The  Birth-­‐Rate  Dilemma  

Empirical  Research    v  The  research  made  by  Peter  Haan  

and  Katharina  Wrohlich  (2011)  on:  ‘Can  child  care  policy  encourage  employment  and  ferBlity?’  

v  Variables:  u  The  socio-­‐economic  situaBon  of  the  

parents:  financial  incenBves    u  Women  who  already  have  a  new-­‐

born  child    u  Behavior  of  women  returning  to  work  

aLer  birth  and  the  adeptness  of  child  care  policies    

Methodological  Approach  A  qualita:ve  and  induc:ve  approach    Sample:                    v  The  research  will  be  using  purposive  

non-­‐probability  sampling,  based  on  strategically  chosen  women  with  a  background  of  higher  educaBon.  

v  The  Interview  will  be  organised  semi-­‐structured,  thus  having  a  list  of  relevant  quesBons  but  fiQng  them  to  the  Interviewee’s  profile  and  answers.  

v  The  Interview  will  evolve  around  a  spectrum  of  ques:ons  such  as  the  wish  for  children,  the  percepBon  of  the  image  of  modern  women,  responsibility  of  women  vs.  men,  view  on  childcare  and  maternity  leave  policies  and  influences  such  as  the  partners  opinion,  society  or  economic  situaBon.    

v  To  analyse  the  interview  it  is  proposed  to  use  a  thema:c  analysis,  trying  to  idenBfy  themes  and  paTerns  within  the  collected  qualitaBve  data.  

Research  Ques:on  Are  low  birth  rates  a  consequence  of  women  in  workforce  or  a  result  of  changing  image  of  

modern  women?    

Introduc:on  v  Many  countries  in  Europe  face  a  demographic  

struggle  of  a  shiL  towards  an  aging  populaBon  because  of  an  increasing  gap  between  birth  rates  and  mortality  rates.      

v  The  research  focuses  on  the  quesBon  why  the  birth  rates  in  Europe  are  decreasing,  thus  trying  to  find  the  underlying  root  to  the  problem.    

v  It  is  directed  towards  understanding  contribuBng  factors  such  as  women  in  workforce,  childcare  and  maternity  leave  policies  and  significance  of  the  image  of  modern  women.    

Female  populaBon  with  higher  academic  

educaBon    

10  Employees    

10  Students    

References  Morgan,  S.  P.  (2003).  Is  low  ferBlity  a  twenty-­‐first-­‐century  demographic  crisis?.  Demography,  40(4),  589-­‐603.      .  

Haan,  P.,  &  Wrohlich,  K.  (2011).  Can  child  care  policy  encourage  employment  and  ferBlity?:  Evidence  from  a  structural  model.  Labour  Economics,  18(4),  498-­‐512.    

Philosophical  Reflec:on  v  Applied  will  be  a  phenomenological  

paradigm,  the  basic  beliefs  that  the  world  is  socially  constructed  and  based  on  subjecBve  context.    

v  Looking  at  the  socially  constructed  Image  of  women  and  her  role  in  society  

Scien:fic  Relevance  v  This  paper  aims  take  the  scienBfic  approach  of  

comple:ng  gaps  in  knowledge,  by  finding  all  contribuBng  factors  and  uncover  missing  links,  helping  to  understand  why  the  birth  rate  shiL.  

v  Fulfil  its  social  relevance  to  discover  pracBcal  soluBons  that  will  help  the  society  with  the  birth  rate  dilemma.    

I6081409  KersBn  Pohlmann  

Why  don‘t  they  want  me?  

Andrea Grundke!I6068940

SKI1005: Research Methods II April 25, 2014

The Result of the Chameleon Effect on Different Personality Traits

Results

Problem Statement Data & MethodologyData - Descriptions of 16 Personalities!

- Sample size: 30!- Sample type: University students

Methods - Multiple answer questionnaires (Psychometric assessment)!

- Social Experiments (The Chameleon Effect)!- Observation!

- Surveys & Interviews!- Gathering of opinions and

results

Dependent Variables

- 16 Personalities Traits!- According to the Chameleon

effect:!- Smoothness!- Liking

16-item questionnaire (16 possible results according to psychometric assessment)

Independent Variable

- Results of ‘Chameleon effect’ social experiment!

- Sample size

- Likert scale (0-10: Higher scores indicate well-liked)!

- Numerical scale (0-30)

Control Variables

- Age!- Gender!- Education!- Geographical Location

Abstract !The chameleon effect is a psychological term that was coined by Chartrand and Bargh in 1996, which refers to the unconscious tendency to mimic the behavior of others.This has become a common social technique thats used by both aware and unaware individuals in everyday social interactions, in order to create a bond between them and make interaction easier and smoother. ! Despite this technique being commonly used, it has been observed that individuals with certain personality traits both make use of it as well as it affecting them differently. Another psychological term, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is then used to distinguish each of the different personality traits in order to investigate the relationships between them. This psychometric assessment measures the psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions.!! The objective to this research is then to determine whether the chameleon effect is of any actual use or just a by-product of social interactions. Through this, it then can be determined whether the different personality traits influence the effectiveness of this psychological effect. Through this, potential leaders could be identified easier as well as the ability to manage group members more efficiently.!

Research Question !What kind of impact does the chameleon effect have on different personality traits, according to the Myers and Briggs, in order to achieve optimal productivity?

Hypothesis !H1: Individuals who have been mimicked indicate that they liked the interviewer more and conversation has gone more smoothly.!!H2: Individuals in the Diplomats group are usually caught in the chameleon effect and thus, are easily influenced.!!H3: Individuals in the Analysts group make good use of the chameleon effect and thus, are influential.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment: 16 Personalities

During the social experiment, research has shown, that individuals will more likely respond in an open and friendly manner, the more similar and synchronized subtle forms of behavioral actions are. !! Participants who had been mimicked indicated that they liked the person who had imitated them more and that the interaction with that person had gone more smoothly, in comparison with participants who had not been mimicked. Data are from Chartrand and Bargh (1999).

According to each specific personality profiles, the different personality traits, such as the introvert and extrovert traits, influence the relationship with the chameleon effect greatly.!! Due to this, one observation from the social experiment that could be made is that of those individuals who fall more into the extrovert trait, they would be able to easily interact with others. This means that they are able to handle behavioral actions better and thus be more influential.!! In conclusion, results from the social experiments are according to the hypotheses stated.

References

Schindler, R. M. (1992). The real lesson of new Coke: The value of focus groups for.. Marketing Research, 4(4), 22-27.

The accessibility of fresh and good quality coffee is arguably of major importance for a student’s aca-demic success. At least, if one carefully listens to courtyard and common room conversations. It is therefore of little surprise, that the UCM community welcomed the installation of a new coffee machine that provides a better beverage. Nonetheless, the re-searcher got the impression that many students ef-fectively still drink the cheap coffee, regardless of earlier complaints. Thus, the arising question is if UCM coffee might face the faith of New Coke. Although seemingly desired, the introduction of a new product does not always engender the intended result and the evaluation of this phenomenon is the aim of this research.

Research QuestionWhich coffee machine do UCM students use and what factors influence their choice?

Hypotheses1) Although the possibility to purchase good quality coffee is provided the majority of students choses the cheaper alternative.

2)2) While the taste of coffee is considered to be important, it is not valued high enough to be an incentive to pay a higher price.

3) Regardless of earlier claims of the benefits of better coffee, the indulgence of the more expensive coffee is not considered to be combinable with university life.

ExpectationsTheThe researcher expects to find out how the different variables pointed out in the methodology influence the student’s choice for either of the coffee machines. These results will be valuable to evaluate the success of the installation of a new coffee machine. Not only will the findings be of interest for the supplier but will also allow insights into the student’s consumer behaviobehavior. Especially at UCM, where student’s critique is often taken into consideration, it is necessary to evaluate if the changes brought about in reaction to the complaints are actually frequented. If this is not the case, it may pose a problem regarding the efficient handling of student’s criticism and desires.

