The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is a commonly used measure of personality traits, which was developed based on the Five-Factor Model. Previous research demonstrates gender differences in personality....Show moreThe Big Five Inventory (BFI) is a commonly used measure of personality traits, which was developed based on the Five-Factor Model. Previous research demonstrates gender differences in personality. Therefore, it is important to ensure the validity of measurements across gender to allow for meaningful interpretation and unbiased comparisons. This study investigated measurement invariance in the BFI across genders in 11-year-old twin adolescents using publicly available data. The study hypothesised that there will be measurement invariance in the BFI. A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was done to determine the level of measurement invariance. Results show that model modifications need to be added to determine configural invariance, and partial metric invariance was achieved after releasing some factor loading constraints. This means that although the BFI measures the same underlying latent factors across groups, some items may be perceived differently between males and females.Show less
Meta-analytic tree models (meta-CART) can be widely used to identify possible (multiple) interaction effects and examine how study characteristics explain the heterogeneity in study effect sizes....Show moreMeta-analytic tree models (meta-CART) can be widely used to identify possible (multiple) interaction effects and examine how study characteristics explain the heterogeneity in study effect sizes. The algorithm partitions individual studies in more homogeneous groups (i.e. terminal nodes) and in each node a summary effect size is estimated with a naive standard error. Unfortunately, tree based method can be unstable. Since the terminal nodes are generated by an algorithm rather than being predetermined, the complex search strategy that generates these naive standard errors fails to distinguish between a constant (global) and a local optimum and can be over-optimistic. In order to acquire more attainable confidence intervals of the summary effect sizes, the current study introduces a new bootstrap calibration approach to meta-CART models. With bootstrapping, the standards errors are re-estimated in order to correct this underestimation of the naive confidence intervals. The present study was conducted to test the performance of the new bootstrap method extensively via a simulation study and aims to provide more knowledge whether the new approach showed better coverage of the established tree models. The results of the simulation study are very promising. The new method increases the mean coverage, creates wider confidence intervals and provides more accurate summary effect sizes compared to the current naive method.Show less
Social dilemmas arise when individual and collective interests conflict. Some crises-like social dilemmas, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, comprise two parts: people must cooperate to prevent a...Show moreSocial dilemmas arise when individual and collective interests conflict. Some crises-like social dilemmas, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, comprise two parts: people must cooperate to prevent a disaster (public bad) but once prevented, i.e., a turning point was reached, positive externalities are generated (public good). Our study aims to expand the literature by studying cooperation, coordination, and motivation in such crises-like situations. We formulated the Adversity-Opportunity model (AOM) as a modified public goods game, introducing a negative initial group account to model "turning a bad into a good” and the turning point. In a mixed-factorial experiment, we measured participants' social value orientation and afterwards allocated them into three conditions. While contributions in the AOM condition could leave/turn the group account negative/positive, it could only remain negative (Public Bad condition) or is only shared when positive (Public Good condition). Within subjects, we varied the negative initial group account, while prompting expected and most appropriate contribution after each decision. Our results showed consistently high cooperation in the AOM across turning points, while social dispositions were a significant predictor of cooperation. We argue that when cooperation always is continuously beneficial, coordination is not required, and people cannot deduct a convergent collective and individual interest. A common interest to avoid over- or underspending could have enabled participants to form expectations and thus partially coordinate their choices. A public bad fostered marginally larger contributions than a public good interaction, after accounting for dispositions. Further research is necessary to confirm our findings and assess follow-up questions.Show less
Mental disorders: living with it is a challenge in and of itself. But life with a mental illness is made even more difficult by systematic injustice sufferers have long faced. Political philosophy...Show moreMental disorders: living with it is a challenge in and of itself. But life with a mental illness is made even more difficult by systematic injustice sufferers have long faced. Political philosophy can give us an example of how to organise our societies, but often fails to address the struggles of the mentally ill. Can we find a politically philosophical theory that can explain how we should address problems regarding the ‘mad’?Show less
