The placebo effect is a learning phenomenon strongly associated with cognitive mechanisms. Placebo conditioning, particularly, combines threat learning with verbal instructions and expectations....Show moreThe placebo effect is a learning phenomenon strongly associated with cognitive mechanisms. Placebo conditioning, particularly, combines threat learning with verbal instructions and expectations. These processes are central in shaping subjective pain experience and threat-related episodic memory. However, the specific influence of placebo conditioning on episodic memory accuracy and generalization is not yet known. It is hypothesized that threat associations enhance memory recognition and generalization by increasing arousal; thus, introducing a placebo manipulation in a threat conditioning paradigm might impair memory recognition by decreasing arousal. This can offer insights into the broader clinical implications of placebo, as threat-related responses and memory bias are hallmarks of anxiety disorders. This study used a within subjects experimental design with 72 healthy participants undergoing a pain calibration/placebo conditioning procedure, a Pavlovian threat conditioning paradigm with a placebo manipulation using pictures, and a memory test. Participants completed pain, mnemonic, and confidence ratings. We predicted that the placebo condition would correlate with lower subjective pain experience, and the CS+ condition with increased recognition memory and generalization compared to the CS+ placebo and CS- conditions. Although the placebo manipulation was successful, it did not significantly affect memory recognition, generalization or discrimination. There were indications that the CS+ condition correlated with higher recognition compared to the CS- condition, but these should be interpreted with caution. We conclude that the placebo manipulation’s subtle effects may not have reached the necessary threshold of arousal and motivational engagement required to alter memory processes. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.Show less
As the portion of the foreign-born population continues to grow across the European Union, gaps in overall political participation between immigrants and natives persist. This is a cause for...Show moreAs the portion of the foreign-born population continues to grow across the European Union, gaps in overall political participation between immigrants and natives persist. This is a cause for concern to European democracies, specifically regarding their representativeness of the entirety of the population that constitutes them and that they are meant to serve. While scholars have focused on more conventional forms of political participation, this research aims to specifically focus on protests as a non-conventional form of political participation while taking both experienced and perceived discrimination as the main motivators and major determinants of this type of political behavior. Using data from the Survey on Minorities and Discrimination in EU conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in 2016, this paper argues that both the experience and perception of discrimination are positively related to participation in protest behaviors amongst citizens of immigrant origin. This paper uses a binary logistic regression with experienced and perceived discrimination as predictor variables, and participation in protest as the response variable, while controlling for six key factors: age, gender, income, generation of immigration, interest in politics, and education. Countries were also used as control variables to counter potential biases in the results from the clustering that often occurs with the use of survey data.Show less
Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
closed access
There are large individual differences among late second language learners. The present study investigated whether individual differences in late L2 acquisition could be explained by individual...Show moreThere are large individual differences among late second language learners. The present study investigated whether individual differences in late L2 acquisition could be explained by individual differences in musical experience, because a large number of prior studies showed that musicians have enhanced auditory processing abilities. Dutch late-learners of English performed an AXB identification task, a 4I2AFC discrimination task and a passive oddball task with the English vowel contrast DRESS-TRAP. Data was analyzed with a multilevel single-trial approach to focus on the explanation of individual differences. The results showed large individual differences in all three tasks, good behavioral discrimination of the vowel contrast, and a large mismatch negativity (MMN) effect. A relation between discrimination performance and the variables musical experience and MMN amplitude was found, indicating that better behavioral discrimination of small acoustic differences was related to more musical experience and larger MMN differences. The absence of a similar relation with identification performance was attributed to a ceiling effect and restricted range of results on this task. The fact that no significant relation was found between musical experience and MMN amplitude, was explained by the required discrimination difficulty to measure a positive effect of musical experience, which was not met by the stimuli in the oddball task.Show less
Despite their scientific promise, gene editing technologies (GETs) have been subjected to many debates regarding the ethics, politics, and social consequences of genetic modification. This is...Show moreDespite their scientific promise, gene editing technologies (GETs) have been subjected to many debates regarding the ethics, politics, and social consequences of genetic modification. This is largely due to its similarities with old eugenics policies, as well as trends seen in healthcare practice and access for other innovative medical technologies (e.g. geographical practice variations, and socio-economic disparities in access to care and medical innovativeness). Currently taking part in these debates are the scientific community, historians, and ethicists. As such, the public does not yet have a seat at the table, though this is necessary to devise succesful policies and regulations pertinent to the (potential) wider adoption of GETs in the healthcare system. Therefore, this study aims to gauge the public perception on GETs, while accounting for Race and Level of Education. More specifically, this study focusses on the predictiveness of said variables for the degree to which one is accepting of GETs, and to what extent they fear that GETs are discriminatory in nature. This is achieved by means of multiple linear regressions. It was found that Race and Level of Education were insignificantly predictive of acceptance of gene editing technologies (R2 = .002, F(2, 137) = .154, p = .857). Further, they were insignificantly predictive of fear of gene editing technologies being discriminatory (R2 = .036, F(2, 130) = 2.441, p = .091).Show less
