The document proposes a study to investigate whether romantic movies are detrimental to people's relationships or mental health by potentially confirming gender stereotypes and conveying a misleading image of love. The study would examine how factors like age, relationship status, and gender may influence these effects. A sample of 200 people would complete an online questionnaire assessing exposure to romantic movies, beliefs about relationships, and psychological well-being. The study aims to provide insight into how romantic media consumption relates to perceptions of love and relationships.

1. MUSIC FOR CONCENTRATION
INTRODUCTION SAMPLE
Does instrumental electro-swing increase concentration abilities?
The sample will consist of 60 UM students, who will be
assigned randomly into three different groups.
The random assignment is necessary to prevent
sample biasing through age, sex and faculty
affiliation.
METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH QUESTION
Does instrumental electro-swing
music increase concentration
abilities? And how does its effect
compare to classical music or no
music at all? Do preferences in music
styles play a role?
HYPOTHESIS
RELEVANCE
The research will use a quantitative and deductive
approach. It will experimentally measure the
concentration abilities of the participants in three
conditions:
C1: Solving a reading comprehension task with no
background music
C2: Solving a reading comprehension task with classical
instrumental music as background music
C3: Solving a reading comprehension task with
instrumental electro-swing as background music
The independent variables are no background music ,
classical instrumental background music, and light
electro-swing instrumental background music.
The dependent variable is the amount of errors in
answering the questions after the reading
comprehension task.
The tools used for measurement are a questionaire
assessing text comprehension as well as participants‘
music preferences. SPSS will be used to analyse
the data.
The theoretical relevance is to contribute to
the existing literature by investigating how
electro-swing affects concentration. Additionally,
contrasting electro-swing with classical music will
provide insight into whether and how different
music styles impact concentration.
The social relevance consists in exploring
electro-swing as a concentration technique
that can help student to improve their studying.
When studying, many students listen to music – but
is listening to (certain) music useful when
needing to concentrate or rather distracting?
There is controversity in wether background music
positively influences performance. Chou (2010)
found that higher intensity music has a worse effect
on attention, although every style tested impacted
attention negatively. Huang and Yi-Nuo (2008)
demonstrated that when the listener strongly
(dis)likes the music it becomes distracting.
Yet, other authors found that Vivaldi positively affects
working memory (Mammarella, Fairfield, &
Cornoldi, 2007) and that different types can
enhance performance, when matching the listeners
music preference (Schellenberg, Nakata, Hunter, &
Tamoto, 2007)..
The question, thus, is whether background music
enhances concentration and whether the effect of
depends on the listeners preferences.
H1: light instrumental electro-swing
music increases performance
compared to no music for people
liking this music style.
H2: classical music slightly increases
performance compared to a no
music condition.
H3: classical music is less negatively
distracting than light electro-
swing music.
Chou, P. Tze-Ming (2010). Attention drainage effect: how background music effects concentration in Taiwanese college students. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 10(1), 36-46. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ882124.pdf
Huang, R., & Shih, Y. (2011). Effects of background music on concentration of workers. Work 38(4), 383-387. doi: 10.3233/WOR-2011-1141
Mammarella, N., Fairfield, B. & Cornoldi, C. (2007). Does music enhance cognitive performance in healthy older adults? The Vivaldi effect. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 19(5), 394-399. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324720
Schellenberg, E. G., Nakata, T., Hunter, P. G., & Tamoto, S. (2007). Exposure to music and cognitive performance: tests of children and adults. Psychology of Music 31(1), 5-19. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735607068885
Sarah Körtl (i6129689)

2. The ‘Perfect’ World of Instagram and our
Standard of Beauty
Research Question
“To what extent does an increased use of
Instagram influence and intensify our critic
on our own appearance?”
Methodology
Sample: The sample consists of 200 females
(N=200 females) equally distributed in 4
groups according to their age. The groups are
as follows: age 13-18, age 19-24, age 25-30,
and age 31-36. The distribution in different
groups of age is important since this research
wants to find out if the critical judgment of
females’ appearance changed through new
platforms such as Instagram. Young girls are
grown up with Instagram, whereas, women in
their 30’s maybe not using Instagram at all.
Methods: Quantitative analysis will be used
through a multiple-choice questionnaire. This
will be distributed online in order to gain the
most honest answers since it can include
personal facts, which some people may feel
uncomfortable to give in person.
Independent variable: hours on Instagram, age
Dependent variable: judgment of own
appearance
Data analysis: The questionnaire will be
processed anonymously in a statistical
analysis, which will either reject or approve
the hypothesis.
Introduction
Probably we all compared our appearance
at some point in our lives to ‘beautiful’
pictures of models or stars. However, one
or two generations ago this was limited to
advertisements or actors in movies. Yet,
the current generation is overwhelmed
with ‘perfect’ faces, bodies, and lives on
social media platforms like Instagram.
Does this extreme constant confrontation
of ‘perfect’ lives and humans changed our
standard of beauty, especially for
ourselves? Do we feel forced to look ‘24/7’
as if we would have an Instagram filter
over our face? The topic is of great
relevance since a study has shown that
young girls tend to find manipulated photos
on Instagram more attractive, which in turn
threatened their own body-image
(Kleemany, Daalmans, Carbaat &
Anschütz, 2016). Thus, young girls seem
to have an extreme high standard of
beauty.
The aim of this study is to find out
if there is indeed a correlation between the
extensive use of Instagram and our
judgment about our own appearance.
Therefore, three generations of females
will be compared according to their use of
Instagram and their judgement about their
own body since it is not rather clear if this
tendency is a new one, which is intensified
due to Instagram.
References
Kleemans, M. Daalmans, S. Carbaat, I. & Anschütz, D. (2016). Picture Perfect: The Direct Effect of Manipulated Instagram Photos on Body Image in Adolescent Girls. Media Psychology, 21(1), 93-110. doi: 10.1080/15213269.2016.1257392
Hypothesis
There is a correlation between a great use of
Instagram and a more critical and frequently
judgment of our own appearance, due to the
constant confrontation with assumed ‘perfect’
women.
Nora Rosa Mannheims
I6139978

3. Methodology
- We will be performing inductive research
combining qualitative and quantitative methods.
Research will be conducted in 2 parts
Part 1: Perform interviews with students in order
to build up and idea of perceived influence of
mainstream media
Part 2: Look at capstone papers published in
regards to topic and theme and compare that to
popular news, current affairs and academic
publications at the time
Sample:
- Interviews will consist of an online survey
attempting to poll as many students as possible
- On top of this short interviews will be
conducted with a sample of 60 randomly
selected students with 20 from each year. This is
to ensure a base 60-person sample.
- If possible 20 students will participate in in
depth interviews last 1-1.5 hours where they
will be alerted to the aim of the research.
Abstract
Academia prides itself on being an unbiased discipline. Demanding a
sort of accountability from power structures by offering public and
critical perspectives of truth claims often presented by authorities
and media. But to what extent is this true? Obviously one cannot be
an academic 100% of the time, and how does the time spent in ‘the
real world’(to put it bluntly) effect work in academia. Our study aims
to shed some light onto the subject of academic influences,
attempting to reveal if and how academics, specifically
undergraduates are in fact influenced by things such as institutions
and mainstream media and how that can then steer topics and
opinions in what they publish.
This information would be valuable in identifying biases when
reading academia but also realising how we ourselves are influenced
and biased, working to keep an academic discipline untainted by self
interested institutions, retaining a critical view of the status quo and
avoiding having academic sources being data mined by big business
and corporations. Our focus will be on undergraduate students as we
interpret them as being the future of academia will attempt to look at
outside influences on academia through:
a)perceived influence by students
b)Comparing capstone topics with popular news and academic
sources throughout the year and attempting to find some correlation
RQ: How is academic practice within the UCM community effected by the outside
world in terms of mainstream media and other academic publications? Does this
contribute to the forming of ‘Academic Trends’?
Alec Malatt, i6150093, Research Poster ,SKI1005, Jeroen Moes, 12, Dorothee Hoffmann, 2017/18
References:
Vincent‐Lancrin, S. (2006). What is changing in academic research? Trends and futures scenarios. European Journal of Education, 41(2), 169-202.
Tillman, M. (2010). Trends in global higher education: Tracking an academic revolution. International Educator, 19(3), 20
Altbach, P. G., Reisberg, L., & Rumbley, L. (2009). Trends in global higher education: Tracking an academic revolution: A report prepared for the UNESCO 2009 world conference on
higher education. UNESCO.
Expectations:
One of our motivations for attempting to study the effects of
mainstream and popular culture is the seeming lack of research done
on the topic. While we can make predictions based on UNESCO’s
(2010) extensive report on the changing shape of institutions in a
globalising world (interestingly motivated for the same reasons as our
own research). Which shows that the institutions themselves
facilitating higher education, despite becoming more numerous and
liberated by information technologies are likely to face hurdles such
as funding cuts and privatisation. Limiting their ability to act in the
interests of the public good. From this and other authors (Tillman,
2010; Vincent-Lacrin, 2006) we approach our research with the
tentative hypothesis that especially at an undergraduate level tertiary
education is strongly influenced by private interest, as well as
mainstream/popular culture and media.

