This thesis explores the impact of gain-framed messages on psychological detachment from work among self-employed workers, considering the moderating effects of financial stress and message trust....Show moreThis thesis explores the impact of gain-framed messages on psychological detachment from work among self-employed workers, considering the moderating effects of financial stress and message trust. Using an experimental between-subject design with online surveys, 225 UK-based participants were randomly assigned to control or gain-framed message conditions. The gain-framed message conditions included health-gain and work-performance-gain. Surprisingly, participants in the control group showed more detachment than those in the message conditions, challenging previous literature. Contrary to the expectations, the moderating effects of financial stress and message trust were not found. Despite limitations, such as a sample limited to the UK and the use of a questionnaire, the research contributes new insights into messaging effects on preventive behaviors. It underscores the importance of context and individual differences in message reception and behavior, and urges future research to consider the effectiveness of gain-framed messages in motivating people to adopt certain behavior.Show less
This study investigates how perceptions of status and warmth of help-seekers affect the willingness of help-givers to offer help as well as the type of help they offer (autonomyoriented help...Show moreThis study investigates how perceptions of status and warmth of help-seekers affect the willingness of help-givers to offer help as well as the type of help they offer (autonomyoriented help/dependency-oriented help). Data were collected using a scenario approach (N = 205) in an experimental study, which simulated a debt assistance setting in a municipality. The variables Status (low/high) and Warmth (low/high) were investigated in a betweensubjects design. Participants completed an online survey on perceived warmth, status, and locus of attribution of a help-seeker and indicated their willingness to help as well as the type of help. It was hypothesized that warmth perceptions of help-seekers would influence the likeliness to help, that status perceptions would influence the locus of attributions as well as the type of help and that the effect between status and type of help would be mediated by the locus of attributions. The study did not find support for these hypotheses. However, exploratory analyses revealed a significant positive effect of both Status and Warmth on perceived competence, and significant correlations between locus of attributions and likeliness to help, autonomy and dependency-oriented help, and emotions (admiration/envy/pity) and type of help. These findings underline the role of stereotypes and biases in influencing helping behavior, emphasizing the need for further investigations of helping mechanisms.Show less
The present research investigates the effects of gain-framed messages on psychological detachment from work among self-employed workers in the UK with gain-framed messaging. The research also aims...Show moreThe present research investigates the effects of gain-framed messages on psychological detachment from work among self-employed workers in the UK with gain-framed messaging. The research also aims to investigate the moderating role of financial stress as well as explore the role of earlier psychological detachment in the effect of gain-framed messages. With Prolific Academic, the research team collected data from 226 individuals using a two-wave after the exclusion of some participants, between-subjects design. Three groups of participants were formed: a control group, those who received a message about health benefits, and those who received a message about performance enhancement. This research partially fills a gap in the literature by focusing on the difficulties encountered by the self-employed (as opposed to employees), thus encouraging research and publication of articles on this subject. Additionally, the results show that financial stress did not significantly moderate the effect of performance- gain messages (vs. health-gain messages) on psychological detachment. As a results, the effectiveness of performance-gain messages (vs. health-gain messages) in increasing detachment does not depend on self-employed workers’ levels of financial stress. This study implies that psychological detachment isn't distinctively influenced by the kind of communication (health or performance-related), regardless of the degree of financial stress. The aforementioned findings underscore the significance of customized messaging strategies in fostering well-being among independent contractors, stressing the crucial interaction between content uniqueness and personal financial situations. Furthermore, the exploratory analysis examined whether the initial detachment from work had an impact on how gain messages influenced later detachment. While other factors explained later detachment, initial detachment from work itself did not make the messages any more or less effective.Show less
Individuals do not always engage in pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) in a consistent manner. They might juggle between green and non-green intentions and choose a sustainable option in one context...Show moreIndividuals do not always engage in pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) in a consistent manner. They might juggle between green and non-green intentions and choose a sustainable option in one context while opting for the unsustainable option in another context. Previous research suggested that three goal frames affect PEB: Normative, hedonic, and gain. A lab experiment was conducted (N = 90) at Leiden University to investigate the relationship between goal frames and the consistency of PEB, using three goal frames as between-subjects variables. Consistency was measured through three behaviours: paper use, recycling behaviour, and paper towel use. Participants in the normative condition were expected to engage with PEB more frequently and consistently than those in the hedonic and gain conditions. This effect was expected to be moderated by environmental self-identity. Although results were non-significant, this study provides a direction for future research to investigate pro-environmental behaviour within different contexts under the stronger influence of goal frames.Show less
