Posters - UCM Research Methods 2, 2014, semester 2
1. Using UCM students to discover the mental processes behind ‘going native’
“(of a person living away from their own country or
region) – abandon one’s own way of life and adopt
those of the country or region one is living in.”
Ethnographic research, and indeed living in another culture, involves becoming ‘emotionally
enmeshed’ with the inhabitants of an area. In a sense all travel involves some degree of
becoming native even going to university in a different country.
But occasionally individuals finds it neither possible nor preferable to detach
themselves from their new homes, they choose to ‘go native’
(Tresch 2001).
How does this decision take shape? This research
will test the hypothesis that:
‘Going native’ is the process of discovering and
incorporating the values of a strange area into
an individual’s personal identity. This takes
place in a narrative structure as discoveries lead
to incorporations and incorporations lead to
more discoveries.
There are no clear statistics on how many cases of
this phenomenon occur every year but it seems
inevitable that, within UCM, all students will at
least entertain the thought of remaining in
Limburg after their studies.
To this extent, whether or not they ultimately
leave The Netherlands, all UCM students
are in the process of going native. The
sample group of this research will
therefore be comprised of
UCM students.
The methodology of this research will be to ask the sample group to write ‘field note’
style stories about their dreams and experiences (Ewing, 1994) of Dutch values
since moving to Maastricht. These ‘field notes’ will then be analysed in two ways.
Firstly, as these written accounts will give access to the students’ personal
feelings and anxieties, by assessing these accounts in terms of the research’s
hypothesis it will be possible to rank the students in terms of
how near or far we suspect they are from ‘going native’.
Secondly this ordering system will inform interviews of
the sample group designed to test our hypothetical
ranking system and therefore confirm or reject
the hypothesis itself.
Although these interviews will use the ‘field
notes’ as a touchstone, they will remain only
semi-structured. The interviewees will also
be extensively probed and broached in order to
learn about the phenomenon of ‘going native’
in the exploratory sense.
As the subjects will presumably each
represent different levels of ‘going
native’, the expected results of these
interviewees will discern a narrative
between those which are more
inclined to identify with their
previous values and those
who identify already
with Dutch values.
References:
Tresch J. (2001) On Going Native Thomas Kuhn and the Anthropological Method. Philosophy of the Social Sciences
Ewing K. P. (1994) Dreams from a Saint: Anthropological Atheism and the Temptation to Believe. American Anthropological Association
Alie Tacq I6062612
2. Choosing Studies :
external factors influencing student decision-making
Research Methods II Course Code : SKI1025 University College Maastricht
Course coordinator : Jeroen Moes Tutor : Isabel Voets Student : Caroline Ceyssens (I6072051)
Abstract: This study examines the different aspects having an
impact on students’ decision-making regarding their study. It
will focus on personal factors (Internal and External).
Objective : The objectives are to assess which of these elements usually
play the most important role for the study choice, which is one of the first
steps to choose the right career development.
Research questions : Do external factors have a bigger impact than internal factors regarding decision-making for study choice?
Hypothesis : External factors are more significant revelator of future possible outcomes for individuals than internal factors.
Methodology: Satisfied sample: 10 high school students (17-19 years old) + 10 bachelor students (18-22 years old) +
10 master students (21- 24 years old). The same amount of information will be gathered by each researcher.
Quantitative approach and post-positivist paradigm will be adopted to test relationships among empirical data.
Dependent variable: decision-making regarding study choice. Independent variable: internal and external factors.
Study steps : Choice of distinct factors (types of personality, cultural and surrounding materials) to finalize the items of questionnaire in
order to cover the external and internal factors
Two sets of questionnaires: one emphasizing on personality and the other one focalizing on the external factors such as surrounding
influences or cultural norms.
Analyze the results of the questionnaires in two ways. First, which are the more and less influencing factors. Secondly, identify possible
correlation between some factors.
Classify the data in chart in order to visualize the results and possible correlations.
Examples : (choice in a scale from 1 = “not at all” to 5 =“strongly”)
My parents influenced me in my study choice / I chose my studies alone because I am very independent / My study choice has been
influenced by at least one teacher during my stay in high school / My study choice was made in connection with my professional ambitions.