4. Independent, 2/11/2017
The Atlantic, 16/10/2015
What is the impact of the
amount of smartphone usage
on degrees of technophobia
in college students?
Methods
To find the relation between smartphone usage and technophobia,
students will be asked to fill in a combined questionnaire. For the
questions on technophobia, a recently produced test is suggested
(Martínez-Corcoles, Teichmann & Murdvee, 2017). For smartphone
usage, a questionnaire concerning estimated time spent with their
mobile phone, and in specific on what activities they spend their time
has to be created. These questionairres then can be merged and
distributed in the sample (proposed n = 100). The data then can be
analysed and the correlation between smartphone usage and
technophobia can be calculated using statistical software like SPSS.
Daily mail, 11/3/2015
Relevance and previous research
New technology has always been accompanied by some
degree of fear (Ha, Page & Thorsteinsson, 2011; Wilson, 2018).
While entering the digital age at the end of the last century,
previous research studied the anxiety of computers and
mobile phones, technologies that have become normal in
modern society. This previous research concluded that a third
of our population suffers from some degree of technophobia -
the abnormal fear or anxiety about the effects of advanced
technology (Ahmad & Daud, 2011; Ha, Page & Thorsteinsson,
2011; Hogan, 2008). With the current speed of technological
advances, psychologists expect technophobia to be an even
more complex problem in the future (Osiceanu, 2015).
At the same time, mobile phones have become part of most
people’s daily life, with students even spending 8 to 10 hours a
day on their devices (Wood, 2014). This modern piece of
technology has a large impact on users’ lives, leading to both
positive and negative experiences (Wood, 2014). This makes
the question rise whether there is a relation between the
degree of smartphone usage, and levels of technophobia in
those users. Finding a possible link between degrees of
smartphone usage and those of technophobia could help
psychologists in the future to recognize and prevent
technophobia in an early stage, or take smartphones into
account during treatment.
Expectations
Based on prior research, it is likely that this study finds levels of
technophobia (Ahmad & Daud, 2011; Hogan, 2008). Earlier percentages
of moderate to high technophobia in students were even found to be
up to 29% (Hogan, 2008). For the relation between hours spent on one’s
smartphone and technophobia are three possible outcomes.
H1: Smartphone usage correlates positively with technophobia. This
could mean that frequent users are experienced and apparently aware
of the dangers and possible negative consequences of technology.
H2: Smartphone usage correlates negatively with technophobia. This
could mean that frequent users feel experienced and in control
regarding technology by past experiences with their phones.
H3: Smartphone usage does not negatively, nor positively influence
students’ fear of future technology. This outcome would be unexpected
since smartphones are such an immense part of students’ life (Wood,
2014) and therefore are expected to shape the user’s view of modern
technology.
RESEARCH QUESTION
Pepijn Alofs - i6150557
References
Ahmad, J. I., & Daud, M. S. (2011). Technophobia phenomenon in higher educational institution: A case study. Paper presented at the 2011
IEEE Colloquium on Humanities, Science and Engineering.
Ha, J., Page, T., & Thorsteinsson, G. (2011). A Study on Technophobia and Mobile Device Design (Vol. 7). DOI 10.5392/IJoC.2011.7.2.017
Hogan, M. (2008). Age Differences in Technophobia: An Irish Study. Information Systems Development 117-130. DOI:10.1007/
978-0-387-68772-8_10.
Martínez-Córcoles, M., Teichmann, M., & Murdvee, M. (2017). Assessing technophobia and technophilia: Development and validation of a
questionnaire. Technology in Society, 51, 183-188. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2017.09.007
Osiceanu, M.-E. (2015). Psychological Implications of Modern Technologies: “Technofobia” versus “Technophilia”. Procedia - Social and
Behavioral Sciences, 180, 1137-1144. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.02.229
Wilson, L. (2018). 11 Examples of Fear and Suspicion Of New Technology | Len Wilson. Len Wilson. Retrieved 28 April 2018, from
http://lenwilson.us/11-examples-of-fear-and-suspicion-of-new-technology/
Wood, J. (2014). College Students In Study Spend 8 to 10 Hours Daily on Cell Phone. Psychcentral.com. Retrieved 28 April 2018, from
https://psychcentral.com/news/2014/08/31/new-study-finds-cell-phone-addiction-increasingly-realistic-possibility/74312.html
Wood, 2014

5. Research Question: Are romantic movies
detrimental to people’s relationship or mental
health because they potentially confirm gender
stereotypes and convey a misleading image of love
and do factors like age, relationship status and
gender have any influence?
Introduction And Aim Of The Study
Romantic movies are great fun to watch. We all love to follow the storyline like we are part of
it, desperately anticipating whether another dream couple will get together or not. However,
while watching another wonderful happy ending some people might ask themselves one or
two of the following questions:
“Does the couple not experience a perfect relationship as they go through thick and thin?” “Is
the guy not the greatest gentleman on this planet?” “Is the girl not the perfect combination of
sexy and cute?” “Why is my relationship not like theirs?” “How the heck could I ever find a
partner like that?! It’s impossible!!”
Even though romantic movies serve as a great distractor from our sometimes rather dull
reality, their effects on our way of thinking as well as our (social) relationships can be severe
and highly misguiding. Distorted images of relationships or love and unrealistic expectations of
oneself, one’s significant other or the relationship itself could have negative impacts. This
research aims to establish a correlation between romantic movies and external/internal
insecurities on a psychological level. Are people who regularly watch romantic movies more
likely to be insecure about their relationships and more likely to be disappointed in their
partners due to unrealistic expectations? This study aims to reveal another factor which could
imperceptibly contribute to dissatisfaction in life, as people tend to compare their own lives to
that of others. Even though we all like to sink in romantic movies for a while, it should be
remembered that most movies are being made for the purpose of entertainment only.
Earlier Empirical Work
• Research conducted by Dr. Bjarne M. Holmes, Heriot-Watt University: “Contradictory
Messages: A Content Analysis of Hollywood-produced Romantic Comedy”  This
research found that some movies influence individuals into thinking that what is meant to
be will always find its way, as some movies convey the idea of “that one” soul mate. This
attitude results in couples not communicating.
• Study by Susan Sprecher and Sandra Matts: “Romantic Beliefs: Their Influence on
Relationships and Patterns of Change Over Time”  this study reveals how relationships
are influenced by romanticism, also stating that most individuals begin a relationship with
ideals and expectations in mind.
• Study by Alexander Sink and Dana Mastro: “Depictions of Gender on Primetime
Television: A Quantitative Content Analysis”. This study shows how men in movies are
portrayed as dominant whereas women are more likely to have sexually provocative roles.
Methodology
The sample consists of 25 male and 25 female participants between the age of 16 and 50.
Individuals who are a) In a relationship b) Single c) Married will be tested
It is significant to include several age groups in order to test whether younger and potentially unexperienced individuals are more
likely to be influenced by romantic movies. In general, it is of great importance to test variances in reactions/answers with specific
regard to age, as this has not been researched by any prior studies so far. By including the variable of age and relationship status,
results could possibly reveal more profound information on differences in proneness to insecurities due to romantic movies.
Independent Variable: Age/Relationship Status/Gender
Dependent Variable: Participant is insecure about him/herself and his/her partner and compares his/her life to the flawless depiction
of love in movies, Participant enjoys watching romantic movies but does not relate to them whatsoever , Participant’s expectations of
relationships and his/her partner are too unrealistic due to romantic movies, etc
Sampling Method: Questionnaires will be handed out, entailing multiple choice questions. The very first question will ask about the
participant’s gender/relationship status/age and the frequency of watching romantic movies. The questionnaire will then be divided
into two parts, whereby the first part will focus on the individual’s self-esteem and the second part on the individual’s expectations of
his/her (future) relationship. In the first part, the multiple choice questions will ask about the depiction of gender and love in movies
and how the participant feels about that, also asking if it influences him/her. The same procedure will be implemented in the second
part, this time focusing on the participant’s (future) relationship and his/her expectations of his/her significant other. At the end of
each part, one open-ended question will be answered. The first part will ask whether the participant can think of any movies which
have made him/her feel bad about him/herself. The open-ended question at the end of the second part will ask whether the
participant can think of any movies which have contributed to the participant being sceptical about his/her relationship or love in
general.

6. Former research made clear that the portraying of beauty standards such as
thinness has a significant negative effect on people’s body satisfaction
(Lavine, H., et al, 2016, and Henderson-King, E. and D. Henderson-King,
1997). Majority of this researched focused on females rather than males
and hence a lot of attention has been addressed to the influence of
unrealistic body images in media on women.
However, the influence of social media on men should not be neglected.
Over the last years, there is an increase in the portraying of an unrealistic
muscular male physique, implicating a negative body satisfaction among
men (Leit, R., Gray, J., & Pope, H., 2002). This is an important area to
research, as body dissatisfaction is an important contributing factor for
negative psychological health and even suicide attempts among especially
young adult men (James Leone, 2011).
Thereby, most former studies focused on traditional forms of media, such
as tv and magazines, rather than modern ones as social media. However,
social media is worth studying these days, as it is more interactive and
demands more user activeness. As a consequence, users perceive images
on social media more directly than in the traditional forms (Perloff, 2014)
Sample: Show a group of 50 men an Instagram feed, containing images
of the unrealistic muscular male physique, which is regarded as the
‘ideal body image’.
Control group: show 50 men an Instagram feed with varied body
images (fat, skinny, regular healthy, with and without clothes)
Effect on body esteem:
Ask participants of both groups after being exposed to the several social
media images
1. To point out what body type they perceive to have their selves on a
range of different body types from broad to skinny.
2. To point out what other people in general would perceive as the
ideal male body type
→ Determine the average discrepancy of both groups: the difference
between how the men perceive their own body type and what they
view as the ideal body type
→ See if there is a significant difference in discrepancy between the test
and control group.
References:
Lavine, H., Sweeney, D. & Wagner, S. H. (2016). Depicting Women as Sex Objects in Television Advertising: Effects on Body Dissatisfaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 25(8): 1049-1058.
Leit, R., Gray, J., & Pope, H. (2002). The media's representation of the ideal male body: A cause for muscle dysmorphia? International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31(3), 334-338.
Exists of 40 men between the age of 18 and 23.
This group uses social media more regularly and has a higher chance of
obtaining low body esteem than older generations of men.
The control group exist of 40 men with the same criteria
Leone, J., Fetro, J., Kittleson, M., Welshimer, K., Partridge, J., & Robertson, S. (2011). Predictors of adolescent male body image dissatisfaction: Implications for negative health practices
and consequences for school health from a regionally representative sample. Journal of School Health, 81(4), 174-184.
Perloff, R. (2014). Act 2: Extending theory on social media and body image concerns. Sex Roles : A Journal of Research, 71(11-12), 414-418
Eva Vleer i6152198