There is a dearth of research on how video communication influences the conversational mechanics and outcomes of group negotiations. Based on the proposition that video communication creates a...Show moreThere is a dearth of research on how video communication influences the conversational mechanics and outcomes of group negotiations. Based on the proposition that video communication creates a bottleneck for the exchange of verbal communication, I hypothesized that video communication would lead to more turn-taking. Orderly turn-taking might provide negotiators more time to search and encode information consistent with their motivational orientation, thereby potentially amplifying the effect of motivational orientation on group negotiation outcomes. Two studies were conducted to answer these propositions: the pre-study assessed the expectations of 108 participants regarding turn-taking behavior for video and face-to-face negotiations, and the main study had 123 participants perform the Aloha Beach Club negotiation game in groups of three. My studies showed either inconclusive or insignificant results. In general, I found no evidence that video communication influences group negotiation outcomes through an interaction between induced turn-taking and negotiators’ motivational orientations. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.Show less
This study examines the effectiveness of gain-framed messages in promoting psychological detachment among self-employed workers and the moderating role of financial stress and message involvement....Show moreThis study examines the effectiveness of gain-framed messages in promoting psychological detachment among self-employed workers and the moderating role of financial stress and message involvement. A two-wave online study was conducted with a sample size of 350 participants. The three conditions in this study were those receiving work performance gain messages, health gain messages and control group. The results show that gain-framed messages had no significant effect on psychological detachment. In fact, the control group showed significantly higher levels of detachment than those who received gain-framed messages, which could indicate a reactance effect in which individuals resist attempts to change their behaviour. Financial stress was not a significant moderator in the message type on psychological detachment. Message involvement was also not a significant moderator of gain-framed messages on psychological detachment. These findings suggests to find alternative strategies to motivate self-employed workers to psychologically detach from work.Show less
This thesis investigates how social change issues (migration, climate change, and changing gender expressions) trigger identity and instrumental threats. It was hypothesized that migration and...Show moreThis thesis investigates how social change issues (migration, climate change, and changing gender expressions) trigger identity and instrumental threats. It was hypothesized that migration and gender issues are more related to identity threats, while climate change is linked to instrumental threats. A (2x3) within-subject design (n=201) was used to examine threat intensity across identity and instrumental concerns regarding these issues, using five core social motives as continuous variables. Hypotheses were tested with correlation and repeated measures analyses, focusing on interactions between social change issues, threat concerns, and core social motives. Results confirm that migration and changing gender expressions are more associated with identity concerns, whereas climate change is linked to instrumental concerns. The research also reveals that threats from various social change issues are primarily predicted by a need for control. The findings emphasize the need for further research on how control, trust, and belonging influence responses to social changes.Show less
In order to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change (e.g. increase in the global average temperature), it is important to transition to renewable energy sources, such as onshore wind energy...Show moreIn order to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change (e.g. increase in the global average temperature), it is important to transition to renewable energy sources, such as onshore wind energy, that contribute to the reduction of one of the main cause of climate change, namely global CO2 emissions. The successful implementation of wind farms largely depends on the community acceptance of the wind project. Previous studies have shown that providing citizens with a voice opportunity results in higher levels of wind farms project acceptance via increase in the perception of fair decision making and trust in the project developer. The current study was conducted on a sample of UK citizens (N = 450). It used an experimental scenario to replicate these findings and additionally to examine whether the effects of voice opportunity on project acceptance depend on expectations regarding receiving voice opportunity. We manipulated voice expectations and voice opportunity, and found support that voice opportunity has positive effects on community acceptance of wind farm projects. Additionally, we found support for our prediction that these effects are mediated by perceived procedural fairness and trust in the project developer. We did not find support about the moderating role of voice expectations on the effects of voice opportunity on project acceptance. We discussed the implications of these findings for research and practice.Show less
In an educational setting, every individual may not have equal access to opportunities (such as educational or financial resources) or outcomes (such as grades or evaluations), which could create a...Show moreIn an educational setting, every individual may not have equal access to opportunities (such as educational or financial resources) or outcomes (such as grades or evaluations), which could create a sense of inequality in the individual. Individuals may then attribute these inequalities to their personal efforts and abilities or to their circumstances. Past studies have focused on associations between inequalities (such as social or gender inequality) and educational aspirations (e.g., Guyon & Huillery, 2017; Chen et al., 2022). The present study assesses the main effects of perceived inequality and the attribution of outcomes to internal or external factors (also known as locus of control) on educational aspirations. The study also assesses whether the academic locus of control significantly moderates the impact of perceived inequality on educational aspirations. Utilizing a 1 (continuous measure of academic locus of control) x 3 (inequality: control vs. perception of inequality of outcome vs perception of inequality of opportunity) study design, participants’ aspiration scores were assessed. The participants included N= 190 students enrolled in an undergraduate program. The results from a moderated multiple regression analysis indicated that perceived inequality did not significantly affect educational aspirations. Academic locus of control significantly positively affected aspirations. Academic locus of control also has a significant moderating effect on the impact of inequality. Specifically simple effects analysis indicated that perceived inequality has a significant positive effect on educational aspirations when there is an external locus of control. The study provides an understanding that inequality in an educational context may not impact every individual in the same manner and may differ according to specific factors (such as locus of control).Show less
