Alan S. Miller

Are surveys on trust trustworthy

In this paper we explore the validity of a survey question commonly used for measuring generalized trust. Trust has become a key variable in a variety of fields, including sociology, social psychology, political science, and economics; therefore the accuracy with which it is measured has profound implications for many studies. We suggest that ambiguous wording on this survey item has led to misinterpretations concerning actual trust levels, especially in a cross-cultural context. To test this claim, we conduct an extensive survey of students at UCLA and at Hokkaido University, Japan. Results strongly suggest that the survey question measures differences in caution levels rather than in trust. Implications of this research are discussed.

A Latent Variable Analysis of General Strain Theory

Strain theory has returned to the forefront of criminological theory and research, due primarily to the general strain model developed by Robert Agnew. Agnew posits that a broad range of negative social relations comprises strain and that these straining mechanisms lead to delinquent behavior and other maladaptive functioning. Moreover, strain has its strongest effect on delinquency when certain coping strategies are attenuated or when delinquent peers reinforce perceptions of strain. Although several studies have now shown the utility of general strain theory as an explanation of delinquency, they have relied mainly on cross-sectional effects or two-wave panel designs using methods that fail to consider measurement error or autocorrelated errors. In this study we extend these analyses by estimating a latent variable structural equation model that examines the effects of strain—operationalized as negative life events—on conventional attachment and delinquency over a 3-year period. Furthermore, we directly assess Agnews “coping strategies” hypotheses by stratifying the models by self-efficacy, self-esteem, and peer delinquency. The results indicate that significant longitudinal effects of strain on delinquency emerge during year 3 but that these effects are not conditioned by self-efficacy or self-esteem. Changes in strain also affect changes in delinquency, but only among those who report no delinquent peers. We do find, however, that over the initial 2 years strain has a negative effect on delinquency among those high in self-efficacy, self-esteem, or delinquent peers. The findings are discussed in terms of Agnews theory.

Social and political attitudes among religious groups : Convergence and divergence over time

Studies indicate that religious affiliation has a significant effect on political and social attitudes in the United States. A conservative-liberal continuum exists among religious groups, with certain Protestant groups demonstrating relatively consistent conservative, moderate, and liberal attitudes toward several issues. Moreover, Catholics tend to report moderate attitudes, with Jews and nonaffiliates reporting the most liberal positions. However, research that has delineated this continuum has not examined changes over time. This paper examines two competing viewpoints, which we label convergence and divergence, that are derived primarily from contemporary theories of religious change, with 20 years of data from the General Social Survey, to examine whether attitudes regarding several relevant issues have shifted significantly both between and within religious groups. We find that a within-group convergence of attitudes has occurred for issues such as womens roles in society and marijuana use, divergence between groups but convergence within groups has occurred for abortion attitudes, and a clear divergent pattern has emerged between conservative Protestants and other groups in attitudes toward school prayer. Inter- and intragroup changes over time vary from issue to issue and suggest that a complex interplay of religious and secular forces have affected changing attitudes among religious adherents.

Going to Hell in Asia: The Relationship between Risk and Religion in a Cross Cultural Setting

This paper explores the relationship between an individual s risk preference and his or her personal religiosity. Miller and Hoffmann (1995) proposed that being irreligious is aform of risk-taking behavior, andfurtherfound that approximately half of the difference between male and female levels of religiosity was due to differences in their riskpreferences. In this paper, the relationship between riskpreference and religiosity is exploredfrom a cross-nationalperspective. It is proposed that being irreligious only represents risk-taking behavior in Western (i.e., Christian and Muslim) societies, since those religious traditions emphasize exclusivity, claiming to be the one and only correct spiritual path. In Eastern (i.e., Hindu and Buddhist) societies, where religions tend to be non-exclusive and the emphasis is on personal behavior rather than organizational affiliation, not participating in the mainstream religion does not necessarily constitute risk-taking behavior Data from the World Values Survey are used. Results strongly support the research hypothesis.

On the stability of church attendance patterns during a time of demographic change : 1965-1988

Demographic changes in the United States over the past 20 years (i.e., the aging of the baby boomers) should have led to an increase in church attendance. However, church attendance patterns during this period have remained relatively stable. It is suggested that this is only possible if (1) baby boomers are not attending church with greater frequency as they age ; (2) age effects are being offset by period effects moving in the opposite direction (a secularization hypothesis) ; or (3) age effects are being offset through a process of intergenerational exchange whereby younger cohorts throughout their life course attend church less frequently than older cohorts. These three possibilities are tested using Bayesian cohort analysis and the General Social Survey data set. Results support the third explanation. The gains associated with the aging of the baby boomers appear to be primarily offset by cohort effects. Specifically, pre-WWII cohorts attend church far more frequently than post-WWII cohorts. Therefore, as members of these older cohorts die and are replaced by younger cohorts, church attendance decreases, thereby offsetting any gains in attendance associated with the shifting age structure of the U.S. population.