7. How Much Data Do You Share?
RQ: Which facul8es at UM raise more awareness of
online data privacy? What is the rela8onship between
the amount of data shared on Facebook by a UM
student and his or her awareness of data privacy?
Hypothesis: I expect students aFending the law
and DKE faculty to be most aware of data privacy
issues on Facebook, resul8ng in these students sharing
less data per day than those from other facul8es.
Therefore, I would predict an inverse rela8onship
between data privacy awareness and amount of data
shared on FB per day
Methodology
Popula'on: UM students
Sample: random sample of 20
students (10 male/female) per
faculty (UCM, law, psychology and
DKE)
Approach: Quan8ta8ve survey
research, deduc8ve, posi8vist
Independent variable: faculty of
the student
Dependent variable: awareness of
online data protec8on and amount
of likes / shares on Facebook per
day
Collec'on: standardized survey
with dummy variables, e.g :
-Has your faculty taught you about
data protec8on? (yes=0 no=1)
Also, if student does not have FB,
he counts as 0 shares/likes per day
Analysis: Descrip8ve, sta8s8cal
analysis; comparison of means (FB
shares and data protec8on
awareness) using t-test to compare
between facul8es
Introduc8on
Very recently, the Cambridge Analy8ca data
scandal hit the news and started a series of
inves8ga8ons into Facebook’s data
protec8on. However, what shocks me most
is the fact that people seem to be unaware
of the extent to which Facebook is using
their data. I want to research if universi8es
should inform students about online privacy
or if the lack of awareness is due to the fact
that students simply do not care. Therefore,
the Objec've is to discover if certain
facul8es raise more aFen8on to data
privacy than others and if this affects the
amount of data shared on Facebook by
students. Thus, the Relevance of this
research is to a) reveal if the UM
educa8onal system is teaching students
enough about online data protec8on and b)
if this awareness impacts students’
willingness to share data on Facebook.
Earlier Empirical Research
Acquis8 and Gross (2006)
à 3/4 of surveyed college students
were aware of Facebook using
their data.
Raynes-Goldie (2010)
à Students care more about the data
shared with close friends than
governments or corpora8ons
i6153668
Jannik
Döll
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
DKE UCM LAW PSYCH
0 = no
1 = yes
Mean Data Privacy Awareness
Alessandro Acquis8 and Ralph Gross, 2006. “Imagined communi8es: Awareness, informa8on sharing,
and privacy on the Facebook.” In: Philippe Golle and George Danezis (editors). Proceedings of 6th
Workshop on Privacy Enhancing Technologies(Cambridge, U.K., Robinson College. 28–30
June), Lecture Notes in Computer Science, number 4258, pp. 36–58.
Kate Raynes–Goldie, 2010. “Aliases, creeping, and wall cleaning: Understanding privacy in the age of
Facebook,” First Monday, volume 15, number 1, at hFp://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/
index.php/fm/ar8cle/view/2775/2432, accessed 9 July 2010.

8. The Interviews
1. Establish general stance
towards photojournalism
2. Show traditional
photojournalism examples
and ask for opinions
3. Show Participatory
Photography pictures and
ask for opinions
4. Show both set of pictures in
comparison
5. Reflect on limitations,
advantages, alternatives and
ethics of Participatory
Photography
THE POWER OF PARTICIPATORY PHOTOGRAPHY
ELINOR KARL – 6154817
Methodology
• About understanding
attitudes and experiences
à Interpretevist
• Qualitative and inductive
• in-depth, long and semi-
structured interviews
with no more than 10
participants
Week 1
• Prepare
Interview
Questions
and agree
on case
studies
• Hold
practice
interviews
Week 2
• Data
Collection,
Interviews
Week 3
• Review
Data
• Work on
Paper
Outline
Week 4
• Write
paper
Introduction - What is
Participatory Photography?
• An approach to counter the
asymmetry of representation
and the reproduction of
stereo-types (Bleiker & Kay,
2007)
• By using photographs taken by
local people who are affected by
the issue at hand Bleiker & Kay,
2007)
Relevance and Prior Research
• Pictures are important to conveying
news. They heightens our visual
attention, improve message recall and
can change audience opinion
(Reimers, 2016).
• Media images exercise power in
shaping of news, politics and public
opinion (Andén-Papadopoulos, 2008)
• BUT who takes the pictures that
offer a glimpse into a different reality?
It is mostly male Western
photographers who control all
esthetic and political choices involved
in the process of representation
and deprive the ‘objects of voice and
agency’ (Bleiker and Kay, 2007)
Work ScheduleWHAT
WHY
HOW
Research Question
• How do UCM Students
experience different examples
of participatory photography
in contrast to traditional
photojournalism and assess its
ability of to challenge
stereotypes?
Example
recent work of photographer
Eric Gottesman and the Addis
Ababa community of Kebele,
where he taught children how to
use cameras to represent for
themselves what it means to live
with HIV/AIDS (Bleiker & Kay,
2007)
Example
Participatory Photography picture
taken by Tenanesh
Example
Iconic HIV/AIDS photograph taken
by Ed Hooper in 1986. It was
published widely in the
international media, and provided a
‘‘face’’ that could symbolize the
AIDS crisis in Africa.
Do you
see a
difference?
Aims and Objectives
• To find out how people
respond to PP and why
• To make assumptions about
how effective it is, for what it
can be used, based on how
people respond to it and
whether it has a future in
mainstream media as an
antidote to stereo-types?
References
Reimers, B. (2016). Building a bridge across the conflict theory-Practice gap: Comprehensive conflict engagement in community contexts. Conflict Resolution
Quarterly, 33(4), 437-458. doi:10.1002/crq.21166
Andén-Papadopoulos, K. (2008). The abu ghraib torture photographs. Journalism, 9(1), 5-30.
Bleiker, R., & Kay, A. (2007). Representing hIV-AIDS in africa : Pluralist photography and local empowerment. International Studies Quarterly, 51(1), 139-164.
HOW

9. Abstract:
Music is a fundamental element of our
daily life. Music can give you energy,
inspire you, make you dance or bring you
to tears. In this sense music is a very
powerful force and can communicate
feelings. These can directly relate to
certain neurons in our brain which in turn
affect our physical, mental and emotional
balance.
This research also has a scientific
relevance in such that it aims to fill in
gaps regarding the knowledge on the
effectiveness of this type of music and
the scientific explanation behind it.
The Power and Science
of Music
Research Question:
Does music, in particular music before the establishment
of a 440 hertz tuning, have beneficial effects on the
human brain?
Hypothesis:
Music at a 432Hz frequency and music from composers
before the 440Hz tuning was established, can improve
the ability to concentrate and enhance feeling conscious
and balanced.
Methodology:
The approach: a qualitative method of gathering
data and opinions with range of 15-20 interviews.
The interviews will be semi-structured. There will
be predefined questions but also free space to
deepen certain arguments. This will be necessary
because the spectrum of questions will also relate
to attitudes of the person in question.
Experiments : will be conducted in interviews, the
interviewee being conscious of what he is asked of.
Other Experiment: through an observational
method.
Sample: will be a random and stratified sample
from the population of Maastricht.
Previous Research:
According to music theory, A=432 Hz is
mathematically in accordance with the
universe.
This frequency is know as Verdi’s A, after
the composer Giuseppe Verdi.
The Schumann Resonance of 1952
explained that 8Hz is the ‘beat’ of the
planet and 432Hz resonates with this
frequency. Therefore 432Hz is considered
to be the harmonic intonation of nature
and the preferable frequency. Before mid-
twentieth century the primary
instrumental tuning standard was that of
A=432Hz. Today , 440Hz has been
established as the tuning standard. It was
first introduced by J.C. Deagan in the
United States.
The Mozart Effect would demonstrate that
music can also help you learn quicker and
perform better in exams. This is what
happened in the Mozart experiment. The
final result was that the group of people
who listened to Mozart performed 10%
better on the test than those who did not.
Reference List:
Collins, Brian T. (2013). The Importance of 432Hz Music. Omega432.
Hughes, L., & Ball, M. L. The Sacred Science of Sound: Music and Mathematics.
Jenkins, J. (2001). The Mozart effect. Journal Of The Royal Society Of Medicine, 94.
Bianca Ossicini
i6155436

10. Research Question:
Is there an information gap between Facebook users and non-users at UCM
and what is the influence of this on their social lives?
Introduction
By the end of 2017, Facebook had about 2,219 million
users (Statista 2018, 2018). The magnitude of Facebook
became clear to me when I was told that I would not
survive Maastricht University without Facebook.
Facebook is used as a ‘social glue’ at university, it settles
the students into university life, it keeps the students
body together and it aids communication (Madge, Meek,
Wellens, & Hooley, 2009). However, with the recent data
leak of Facebook user information by Cambridge
Analytica (Granville 2018), many questions have been
raised regarding privacy. This has lead for some users to
delete their Facebook accounts. For example, the Dutch
tv show Zondag met Lubach has convinced 12,000
people, including myself, to delete their accounts (Loon &
Wassens, 2018). This raises the question: if Facebook is
a social glue, how do these people without Facebook
stay in touch with their university’s social events? How do
people with Facebook stay in touch with people without
Facebook? Considering I myself am not on Facebook, I
believe it would be useful to research the social glue that
Facebook is at UCM. Therefore I wish to ask: is there an
information gap between Facebook users and non-users
at UCM and what is the influence of this on their social
lives?
Charlotte Buijtelaar
i6156304
Methodology and Methods
We will do empirical research by looking at what kind of
posts are posted on the UCM Students Facebook group
and what kind of information is spread about UCM social
life via other media by the Social Board, Academic
Council and all UCM committees (posters, emails, etc.).
Through this, we wish to research whether there is an
information gap between Facebook as a medium and
other media. Furthermore, we wish to do qualitative
interviewing with UCM students specifically with those
who organize UCM events and with those without
Facebook. We chose the method of qualitative
interviewing to get more to the core of how UCM Social
Events reach students and how this might be an obstacle
when a student is not on Facebook. In these interviews,
we shall take an exploratory approach as it will be
semi-structured interviews. We shall try to interview 5
people per researcher. The research is idiographic,
considering it is solely focussed on the situations UCM
students face when acquiring or spreading information
about UCM events.
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to provide insight on how
information regarding UCM social events is spread
throughout the student body and how Facebook might
make it uncertain whether all information reaches the
entirety of the student body. We hope the results might
offer advice to the Social Board and the Academic
Council of UCMSA Universalis on how to reach UCM
students.
Granville, K. (2018, March 19, 2018). Facebook and Cambridge Analytica: What You
Need to Know as Fallout Widens. NY Times. Retrieved from
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/technology/facebook-cambridge-an
alytica-explained.html
Loon, W. v., & Wassens, R. (2018, April 12, 2018). Arjen Lubach wilde vooral
discussie. NRC. Retrieved from
https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2018/04/12/arjen-lubach-wilde-vooral-discussi
e-a1599188
Madge, C., Meek, J., Wellens, J., & Hooley, T. (2009). Facebook, social integration
and informal learning at university: ‘It is more for socialising and talking
to friends about work than for actually doing work’. Learning, Media and
Technology, 34(2), 141-155. doi:10.1080/17439880902923606
Statista2018. (2018). Statista. Number of monthly active Facebook users worldwide as
of 4th quarter 2017 (in millions). Retrieved from
https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-fac
ebook-users-worldwide/

