Papers by Prof.Shosh Shahrabani
European Journal of Public Health, 2020
Background For young women, mammography has limited effectiveness and entails exposure to radiati... more Background For young women, mammography has limited effectiveness and entails exposure to radiation, discomfort and additional costs. As in other countries, the Israel Ministry of Health does not officially recommend mammograms for women under age 50 who do not belong to risk groups. The study identifies factors associated with the willingness to undergo mammography, contrary to the official guidelines. Methods Using the Health Belief Model (HBM), we surveyed Israeli women aged 40-51 who are not at high risk for developing breast cancer and who had or had never undergone mammography. Results The results show that socio-demographic characteristics, private insurance coverage, out-of-pocket payments to physicians, and two HBM categories-lower levels of perceived barriers to mammography (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.53-0.92) and higher levels of health motivation (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.19-2.29) - are associated with the decision to undergo mammogram. In addition, higher levels of perceived su...
Judgment and Decision Making
Previous studies have examined the impact of military service on the decision to engage in risky ... more Previous studies have examined the impact of military service on the decision to engage in risky behavior. Yet most of these studies focused on voluntary recruits, did not distinguish between legal and illegal risky activities and did not compare combat and non-combat soldiers during and after service according to gender. The current study is unique because of the nature of Israeli compulsory army service. It examines the relationship between type of army service and five legal and illegal risky behaviors for three groups: non-combat, combat without fighting experience, and combat with fighting experience. We also examine differences in the propensity for risky behavior between men, most of whom are assigned to combat units due to the army’s needs, and women, who serve in combat units on a voluntary basis only. A questionnaire survey was randomly distributed at train stations and central bus stations in Israel among 413 soldiers and ex-soldiers between the ages of 18-30. The predict...
Judgment and Decision Making
The current study is based on a field study of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war that was conducted in ... more The current study is based on a field study of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war that was conducted in two waves, the first two weeks after the end of the war, and the second 18 months later (2008). The purpose of the study was to examine recalled emotions and perceived risks induced by manipulation using a short videoclip that recalled the sounds of the alarms and the sights of the missile attacks during the war. Before filling in the study questionnaire in 2008, the experimental group watched a short videoclip recalling the events of the war. The control group did not watch the video before filling in the questionnaire. Using the data provided by questionnaires, we analyzed the effect of recalled emotions on perceived risks in two different regions in Israel: the northern region, which was under missile attack daily during the war, and the central region, which was not under missile attacks. The videoclip had a strong effect on the level of recalled emotions in both regions, but it did ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
This study investigates how people in Japan perceived the severity of and probability of infectio... more This study investigates how people in Japan perceived the severity of and probability of infection from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and how their willingness to purchase a hypothetical vaccine depends on these perceptions and their risk attitudes. We conducted a large-scale panel survey three times between 13 March to 13 April 2020 in Japan. By analyzing the data, we found that the perception of COVID-19 became more serious. The estimation of the fixed effect model reveals that a person becomes more willing to pay for a vaccine as the person evaluates COVID-19 as a more severe disease, considers a higher probability of infection, and becomes more risk averse. Since the sensitivity of willingness to pay for the vaccine on risk aversion increased during the period, the change in risk attitude contributed to an increase in willingness through the sensitivity channel, while it decreased through the magnitude channel.
Healthcare, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Israel Affairs, 2021
ABSTRACT Using data from a field study conducted among soldiers during the 2014 Protective-Edge m... more ABSTRACT Using data from a field study conducted among soldiers during the 2014 Protective-Edge military operation (OPE) in the Gaza Strip, this article examines the effect of exposure to war on soldiers’ emotions, economic expectations, and willingness to take risks. The results suggest that combat soldiers who took part in OPE were more willing to take risks and more optimistic. The analytical results indicate that among combat soldiers, levels of negative emotions were negatively related to individual economic expectations, while being present in the staging area close to OPE significantly and positively affected the level of their economic expectations.
Economics Bulletin, 2015
This study examines the public support determinants for the release of terrorists in exchange for... more This study examines the public support determinants for the release of terrorists in exchange for a single captive soldier. A sample of 751 Israelis were presented a questionnaire, in which the exchange price was manipulated into two versions: one in which no specific prices were mentioned, and another which presented a context-specific prisoner exchange. The results show that respondents who answered the non-specific version displayed greater support than those presented with specific details. Additionally, we found that soldiers tended to support the exchange more than civilians, and women showed greater support as compared to men. Our findings provide considerable support for the effect of framing and provide further evidence that decision-makers as well as media experts can guide public opinion.