Many problems in the world are social dilemmas wherein uncertainty whether collective efforts are effective is a threat to cooperation. This experiment investigates whether productivity uncertainty...Show moreMany problems in the world are social dilemmas wherein uncertainty whether collective efforts are effective is a threat to cooperation. This experiment investigates whether productivity uncertainty undermines cooperation because people who distrust institutions and are overconfident estimate a public good to be unproductive. We did this by presenting people with two public good games. Productivity uncertainty was manipulated by telling respondents in one of the games that all contributions could be wasted. Although the results show that productivity uncertainty undermines cooperation, no support was found for the before mentioned underlying mechanisms. Future research with different methodology could encounter other results.Show less
A negotiation between two parties can result in different outcomes, leading to either integrative or distributive outcomes. What’s more, individual aspects such as emotions and personality...Show moreA negotiation between two parties can result in different outcomes, leading to either integrative or distributive outcomes. What’s more, individual aspects such as emotions and personality characteristics can determine one’s negotiation style. In this study, dyads were divided into three conditions and took part in a negotiation task to measure whether the timing of introducing new issues influence the integrative outcomes. Emotions as measured by the PANAS-SF, and personality characteristics as measured by the Big Five Personality Trait Test tested the influence of these variables on the individual outcome. No effect of the order on the integrative outcome was found, and emotions and personality characteristics did not seem to influence the individual outcome. Future research could explore the role of being acquainted with the other negotiator and time pressure on the negotiation outcomes.Show less
Gender differences in negotiation behaviours have been widely studied, yet results on the impact of gender on negotiation outcomes remain inconclusive. This thesis investigates the effects of...Show moreGender differences in negotiation behaviours have been widely studied, yet results on the impact of gender on negotiation outcomes remain inconclusive. This thesis investigates the effects of social motives, supervisor gender, and negotiation context on the negotiation behaviours of female negotiators. We propose that alignment among these factors enhances negotiation performance and amplifies gender-stereotypical behaviours. Contrary to expectations, the gender of the experimenter did not significantly influence negotiation behaviours directly; instead, it moderated the effects of social motives on concession patterns. Our findings also reveal that when supervised by a female experimenter under pro-social motives, women place a greater emphasis on maintaining relationships compared to when under male supervision. Additionally, women were less likely to actively engage in negotiations when supervised by men compared to women. These results indicate that gender stereotypes and social expectations significantly influence negotiation behaviours, and contextual factors critically mediate these effects.Show less
The lack of contact between a debtor and creditor has been identified as a big problem in overcoming financial stress and debt. This study aimed to investigate whether inducing control results in...Show moreThe lack of contact between a debtor and creditor has been identified as a big problem in overcoming financial stress and debt. This study aimed to investigate whether inducing control results in greater willingness to contact creditors. Furthermore, financial self-efficacy was investigated as a moderator of this relationship. A total of 134 participants were assigned to either an induced control group or a baseline group. The participants were asked to recall a negative financial experience and were then presented with a fictional letter from an imaginary creditor, urging them to contact the creditor as soon as possible. The creditor letter was left unchanged from a standard creditor letter in the baseline group, while in the control group, the letter offered two possibilities to help repay outstanding debt. After reading the letter, participants were asked if they would be willing to contact the creditor. The study found that there was a significant difference in the participants' willingness to contact creditors. However, financial self-efficacy was not found to be a significant moderator. The present study provides additional support to previous findings that increasing perceived control led to a higher willingness to contact in the context of financial hardship.Show less
The present study experimentally investigated how perceptions of educational inequality impact students' aspirations and the moderating role of locus of control in the relationship between the two....Show moreThe present study experimentally investigated how perceptions of educational inequality impact students' aspirations and the moderating role of locus of control in the relationship between the two. Drawing on prior research, we hypothesised that educational aspirations would be negatively affected by educational inequality of both outcomes and opportunities, whereas it would be positively influenced by internal locus of control. Moreover, we expected locus of control to play a moderating role in the relationship between perceived inequality and aspirations, mitigating the adverse impact of inequality on the latter. Finally, based on previous findings, we expected the impact of perceived inequality of opportunities on aspirations to be comparatively weaker for students with internal academic locus of control when contrasted with perceived inequality of outcomes. A sample of 190 U.S. college students were randomly assigned to watch one of three educational inequality manipulation videos (i.e. opportunities, outcomes, and control). They were then given a questionnaire which assessed their perceptions of inequality, their academic locus of control and their educational aspirations. Only one of our hypotheses was supported by our results. While our findings align with existing evidence that internal locus of control positively affects educational aspirations, there was no main effect of perceived inequality on students’ goals. Notably, our study suggests that higher perceptions of inequality may have motivating effects, which, however, appear exclusive to students with an external locus of control. Given these unexpected findings, further research is warranted for a deeper understanding of the psychological dynamics behind students’ goal-setting processes.Show less
