in reductions of early (P2) as well as of later (P3) ERP components in highly provoked cortisol responders. This may indicate a less accurate, rapid processing of socially relevant stimuli due to an acute increase in cortisol and subsequent social provocation. In conclusion, the two studies presented in this thesis provide evidence for significant changes in information processing due to acute stress, basal cortisol levels and social provocation, suggesting an enhanced preparation for a rapid behavioral response in the sense of a fight-or-flight reaction. These results confirm the model of Kruk et al. (2004) proposing a mediating role of changed information processes in the stress-aggression-link.
Some of the largest firms in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) are (partially) owned by a foundation and/or a family office, such as Aldi, Bosch, or Rolex. Despite their growing importance, prior research neglected to analyze the impact of these intermediaries on the firms they own. This dissertation closes this research gap by contributing to a deeper understanding of two increasingly used family firm succession vehicles, through four empirical quantitative studies. The first study focuses on the heterogeneity in foundation-owned firms (FOFs) by applying a descriptive analysis to a sample of 169 German FOFs. The results indicate that the family as a central stakeholder in a family foundation fosters governance that promotes performance and growth. The second study examines the firm growth of 204 FOFs compared to matched non-FOFs from the DACH region. The findings suggest that FOFs grow significantly less in terms of sales but not with regard to employees. In addition, it seems that this negative effect is stronger for the upper than for the middle or lower quantiles of the growth distribution. Study three adopts an agency perspective and investigates the acquisition behavior within the group of 164 FOFs. The results reveal that firms with charitable foundations as owners are more likely to undertake acquisitions and acquire targets that are geographically and culturally more distant than firms with a family foundation as owner. At the same time, they favor target companies from the same or related industries. Finally, the fourth study scrutinizes the capital structure of firms owned by single family-offices (SFOs). Drawing on a hand-collected sample of 173 SFO-owned firms in the DACH region, the results show that SFO-owned firms display a higher long-term debt ratio than family-owned firms, indicating that SFO-owned firms follow trade-off theory, similar to private equity-owned firms. Additional analyses show that this effect is stronger for SFOs that sold their original family firm. In conclusion, the outcomes of this dissertation furnish valuable research contributions and offer practical insights for families navigating such intermediaries or succession vehicles in the long term.
Seit dem Godesberger Programm 1959 entwickelte sich aus dem Umgang der SPD mit Geschichte und Geschichtswissenschaft eine sozialdemokratische Geschichtskultur. Sie manifestierte sich in zweierlei Hinsicht. Zum einen wurde auf geschichtspolitischer Ebene das national-konservative Geschichtsbild und insbesondere die staats- und kontinuitätszentrierten Vorstellungen von Nation und Nationalstaat kritisiert und die Stellung des Nationalsozialismus in der deutschen Geschichte neu bewertet. Zum anderen wurde auf geschichtswissenschaftlicher Ebene das Forschungsfeld der Geschichte der Arbeiterbewegung und der Sozialdemokratie erfolgreich etabliert. Parallel dazu entstand eine große Gruppe akademischer Historiker, die der SPD angehörten oder ihr nahestanden. Sie beschäftigten sich mit Themen der Partei-, der Arbeiter- und der Sozialgeschichte, unterstützten die Geschichtspolitik der SPD, kümmerten sich um Geschichtsbewusstsein dieser Partei und nahmen - zuweilen auch kritisch - an den Diskussionen ihrer Tagespolitik teil. Aus diesen beiderseitigen Aktivitäten bildeten sich vielfältige Kommunikationswege und personelle Netzwerke zwischen SPD und Historikern. Von 1959 bis 1969 vermied die SPD im Zuge ihrer Strategie der Regierungsbeteiligung eine deutliche Profilierung ihrer eigenen Geschichtspolitik, gleichzeitig lenkte nur eine kleine und fachlich eher marginale Gruppe von Historikern die Aufmerksamkeit auf die sozialdemokratische Geschichtsschreibung und ihre Themen. Aber inzwischen wurden seitens der SPD die organisatorischen Rahmenbedingungen für die Intensivierung der Kommunikation gelegt und wurden Kontakte zu einer wachsenden Zahl jüngerer Historiker geknüpft. Trotzdem waren die damaligen Kommunikationsnetzwerke räumlich und personell beschränkt. Seit 1969 erweiterten sich die Verbindungen zwischen beiden Seiten dank des politischen Aufschwungs der Sozialdemokratie und des Generationswechsels der Historikerschaft. Bis 1982 kommunizierten SPD und Historiker miteinander über viele aktuelle Themen: das Spektrum reichte von den historischen Gedenktagen über den Geschichtsunterricht in den Schulen bis hin zur Neuen Ostpolitik der sozialliberalen Koalition. Parallel dazu erlebte die sozialdemokratische Historiographie eine Konjunktur der Arbeiterbewegungsgeschichte, eine sozialgeschichtliche Neuorientierung und einen Erfolg der Sonderwegsthese. Die Kommunikationsnetzwerke umfassten immer mehr jüngere Fachhistoriker. In den Jahren 1983 bis 1989 wurden die Verbindungen der Sozialdemokratie mit den ihr nahestehenden Historikern auf politischer Ebene wegen ihrer geschichtspolitischen Auseinandersetzung mit der Christdemokratie immer enger, während die sozialdemokratische Geschichtsschreibung vor allem von der Strömung der Alltagsgeschichte und -»Geschichte von unten-« gefördert wurde. Haupttendenzen der dreißigjährigen Entwicklung der Kommunikation zwischen SPD und Geschichtswissenschaft waren wechselseitiger Austausch und Zusammenarbeit. Dabei darf jedoch nicht vernachlässigt werden, dass nicht nur die Historiker, die der Sozialdemokratie nahestanden, sondern auch die, die sich von ihr entfremdeten bzw. kritisch gegenüberstanden, Einfluss auf die Kommunikationslandschaft ausübten.