UCM i6074879

Abstract

Care for a Coffee?

The Brain - A Creativity Machine?!A functional MRI study of colour perception

Expectations Different neuronal activation patterns in participants from distinct cultural backgrounds. !Hypotheses -Living in a specific culture influences a person’s _memory. -People from different cultures use different _memory schemata. -These differences can be measured.

Abstract Perceiving incoming information means that stimuli are combined with cognitive schemata consisting of prior experiences. Therefore, perception is an active process, involving personal memory. This research project aims at further defining this creative process by investigating cultural schemata: !Is there a cultural specific perception of visual stiumli, at the example of colour? !Earlier Research Ernst Gombrich The Beholder’s Share: The beholder uses hypothesis testing in viewing. !Demorest et al., 2009 Cultural specificity in musical memory. !Top-Down and Bottom-Up Theory Recognizing information involves identifying categories and comparing these to stored memory.

Methodology Approach: quantitative Sampling _systematic, within sampling frame _2 goups of N from 2 countries Variables _dependent: brain activation pattern _independent: colour sequence Measurement tools _fMRI machine Testing _-Exposing paritcipants to different _colours while surveying their brain _activation. Analysis of Data _-Generating activation graphs with _statistical programme. Work Schedule: _Data collection Week 1 and 2 _Data analysis Week 3 _Writing paper Week 4 !Limitations -Small sample due to time _limitation -Professional assistance for _machine handling and data _analysis necessary

Bottom-Up

Top-Down

Associations!

Luna Kamps - I6074170

• How often do students participate in cultural life?

•What motivates the students to participate or not to participate

in culture?

• What are the preferences of the students when selecting

specific cultural forms of entertainment?

• What forms of culture are the most popular among students?

• What does the choice of subsequent forms of cultural

entertainment depend from?

• What type of culture integrates the students the most?

High culture – “the accumulation of art, literature, and humane

reflection that has stood the „test of time‟ and established a

continuing tradition of reference and allusion among educated

people” (Scruton, 2007). E.g. theatre, opera, ballet, museums,

classical music and literature.

Popular (mass) culture – is that “provided by mass media and

consumer goods industries” (Gans, 1974). E.g. cinema (films

watching), TV watching, rock/pop concerts and bars events.

Cultural capital - forms of knowledge, skills, education, and

advantages that a person has, which give him/her a higher

status in society. (Wikipedia, from: Bourdieu, 1986).

Hypothesis:

1. UCM students participate more often in mass culture than in high culture (Damen, Van Klaveren,

2010).

2. Participation in mass culture is attractive for UCM students because of possibility to spend less

money, participate in large groups and more active time-spending.

3. Parents‟ occupation and education influence the student‟s choice of the type of culture: the better

education and profession of the parents is, the more likely student tends to participate in high

culture. (Bourdieu, 1984)

4. More than half of UCM students dedicate some of their free time to UCM-organized activities

(dinners, pub-crawls etc.).

5. Carnival is one of the most popular cultural events for UCM students.

Methods

• Quantitative research

• Questionnaire sent by e-mails to all UCM current students (expected response ~40%)

• Analysis with SPSS and/or Excel software

Dependent variables: frequency of taking part in culture (mass and high), frequency of participating

in different types of cultural life (incl. theatre, museums, opera / films, concerts, TV), participating in

UCM activities, and Carnival.

Independent variables: material situation, level of education and occupation of parents, individual or

group participation in culture, importance of active life, country of origin.

1. Bourdieu Pierre (1984), Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste, Harvard University

Press, 640 p.

2. Bourdieu Pierre (1986), The Forms of Capital in: in J.G. Richardson's Handbook for Theory and

Research for the Sociology of Education, pp. 241–258

3. Damen M., Van Klaveren C. (2010), Did Cultural and Artistic Education in the Netherlands increase

Student Participation in High Cultural Events?, Tier WP 10/22

4. Gans J. Herbert (1974), Popular and High Culture: an Analysis and Evaluation of Taste, Basic

Books, 179 p.

5. Scruton Roger (2007), Culture counts: faith and feeling in a world besieged, New York, 117 p.

“Did Cultural and Artistic Education in the Netherlands

increase Student Participation in High Cultural Events?”

(Damen, Van Klaveren, 2010)

The aim of the research was to examine whether the changes in

education in 1999 influenced students‟ participation in high

culture. Panel data was used from the project “Youth and

Culture”. The participants were 15-17 years old students from

68 Dutch schools. Students were free to choose what kind of

cultural events they liked to participate in.

•Intervention increased the participation of students in high

culture a little, however, it did not decrease their

participation in popular culture.

•Gender, ethnicity or birth month did not influence the

results.

UM is rather an international university. It is a home for many

students who came here from around the globe. It is also a

place for many exchange students. UCM, in particular, is not

only an international faculty, but there are also people who

study different disciplines: science, humanities or social studies.

As it is an international and heterogeneous faculty, it combines

many different people with different backgrounds and interests.

And we are a part of it. What is the life after classes? What

unites all of us?

9-11.06 12-13.06 14.06 15.06 16-19.06 20-25.06 26.06-2.07 3-4.07

Making a questionnaire

Pilotage

Corrections

Distributing questionnaire

Collecting data

Analyzing data

Writing a report

Presenting results

How to measure employee satisfaction in order to improve employee performance? !

Research Framework

Introduction

u  Companies have shifted in recent years from a pure cost-accounting approach to a capability approach

u  Intangible Assets such as employee performance have become vital for international operating firms

u  Thus: How can employee satisfaction be measured as empirical studies by Harter and Schmidt show a positive relation between employee performance and satisfaction

u  By an effective measurement of employee satisfaction, issues within a company can be outlined and companies can develop a business plan to address the specific issues

Benefits

Promotion

Supervisor

Co-workers

WorkConditions

Emp Satisfaction

Productivity Safety

The Work Itself

Communication

Pay

Berry, Lilly M. (1997). Psychology at Work. San Francisco: McGraw Hill Companies Inc.

What determines employee satisfaction?

u  Applied Research – deductive research design as it is built on already existing empirical research

u  Survey for quantitative data that includes at least one question for each component of employee satisfaction

u  Positivist Paradigm : information derived by quantitative measures

u  Sample. 1. All employees 2.Stratified sample in order to recognize differences within specific departments

Variables

u  Employee performance (satisfaction) = dependent variable

u  Influencing factors (components of employee satisfaction) = independent variable

u  Employee satisfaction = latent variable implying that it can not be measured directly only by measuring the influencing factors, which make up employee satisfaction

Necessary Conditions

Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L. & Hayes, T. L. (2002). Business-unit-level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: a meta-analysis. Journal Of Applied Psychology, 87 (2), p. 268.

u  Surveys about private information have to be voluntary (legal matters)

u  Employees need an incentive to answer e.g. improvement of working conditions

u  Collected Data will be handled secure, privately and anonymous

u  Results will determine an action plan to address the issues creating dissatisfaction

Oceantomo.com. (2012). Ocean tomo's intangible asset market value study | ocean tomo. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.oceantomo.com/media/newsreleases/Intangible-Asset-Market-Value-Study-Release [Accessed: 9 Mar 2014].

Sources:

Investigating eyewitness testimonyRQ: To what extent can the misinformation technique be used to alter event-specific recall?