Literature review:
Levels of self-efficacy influence career decision-making. More the level is low, more the student will be undecided and more
likely to be persuaded by external factors. (Haraburda, 1998)
Determinedness regarding decision-making was affected by external pressures within the school system (Patton & Creed, 2001)
Pressure from family: teenager could choose study not to disappoint their surrounding (Waters, 2012)
Authoritarian parenting style significantly impact study choice according to the degree of strictness and rigor as well as
egalitarian parenting style having a positive influence on decision-making (Lamborn, Mounts, Steinberg, & Dornbusch, 1991).
Parent’s socioeconomic status, their educational level and biogenetic factors are stronger indicators of decision-making for
career development than factors such as personality, gender or educational background (Penick & Jepsen, 1992)
Gender and ethnicity would not change the career dreams of people (Fouad & Byas-Winston, 2005)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Internal Factor
Personality
Internal Factor
Self efficacy
External Factor
Surrounding
External Factor
Cultural
Factor 3
Factor 2
Factor 1
References:
Fouad, N. A., & Byars‐Winston, A. M. (2005). Cultural context of career choice: meta‐analysis of race/ethnicity differences. The Career Development
Quarterly, 53(3), 223-233.
Haraburda, E. M. (1998). The relationship of indecisiveness to the five factor personality model and psychological symptomology. Unpublished
doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Lamborn, S.D., Mounts, N.S., Steinberg, L., & Dornbusch, S.M. (1991). Patterns of competence and adjustment among adolescents from authoritative,
authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful families. Child Development, 62, 1049-1065.
Patton, W., & Creed, P. (2001). Developmental issues in career maturity and career decision status. The Career Development Quarterly, 49, 336-351.
Penick, N. I., & Jepsen, D. A. (1992). Family functioning and adolescent career development. The Career Development Quarterly, 40(3), 208-222.
Waters, B. (2012). "The Immense Pressure of Career Choice." Psychology Today.
Chart :
example
3. Maastricht is a thriving student city, with over 20,000 students spread over 6 main Faculties. But the feeling around Maastricht seems to be
that you attend UCM or SBE or FASOS; the community feeling is unfulfilled. Social activities between faculties are little to none. Aside from
the so sparse inter-faculty organised parties there is arguably no interaction between the students. The research question for this proposal
therefore is why is there so little socialisation between the different faculties of University Maastricht?
!
➢ Different faculties have different interests
so they do not get on with other students as well as
their own faculty.
➢ Students do not get the
opportunity to interact
with other faculties on a regular
basis to form friendships.
➢ There is a competitive nature towards other faculties
which prohibits socialising.
➢ Other faculties do socialise but UCM students do not.
!
Deductive Research ➔ Since there are numerous possible hypotheses
which need to be proven or disproven.
Method ➔ Quantitative, in the form of an online closed questionnaire
with multiple choice questions.
Population Sample ➔ 5 students from each faculty will be chosen by
random stratified sampling. That yields a total of 30 Students.
It is expected that the main reason for the lack of interaction would
be due to the limited opportunities for the students to socialise.
It should be noted that given the (unlikely) event that it is only UCM
students that do not socialise the research question would be
modified to why UCM students in particular do not socialise with the
other faculties.
WAR OF THE FACULTIES
Due to the novelty of this research there is no available empirical
work on this topic. Although this could be seen as a hindrance it
will allow for new and creative research to be conducted.
Abstract
Possible Hypotheses
Methodology
Earlier Empirical Work
Expectations
Clara Williams I6067543 25/04/2014
4. Yoga & Stress
● Research question : « What is the perceived impact of yoga on
stress and how long does it take to be able to regulate yoga through
stress ? »
-> positive impact of yoga on stress has been studied and demonstrated as
the two graphs show, but this research will concentrate on people's
perception of this impact, and on the time needed to be able to see a
significant decrease in stress level
● Methodological design: mixed method (qualitative and quantitative
approach)
Quantitative method : used to
separate people into different
categories corresponding to their
level in the practice of yoga
Categories:
- novice
- advanced beginner
- competence
- proficient
- expert
Qualitative method :- Cohen scale
(perceived stress scale) used to
measure the perception of stress
- a total of 20 questions will be
asked to people in order to measure
their perceived level of stress
● Sample : 50 people practising yoga with a level ranging from beginner
to expert (10 people for each level)
Variable: - independent: yoga
- dependent: stress
Graph : positive relationship between the hours of practice and the positive psychologial
attitudes
Source : http://sweatscience.com/tag/yoga/
Graph : the decrease in level of stress after mind body activity
Source :http://www.relishlifela.com/feel-well-be-well-act-well-workshop-proves-to-decrease-
stress-and-increase-wellness/
Interpretation of results : - the perception of the impact of yoga on stress will be assessed through the questionnaires using the Cohen scale, by looking at the
difference of answers before and during the practice of yoga
- the time needed to be able to regulate stress through yoga will be assessed by relating the decrease in stress observed in the
