Search Results (49)

Urban tree canopy is increasingly recognized as a health-protective form of green infrastructure, yet its distribution remains uneven across socioeconomically stratified neighborhoods. This study quantifies fine-scale tree-canopy inequity across Census Block Groups (CBGs) in Baltimore and examines associations with socioeconomic deprivation and modeled pollution-related cancer risk. We integrated (i) 2023 US Forest Service canopy estimates aggregated to CBGs, (ii) Area Deprivation Index (ADI) national and state ranks, (iii) American Community Survey 5-year population counts, and (iv) EPA NATA/HAPs cancer-risk estimates aggregated to CBGs using population-weighted means. Associations were assessed using Spearman correlations and visualized with LOESS smoothers. Canopy was negatively associated with ADI national and state ranks (ρ = −0.509 and −0.503), explaining 29–31% of canopy variation. Population-weighted canopy declined from 47–51% in the least deprived decile to 13–15% in the most deprived (3.4–4.1× disparity). Beyond socioeconomic gradients, overall distributional inequity was quantified using a population-weighted Tree Canopy Inequality Index (TCI; weighted Gini), yielding TCI = 0.312, indicating substantial inequality. The population-weighted Atkinson index rose sharply under increasing inequality aversion (A_0.5 = 0.084; A₂ = 0.402), revealing extreme canopy deficits concentrated among the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Canopy was also negatively associated with modeled cancer risk (ρ = −0.363). We constructed a Triple Burden Index integrating canopy deficit, deprivation, and cancer risk, identifying spatially clustered high-burden neighborhoods that collectively house over 86,000 residents. These findings demonstrate that canopy inequity in Baltimore is structurally concentrated and support equity-targeted greening and sustained maintenance strategies guided by distributional justice metrics. Full article

This work addresses whether heterogeneity in player endowments influences investment decisions in common pool resource (CPR) games, shedding light on the relationship between inequality and economic decision making. We explore two theoretical avenues from behavioral economics—linear other-regarding preferences and inequity aversion—and examine the predictions of each with a laboratory experiment. Our experimental results roundly reject the majority of these explanations: in treatments with endowment inequality, high endowment individuals invest more in the common pool resource than low endowment individuals. We discuss these results in the context of the literature on psychological entitlement and positional preferences. Full article

This paper contributes to research on the geography of cultural sectors by exploring cultural consumption habits from a spatial perspective. The study introduces a novel method to the study of cultural consumption spatial patterns by using human mobility data (GPS) to overcome the lack of traditional data on cultural consumption. The results reveal the emergence of spatial inequalities both in the distribution of cultural amenities and in individual consumption behaviours. It shows that proximity to cultural amenities describes individual consumption patterns through a negative power law function, and that this relation is stronger for individuals averse to cultural consumption. Full article

The digitalization of financial systems has intensified risks such as cyber fraud, data breaches, and financial exclusion, particularly for individuals with low digital financial literacy (DFL). As digital finance becomes ubiquitous, DFL has emerged as a critical competency. However, the determinants of DFL remain insufficiently explored. This study aims to validate a comprehensive, theory-driven model that identifies the key sociodemographic, economic, and psychological factors that influence DFL acquisition among investors. Drawing on six established learning and behavioral theories—we analyze data from 158,169 active account holders in Japan through ordinary least squares regression. The results show that higher levels of DFL are associated with being male, younger or middle-aged, highly educated, and unemployed and having greater household income and assets. In contrast, being married, having children, holding a myopic view of the future, and high risk aversion are linked to lower DFL. Interaction effects show a stronger income–DFL association for males and a diminishing return for reduced education with age. Robustness checks using a probit model with a binary DFL measure confirmed the OLS results. These findings highlight digital inequalities and behavioral barriers that shape DFL acquisition. This study contributes a validated framework for identifying at-risk groups and supports future interventions to enhance inclusive digital financial capabilities in increasingly digital economies. Full article

Children are not only concerned about fairness but also care for others. This study examined how experimentally induced empathic concern influences children’s responses to inequity, particularly when fairness considerations may conflict with empathy-driven motivations. A sample of 10- to 12-year-old children (N = 111, 62 boys, 49 girls) from China were randomly assigned to an empathic or non-empathic condition and completed multiple rounds of ultimatum and dictator games, acting as recipients and proposers. The results showed that children in the empathic concern condition were more likely to accept disadvantageous offers (F (1, 109) = 10.723, p = 0.001) and reject advantageous offers (F (1, 109) = 11.200, p = 0.001) than those in the non-empathic condition. Furthermore, in the dictator game, children in the empathic condition shared significantly more resources with the same protagonist (F (1, 109) = 110.740, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that empathic concern affects children’s inequity aversion and that empathic concern takes priority in guiding children’s inequity aversion when it conflicts with the fairness criterion. Moreover, our findings suggest that altruistic motivations potentially play a role in children’s responses to their inequity aversion. Full article