The European Journal of Health Economics, 2021
Achieving high vaccination rates is important for overcoming an epidemic. This study investigates... more Achieving high vaccination rates is important for overcoming an epidemic. This study investigates the association between religious faith and intentions to become vaccinated against COVID-19 in Israel and Japan. Most of Israel's population is monotheistic, whereas most Japanese are unaffiliated with any religion. Therefore, our findings might be applicable to various countries that differ in their religions and levels of religiosity. We conducted almost identical large-scale surveys four times in Israel and five times in Japan from March to June 2020 to obtain panel data. We found that intentions of getting vaccinated depend on people's level of religiosity in a non-linear way. Those who have strong religious beliefs are less likely to become vaccinated than those who say they are less religious. Two other factors that play a role in this relationship are religious denomination in Israel and identifying with a religion in Japan.
Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 2021
Background In January 2020, Israel launched a reform mandating Front-of-Package (FOP) labeling on... more Background In January 2020, Israel launched a reform mandating Front-of-Package (FOP) labeling on food products. The current study examined the factors affecting consumers’ decision-making regarding the use of FOP labels a year after the reform was implemented. Methods The survey was conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 and included a sample of 507 participants age 21 and over. The questionnaire included Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs related to food labeling, nutrition habits, media exposure and extent of support for the reform, frequency of using FOP labels, intention to change purchasing and consumption habits in the coming year, and personal details. Results The study found that 58.5% reported using the FOP labels to some extent. In addition, 70% indicated willingness to change to healthier products in the coming year. The results of the analytical model confirm the validity of the HBM and the other behavioral constructs. In particular, the frequency of using F...
Women's Studies International Forum, 2019
In recent years, more and more Israeli women are serving in combat units in the Israel Defense Fo... more In recent years, more and more Israeli women are serving in combat units in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The current study is based on 24 in-depth retrospective interviews with women who served in mixed-gender combat units in the IDF and examines the impact of military service on their self-efficacy and risk attitude. The results indicate that perceived self-efficacy among women was strengthened as a result of this service, thus empowering them and causing them to make more calculated decisions after their discharge from the military. Moreover, increased self-efficacy was reported even among women who experienced negative attitudes from their male colleagues. The results also show that combat experience, even including life-threatening situations, makes interviewees more willing to take risks in general, and physical risks in particular, after their discharge from the army. Yet this tendency seems to be moderated over time. Hence, combat service offers important benefits for women since it provides them with new opportunities to acquire significant experience at a young age, which forms the basis for making wise decisions in life after their discharge. Understanding the implications of mixedgender combat army service may help in designing the content of military training courses for men and women that will prepare them for the challenges of their joint service.
J. of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 2014
In the hotel industry, the front office serves as one of the most important points of contact wit... more In the hotel industry, the front office serves as one of the most important points of contact with guests. One of the main problems in the hospitality industry is the high rate of turnover. This study examines skills and perceptions among front office employees in Israel, most of whom are young, single, and female. The study examines the main factors affecting an employee's intentions to remain in the hospitality industry. In addition, the study compares job perceptions and required skills between hotel chain and non-chain employees. The results suggest that being male, being an immigrant, and having a higher education raise intentions to remain in the hotel industry. Scoring higher on perceptions of the job increases an employee's intentions to remain in the industry as well. Higher position has a positive effect on the probability of remaining in the industry, while working for a chain does not affect this probability. In addition, this study attempts to offer front office managers some useful recommendations.
Evolutionary Psychology, 2017
The present study aimed to extend the original focus of the dual-hormone hypothesis on testostero... more The present study aimed to extend the original focus of the dual-hormone hypothesis on testosterone and cortisol involvement in risk-taking to other sex hormones: estrogen and progesterone. The study also examined two alternative models for the proposed relationship between cortisol and sex steroids and for their joint influence on risk-taking: interaction and ratio terms. In all, 40 women and 37 men were tested for circulating sex hormones and provided self-reports on risk-taking. The findings suggest that sex hormone–cortisol ratios differentially modulate risk-taking in men and women: In men, high ratios were associated with risk-taking, whereas in women the opposite pattern was found. The findings are discussed in light of evolutionary assumptions regarding sex differences in neuroendocrine mechanisms, suggesting sex differences in neural sensitivity to sex hormones in risk-taking.
