The Dutch government is aiming at a smoke-free generation in 2040 by implementing new policies. The smoking rate is not decreasing enough to reach this target. This study looks at the association...Show moreThe Dutch government is aiming at a smoke-free generation in 2040 by implementing new policies. The smoking rate is not decreasing enough to reach this target. This study looks at the association between smoking behavior and life satisfaction to find ways to influence smokers to quit. This study aims to assess what the association is between life satisfaction and smoking behavior in the Netherlands. It will also look into the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on smoking behavior and the effect that age has on the relationship between life satisfaction and smoking behavior. Data from the LISS-panel is used to conduct a fixed effects regression analysis. The results show that there is no significant association between life satisfaction and smoking behavior in any of the cases. This is contradictory to past research, which all found a significant negative association. The only significant associations are between the control variables anxiety and exercise, and smoking behavior. Both have a negative association with smoking behavior. The effect of exercise on smoking behavior is the strongest for people aged 65 and older. Based on these results, the policy recommendation is to stimulate exercise, which can lead to a healthier lifestyle and reduce the number of cigarettes people smoke.Show less
The world changed rapidly when the Covid-19 virus spread around the globe in early 2020. This led many proponents of degrowth, a post-capitalist ideology that wants to prioritize human and...Show moreThe world changed rapidly when the Covid-19 virus spread around the globe in early 2020. This led many proponents of degrowth, a post-capitalist ideology that wants to prioritize human and planetary wellbeing over economic growth, to believe that the pandemic had opened a window of opportunity to fundamentally transform economies and societies to align with planetary boundaries. In 2023, it is conspicuous that the eco-socialist revolution has not (yet) arrived. This does, however, not mean that the pandemic did not have any effect on attitudes towards degrowth. This thesis examines the prevalence of degrowth as well as the tone and attitudes towards degrowth in the public discourse in the US, based on online articles published between 2017 and 2023 in American news media and finds an increase in coverage, particularly after mid-2022, in which the pandemic likely played a role. After the outbreak, prestigious outlets started writing about degrowth, but overall coverage remained limited. Outlets on the political left were found to be more receptive to the idea. The coverage of the US version of The Guardian stood out due to its high volume of positive articles about degrowth, particularly after the outbreak. The few outlets on the political right that wrote about the topic took a negative tone towards the idea and described it as dangerous.Show less
Governance constitutes an important feature of organized crime. Across the world, millions of people live under criminal governance. In such cases, criminal organizations are involved in enforcing...Show moreGovernance constitutes an important feature of organized crime. Across the world, millions of people live under criminal governance. In such cases, criminal organizations are involved in enforcing rules and collecting taxes, providing security, as well as offering basic goods and services. This phenomenon primarily takes place in areas of weak state presence, where the government fails to satisfy the population's basic needs such as physical and social security. As of today, criminal governance remains particularly widespread throughout Latin America. Indeed, the region suffers from high levels of violence and public insecurity, which bear significant impacts on social, economic, and political life. The states of Mexico and Brazil, in particular, are home to some of the largest criminal organizations in the world. The latter include cartels and gang networks of various sizes and organizational structures. In turn, the same organizations have been involved in establishing localized governance practices in their respective countries. Despite being a well-researched concept in academia, criminal governance remains understudied in contexts of crisis. The states of Brazil and Mexico have been greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and its negative socioeconomic impacts. In addition, the said crisis profoundly altered the environment in which criminal organizations operate. Using a comparative case study methodology, this thesis, therefore, investigates the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on criminal governance practices from criminal groups in Mexico and Brazil. In doing so, it aims to form a better understanding of how criminal organizations adapted their governance activities to the health crisis.Show less