Bei Albert Dietz und Bernhard Grothe handelt es sich um zwei bedeutende Architekten im französisch-saarländischen Grenzgebiet. Sie gründeten 1952 eine Arbeitsgemeinschaft mit dem Ziel, auf gemeinschaftlicher Basis den nach dem Krieg entstandenen Bedarf an profanen und sakralen Wiederaufbau- und Neubaumaßnahmen in ihren Bauwerken möglichst effektiv reaslisieren zu können. Diese Arbeit befaßt sich ausschließlich mit den Sakralbauten, die deren künstlerische und architektonische Leistungen auf anschauliche Weise demonstrieren und belegen.
The discretization of optimal control problems governed by partial differential equations typically leads to large-scale optimization problems. We consider flow control involving the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations as state equation which is stamped by exactly this property. In order to avoid the difficulties of dealing with large-scale (discretized) state equations during the optimization process, a reduction of the number of state variables can be achieved by employing a reduced order modelling technique. Using the snapshot proper orthogonal decomposition method, one obtains a low-dimensional model for the computation of an approximate solution to the state equation. In fact, often a small number of POD basis functions suffices to obtain a satisfactory level of accuracy in the reduced order solution. However, the small number of degrees of freedom in a POD based reduced order model also constitutes its main weakness for optimal control purposes. Since a single reduced order model is based on the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for a specified control, it might be an inadequate model when the control (and consequently also the actual corresponding flow behaviour) is altered, implying that the range of validity of a reduced order model, in general, is limited. Thus, it is likely to meet unreliable reduced order solutions during a control problem solution based on one single reduced order model. In order to get out of this dilemma, we propose to use a trust-region proper orthogonal decomposition (TRPOD) approach. By embedding the POD based reduced order modelling technique into a trust-region framework with general model functions, we obtain a mechanism for updating the reduced order models during the optimization process, enabling the reduced order models to represent the flow dynamics as altered by the control. In fact, a rigorous convergence theory for the TRPOD method is obtained which justifies this procedure also from a theoretical point of view. Benefiting from the trust-region philosophy, the TRPOD method guarantees to save a lot of computational work during the control problem solution, since the original state equation only has to be solved if we intend to update our model function in the trust-region framework. The optimization process itself is completely based on reduced order information only.
This dissertation is dedicated to the analysis of the stabilty of portfolio risk and the impact of European regulation introducing risk based classifications for investment funds.
The first paper examines the relationship between portfolio size and the stability of mutual fund risk measures, presenting evidence for economies of scale in risk management. In a unique sample of 338 fund portfolios we find that the volatility of risk numbers decreases for larger funds. This finding holds for dispersion as well as tail risk measures. Further analyses across asset classes provide evidence for the robustness of the effect for balanced and fixed income portfolios. However, a size effect did not emerge for equity funds, suggesting that equity fund managers simply scale their strategy up as they grow. Analyses conducted on the differences in risk stability between tail risk measures and volatilities reveal that smaller funds show higher discrepancies in that respect. In contrast to the majority of prior studies on the basis of ex-post time series risk numbers, this study contributes to the literature by using ex-ante risk numbers based on the actual assets and de facto portfolio data.