Master thesis | European Politics and Society: Vaclav Havel Joint Master Programme
open access
In 2006 Puar defined homonationalism as a form of nationalism that utilizes gay rights to exclude (Muslim minorities). This thesis analyzes the development of Dutch homonationalism from 1990-2002....Show moreIn 2006 Puar defined homonationalism as a form of nationalism that utilizes gay rights to exclude (Muslim minorities). This thesis analyzes the development of Dutch homonationalism from 1990-2002. It finds that the origins and development of homonationalism are rarely discussed. Only research by Bram Mellink focused on the origins of Dutch homonationalism between 1980 and 1990. By analyzing the selected period, this research tries to bridge the gap between the origins of Dutch homonationalism and the full fledged Dutch homonationalism that can be found in the 21st century. It applies a framework that is grounded in established theories and understandings of homonationalism, to reflect on the theoretical foundations of homonationalism and their historical applicability. This paper finds that utilizing homonationalism and its manifestations as they were defined by Puar is in fact ahistorical. Consequently, under the chosen theoretical framework homonationalism is rarely found. Therefore, this research identifies a developing form of homonationalism: proto-homonationalism. To support further research, it establishes a new framework to analyze this proto-homonationalism. The findings of this research thus establish the weaknesses of applying homonationalist theory to historical periods and provide an alternative that allows for a deeper theoretical as well as historical understanding of homonationalism throughout time.Show less
This thesis explores how Haitian migrants are received in the Dominican Republic and considers the implications of this for media representation and immigration policy. A variety of mechanisms are...Show moreThis thesis explores how Haitian migrants are received in the Dominican Republic and considers the implications of this for media representation and immigration policy. A variety of mechanisms are identified by which Haitians and people of Haitian descent are positioned as ‘the other’ and are defined and treated as different from the host community in the Dominican Republic. Anti-Haitian attitudes are widely acknowledged to exist in the Dominican Republic but it is unclear whether these are driven by racist ideologies or fears of losing national sovereignty. This paper builds upon the study conducted by Craemer and Martinez (2021), who identified four Haitian stereotypes; anti-Black, anti-immigrant, criminal violence, and anti-Haitian stereotypes. A content analysis is conducted of articles containing the search term ‘Haiti’, from 2020 to 2021, in two Dominican newspapers (El Listín Diario and El Día) and two Haitian newspapers (Rezo Nòdwès and Juno7). This thesis adds to the previous study by examining the content of Haitian newspapers and corroborating previous results. Consistent with Craemer and Martinez, this study finds the strongest stereotype-consistency bias in the criminal violence stereotypes. Diverging from this, the anti-Haitian stereotypes showed a significant increase in stereotype-consistent bias. This contradicts conclusions drawn by Craemer and Martinez. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed.Show less
According to many scholars, the Chinese media increasingly subjugates women and depicts them in relation to marriage, and by extension home and motherhood. Women who do not adhere to these ideals,...Show moreAccording to many scholars, the Chinese media increasingly subjugates women and depicts them in relation to marriage, and by extension home and motherhood. Women who do not adhere to these ideals, are stigmatized by the media. At the same time, the media bestows men with important social roles and expectations. In my research, I investigated whether single men and single women are indeed depicted according to different standards.Show less
Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
open access
Previous studies have found that non-standard language varieties are at risk of discrimination in legal contexts. Additionally, slow speech has been shown to be less credible than normal speech....Show morePrevious studies have found that non-standard language varieties are at risk of discrimination in legal contexts. Additionally, slow speech has been shown to be less credible than normal speech. However, little is known about how accent and speech rate interact. In order to investigate this phenomenon further, this thesis examines how Dutch listeners judge utterances on a seven-point scale when presented with auditory stimuli in two accents of Dutch (Standard Dutch and Moroccan Dutch) and two speech rates (normal and slow). Contrary to previous studies indicating that non-standard language is perceived as less credible, the results of this study revealed that listeners generally perceive both accents as equally credible at a normal speed. Slower speech was judged as less credible in both varieties, but Standard Dutch was given lower ratings overall. The results suggest that what has previously been established for slow speech in languages such as English also holds true for Dutch, and may have adverse consequences for individuals in contact with the law.Show less
Migration has been one of the most prevailing issues in European public, political and academic debate over the last few years. Due to its specific geographical location within Europe and its...Show moreMigration has been one of the most prevailing issues in European public, political and academic debate over the last few years. Due to its specific geographical location within Europe and its reputation as a stable welfare state, Austria has become an important country of asylum. Today, it is one of the European countries which hosts most asylum seekers relative to its population. At the same time, politically and legally, Austria embodies one of the most conservative integration regimes in Western Europe. At a societal level, integration is widely negatively connoted―especially with reference to Muslim immigrants―and islamophobia and hostility towards Muslims has increased. In the light of the recent inflow of migrants from Muslim-majority countries, Austria seems to be forced to effectively engage with the adoption of integration measures that fit a country of immigration with sensibility towards the general public’s islamophobic tendencies. To investigate into the topic further, my thesis aims at covering integration from three perspectives: the role of the Austrian government, the predominant perceptions of Austria's society and of immigrants from the Middle East, including my own data collection. My thesis therefore focuses on the following question: What are some of the legal, political and socio-cultural aspects that have influenced and determined the integration process of Middle Eastern immigrants in Austria since 9/11?Show less