WHY? PRIOR WORK• Eyewitness testimoy is widely used as evi-

dence in the legal system• False imprisonment due to eyewitness testi-

mony• Contribute to a deeper understanding of

memory processes and provide scientific ev-idence to support court and police proceed-ings

• According to the Innonce Project, 73% of 311 convictions overturned by DNA evidence were initially false due to eyewitness identifi-cation1

HOW?• Methodologicaldesign:quantitative,experi-mental

• Videoofsimulatedburglarlyshowntopartici-pants,subsequentlyaskedtorecalltheevent

• Experimentalgroup:covertexperimenter/as-sistantasksabouttheweaponduringvideo

• Controlgroup:noquestionasked

• Indicates that it is possible to influence the formation and recall of a memory by employ-ing several techniques

• Consolidation - the period in between the formation of a memory and its ‘solidification’ - underpins several of these techniques2

• Memories are left ‘active’ after formation, in which they can be influenced by outside in-formation3

=>

=>REFERENCES:1: “Eyewitness Identification Reform”, Innoncence Project, no date, retrieved from: http://www.innocen-ceproject.org/Content/Eyewitness_Identification_Reform.php2: Memory - a Century of Consolidation, McGaugh, J. L.3: “Planting misinformation in the humand mind: A 30-year investigation of the malleability of memory”, Loftus E. F., 2005

The Color of Food

Introduction

Methodology

Earlier Empirical work

Expectancies References

Most children are known to be picky eaters, especially when it comes to their daily portion of fruits and vegetables. Previous research has already shown that changing the shape of the food into something relatable – a cartoon figure for example – increases a child's appetite. Besides their preference for cartoon figures children are also notorious for their love of color. Therefore the aim of this research will be to decrease picky eating behavior by the use of color. Does brightly, unnatural colored food increase children's appetite?

The influence of color on picky eating behavior

© M

arlo

es H

oo

gsta

d

Mixed methods

Qualitative

Interview

Quantitative

experiment

Repeat until each group has

eaten every color

Weigh the leftovers

Serve food to the

children

Weigh all the

portions

Prepare for each group

food in a different

color

Interview

Sample Parents of the children that are selected for the experiment

Tools Pen and paper

Room with desk and 2 chairs

Execution Series of questions to determine current eating behavior of the child

The Experiment

Sample 4 groups of 25 children aged between 6 and 10

3 groups of picky eaters

1 control group of non-picky eaters

Tools Food coloring red • blue • yellow

Food to color

Plates, cutlery, pots and pans

A room with enough tables and chairs for 25 children

Execution 3 groups get food in one of the 3 colors

1 control group gets natural, ‘uncolored’ food

The process

Children tend to: • Be less picky when the

food is turned red or yellow

• Be pickier when the food is turned blue

Spence, C., Levitan, C., Shankar, M. U., and Zampini, M. (2010) Does food color influence taste and flavor perception in humans? Chemosensory Perception 3.1: 68-84.

Rolls, B. J., Rolls, E. T., and Rowe, E. A. (1982) How Sensory

Properties of Food affect Human Feeding Behavior. Physiology & Behavior. Vol 29. pp 409 - 417

How Sensory Properties of Food affect Human Feeding Behavior • After eating one color the

pleasantness of the taste of the eaten color declined

• When 3 shapes were

offered a significant increase (14 %) in food intake was observed

• Changes in flavor led to a

significant increase in food intake when all 3 flavors were presented

Does Food Color Influence Taste and Flavor Perception in Humans? • people’s judgments of flavor

identity are affected by the changing of a food or drink’s color

• Different colors lead to different flavor expectations based on people’s background

• Intensity of color can

increase the perceived intensity of sweetness

University College Maastricht

Media coverage in Wartime

The case of the Iraq War

Aims & Objectives • Explore language and patterns used in newspaper coverage of Iraq War

• Identify whether coverage was biased, if so how? • Were there clear distinctions between US and Non-US coverage • Demonstrate difficulty with neutrality/impartiality in Wartimes

Justification

• Insight in important aspects in political, sociological and communication realm

• Iraq War as central issue in the field of International Relations, thus importance of analyzing how such a crucial event was differently covered by newspapers

• Raise awareness in the sense that patterns and frameworks will be exposed, that might be evidential of biased reporting

• Important analysis of the crucial role language might play

• Possible suggestions of follow-up research

• Once lack of neutrality is established, which influence did it have?

• Contribution to academic community

Methodology

Comparison of coverage and framing in two newspapers (One US, one non-US)

Qualitative Approach

• Content Analysis of several Articles

• Establish patterns/ codes in different Newspapers

Quantitative Content Approach

•Determine presence of certain words/ concepts

Conclude and compare whether certain patterns evidentiate lack of neutrality/ bias/

partisanship

Research Question

To what extent do American Newspapers differ from Non-US newspapers with respect

to their coverage of the Iraq War?

& Hypothesis • American newspapers were biased in their coverage of the war

• By filtering the information, newspapers published more supporting articles, thus

failing to neutrally cover the Iraq War

• Non-US newspapers succeeded in reporting a wider range of opinions

• There is a difference in tone and content between US and Non-US newspapers

Philosophical reflection

• Epistemological paradigm of critical inquiry

• Deconstruct ideas (in this case articles and language)

• Challenge assumptions emancipating interest

• Reflection on possibility of neutrality in news reports, specifically in Wartimes

Access, Ethics & Limitations

• Research conducted in responsible and morally defensible way

• One or two fellow students needed in order to correctly perform qualitative analysis

• Access to online newspaper archives

• Possible limitations: problems with access to news articles

• One month might be short for extensive analysis of several sources

Literature Review/ Previous Empirical Work

• Different roles of media: Agenda-setting type of media (Maxwell, McCombs &

Shaw, 1972)

• Concept of media frames

• “The New York Times and the Washington Post barely covered the anti-war

movement in the US” (Hafez, 2004)

• U.S. newspapers implement more pro-war motivations

• “Mass media in following the lead of the state become willing accomplices

in wartime propaganda, and may even play a significant role in instigating conflict”

(Maslog, Lee & Kim, 2007)

References McCombs, Maxwell & Donald Shaw (1972), "The agenda-setting function of mass media, Public Opinion Quarterly, 36, (2), pp. 176-185.

Hafez, K. (2004). The Iraq War 2003 in Western Media and Public Opinion: Case Study of the Effects of Military (Non-) Involvement on Conflict Perception, Global Media Journal, 3 (5)

Wilhelm, S. (2005). Covering the war in Iraq, Journal of Intercultural Communication, 10

Maslog, C. C., Lee, S. T., Kim, H.S. (2007). Framing Analysis of a Conflict: How Newspapers in Five Asian Countries Covered the Iraq War, Asian Journal of Communication

Francisca Costa Reis I6080471

THE LIMBURGER AND THE OTHER

WHAT?As a reaction to globalisation and increased transna-tionalism, regional identity has become more important in the last years. Lately, more and more scholarly attention has been paid not only to the nature of these identities – their functions and meanings – but also how they are both deliberately and unintentionally constructed by different actors (Simon, Huigen & Groote 2010; Terlouw 2012). This study seeks to address this topic with regards to the regional identity of the Dutch prov-ince Limburg. Due to history and geographical location the Limburg identity has for long been constructed in relation to others. On the one hand the “Hollanders” of the rest of the Netherlands and on the other hand the other nationalities surrounding the region (Knotter 2008). Additionally, the region is at present home to a significant number of students and expatriates im-portant for region’s vitality and economy. The forthcoming study seeks to investigate these “others’” significance to the construction of the regional identity of Limburg.

WHY? This topic is of great relevance in a time when the importance of a distinct, regional identity increases at the same time as the interconnection between regions and their people are an undeniable fact. The way this tension is negotiated has re-mained largely unresearched to present date. Limburg provides a highly relevant example of this tension with its constant presence of and relation to several different others . Thus, the province provides as an interesting case study and can consequent-ly address the knowledge gap at hand. Additionally, this research is largely relevant in the light of recent Xenophobic tendencies in Europe – a phenomena that also have been relatively prominent in the election results of this southern region.

Focus groups- 4 focus groups, 6 partici-pants each. All Limburgers as well demographically spread as possible.- Analysing both actual state-ments but also contradictions, jokes, behaviour etc.