questionnaires to the level of yoga of the participants
Scheuer Elisa – I6072799 – Research Methods II
5. How can dropout rates among Dutch university students be decreased?
aim: explaining the high dropout rates for certain study programmes in comparison with UCM
Empirical Data
At least 31 percent of high school students having chosen to
study at university regret their choice within a year. (2014) 21
percent of WO (university) students switch programmes and
a stunning 10 percent drop out of university all together.
These numbers are quite shocking, especially in comparison
with for example the UK or Norway, where dropout rates are
respectively 16 and 17 percent. Statistically, male students,
first year students and students living independently have the
highest risk of dropping out. (Feltzer & Rickli, 2009)
Why do students drop out?
See chart (Van der Broek & Wartenbergh, 2008)
It has also been argued that for Dutch students, studying
abroad is often a better and cheaper option. Belgium, Ger-
many and many Scandinavian countries offer free tertiary
education or have lower tuition fees than in the Netherlands.
(Janssen,2014)
Others argue that the "studiekeuze" or the study programme
decision is too early in a child's life. Students are mentally not ready to make a life-changing decision at 17. Often
the students wait with their choice until the last moment, which makes for rash and unthinking choices that
increase the chance of dropping-out. (Westenberg, 2008).
Hypotheses
With the earlier empirical research, several hypotheses can already be formed.
Drop-out rates can probably be decreased by:
● providing more information, thus preventing wrong expectations
● creating an application process which will lead students to reflect upon their choice (motivation letter,
interview)
● a "studiecheck" which gives students advice if the study programme they chose would fit their
interests (is currently in effect in the Netherlands)
Methodology
● Find empirical data and earlier research on dropout rates in the Netherlands for
different study programmes (criminology, law, medicine, university college, etc.)
● Conduct a survey that questions students’ reasons for dropping out and
possible preventive measures that could be taken.
● Analyse data
● Draw comparison between studies with a high dropout rate and UCM
● Reject/Confirm hypotheses and answer the research question
Research
● Deductive
● Exploratory
● Idiographic
● Mixed Methods
6. An American Research done in 2002 shows
that 70% of the students procrastinate.
Procrastination meaning here intentionally
deferring or delaying work that must be
completed
70%
30%
Students
Procrastinators Non-procrastinators
Research question
What is the procrastination behaviour
of students in the Netherlands?
Procrastination behaviour includes:
• How long? How often?
• How? What else instead of work?
• For what kind of assignments?
• Where?
• How to stop it:
• Use of apps?
• Special concentration methods?
Method
• Online survey
• Comparing the results
• Generalization about the
procrastination behaviour of
students in the Netherlands
Approach
This research is:
• Exploratory
• Quantitative
• Nomothetic
• Inductive
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
References: Image 1: http://www.bu3.nl/social-media.html ; Image 2: http://ios.wonderhowto.com/how-to/stop-procrastinating-
iphone-reminders-app-will-make-you-do-your-chores-tasks-every-day-0148495/ ; Image 3: http://pomodorotechnique.com/.
Procrastination
Leonie van Els,
I6064737,
Research Methods II.
7. In
what
ways
do
UCM
Students
from
Different
Na9onal
Backgrounds
Have
Varying
Mo9va9on
to
Study
at
this
Ins9tu9on?
Leonie
Sophie
Treier
–
University
College
Maastricht
References:
Hemsley-‐Brown,
J.
(1999).
College
choice:
PercepFons
and
prioriFes.
Educa&onal
Management
Administra&on
&
Leadership
27(1),
pp.
85-‐98.
Maringe,
F.
(2006).
University
and
course
choice:
implicaFons
for
posiFoning,
recruirment
and
markeFng.