After WWII, between 500,000 and 600,000 Koreans remained in Japan because of social, economical or political reasons. The Koreans who remained in Japan became known as zainichi, which literally...Show moreAfter WWII, between 500,000 and 600,000 Koreans remained in Japan because of social, economical or political reasons. The Koreans who remained in Japan became known as zainichi, which literally means “residing in Japan.” In this thesis, I argue that the representation of the zainichi identity of adolescents in cinema helps us appreciate the complexities of zainichi identity. Through film, we are able to see how the characters change throughout the story and how they interact with their social environment. , I discuss scholarship on the formation of zainichi identity, how zainichi were able to secure the legal recognition of their existence in Japan and how different social and legal changes caused a change in zainichi identity.Show less
China’s exceptional growth, since the early 1980s, has been accompanied by a startling rise in gender-wage inequality. Gendered occupational segregation is identified as a primary cause, and has...Show moreChina’s exceptional growth, since the early 1980s, has been accompanied by a startling rise in gender-wage inequality. Gendered occupational segregation is identified as a primary cause, and has been a prominent feature of China’s economic transition and integration into the global economy. The channeling of women into low-skill, low-wage occupations is an often neglected factor in the story of China’s export-led economic growth and the development of its growing service industries. The purpose of this thesis is to establish how the revival of traditional gender norms in China has contributed to high levels of occupational gender-segregation and rising wage inequality. In particular this thesis focuses on changing constructions of gender as advanced by the state, through social policy and labour regulations, and in state media.Show less
The present thesis aims at a better understanding of Islamophobia in Western Europe. For this purpose, it investigates how the issue is perceived from the Arabic and from the Western European...Show moreThe present thesis aims at a better understanding of Islamophobia in Western Europe. For this purpose, it investigates how the issue is perceived from the Arabic and from the Western European perspective, what both of these views have in common and where the differences between them. In the opening section, the results of a literature research are presented, which focuses on academic Arabic sources, articles on the Aljazeera website, and academic publications by West European authors. In this context, various aspects of the phenomenon such as the definition of the term, roots and causes, the role of media and of the political right, and its relation to the anti-Semitism are considered. As example of manifestation of Islamophobia the French head scarf ban is discussed. Comparing the Arabic and the Western European view on Islamophobia, one cannot detect specific differences concerning the definition of the term, albeit the latter appears contested and vague. In contrast, the identified reasons for Islamophobia and the role attributed to media and the political right are controversial and depend very much on the particular perspective involved. While the majority of the Western sources identifies the reason of Islamophobia as the perceived incompatibility of Islam with Western and European values, Arab authors mostly hold Western misunderstanding and lack of knowledge responsible for the phenomenon. They also attribute an essential role to media and the political right in its dissemination. While at least the majority of the Arab sources attribute a positive character to the headscarf, in Western Europe it is frequently understood as symbol of a radical Islam and gender discrimination, therefore justifying its ban. The comparison with anti-Semitism appears to be restricted to the Western European perspective, which is possibly due to the role this phenomenon has played in Europe's history.Show less
According to the 2000 Census, only 8.41 percent of the population of the People's Republic of China belonged to one of the 55 recognized ethnic minorities. Despite this relatively small percentage,...Show moreAccording to the 2000 Census, only 8.41 percent of the population of the People's Republic of China belonged to one of the 55 recognized ethnic minorities. Despite this relatively small percentage, western media regularly report about ethnic violence in the PRC. This thesis examines preferential policies, a solution of the PRC government to stabilize ethnic tensions within its territories. After providing a brief understanding of living conditions for ethnic minorities in China, the thesis outlines challenges for both the ethnic minorities and the PRC government and continues by a detailed explanation of the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy and the preferential policy on minority education enrollment, followed by an analysis of the actual results of the policies. The thesis concludes by stating that the preferential policies both work and do not work. There is an increase in the literacy rate of minorities that can be contributed to the policies. At the same time, however, the preferential policies seem to be both a result and a source of Han-centered discrimination of ethnic minorities.Show less
This thesis sets up a model for political tolerance among minority groups in the Netherlands, which consists of two dimensions. The first determines whether the group has been a victim of...Show moreThis thesis sets up a model for political tolerance among minority groups in the Netherlands, which consists of two dimensions. The first determines whether the group has been a victim of discrimination and because of their struggles the individuals have grown more tolerant towards others. The other dimension is the division between bridging and bonding networks, with the latter making people less tolerant. This research confirms the second assumption, but not the first.Show less