REFERENCESKnotter, A. (2008). Limburg bestaat niet. Paradoxen van een sterke identiteit. BMGN-Low Countries Historical Review, 123(3), 354-367.Simon, C., Huigen, P., & Groote, P. (2010). Analysing regional identities in the Netherlands. Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie, 101(4), 409-421.Terlouw, K. (2012). From thick to thin regional identities?. GeoJournal, 77(5), 707-721.

A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF A REGIONAL IDENTITY SITUATED AMIDST OTHERS

RESEARCH QUESTIONWhat role does the present and distant other play in the contemporary construction of Limburg’s regional identity? In order to be more graspable, broken down into the subquestions1. How Limburgers themselves negotiate and position their idenity in relation to “others”? 2. How professional actors in their deliberate construction of Limburgs idenitty relate to the “others”?

Textual analysis - Collection and analysis of logos, bro-chures and other representations pro-duced by professional with the aim of promoting or informing about Limburg. For instance images used, slogans etc.- Method established by Simon et. al. (2010)

HOW?

WHEN? Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

Literature review, preparing focus groups XData collection X XStructure and analyse data X X

Write and revise X X

Is Meat Manly? An investigation of the influence of subjective perception of masculinity

Research Question:

How are the perception of - and identification with masculinity

related to meat consumption?

A. In how far do men identify with the different concepts

of masculinity?

B. In how far do the subjects relate their concept of mas-

culinity to meat consumption? How much meat is con-

sumed by the subject?

Theoretical Framework The phenomenon of men consuming more meat than women is common amongst various cultures. A study investigated the gendering of food by evaluating pro red-meat statements of both men and women, and found that men were more likely to be in favour of red meat consumption. This would thus mean that values differ amongst the genders. However, meat consumption is often pointed out as “strong” and “manly” by both males and females. Therefore, it could also be assumed that both genders hold the same values and simply place themselves differently in society. However, this would mean that all men would consume large quantities of meat, however in Europe, an opposite trend can be observed. Sobal (2005) comes up with a solution to this problem. The concept of multiple

masculinities implies that even within one social context, different perceptions

of masculinity can coexist. Therefore, the identity of the members of society can

be influenced by different concepts and therefore differ largely. Coming back to

meat consumption, this entails that some males might perceive meat

consumption as very masculine, whereas others, for instance, influenced by the

concept of the “healthy man” find it unmanly to consume large quantities of red

meat. The phenomenon of more meat being consumed by men could thus be

explained through a dominant identification with concepts of masculinity that

are related to high meat consumption.

Introduction

Global land use change, partly driven by the increasing demand for livestock

products, has been identified as one of the major drivers of climate change.

Additionally, the increasing demand for agricultural land causes increasing

global food prices, which harm especially the global poor. Therefore, a

reduction of meat consumption can be an effective mean to reduce greenhouse

gas emissions as well as world hunger. First of all, however, the causes for high

meat consumption need to be identified. This research is going to investigate

one of those possible causes.

Methodology

Independent variable: meat consumption

Dependent variable: identification with concept of masculinity

Population: Dutch men

Sample: 30 Dutch men, randomly selected

Conduct: Quantitative survey (for amount of meat consumed) and qualitative interviews (to identify concepts of masculinity and their influence)

Expected Outcome

Taking the previous research on meat consumption and veganism into account, two main conclusions are to be expected:

A. Those men who identify themselves with a conception of masculinity that sees meat consumption as a masculine act will have a higher meat

consumption than others.

B. Many dominant conceptions of masculinity give meat consumption a masculine character, which causes the gender differences in meat

consumption.

References

Dickson-Hoyle, S., & Reenberg, A. (2009). Shrinking Globe: Globalization of Food Systems andthe changing geographies of livestock production The Royal

Danish Geographical Society, Volume 109(1), 105-111. Kubberød, E., Ueland, Ø., Rødbotten, M., Westad, F., & Risvik, E. (2002). Gender specific preferences and attitudes towards meat. Food Quality and Preference, 13(5), 285-294. Sobal, J. (2005). Men, meat, and marriage: Models of masculinity. Food & Foodways, 13(1-2), 135-158.

A research proposal by Clara Overweg (i6080562)

In Research Methods II (SKI1005)

Does the use of a „memory palace“ help students to efficiently increase their long-term memory power?#

#!!

!!

6. Methodology

Hypothesis #1. The use of a „memory palace“

leads to an increase of a students long-term memory power.

2. The „memory palace“ looses its appeal to be used for memorizing if it becomes too energy-intensive

Experiment#• Select 10-20 students and

divide them into two groups

• Instruct and familiarize half of the participants with the method of „memory palace“ (Group A)

• Provide both groups with a list of random 40 items and ask them to memorize it. Group A is asked to use the loci method.

• Ask each student to recall the remembered items and note the number of correctly remembered items.

• Ask participants to recall the list 1, 7, 14 days later

• Ask Group A if loci method is viewed useful for future:

• ( ) Yes (x) No. If no, why?______

Data & Evaluation#• Compare and evaluate result of

both groups using contingency table and scatterplot

THE POWER OF A MEMORY PALACE

5. Theoretical Framework

The Memory Palace#

The „Memory Palace“, also referred to as the method of loci, is an ancient mnemonic device that relies on memorized spatial relationships between familiar loci to arrange and retrieve memorial content (Dalgleish et al.,2013). It works as follows:

• Step 1: Create a Memory Palace

• Step 2: Define Items and Route

• Step 3: Commit it to Memory

Th e h u m a n m i n d i s g o o d a t remembering familiar places. Thus, the first step is to create a „memory palace“ by choosing a well-known location such as one’s home. Next, items-to-be-remembers need to be placed there and visualized, e.g. using symbols. The more salient, vivid, and bizarre the image linking the material to the location, the easier it is to recollect (Von Restorff, 1933).

!1. Introduction

Knowledge is one of the most valuable resources students can gain from their studies, yet parts of it often seem to turn into useless temporary acquisitions once the testing moment is over. Without memory, some of the hard-studied facts can become mere ghosts of a glory past. While some might consider this the perfectly justified outcome of a natural selection of knowledge, others might regret the waste. At either end, however, it could be perfectly useful to get at least acquainted with tools and skills to enhance one’s memory power before giving in to the „just google it“ mentality. The „memory palace“ is one such mnemonic device and it is often used by geniuses like Lu Chao who is able to recall π to 67,890 decimal places without error (Raz et al., 2009). Could the average person achieve that as well? The research proposal at hands seeks to explore the value of a „memory palace“ for average people, particularly for students. It seeks to answer the question of whether a „memory palace“ helps students to efficiently increase their long-term memory power. Efficiency is key here for it introduces the idea (1) to assess the success of the „memory palace“ for the average person and (2) to assess its desirability, that is, whether the achieved result is worth the effort put into building a „memory palace“.

2. The Forgetting Curve

In 1855, Ebbinghaus confirmed the hypothesis of the decline of memory retention in time. His so-called forgetting curve illustrates how information is lost over time if there is no attempt to retain it.

3. Grand Masters of Memory

While the majority of people succumb the law of forgetting, some „Grand Masters“ like Frost McKee memorize with a single sighting a random sequence of 36 decks of cards within a hour using the method of a „memory palace“

4. Relevance of Research

The „memory palace“ has a great potential to help students enhancing their performance in school and long-term knowledge repertoire, provided it works well for the average person and can be easily internalized. If so, the research proposal at hands can contribute to the organization of curriculum content and motivate a re-design.

References: Dalgleish, T., Navrady, L., Bird, E., & Hill, E. (2013). Method-of-Loci as a Mnemonic Device to Facilitate Access to Self-Affirming Personal Memories for Individuals With Depression. Clinical Psychological Science, 1(2), 156-162.Ebbinghaus,

H. (1964). Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology. New York: Dover Publications.  , Raz, A.,et al . (2009). A slice of π: An exploratory neuroimaging study of digit encoding and retrieval in a superior memorist. Neurocase, 15(5), 361–372.

