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
In 2021, Japan's gender wage gap was among the highest of all OECD countries. A big factor of this economic gender inequality lies in the fact that female participation in regular-work is...Show moreIn 2021, Japan's gender wage gap was among the highest of all OECD countries. A big factor of this economic gender inequality lies in the fact that female participation in regular-work is comparatively low to the participation rate in the more insecure and lower-paying irregular work jobs. Previous research has shown that there are three main obstacles to increased female participation in regular work positions. Those being the long-working-hours culture, a lack of enforcement of policies by the government, and the societal expectation that women are supposed to focus on housework and child-rearing. This paper examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced these obstacles and if there has been any positive change to the female participation rate in regular work. Using the concepts of exogenous shocks and critical junctures as a theoretical framework, this paper argues that the COVID-19 pandemic might have set the stage for real change in the Japanese labour market through the promotion of telework as a legitimate business practice. However, the pandemic has also highlighted or reinforced the existing obstacles to increased female participations in regular work due to the closure of schools and businesses in the hospitality industry, disproportionally affecting women.Show less
Uit eerdere virusuitbraken is gebleken dat pandemieën op de lange termijn mentale klachten kunnen veroorzaken. Recent onderzoek toont aan dat tijdens de COVID-19 pandemie de mentale gezondheid...Show moreUit eerdere virusuitbraken is gebleken dat pandemieën op de lange termijn mentale klachten kunnen veroorzaken. Recent onderzoek toont aan dat tijdens de COVID-19 pandemie de mentale gezondheid afgenomen was, vooral onder jongvolwassenen. Psychologische flexibiliteit kan echter mogelijk de negatieve impact bufferen, met name tijdens stressvolle periodes zoals een pandemie. In de huidige studie werd getest of de mentale gezondheid het laagst was tijdens de pandemie – in vergelijking met de periode ervoor en erna – en dat dit met name voor jongvolwassenen (18-32 jaar) het geval was, ten opzichte van volwassenen (33-62 jaar) en ouderen (63+ jaar). Daarnaast werd onderzocht of mensen met een hoge psychologische flexibiliteit een betere mentale gezondheid hebben dan mensen met een lage psychologische flexibiliteit, met name tijdens de pandemie in uitdagende tijden. In een herhaald cross-sectioneel ontwerp werd data verzameld in Nederland vóór (2018, n = 531), tijdens (2020 & 2021, n = 3813) en na de pandemie (2022 & 2023, n =2143). Jongvolwassenen hadden een verlaagde mentale gezondheid tijdens de pandemie, maar de gemiddelde mentale gezondheid van alle deelnemers tijdens de pandemie bleef verrassend stabiel. Na de pandemie had iedere leeftijdsgroep een hogere mentale gezondheid dan tijdens én voor de pandemie. De mogelijke bijdrage van psychologische flexibiliteit aan de mentale gezondheid was tijdens de pandemie even relevant als na de pandemie. De kwetsbare mentale gezondheid van jongvolwassenen in crisissituaties moet in overweging worden genomen in de strategievorming van toekomstig crisisbeleid.Show less
The prevalence and potential harmful effects of conspiracy theories have garnered increasing attention from psychologists. Understanding the psychological and social factors that contribute to...Show moreThe prevalence and potential harmful effects of conspiracy theories have garnered increasing attention from psychologists. Understanding the psychological and social factors that contribute to belief in conspiracy theories is crucial for managing the preventative measures and promoting evidence-based decision-making. However, the field of psychology has recently faced challenges regarding the replicability and robustness of research findings. This bachelor thesis aims to investigate the robustness and replicability of interaction effects in a study on beliefs in conspiracy theories and attitudes towards anti-coronavirus measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The thesis extracts data from a study by Hudecek et al. (2022) on the psychological correlates of beliefs in conspiracy theories in Germany. Specifically, it examines the interaction effect between dark triad personality traits and social status in predicting belief in conspiracy theories. The thesis utilizes resampling to test the robustness of the interaction effects. The analysis includes three subsamples (random, central, extreme) with three dropout conditions (10%, 20%, 30%). F tests are conducted to assess the variance between two given methods. The results revealed that the distribution of the interaction coefficients remain fairly stable in the central resampling approach pointing to robustness, however, significant inconsistencies were observed in the random and extreme resampling approach. Future research calls for replicating the study in diverse populations, investigating additional predictors of belief in conspiracy theories and testing the robustness and replicability of previous findings to address the replication crisis in the social sciences.Show less
