Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
under embargo until 2025-07-31
2025-07-31T00:00:00Z
We tested the effects of audit probability (high, low, ambiguous) and audit probability change (increase, decrease) on compliance in a simplified tax return task. Participants were asked to report...Show moreWe tested the effects of audit probability (high, low, ambiguous) and audit probability change (increase, decrease) on compliance in a simplified tax return task. Participants were asked to report correct returns, faced with either a high (40%), low (10%) or ambiguous (10-40%) audit probability. In addition, audit probabilities of each participant were either increased or decreased by five percentage points after half of all trials were completed. Results showed that, in line with our predictions, high audit probability yielded significantly higher compliance than low audit probability and that high and ambiguous audit probability yielded similar compliance. Contrary to our expectations, audit probability change in the form of increases or decreases did not yield significant effects on compliance. The present study indicates that an ambiguous audit probability can yield increased compliance akin to a high audit probability. Our findings provide a starting point for further investigation into the effects of information about audit probability on tax compliance. Suggestions for replication studies and further research are provided.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
under embargo until 2026-02-27
2026-02-27T00:00:00Z
Food waste is a big problem in the Netherlands. In an effort to find a solution to this problem, the present study examines the influence of expiration date labels on people’s intention to waste...Show moreFood waste is a big problem in the Netherlands. In an effort to find a solution to this problem, the present study examines the influence of expiration date labels on people’s intention to waste food. The current phrase “ten minste houdbaar tot” [“at least preservable until”] can be seen as definitive and thought to refer to food safety whereas it refers to food quality, thus this study proposes an alternative phrase “beste kwaliteit voor, vaak goed na” [“best quality before, often good after”]. The aim of this alternative phrase was to make clear that the expiration date refers to food quality and that the food could still be safe to consume after this date had passed. Participants were presented with dairy and pantry products that had an expiration date that had passed by five days. This expiration date was shown with the current phrasing or the alternative phrasing. Results showed that the alternative phrase led to a lower intention to waste dairy compared to the current phrase. Whereas for pantry products, there was no difference in intention to waste food between the two phrases. Moreover, results showed that the intention to waste dairy was mediated by perceived risk. Meaning that dairy products that were presented with the alternative phrase were perceived as less risky to consume, which in turn was associated with a lower intention to let the product go to waste when the expiration had passed. Thus, changing the phrasing of the expiration date label could help in reducing food waste in the Netherlands.Show less
The primary goal of the present study is to investigate whether reducing feelings of financial shame and financial stigma increases the willingness to seek financial support. To do so, two websites...Show moreThe primary goal of the present study is to investigate whether reducing feelings of financial shame and financial stigma increases the willingness to seek financial support. To do so, two websites from the same organization offering financial support were designed. The first used neutral wording, whereas the second included language that aimed to reduce feelings of financial shame and financial stigma. Although results showed that the willingness to contact the organization was not significant between conditions, we found that participants visiting the modified website were more willing to recommend the organization to relatives and friends experiencing financial hardship than those on the neutral condition. Additionally, we found that participants visiting the modified website perceived the organization as more supportive and trustworthy and showed more adaptive coping mechanisms regarding their own financial situation. Lastly, results revealed that participants experiencing higher feelings of financial stigma perceived the organization as less competent.Show less
Financial shame can lead people to avoid seeking or accepting help with their financial problems. We expect that attenuating feelings of shame motivates people to seek help. To test this...Show moreFinancial shame can lead people to avoid seeking or accepting help with their financial problems. We expect that attenuating feelings of shame motivates people to seek help. To test this expectation, we conduct an experiment in which we present participants with an alleged website of an organisation that provides financial advice. They are presented with one of two versions. In one version the communication of the organisation is geared toward attenuating feelings of shame, whereas in the other it is not. As hypothesized, participants who experienced less shame perceived the organisation as more positive and were more likely to contact or recommend the organisation to friends or family, and these people dealt with the financial situation more constructively (hypothesis 1a-1c). Contrary to our hypothesis, only people with higher shame perceived the organisation as less positive and people with higher shame and stigma would contact or recommend the organisation less often to friends or family and handled their financial situation less constructively (hypothesis 2a-2c).Show less