The lack of contact between a debtor and creditor has been identified as a big problem in overcoming financial stress and debt. This study aimed to investigate whether inducing control results in...Show moreThe lack of contact between a debtor and creditor has been identified as a big problem in overcoming financial stress and debt. This study aimed to investigate whether inducing control results in greater willingness to contact creditors. Furthermore, financial self-efficacy was investigated as a moderator of this relationship. A total of 134 participants were assigned to either an induced control group or a baseline group. The participants were asked to recall a negative financial experience and were then presented with a fictional letter from an imaginary creditor, urging them to contact the creditor as soon as possible. The creditor letter was left unchanged from a standard creditor letter in the baseline group, while in the control group, the letter offered two possibilities to help repay outstanding debt. After reading the letter, participants were asked if they would be willing to contact the creditor. The study found that there was a significant difference in the participants' willingness to contact creditors. However, financial self-efficacy was not found to be a significant moderator. The present study provides additional support to previous findings that increasing perceived control led to a higher willingness to contact in the context of financial hardship.Show less
As urbanization rises, increasing studies have been focusing on the restorative effects of nature and the benefits nature has on physical health and well-being. Exposure to nature is interlinked...Show moreAs urbanization rises, increasing studies have been focusing on the restorative effects of nature and the benefits nature has on physical health and well-being. Exposure to nature is interlinked with prosocial tendencies such as helping behaviour and generosity. However, little is known about the relationship between nature and other prosocial behaviour. The current research studied the link between exposure to nature and social mindfulness, a specific and effortless form of prosocial behaviour. Additionally, we tested how restoration and dispositional awe relate to it. We hypothesized that a walk in nature would make people more socially mindful. Our sample (N=16) did not show a significant difference. We expected restoration and dispositional awe to relate positively with social mindfulness after the walk. A marginal effect was found that restoration increased social mindfulness. No evidence was found that dispositional awe affected the relationship between nature and social mindfulness. Findings and limitations are discussed.Show less
Disadvantaged groups can use collective action to improve their conditions. The present research targets the motivation to participate in collective action among individuals with a migration...Show moreDisadvantaged groups can use collective action to improve their conditions. The present research targets the motivation to participate in collective action among individuals with a migration background and how this is influenced by the presence of a social norm of equality and by an individualistic or collectivistic cultural background. This study had an experimental factorial 2x2 design and participants were Dutch residents with a migration background (N = 297). I predicted that the presence of an ingroup social norm of equality would increase the collective action intentions and that this effect would be stronger among people with a collectivistic cultural background than among those with an individualistic cultural background. I did not find evidence for the first hypothesis that an ingroup norm of equality (vs. control) increases the collective action intentions of people with a migration background. Furthermore, I did not find evidence that an individualistic or collectivistic culture of the country of origin of the parent would strengthen the collective action intentions. The findings, their implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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The present research investigated the association between Machiavellianism and different behavioural responses in a novel economic game. The main purpose of the research was to reveal the patterns...Show moreThe present research investigated the association between Machiavellianism and different behavioural responses in a novel economic game. The main purpose of the research was to reveal the patterns of behaviours associated with the Machiavellian personality in a setting in which acting in a cooperative and competitive manner are both feasible options.The results of the research suggest that there is a negative association between Machiavellianism and cooperation. Individuals with higher level of Machiavellianism tended to invest more resources to competition, relative to cooperation. No association was found between Machiavellianism and choosing peace in the economic game. Lastly, performance in the game could, also, not be predicted by one’s Machiavellian inclinations. We can conclude that, even when given the possibility to compete and cooperate at the same time, Machiavellians still tend to exhibit a higher propensity towards non-cooperative responses and a slightly higher propensity towards competitive behaviours compared to low Machiavellians.Show less
Previous studies on uncertainty have acknowledged the efficacy of job control as a way to cope and enhance job satisfaction, although the literature using intolerance of uncertainty remains...Show morePrevious studies on uncertainty have acknowledged the efficacy of job control as a way to cope and enhance job satisfaction, although the literature using intolerance of uncertainty remains relatively scarce. Our study aimed to address this gap by investigating the mediating role of job control in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and job satisfaction. The proposed hypotheses were that (i) there would be a statistically significant negative association between intolerance of uncertainty and job satisfaction and that (ii) the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and job satisfaction would be mediated by job control. The study was carried out on a sample of 109 adults, working in the Netherlands. Mediation analysis using PROCESS Procedure by Andrew Hayes was used. Contrary to expectations, hypotheses were not supported. A positive significant relationship was found between job control and job satisfaction. Results and implications of the study have been discussed.Show less