Background In Rachman’s three-pathway theory of fear acquisition, negative information transmission as provided by parents plays a crucial role in the intrafamilial transfer of fear in children. To...Show moreBackground In Rachman’s three-pathway theory of fear acquisition, negative information transmission as provided by parents plays a crucial role in the intrafamilial transfer of fear in children. To date, little research has been devoted to specific mechanisms underpinning this process within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Objective The aim of the present study was to explore the mediating role of rumination emotion regulation strategy in the link between parental trait anxiety and the frequency with which parents communicate threatening information about Covid-19 to their children. Methods The sample consisted of 332 parents(75.9% mothers and 24.1% fathers) living in the Netherlands who completed online questionnaires measuring their trait anxiety (the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders Adult version; SCARED-A), cognitive emotion regulation (the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire; CERQ), and their perspective on the transmission of negative information regarding Covid-19 (adapted version of the Fears of Swine Flu Questionnaire; FSFQ). Results Against expectations, rumination did not mediate the link between parental trait anxiety and verbal fear transmission. It was found that parental trait anxiety was positively associated with rumination. Verbal fear transmission was not related to parental trait anxiety nor rumination. Discussion The findings underscore the importance of mental well-being of parents in the pandemic situation, which should be addressed in family interventions. Furthermore, the obtained results suggest that there might be other indirect pathways involved in the parental fear transmission mechanism.Show less
Little is known about the impact of Covid-19 on family life, while the studies regarding the influence of fear of Covid-19 among family members are scarce. The aim of the current study was to...Show moreLittle is known about the impact of Covid-19 on family life, while the studies regarding the influence of fear of Covid-19 among family members are scarce. The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between parents’ fear of Covid-19 and children’s fear of Covid-19, as well as the role of child’s age in the relationship. Secondly, the study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental emotional suppression and children’s fear of Covid-19, as well as the role of parent’s gender in the specific relation. Two-hundred and sixteen families took part from different regions of the Netherlands. The children and one or both parents completed self-report questionnaires. Results indicated that there was a positive relation between parents’ fear of Covid-19 and children’s fear of Covid-19, while the child’s age did not play a role in the relationship. In addition, no relationship was found between parental emotional suppression and child’s fear of Covid-19, while the parent’s gender did not influence the association. The findings suggest that parental Covid-19-related fear can influence children’s fear about the disease. The results indicate the importance of further examination of the consequences of Covid-19 among families, as well as the creation of intervention programs in order to help parents and children cope more effectively with the novel Covid-19 reality.Show less
In reinforcement learning theory, humans learn from the outcomes of their actions and update the expected value of their future choices accordingly. To act in a socially adaptive manner, we must...Show moreIn reinforcement learning theory, humans learn from the outcomes of their actions and update the expected value of their future choices accordingly. To act in a socially adaptive manner, we must learn about the consequences our actions have on both ourselves and others. In the current study, empathy was tested as a trait which influences our ability to learn to make decisions which benefit others. It was hypothesised that higher empathy would lead to improved prosocial learning, and that feelings of responsibility for others would meditate such effect. A probabilistic prosocial reinforcement learning task was used, whereby 30 healthy males aged between 19 and 34 played a game to win monetary rewards for themselves, another person, or no-one. ANOVA analysis revealed that participants showed higher learning rates when playing for others rather than themselves, which is not congruent with previous research. The potential reasons for this finding are discussed. Correlation analysis of accuracy rates and computational learning rates with empathy scores revealed no relationships between trait empathy and prosocial learning. Further analysis failed to show feelings of responsibility for others mediating the effect of empathy on prosocial learning. Thus, the current study found no evidence for empathy having a role in prosocial learning, nor for feeling responsible for others as a mediator. The current sample did, however, perform as well or better for others than for themselves, which may be due to cultural differences or testing occurring during the Covid-19 pandemic when empathy, prosocial actions, and social responsibility were increased.Show less
