The Bachelor Thesis depicts the theory of Securitization applied to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. It looks towards the societal effects of securitizing certain high risk groups in the...Show moreThe Bachelor Thesis depicts the theory of Securitization applied to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. It looks towards the societal effects of securitizing certain high risk groups in the epidemic, such as sex workers and men who have sex with men. The societal effects are mostly the discrimination and stigmatization of these groups.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
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The rise of camera phones, particularly smartphones, has changed personal photography and online image sharing practices. This thesis offers an anthropological view on these changes and researches...Show moreThe rise of camera phones, particularly smartphones, has changed personal photography and online image sharing practices. This thesis offers an anthropological view on these changes and researches cultural differences and similarities in user behavior.Show less
Reading comprehension is a complex skill that has been widely studied. Nevertheless, insights on the process of emotional inferences in children have remained limited. Therefore, the first aim of...Show moreReading comprehension is a complex skill that has been widely studied. Nevertheless, insights on the process of emotional inferences in children have remained limited. Therefore, the first aim of this study is to investigate reading time differences in emotion-eliciting and control narratives read by children. Furthermore, in previous studies perspective taking, working memory and visuospatial ability have been suggested to influence reading processes. This leads to a second aim: examine the influence of working memory, visuospatial abilities and perspective taking on reading times of emotion-eliciting and control narratives read by children. Participants were 84 students in grade 5 in the age group 10 - 12. Each participant read 10 emotion-eliciting and 10 control short narratives in random order. Narratives were characterized by either an emotion-eliciting or a control target sentence. Furthermore, measures of working memory, visuospatial abilities, perspective taking and reading fluency were administered. Results revealed RT differences between kinds of sentences (target or closure) and working memory was found to influence the RT of children. These results indicate a difference in the ability to make emotional inference between children and adults.Show less
This study focused on the relationship between math anxiety and self-efficacy in pre-service and primary teachers. The sample consisted of 921 participants. All participants filled out a digital...Show moreThis study focused on the relationship between math anxiety and self-efficacy in pre-service and primary teachers. The sample consisted of 921 participants. All participants filled out a digital questionnaire, including questions from the Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS; Betz, 1978), the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale (AMAS; Hopko et al., 2003) and a self- efficacy questionnaire (Bandura, 1986). Women have a higher level of math anxiety compared to men (p < .001). Men and women indicate to have a same level of self-efficacy in math situations. Furthermore, a significant relation was found between the study binding character of the math exam and the degree of math anxiety (p = .030). No significant correlation was found between the amount of times the test was made and the degree of math anxiety. The interaction – effect was not significant. Also no significant mediation was found between self – efficacy in the relation between the amount of times the test was made, the study binding character and the degree of math anxiety. Further research should focus on the factors influencing math anxiety and traits of an effective treatment of math anxiety. At last, increasing self – efficacy among pre – service and primary school teachers is important in order to improve the level of the math skills of the Dutch population.Show less
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether group differences in parenting practices and child empathy exist in a sample of boys with and without disruptive behavior disorders (DBD)....Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether group differences in parenting practices and child empathy exist in a sample of boys with and without disruptive behavior disorders (DBD). Further in the whole sample, whether parenting practices are associated with child empathy and child aggression, and if child empathy can explain the relationship between parenting practices and child aggression. The sample consisted of 132 boys between 7 and 13 years old (M = 10.25, SD = 1.32), of which 68 had and 64 did not have DBD. Child empathy was measured via a self-report questionnaire. Parenting practices and child aggression were measured through a parent survey. Comparative analyses showed that boys with DBD have lower empathy levels and that their parents use more harsh and neglectful parenting practices compared to the control group. Multiple regression analyses showed that more inconsistent, negative discipline and less involvement is predictive of more child aggression. Also, more inconsistent discipline is predictive of less child empathy. However, the association between parent practices and child empathy is negligable in comparison to the association between parent practices and child agression. It was concluded that empathy levels of boys are not influenced by parental practices, but is probably due to other environmental factors and in interaction with certain child characteristics.Show less