Interna&onal
Journal
of
Educa&onal
Management,
20(6),
pp.
466-‐479.
Projected
Results:
- Interest
in
the
topic(s)
should
be
important
for
every
naFon
- Other
factors
might
vary
in
their
importance
for
different
naFonaliFes
(tuiFon
fees
are
assumed
to
be
more
influenFal
for
BriFsh
students
than
for
instance
Germans)
- ReputaFon
and
future
possibiliFes
might
be
a
trigger
especially
for
overseas
students
Research
Design
-‐
Influenced
by
the
post-‐posiFvist
paradigm
=
find
underlying
laws
probabilisFcally
PopulaFon:
UCM
applicants
à
Sample:
voluntary
UCM
students
-‐
Methodology:
quanFtaFve
data
gathering
through
a
quesFonnaire
concerned
with
personal
informaFon
and
different
factors
influencing
college
choice
ranking
their
importance
from
1
to
10
-‐
Data
EvaluaFon:
simple
descripFve
staFsFcs
to
summarise
the
results
for
the
sample;
differenFaFng
results
for
naFonaliFes
Introduc7on:
In
the
last
years
some
research
has
been
conducted
to
discover
the
underlying
pa`erns
in
the
decision
making
process
regarding
university
and
program
choice.
Since
these
studies
neglect
the
possibility
of
naFonal
differences
in
this
process,
this
study
aims
to
discover
whether
there
are
variaFons
and
their
reasons.
The
UCM
is
a
highly
internaFonal
insFtuFon
and
the
subject
of
invesFgaFon,
as
different
naFonaliFes
decide
to
study
here.
Aim:
Discover
and
understand
varying
moFvaFon
of
students
from
different
naFonal
backgrounds
to
choose
UCM
as
their
insFtuFon
of
higher
educaFon
to
improve
UCM’s
markeFng
strategies
to
enhance
the
a`racFveness
for
even
more
foreign
students.
Main
Results
of
the
Reviewed
Literature
Felix
Maringe
(2006):
- Consumerist
approach
to
college/course
choice
(career
and
employment
prospects
outweigh
interest
in
topic)
- Importance
of
economic
condiFons
of
program
(tuiFon
fees,
living
costs
etc.)
Jane
Hemsley-‐Brown
(1999):
- Consumerist,
raFonal
decision
behaviour
in
college
choice
- also
influenced
by
social,
cultural
and
economic
background
Figure
1:
RelaFve
importance
of
factors
influencing
course
choice
Week$ Activity$
Week$1$and$Week$2$ Conduct$Survey$(Gathering$Data)$
Week$3$ Data$Evaluation$
Week$4$ Writing$the$Study$Report$
!
Schedule:
Survey
The
study
and
data
gathering
process
will
be
organised
around
quesFons
concerning
the
factors:
LocaFon,
price,
reputaFon,
subject
of
program,
future
possibiliFes,
parental/teacher
advise
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hypothesis:
Different
cultural
backgrounds
and
condiFons
of
higher
educaFon
in
the
countries
of
origin
create
different
incenFves
to
study
at
UCM.
Marinage,
F.
(2006),
p.
474)
8. INTRODUCTION
Last period I had two lectures at 8.30, the
first week I went to both, however, over the
course of the period my attendance to these
lectures started to drop. I would have been
more motivated to go to these lectures if
they had been at a later timeslot. Then
there is the Research Methods lecture at
16:00 which generally does not have a high
attendance either. It could be that people
find the lectures less interesting because it
is a course they have to take. However, it
could also be that people are unmotivated
to sit through a lecture after a day of
tutorials. This raised the question: “Does
the attendance of lectures in UCM vary
based on their timeslot?”
Oplossingen voor
informatietechnologie
Lian Swinkels
METHODOLOGY
For this research quantitative methods will
be used. A questionnaire will be distributed
by email to a sample of UCM students
(specified below). If the initial response is
too low, a hardcopy of the survey will be
given to people directly. The questions will
be based on the findings of earlier empirical
work.
The sample will consist of 15 female and 15
male students from each year group at
UCM. Therefore the survey will be
distributed among 90 students in total. This
should represent a broad population of the
UCM students.
