Essays
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Can Public Policy Influence Private Innovation? - Bessen, James
Private innovation appears to have played a major if not dominant role in the growth of output per capita since the Industrial Revolution. Yet economic theory indicates that the level of investment in private innovation will generally be less than is socially optimal unless public policies such as patents encourage additional investment. Therefore, public innovation policy would seem to be critical to economic growth. Surprisingly, a large body of research fails to find unambiguously positive effects of patents on innovation and economic growth, even though patents have been used for hundreds of years. While some industries in some nations clearly benefit from patents, many other industries do not and patents might actually discourage innovation in some industries. Economic theory has provided valuable insights, yet real‐world policy apparently needs to reflect a richer set of behavior and a more complex legal environment. New research is developing a more nuanced understanding including research on alternative means of providing rewards to innovators, research on the costs of litigation and disputes arising from the failure of patents to provide clear boundaries, research on cumulative innovation and strategic uses of large blocks of patents, and research on the extension of patent coverage to new technologies and to developing nations. In addition, major new sources of data permit much more extensive empirical research. -
Computer Technology and Children's Mental Health - Kendall, Philip C.
Computer technology has sparked rapid change for children's mental health, altering how treatments can be delivered (e.g., stand‐alone, computer‐assisted). Research has found that computerized approaches produce comparable outcomes as treatments provided face‐to‐face. We define terms related to computer‐assisted treatment and, with a focus on anxiety in youth, we consider the outcomes of computer‐based and computer‐assisted interventions (programs for youth, programs for training therapists, and programs for parents). We conclude with consideration of advances in technology and benefits for service providers, consumers, and researchers, and a discussion of key issues. -
Emerging Trends: Shaping Age By Technology and Social Bonds - Spellerberg, Annette
Global ageing is a challenge, particularly with the high speed of the ageing process. As the orientation toward nuclear families without extended family members is growing and the number of children is decreasing, fewer senior citizens in developed countries live under the same roof with their children as in past decades. Families are less and less able to provide support and comfort for older people. Social communities are expected to secure the quality of life of senior citizens as well as their ability to lead a self‐reliant, autonomous life. Social policies emphasize ageing in place and therefore the enhancement of neighborhoods and community resources. Digital technologies can contribute to the welfare of the elderly, as they offer communication opportunities, safety functions or health support. More and more the question of enabling contacts and service provision is increasingly based on access to broadband and ICT. -
Remote Sensing with Satellite Technology - Parcak, Sarah
This essay discusses the current capabilities in the field of remote sensing in multiple social and behavioral science fields (Anthropology, History, Government, Psychology, Sociology, and Social work), and shows how remote sensing is playing an increasingly important role in social and behavioral science research. Why social and behavioral scientists apply satellite data, or should apply remote sensing data, is reviewed and evaluated, especially in connection to nonsatellite datasets (including US census data). This study clarifies how high resolution satellite data will impact research in the social and behavioral sciences, especially considering the release of additional sensors in 2014 and later, including new potential application of data collected from drones. Social and behavioral scientists will also need to develop research methodologies appropriate to their subfields. Last, coverage is given to present capabilities and emerging trends for remote sensing research, with an emphasis on, future possibilities for applying satellite data in the social and behavioral sciences. -
Robot‐Mediated Communication - Herring, Susan C.
Since telepresence robots began entering the US commercial market over a decade ago, telepresence robot‐mediated communication (RMC) has become increasingly prevalent and relevant. In this essay, I describe key technological properties of telepresence robots, summarize findings regarding communication and social interaction through such robots, and propose a framework to guide future study of telepresence robot‐mediated discourse and language use. In concluding, I reimagine how telepresence robots could be reconceptualized and redesigned, for example, by moving beyond human metaphors to incorporate “superhuman” attributes, and raise questions about the intended and unintended consequences of RMC. -
Technology Diffusion - Jaffe, Adam B.
Technology diffusion is the process by which new technologies are adopted for use across individual firms or households in a given market, and across different markets. The most salient facts about this process are that it always plays out over time, and the time before adoption is widespread varies greatly across technologies. The dominant explanations for gradual adoption are the time needed for information about the technology to diffuse, and heterogeneity among adopters, such that those for whom the benefits of the new technologies adopt first, while those for whom the benefits are less wait until the technology has improved and/or its cost has fallen. Research has focused on the nature of the information diffusion process, and the attributes of firms and households that affect their adoption decisions. Promising areas for new research include the application of insights ad methods from behavioral economics, the linking of formal models to empirical research, the diffusion of technology to less developed countries and its role in economic development, and public policy issues related to technology diffusion in important sectors such as health care and global climate change. -
The Impact of Learning Technologies on Higher Education - Pentoney, Christopher S.
Demand for higher education has created a need for learning technologies that can accommodate the individualized needs of an increasing number of students. Thinking, learning, and memory have been studied extensively in their own right, but additional research on these topics in conjunction with advanced learning technologies is needed. Developers of computerized tutoring systems, massive online courses, and educational games will benefit from forward‐thinking studies. Limitations are constantly being lifted, and research must increase in pace to ensure the integrity of upcoming learning technologies.