Background The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the economies, social relationships, and mental health of the population globally. A growing number of research presents empirical evidence for the...Show moreBackground The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the economies, social relationships, and mental health of the population globally. A growing number of research presents empirical evidence for the negative psychological consequences of the lockdowns, such as increased anxiety and stress. However, the long-term mental effects, especially on children and their parents, are unclear and need to be further investigated. Aims This paper aims to examine whether there is a difference in the levels of anxious and shy behaviour in five-year-old children and in parental stress in their parents due to the pandemic. Method The data was collected as part of the "Jij en Je Gezondheid" project, executed by the Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdiensten region. Inclusion criteria included children around the age of five and their parents who live in Amsterdam. Independent samples t-test was run to investigate whether there is a difference in anxious and shy behaviour in the children and parental stress before and after the COVID lockdowns. Results Levels of anxious and shy behaviour were higher after the COVID lockdowns in children as compared to the before lockdowns group. Parental stress was reported to also increase after the COVID lockdowns. Conclusions The study emphasizes the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s anxious and shy behaviour and their parents' stress levels. The findings highlight the need for tailored interventions for families to decrease the long-term psychological burden of the pandemic, as well as additional research to fully understand the problem.Show less
Organized crime has remained an incredibly persistent problem in Mexico in the last decades consequently causing severe levels of violence, insecurity, and corruption in the country. Historically,...Show moreOrganized crime has remained an incredibly persistent problem in Mexico in the last decades consequently causing severe levels of violence, insecurity, and corruption in the country. Historically, Mexican organized crime groups have demonstrated strong resilience and overcome various challenges posed by the Mexican and American governments. However, it is not clear how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted organized crime in Mexico. This thesis wishes to explore this by studying the changes in organized crime activity in Mexico before and during the pandemic. Based on the crime rates, it was observed that some organized crime-related activities decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, while others remained stable. These results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent regulations have had a slight, but insignificant impact on organized crime in Mexico. This strongly indicate that Mexican organized crime groups’ have the ability to show great resilience in the face of major disruptions to the social environment. This finding highlights the need for more detailed research on what mechanisms enable organized crime to remain afloat. An understanding of these mechanisms is of great significance to policymakers attempting to limit the harm of organized crime.Show less
This paper examines the impact that the salience of the threat of contagious diseases has on Dutch citizens’ support for non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) aimed at battling this threat....Show moreThis paper examines the impact that the salience of the threat of contagious diseases has on Dutch citizens’ support for non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) aimed at battling this threat. During the COVID-19 pandemic, populations in Western countries where the salience of the threat of the coronavirus was elevated, reported high support for preventive measures. This level of support did vary between countries which led to the question of whether the outcomes would be the same for previously excluded countries, like the Netherlands. Analysing how salience influences the support for NPIs can help governments with creating the best and most supported approach to battle contagious diseases in the future. For this research, the emphasis will be on the so far understudied Dutch population. Taking previous literature on the Netherlands and its neighbouring countries, this study argues that the salience of the threat of contagious diseases will increase Dutch citizens’ support for NPIs aimed at alleviating this threat. After conducting a survey experiment, no support was found for this hypothesis since both groups, with salience and without salience of the threat, reported an equal level of support for the implementation of NPIs. Overall, as expected from previous literature, the lowest support was found for implementing a complete lockdown. Unfortunately, these findings were not generalisable to the whole Dutch population. Future research should focus on either sampling a bigger group for a similar study, or on researching what does influence the support for NPIs in the Netherlands if it is not the salience of the threat of contagious diseases.Show less