EARLIER EMPIRICAL WORK
Attendance of students has been
researched before. Many different causes
for absence from lectures as well as
classes are noted in the researches by Bati
et al. (2013) and Fjortoft (2005). This
research will solely focus on finding a
correlation between the attendance to
lectures and the timeslot allocated for the
lectures, which is indicated as one of the
factors that influence attendance according
to both researches. Therefore it is highly
likely that the results of the questionnaires
will indicate a correlation between the
attendance to lectures and the timeslot in
which they are held.
RESEARCH
QUESTION
“Does the
attendance of
lectures in
UCM vary
based on their
timeslot?”
HYPOTHESIS
The
attendance of
lectures in
UCM does
vary based on
the timeslot
allocated for
the lecture.
ATTENDANCE OF LECTURES
RESOURCES
Bati, A. H., Mandiracioglu, A., Orgun, F., & Govsa, F. (2013). Why do students miss lectures? A study of lecture attendance amongst students of health
science. Nurse education today, 33(6), 596-601.
Fjortoft, N. (2005). Students’ motivations for class attendance. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 69(1), 107-112.
9. To what extent are emotions
influencing freshmen dropouts at the
UCM?
Marine Verdière – University College of Maastricht – Period 5
Introduction
• Dropout rate in the Netherlands is estimated at
35%.
• The relationship between emotions experienced at
the university and dropouts are pointed out by
several researches.
• Information about the impact of emotions on
college dropout would permit a better answer to
the emotional needs of freshmen to avoid
dropouts.
Hypothesis
• Similarities within groups
• Differences between males and females within
groups and between groups
• Differences between groups
Approach
• DeductiveDeductiveDeductiveDeductive and ontological researchand ontological researchand ontological researchand ontological research: the aim is to
test the validity of the results found by other
researchers, when the study is conducted on the
UCM students.
• Positivist paradigmPositivist paradigmPositivist paradigmPositivist paradigm: Formulating and testing
hypothesis, operationalizing of the concept of
emotion so that it can be measured, will to
generalize the results, will to create causality
between variables and using a quantitative
method.
• Experimental researchExperimental researchExperimental researchExperimental research: reproducing the methods
developed previously with high regards to the
research protocol, generalization from sample to a
comparable population, quantitative measurement
of outcome.
Data & Method
• SampleSampleSampleSample: 8 UCM freshmen group - 4 dropping out university (2 males, 2 females) and 4 continuing through
second year (2 females and 2 males).
• AAAAcccchievement Emotion Qhievement Emotion Qhievement Emotion Qhievement Emotion Questionnaireuestionnaireuestionnaireuestionnaire (AEQ) : 4 emotions categories: positive activating (enjoyment, hope, pride),
positive deactivating (relief), negative activating (anger, anxiety, shame), negative deactivating (hopeless,
boredom) correlated with appraisal, motivation, strategies and performances, rated between 1 and 8 (8 being
the strongest).
• VariableVariableVariableVariablessss: sex, emotions and decision towards further scholarship.
AppraisalAppraisalAppraisalAppraisal MotivationMotivationMotivationMotivation StrategiesStrategiesStrategiesStrategies PerformancePerformancePerformancePerformance
Academic
control
Self-
efficacy
Task
value
Intrinsic Extrinsic Effort Elaboration Rehearsal Self-
regulation
External
regulation
GPA at
university
M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F
Enjoyment
Hope
Pride
Relief
Anger
Anxiety
Shame
Hopeless
Boredom
M. N. van den Berg and W. H. A. Hofman, Student success in University Education: A Multi-measurement study of the impact of Student and Faculty Factors on Study Progress,,,, Higher
Education, Vol. 50, No.3 (October 2005), pp. 413-446
Pekrun et al., Academic emotions in student’s self-regulated learning and achievement: a program of qualitative and quantitative research, Educational psychologist, Vol. 37, No. 2 (2002),
pp. 91-106
Pekrun et al. Measuring emotions in student’s learning and performance: the achievement emotion questionnaire (AEQ), Contemporary Educational Psychology, Vol. 36, No. 1 (2011), pp.
36-48
Gray, Doing Research in the Real World, SAGE, 2012
10. People who are academically ambitious
are expected to perform better in
school compared to less ambitious
students. If this is the case, where
does this ambition to perform well
come from? Could we consider
educational stimulation by the parents
while growing up to be the key to
success? Or do other factors also play a
role in the development of these
academic ambitions?