Von Restorff, H. (1933). Uber die wirkung von bereichsbildungen im spurenfeld [The effects of field formation in the trace field]. Psychological Research, 18, 299–342.

Gizem Kaya

A UCM Application of Bentham’s Panopticon Theory

Johanne Emmélie La

Research Methods II • University College Maastricht

Introduction

Literature Review

Ø  Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an educational model that has been at the core of Maastricht University ever since it was founded

Ø Although PBL aims for a student-centred and active learning

approach, which would ideally lead students to conduct fruitful discussions, exchange knowledge and motivate themselves to do research, it can be argued that PBL is not always successfully applied

Ø Can PBL be improved? Ø Research Question: Can the implementation of cameras in tutorial

rooms at UCM, inspired by the Panopticon Theory, help to increase the effectiveness of PBL?

BENTHAM’S PANOPTICON THEORY (1791) •  Panopticon: Large courtyard with a watchtower in the centre

designed to be an instrument reinforcing a system of social control

•  Prisoners would be seen without being able to see the watcher

•  Architectural algorithm worked perfectly as it would still function even if there were no guards present in the watchtower

•  Reinforces power of authorities CCTV SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS •  Representation of the watchtower in the Panopticon Theory •  Hope (2009): Social control and security achieved with CCTVs

UCM APPLICATION Establish link between: •  The Panopticon and its effects on prisoners

•  The implementation of CCTV cameras and its effects on civilians

Substitute the use of CCTV cameras with camcorders for feasibility

Ø Aiming to improve the effectiveness of the PBL system, increase student participation, encourage active learning and debating between students

Ø Testing whether the Panopticon model can be reproduced in a tutorial setting

Ø Examining whether the implementation of cameras in tutorial rooms at UCM could reinforce a system of social control and thus affect the behaviour of students during tutorials

Ø Examining whether the installation of a camcorder in a tutorial

room would serve the same function as the watchtower in the Panopticon, thus reinforcing the power of authorities

Purpose of the study Prison model inspired by Panopticon theory.

Methods PARTICIPANTS •  UCM students •  One tutorial group MATERIALS •  Pre-test: Conducted during the entire first half of a period and

ask the tutor to collect data regarding students’ participation and behaviour during tutorials. This is unknown to the students themselves and thus qualifies as a covert observation

•  Announcement made to tutorial group prior to data collection informing them of the installation of a camcorder in the tutorial room with the aim to assess the effectiveness of the PBL system at UCM

•  Post-test: Conducted during the entire second half of a period although the data collection is made with the help of the installed recording device

•  Comparison of data collected in pre-test and post-test APPARATUS •  Camcorder is installed in a tutorial room •  Must be made visible and a constant red light must flicker at all

times to induce a perpetual impression of being observed Pre-test Intervention

(Camcorder) Post-test

Control group O1 O2

Experiment group

O1 X O2

Design

Table 1. OXO Notation of the Quasi-Experimental Design

•  Behavioural experiment •  Pilot study: small-scale experiment or set of observations

undertaken to decide how and whether to launch a full scale project

•  The current experiment would have to be reproduced in numerous tutorials in order to successfully prove the increased effectiveness of PBL with camcorders, thus increasing the validity of the experiment

•  Quasi-Experimental Design:

“The major effect of the Panopticon is to induce in the inmate a state of conscious and

permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power”

(Foucault, 1984)

A NEW GENERATION OF PENSIONERS

Julius Heise i6068399

Are pensioners willing to play an essential role in saving the German

welfare system?

Introduction Research Question

Method

Usability

Statistics

References

Are pensioners in Germany willing to invest some of their time to support children in the process of growing up?

Demographic change, Germany

Demographics 2014

Demographics 2040

Statista 2014

Reasons to remain childless

The German welfare system is challenged by the demographic change society is going through. People are getting older and older. The birth rate is shrinking (see statistics). As a conse-quence more people receive a pension while less people fi-nance the system through paying taxes (Tagesschau, 2012).

Based on the ideas of Bengtsson and Scott the rejuvenation of the population is one possible solution (2011). Through reversing the downtrend of fertility one can counterbal-ance the increasing share of old people within society. Look-ing at the reasons why couples remain childless (see statistics) one can see that a lack of time and support are key factors.

Pensioners have assumingly more time than people who work. Further they embody resources (expertise, wisdom, skill) that can help shaping a society that is more child-orientated. On top it is in the of the pensioners to have as many “future tax-payers” as possible. Due to these reasons organisation as the “Bundesarbe-itsgemeinschaft der Seniorenorganisationen” (Tagesspiegel, 2012) introduce models where pensioners support children in the pro-cess of growing up and at the same time help the parents in their goal to manage both the career and the family at the same time.

The presented research tries to investigate whether German pensioners are willing to attend these models or not. Based on the research findings the research team aims to make a state-ment about the probabilistic success of the models in Germany.

Bengtsson, T., & Scott, K. (2011). Population aging and the future of the welfare state: The example of Sweden. PoPulation and develoPment review, 37(s1), 158-170.Tagesspiegel, (2012). Kinderbetreung: Senioren an die Front. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from http://www.tagesspiegel.de/meinung/kontrapunkt-wie- kann-man-die-aelteren-mobilisieren/6328322-2.htmlTagesschau, (2012). Durchblick bei der gesetzlichen Rente. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/faqrente102.htmlSpiegel, (2014) Graph 1 and 2. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from http://www.spiegel. de/thema/demografie_deutschland/Statista, (2014). Warum gruenden viele Deutsche keine Familie?. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from http://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/190234/ umfrage/gruende-fuer-kinderlosigkeit-in-deutschland/

Qualitative Study- Semi-structured, open ended, in- depths inverviewsFocus group- all people that receive state pension- 25 German pensioners as interview participantsGrounded Theory approach- data analysis witht the aim to derive general theory from it- research conduction within 4 weeks- questionnaire to obtain basic information such as age, educational level, gender

- ascertainment of willingness to potentially reform of system by using the resources pensionist embody- first step to possible increase of interaction between young/old

Does smell affect taste perception?

0

2

4

6

8

10

Neutralsmell

Fishsmell

Sweetscent

Initial cakegrading

cake gradingafter tasting

Hypothesis The taste perception of cake depends on the smell experiencing when tasting it. Therefore the initial rating for cake is likely to differentiate depending on the smell present. A bad smell is likely to result in a larger differentiation with the actual opinion than a good smell.

Taste perception The sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus (Oxford dictionary, 2012).

Method

Applicants will grade a piece of cake on a scale of 10 before taking part in the experiment, afterwards they will taste a piece of cake and subsequently they will grade the piece they have eaten.

Situation 1: tasting a piece of cake with a neutral scent

Situation 2: tasting a piece of cake with the smell of fish (open can of sardines)

Situation 3: tasting a piece of cake with a sweet smell (vanilla scent)

Argumentation The sense of smell is the major contributing sensory system in the perception of food aromas and flavours. Illustrations of the importance of olfactory sensations can be found in the literature on product quality defects and in the importance of aroma and flavour characteristics in driving consumer acceptability of foods (Lawless, 1991).

Correlation The sense of taste is the result of a complex interaction between multiple sensory mechanisms: when food is placed in the mouth, taste receptors are stimulated. Simultaneously, other types of sensory mechanisms that monitor several food characteristics such as texture, temperature and scent are also activated. Taste perception serves as a controller of voluntary ingestion of substances (Gutiérrez, Vexo & Thalmann, 2008).

Stage 1

• Initial cake grading on a scale of 10.

Stage 2

• Taste a piece of cake while smelling a certain scent.

Stage 3

• Grade the piece of cake that has been eaten.

