Quality and Quantity, 15 (1981) 107-109 Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam

107 - Printed

in The Netherlands

ABSTRACTS

ON SOCIAL BERND

STABILITY SCHMEIKAL

The purpose of this paper is to stimulate a new view of social processes, namely a more synergetic and evolutionary one. Four processes of socioeconomic structural change in non-equilibrium conditions are discussed. These are the development of the labor force, the history of occupational mobility, economic structural concentration and small-scale regional disintegration. It is shown that (i) the labor force is probably unstable under random fluctuations of interaction-parameters, (ii) the entropy of occupational organization decreases for dependent and increases for independent workers, (iii) the greater the fusion-rate in structural concentration, the lower the number of firms in possibly more than just one size-class, and (iv) that migration is far from equilibrium, and small regional communities are disintegrated. All four processes turn out to be essentially non-stationary and non-linear. Examples are taken from Austria. Hopefully, the paper raises new questions rather than gives old answers.

ON THE HOMOGENEITY

OF PSYCHOLOGICAL

LENNART

PROCESSES

SJijBERG

A basic theme in psychological thinking is that of process. Overt behavioral variables are often seen as indicators of psychological processes, this being their raison d’etre. The problems arising in generalization from such indicators and in their interpretation across different populations, persons and situations are discussed. Some methods for measuring the homogeneity of processes are outlined. The relationship between similarity and correlation is emphasized as an important type of evidence for homogeneity, albeit not a sufficient one. Applications in the fields of attitude change and factorial studies of human intellect are briefly discussed.

108

A PROCESS MODEL

OF RESIDENTIAL

RESETTLEMENT

ROBERT B. SMITH This essay traces the development and presents policy-related examples of the use of a qualitative process model of residential mobility. The hypothetical findings suggest that harmonious racial climates and economic justice for blacks are fundamental prerequisites for stable, integrated neighborhoods. When the racial climate is invidious, and blacks pay more for housing than whites, then the model produces extensive white resettlement, even if the whites are not prejudiced. The increased tolerance reported in opinion polls is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for the integration of urban neighborhoods. Economic justice and harmonious climates are also necessary. The essay concludes by presenting nine policy recommendations oriented toward increasing racial integration.

CONCEPTS OF EVIDENCE IN SYSTEMS ANALYSIS: TESTING MACRO-SYSTEM THEORIES HENRY TEUNE The issue addressed is the criticism that systems theories are too abstract to test them empirically. This perceived gap between theory and data, it is argued, is in large part a consequence of the co-variance concept of evidence that is appropriate for experimental and aggregate data but not for systems theories. What is presented as an alternative for testing macro-system theories are point predictions derived from theories for specific systems. The evidence for or against such theories are “hits” or “misses” for particular cases.These point predictions are particular relationships among variables within systems, such as the relationship between conflict and the performance of local government.

A REVIEW

OF SOME UNUSUAL DETECTION

APPLICATIONS THEORY

OF SIGNAL

T.P. HUTCHINSON By emphasising the positive relation between the probabilities of correct detection and of false alarm (the ROC curve), signal detection theory has revolutionised

109 psychophysics since the mid-fifties. The clear distinction between discrimination and bias which it yields has since found many applications in psychology, and in other fields such as medical decision-making, the analysis of information-retrieval systems, and quality control. This paper reviews the theory and its applications. It is concluded that the theory is very helpful in conceptualising the processes of judging and responding to a stimulus, but that its great flexibility makes it difficult to use as a predictive tool.