Survey under UCM students collecting data
concerning:
o Personal academic ambitions
o Current academic performances
o GPA and PR
o Educational and professional aspirations
o Academic stimulation from home
o Academic achievements of the parents
Analysis of the data and the difference
between academically stimulated and non-
stimulated students
Conclude on whether educational and
professional stimulation from home affects
the academic performances and ambitions
of the student
Method
Expectations
Introduction
To what extent does parental encouragement affect the
academic and professional ambitions and performances of
students at UCM?
Megan Ferrando
Mom and dad: the key to success?
Level of academic and
professional stimulation
while growing up
Level of
academic
and
professional
motivation
Good
performance in
school and
academic and
professional
ambition
“At the end of the day,
the most overwhelming
key to a child's success
is the positive involvement
of parents.”
- Jane D. Hull,
former governor of Arizona
11. The extent to which personal implementation of YouTube videos influences the individual’s process of studying for an examination
Nadia Staiger – i6073400
Outline of Topic
Many people are known to learn better when studying using visual material. This aids their
retention of information, as it is more willingly absorbed by their memory. YouTube
videos as visual educative material are short and easily accessible ways to gain insight into
a variety of different topics, ranging from sciences and mathematics, to history and art. For
each, there is a multitude of options to choose from in case one is disappointing or not
useful. Deriving from this, it is apparent that this way of studying is ideal for individuals
searching for detailed but brief explanations of topics. Thus, students are likely to make
use of this offer especially when they are under time pressure, such as whilst studying for
an upcoming examination of any sort.
Some relevant related topics are therefore:
- Information retention through visual material vs. audio (reading) material
- Short term memory
- Success rates of last-minute studying
Some believe children should be grouped with others that share their own naturally
preferred learning style (visual, auditory etc.), while others state that all our learning
abilities are actually too similar for this to be necessary (Neighmond, 2011). Further
studies show that students learning via an online program achieved higher grades than the
students who were taught under “traditional class instruction” (Sun; Lin; Yu, 2008). This
supports that online learning seems to have no proven negative effects, yet it can still mean
that different students will achieve different results, as everyone has different ideal
learning and knowledge-retention methods. Relating to the case, this also applies to
YouTube videos, as they are not suitable as education material for all individuals.
YouTube itself has a whole section dedicated to education, which can be found under
the link www.youtube.com/t/education. The options to ‘learn’, ‘teach’, and ‘create’ are
offered, letting YouTube’s educational offers and options grow in number by the day.
University College Maastricht
Objectives
The goal of this research is to determine how many UCM students have used YouTube to
study for an examination in the past. Furthermore, it will be researched when in their
specific learning processes the video watching occurs and on what factors this use depends.
Options for this are either in the beginning, to gain background knowledge of the
specific topic, throughout the studying process, or lastly, at the end, for last minute
information and details. The second case would indicate that the person is a primarily visual
learner, as he or she relies on visual explanation throughout the whole study time, meaning
that this is the way they retain information with the highest efficiency.
Methodology
The research for this analysis will be conducted qualitatively, through surveying
individuals specifically. The topic deals with the personal study habits, preferences, and
opinions of individuals, making this approach most applicable. Via questionnaires the
participants will be able to indicate whether or not hey have used YouTube for studying,
for what type of academic fields, and at what point in their specific studying processes
before an examination. Relating to the last point, three stages have been suggested
earlier; these will be part of the examination criteria.
The results of the questionnaire will then be accumulated and compared. This will
result in a representation of the different types of learning there are. Three types have
been suggested, but this research is exploratory in the sense that the results of the survey
conduction may offer alternative conclusions.
References
Memory and Learning. (n.d.). The Brain from Top to Bottom. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/d/d_07/d_07
Neighmond, P. (2011). Think You're An Auditory Or Visual Learner? Scientists Say It's Unlikely. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/08/29/139973743/think-youre-an-auditory-or-visual-
learner-scientists-say-its-unlikely
Sun, K. T., Lin, Y. C., & Yu, C. J. (2008). A study on learning effect among different learning styles in a Web-based lab of science for elementary school students. Computers &
Education, 50(4), 1411-1422.
Limitations
The main limitation of this research will be its
exploratory nature. There is no guarantee that the
results will add up to one major conclusion.
