Over half of all households in the UK experienced some type of debt between 2016 to 2018. Being in debt can pose a serious threat to wellbeing. Many of these households are not able to get out of...Show moreOver half of all households in the UK experienced some type of debt between 2016 to 2018. Being in debt can pose a serious threat to wellbeing. Many of these households are not able to get out of debt by themselves. However, many of these households also do not accept the help, often existing of free debt-advice, that is provided to them. Literature from domains such as education suggest that people might not accept help due to their autonomy being limited. This thesis looked into whether this was also the case for the domain of debt. Respondents were asked to fill out a questionnaire, existing of an implicit measure of autonomy and a hypothetical debt letter. After receiving the letter, participants were asked how likely they would be to accept the help (free debt-advice) offered in the debt letter. Surprisingly, many of the participants accepted the help, leading to the rejection of our hypothesis that the need for autonomy could predict help acceptance. The results showed that there was no relationship between the need for autonomy and help acceptance. A possible reason for this finding could be that in the domain of debt, a different barrier against help acceptance, like shame or stigma, is at play.Show less
Research has found that zoo visits can enhance conservation intentions. The current research (N = 200) examined possible explanations for this relationship by conducting correlational research in...Show moreResearch has found that zoo visits can enhance conservation intentions. The current research (N = 200) examined possible explanations for this relationship by conducting correlational research in the form of an online survey. It was expected that positive affective responses towards zoo animals would enhance conservation intentions. Positive affective responses, in turn, were expected to be predicted by proximity to the animals, interaction with the animals, and active animal behavior. The results of this study confirmed all these expectations, but also showed that proximity, interaction, and pacing predicted negative affective responses, which in turn led to higher conservation intentions. This study thus provided a new insight, namely that affective responses in general can enhance conservation intentions. Zoos could stimulate affective responses by enriching the animal habitats, so that the animals show more active behavior, or by enabling consumers to get closer to the animals.Show less
Interpretive signage is the most commonly used channel by zoos to deliver conservation messages to visitors. These signs include aspects of animal biology, lifespan and taxonomy. Research to the...Show moreInterpretive signage is the most commonly used channel by zoos to deliver conservation messages to visitors. These signs include aspects of animal biology, lifespan and taxonomy. Research to the effectiveness of interpretive signage in zoos in influencing visitors’ conservation intentions is inconclusive and the link with attention to these signs has not yet been sufficiently investigated. This study examined the relationship between visitors’ attention to signs and conservation intentions and whether this relationship is mediated by visitor’s conservation attitudes. In a correlational design, 200 participants were asked to recall their last zoo visit and answer questions in an online survey. In line with the expectations, the results showed a positive association between visitors’ attention towards interpretive signage and conservation intentions. Visitors’ attitudes towards conservation partially mediated this relationship. It was concluded that when visitors devote attention to on-site interpretive zoo signage, this type of conservation education can be effective in influencing visitors’ intentions towards nature conservation through its influence on attitudes. Possible explanations for the results are discussed and implications for theory and practice are made.Show less
This study (N = 313) aimed to investigates the influence of (moral) emotional frames in an online discussion on moralization and attitude polarization. It is hypothesized that anger and disgust...Show moreThis study (N = 313) aimed to investigates the influence of (moral) emotional frames in an online discussion on moralization and attitude polarization. It is hypothesized that anger and disgust frames result in more attitude polarization than neutral frames, while anxiety frames are hypothesized to do the opposite. Felt emotions and moralization are hypothesised to mediate the effect, because experiencing moral emotions should makes people moralize an issue, which in turn can cause attitude polarization. However, the results did not support the hypotheses, as the frames did not impact attitude polarization, neither by mediation through moralization and felt emotions.. However, when conveyed emotions were used instead of the frames, anger, disgust and even fear and anxiety predicted attitude polarization through mediation by moralization and felt emotions. The results also indicate that moralization predicts attitude polarization. The study provides opportunities for future research that are elaborated on in the discussion.Show less
Although many gardeners desire a green oasis, most have a concrete jungle. This behavioral misalignment in domestic gardening is an example of the intention-behavior gap. Facilitating factors of...Show moreAlthough many gardeners desire a green oasis, most have a concrete jungle. This behavioral misalignment in domestic gardening is an example of the intention-behavior gap. Facilitating factors of this gap are poorly understood. This study aims to: 1. establish an intention-behavior gap in domestic green gardening, and 2. provide insight in impeding factors in the translation of green intention into gardening behavior. Two inertia-inducing factors were considered: goal conflict and procrastination. I tested whether intending to perform greening activities positively influences garden greening behavior when conflict between garden goals (H1) and procrastinating garden adjustments are low (H2). An online survey was distributed to garden-owners in Leiden (N=146). Multiple Response Analysis confirmed that intention mainly predicts greening behavior whilst leaving 63.6% of variance unexplained, showing a gap. Goal conflict and procrastination were not significant moderators. Strategies to increase garden greening are discussed and future research should continue studying intention-behavior gap moderators.Show less
Simultaneously engaging in multiple media activities is becoming increasingly normal in this digital era. Since distraction and media multitasking are closely related, a new term was created by...Show moreSimultaneously engaging in multiple media activities is becoming increasingly normal in this digital era. Since distraction and media multitasking are closely related, a new term was created by Aagaard (2014) to describe this activity: Distractive Media Multitasking (DMM). As more shopping is done online and e-commerce grows every year, DMM could have effects on the way consumers purchase online. This thesis uses an extensive questionnaire including an online shopping task to determine differences in shopping behaviors between differing levels of DMM. Firstly, it was expected that a higher amount of DMM activities would lead to a higher number of bought products and a lower purchase satisfaction. Secondly, it was expected that a higher experienced distraction due to DMM would lead to a higher number of bought products and a lower purchase satisfaction. No significant results were established. Exploratory research shows that engaging in DMM on multiple devices makes for a higher satisfaction level than engaging in DMM on only one device. Limitations of this study include the limited control of the research setting, while strengths include the examining of different aspects of DMM. Recommendations for future research contain changes to the research design and extensions to investigating additional DMM elements.Show less
Since the use of social media networks has strongly increased, people have the opportunity to easily discuss their opinions (Kim et al., 2013). Discussions on moral issues, such as abortion and...Show moreSince the use of social media networks has strongly increased, people have the opportunity to easily discuss their opinions (Kim et al., 2013). Discussions on moral issues, such as abortion and meat consumption, often take place online. In the current research (N = 310), the effect of moral emotional framing on attitude polarization was examined. It was predicted that moral emotional frames would lead to more attitude polarization compared to nonmoral frames and that this effect was mediated by moralization of the issue. Additionally, it was investigated whether a higher moral identity centrality would lead to a stronger effect of moral emotional frames on moralization. The results only partly supported these expectations. The results showed that the higher someone’s moral identity centrality, the stronger that person tends to moralize issues. Also, moralization was directly and positively related to attitude polarization. This study may serve as a solid basis for future research.Show less