Observed globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has generated a mental health decline. The pandemic has affected the general public, individuals that have been quarantined and individuals who have been...Show moreObserved globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has generated a mental health decline. The pandemic has affected the general public, individuals that have been quarantined and individuals who have been infected with COVID-19. Currently, only a few available studies compare pandemic-onset depressive symptoms between these groups. Additionally, it is not yet known how a dominant position on the personality continuum of introversion/extraversion influences individuals’ experiences of depressive symptoms. Thus, the present study investigates differences between covid groups, as well as differences between individuals with dominant introverted versus extraverted traits. The findings will contribute to the construction of a global response in the observed mental health decline. The study is carried out through a cross-sectional online questionnaire (N = 150), in a group of adults between 18 and 30 years old. Individuals’ differences in positions on the introversion/extraversion continuum are measured using the HEXACO- PI-R. The mean PHQ-9 and HADS depression scores were observed to be 14.95/10.25 (healthy), 18.35/11.94 (quarantined), 15.64/10.25 (infected) and 15.76/11.55 (quarantined + infected) in the respective groups. No difference between covid status groups on the depression scores was found. Within the whole sample, in the healthy and quarantined + infected groups (p < 0.001), and in the PHQ-9 measured infected group (p = 0.045), significant negative relationships between extraversion and depressive symptom scores were found. These findings are limited due to small sample sizes, the cross-sectional design and the use of convenience sampling. Further studies should include larger sample sizes and make use of a longitudinal design and probability sampling.Show less
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone’s life since its outbreak, with the lockdown having a negative reputation on mental health. This study examined mental health levels of undergraduate...Show moreThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone’s life since its outbreak, with the lockdown having a negative reputation on mental health. This study examined mental health levels of undergraduate students during and one year after the lockdown, with the expectation that they would experience more mental health problems. Mood and anxiety problems were assessed through an online questionnaire in two collection waves. The first wave was conducted between September and October 2020, after the first lockdown. The participants were reassessed one year later. The sample consisted of N = 478 undergraduates (mean age = 22,3; 55,6% female). A binary logistic regression revealed that during the lockdown, half of the students (50,8%) reported that the COVID-19 crisis had impacted their mood in a negative way. One year after the lockdown fewer students reported that the COVID-19 crisis had negatively impacted their mood (41,3%), F (1, 205) = 17.91, p < .001. Less than half of the students (38,9%) reported that the COVID-19 crisis had impacted their anxiety levels. One year after the lockdown 25,6% reported that the coronavirus had negatively impacted their anxiety levels, F (1, 206) = 7.49, p = .007. Previous mental health problems were associated with mood and anxiety problems in both waves. In contrast to preregistered hypotheses, experiencing mood and anxiety problems during the COVID-19 lockdown did not predict having more mood and anxiety problems one year after the COVID-19 lockdown. Undergraduate students were found to be largely resilient to the effects of lockdown measures on mental health.Show less
