What happens when populist radical right parties (PRRPs) adopt an anti-lockdown stance? PRRPs in Western Europe, which in ideology are mostly comparable, have been divided on the issue of COVID-19....Show moreWhat happens when populist radical right parties (PRRPs) adopt an anti-lockdown stance? PRRPs in Western Europe, which in ideology are mostly comparable, have been divided on the issue of COVID-19. The answer does not follow automatically from their economic, cultural or anti-elitist positions, which all seem to advocate for a different strategy. In some countries, such as the Netherlands, two PRRPs have each taken a different approach: one became an anti-lockdown party, the other did not. In this study the effects of becoming an anti-lockdown party on their voter base, who either vote for economic, cultural or anti-elitist reasons, have been examined using a mediation analysis on existing panel data. This study concludes that voters, who mostly vote because they agree with the PRRPs cultural right-wing positions, might be dissuaded to vote for a PRRP that has become an anti-lockdown party. However, anti-lockdown attitudes most strongly positively affect voting for an anti-lockdown party on their own and appear to tap into a new voter base. Future research is needed in order to corroborate this finding.Show less
Dispositional optimism is increasingly recognized as an important contributor to mental and physical health. The role of resilient coping on the relationship between dispositional optimism and...Show moreDispositional optimism is increasingly recognized as an important contributor to mental and physical health. The role of resilient coping on the relationship between dispositional optimism and anxiety symptoms has not yet been examined. In this study, the potential mediating role of resilient coping in the relationship between dispositional optimism and anxiety symptoms has been tested using PROCESS macro. The Life Orientation Test Revised, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaires were used for the assessment of optimism, resilient coping, and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The total, direct, and indirect effects were estimated using data from a healthy population (N = 248). The results showed that the level of dispositional optimism significantly predicted the level of anxiety symptoms (b = -.36, p < .001) such that higher levels of dispositional optimism were associated with lower levels of anxiety symptoms. No significant evidence was found for the mediating role of resilient coping in this relationship, possibly due to the low internal consistency of the questionnaire in this sample. As the sample in this study had an overrepresentation of students within the age range of 20-25, it is likely that the results might not apply to the larger population, given that there are differences in what students have to cope with compared to people who are in other phases of their lives. Future research may complement findings by investigating whether there is a causal relationship between coping skills and anxiety symptoms.Show less
Background: With the recent emergence of online dating as a way of initiating and establishing romantic relationships, online dating has become an important strategy for couples to meet. However,...Show moreBackground: With the recent emergence of online dating as a way of initiating and establishing romantic relationships, online dating has become an important strategy for couples to meet. However, no previous studies have thoroughly investigated the possible mediation effect of partner-perceived attractiveness between personality traits and online dating success. In this thesis, I will test whether personality traits influence partner-perceived attractiveness, and whether this assumed relationship affects online dating success. Methods: Through the use of a mediation analysis, this present study will investigate how the personality dimensions of extraversion and neuroticism are linked to attractiveness and whether a specific trait contributes to more online dating success. Results: It cannot be concluded that there is a mediating relationship between personality traits and online dating outcomes. A significant relationship was found between partner perceived attractiveness and dating success when running a linear regression, without controlling for the relationship between personality traits and online dating outcomes. Conclusion: More research needs to be done in order to differentiate between the different personality traits, and whether possessing one trait makes you a more successful online dater. Future studies can add a new dimension to the variable of partner-perceived attractiveness and look into the possible role played by self-esteem.Show less