This thesis examines the communications of the four largest Dutch opposition parties SP, PvdA, GroenLinks and PVV throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to emergency legislation and an increase in...Show moreThis thesis examines the communications of the four largest Dutch opposition parties SP, PvdA, GroenLinks and PVV throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to emergency legislation and an increase in public support for the executive government, opposition parties were sidelined during the pandemic. The aim of this thesis is to examine how these four opposition parties, together forming the biggest opposing force to the cabinet, responded to their marginalised position. This is done through analysing their communication towards the public, as communicative means are an essential tool for political parties to connect with the public. The case study on the four largest opposition parties is conducted through a Critical discourse analysis. Based upon Norman Fairclough’s dialectical-relational approach, text, discourse, and social context of the opposition parties’ communications is analysed. The finding of this research is that during the crisis, the opposition parties communicatively defended their democratic function. This started when they learned that their initial response has not been effective, as they were sidelined and the cabinet’s Covid-19 response failed. They brought their own democratic functioning to the forefront in an attempt to convince the public that they can provide valid alternatives to the cabinet’s failing Covid-19 response.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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Background: The abrupt spread of Covid-19 all over the world created a global crisis and resulted in a pandemic which led to various adverse mental health outcomes. Concordantly, studies reported...Show moreBackground: The abrupt spread of Covid-19 all over the world created a global crisis and resulted in a pandemic which led to various adverse mental health outcomes. Concordantly, studies reported an increasing trend in the prevalence and severity of binge eating and emotional eating symptoms. Aims: To estimate the prevalence and severity rates of binge eating and emotional eating symptoms during the Covid-19 pandemic through systematic review with meta-analysis. Methods: Pre-registered systematic review with meta-analysis (Prospero ID: CRD42022316105). Results: Systematic searches in PubMed and Web of Science (final search date 19th of March, 2022) yielded 27 eligible studies on changes in binge eating and emotional eating prevalence and severity rates during the Covid-19 outbreak (total N = 22.029). An overall increase in the elicited and exacerbated binge eating and emotional eating symptoms during the Covid-19 pandemic was observed (number of studies (k) = 14, r = 0.27, 95% CIs = 0.059 to 0.478). Furthermore, overall 7% of participants reported increases in pooled binge eating and emotional eating behaviours. Conclusions: Our data show a significant increase in the prevalence and severity rates of binge eating and emotional eating during the Covid-19 outbreak. This increase may be expected due to raised emotions of stress, loss of control, fear, ineffectiveness, and boredom during the pandemic. Public health policies and intervention programs for preventing and treating binge eating and emotional eating symptoms should be considered during confinement or related circumstances.Show less
The Covid-19 pandemic has plunged many countries into a lockdown affecting the daily lives of students by limiting access to almost all public venues including universities. Students with pre...Show moreThe Covid-19 pandemic has plunged many countries into a lockdown affecting the daily lives of students by limiting access to almost all public venues including universities. Students with pre-existing mental health disorders might be more susceptible to the negative effects associated with Covid-19 on their levels of anxiety. This research compared the experienced anxiety levels and duration between students with and without pre-existing mental health disorders and determined if these effects were persistent after one-year of lockdown. Differences between the types of mental health disorders were also explored. Students (N = 478) from three different courses were asked to fill out an online questionnaire about their mental health history and experienced anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic. Students suffering from pre-existing mental health disorders (n = 167) experienced significantly greater anxiety levels and this anxiety is of greater duration compared to otherwise healthy students (n = 311). These effects persisted over a one-year period. Nationality of students significantly contributed to the levels of experienced anxiety with non-Dutch students reporting higher levels of anxiety relative to Dutch students. No apparent differences between the types of mental health disorder were found. Students with a mental health history seem to be impacted more by the pandemic. Underlying reasons may include decreased psychological flexibility and inadequate coping strategies to counteract the drastic changes experienced by the pandemic and ensuing lockdown. These findings demonstrate the vulnerable position some students are in and emphasises the need for the development of prevention programs and adequate treatment.Show less