Denominational influences on socially divisive issues : Polarization or continuity?

Research on denominational affiliation and its influence on individual attitudes has increased recently due to widespread interest in whether the United States has become increasingly polarized on a variety of divisive social issues, even while demographic differences among denominations have decreased. However, recent empirical research has, in general, failed to support a polarization argument. Using 22 years of data from the General Social Surveys, we analyze changes over time in the relative variability and distribution of attitudes toward family issues (abortion, gender roles, and sexual behavior) within denominational groups after controlling for the effects of demographic covariates and church attendance. The results show that adjusted coefficients of variation and kurtoses have changed inconsistently. For example, although there has been a decreasing trend in relative variation about womens roles and premarital sex, measures of kurtosis fail to indicate a flattening or peaking of the distributions among denominational groups. However, attitudes toward abortion among conservative and moderate Protestants have become relatively more variable and have moved in the direction of bimodality as gauged by decreasing kurtoses. Similarly, moderate Protestants show increasing relative variability and movement toward bimodality with regard to attitudes toward homosexual relations. These results indicate that, except for a couple of notable examples, attitudes among members of denominational groups have not generally become more polarized over time.

Conventional Religious Behavior in Modern Japan: A Service Industry Perspective

This study employs a perspective of religious behavior based largely on classic deprivation theory and on the Stark and Bainbridge theory of religion. It is proposed that religions provide services, such as eschatological explanations, and hope and comfort, and that individual religiosity will increase as desire for these services increases. Survey data on religious beliefs and behavior collected by the Institute of Statistical Mathematics in Tokyo were used. Results lend partial support for the theoretical perspective. Some measures of an increased desire for these services were correlated with an increased likelihood of exhibiting related religious beliefs and behavior.

Social support at work as a buffer of work stress-strain relationship : A signal detection approach

With respect to the stress-buffering effects of social support at work upon stressor–strain relationships, some studies report the effects while others do not despite similarities of methods. Some reasons for the inconsistencies across studies might be due to the absence of assessing social support dimensions and work stressors. In the present study, data concerning social support at work, work stressors and mental stress among white-collar workers in Japan (N=416) were analysed using signal detection analysis to determine how individual social support variables interact with stressor variables. Two types of higher-order interactions involving social support variables were observed. It is suggested that certain types of social support at work could be effective in redressing the impact of work stressors, but only for certain types of workers who have specific multiple work stressors. These findings were also useful for practical application to domestic occupational health problems.

Why Japanese religions look different : The social role of religious organizations in Japan

This study proposes that many of the unique characteristics of the modern Japanese religious landscape are due to the limited social role these organizations currently play. Specifically, while churches in the U.S. and in many other countries provide a great many social services to their members, in Japan secular organizations and institutions are more likely to provide those same services. This relationship is studied using data from A Survey of Japanese Values and Behavior. Results support the proposed set of hypotheses. Whereas studies conducted in the U.S. consistently demonstrate the importance of religious affiliation for families, no such relationship exists for the Japanese respondents. Instead, the importance of occupational affiliation as a source of social support for the Japanese is reflected in a correlation between a lack of work involvement and increased religious organizational participation. Results suggest that studies of cross-national differences in religions must go beyond a comparison of theologies and individual religious behavior to include broader social strucntral differences.

Urbanization and rural depletion in modern Japan: An analysis of crime and suicide patterns

In this paper, we examine a newly emerging pattern of relationships between trends in urbanization and rural depletion, and deviant behavior in modern Japanese society. Past research on this topic has focused primarily on social disorganization theory. It emphasizes the disruption of stable interpersonal ties and weakening of traditional social networks brought about by ecological shifts, resulting in increases in virtually all forms of deviant behavior. Focusing on suicide and crime rates in modern Japan, we propose that social disorganization is not necessarily synonymous with urbanization, and that different mechanisms should be employed to explain different forms of deviant behavior. Specifically, opportunity theory appears more appropriate for understanding some forms of urban criminal behavior, while a population depletion model is more useful for understanding suicide. Prefecture level data from Japan lend qualified support to this proposal. Implications both for modeling deviance in general, and for understanding modern Japanese society are discussed.