Er zijn veel factoren die meespelen in het behalen van goede schoolprestaties. In dit onderzoek wordt gepoogd een beeld te schetsen van de invloeden van vriendschapskwaliteit en thuissituaties op...Show moreEr zijn veel factoren die meespelen in het behalen van goede schoolprestaties. In dit onderzoek wordt gepoogd een beeld te schetsen van de invloeden van vriendschapskwaliteit en thuissituaties op de schoolprestaties van adolescenten. Verder wordt er gekeken of de vriendschapskwaliteit een goede voorspeller is voor het geluk van de adolescent. Deze invloeden zijn veel veranderd in verband met de huidige Covid-19 pandemie. Adolescenten zijn meer op zichzelf aangewezen en hebben een andere schoolsetting. Dit onderzoek probeert dit in kaart te brengen te brengen door een analyse van een opgezette vragenlijst. Diverse zelf-rapportage vragenlijsten zijn afgenomen bij 160 adolescenten, 11 tot 15 jaar oud. De vragenlijst bevat vragen betreffende de thuissituatie, vriendschapskwaliteit, schoolprestatie en het level van geluksgevoel bij de adolescent. Uit de meervoudige regressieanalyse bleek dat de vriendschapskwaliteit een goede voorspeller is van de schoolresultaten adolescent. Verder heeft het onderzoek aangetoond dat een hogere vriendschapskwaliteit een hogere score op geluk voorspelt. We kunnen daardoor zeggen dat vriendschapskwaliteit een belangrijke factor voor zowel prestaties op school als een hoge score op geluk. Een belangrijke implicatie van dit onderzoek betreft de hoeveelheid vragen in de zelf-rapportage vragenlijst. Voor een completer beeld zouden er meer vragen gebruikt kunnen worden. Verder kan het gebruik van zelf-rapportage vragenlijsten ook zorgen voor onnauwkeurigheden. Voor verder onderzoek naar dit onderwerp zou er gekeken kunnen worden naar de visie van ouders en docenten om zo een accurater beeld te vormen van de adolescent.Show less
Nederland ging op 13 maart 2020 in een lockdown in vanwege de intrede van COVID-19. Mensen met een cardiovasculaire ziekte ervaren stress rondom het krijgen van een besmetting met het virus, wegens...Show moreNederland ging op 13 maart 2020 in een lockdown in vanwege de intrede van COVID-19. Mensen met een cardiovasculaire ziekte ervaren stress rondom het krijgen van een besmetting met het virus, wegens de consequenties van besmetting voor deze groep en de uitgestelde zorg. Er is echter nog weinig onderzoek gedaan naar het mentaal welzijn van deze groep ten tijde van en na de pandemie. Zo lijkt psychologische flexibiliteit een rol te spelen bij mensen met een chronische ziekte ten tijde van de pandemie. In dit onderzoek is er onderzocht of er een verschil in mentaal welzijn is tijdens en na de pandemie voor mensen met en zonder cardiovasculaire ziekte, en of psychologische flexibiliteit hierbij een beschermende rol speelt. Dit is gemeten door middel van zelfrapportage vragenlijsten bij 6050 respondenten tussen de 16 en 99 jaar. Uit de regressieanalyse is gebleken dat met name mensen zonder cardiovasculaire ziekten zich na de pandemie mentaal beter voelen, in vergelijking met mensen met een cardiovasculaire ziekte. Echter is er geen significantie aangetoond voor psychologische flexibiliteit, wat erop duidt dat dit geen beschermende factor is. Vervolgonderzoek zou moeten aantonen welke chronische condities daadwerkelijk voordelen ervaren een hoge psychologische flexibiliteit en welke overlap psychologische flexibiliteit met mentaal welzijn heeft. The Netherlands entered a lockdown on March 13, 2020, due to COVID-19. People with a cardiovascular disease experienced stress around getting an infection, due to the consequences of the virus, and the delayed care for their illness. However, little research has been done for this group during and after the pandemic. For example, psychological flexibility seems to play a role in people with a chronic illness during the pandemic. This study investigated whether there is a difference in mental well-being during and after the pandemic, for people with and without cardiovascular disease, and whether psychological flexibility plays a protective role. This was measured by means of self-report questionnaires among 6050 respondents between the ages of 16 and 99. The regression analysis showed that especially people without a cardiovascular disease have a higher mental wellbeing after the pandemic, compared to people with cardiovascular disease. However, no significance has been shown for psychological flexibility, suggesting that this is not a protective factor. Follow-up research should show which chronic conditions benefit from a higher psychological flexibility.Show less
Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
open access