The Covid-19 pandemic has altered how countries project and gain soft power. Within the context of this global crisis, most researchers followed the conventional trend to investigate soft power as...Show moreThe Covid-19 pandemic has altered how countries project and gain soft power. Within the context of this global crisis, most researchers followed the conventional trend to investigate soft power as a resource (i.e., health diplomacy). Yet, scant studies have approached soft power as an outcome. The present thesis fills this gap by examining how countries’ (i.e., United States’ and New Zealand’s) Covid-19 response affected their attractiveness abroad (i.e., in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands). In order to address this inquiry, the theoretical lenses of rational and social attraction are amplified with socio-psychological literature on the Similarity-Attraction Theory. The theories are tested by means of minimalist process-tracing, combined with a cross-case analysis. The findings support the proposition that (in)competencies (demonstrated through the Covid-19 response) sparked rational attraction (or aversion) among foreign audiences. While support indicating the presence of social attraction (or aversion) is detected, it warrants a more cautious interpretation due to case-specific alternative explanations. The findings challenge the assumption that “likeness goes with liking”, by underscoring how dissimilarities tied to success appeared to elicit attraction. Further research should investigate whether this effect is still present when the scope condition is not met.Show less
At the beginning of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic took the world by surprise. It had quickly spread from China to all regions of the world causing a severe increase in hospitalizations and...Show moreAt the beginning of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic took the world by surprise. It had quickly spread from China to all regions of the world causing a severe increase in hospitalizations and mortalities. This led to governments implementing measures in order to limit the consequences of the virus. However, government approaches varied significantly despite the fact that they were all dealing with the same virus. This research examines how governments justify their chosen Covid-19 strategies and how this justification varied between countries. The two strategies that are analysed are the eradication and mitigation strategy adopted by the countries New Zealand, Australia, England and the Netherlands. A qualitative content analysis seeks to identify the main reasons provided by Prime Minister for their chosen Covid-19 strategy. Transcripts of Covid press conferences made by the Prime Minister of the countries involved were collected for the analysis of the data. The analysis shows that the countries who followed the eradication strategy justified their chosen strategy by putting more emphasis on the elements health implications for their population and the economic impact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Countries who opted for the mitigation strategy emphasized the possibility of exceeding their healthcare capacity more in addition to the possible economic impact. Both set of countries named economic impact of Covid-19 and related measures as a main reason for their strategy, but they differed in the reasons health implications for their population and exceeding their healthcare capacity.Show less
In Amsterdam Nieuw-West is de vaccinatiegraad onder mensen met een niet-westerse migratieachtergrond relatief laag. In dit onderzoek wordt er aandacht besteedt aan de achterliggende redenen van de...Show moreIn Amsterdam Nieuw-West is de vaccinatiegraad onder mensen met een niet-westerse migratieachtergrond relatief laag. In dit onderzoek wordt er aandacht besteedt aan de achterliggende redenen van de bewoners om zich niet te laten vaccineren tegen het coronavirus en welke instrumenten, ingezet door de overheid, GGD, buurtcentra, etc. ervoor zouden kunnen zorgen en hebben gezorgd dat de vaccinatiegraad omhoog gaat.Show less
The current study aimed to investigate whether having been quarantined/ isolated during the Covid-19 pandemic is associated with perceived stress in students in the Netherlands, even after the...Show moreThe current study aimed to investigate whether having been quarantined/ isolated during the Covid-19 pandemic is associated with perceived stress in students in the Netherlands, even after the initial quarantine/ isolation period. Additionally, it was explored whether having a history of childhood maltreatment moderated this relationship. A sample consisting of 2475 participants, of whom 1881 were female and 594 were male, was recruited using convenience sampling. Participants were asked to fill in several questionnaires, among which a shortened version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS_10), a shortened version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) and questions concerning the Covid-19 pandemic. Having been quarantined/ isolated and having experienced childhood maltreatment were hypothesized to be associated with a heightened perceived stress level. Further, having a history of childhood maltreatment was hypothesized to have an effect on the relation between quarantine/ isolation and perceived stress. Regression analyses revealed significant effects of both quarantine/ isolation and childhood maltreatment on perceived stress. A moderation analysis showed that this association was not moderated by childhood maltreatment. Thus, the findings confirmed the first as well as the second hypothesis. However, the third hypothesis could not be confirmed within this study. This study contributes to a growing body of research concerning mental health effects of Covid-19 measurements. It stresses potential long-term effects in students and the need for future research to explore underlying mechanisms of the findings.Show less
