In a world increasingly shaped by globalization, understanding and fostering good cross-group relations became crucial to mitigating intergroup differences and potential conflicts. Drawing on...Show moreIn a world increasingly shaped by globalization, understanding and fostering good cross-group relations became crucial to mitigating intergroup differences and potential conflicts. Drawing on intergroup contact theory, the goal of this paper is to investigate whether the well-established effects of intergroup contact on prejudice reduction hold true in non-Western countries as it does in a Western context. The paper further criticises prior literature on its lack of generalizability beyond Western perspectives, and argues that cultural specificities and diversity of human behaviour globally should be considered when examining the dynamics of prejudice. The central hypothesis posits that intergroup contact with outgroup members generally leads to lower prejudice levels among the dominant group. This is further operationalized by using interfaith meeting attendance among Muslims as an indicator of intergroup contact with Christians, as well as using social distancing levels as indicators of prejudice. Final results indicate a significant negative relationship between intergroup contact and prejudice levels, supporting the central hypothesis. In return, this contributes to a broader understanding of prejudice dynamics and the effectiveness of intergroup contact as a tool for prejudice reduction in non-Western contexts. By focusing on Muslim-Christian interactions in the "Global East," the research sheds light on the nuances of cross-group relations in diverse cultural settings, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive approach in intergroup contact research.Show less
Very recently, it was revealed that Dutch citizens are now generally supportive of nuclear energy: the supporters outnumber the opponents (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek [CBS], 2023)....Show moreVery recently, it was revealed that Dutch citizens are now generally supportive of nuclear energy: the supporters outnumber the opponents (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek [CBS], 2023). Supporters cite the fact that no carbon dioxide is emitted during generation and the need to guarantee a sufficient energy supply as reasons for their support of nuclear energy (Van Engeland & Van der Schelde, 2021). Nuclear energy has not always had high favourability ratings (e.g. Pampel, 2011). One of the reasons for this low support is that nuclear energy has not only been associated with benefits, but also with substantial risks, such as the risk of meltdown and the risks related to nuclear waste (Stoutenborough et al., 2013). The fact that support for nuclear energy apparently fluctuates with time suggests that actors (e.g. the media, politicians) may be able to influence support for the technology by framing it in a certain way. Indeed, nuclear energy has been framed in various ways in Dutch media (Vossen, 2020). Existing research has found that framing can alter attitudes toward nuclear energy (Bickerstaff et al., 2008; Bird et al., 2014; Feldman & Hart, 2018; Pidgeon et al., 2008). However, research on the effect of positive framing (i.e framing designed to increase support) and negative framing (i.e. framing designed to decrease support) on attitudes toward nuclear energy has not yet been conducted in the Netherlands. Additionally, there is reason to believe that the size of the effect of positive and negative frames on support for nuclear energy depends on the values one endorses (De Groot et al., 2013; Entman, 1993; Perlaviciute & Steg, 2015). Existing research has not looked into this hypothesis. Thus, the present study addresses two research questions. Firstly, to what extent does framing affect support for nuclear energy? Secondly, to what extent does the size of the framing effect depend on the values one endorses?Show less
This paper investigates the responsibilities of the private sector in climate change mitigation within a capitalist system. It examines the incentives inherent in capitalism that drive corporate...Show moreThis paper investigates the responsibilities of the private sector in climate change mitigation within a capitalist system. It examines the incentives inherent in capitalism that drive corporate behaviour, particularly the pursuit of profit maximization, and how this affects the sector’s ability to engage in environmental sustainability. The research reveals that while companies can undertake certain green initiatives autonomously, their efforts are constrained by the need for profitability. Consequently, the paper argues that government intervention is essential to facilitate and enhance the private sector’s contributions to climate change mitigation. By analysing various academic perspectives, such as business sciences, environmental sciences, and legal sciences, as well as political sciences, this paper concludes that the division of responsibility between the state and private businesses is clear-cut: it is the government’s role to set moral and legal boundaries within which businesses must operate. This study contributes to the dialogue on corporate environmental responsibility by highlighting the limitations of private sector initiatives and the crucial role of government in enabling meaningful progress in climate change mitigation.Show less
This thesis analyses the effects shared norms with a country under attack have on NATO support in member states. One of the biggest challenges NATO faces, is how to avoid free riding. This makes...Show moreThis thesis analyses the effects shared norms with a country under attack have on NATO support in member states. One of the biggest challenges NATO faces, is how to avoid free riding. This makes studying the potential incentives states have for increasing NATO support essential. Past research has studied several potential material and non material incentives but has not investigated the effects shared norms with a conflict may have on NATO support. To conduct this research, a discourse analysis of the frames used parliamentary debates in the Netherlands on the Russia Ukraine war was done. The analysis revealed that although shared norms were used to frame NATO and the conflict quite often, threat perception was the most used frame.Show less
Once considered a purely elite-driven process far removed from the public, EU integration has become subject to mass politics in recent years. As a result, scholarly work on public opinion toward...Show moreOnce considered a purely elite-driven process far removed from the public, EU integration has become subject to mass politics in recent years. As a result, scholarly work on public opinion toward EU integration has expanded. While existing research has primarily centered on factors like identity, immigration stance, and economic interest to explain attitude variation, this paper highlights the underexplored role of personal values. Drawing on Schwartz’s theory of basic human values, it contends that individuals’ personal values significantly shape their attitudes toward EU integration. To mitigate cognitive dissonance, people align their actions and thoughts with the motivational goals prescribed by their personal values. Consequently, an individual’s stance on EU integration hinges on whether integration is conducive to the motivational objectives linked to their personal values. Conducting a cross-national study of 24 EU member states using data from the 9th round of the European Social Survey, the study finds mixed support for this argument. While human values generally influence attitudes toward EU integration, a noticeable discrepancy in impact magnitude between socially focused values (Conservation and Self-Transcendence) and personally focused values (Openness to Change and Self-Enhancement) emerges, with the latter exhibiting a diminished impact. Overall, the findings of this study support the idea that people rely on their personal values to make decisions and form attitudes on EU integration.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