The second paper examines the influence of European legislation regarding risk classification of mutual funds. We conduct analyses on a set of worldwide equity indices and find that a strategy based on the long term volatility as it is imposed by the Synthetic Risk Reward Indicator (SRRI) would lead to substantial variations in exposures ranging from short phases of very high leverage to long periods of under investments that would be required to keep the risk classes. In some cases, funds will be forced to migrate to higher risk classes due to limited means to reduce volatilities after crises events. In other cases they might have to migrate to lower risk classes or increase their leverage to ridiculous amounts. Overall, we find if the SRRI creates a binding mechanism for fund managers, it will create substantial interference with the core investment strategy and may incur substantial deviations from it. Fruthermore due to the forced migrations the SRRI degenerates to a passive indicator.
The third paper examines the impact of this volatility based fund classification on portfolio performance. Using historical data on equity indices we find initially that a strategy based on long term portfolio volatility, as it is imposed by the Synthetic Risk Reward Indicator (SRRI), yields better Sharpe Ratios (SRs) and Buy and Hold Returns (BHRs) for the investment strategies matching the risk classes. Accounting for the Fama-French factors reveals no significant alphas for the vast majority of the strategies. In our simulation study where volatility was modelled through a GJR(1,1) - model we find no significant difference in mean returns, but significantly lower SRs for the volatility based strategies. These results were confirmed in robustness checks using alternative models and timeframes. Overall we present evidence which suggests that neither the higher leverage induced by the SRRI nor the potential protection in downside markets does pay off on a risk adjusted basis.
The Eurosystem's Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) collects micro data on private households' balance sheets, income and consumption. It is a stylised fact that wealth is unequally distributed and that the wealthiest own a large share of total wealth. For sample surveys which aim at measuring wealth and its distribution, this is a considerable problem. To overcome it, some of the country surveys under the HFCS umbrella try to sample a disproportionately large share of households that are likely to be wealthy, a technique referred to as oversampling. Ignoring such types of complex survey designs in the estimation of regression models can lead to severe problems. This thesis first illustrates such problems using data from the first wave of the HFCS and canonical regression models from the field of household finance and gives a first guideline for HFCS data users regarding the use of replicate weight sets for variance estimation using a variant of the bootstrap. A further investigation of the issue necessitates a design-based Monte Carlo simulation study. To this end, the already existing large close-to-reality synthetic simulation population AMELIA is extended with synthetic wealth data. We discuss different approaches to the generation of synthetic micro data in the context of the extension of a synthetic simulation population that was originally based on a different data source. We propose an additional approach that is suitable for the generation of highly skewed synthetic micro data in such a setting using a multiply-imputed survey data set. After a description of the survey designs employed in the first wave of the HFCS, we then construct new survey designs for AMELIA that share core features of the HFCS survey designs. A design-based Monte Carlo simulation study shows that while more conservative approaches to oversampling do not pose problems for the estimation of regression models if sampling weights are properly accounted for, the same does not necessarily hold for more extreme oversampling approaches. This issue should be further analysed in future research.
Family firms play a crucial role in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). They are characterized by a long tradition, a strong connection to the region, and a well-established network. However, family firms also face challenges, especially in finding a suitable successor. Wealthy entrepreneurial families are increasingly opting to establish Single Family Offices (SFOs) as a solution to this challenge. An SFO takes on the management and protection of family wealth. Its goal is to secure and grow the wealth over generations. In Germany alone, there are an estimated 350 to 450 SFOs, with 70% of them being established after the year 2000. However, research on SFOs is still in its early stages, particularly regarding the role of SFOs as firm owners. This dissertation delves into an exploration of SFOs through four quantitative empirical studies. The first study provides a descriptive overview of 216 SFOs from the DACH-region. Findings reveal that SFOs exhibit a preference for investing in established companies and real estate. Notably, only about a third of SFOs engage in investments in start-ups. Moreover, SFOs as a group are heterogeneous. Categorizing them into three groups based on their relationship with the entrepreneurial family and the original family firm reveals significant differences in their asset allocation strategies. Subsequent studies in this dissertation leverage a hand-collected sample of 173 SFO-owned firms from the DACH region, meticulously matched with 684 family-owned firms from the same region. The second study focusing on financial performance indicates that SFO-owned firms tend to exhibit comparatively poorer financial performance than family-owned firms. However, when members of the SFO-owning family hold positions on the supervisory or executive board of the firm, there's a notable improvement. The third study, concerning cash holdings, reveals that SFO-owned firms maintain a higher cash holding ratio compared to family-owned firms. Notably, this effect is magnified when the SFO has divested its initial family firms. Lastly, the fourth study regarding capital structure highlights that SFO-owned firms tend to display a higher long-term debt ratio than family-owned firms. This suggests that SFO-owned firms operate within a trade-off theory framework, like private equity-owned firms. Furthermore, this effect is stronger for SFOs that sold their original family firm. The outcomes of this research are poised to provide entrepreneurial families with a practical guide for effectively managing and leveraging SFOs as a strategic long-term instrument for succession and investment planning.
