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
Patients suffering from psoriasis are known to commonly experience stigmatization. Even though stigmatization negatively impacts patients’ mental and physical health, relatively little is known...Show morePatients suffering from psoriasis are known to commonly experience stigmatization. Even though stigmatization negatively impacts patients’ mental and physical health, relatively little is known about what prompts public stigmatization. This study aims to examine the extent of public stigma towards people suffering from psoriasis and the influence of scratching, as a possible predictor, on the extent of public stigmatization towards these patients. A cross-sectional survey using video-vignettes has been performed on a sample (n =153) of the Dutch population. Respondents were shown a baseline video with an actress without the visible skin condition showing and either a video-vignette with the visible skin condition showing or a video-vignette with the visible skin condition showing and the actress scratching. After each video-vignette, the level of public stigmatization was measured, using the adapted version of the 6-item Impact of Chronic Skin Disease on Daily Life Stigma questionnaire. The results showed, using a paired samples t-test, an increased level of public stigma when the skin condition is visible compared to when it is hidden with a moderate effect size; t(119) = 6.55, p < 0.001, d = .60 . No significant effect was found, using an independent samples t-test, between when a person with psoriasis is scratching their visible skin condition, as compared to when they are not scratching their visible skin condition; t(151) = 0.48, p = .63. These results suggest that patients suffering from psoriasis are subjected to an increased level of public stigma and that scratching can not be named a predictor for public stigma towards these patients.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
Earlier research suggests that some exercise intensities are more beneficial to enhance creativity than others. However, if and why specific exercise intensities are related to better creativity is...Show moreEarlier research suggests that some exercise intensities are more beneficial to enhance creativity than others. However, if and why specific exercise intensities are related to better creativity is not exactly clear yet. This study aimed to gain insight into which exercise intensity is best for improving creativity and to explore the possible role of physical fitness in the relationship between exercise intensity and creativity. This is the first study in which participants were given a more objective individually-tailored instruction with regard to exercise intensity and in which four conditions (low intensity exercise, moderate-intensity exercise, high-intensity exercise and a control condition) were compared with respect to the enhancement of divergent creativity (including fluency and originality). First, it was expected that moderate-intensity is best to enhance creativity compared to low intensity exercise, highintensity exercise and no exercise. Second, it was expected that creativity is enhanced more after someone exercises at an intensity level that matches his/her level of physical fitness compared to someone exercising at an intensity level that does not match his/her physical fitness. A total of N = 73 students were studied. A between-subjects design was used in which participants were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. The participants had to visit the lab of Leiden University twice. First they had to perform a physical fitness test and then they were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions and they had to do a task that measured divergent creativity. For the first hypothesis, the Two-Way ANOVA indicated that neither the fluency (η² = .009, p = .88) nor the originality scores (η² = .006, p = .94) differed between conditions. For the second hypothesis, the Two-Way ANOVA indicated that neither the fluency (η² = .024, p = .19) nor the originality scores (η² = .008, p = .45) differed between participants who had a match or non-match between their physical fitness level and the assigned exercise intensity. The results suggest that changing exercise intensity and matching exercise intensity to physical fitness level do not make a difference in the improvement of creativity.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
Job Burnout (JB) is a demanding syndrome that leaves employees exhausted and dealing with cognitive and emotional problems, with symptoms lasting up to 10 years. To understand why JB symptoms...Show moreJob Burnout (JB) is a demanding syndrome that leaves employees exhausted and dealing with cognitive and emotional problems, with symptoms lasting up to 10 years. To understand why JB symptoms pertain for so long, different resource theories were integrated to investigate the impact of JB on an individual gain process between job resources, personal resources, and recovery gained through physical exercise. It was predicted that skill discretion (SD), a common job resource, increases the personal resource self-efficacy (SE) which, in turn, enhances the recovery gained from physical exercise. This gain process was proposed to be dampened by JB, leaving employees with higher JB symptoms in a less advantageous position for resource gain as compared to those with lower symptoms. Using longitudinal data across three workweeks, self-report questionnaires were administered among full-time employees (N = 163). Although correlations revealed that the proposed relationships were found at specific weeks, hierarchical regression analyses revealed no across-time relationships, meaning no weekly gain process could be identified between SD, SE, and recovery gained through exercise. In addition, against expectations, no negative impact of JB on the gain process was found. Thus, the exact relationships between job resources, personal resources, recovery gained through exercise, and JB remain unclear. Future research is needed to further investigate these relationships preferably by using a different time lag than one week and by applying different roles of personal resources within the Job Demands-Resources framework.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