11. The Digital Age:
Are we becoming more or less social due to social media?
The internet has become one of our main interests in the
21st century and has a greater effect on people than
before. It provides users with entertainment, news and
social media platforms that enable us to like, share and
follow people or organizations that we are interested in.
Due to this revolutionary change in technology, services
such as Instagram and Twitter become the most visited
platforms on the internet. However, all these websites
allow us to have social interaction with others, but is this
a healthy interaction compared to real life
communication? This research focuses on the question
whether social media makes us less or more social in
everyday life and whether the internet impacts our
socializing skills negatively or positively. It is directed
towards understanding the factors that play a role in this
online and offline behaviour.
Qualitative & Inductive
Population Sample: 40 UCM students
20 males
20 females
Conduct: The research will be non-probability
sampling and is based on a strategically chosen
sample of UCM students. The survey will have open
and closed questions and obtain fitting inquiries that
fit the topic of the research.
Independent variable: the time (hours) students at
UCM spend on social media platforms
Example questions could be:
1. How much time on average do you spend on social
media platforms?
2. What platform do you use the most?
3. How much do you care about your online image?
Data Analysis: It is of importance to analyze the
interviewee's responses in a thematic function to
identify patterns within the collected data of all the
40 students.
Key Words: Social media, attitudes, UCM students,
Socializing
Research Question:
"How does social media impact our social behaviour and does it
influence us negatively or positively in our social life?"
Hypotheses:
1. The more social media accounts students have, the less social they
are face-to-face.
2. The more followers a student has on their platforms, the more
they care about their online image.
References:
Research made by Tugberk Kaya and Huseyin Bicen on: "Computers in
human behaviour".
Variables:
- Students who know how to control their privacy
- Facebook comments towards the students and reflects and increase
in confidence
Introduction Methodology
Empirical Research
Expectations
The researcher expects to find out how the difference variables
mentioned above influence the social behaviour of students at
University College Maastricht. These results are relevant as it aims to
uncover what impact social media has on our social life. The evaluation
of the data would be of essence as it gives insight to the university and
the students what solutions there are to overcome this social
behaviour.
Kaya, T., & Bicen, H. (2016). The effects of social media on students’
behaviors; Facebook as a case study. Computers in Human Behavior,
59, 374-379. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.02.036
Kraut, R., Patterson, M., Lundmark, V., Kiesler, S., Mukophadhyay, T.,
& Scherlis, W. (1998). Internet paradox: A social technology that
reduces social involvement and psychological well-being? American
Psychologist, 53(9), 1017-1031. doi:10.1037//0003-066x.53.9.1017
Saiidi, U. (2015, October 19). How social media is making us less
social: Study. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/15/social-
media-making-millennials-less-social-study.html

12. University College Maastricht
The influence of social media on the political
interest of UM students
Riccarda Luz – i6157203
Methodological Approach
Prior Research
Quantitative analysis of the impact of
social networking sites on the individual’s
activities:
- Gil de Zúñiga, H., Jung, N. & Valenzuela,
S. (2012). Social Media Use for News
and Individuals' Social Capital, Civic
Engagement and Political Participation.
Journal of Computer-Mediated
Communication
- Gil de Zúñiga, H., Molyneux, L. & Zheng,
P. (2014). Social Media, Political
Expression, and Political Participation:
Panel Analysis of Lagged and
Concurrent Relationships. Journal of
Communication
Methodological Approach
Qualitative data collection:
• Semi-structured interviews
• Questions about: use of social media
platforms; following politicians; political
interest; political participation
• Participants from all UM faculties for
representative results
Results and Hypothesis
Holt, K., Ljungberg, E., Shehata, A. & Strömbäck, J. (2013). Age and the effects of news media attention and social media use on political interest
and participation: Do social media function as leveller? European Journal of Communication, 28 (1), 19-34. Retrieved from:
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0267323112465369
Stitcher (2018). Social Media and Politics [digital image]. Retrieved from: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/social-media-and-politics
University of Amsterdam (2017). The politics of Twitter [digital image]. Retrieved from: https://politicsoftwitter.wordpress.com
Riccarda Luz
i6157203
May 4, 2018
Research Methods II
University College Maastricht
Zwingelput 4
6211 KH Maastricht
The Netherlands
Aim and Research Question
Background
In the 21st century, social networking platforms such as Facebook and
Twitter became an important tool for political parties to communicate their
programs. Especially the support of younger generations can be achieved
through an active participation in social media. Whole election campaigns
were conducted via Facebook and Twitter in order to reach more people and
attract new voters (Holt, Shehata, Strömbäck & Ljungberg, 2013).
Consequently, the use of social media is an important contributor to political
participation (Bichard, Johnson, Seltzer & Zhang, 2010). The aim of the research is to recognize how
social media can impact the political interest
and orientation of young people by using
networks as a medium for spreading political
ideas and beliefs. In oder to investigate this,
the research focuses on UM students and
attempts to answer the following research
question:
In what ways does social media influence
the political interest of UM students?
References
Based on the suggested studies, the
expected hypothesis of the research
is:
Social media contributes
significantly to the political interest
and activity of young people.
In both studies, the relationship
between social networking sites and
online political expression and
participation are discussed. As
political parties are more present in
social media, online users are
animated to actively participate in
debates or actions against
government policies (Zúñiga,
Molyneux & Zheng, 2014). In addition
to these findings it is important to
investigate in how far the political
presence in social media influences a
young people‘s general interest in
politics.

13. •
•
•
•
•
•
•

14. Poster Research Methods II
Date: May 4th 2018
Name: Ottilie Dijkstal
ID: i6158618
Title: Poster
Tutor: Dorothee Hofmann
Course coordinator: Dr. Jeroen Moes
Course: SKI1005 Research Methods II
Faculty: University College Maastricht

15. Research Question:
How heavily are social
media users influenced by
advertising on social
platforms?
Introduction
Over the last decade, the use of social
media has risen significantly. This caused
for the concept of interactive media to
arise; media that provides the opportunity
to instantaneously advertise, execute a sale
and collect payment. In 2015, spending for
digital advertising was at 161.77 billion US
dollars, and is expected to rise to 335.48
billion US dollars by 2020.
The rapid growth of social media has made
this an extremely relevant topic. The
majority of advertising now occurs on
social platforms and has allowed for the
creation of various techniques to persuade
users to purchase an advertised good.
Online advertising can range from a simple
commercial video to the tiniest detail in a
TV-show or YouTube video. Therefore, it
is relevant to assess exactly to what extent
this impacts social media users. On top of
that, it is relevant to understand how
manipulative online advertising can be and
how to look out for it.
Previous Research
1. Engagement with Online Media and Advertising Effectiveness by B.J.
Calder, E.C. Malthouse and U. Schaedel (2009)
• Tested hypothesis; Engagement with the surrounding social media
increases advertising effectiveness
• Surveys regarding use of social platforms, advertising and reactions to
ads
• Looked at personal engagement and social-interactive engagement
2. The Effectiveness of Online Advertising: Consumer’s Perceptions of
Ads by B. Pikas and G. Sorrentino
• Researched time spent on the internet, regarding specific platforms as
well as likeliness to view, click or like certain companies.
References
Calder, B. J., Malthouse, E. C., & Schaedel, U. (2009). An
experimental study of the relationship between online engagement and
advertising effectiveness. Journal of interactive marketing, 23(4), 321-
331.
Pikas, B., & Sorrentino, G. (2014). The effectiveness of online
advertising: consumer's perceptions of ads on Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube. The Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 16(4), 70.
Methods
Quantitative Methods: A
questionnaire is the most useful
form, offering multiple choice
questions. This will be distributed
online, though in case of lack of data
it can be turned into an interview. An
interview can offer further details
and personalised information that a
questionnaire might lack.
Steps
1. Identify dependent and
independent variables
2. Formulate questions for
questionnaire
3. Collect data
4. Process all collected data
How often do you click?