In recent years, Islamic banking has been one of the fastest growing markets in the financial world. Even to German banks, Islamic finance is not as 'foreign' as one might think. Indeed, several banks are already operating so-called "Islamic windows" in various Arab countries. However, German banks are still reluctant to offer 'Islamic' products in Germany, despite the fact that approximately 3.5 million Muslims currently live there. Potential reasons for this reluctance include widespread misunderstanding of Islamic banking in Germany and prevailing cultural prejudice towards Islam generally. The author seeks to address these concerns and to take an objective approach towards understanding the potential for Islamic banking in Germany. Legally, Islamic law cannot be the governing law of any contract in Germany. Therefore, the aim must be to draft contracts that are both enforceable under German law and consistent with the principles of Shari'a " the Islamic law. In this paper, the author gives a detailed legal analysis of the most common Islamic banking products and how they could be given effect under German law, while attempting to address widespread concerns about arbitration or parallel Shari'a courts. This publication is one of the first legal analysis of Islamic banking products in Germany. As such, its goal is not to be the final word, but rather to begin the conversation about potential problems and conflicts of Islamic banking in Germany that require further investigation.
Im Mittelpunkt der Arbeit Freizeithandeln Jugendlicher - Motive und Bedeutungen stehen die subjektiven Bedeutungen jugendlichen Freizeithandelns. Dazu wurden zentrale Freizeitmotive ermittelt, mit denen Jugendliche ihrer Freizeit Bedeutung verleihen. Ist als Folge der modernen Bedingungen des Aufwachsens Spasserleben zu einem typischen Kennzeichen des Freizeithandelns der heutigen Jugend geworden, wie dies z. B. OPASCHOWSKI zu erkennen glaubt? Die bundesdeutsche Gesellschaft hat sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten in vielerlei Hinsicht gewandelt. Traditionelle Orientierungen und Segmentierungen (z. B. schicht- bzw. milieuspezifische Lebensweisen) haben ihre Verbindlichkeit eingebuesst. In einer komplexer werdenden Umwelt gehen traditionell gegebene Orientierungen des alltaeglichen Lebens verloren. Welche Auswirkungen haben solche Veraenderungen auf Jugendliche? Ist die hohe Bedeutung von Spasserleben die Antwort? Beduerfnisse und Beweggruende fuer Freizeithandeln koennen vielfaeltig sein. Die Arbeit konzentriert sich auf den Lebensbereich der Freizeit und verfolgt das Ziel, ihre subjektive Bedeutung fuer Jugendliche zu analysieren. Hierzu wird zunaechst der Stand der Forschung im Hinblick auf die Besonderheiten der Jugendphase und die Freizeitgestaltung Jugendlicher aufgezeigt. Die subjektive Bedeutung wird ueber die Rekonstruktion von Freizeitmotiven herausgearbeitet. Sie duerften ein zentrales Element der Bedeutungen sein, in denen Menschen den Zusammenhang zwischen innerer und aeusserer Umwelt herstellen und durch die einzelne Aktivitaeten ihren subjektiven Sinn finden. Zentrale Annahmen der Arbeit Der Lebensbereich Freizeit wird aus einer eher marktorientierten Sichtweise analysiert. Allen Akteuren des Freizeitmarktes kann unterstellt werden, dass ihrem Agieren auf dem Markt eine Zielstruktur zugrunde liegt, die sich - allgemein formuliert - handlungsleitend auf ihre jeweiligen Aktivitaeten auswirkt. Diese Zielstruktur muss nach Ansicht d. V. dem jeweiligen Marktakteur und insbesondere den Jugendlichen jedoch nicht notwendigerweise als klar formulierbare Verhaltensabsicht bewusst sein. Die von den Jugendlichen selbst wahrgenommenen Antriebskraefte fuer Nachfrage und Ausuebung ausgewaehlter Freizeittaetigkeiten werden hier als Motive bezeichnet. Ueber spezifische Motive geben sie ihrer Freizeit einen subjektiven Sinn, der fuer sie wiederum handlungsrelevant wird. Dementsprechend wird untersucht, welche Motive von Jugendlichen fuer ihre vielfaeltigen Freizeitaktivitaeten genannt werden. Die Bedeutung von Freizeit kann mit typischen Mustern dargestellt werden, die Einzelaktivitaeten uebergreifen.
