We examine some formalizations of the notion of similarity as it appears in learning, and of the notion of conservatism as it appears in reasoning. We show that the underlying formalizations are closely related to each other and to a central notion of the formal theory of rationality. These connections indicate how the structures of similarity judgments and conservatism can arise naturally in a...

Phylogenetic niche conservatism is the pattern where close relatives occupy similar niches, whereas distant relatives are more dissimilar. We suggest that niche conservatism will vary across clades in relation to their characteristics. Specifically, we investigate how conservatism of environmental niches varies among mammals according to their latitude, range size, body size and specialization....

Purpose – This study examines whether high analyst coverage increases or decreases accounting conservatism. Design/methodology/approach – This study selects sample firms from the Compustat and I/B/E/S databases for years 1989-2006. We use both accrual-based and marketvalue-based measures of accounting conservatism. We also use the extent to which negative cash flow from operations is more timel...