16. Research Question
Does the usage of social media affect your
perception of online privacy?
Introduction
Despite the recent headlines
concerning the breach of the
online privacy of millions of
users, social media usage
across the world is growing at
an excessive rate (Smith,
Anderson, 2018). To explain
this strange trend, this
research will investigate the
relationship between the
usage of social media and the
perception of online privacy.
Methodology
Sample (Stratified Random)
● Stratas dependent on the usage of social media
● Social media platforms will include Facebook, Youtube, Whatsapp and Instagram
Conduct
● Ranking of social media usage using ordinal categories.
● Mixed approach interviewing of grouped individuals
Data Analysis
● Thorough transcription and evaluation of qualitative interviews based on semi-structured questionnaires.
● Plotting a graph to show the relationship between social media usage and perception of privacy (quantitative data)
Relevance
This research will provide the
field of privacy studies with a
renewed insight of the public
perception of privacy. It’s
relation to social media usage
can help companies and
institutions to develop policies
that complement the users’
demands. It will also help create
awareness amongst internet
users to be more careful about
the personal data they agree to
share with social media
companies like Facebook.
References
Smith, A., & Anderson, M. (2018, March 01).
Social Media Use in 2018. Retrieved from
http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social
-media-use-in-2018/
Epistemology
-
Post positivist
-
Relatively nomothetic
-
Qualitative and
Quantitative
Nashab Parvez
I6158884
Research Methods 2

17. How do students discover the mobile applications they download?
Relevance of Research
Knowing how people come to know about mobile
applications and how they choose which one to
download is important for companies as it permits them
to understand more about their consumers and, in such a
way, ameliorate their marketing strategy. This research
could also inspire future research to replicate these
findings and extend them to broader and more
representative samples, thus further deepening our
knowledge of the process of application’s discovery.
Limitations
This research faces some limitations as the sample will only include
students, as they are more accessible. Also, it is a rather small scale
research and the sample size is not that large. Lastly, for future research,
it would be ideal to gather some data from the App Store, such as
download rate for specific applications, as this is not feasible for this
study.
Methodology
Ø Sample: 15-20 students
Ø Population: UCM students
Ø Interview each participant
individually and ask them the
following questions: How many apps
do you have on your phone? What
do the apps do? How much do you
use them? How much time have you
had them for? How did you come to
know about the app (s)?
Ø Record the answers given during the
interviews. Also, group data to see
whether there are some differences
in source of information for specific
app categories the students have
downloaded. By knowing how much
the students use these apps, further
conclusions can be drawn such as
that source of app discovery predicts
future usage.
Prior Work
Ø How do people discover, use, and stay engaged with
apps. Think with Google. Oct. 2016.
Friend/family usage= best predictor for app
download & gives insight onto what users prefer
Introduction
In today’s world, the market offers a vast array of products. These can
be very similar to each other, if not identical, and the competition for
diversification and innovation is, therefore, high. Consumers choose
which products to purchase according to their needs and personal
preferences. However: another factor that affects market behaviour is
how consumers come to know about the product. Therefore, marketing
strategy is also key.
In the technological world, the development of mobile
applications is drastically increasing: the App Store offers a variety of
categories for any sort of need. Applications do, in fact, assist us in
organizing our shopping list, keeping track of new film releases,
discovering new songs and places, as well as allow us to maintain
relationships, and so on. For this reason, in such a vast market,
companies must need to know not only what their consumers want and
prefer, but also how they come to know about their application. This
research thus aims to uncover such a question by interviewing a small
sample of students on their personal mobile applications.
# of app downloads worldwide
in 2016, 2017, 2021 (billions)
GraphtakenfromStatista
Laura Guiso
i6159251

18. What are the next steps?
1. Setting up a standardized questionnaire
a. three question sets concerning demographics, body image, Tinder use
b. Available answer options will correspond to a six point Likert scale (with ‘strongly
disagree’ (1), ‘disagree’ (2), ‘slightly disagree’ (3), ‘slightly agree’ (4), ‘agree’ (5)
and ‘strongly agree’ (6) ) (Nemoto & Belgar, 2014, p.5)
2. Spreading the survey via internet to get a number of at least 75 participants
a. The sample should be divided in three groups, based on Tinder use
b. Frequent, moderate and control (no Tinder use)
c. Each group should contain at least 10 male and 10 female subjects
3. Evaluating the results using descriptive and inferential statistics
4. Interpreting the findings provided by the statistical results found earlier
a. Checking for generalizability and validity
What is the Epistemology of this project?
This project takes a post-positivist approach. Therefore, the research
will use qualitative methods. The results of standardized surveys will be
evaluated, trying to find an answer to the research question. Further,
it aims to find nomothetic results. This means that results of the findings
from the survey should ideally be generalized to a the larger
population of our sample, in this case European millennials.
Deductively, the hypothesis: ‚Frequent Tinder use leads to body
dissatisfaction‘ will be tested. Within the research, researchers and
subject will keep a distance, to allow the researchers to objectively
evaluate and interpret the results. This is provided by reducing
personal contact between researcher and subject to a minimum,
e.g. by spreading the survey via internet and interpreting anonymous
results.
What has been found so far?
Body objectification is a state when bodies are presented as
objects rather than individual human beings. This is
something widely used in advertisement, but also in social
media (Fardouly & Vartanian, 2016, p. 3) . Exposure to body
objectification leads to body dissatisfaction via self-
objectification. This is based on the objectification theory by
Fredrickson and Roberst (1997). It implies that if we keep
seeing bodies presented as objects to us, we create a focus
on the appearance of our own bodies rather than on their
functionalities. This has been found to be correlated with a
negative body image (Alleva, Martijn, Van Breukelen,
Jansen, & Karos, 2015, p. 6).
Therefore it can be assumed, that people who frequently
consume social network sides (SNS) with a focus on body
objectification such as Instagram, have a tendency to
increasingly engage in self-objectification. As this can result
in many negative consequences, including self-destructive
behaviour, it is crucial to investigate the causes of self-
objectification further. Thus, negative implementations can
be spread and users will be made aware of the possible
side-effects of Instagram and co.
What has this to do with Tinder?
Research was mostly conducted concerning the correlation
between the use of SNS and self-objectification, but there is reason
to assume that the same effect can be found for dating apps such
as Tinder.
Tinder lets users evaluate each others pictures by swiping right or
left, depending on if they find them hot or not. Personal descriptions
are very limited. The emphasis lies on the pictures which mostly
involve body objectification. When using Tinder equals exposing
yourself to body objectification and being exposed to body
objectification is correlated to a negative body image, this could
mean that using Tinder frequently leads to a negative body image.
This assumption is supported by a study conducted by Strubel and
Petrie (2017), who found that the use of Tinder is positively correlated
to body dissatisfaction. However, the study was lacking in collecting
information about how users interacted with Tinder. Factors such as
frequency of use could play an important role in the strength of the
relationship between Tinder use and a negative body image.
Research Question
What is the impact on
reviewing other users
pictures actively using
the dating app Tinder
more than once a week on
the body dissatisfaction
of people between the
age of sixteen to twenty-
nine years in Europe?
Emma Julie Deutz, i6159809
References Alleva, J. M., Martijn, C., Van Breukelen, G. J., Jansen, A., & Karos, K. (2015). Expand Your Horizon: A programme that improves body image and reduces self-objectification by training women to focus on body
functionality. Body Image, 15, 81-89.
Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2016). Social media and body image concerns: Current research and future directions. Current opinion in psychology, 9, 1-5
Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T.-A. (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding women's lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173-206.
Nemoto, T., & Beglar, D. (2014). Likert-scale questionnaires: JALT.
Strubel, J., & Petrie, T. A. (2017). Love me Tinder: Body image and psychosocial functioning among men and women. Body Image, 21(5), 34-38.
Swipe Right For a negative body image?
Retrieved from https://www.teensafe.com/blog/teen-health-part-ii-
body-image-and-social-media/
Retrieved from http://www.instyle.co.uk/celebrity/news/tinder-the-ultimate-guide
Retrieved from http://www.pulse.ng/gist/tinder-my-experience-with-the-dating-
app-id5519736.html

19. How does
social media
network
Facebook
affect
teenagers’
caring
relationships?
Research Question
A caring relationship is
“a rich reciprocal
relationship that
includes a genuine
concern for one another
through listening and
maintaining a desire for
mutual growth and
flourishing”
(Hamington, 2010).
The dynamics on
Facebook challenge
these relationships; we
can actively choose to
ignore or care for one’s
posts, leading to either
growth or decline of
both offline and online
relationships.
Very
much so
(35%)
A little
(48%)
Not
really
(17%)
To what extent does
Facebook help you
as Facebook user
care for your friends
(Hamington, 2010)?
Earlier Empirical Work
Knop, K. et al (2015). Offline time is quality
time. Comparing within-group self-disclosure
in mobile messaging applications and face-
to-face interactions.
Burke, M., & Kraut, R. E. (2016). The
Relationship Between Facebook Use and
Well-Being Depends on Communication Type
and Tie Strength.
Hamington, M. (2010). Care Ethics,
Friendship and Facebook.
Relevance
Deductive-Empirical
Approach; theories about
caring relationships in
relation to teenagers and
social media are important.
However, these will not all
be established prior to the
research. The interviewed
teenagers will also not be
seen as simply variables,
but as interdependent
whole (Porta & Keating,
2008).
Mixture of qualitative
and quantitative
research; an online
survey amongst 13 to 19
year-olds on Facebook
will be conducted, but
also interviews. While
the survey will give us
relative numbers, the
interviews will help us
interpret these.
Because the research
seeks to analyze
teenager’s personal
experiences on
Facebook and their
views of these
experiences, it is an
interpretive research.
Teenagers are developing their identities and
relationships, in part, in online contexts such as
Facebook (Eleuteri, Saladino, & Verrastro, 2017).
The influence of this on their relationships, however,
is not yet known. This research therefore hopes to
present a more clear answer, especially for other
teenagers to identify with. Namely, instead of naming
various complex psychological processes, this
research will put its focus on teenagers’ own
interpretation of the phenomenon.
Pixabay. (2017, April 18). Retrieved from
Pixabay:
https://pixabay.com/nl/facebook-
vrienden-communicatie-2229910/
Eleuteri, S., Saladino, V., & Verrastro, V.
(2017, November 9). Identity,
relationships, sexuality, and risky
behaviors of adolescents in the context
of social media. Sexual and Relationship
Therapy, 32(3-4), 354-365.
Porta, d. D., & Keating, M. (2008). How
many approaches in the social
sciences? An epistemological
introduction. In d. D. Porta, & M. Keating,
Approaches and Methodologies in the
Social Sciences (pp. 19-39). New York:
Cambridge University Press.
References
Week 1 & 2:
literature
review and
data
collection
through
survey and
interviews
Week 3:
analyzing
and
structuring
data
Week 4:
writing and
revising
Marie-Louise Beekmans i6160490
Who?