The consumption of insects as food is an ancient practice that remains widespread in many regions of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania. However, this tradition has largely disappeared in Western countries, where it is often met with aversion. Nutritionally, insects can contain up to 60–70% protein (dry weight), along with beneficial fats, minerals, and vitamins, making them comparable to commonly consumed protein sources. Additionally, they contain bioactive compounds that offer health benefits and can contribute to reducing social inequalities in food access. As a sustainable protein source, insects have the potential to meet the demands of a projected global population of 9.7 billion by 2050. From a regulatory perspective, legislation on edible insects is still emerging in many parts of the world, with significant regional differences in the approval process, safety requirements, and permitted species. However, ensuring their safety—particularly in terms of production, preservation, storage, and potential health risks—is crucial. By addressing these concerns, it may be possible to shift the prevailing negative perception in Western societies and enhance consumer acceptance. Thus, we performed a literature review encompassing several issues regarding entomophagy, like insects’ nutritional composition, legislation, benefits, and food safety, and also addressing future perspectives. Full article

Economic inequality has been linked to changes in individual risk-taking behavior, yet the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. In this study, I examine whether feelings of relative deprivation from upward social comparisons influence risk preferences. In the randomized experiments, participants were exposed to false information feedback designed to evoke feelings of relative deprivation, and their risk aversion was assessed through hypothetical and incentivized gambles. The results indicate that exposure to relative deprivation reduced risk aversion among men in incentivized lottery experiments, while it had no significant association with risk aversion for either gender in hypothetical gambles. Additionally, relative deprivation lowered perceived social standing and increased anxiety and concerns about personal deservingness—emotional outcomes commonly associated with experiences of relative deprivation. This study provides suggestive evidence that social comparison may influence risk preferences among men through emotional changes and offers insights into how societal inequality affects individual preferences. These findings have important implications for policy interventions aimed at addressing economic disparities and their behavioral consequences. Full article

Carbon emissions from human activities such as production and consumption have exacerbated climate deterioration. A common worldwide objective is to create a low-carbon economy by implementing carbon reduction measures in production, consumption, and other processes. To this end, this paper explores the production, price, carbon reduction rate, and profit or utility for a dual-channel low-carbon supply chain network (DLSCN) that includes numerous competing suppliers, manufacturers, risk-averse retailers, and demand markets under carbon trading. In order to create an equilibrium model for the DLSCN, risk-averse retailers are characterized using the mean-CVaR method, and each member’s optimal decision-making behavior is described using variational inequalities. A projection contraction algorithm is used to solve the model, and numerical analysis is presented to investigate how risk aversion, carbon abatement investment cost coefficients, and carbon trading prices affect network equilibrium. The results indicate that increasing retailers’ risk aversion can enhance supply chain members’ profits and carbon reduction rates. Retailers prioritize expected profits, while other members prefer them to focus more on CVaR profits. When retailers are more risk-averse and value CVaR, traditional retail channels become more popular. Increasing the carbon reduction investment cost coefficients for suppliers and manufacturers can boost their profits, and retailers also support this move to charge more for low-carbon products and enhance utility. When carbon trading prices rise, suppliers and manufacturers opt to increase carbon reduction rates to generate more profits from selling carbon allowances. This study provides decision-making references for achieving both economic and environmental benefits for members of DLSCN. Full article

Obtaining significant levels of cooperation in public goods and environmental games, under the assumption of players being purely selfish, is usually prevented by the problem of free riding. Coalitions, in fact, generally fail to be internally stable, and this causes a serious under-provision of the public good, together with a significant welfare loss. The assumption of relational preferences, capable of better explaining economic behaviours in laboratory experiments, helps to foster cooperation, but, without adequate transfer scheme, no substantial improvements are reached. The present paper proposes a cooperation-enhancing transfer scheme under the assumption of players having Fehr and Schmidt utility functions, whose objectives are to guarantee internal stability and to maximize the sum of the utilities of coalition members. The transfer scheme is tested on a public goods contribution game parameterized on the data provided by the RICE model and benchmarked with other popular transfer schemes in environmental economics. The proposed scheme outperforms its benchmarking counterparts in stabilizing coalitions, and sensibly increases cooperation compared to the absence of transfers. Furthermore, for high but not extreme values of the parameter governing the intensity of dis-utility from disadvantageous inequality, it manages to support very large coalitions. Full article

The intelligent design of a transportation system management platform offers a compelling solution for optimizing traffic flow in urban–rural agglomerations. While previous studies have concentrated on the technical aspects of addressing transportation challenges in these areas, there has been a paucity of attention paid to the economic dimensions. This study explores the economic viability of such a system by examining the revenue-sharing mechanism. Moreover, it examines the principal cost elements within the construction context and develops a mathematical model based on game theory and considerations of inequity aversion. A case study of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area serves to demonstrate the model’s validity. From the perspective of the service provider, it is advantageous for the provider to pursue fairness, or at the very least, to disregard any unfairness, if the owner pursues absolute fairness. In an ideal scenario, where both parties prioritize fairness, optimal or near-optimal solutions can be reached based on their fairness preferences. This approach allows for the maximization of overall benefits without incurring losses. The research findings not only offer guidance to policymakers in the realm of traffic management but also present novel ideas and methodologies for scholarly exploration in related fields. Full article