This research aims to examine and elaborate on possible changes in the degrees of respect for human rights in Libya and Tunisia before and after the events that took place in 2011, which are known...Show moreThis research aims to examine and elaborate on possible changes in the degrees of respect for human rights in Libya and Tunisia before and after the events that took place in 2011, which are known as the Arab Spring uprisings. By examining the spiral model by Risse and Sikkink (1999) this research is set up to trace a process of change in the degree of respect for human rights towards compliance to human rights norms in both countries. Results show in the case of Libya that the mobilization of both national as well as international actors evidently contributed to regime change during the Arab Spring and improved human rights conditions to a certain extent. Comparable transnational mobilization took place in Tunisia, where domestic opposition was likewise blocked. Tunisia’s post-Arab Spring period marks a time of considerable improvements in human rights conditions and the general respect for human rights. Although human rights violations are still occurring in both countries, the evaluation of past research and the tracing of current transnational involvement with respect to human rights conditions can contribute to the scientific and public understanding of the importance of human rights advocacy. In the long run, the mobilization and support of transnational human rights organizations continues to contribute to future compliance to human rights norms, in these countries and around the globe.Show less
In this thesis a research is described about the relationship between characteristics of teachers (experience in front of the class) and students in fourth and fifth grade (gender and reading...Show moreIn this thesis a research is described about the relationship between characteristics of teachers (experience in front of the class) and students in fourth and fifth grade (gender and reading ability) and (the knowledge of) the reading preferences of these students, through the analysis of questionnaires. These teachers (n = 11, M age = 47.60, SD = 11.04), and students (M age = 10.47, SD = 2.84), have been recruited through elementary schools, by students of Leiden University. There was no significant difference in reading preferences between boys (n = 49) and girls (n = 49) and between students with a good (n = 46), average (n = 61) or poor reading ability (n = 8). Teachers knew equally much about children with a good as well as average reading ability (29-30% explained variance). Twenty-five percent of the reading preferences of boys were in correspondence with teachers’ predictions. With the girls there was 24% of their reading preferences in correspondence with the knowledge of the teachers. Whether more experience was an influence to the knowledge of the reading preferences with teachers did not show in this study. The results of the analyses show that the teachers have insufficient correspondence with the reading preferences of the students. Spending more time on reading education and the associated activities such as doing book reports and making children read more frequently in class, could enhance the knowledge. Future studies can focus on enhancing the size of the sample, modifying the questionnaires and adding research questions and variables to add to the recent study.Show less
Het aanpassingsvermogen op de hoofdaspecten van de ontwikkeling van 133 internationaal geadopteerde jongvolwassenen (M = 22.9 jaar, 78 vrouwen) werd vergeleken met normatieve gegevens en...Show moreHet aanpassingsvermogen op de hoofdaspecten van de ontwikkeling van 133 internationaal geadopteerde jongvolwassenen (M = 22.9 jaar, 78 vrouwen) werd vergeleken met normatieve gegevens en leeftijdsgenoten. Er werd gekeken naar de aspecten intelligentie, gehechtheidsrepresentatie, zelfbeeld, gedragsproblemen, temperament en de attitude ten opzichte van de adoptie van de internationaal geadopteerde jongvolwassenen. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat de internationaal geadopteerde jongvolwassenen een hoger zelfbeeld hebben dan hun leeftijdsgenoten en dat zij minder internaliserende- en externaliserende gedragsproblemen vertonen dan de norm. Bovendien zijn ze op het gebied van temperament minder snel boos, ontregeld en angstig dan hun leeftijdsgenoten. Daarnaast wijken de internationaal geadopteerde jongvolwassenen in hun gehechtheidsrepresentatie niet af van hun leeftijdsgenoten. Anderzijds bleek uit de resultaten dat de internationaal geadopteerde jongvolwassenen op het gebied van intelligentie wat lager scoorden dan de gemiddelde Nederlandse bevolking en op het gebied van temperament iets minder sociaal lijken dan hun leeftijdsgenoten. Ook lijken zij meer geinteresseerd in hun adoptie historie en zijn zij iets minder positief ten opzichte van hun adoptie dan internationaal geadopteerde leeftijdsgenoten. We concluderen dat het over het algemeen goed gaat met de internationaal geadopteerde jongvolwassenen maar wijzen erop dat enkelen hiervoor mogelijk in de kindertijd en adolescentie wat meer begeleiding nodig hebben. Verder onderzoek dat zich richt op meer samenwerking tussen universiteiten en verschillende vakgebieden wordt als implicatie voor vervolgonderzoek aangedragen.Show less