20. Elian Schure i6162177
Why do students who keep either a digital or a paper diary prefer this
medium for their diary?
Introduction
For many years, individuals have kept a
diary to keep track of their thoughts, to
describe certain events and to express
themselves (Gleaves, Walker & Grey,
2007).Traditionally, a diary is kept on
paper. However, today there are many
possibilities to write a diary on a computer
(Kawaura, Kawakami &Yamashita, 1998).
Diaries are also used in academia
sometimes for students to reflect upon
their academic abilities and values
(Gleaves, Walker & Grey, 2007, Sá, 2002).
There have been researches comparing
the use of paper diaries and digital diaries
amongst students, but how do students
experience the different media
themselves (Gleaves, Walker & Grey,
2007)?
Type of research
To research the research question
“why do students prefer either a
paper or a digital diary”, a semi-
structured interview will be
conducted with approximately
ten students who keep a diary
and make use of it at least once a
week.The research will be
qualitative and exploratory.
Schedule
Week 1:
Preliminary research, preparing
and conducting interviews.
Week 2:
Conducting and comparing
interviews. Start writing paper.
Week 3:
Finish interviews, compare and
contrast paper and digital diaries.
Write paper.
Week 4:
Finish research paper.
Justification and aim
This research aims to find out which
medium students prefer to use for
their diary. If the reasons why
students prefer either method is
known, this could be used to help
other student who have difficulties
with, for example, reflecting on their
work and themselves. It could help
students to find a suitable way for
them to keep track on their thoughts
and reflect in a way that is best for
them.
Sources:
Gleaves, A., Walker, C. & Grey, J. (2007). Using digital and paper diaries for learning and
assessment purposes in higher education: a comparative study of feasibility and reliability.
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Eductaion, 32(6), 631-643.
Kawaura, Y., Kawakami, Y. & Yamashita, K. (1998). Keeping a diary in cyberspace. Japanese
Psychological Research, 40(4), 234–245.
Sá, J. (2002). Diary Writing: An Interpretative Research Method of Teaching and Learning,
Educational Research and Evaluation, 8(2), 149-168.

21. IS SOCIAL MEDIA SABOTAGING YOUR GPA?
4 - W E E K - P L A N
WEEK 1: SETTING UP OUR OUTLINE AND SURVEY
WEEK 2: COLLECTING DATA
WEEK 3: DRAWING CONCLUSIONS + FIRST DRAFT
WEEK 4: FINISHING UP OUR MASTER PIECE
S H O U L D Y O U L O G
O U T F O R G P A ' S
S A K E ?
If you are a student chances are you have at least one
social media account. In 2018, We Are Social found that
the number of mobile phone user active on social media
is 2.958 billion, with the largest group of users being
between 18 and 24 years. (We Are Social, 2018)
Recently, researchers have shown an increased interest
in how social media network use influences the academic
performance of students. According to research done by
Paul, Baker and Cochran (2012) a significant negative
relationship can be found between time spend on online
social media networks and academic performance. A
considerable amount of literature has pointed out how
the distracting and addictive nature of online social
media networks leads to task-switching. Task-switching
causes a decrease in both performance efficiency and
performance effectiveness. (Karpinski, Kischner, Ozer,
Mellott and Ochwo, 2013) However, research done by
Alloway & Alloway in 2013 pointed out that that
students who had used the social networking site
Facebook for more than a year had higher scores in
tests of verbal ability, working memory, and spelling,
compared to their peers who had used it for a shorter
time period.
This raises the question: should university students log
out in order to get a higher GPA or do they actually
benefit from sharing and liking in between studying?
Alloway, T. P., & Alloway, R. G. (2013). Social networking sites and
cognitive abilities: Do they make you smarter? Computers & Education,
63, 10-16.
Karpinski, A. C., Kirschner, P. A., Ozer, I., Mellott, J. A., & Ochwo, P. (2013).
An exploration of social networking site use, multitasking, and academic
performance among United States and European university students.
Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 1182-1192.
We Are Social. (2018, January 30). Digital in 2018: world’s internet users
pass the 4 billion mark.. Retrieved March 2, 2018, from
https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2018/01/global-digital-report-2018
R E F E R E N C E S
W H A T ? H O W ?
A N D W H Y ?
WHAT WILL WE DO? AND HOW? * Surveying peers about their
GPA and social media usage * Sample of at least 100 students
at UCM * Quantitative approach * Online and paper-based
surveys * Social media usage: no daily use, moderated daily use
and high daily use. * Difference between freshmen, second
year and third year UCM students?
WHY THIS RESEARCH? A growing amount of research
investigate the influence of online social network usage on
academic performance, however few studies have investigated
how online social network usage influences the academic
performance of university students in particular.
** Find out if you should quit your social media habit for a
higher GPA. **
R Q + H Y P H O T H E S I S
RQ: Is there a correlation between high daily use of
social media applications on mobile devices and a
lower GPA of UCM students?
HYPHOTHESIS: High daily usage of social media networks on
mobile devices will negatively affect the GPA of UCM
students.
R O B I N V A N H A L T E R E N - 6 1 6 2 2 7 4 - M A A S T R I C H T U N I V E R S I T Y
I S T H I S W H Y Y O U ' R E N O T G E T T I N G
T H E G R A D E S Y O U W A N T ?

22. Online heroes - Offline zeroes?
Does online engagement with issues such as climate change necessarily reflect an offline behaviour appropriate to
the solving of these issues?
The Issue
I have seen posts relating to climate change,
saving the environment etc. multiplying on my
Facebook News Feed. The most recent one was
‘5 things you need to save the environment’.
While using social media to raise awareness
about this very pressing issue can be seen as a
positive development, I also wonder if this does
not make people feel as if they have ‘done their
job’ by just liking and sharing, without actually
implementing any change in their lifestyle.
Prior Research
Research has been conducted about the use of
social media for political or other kinds of
engagement (Carlisle and Patto, 2013; Junco,
2011), including climate change awareness (Ali,,
2011), as well as on the role of media in political
engagement concerning climate change
(Carvalho, 2008), but there is a gap in the field
when it comes to linking the real life impact of
using social media for these issues.
Preliminary hypothesis
While social media can be a useful tool to raise awareness, its use is not
sufficient to guarantee an offline behaviour that is appropriate to solve
climate change.
● confirmatory research
● qualitative surveys about Facebook use, household habits,
recycling, etc. and control variables among UCM students
(possibly also other faculties, UCs, etc)
Method
Coline Grimée Research Methods 2 UCM
References
Junco, R. (2012). The relationship between frequency of
Facebook use, participation in Facebook activities, and
student engagement. Computers & Education, 58(1),
162-171.
Carlisle, J. E., & Patton, R. C. (2013). Is social media
changing how we understand political engagement? An
analysis of Facebook and the 2008 presidential election.
Political Research Quarterly, 66(4), 883-895.
Carvalho, A. (2010). Media (ted) discourses and climate
change: a focus on political subjectivity and (dis)
engagement. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate
Change, 1(2), 172-179.
Ali, M. S. S. (2011). The use of Facebook to increase
climate change awareness among employees. In
International Conference on Social Science and
Humanity, Singapore.

23. Introduction
Studies can be stressful and hard to cope with. It has
been discovered that some students are under
severe stress and that the number of mental health
issues among students is rising (Robotham, 2008).
UCM students will not be an exception, but they
have an advantage. There is a strong community
which stands to help coping the work. Pierceall and
Keim (2007) found that the main stress release from
students comes from conversations with friends and
family, adding later on that community college
students did not feel major stress from their studies.
This could lead to the conclusion that there is a
relation between community feeling and stress
levels, although this was not examined by Pierceall
and Keim.
However, there is little literature on the
negative effect communities could have on the
stress levels of students. They might be feeling a lot
of social pressure from the community, or exclusion
once they are not part of the group. These factors
can be stress enhancing rather than reducing.
Once it is clear what effect the community
feeling has on the students the knowledge can be
used to reduce stress levels by altering the
community feelings in a certain way, enabling
students to perform their best.
Research question
How does the community feeling at UCM influence the stress levels of its
students?
Hypothesis
Students with a greater community feeling will
experience less stress.
Empirical methodological approach
For this research there will be a deductive approach, testing the relationship
between community feeling at UCM and stress levels UCM students experience.
The data will be collected via quantitative research, mainly existing out of a
questionnaire that can be shared through Facebook, taking as depended
variable stress levels and independent variable the community feeling. The
participants will solely be UCM students.
References
Pierceall, E., Keim, M. (2007). Stress and Coping Strategies Among Community College Students. Community college journal of research and practice, 31(9), pp.
703-712. DOI: 10.1080/10668920600866579
Robotham, D. (2008). Stress Amongst Higher Education Students: Towards a Research Agenda. Higher Education, 56(6), pp. 735-746. DOI: 10.1007/s10734-008-
9137-1
Femke de Haan i6163623

24. Do you live in an
information bubble?
References
Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017). Social media and fake news in the 2016 election. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 31(2), 211-236.
Pan, B., Hembrooke, H., Joachims, T., Lorigo, L., Gay, G., & Granka, L. (2007). In Google We Trust: Users’ Decisions on Rank, Position, and Relevance. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication,
12(3), 801-823. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00351.x
Pariser, E. (2011). The filter bubble: What the Internet is hiding from you: Penguin UK.
Introduction
After the 2016 US election the issue of Fake
News has become widely discussed. One
study found, for example, that people
were more likely to believe stories which
were favorable of their preferred
candidate (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017).
This shows that people tend to believe
stories that are in line with their
ideological identity. Google and Facebook,
among others, know this and have
developed personalized searches and
news-feeds. People therefore become very
vulnerable to reinforcing their own bias,
because of the direction the search results
yield. This, in turn, creates what is called
an information bubble, where people are
more likely to be confronted with opinions
they agree with. Barack Obama, in an
interview with David Letterman, has
recently warned that this information
bubble might lead to an increase in
political polarization and fears that civic
discourse could be negatively affected.
Research Question and Hypothesis
RQ: How conscious are UM students about possibly living in an
information bubble and what demographic factors influence their
likelihood of trying to step out of it?
Hypothesis: UM students tend not to be aware of the algorithms
being used by the likes of Google and make little effort to gather
information rather by relevance instead of convenience.
Purpose
The aim of the study is to find out whether students, being rather
educated, are aware of how Google and the likes personalize results
so that their opinions are reinforced. Additional data on the
respondents could reveal certain groups within UM who are more
vulnerable to becoming isolated in their cultural or ideological
sphere. It can be argued that UM, being an educational institution,
has a certain responsibility to educate students about this topic,
which will allow them to become better researchers. The study
could then make implementation of educational countermeasures
more efficient.
Methodology and Plan
Quantitative data collection through
online questionnaires is most suitable for
this research. These will be distributed
among UM students and should be filled
out by at least 100 students from as many
faculties as possible.
Execution:
1. Questionnaire creation
2. Distribution of questionnaires
3. Statistical analysis of results
4. Write report
Previous research
Previous research has shown that college
students are likely to perceive higher
positioned search results as more relevant,
even when quality of lower results was
lower (Pan et al., 2007). This shows that
many fall victim to Google's algorithm. Eli
Pariser (2011) has explained this
phenomenon as a filter bubble and has
exposed that results for the search term
"BP" can yield very different results,
depending on the user.