Financial Theory and Practice, 2016
In the present study, we make an effort to enhance the practical advantages of the life-cycle pen... more In the present study, we make an effort to enhance the practical advantages of the life-cycle pension model. We observe that previous studies are based on a "switching" approach, that is, on the assumption that when a pension fund member reaches a certain age, his accumulated savings are fully switched to another fund with a lower risk profile; we suggest an "accumulating" approach, according to which, at the same age, the member's previously accumulated wealth continues to be invested in the same fund, while his new regular pension contributions start being directed to another (less risky) fund. We consider a hypothetical (average) Israeli employee, analyze two age-dependent life-cycle investment distributions of his pension savings, and perform a comparison between the two approaches to the life-cycle model by employing an estimation-based and a simulation-based technique. The results demonstrate that the "accumulating" approach provides: (i) higher estimated annualized real returns and real accumulated savings; (ii) significantly higher simulated mean and median values of real accumulated savings. Moreover, we document that, though the "accumulating" approach increases the standard deviation of total savings, it does not lead to critically low pension wealth levels even for relatively unfavorable sequences of financial assets' returns. Therefore, we conclude that the "accumulating" approach to the life-cycle model has a potential significantly to increase pension fund members' total accumulated wealth relatively to the common "switching" approach, without significantly increasing the members' risk.
Games, 2015
We study differences in behavior across countries in a labor market context. To this end, we cond... more We study differences in behavior across countries in a labor market context. To this end, we conducted a bilateral gift-exchange experiment comparing the behavior of subjects from five high-income OECD countries: Germany, Spain, Israel, Japan and the USA. We observe that in all countries, effort levels are increasing while rejection rates are decreasing in wage offers. However, we also find considerable differences in behavior across countries in both one-shot and repeated relationships, the most striking between Germany and Spain. We also discuss the influence of socioeconomic indicators and the implications of our findings.
The current study examines the effects of three modern crises: economic crises, terrorism and epi... more The current study examines the effects of three modern crises: economic crises, terrorism and epidemics, on the movement of tourists. The five countries chosen as the countries of origin each have populations exceeding 10 million and are among the top tourism spenders per capita. Singapore and Spain and Vietnam were chosen as the destination countries, as those countries have experienced either terrorism or epidemics or both. The findings for our sample countries show that the positive effect of economic crises in the destination country and the negative effect of exchange rates on incoming tourism exceed the effects either of terrorism or of epidemics. In addition, the findings suggest that terrorism in the origin country had a negative effect on tourism to Spain from the US and Japan, while terrorism in the destination country (Spain) had a negative effect on tourism to Spain from the UK. Terrorism in the destination country seems to affect mainly countries that are geographically...
The hospitality industry is one of the oldest sub-industries in tourism, yet despite the moderniz... more The hospitality industry is one of the oldest sub-industries in tourism, yet despite the modernization and technical development of this sub-industry, its main resource remains the human resource. In the hospitality industry the front office serves as the first and one of the most important points of contact with the guest. This study focuses on front office employees in managerial and non-managerial positions at various hotels in Israel and examines how employees' demographic background, skills and perceptions about the possibility for future promotion are related to their intentions to remain in this industry. The research was conducted among 122 front desk employees and 40 front desk managers at hotels in Israel between February 2011 and February 2012. Most of the employees were young (average age 29.11), single and female. The results show that among those in non-managerial positions 60 percent want to leave the industry, while among managers only 30 percent want to leave the industry. In addition, the findings indicate that working at a chain hotel and working as a manager increase the likelihood of evaluating chances of promotion as good. These results may help hotel directors understand the attitudes of their employees and take steps toward improving their motivation and job perceptions that will affect their willingness to remain in the hotel industry.
EuroMed Journal of Business, 2015
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the evaluations of various risks by young Israe... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the evaluations of various risks by young Israelis living in conflict area and their Polish counterparts, who do not live in conflict area and how these perceptions affect their traveling intentions to destinations with different types of risks – Egypt, Turkey, India and Japan. Design/methodology/approach – The research participants were 713 Israeli and Polish students who responded to a structured questionnaire. Findings – The findings validate the assumption that contextual distinctions shape differently factors affecting traveling risk estimation and the intention of young people to travel abroad. The results indicated that the priming effect is substantial, reflected in Israelis’ significantly higher assessments of risks concerning destinations with terror, health and natural disasters hazards in comparison to Poles’ evaluations. As predicted, Israeli students exhibit lesser intentions to travel to Turkey, Egypt and India than th...
The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ, 2011
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by ex... more Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, accidents and high medical expenses. The first line of treatment for OSAS is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). To examine attitudes and beliefs as well as physiological and sociodemographic factors affecting OSA patients' decision whether or not to purchase a CPAP device. The study was divided into two stages; in the first, 83 subjects completed self-administered questionnaires prior to sleep examination (polysomnography, PSG). The questionnaires related to sleep habits, sleep disorders, questions organized around health belief model (HBM) concepts, sociodemographic information, health status and PSG examination. In the second stage, 3 months later, 50 OSAS patients were interviewed by telephone, which included questions about their reasons for purchasing/not purchasing the CPAP device. Only 48% of the OSAS patients purchased the CPAP device. The...
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Papers by Prof.Shosh Shahrabani