Nevertheless, many important factors can be
explored, analyzed, and even revealed throughout the
process.
Many fields will be touched upon, such as
internet studying, effects on memory and information
retention, and of course the study habits of
contemporary university students. This all points to
the fact that a variety of information will be needed
to be involved in order to understand all these fields
in enough detail. This can become a challenge, yet
not a complete obstacle. Through careful selection of
sources and the correct implementation of the
collected qualitative data, this confusion can be
avoided.
Lastly, it is important to remember that only
students of Maastricht will be involved in the
research, meaning that conclusions can be drawn for
university students in general, but these may be
ambiguous and are no definite facts.
12. (Riezebos, 2014)
Objectives
This normative research seeks to contribute to the quality
of UM PhD students’ research publications by;
1) Identify perverse incentives in publication policies.
Is the phenomenon applicable to the UM case?
2) Measure if PhD students are affected by these incen-
tives.
How does publication pressure effect the quality of
research?
3) Based on expertise and information retrieved from
PhD students, the aim is to provide policy proposals
that remove wrong incentives and improve quality of
publications
What can be done?
Introduction of the Phenomenon
A recent study by the Dutch Educational Inspectorate stressed that
there exist severe perverse incentives in the publishing require-
ments for PhD students (Inspectie van het Onderwijs, 2014).
Recruitment, promotion, and tenure appear to be decided primarily
based on the number of articles published in a fairly select group of
peer reviewed journals, based on their relative impact, selectivity,
and relevance to business school rankings (De Rond & Miller,
2005). Publish or perish would be the prevalent academic culture
at some Dutch universities.
1) Quota on required number of publications in academic
journals for PhD students.
2) Verification bias: Research is only published if it con-
firms the hypothesis.
Yet, no university specific research has been conducted.
A recent article in the UM Observant, reviewing the Inspectorate's
rapport (Visser, 2014) and UM’s impressive results in worldwide
rankings might suggest that the quality of research and publica-
tions by PhD students is negatively affected by incentives targeting
quantity of publications.
Reinier Hoon — Maastricht University—Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Data & Method
Three Step Research
1) Policy evaluation on the existing publication
policies regarding PhD students. Directed at
identifying perverse incentives.
2) Quantitative self report survey on UM broad PhD
students, anonymous. Measuring if the quality of re-
search is threatened by quantitative requirements.
-> Groups divided in response categories. Relative
group sizes answers objective 2.
3) Constructionist, problem centered qualitative
interviews on response category indicating to be
affected by perverse incentives.
-> Based on these findings recommendations can be
formulated answering objective 3.
References
Cerejo, C. (2013). Navigating Through the Pressure to Publish. Editage Insights: Publication Ethics.
De Rond, M. & Miller, A. (2005). Publish or Perish: Bane or Boon of Academic Life? Journal of Management Inquiry, 14(4).
Economy Watch. (2011). Infographic: The Truth About Exaggerated and False Scientific Research. Economy Watch Review.
Inspectie van het Onderwijs. (2014). Toezicht op het Stelsel van Promoties: Eindrapporage over 2013. Ministerie van Onderwijs Cultuur en Wetenschappen.
Riezebos, P. (2014). In de wetenschap wemelt het van de perverse prikkels. Elsevier weblog: Wetenschap.
Visser, P. (February 24, 2014). Zorgen om “Perverse Prikkels” in Promotieonderwijs. Observant Online.
Perverse Research Incentives and Pressure to
Publish on Maastricht University PhD Students
Publish or Perish?
“Publishing is scientific pornography”
Diererik Stapel
Limitations & Ethical Considerations
1A) Self report questionnaire can prevent valuable infor
mation from entering the research.
1B) Because interviewers are linked to UM, interviewees
might be reluctant to cooperate.
Yet, questionnaires and interviews remain anonymous
2) “Marking our own homework?” Can UM students be
expected to conduct an objective research when criti
cally reviewing one’s own university? Yet, students
stand relatively independent, are protected by bu
reaucracy and have an incentive to improve quality of
research/institution.
(Economy Watch, 2011)
(Cerejo, 2013)
13. Research Question
Is there a relation between a student’s study program and his/her political attitude?
• E.g: Do SBE students vote for parties with a liberal economic view (inspired by Adam Smith)?