Metaphors effectively explain a complex (scientific) topic in terms familiar to the non-expert audience. However, metaphors also affect attitude. This thesis investigated the effects that the path...Show moreMetaphors effectively explain a complex (scientific) topic in terms familiar to the non-expert audience. However, metaphors also affect attitude. This thesis investigated the effects that the path metaphor and the wildfire metaphor have on the personal control people experience over the further course of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, participants received a text about the ongoing yet hidden threat of COVID-19, in which a new outbreak was either described as a wrongly taken path, as a wildfire flaring up, or without a metaphor. To measure the experienced amount of personal control, the participants were asked about their feelings of fear and control of the virus and the measures, and how they would bring these feelings into practice by reacting to multiple scenarios involving the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Statistical testing revealed no significant effect of the metaphors on the participants’ responses, potentially due to (amongst others) the time frame of the research. It is necessary to research in which circumstances a metaphor does and does not affect attitude. Then, it can be determined how and when a metaphor can best be employed in daily life to influence the hearer’s perception of a message, for example in the contexts of climate change, disease, and politics.Show less
De laatste jaren neemt het aantal uren en het aantal werknemers dat werkzaamheden buiten kantoor (telewerk) uitvoert in de publieke sector toe. De opkomst van COVID-19 heeft geresulteerd in een nog...Show moreDe laatste jaren neemt het aantal uren en het aantal werknemers dat werkzaamheden buiten kantoor (telewerk) uitvoert in de publieke sector toe. De opkomst van COVID-19 heeft geresulteerd in een nog snellere en verdere toename in telewerk. Deze toename kan problemen opleveren op het gebied van leiderschap omdat leiders moeten omschakelen naar leiden op afstand. Dit kan vervolgens resulteren in een lagere werkbevlogenheid onder werknemers. Gevolgen hiervan kunnen bestaan uit mindere prestaties en een lagere mentale gezondheid van werknemers, waardoor de kans op burn-outs toeneemt. Om in kaart te brengen of telewerk daadwerkelijk deze negatieve gevolgen met zich heeft gebracht, is er gekeken welke invloed telewerk door COVID-19 heeft gehad op het leiderschap waargenomen door werknemers in de publieke sector en de mate van werkbevlogenheid die zij ervaren. Om dit te onderzoeken zijn werknemers van de Amerikaanse overheid die werkzaamheden zoals gewoonlijk door konden zetten, vergeleken met werknemers die door COVID-19 verplicht moesten telewerken. Hiervoor is gebruik gemaakt van data uit The Office of Personnel Management Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey 2020. Uit de data-analyse is gebleken dat telewerkers tegen de verwachtingen in over het algemeen hoger scoorden op waargenomen leiderschap en werkbevlogenheid dan niet-telewerkers. De hogere score bij werkbevlogenheid is voornamelijk te danken aan de indirecte invloed die telewerk uitoefent middels waargenomen leiderschap. Waargenomen leiderschap heeft dan ook een grote positieve invloed op werkbevlogenheid. Andere aspecten van telewerken hebben wel een minimale maar negatieve invloed op de werkbevlogenheid. Het onderzoek kent wel enige beperkingen. Zo worden hoger- en lager management beide meegenomen, wat de resultaten minder toepasbaar maakt voor beide takken van management. Ook worden veel verschillende afdelingen meegenomen in het onderzoek waardoor de toepasbaarheid op individuele afdelingen niet hoog is. Vervolgonderzoek kan zich toespitsen op individuele afdelingen waardoor er voor deze afdelingen bruikbaar telewerkbeleid geschreven kan worden.Show less
Coronavirus disease 2019 has negatively affected the general population, and especially university undergraduates. Attending to and being aware of the present moment in an open, accepting and...Show moreCoronavirus disease 2019 has negatively affected the general population, and especially university undergraduates. Attending to and being aware of the present moment in an open, accepting and compassionate manner (i.e. mindfulness) has been shown to decrease depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, and increase positive affect. In our present study, we used network analysis to examine the associations between anxiety, depression, stress, mindfulness and joy. An observational research design was used with a convenience sample of 66 undergraduate students aged 18 to 34 years who completed an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) on their phones. They were asked eight questionsーtwo psychological constructs and six subclinical psychopathology symptomsーfour times a day for two weeks. Network analysis resulted in temporal and contemporaneous network models, indicating that mindfulness at time t does not significantly predict any variable at later time t+1 on the temporal level. At the contemporaneous level, mindfulness is associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and joy. Given the limitations of the present study and the hypothesis generating nature of network analysis, we conclude that the significant partial correlations between mindfulness, psychological well-being and joy in the contemporaneous network may indicate potential causal relations worth following up on in future research.Show less