open access
Bullying victimization is a major public health concern, because victims often experience long-term negative mental health outcomes. Longitudinal brain structure research in children is needed to...Show moreBullying victimization is a major public health concern, because victims often experience long-term negative mental health outcomes. Longitudinal brain structure research in children is needed to understand the possible mechanisms underlying the relation between bullying victimization and negative mental health outcomes. Previous research has shown that the fusiform gyrus, amygdala and vmPFC are impaired in victims. Therefore, this thesis examined the relation between victimization and fusiform gyrus, amygdala and vmPFC volume over time. We hypothesized that victims of bullying, compared to children uninvolved in bullying, would have a larger fusiform gyrus volume and a steeper volume increase. Furthermore, we hypothesized that victims of bullying, compared to children uninvolved in bullying, would have a smaller amygdala and vmPFC volume and a steeper volume decrease. The sample consisted of 156 children (62% female), aged between 7 and 9 years old at baseline, from the Leiden Consortium on Individual Development. At the beginning of the study, the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire was administered to measure bullying victimization and high-resolution structural MRI scans were taken. This was done again two years later. Children were classified as victims if they had been bullied regularly in the past two months. We did not find an effect of victimization on fusiform gyrus, amygdala and vmPFC volume. Future research examining the influence of victimization on both structural and functional brain development is needed to provide further insights, which can help inform the design of interventions to reduce the negative consequences of bullying victimization. The current findings emphasize the importance of protective factors that make a victim’s brain development resilient against victimization. This indicates a need for interventions targeting the development of social-emotional skills or the increase of family support.Show less
Climate change is a highly politicised subject, and is seen by many scientist as the largest threat of our time. In order to reduce the effects of climate change, public support is needed for the...Show moreClimate change is a highly politicised subject, and is seen by many scientist as the largest threat of our time. In order to reduce the effects of climate change, public support is needed for the implementation of effective climate policies. The levels of public support vary in different regions, with climate concern in Eastern European countries being much lower than the concern in Western European countries. With the emergence of the Ukrainian war, this study predicts that the overall concern for climate change will likely decrease over time, due to its implications on economical and political factors, as well as the increasing reliance on personal experience and lack of information on climate change. Furthermore, climate concern in Eastern European countries, which are Ukraine’s neighbours, is expected to be decreasing more than the levels of concern in Western European countries. This study tests this assumption by conducting a large-N observational analysis of the levels of climate concern across Western and Eastern European countries, over the period of three years. The test results show that the overall concern for climate change did decrease over the years, however the gap between Eastern and Western European countries did not increase.Show less
This study aims to investigate relative age within primary school grades as a potential influential factor of perceived ADHD symptoms. It examines whether relatively younger pupils show more ADHD...Show moreThis study aims to investigate relative age within primary school grades as a potential influential factor of perceived ADHD symptoms. It examines whether relatively younger pupils show more ADHD symptoms than their classmates. The study is of cross-sectional design, using data of primary school children throughout the Netherlands. Participating children are in the age range of four to twelve years old, N = 168. To measure ADHD symptoms, the SNAP-IV (18) has been filled out by parents of the participating children. Relative age serves as the main predictor of this study. Simple linear regressions have been run on relative age (predictor) and ADHD symptoms (dependent). Analyses showed that relative age is no predictor of ADHD symptoms, implying that relative age is no influential factor in perceived ADHD symptoms. However, data screening pointed out that the sample of the current study might not be representative for the general population. Furthermore, the current research design worked with parental observations of ADHD symptoms, and not official ADHD diagnoses. Whether a child has had an ADHD diagnosis was unknown during this study. Incorporating this information in future research could potentially lead to a better understanding of the topic. All in all, the results of this study must be interpreted with care and future research is needed to (dis)prove the relation between relative age and ADHD symptoms.Show less
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. In response to the rapid and global spread of the disease, different countries instated different kinds of measures in...Show moreIn March 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. In response to the rapid and global spread of the disease, different countries instated different kinds of measures in different degrees, that of course triggered different outcomes. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the first case of COVD-19 was reported on February 27th of 2020 in Nigeria, and it did not take long before it spread all across the region. Despite the general challenges that the region faces in context of containing public health emergencies – relating to lack of resources and state-capacity, low accessibility of health services, poverty and a large informal sector - national responses too differed vastly. Uganda, for example, is a country often praised for its response.This stands in stark contrast with the response of neighboring country Tanzania, whose approach was characterized by simplification, denialism and dismissal of the pandemic. This thesis yields an explanation for delayed national COVID-19 responses by first comparing the cases of Tanzania and Uganda, and then taking an in-depth look at Tanzania's delayed COVID-19 response. The argument holds that, in Tanzania, contemporary political and institutional factors should be taken into account together with the post-independence, historical legacy of the ruling CCM party. It makes use of critical juncture theory and the concept of medical populism to illustrate the opening up of political-space in light of the 2020 Tanzanian Presidential elections. Further research might focus on other enablers of populism in Sub-Saharan Africa, as manifestations of populism remain under-researched there. For example, (lack of) economic development has been identified as a global cause for populism. Although this was not the case for Tanzania specifically, it might play a role elsewhere in the region.Show less