Als een kind disfuncties vertoont in de executieve functies kan dit leiden tot agressief gedrag. De vraag binnen dit onderzoek is of de executieve functies het verloop van agressief gedrag...Show moreAls een kind disfuncties vertoont in de executieve functies kan dit leiden tot agressief gedrag. De vraag binnen dit onderzoek is of de executieve functies het verloop van agressief gedrag beïnvloeden. Verwacht wordt dat het vertonen van disfuncties binnen de executieve functies van invloed is op het verloop van agressieve gedrag. De onderzoeksgroep bestaat uit 109 jongens tussen de acht en twaalf jaar. Er is gebruik gemaakt van de ANT, de BADS-NL dierentuintaak en de BRIEF om de executieve functies bij het kind te meten. De CBCL externaliserend probleemgedrag schaal van twee meetmomenten is gebruikt om het agressieve gedrag van het kind te meten. Uit correlatieanalyses blijkt dat zowel intelligentieniveau als de geobserveerde executieve functies gerelateerd zijn aan agressief gedrag. Echter zijn beide factoren weinig van invloed op het verloop van agressief gedrag. Dit onderzoek toont aan dat er een groep kinderen is waarbij er geen duidelijke disfuncties zijn binnen de geobserveerde executieve functie, maar waarbij er wel sprake is van een toename in agressief gedrag. Het is van belang om een duidelijk theoretisch beeld te creëren van deze groep kinderen zodat het agressieve gedrag kan worden ingeperkt.Show less
In dit onderzoek is de relatie tussen letterperceptie en letterkennis onderzocht, omdat dit twee belangrijke vaardigheden zijn bij het lezen. Letterperceptie is de waarneming en de onderscheiding...Show moreIn dit onderzoek is de relatie tussen letterperceptie en letterkennis onderzocht, omdat dit twee belangrijke vaardigheden zijn bij het lezen. Letterperceptie is de waarneming en de onderscheiding van letters. Letterkennis is het herkennen van bepaalde kenmerken van een letter, waardoor de letter geïdentificeerd kan worden. De hoofdvraag is: Is er een relatie tussen het fixeren op de key van een letter en de hoeveelheid letterkennis? De key is het deel van een letter waarop gemiddeld het meest op gefixeerd wordt in korte tijd. Er is correlationeel onderzoek gedaan bij drie- en vierjarige kinderen (verdeeld in de groepen: ‘Geen letterkennis’, ‘Beginnende letterkennis’ en ‘Enige letterkennis’) en volwassenen (Volledige letterkennis). Met een eyetracker is de letterperceptie van de letters R, M, S, Z, P, en K gemeten. Er is gevonden dat volwassenen met volledige letterkennis, meer fixeren op de key van een letter dan kinderen met minder letterkennis. Dit is echter niet bij de letters R en S gevonden. Tevens zijn alleen verschillen tussen kinderen en volwassenen gevonden, maar niet tussen de drie groepen van Letterkennis bij kinderen. Er zal verder onderzocht moeten worden welke letters van het alfabet in verband staan met letterkennis en waarom er een verschil is tussen de lettersShow less
Background: Children learn about their surroundings through interest, curiosity and explorative behavior. These forms of intrinsic motivation seem to disappear when children start to attend school....Show moreBackground: Children learn about their surroundings through interest, curiosity and explorative behavior. These forms of intrinsic motivation seem to disappear when children start to attend school. The objectives in schools are generally focused on memorizing knowledge instead of the process of learning. To achieve differentiation in the classroom, studies show that stimulating executive functioning and intrinsic motivation in children could lead to better school achievements. Aim: The aim of the present study was to test if a teacher intervention focused on explorative behavior in children, would lead to higher levels of executive functioning and intrinsic motivation in children. Method: Teachers from four different elementary schools and 211 children (8-12 years) with their parents participated in a baseline and a follow-up assessment six months later. During both assessments two questionnaires were filled out by children on their motivation (Prestatie Motivatie Test voor Kinderen) and by parents on the children’s executive functioning (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function). After the baseline assessment the teacher intervention took place. The teachers learned about the development of the brain and how they could stimulate higher thinking processes, social cognition and explorative behavior in children. Results: A correlation was found between intrinsic motivation and the executive functions cognitive flexibility and working memory. Meaning that overall children with increased motivation also showed fewer problems with executive functioning. However, the teacher intervention showed no significant effects on either intrinsic motivation or executive functioning. Conclusion: This research showed that not only extrinsic motivation, but also intrinsic motivation correlates with the executive functions. Although these correlations were found, the teacher intervention showed no significant main effect. To monitor the effects of the teacher intervention more time and feedback is needed. Through longitudinal research behavioral changes in teachers and students can be monitored over time.Show less