De Britse overheid vervult een prominente rol in de publieke communicatie over Covid-19. De overheid probeert de informatie over de crisis te beheren en als gevolg hiervan verschijnen veel...Show moreDe Britse overheid vervult een prominente rol in de publieke communicatie over Covid-19. De overheid probeert de informatie over de crisis te beheren en als gevolg hiervan verschijnen veel inspanningen van de overheid om het debat te sturen rechtstreeks in de media. Het is daarom interessant om te onderzoeken hoe de Britse overheid, een van de grootste communicatoren van publieke communicatie over Covid-19, preventiegedrag probeert aan te moedigen en hoe ze haar boodschap aanstuurt middels frames. Deze scriptie doet daarom onderzoek naar de dominante frames in de gezondheidsvoorlichtingcampagne van de Britse overheid.Show less
This thesis researches the different view of China on soft power by analysing China's media discourse in Chinese English-language media channels on Covid-19. The Chinese government has a more...Show moreThis thesis researches the different view of China on soft power by analysing China's media discourse in Chinese English-language media channels on Covid-19. The Chinese government has a more different stance in believing that soft power can be generated and created, similar to hard power being created with the use of greater military force and economic power. Soft power, in Nye’s view, is a by-product of other things, not something you can “create” in and of itself. A notable shift in narrative can be identified between the two periods and media channels selected for this thesis. Consequently, China’s attempt at creating soft power is made visible by this shift in narrative.Show less
In 2019, the contagious virus Covid-19 caused the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak of a pandemic, leading to various new challenges for the mental health field. The present study...Show moreIn 2019, the contagious virus Covid-19 caused the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak of a pandemic, leading to various new challenges for the mental health field. The present study investigated the potential role of experienced Covid-19 traumatic stress on the relationship between disgust sensitivity and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) tendencies. Previous research indicates an association between higher disgust sensitivity levels and higher fear of contamination and hand-washing compulsions (subdomains of OCD). To investigate a potential moderation effect on this association, 183 respondents were recruited through Leiden University research participation recruitment platform i.e., SONA and through a convenience sample via social media platforms. In line with previous findings, the results showed that respondents who indicated higher levels of disgust sensitivity also reported higher OCD tendencies. Further, individuals who experienced the Covid-19 outbreak as more traumatic displayed higher OCD tendencies. However, a significant moderation of Covid-19 traumatic stress on the relationship between disgust sensitivity and OCD tendencies was not found. Nevertheless, this study provides support for previous research and indicated a significant relationship between disgust sensitivity and OCD tendencies. Additionally, it contributes to further research by introducing traumatic stress as a new variable on this association. Moreover, the findings of this study hopefully encourage further research on the association of Covid-19 traumatic stress on the development of a variety of mental health problems and help to underline the importance of looking at the consequences of the pandemic not only in terms of physical health but also in terms of mental health.Show less
Perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) refers to a human mechanism, that facilitates avoidance behaviour when it detects immunological threats for the body. Recent research shows that increased...Show morePerceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) refers to a human mechanism, that facilitates avoidance behaviour when it detects immunological threats for the body. Recent research shows that increased PVD and increased media exposure have been significantly associated with increased engagement in preventive health care behaviours related to protecting one from contamination with the Covid-19 virus. The possibility of a moderation of media exposure between PVD and preventive health care behaviours has not been investigated yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the moderation effects of media exposure on the relationship between PVD and preventive health care behaviours. Online questionnaires were distributed to a convenience sample through social media platforms and Leiden University’s participant recruitment platform (n = 184). No moderation of different levels of media exposure on the relationship of PVD and preventive health care behaviours was found (b = .011, t = .879, p = .380). An increase in both media exposure and PVD was associated with an increased engagement in preventive health care behaviours. This study calls future researchers to investigate the hypothesised relationship with different media exposure measurement tools. Apart from PVD, media exposure seems to be a potential factor related to the engagement in preventive health care behaviours which could help to dampen the fast transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study highlights the importance of being selective when seeking media sources that provide useful information about the pandemic and the engagement in preventive health care behaviours instead of relying on the overabundance of informationShow less