Variables Independent variables: initial cake grading, scents. Dependent variables: cake grading after tasting. Control variables: sight, texture, age.

References DICTIONARIES, O. (2012). Oxford dictionary of English. Gutiérrez, M. A., Vexo, F., & Thalmann, D. (2008). Smell and Taste. Stepping into Virtual Reality, 157-161. Lawless, H. (1991). The sense of smell in food quality and sensory evaluation. Journal of Food Quality, 14(1), 33-60.7

IntroductionMaastricht University is a rather large one, with 8main faculties and several programs within those.It inhabits close to 16,000 students that interact witheach other on a daily basis. But how interconnectedare they? Do the main interactions mainly take placewithin the faculties or also across faculties? Whatrole do Student Associations and Sports Teams play?All these questions will be answered after thisresearch project.

How socially connected are students from different faculties within Maastricht University?

Maastricht University

SBE

FaSoS

FHS

FHML

FNP

Law

This diagram shows Maastricht University as the main hub that connects the faculties. The goal of this research is to create a network model that shows the true connections between faculties based on sudent interactions

Aims & ObjectivesThe aim of this research is to find outwhether students identify as amember of their own faculty or as amember of the Maastricht Universityin general. Furthmore, we will collectopinions on Student Associations andSports Teams and to what extent theyinfluence student relationships.Concerning the relevance of theresearch, the students will be askedwhether they wish to get to knowmore people from other faculties andif they are happy with the existingpossibilities to do so. This will helpthe university in discovering apossible lack of community withingthe university and give suggestionsfor how to strengthen thecommunity..

Earlier Empirical Work• Rosenthal, Russell & Thompson (2007)

examined the social connectedness amonginternational students at the university ofMelbourne . They conducted a maiil-backsurvey and also investigated 4 different apsects

• only focuses on international students,however, same research approach

Reference: Rosenthal, D., Russell, J., & Thomson, G. (2007). Socialconnectedness among international students at an Australian university.Social Indicators Research, 84(1), 71-82. doi: 10.1007/s11205-006-9075-1

MethodologyOnline questionnaires will be distributed across all facultiesthat should reach at least 50 students students per faculty.Four aspects of social connectedness will be investigated:(1) connectedness with their own faculty , (2) social mixingand interaction with other Maastricht University students, (3)involvement in organisations, associations and sport groups,and (4) interest/participation in university-wide events

Research Question & HypothesisRQ: How interconnected are students from different faculties

within Maastricht University?

Hypothesis: Their own faculty acts as the main interaction hub for students and therefore a low interaction between

students of different faculites exists.

Time Planning • 2 days to create questionnaires• Distributing questionnaires via the internet

to UM bachelor students for a period of 2weeks

• Sorting of results according to the 4 aspects while questionnaires are coming in

• Analysing the results of the questionnaires for 4 days

• Writing of the research report

Annika Schwochow – I6067595

30%

4%17%

42%

How often do you look through ads on the Internet?

never

sometimes

oftenfrom time to time

Ayda Darban, Wei Li (2013). The impact of online social networks on consumers’ purchasing decision. Jonkoping Elisabeta Ioanăs, Ivona Stoica (2011). Social Media and its Impact on Consumers. The Bucharest University of Economic Studies

Previous Research

IntroductionAdvertising has an enormous effect on consumers’ decision-making. Social Media asas a relatively new platform for advertising has been gaining more and more popularity among young startups as well as among cor-porations. This popularity can be explained by easiness in reaching the customer as well as low costs for online advertising cam-paigns. Nevertheless, companies around the world have already spent

11.87$ billion in 2014 for advertising in Social Media, which makes this way of prod-uct promotion one of the most popular in the world Research quest

ion

“Do Social Media affect people’s purchasing behaviour and if yes, to what extent do they affect it?”

Quantitative analysis will be used for this research. Questionnaire is the most appro-priate form. It will include multiple-choice answers and will be distributed online via social networks as well as by issuing hardcopies if the amount of online participants will be low. The questionnaire will be drawn up taking into account the experience of previous researches.

Secondary data analysis will provide wider outlook on the phenomenon as well as allow to compare the previous findings of researchers with new ones. Sample will include 40 participants aged 16-37, who have online profiles, as they are the most frequent users of Social Media.

Methods

Analyze data and write report

Distribute questionnaires

and collect data

Work out questions and answers for the questionnaire

Identify dependant and inde-

pendent variables

DECODING SOCIAL MOVEMENTS THEORY: CASE STUDIES OF 2010 MIDDLE EAST UPRISINGSAhmed Al-haddad University Maastricht I6059844 Research Methods II

RELEVANCE

•Makingsenseoftheprotestphenomena•Weretheseprotestsactuallyunpredictableevents?•Aretheysuddenandspontaneousprotests?•Exclusivityofpreviousstudies.

HYPOTHESIS:

TheThevariaonsoffourvariablescausethedifferentscopesofimpactontheeffecvenessofsocialmovements.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Whysocialmovementsinautocracsystemssuccessful,whereastheywereunsuccessfulinmonarchicstates?

OBJECTIVE

Theresearchpaperaimsatstudying,comparinganddisnguishing,betweenautocracandmonarchicssystems,byanalyzingthetwodifferentkindsofregimesinTunisiaandEgypt,andJordanandBahrain.Bydoingthis,thecharacteriscsofbothsystemswillbecomeclearandadiscussiononwhatmadethesocialmovementssuccessfulorunsuccessfulwillbepossible

FACTORS OF DETERMINING THE SUCCESS AND FAILURE OF THE SOCIAL MOVEMENT.

•Thebreakofunitywithinthepowerstructureoftheregime.

•Theunityofethnicies

•Receivingexternalforeignaid

••Diffusionofthemovementintosocialmovementorganizaons

•Thelevelofdemocrazaon.

Hypothesis suggeststhatBahrainandJordanhadlackedthemenonedfactors,thus,socialmovementstherefailed(Table1).

TABLE 1: SOCIAL MOVEMENT VARIABLES

Jeroen MoesLynch, S. (2013). The Arab Spring: Understanding The Success of Protest Through Social Movement. University Honors.Snow, D. A., Soule, S. A., & Kriesi, H. (2008). The Blackwell companion to social movements: John Wiley & Sons.

EXPECTED RESULTS

METHODS & DATA

DATA

MULTIPLECASESTUDIES•Tunisia•Egypt•Bahrain•Jordan

UNOUNOBTRUSIVEMEASURES•Documents•Digitalarchives

SECONDARYDATA

VARIABLES

•Movementdiffusion•Spillovereffect•Externalresources•Internalinnovaon•Unityofpolicalelite••Ethniciesfusion•SMOdiffusion•Democrazaonlevel

DATA ANALYSIS

•Groundedtheory•Opencoding

Differences in narcissistic traits between German students and their parents - A survey research -Empirical literature review

Twenge et al. (2008) foundthat the narcissistic levelsamong college students inthe USA have risen.

Conclusion: College studentsare nowadays significantlymore narcissistic than theywere 30 years ago.

Trzesniewski et al. (2008) didnot find evidence that collegestudents nowadays scoresignificantly higher on theNarcissistic PersonalityInventory (NPI) than didstudents 30 years ago

Conclusion: No evidence thatstudents are more narcissisticnowadays

Generation ME (Twenge & Campbell, 2009)

On the contrary, Roberts et al.(2010) suggest that changes innarcissism are larger regardingthe age-graded role rather thanthe generation

It is not Generation ME but

Developmental ME(Roberts, Edmonds, & Grijalva, 2010)

2 main gaps in scientific knowledge1) Predominant studies in the field were conducted in the USA and

it was found that narcissism is more prevalent in the USA than in

other cultures (Aronson et al., 2013) A study in a European country

would fill in current gaps in knowledge2) Twenge and Campbell (2009) suggest a change in narcissism

across generations whereas Roberts et al. (2010) suggest achange across developmental stages, i.e. age-related roles,Trzesniewski et al. (2008) did not find any significant change Asgenerational changes are more investigated than aredevelopmental ones, the suggested research will focus onchanges across age-graded roles Students and their parents

Scientific relevance of the proposed studyWhy would the potential tendency of an increase in narcissism be aproblem?1) Narcissistic people tend to be more aggressive (Twenge & Campbell, 2003)

2) Narcissistic people are disliked by others (Twenge & Campbell, 2009)

3) Narcissistic people are less successful in business and do less wellacademically (Aronson et al., 2013)

The long-term consequences of narcissism are destructive to society(Twenge & Campbell, 2009)

Research QuestionAre there differences regarding narcissistic traits

between German students and their parents?