25. Theoretical Background and Earlier Research
This research uses cognitive frameworks such as “social
learning theory” and “child development theory” which
examine the effects of the environment of development and
learning.
Previous research has shown that television exposure in the
US resulted in lower confidence in white and black girls and
black boys, and an increased confidence in white boys. This
is due to television glorifying white male characters.
In what ways does the lack of diversity in childhood cartoons affect the self-image of ethnic minorities
in adulthood and why?
Cartoons and Confidence
Introduction
We all know how powerful of an affect our favorite childhood cartoons had on us.
However with the increasing diversity of societies, the children of ethnic minority
groups in societies might be confronted with a physical and cultural difference
between their real lives and the lives of their heroes. Since children tend to see
fantasy characters as role models this might lead to a decline in confidence in
adulthood or self-alienation.
Hypothesis
The majority of children
exposed to cartoons that
idolizes their own race and
culture will be more
confident.
Methodology
Since the research will be carried out in Maastricht, the
minority group that will be studied will be people from a
non-white or non-Western background.
à a scale that measures
self-worth through measuring both positive and negative
feelings about the self. This is conducted through a face to
face survey.
à the sample needs to be ethnically diverse but all
participants need to be exposed to the same kinds of
cartoons at childhood.
à Participants in the research need
to be interviewed so that possible connections between
their current life and their cartoon exposure can be found.
In the end the results of the two groups will be compared.
- Qualitative research
- Confirmatory in finding the relation
- Exploratory in finding the reasons for the relation
- Psychology tests
- Comparing different ethnic groups
References:
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Goldberg, S. (2012, June 01). TV can boost self-esteem of white boys, study says. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/01/showbiz/tv/tv-kids-self-esteem/index.html.
Relevance
The aim of this research is to measure the extent to
which cartoons can affect the behavior and
happiness of people as grown ups. Media has been
guilty of being biased against oppressed groups for a
long time. Such research that shows the negative
affects of this lack of diversity could prompt more
change in society. Thus this kind of research is a
step towards more equality in a globalized society.

26. What is the effect of the use of social media on the school performance
of students?
Earlier empirical evidence:
- College students who use
Facebook have significantly
lower grade-point averages than
those who do not because they
spent less time studying.
- 90% of a sample answered `yes’
to the question if social media
usage had a bad influence on
their study efficiency.
- Time spent on social media: 20%
of students spend 0-2h, 50%
spend 3-5 hours and 30% spend
6h or more time on social
networking.
Introduction:
The use of social network and media is
so rampant by students recently
because of the easy access by multiple
devices which are connected to the
internet. Besides the number of
devices, the number of internet pages
also increases at an incredible quick
tempo. Because of all that, excessive
usage of social network and media
tend to increase among students.What
are now the perils if its effects on the
academic performance of students? Is
academic performance becoming a
concern for some students now that
they have constantly access to the
internet?
Aims and objectives:
The main aim is to explore the
relationship between the effects of
social networking and student’s study
efficiency, and to determine if and
how social media interferes with the
grades of students. It aims to
investigate the student’s attitude
towards social networking, the
reasons for using it, the amount of
time spent on the internet etc. and the
effect that has on the academic
performance of the student.
Hypothesis (Expectancies):
An excessive use of social media has a negative
effect on the grades of students.
Methodology:
Mixed method
 Quantitative: hours spent
on social network, grades
of the students
 Qualitative: Reasons for
the use of social network
and the effects it has

Sample: 50 First year University
College students in Maastricht
Tools: Pen and paper for:
Questionnaires with open and
multiple choice questions: what
kind of sites, for what purposes
(Quali) how many hours, GPA
(Quanti) etc…
Literature review:
Wade C. Jacobsen and Renata Forste.Cyberpsychology,
Behavior, and Social Networking.May 2011.
Jacobsen, W. C., & Forste, R. (2011). The wired
generation: Academic and social outcomes of electronic
media use among university students. Cyberpsychology,
Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(5), 275-280.
Emma Vergauwen i6164450
Research Methods II

27. The use of Smartphones
Abstract
In modern society, smartphones increasingly became an inherent part of
daily life. Whilst smartphones are praised for enhancing social interactions,
more recently, also negative aspects of their frequent use have been
debunked. This research focuses on the influence of the frequent use of a
smartphone compared to not using a smartphone while studying. Thus, the
study aims at finding a pattern in the influence of smartphones on
productivity in studying.
How does the presence of a smartphone influence the ability of studying focused for students in Maastricht?
Method
• Approach: quantitative
• Independent variable: presence of smartphone
• Dependent variable: ability to focus
• Sample: random sample of 50 students from Maastricht University
• students are asked to put their phone out of reach for 3 days when
studying.
• The same students are then asked to put their phone right beside them
while studying, again for 3 days.
• After both experiments the students are asked to fill out questionnaires on
how they perceived their ability to focus
• Results of the study will, thus, be based on subjective self-reflection of the
students.Previous studies
• Studies on use of smartphones and their impact on social relations and
psychological well-being (Al-Harrasi, A. S., & Al-Badi, A. H. (2014). The
impact of social networking: A study of the influence of smartphones
on college students) & (Park, N., & Lee, H. (2012). Social implications
of smartphone use: Korean college students' smartphone use and
psychological well-being.)
• Study on use of smartphones in classrooms and its distracting features
(Grinols, A. B., & Rajesh, R. (2014). Multitasking with smartphones in
the college classroom.)
1. Construct
questionnaire & find
participants
3. Interpretation of
questionnaires
Interpretation
of results
2. let participants
conduct the experiment
& fill in questionnaires
Scientific relevance
The scientific relevance of the study is grounded in its importance for
psychological work: Can the presence of an object significantly influence our
ability to focus? If the results show a clear pattern, methods for effective and
productive studying can be improved.
Design
Research Methods II, i6164756, Nelia Mayer-Rolshoven
4. Results

28. Introduction & aim
Relevance & justification
The research will be qualitative and will use physical as well as online
surveys to collect data. Additionally earlier research will be used to justify
the conclusions we make from the collected data. Sample size will be
around 70 surveys from the four main generations: baby boomers and
generations X, Y and Z. The surveys will be analyzed and similarity’s be-
tween the generations will be observed and researched.
Week 1: Revise research proposal, write survey, spread survey
Week 2: Continue collect survey data, analyze papers written connected
Week 3: Interpretation of all data & find things in common, finish 1st draft
Week 4: Finish writing the paper
Access& Limitations
References
[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2018, from
https://goo.gl/images/X2jwU1
Amy Ingenhoest 6165082 UCM Research Methods II
How do different generations perceive their privacy in the World Wide Web?
Different generations have different opinions due to different experiences
they have had in in der life time. One of the BIG gamechangers was the
WORLD WIDE WEB. But it came with risks, that now are more viable than
ever as the Cambridge analytical scandal. The research will try to
establish if there is a continuity of decrease in perception in privacy and
weight the risks of this development.
Data and Method
The relevance of protecting our privacy has become more and more
prominent. However, often people share, upload and agree to things
with out knowing how it will/can and does intrudes their privacy. The
question now rises in Governments, do legislative adjustments need to
be made to protect people. And our research can provide some evidence
to this question if the state needs to intervene.
Earlier research
• Anne Adams (1999) comes to the conclusion that the perceived invasion of
privacy effects the users and predicts that this would lead to people being
against this violations.
• Akpojivi & Bevan-Dye (2015) showed that even if younger generations were
informed about the use companies make with their data they had nothing
against it until they heard about the intrusion of privacy. The key point is that
they need to see the user of their privacy as negative
• Christofides, Muise,& Desmarais
(2012) conclude that the plat-
form the information is collected
on can manipulate the level of
consciousness about sharing pri-
vate data.
With using online and physical surveys we will be able to
reach enough diverse sample set to generalize to a extend of
reliability. The limitations will exists due to a limited time
frame of spreading data as well as a limited possibility of
thoroughly going through a large number of surveys. Further
more, there will be difficulties reaching larger amounts of the
oldest generation why this generation will not be survey as
well as the youngest one too.

29. This proposal is for a study investigating how social media
mediates between contemporary friendships. The proliferation
of social media and subsequent importance in our lives has
transformed the traditional mechanisms of friendship and
personal bonds between individuals are no longer restricted to
physical proximity (Chambers, 2013). Facebook and Instagram
are two examples of social media that are used as a medium
of interaction between individuals and groups. Liking,
commenting and tagging each other in posts has become the
main way we communicate and an implicit rule of modern
friendship. Sharing posts with others has become a significant
method of engagement and people are expected to present
their friendships online.
Research Question:
How is social media used to maintain contemporary
friendships?
Hypothesis:
Social media is used as a metaphysical platform to
mediate contemporary friendships
Methodology:
The main method employed for this study will be a
discourse analysis of Facebook and Instagram. Using
Existing Empirical Work & References:
• Chambers, D. (2013). Social Media and Personal
Relationships. Palgrave Macmillian, UK. ProQuest

