Despite the known effectiveness of digital storybooks for young children's language development, their use in classrooms remains limited. Digital storybooks can lead to a child being read to more...Show moreDespite the known effectiveness of digital storybooks for young children's language development, their use in classrooms remains limited. Digital storybooks can lead to a child being read to more often since they don’t rely on an available adult to read aloud. This study investigated whether the teacher’s attitudes toward printed and digital storybooks correlated with their class's frequency of logging into Bereslim, an interactive digital storybook platform for children aged 3 to 7 years old. The study also examined whether the number of children in a class at risk of developing language problems correlates with the frequency of logins to Bereslim. Additionally, it investigated whether teacher’s attitude toward printed storybooks could predict the amount of Bereslim logins. Lastly, the study explored whether the teacher's age impacted their attitude toward reading digital storybooks and the frequency of logins. In this research 8 teachers from 6 schools and 1 daycare participated, completing an online questionnaire about their attitudes toward reading aloud with print and digital storybooks. Log data was also utilized, containing information about the frequency of logins into Bereslim in each class. No significant results were found regarding teachers' attitudes toward print and digital storybooks and the frequency of logging into Bereslim in their class. There was no significant correlation between the number of children in the class who are at-risk of developing a language problem and the teachers' attitude toward print storybooks. Neither teachers' age nor their attitudes toward digital storybooks significantly predicted login frequency. It's possible that the sample was too small to produce significant effects. To increase the usage of Bereslim in class, providing teachers with more information about the platform and opportunities to gain experience with digital storybooks could be beneficial. A lack of experience with digital storybooks prevents teachers from using them.Show less
Attentional bias (AB) is when certain stimuli catch attention quicker than others, which varies according to individual characteristics. The study investigated: (1) if there is an AB to or from...Show moreAttentional bias (AB) is when certain stimuli catch attention quicker than others, which varies according to individual characteristics. The study investigated: (1) if there is an AB to or from itch; (2) whether this differs between people with chronic itch and healthy controls; (3) and if there is a possible AB/stress association. This is because understanding ABs to/from itch further elucidates the experience of patients with chronic itch and possible future clinical applications. Furthermore, an explorative analysis compared two tasks measuring AB, namely the Posner cueing and dot-probe task. The two tasks, alongside a stress-questionnaire, were administered online to the participants (N=70). A (frequentist and Bayesian) RM ANOVA was done for the main analysis, and a within- subjects t-test for the explorative task-comparison. Given that the task-comparison found the two tasks differing significantly (p = 0.01 d = -0.31), the results of the two tasks were interpreted separately. Overall, indications of AB being biased away from itch stimuli was found. When the AB was contrasted between participant group (people with and without chronic itch), the Posner cueing task found no significant difference (p = 0.68, ηp 2 = 0.003) whereas the dot-probe task found an AB away from itch-stimuli in patients with chronic itch (p = 0.02, ηp 2 = 0.077). Similar pattern unfolded with the stress-association: the Posner cueing task finding that AB did not significantly differ with stress (p = 0.23, ηp 2 = 0.021). The dot-probe task did find that they significantly differed (p = 0.01, ηp 2 = 0.091) where with higher stress, the AB switched to being an AB towards itch stimuli. The discrepancy between the two tasks aligns with expectations considering that the tasks were found inequivalent - highlighting one of the strengths of this study being that the two tasks were compared. Altogether this points towards differences in what the two tasks tap into, and that the attention of people with chronic itch is biased as a function of stress. Summarizing, AB to itch differed between the two groups and was associated with stress when using dot-probe task, which did not apply to the Posner cueing task.Show less
This study aims to empirically assess the influence of K-pop music on the perception of South Korea as a desirable travel destination among foreign K-pop fans. Investigating the multifaceted...Show moreThis study aims to empirically assess the influence of K-pop music on the perception of South Korea as a desirable travel destination among foreign K-pop fans. Investigating the multifaceted factors that attract visitors, including the roles of government initiatives and corporate efforts, the research explores the significance of K-pop within the broader context of influences on foreign K-pop fans’ decisions to visit South Korea. Through survey data collected from 1751 K-pop fans, the results demonstrate that K-pop has a substantial impact on their perception of South Korea, contributing positively to the country's image as a tourist destination. Furthermore, the research underscores the continued value of government and corporate efforts to attract visitors, particularly through the creation of K-pop-related locations for fan visits. While K-pop does not emerge as the primary motivational factor for half of the respondents, it emerges as the most influential factor shaping the intention to visit South Korea.Show less
The actual numbers of international climate-related migration are not as large as expected, considering the rapid increase in the uninhabitability of these places in the Global South. This...Show moreThe actual numbers of international climate-related migration are not as large as expected, considering the rapid increase in the uninhabitability of these places in the Global South. This discrepancy may partly stem from the complex and multifaceted nature of migration, with the climate factors influencing economic opportunity and conflict, making it difficult to differentiate between people that migrate for climate reasons and people that migrate for other reasons, such as economic opportunities. However, it more likely arises from people being trapped within their increasingly uninhabitable homes, because they do not have the capacity to move or willingness to leave their home. Therefore, policymakers and researchers should redirect their attention to immobility, as the ‘trapped populations’ are an urgent and underexposed problem. This thesis will examine the term 'trapped populations,' by using conceptions of Zickgraf (2019, 2023) and De Shalit (2011) and clarifying the complexities inherent in their immobility. I will argue for ‘the right to stay’ as the most protective right for the interests of the trapped populations, as it respects the importance of a home in a person their life.Show less
Since 2014, Europe has faced an explosive increase in migrants, leading Europe into a migration crisis. Political parties in European countries have responded differently to this influx of people....Show moreSince 2014, Europe has faced an explosive increase in migrants, leading Europe into a migration crisis. Political parties in European countries have responded differently to this influx of people. This study aims to clarify the relationship between the agenda of these political parties and the European migration crisis. Based on qualitative research, a content analysis was used to study the differences between left-wing, right-wing and centre-parties and how the European migration crisis has impacted these points of view. The analysis shows that political parties with different ideologies about migration react differently to the crisis. The European migration crisis has little to no effect on the agenda of left-wing parties and right-wing parties, but a major effect on the agendas of centre-parties.Show less