HypothesisGerman students will score higher on the Narcissistic

Personality Inventory and are therefore more narcissistic than their parents.

Gantt chart

Reference listAronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2013). Social Psychology (8th ed.): Pearson Education Limited.Baron, H. (1996). Strengths and limitations of ipsative measurement. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 69, 49-56. Raskin, R. , & Terry, H. . (1988). A principal-components analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and further evidence of its construct

validity Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54(5), 890-902. Roberts, B. W., Edmonds, G., & Grijalva, E. (2010). It is developmental me, not generation me: Developmental changes are more important than

generational changes in narcissism. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(1), 97-102. Trzesniewski, K. H., Brent Donnellan, M., & Robins, R. W. (2008). Do today's young people really think they are so extraordinary?: An examination

of secular trends in narcissism and self-enhancement 19(2), 181-188. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02065.xTwenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2003). "Isn't it fun to get the respect that we're going to deserve?" Narcissism, social rejection, and agression

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 261-272.Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2009). The narcissism epidemic: Living in the age of entitlement. New York: Atria Paperback.Twenge, J. M., Konrath, S., Foster, J. D., Campbell, W. K., & Bushman, B. J. (2008). Egos inflating over time: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of the

Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Journal of Personality, 74, 876-901.

Operational definition of narcissismNarcissism is the combination of excessive self-love and a lack of empathytowards others (Aronson et al., 2013). Pathological narcissism reflects ununrealistic sense of entitlement and grandiosity. Narcissistic adults are moreimpulsive, histrionic, active and self-focussed than others (Roberts et al., 2010).

Note: Narcissism is both a form of pathology and a developmental stage.The proposed research will focus on a narcissistic tendency rather than onpathological narcissism

Methodology + Sampling- Quantitative research appropriate to statistically analyse data - Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) will serve as a base for the

creation of the questionnaire and will be assessed by (ordinal) Likert scale measurement (participants need to indicate their degree of agreement (1-7) towads a number of statements)

- Example statements: “I am an extraordinary person” & “I am assertive” (Raskin & Terry, 1988)

Anonymous online survey, no purpose will be added on questionnaire in order to avoid bias

- Independent variable: age-graded role as student or parent- Dependent variable: score on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory

indicates tendency towards narcissism- The independent variable will be controlled by factors such as

nationality (German) to avoid confounding variables - The German UCM population and their parents will serve as a sample- Stratified random sampling will be used if this is feasible- Study can be filled out from at home hopefully large response rate

Preliminary limitations- Social desireability bias: participants may try to portray themselves in a

positive way Can be minimized by anonymous questionnaire- Central tendency bias: Participants might avoid extreme answers (1 +7)

when answering Likert scale items (Baron, 1996) - Asquience bias: The tendency to answer positively to a statement,

regardless of its content avoid by negating statements - Reliability: To be enhanced by a large sample 1/6 of UCM population- Stability: Hard to guarantee as participants will fill out the study at home

Birte Strunk

Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, University College Maastricht, student number I6067089

Introduction and Background

Maastricht University is known for its great number of internationalstudents (Figure 1). Some of those students are politically active in one ofthe student parties, such as NovUM or DOPE, which do not only attractlocal students. This may seem striking at first sight, given the fact thatmany students only stay in the city or at the university for a limited timeand will most likely not enjoy the changes they bring about.

There is a large amount of literature on factors that generallymotivate people to be politically active. One example is the feeling ofefficacy, which assesses whether one feels like he or she can understandpolitical processes, as well as whether he or she feels like he or she caneffectively change things within the system (Schulz, 2005). Anotherexample is the effect of peer pressure (Wendel, 2012) or the informationavaibable through media (Dahlgren, 2009). Figure 2 visualizes theassumed external and internal factors that play a role for politicalparticipation. This research tries to apply those factors to the specificcontext of foreign UM students in local political parties or associations.

Which Factors Motivate International Students at MaastrichtUniversity to Participate in Political Associations?

Faculty of Humanities and Sciences

Facts and Factors

The number of international students at UM (figure 1):

retrieved from: http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/web/Main/AboutUM/FactsFigures.htm

Assumed External and Internal Factors that motivate students to be politically active in local associations (figure 2):

Objectives, Research Question and Hypotheses

The objectives are (a) to identify which factors play a role in the decisionto be politically active and (b) to investigate whether some factors aremore important than others. The aim is to have a set of factors which willhelp to motivate even more students to participate by addressing thosefactors which have been identified as most influential. Research Question: Which factors motivate international students atUniversity Maastricht to participate in local political associations?

Hypotheses:(1) Students are motivated by external factors (eg. media, peer pressure)(2) Students are motivated by internal factors (eg. political knowledge)

→ see Figure 2

Methodology

The research will adopt a qualitative approach, as it deals with thestudent's attitudes and motivations towards their political participation. Itwill be conducted in the form of semi-structured interviews of 30-45minutes each, which try to address the factors identified in Figure 2 whileat the same time leaving space for the students to express ideas orfeelings that have not been considered so far. As the interviews aredesigned to allow for in-depth evaluation of the student's motivation, thesize of the sample (N) will be limited to 12-15 students. The sampling willbe selective, as the interviews are conducted with students from differentfaculties who are already members of political associations.

Expectations

After the interviews have been conducted, they will be transcribed andcodified, whereby, in the sense of open coding, the pre-assumed factorswill be put aside (rather inductive step). Only after this step has beencompleted it will examine in how far the patterns from these interviewsmatch with the factors in Figure 2 (rather deductive element). It isexpected that most of these factors will show up in some form, but thatfurther factors will be added. Moreover, the interviews allow for theweighting of factors, as they will investigate which ones are mostimportant to the students. After the report has been finished the resultscan be passed on to the political associations, which can then react on it.

ReferencesDahlgren, P. (2009). Media and Political Engagement: Citizens, Communication and Democracy. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Schulz, W. (2005). Political Efficacy and Expected Political Participation among lower and upper secondary students. ECPR General Conference: Budapest. Wendel, S. (2012). Dynamics of Political Participation: An Analysis of the Dynamic Interaction between Individuals and their Microenvironments. Doctoral Dissertation.

CorrespondenceBirte Strunkb.strunk@student.maastrichtuniversity.nl

University College MaastrichtFaculty of Humanities and SciencesResearch Methods II

Maastricht UniversityP.O. Box 6166200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands

To what extent can people rate their own performance on a given task?

“Overestimation of incompetent““Better-than-average heuristic“

The hypothesis is that people are to some extent accurate in their estimates, but these estimates are off due to the better-than-average (BTA) heuristic and the Dunning-Kruger effect. The BTA heuristic tells us that most people believe there are better and perform better than average (Krueger & Mueller, 2002). The Dunning-Kruger effect shows that ignorance more often than knowledge leads to self-esteem.

People with less than average knowledge overestimate themselves as they

1. overestimate their ability

2. do not recognize the ability of others

3. do not realize the extent of their own incompetence

However, people with above average knowledge slightly underestimate themselves as they expect others to find the tasks as easy as they found these themselves (Kruger & Dunning, 1999).