This study investigates the obstacles encountered by female graduates in China’s higher education system when considering entrepreneurship by employing the Theory of Planned Behaviour as an analytical framework. Although entrepreneurship is widely acknowledged as crucial for economic and personal growth, gender inequalities remain, with women being severely underrepresented. The primary objective of this study is to gain insight into the underlying reasons behind the reluctance of female university students, specifically in China, to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. In this study, we conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with female university students from different majors to identify the key barriers that discourage them from starting their businesses. The factors discovered are instrumental and affective attitudes towards entrepreneurship, subjective norms (family, friends, teachers, and others), and perceived behavioural control (encompassing past experiences, second-hand information, and anticipated obstacles). The results showed that a conservative familial atmosphere, risk-averse cultural norms, and limited access to helpful resources and experiences in universities are major obstacles. This study enriches the present knowledge by providing a detailed explanation of the gender-specific obstacles in entrepreneurship in the Chinese context. It proposes that interventions at the educational and governmental levels are imperative to promote female entrepreneurship. Full article

To promote cooperation and strengthen the individual impact on the collective outcome in social dilemmas, we propose the Environmental-impact Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (EMuReL) method where each agent estimates the “environmental impact” of every other agent, that is, the difference in the current environment state compared to the hypothetical environment in the absence of that other agent. Inspired by the inequity aversion model, the agent then compares its own reward with that of its fellows multiplied by their environmental impacts. If its reward exceeds the scaled reward of one of its fellows, the agent takes “social responsibility” toward that fellow by reducing its own reward. Therefore, the less influential an agent is in reaching the current state, the more social responsibility is taken by other agents. Experiments in the Cleanup (resp. Harvest) test environment demonstrated that agents trained based on EMuReL learned to cooperate more effectively and obtained $54\%$ ($39\%$) and $20\%$ ($44\%$) more total rewards while preserving the same cooperation levels compared to when they were trained based on the two state-of-the-art reward reshaping methods: inequity aversion and social influence. Full article

This study proposes a target-oriented method to study travelers’ route choice behavior under travel time variability, and discusses the resulted equilibrium flow patterns. Both travel time reliability and travel time unreliability are considered in this new method, and accordingly, there are two targets. The first one is target for travel time to ensure travel time reliability, and based on this target, another one is target for excess delay to mitigate travel time unreliability. In this model, travel time and excess delay (i.e., the random vector) are stochastically correlated with each other, which is modeled with the copula function based on Sklar’s Theorem, and the exact form of the copula is obtained by the proved comonotonicity relationship of this random vector. The target interaction, i.e., the complementarity relationship, is also modeled based on the utility functions, the meaning of which is that travelers have the will to make more targets achieved so as to obtain more utility. Furthermore, with this model, this paper formulates the user equilibrium as a variational inequality problem to study the long-term effect of the route choice behavior, and solves it with the method of successive average. Finally, numerical testings on the traffic network are conducted to show the convergence of the solution algorithm, and to illustrate the impact of targets on the equilibrium results. Results show that the flow change can be five times more than that with less risk-averse travelers. Full article

Inequality among people has several unwanted effects, in humanistic, social and economic contexts. Several studies address distributional preferences among groups, but little is known about when inequality issues are focused and when and why inequality abatement measures are brought on the political agenda. We show that during the period 2004 to 2023, inequality issues were focused during elections to the EU and UK parliament and with greatest strength during the elections to the EU parliament in May 2004 and to the UK parliament in May 2015. Periods with high unemployment and inflation cause the discussion on inequality to be followed by discussions on inequality measures. However, when the discussion of inequality is followed very closely by the discussions of abatement measures, inequality aversion becomes more strongly associated with the macroeconomic variables inflation and GDP (recessions) than with unemployment and more strongly associated with the concerns for fairness than concerns with war and crime. The results were obtained examining Google Trends and scholarly studies. Full article

Although the compensation for house expropriation has increased significantly in recent years, the conflicts persist. The subjects in the expropriation process have multiple behavioral preferences, such as self-interest, loss aversion, and inequity aversion, and the expropriation process is hampered by extreme disputes on expropriation compensation. In order to make the houseowners agree to the expropriation immediately and tackle the root of extreme disputes, this paper establishes a two-stage sequential game model involving local government and two houseowners, analyzes the different payoff situations under multidimensional preferences, and finds out the optimal compensation standard. Then, through a case analysis, the TOPSIS method is used to determine the ideal strategy when the houseowners are simultaneously considering three preferences. The optimal compensation standard’s value is discovered to be significantly influenced by the houseowners’ behavioral preferences, but the compensation cannot be raised by excessive attention to the reference point and other houseowners. Full article