The influence of the dopamine agonist Ritalin-® on performance in a card sorting task involving a monetary reward component was tested in 43 healthy male participants. It was investigated whether Ritalin-® would have differential behavioral effects as a function of the participants' parental bonding experiences and the personality variable "Novelty Seeking". When activity and performance accuracy were stimulated my monetary reward, Ritalin-® reduced activity in response to reward and added to the reward-induced increase in performance accuracy. However, performance accuracy after drug challenge was improved only in the low care participants. In the high care participants, it was contrarily impaired. This observation suggests that the successful therapeutic administration of Ritalin-® in ADHD may be influenced by early life parental care. Suggesting an association between the personality dimension of "Novelty Seeking" and the dopamine system, high "Novelty Seeking" scores positively correlated with sensitivity to Ritalin-® challenge.
Rationale Rechtspolitik ist ein einleuchtendes Postulat. Man bestimmt einen normativen Maßstab, etwa Effizienz. Man stellt fest, dass ein Ausschnitt der Wirklichkeit hinter diesem Ziel zurückbleibt. Man listet die Interventionen auf, mit deren Hilfe die Wirklichkeit dem Ziel näher gebracht werden kann. Man wählt die Intervention, die den größten Fortschritt erwarten lässt. Bei näherem Zusehen ist jedes dieser Elemente problematisch. Es gibt eine Vielzahl normativer Währungen, die untereinander nicht kompatibel sind. Das rechtspolitische Problem lässt sich nicht aus dem größeren Zusammenhang herausschälen. Die Menge denkbarer Interventionen ist überreich. Ihre Wirkungen sind schwer zu prognostizieren. Was tun?
Zum Einfluss von Transformationen schiefer Verteilungen auf die Analyse mit imputierten Daten
(2015)
Die korrekte Behandlung fehlender Daten in empirischen Untersuchungen spielt zunehmend eine wichtige Rolle in der anwendungsorientierten, quantitativen Forschung. Als zentrales flexibles Instrument wurde von Rubin (1987) die multiple Imputation entwickelt, welche unter regulären Bedingungen eine korrekte Inferenz der eigentlichen Schätzungen ermöglicht. Eine Reihe von Imputationsmethoden beruht im Wesentlichen auf der Normalverteilungsannahme. In der Empirie wird diese Annahme normalverteilter Daten zunehmend kritisiert. So erweisen sich Variablen auf Grund ihrer sehr schiefen Verteilungen für die Imputation als besonders problematisch. In dieser Arbeit steht die korrekte Behandlung fehlender Werte mit der Intention einer validen Inferenz der eigentlichen Schätzung im Vordergrund. Ein Instrument ist die Transformation schiefer Verteilungen, um mit Hilfe der transformierten und approximativ normalverteilten Daten Imputationen unter regulären Bedingungen durchzuführen. In der Arbeit wird ein multivariater Ansatz eingeführt. Anschließend wird im Rahmen mehrerer Monte-Carlo-Simulationsstudien gezeigt, dass der neue Ansatz bereits bekannte Verfahren dominiert und sich die Transformation positiv auf die Analyse mit imputierten Daten auswirkt.
Background: Increasing exposure to engineered inorganic nanoparticles takes actually place in both terrestric and aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Although we already know harmful effects of AgNP on the soil bacterial community, information about the impact of the factors functionalization, concentration, exposure time, and soil texture on the AgNP effect expression are still rare. Hence, in this study, three soils of different grain size were exposed for up to 90 days to bare and functionalized AgNP in concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 1.00 mg/kg soil dry weight. Effects on soil microbial community were quantified by various biological parameters, including 16S rRNA gene, photometric, and fluorescence analyses.
Results: Multivariate data analysis revealed significant effects of AgNP exposure for all factors and factor combinations investigated. Analysis of individual factors (silver species, concentration, exposure time, soil texture) in the unifactorial ANOVA explained the largest part of the variance compared to the error variance. In depth analysis of factor combinations revealed even better explanation of variance. For the biological parameters assessed in this study, the matching of soil texture and silver species, and the matching of soil texture and exposure time were the two most relevant factor combinations. The factor AgNP concentration contributed to a lower extent to the effect expression compared to silver species, exposure time and physico–chemical composition of soil.
Conclusions: The factors functionalization, concentration, exposure time, and soil texture significantly impacted the effect expression of AgNP on the soil microbial community. Especially long-term exposure scenarios are strongly needed for the reliable environmental impact assessment of AgNP exposure in various soil types.