As a methodology an online survey will be used, and this should thus be constructed. The survey will capture all relevant information.

An UCM case-study | Thomas Verbeek | i6073761

This paper is a proposal for research on the ability of people to predict their performance accurately, making use of UCM as a case-study. The main research question will be: “To what extent can people rate their own performance on a given task?” Next to the main research question, questions on the influence of gender, age, year of study, and actual performance for the accuracy of the estimation will be raised as additional research questions.

EARLIER EMPIRICAL WORK

SurveysQuantitative

To give a very brief overview of the methodology: with the use of surveys the grades people expect to obtain will be collected a week before their exams, just before their exams, right after their exams, and three days after their exams. Conclusively, the data will be compared with their actual results by the use of EleUM. This yields data on the expected and actual results. It shows how the estimations vary over time, age, year of study, and gender.

OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGY

PHASES OF RESEARCH

Preparation Collection of data Interpretation of data Writing paper

Distribution of the survey online and hardcopy right before and after exams.

Interpretation of all the yielded data by the use of SPSS.

The paper will be written on the results and an explanation for these results by reasoning and the use of earlier empirical work.

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I don’t care?Problem Statement

Life in Maastricht, the capital of South Limburg, is dominated by its 16.000 students living there. It is therefore striking that in the municipality elections in March 2014, the “Senioren Partij Maastricht” received most votes and therefore most seats in the city council. Their manifesto naturally is not very student-targeted. One of their aims for instance is to set a quota for the number of students living in one neighbour-hood. The elections had a 46 % voter turnout and consider-ing the above mentioned, this low turnout possibly is a result of not many students in Maastricht making use of their right to vote.The research question for the suggested study therefore is: What are the reasons for Maastricht students not to vote in municipal elections?

Maastricht Municipal Elections 2014

References: Facts and Figures. (2012). Maastricht, Maastricht University. Retrieved from http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/web/Main/AboutUM/FactsFigures.htm Heywood, A. (2013). Politics: Palgrave Macmillan.Totaaluitslag Verkiezing Gemeenteraad. (2014). In Gemeente Maastricht. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://www.maastricht.nl/stemmen/html/index.htmlVerkiezingsprogramma 2014-2018 Seniorenpartij Maastricht. (2014). Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://www.rtvmaastricht.nl/upload/documents/Verkiezingen_2014_programmas/ Verkiezingsprogrammaa%20Senioren%20Partij%20Maastricht.pdf

Relevance

If it is possible to find out several reasons for most Maastricht students to not vote, this knowledge could be used in order to take measures to increase the voting turnout amongst students in the next elections. This will hopefully result in students’ interests being better represented in the city council and make Maastricht even more student friendly.

Data and Method

Variables:

• IndependentVariable:Studentisnoteligibletovote/ Student did not know what to vote / Student thinks that his vote does not count (determined based on earlier research about people not voting) / possible other reasons.•DependentVariable:Studentnotvoting.

Sample Size:

•200BachelorandMasterstudentsfromdifferentfaculties proportionate to the number of students at each faculty

Sampling Method:

•Handingoutquestionnairesfirstaskingthestudentifthey voted in the elections.• Iftheydidnot,whichistobeexpected,theycontinue with part two including: - One multiple-choice question about reasons for not voting (based on expectations). - One open ended question about why the student did not vote in order to give respondent possibility to state his reasons to not vote in case this is not an option in the multiple choice question.• Informationaboutage,fieldofstudyandyearofstudytobe able to discover possible correlations between these factors and the students’ voting behaviour

Others:35,5 %

CDA:13,1 %

Partij van de Arbeid: 11,2 %

Senioren PartijMaastr.: 15 %

Socialist.Partij: 12,3 %

Democr.66:12,9 %

CDAPartij Van de ArbeidSenioren Partij MaastrichtDemocraten66Socialistische PartijOthers

Source: http://www.maastricht.nl/stemmen/html/index.html

What are the reasons for Maastricht students not to vote in municipal elections?

Methods!As the aim of this deductive research contains Maastricht’s environmental impacts on the Maas river, it is of relevance to test water that has not been contaminated by Maastricht;s runoff to enable comparisons. Therefore probes from three different locations are going to be examined. A sufficient amount of water will be extracted in Maastricht and 5km respectively downstream and upstream from the city. This water will then undergo three forms of testing:

1) General Water-quality variables: pH; hardness of water; temperatureThe objectives in measuring pH and temperature primarily serve as evidence for a changing water milieu outside of the city’s pollution and within Maastricht and its pollutants. They are also indicators of dissolved oxygen amounts and buffering capacities. Finally the potential differences in the hardness of the water (% of dissolved compounds) are going to be tested. ’Softer’ water is an indicator of the industrial use of salt and chloride, as hard water is unfavorable and these chemicals soften it. Especially elevated salt levels can have tremendous effects on ecological balance. Temperature is measured with an thermostat and both pH and the hardness of the water are measured by the same test stripes, which indicate the different amounts present.2) Nutrients: Ammonium, Nitrate, NitriteNitrogen plays a significant role in the negative process of human induced eutrophication. Ammonium, Nitrate, and Nitrite are components of the natural nitrogen cycle and easy measurable through test stripes that display the amounts present by color changes. This is relevant as they indicate nitrogen levels, which may act as a pollutant, responsible for eutrophication. 3)General Toxicity: DaphniaThis organism, popularly known as water fleas, is fast maturing, easy to culture, and an inexpensive indicator of present water toxins, as they are sensitive to changes in water chemistry. Daphnia bioassays will be set up with the three different water samples. The aim of such a bioassay is to calculate the LC50 (estimated lethal concentration for 50% of population over time). Prior observation of numbers of deaths allow the calculation of the LC50. The LC50 will give a range of time and is easily comparable between the three samples. Finally all data will be evaluated and presented. This will mainly be in the form of graphs and charts, as only quantitative data will be collected.

Introduction !The oldest river of the world (380Ma) Maas rises in France and ends its journey at the North Sea after flowing northwards through Belgium and the Netherlands, also Maastricht, with a total length of 925km.

Maastricht itself may have a negative influential character to the ecological stability and balance towards the section of the Maas passing through the city. It holds the historical roots of various industries, such as the ceramic and cement ones, which up to the present day remain active. In addition to the potential industrial pollution, pollution caused by residents and small businesses may also severely reduce water quality.

Water-Quality of the Maas

Background Information Urban & Residential runoff both equally can effect waters through heavy pollution. Pollutants may influence water quality in various ways and therefore impact living conditions for marine organisms and disrupt ecological balance. Two important chemicals play a crucial role in detecting pollution and explaining its effects: Nitrogen (N) and Salt (NaCl). The former is often found in fertilizers, whereas the latter can be found in road salt or water softeners, which are heavily used in industrial processes. An excess caused by humans of these naturally occurring chemicals however activates various chemical pathways which all result in an ecological imbalance. This imbalance mainly centralizes on an unnatural shift of resource distribution, for example the nitrogen caused eutrophication.

Research Question Does the city of Maastricht influence the water quality of the river Maas in measurable accounts through residential- and economy (urban) -related pollution?

The major focus of the research will lay within an investigation of changes in nitrogen, salts, and general toxin levels; as they are the major pollutants. Hence, the objective of this research is the trial to proof the theory that a link between Maastricht’s runoff and the potentially decreasing water quality of the Maas in urban areas exists.

Significance The work of Pesce in Argentina and Vega in Spain has proven a direct link between man-made pollution and a decreasing water quality. Hence, the chance that Maastricht’s runoff has an effect on the Maas’s water quality is relatively high. This needs to be investigated further to have clear data, which proves that the pollution originated in Maastricht actually directly affects the river. Such data is significant to show that a more environmental friendly behavior of residents and industry is important for ecological balance.

Eutrophication

Sarah Valeska Kunze, I6072615