People who are experiencing financial hardship often feel ashamed about their financial situation. This experienced shame prevents them from seeking contact with their creditor. A way to cope with...Show morePeople who are experiencing financial hardship often feel ashamed about their financial situation. This experienced shame prevents them from seeking contact with their creditor. A way to cope with this experienced shame is to build shame resilience. We built on shame resilience theory (Brown, 2006) by focusing on two elements: fostering connectedness and addressing shame. Participants were randomly assigned to the control condition or to the shame-resilience condition. In the control condition, participants read a standard creditor email. In the shame resilience condition, participants read an email that fostered connectedness and addressed shame. Our shame resilience email didn’t lead to a significant higher willingness to contact the helping organization or a decrease in avoidant tendencies. Our shame resilience email did lead to a significant decrease in shame. A practical implication of this is that we found a way to approach people experiencing (financial) shame, in order to reduce their shame.Show less
Financial scarcity raises negative consequences on individual and societal level. Much help is offered, but many people do not seek help. The goal of this research is to test whether an...Show moreFinancial scarcity raises negative consequences on individual and societal level. Much help is offered, but many people do not seek help. The goal of this research is to test whether an intervention designed to increase perceived financial self-efficacy increases the likelihood that people with financial problems take appropriate action. It is hypothesized that participants who are presented with a self-efficacy heightening website of an organisation that offers them financial help, perceive this organisation as more positive, are more likely to contact the organisation, and handle their situation more constructively (Hypothesis 1a, 1b, and 1c). It is expected that these effects are stronger when participants experience less control (Hypothesis 2a, 2b, and 2c). Results support hypothesis 1c and partly support hypothesis 2a: participants in the experimental condition rated the organisation as warmer, the lower they scored on self-efficacy, but not as more moral and competent. The other hypotheses were not supported.Show less
In this research paper, it was investigated whether there is a positive relationship between financial scarcity and alcohol consumption, and whether this relationship could be explained by mental...Show moreIn this research paper, it was investigated whether there is a positive relationship between financial scarcity and alcohol consumption, and whether this relationship could be explained by mental health, as was proposed by the affect regulation model. This would suggest that alcohol consumption could have been consulted as a coping strategy to reduce negative affect. To test this idea, a mediation analysis was conducted, which suggested that the positive relationship between financial scarcity and alcohol consumption could be explained by the consideration of mental health problems. The results for the mediation analysis have shown that there is a significant positive association between financial scarcity and mental health. However, the relationship between mental health and alcohol consumption was not significant, which resulted in the mediation effects being nonsignificant. The relationship between financial scarcity and alcohol consumption was significant in the situation where mental health was not considered as in the situation where mental health was considered. However, in both cases, the relationship between financial scarcity and alcohol consumption appeared to be negative, which suggested that higher levels of financial scarcity were associated with lower amounts in alcohol consumption. To explain this negative association between financial scarcity and alcohol consumption and the absence of the mediation effects of mental health, further research on possible hidden variables has to be conducted.Show less
The Family Stress Theory asserts that financial strain leads to a lower family relationship quality through the mediating role of mental health problems. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a toll on...Show moreThe Family Stress Theory asserts that financial strain leads to a lower family relationship quality through the mediating role of mental health problems. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a toll on societies and economies worldwide, causing many people to lose their incomes and cases of domestic violence to rise. In the present study we investigated the Family Stress Theory in the context of COVID-19 in order to have the necessary knowledge to counter negative consequences such as the increased physical child abuse during the pandemic. We wanted to know whether financial strain increased between the baseline average level of financial strain during the pre-pandemic years 2017-2019 and the post-pandemic onset months of the year 2020. Furthermore, we investigated whether a pre- to post-pandemic onset change in financial strain was associated with a pre- to post-pandemic onset change in family relationship quality and whether a change of mental health problems during the same timeframe mediated this relationship. We took data from 321 Dutch participants living in a household with a partner and at least one child from the nationally representative LISS panel. Results showed that financial strain was higher before than after the COVID-19 onset in the Netherlands. Furthermore, while the pre- to post-pandemic onset change in financial strain was negatively associated with a pre- to post-pandemic onset change in family relationship quality, this relationship was not mediated by a change of mental health problems during the same timeframe. Controlling for marital status had no effect. Although findings only partly support the Family Stress Theory in the context of COVID-19, insights are valuable because they give practical implications for governments and institutions that help preventing extreme cases of domestic violence such as paying increased attention to symptoms of distress.Show less