30. References
To which extent does Wikipedia’s user-interface design affect the willingness of
users to consider editing articles?
Konieczny, P. (2009). Governance, organization, and democracy on the Internet: The iron law and the evolution of Wikipedia. In Sociological Forum (Vol. 24, No. 1,
pp. 162-192). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Thornton-Verma, H. (2012). REACHING THE WIKIPEDIA GENERATION - from questions about measuring usage to patron-driven acquisition to the inexorable
challenge of dealing with wikipedia, lJ's reference editor and a gathering of publishers, aggregators, and librarians discuss reference trends and its thorny issues.
Library Journal, 137(7), 32-42.
Wikimedia (2017). English Wikipedia at a glance November 2017 [Table]. Retrieved from https://stats.wikimedia.org/EN/SummaryEN.htm
Zineldin, M. (2000). Beyond relationship marketing: Technologicalship marketing. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 18(1), 9-23. doi:10.1108/026345000103085
(2) Quantitative approach: Does design matter at all?
 Questionnaire: Ranking of the prototype-designs
according to e.g. attractiveness,
understandability, professionalism etc.
 Evaluation through e.g. Dowdall rule.
Wikipedia is a major source for quick acquirement of
knowledge  information on Wikipedia should be as
accurate as possible.
The organizational set-up of Wikipedia ensures that a
higher amount of participants in the editing process is
increasing the reliability of information  how can we
motivate more people to participate in editing articles?
Background
Methodology
(1) Qualitative part: What makes a good design for you?
- Semi-structured interviews / focus groups.
- groups of 6-9 people
- Example questions:
- What makes a good design for you?
- Do you tend to be involved with educational &
non-profit causes in general?
Mixed approach.
Development of five prototype-designs.
Theoretical framework
- Interpretivist paradigm: Only through
examining the very personal opinions
and ideas about what constitutes a
good design, the research can be
successful
- Includes a post-positivist assumption:
the result of the qualitative research
can be statistically verified
Hypothesis
A more responsive, flexible design which
puts a bigger focus on mobile devices, soft
shapes, and includes a theme color,
encourages people to contribute more to
Wikipedia in the short term.
Thilo Buchholz
i6165448

31. University College Maastricht – Paul Hausmann
Bias in the media coverage of the 2014 Israel-Gaza
War in German, French and British media
Introduction:
In the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict both sides depend on international sympathy in order to ensure crucial support primarily of financial and military nature from states all over the globe.
This is why it is argued that the conflict is nowadays to a large extent fought in the media. In this regard, the Israel-Gaza conflict in 2014 marks a recent culmination of media attention in
the Arab-Israeli conflict and both Israelis and Palestinians accused each other of making use of propagandistic news reporting in order to influence public opinion and gain sympathy in
the international arena. To what extent they might have been successful, will be investigated in this research project by answering the following research question:
Prior research:
Media bias in the coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict has been subject to a large
number of studies. After WWII the image of Israel in Western media has overall been
positive. This, however, changed after the 1967 Six-Days War and the annexation of
the West Bank and Gaza Strip by Israeli troops and is said to have reached a new all-
time low after the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, in which according to the United Nations
2104 Palestinians and 72 Israelis were killed. Most of the previous studies have aimed
to show a bias toward one of the sides but lacked to explain the origin of this bias. The
study of Michael Neureiter about media bias in the coverage of the 2010 Gaza flotilla
raid in German, British and US newspapers has been a crucial advancement, by
testing the media bias in favor or disfavor of Israel on a correlation with public opinion,
the political affiliation, the demographic composition of a country and the inter-state
relations with Israel. His study is based on Dave D’Alessio and Mike Allen’s work, who
developed a comprehensive framework for measuring media bias. Generally, there is
a research gap on potential media biasses in the coverage of the 2014 Israel-Gaza
conflict regarding German and French media, despite its high relevance. Also,
Neureiter stressed the importance of conducting continuous research on the media
coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict in order to detect shifts in media biasses.
Relevance:
Especially in the context of the recent debates about an alleged rise of antisemitic
incidents in Germany and France, it is important to achieve an understanding to what
extent this might be represented in the coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict, also
because a one-sided portrayal of news can enhance the development of antisemitic
tendencies. But the same might be said with regards to biasses favoring Israel and
Islamophobic sentiments in the German, French and British society. Generally, due to
the polarizing nature of the conflict, it is of utter importance to get a neutral picture
based on empirical evidence of its portrayal in the media. This research will contribute
to the analysis of potential bias in the media coverage of the conflict by filling the
research gap regarding the portrayal of the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict in British, French
and German media.
References:
D'Alessio, D. & Allen, M. (2006). Media bias in presidential elections: a meta-analysis.
Journal of Communication, 50(4), pp. 133-156. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02866.x.
Groves, A. (2017). ‘From Gaza to the streets of Britain’: British social media coverage of
the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. Jewish Culture and History, 18(3), pp. 331-349.
doi: 10.1080/1462169X.2017.1364051
Lopatin, E., Samuel-Azran, T. & Galily, Y. (2017). A clash-of-civilizations prism in German
media? Documenting a shift from political to religious framing of the Israeli–Palestinian
conflict. Communication and the Public, 2(1), pp. 19–34. doi: 10.1177/2057047316689795
Neureiter, M. (2016). Sources of media bias in coverage of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict:
the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid in German, British, and US newspapers. Israel Affairs, 23(1), pp.
66-86. doi: 10.1080/13537121.2016.1244381
Research Question:
To what extent was the coverage of the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict biased in German,
French and British media and how can this be explained?
Hypothesis:
The British media coverage was least critical of Israel, whereas the media in France
and Germany was more biased. This can partially be explained by analyzing the
political affiliation of the newspaper and the public opinion and demography of each
population.
Methodology:
• quantitative research
• the research will be conducted in a responsible way in accordance with general
ethical considerations
• the design of Michael Neureiter’s study on the “Sources of media bias in coverage
of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict: the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid in German, British, and
US newspapers” will be used which has shown a high degree of validity and
reliability
Sampling strategy:
• random sampling to avoid selection bias
• the sample includes all articles of five largest mainstream newspapers from
Germany, France, and the UK in time frame of 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict (8 July - 26
August 2014)
• from this sample for each newspaper 10 articles will be randomly selected, which
will all together be the unit of analysis for study
Variables:
Dependent variable: media bias
• will be established through checking the units of analysis on statement and
coverage bias, based on D’Alessio and Allen’s framework for measuring media bias
that consists of statement bias, coverage bias and gatekeeping bias
• gatekeeping bias impossible to measure since it describes the process of selecting
or deselecting certain issues for news agenda (based on ideological grounds)
• only coverage and statement bias will be measured, as in Neureiter’s study
• statement bias (also called presentation or tonality bias): when media is partial
toward or against certain issues or actors
• coverage bias (also called visibility bias): describing process when issues or actors
are more or less visible in news
Independent variables:
• Political affiliation: the newspapers that will be part of the study will be divided into
left-leaning and right-leaning based on already existing research
• Public opinion: based on BBC poll where people in several countries where asked
how they see Israel‘s influence in the world
• Demography: based on the share of Muslim and Jewish population living in
Germany, UK, and France in 2014
Steps in the project:
Step 1: A representative sample
will be created, including all
articles of the newspapers that
are part of the study in the time
span of the 2014 Israel-Gaza
conflict.
A random sub-sample of 10
articles per newspaper will be
created.
Step 2: The coverage bias will be
measured by counting quotes from
the newspaper articles in favor or
disfavor of Israel.
The statement bias will be
measured by checking implicit and
explicit arguments in the articles as
in Neureiter’s study and then
placing them on an ordinal scale
from 1 (anti-Israel bias) to 10 (pro-
Israel bias).
Together they will account for the
potential media bias in favor or
disfavor of Israel.
Step 3: The independent variables
will be measured.
Step 4: The potential correlation
between the demographic
composition and public opinion in
each society and the political
affiliation of the newspaper and the
extent of media bias favoring or
disfavoring Israel will be measured.

32. Poster Research Methods II
Date: May 4th 2018
Name: Tirza van den Boorn
ID: i6166039
Title: Poster
Tutor: Amrapali Zaveri
Course coordinator: Dr. Jeroen Moes
Course: SKI1005 Research Methods II
Faculty: University College Maastricht

33. To what extent does Social Media
have an affect on the buying
behaviour of UCM students and
what are the financial
consequences?
INTRODUCTION
Over the last decades, the use of the internet has become inevitable.
Millennials grew up during the rise of the internet, and the creation
of social media. Most students scroll through social media daily and
there is a big chance they come across advertisements. Brands use
the interactive media to advertise, as it is very easy to reach the
customer and online advertising campaigns have relatively lower
costs than traditional media campaigns. Advertising on social media
has become an enormous influencer on the buying behaviour of the
consumer, as it has an effect on the decisions the consumers make as
well. Brands have spent billions of dollars into their campaigns and
consumers have spent their money on the advertised products.
However, for students that are dependent on loans or an allowance
from the government or family, the ads might have a negative
influence on their finances as they might have too little money at the
end of the month because they used their money on products they
saw in advertisements.
QUANTITATIVE METHODS &
METHODOLOGY
An online questionnaire, with
multiple choice questions will be
most effective. However, if there is
not enough data, data collection can
be expanded through the use of
interviews. This will give more
personal answers and will
compensate with the lack of data
from the questionnaire
STEP 1 Identify dependent &
Independent variables
STEP 2 Create questions &
Answers for the questionnaire
STEP 3
Collect Data
after
distribution
of
questionnaire
STEP 4 Process & Analyse Data from
questionnaire & Write Report
PREVIOUS
RESEARCH
Adoption and usage of
online shopping (2007).
- Decision making
during shopping
online and offline
- Surveys to
households
- Amount of money
spent online and
offline
PREVIOUS RESEARCH
Effectiveness of Online Advertising (2014)
- Time spending on the internet
- Interest in certain brands
- Interest in specific platforms
REFERENCES
Pikas, B., & Sorrentino, G. (2014). The Journal
of Applied Business and Economics, The
effectiveness of online advertising: consumer's
perceptions of ads on Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube. Vol 16(4), p. 70.
REFERENCES
Soopramanien, D.G.R., Robertson, A. (2007). Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Adoption and usage of online shopping: An
empirical analysis of the characteristics of "buyers" "browsers" and "non-internet shoppers“. Vol 14(1), pp. 73-82. Doi
10.1016j.jretconser.2006.04.002

34. I S V E G A N I S M M E R E L Y A T R E N D
S T A B L I S H E D B Y I N S T A G R A M ?
N i c o l e B l o m m e n d a a l
S t u d e n t I D : I 6 1 6 6 1 9 1
U n i v e r s i t y C o l l e g e M a a s t r i c h t
R e s e a r c h M e t h o d s – S k i 1 0 0 5