The relation between a student’s study and political
attitude
Sample
Stratified random sampling
Per faculty: 10 men + 10 women of which 10 are Dutch
and 10 are non-Dutch students studying at:
• UCM
• Fasos
• SBE
• Health, Medicine and Life sciences
• Law
• Psychology and Neuroscience
Roos van den Wijngaard University College Maastricht April 2014
Relevance
• Important for political party’s campaigns
• Interesting for field of psychology
• Starting point for further research on the kind of causality
between one’s study and political attitude
Methodological design
• Mixed method: online questionnaire including
qualitative + quantitave questions
• Sample of 120 Maastricht University students
• Resources
• 4 students to develop questionnaire, to
address study group and to analyze data
• 120 students
• Online program for questionnaires
Planning
1 week of preparations, 2 weeks of actual research and 1
week of data analysis
Earlier empirical research
• Attendance at a liberal arts college
significantly enhances the development
political liberalism (Hanson, Weeden,
Pascarella & Blaich; 2010))
• Political attitude is influenced by basic
personality traits (Hirsch, DeYoung,
Xiaowen Xu & Peterson; 2010)
• Personality traits such as extraversion,
conscientiousness, emotional stability
and autonomy matter for college major
choice (Humburg; date unknown)
Questionnaire
Online questionnaire for 120 students who voted during 2014’s
municipality elections including questions concerning:
• Age
• Gender
• For which party did you vote?
• What was the main reason for this choice?
• What factors influenced your decision most??
References:
• Hirsh, J. B., DeYoung, C. G., Xiaowen Xu, & Peterson, J. B. (2010). Compassionate Liberals and Polite Conservatives: Associations of Agreeableness With Political Ideology and Moral Values.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(5), 655-664. doi: 10.1177/0146167210366854
• Hanson, M., Weeden, D., Pascarella, E., & Blaich, C. (2010). Do Liberal Arts colleges make students more liberal? College student's political ideology. Iowa.
• Humburg, M. (date unknown), The Effect of the Big Five Personality Traits on College Major Choice: Evidence from a Dutch longitudinal youth cohort study. Research Centre for Education and the
Labour Market (ROA) Maastricht University,
Hypothesis
There is a relation between a student’s study and political attitude in a way that for example
Liberal Arts students are more likely to vote for liberal political parties and that economics
students are more likely to vote for parties that have a similar view as important economists.
14. Could therapy dogs be used to lower
stress levels of students?
CURRENT USE:
- HARVARD AND YALE USE
RESIDENT THERAPY DOGS
- KENT STATE IS FOUNDING PLACE
OF “DOGS ON CAMPUS”
- PARTNERSHIP WITH THERAPY
DOGS IN TRAINING
METHODS:
- LITERATURE RESEARCH
- SURVEY AMONGST STUDENTS
- INTERVIEW DR. KATHY ADAMLE,
FOUNDER OF “DOGS ON CAMPUS”
- PRACTICAL APPLICATION SUGGESTIONS
RESEARCH:
- A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT
ANIMAL THERAPY
- LITTLE RESEARCH ABOUT
APPLICATION IN COLLEGES
- INCREASING INTEREST LED BY
DR. KATHY ADAMLE
0
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
5
Evolution of cortisol and endorphine levels
after interaction with animals
Level of cortisol
Endorphines released
15. Big is watching you
How honest can people respond to
personal questions? Does it matter
whether the question is asked by a
woman or a man?
If we want people to answer truthfully to our questions,
especially when it concerns personal issues such as
sexual behaviour, the way we phrase and present this
question can make a crucial difference. Answers can
also vary depending on who is asking. And perhaps
the gender of the inquirer even matters.
The key question of this research proposal:
To what extent is self-report in
questionaires shaped by the gender
of the inquirer?
We approach this question as an investigation aimed
to identify bias in questionaire response. In three
different survey settings – private, semi-personal and
personal – we compare responses obtained by a male
and a female inquirer. A variance in response is likely
to appear in the different settings of the research, but
the possible differences between the male and female
questioners promises to be even more interesting.
Participants in self-report questionaires are influenced
and biased in many ways. Alexander & Fisher (2003)*
demonstrated, in a cross-gender investigation, that
responses to questions about sexuality were
significantly shaped by the conditions under which the
questionaires were completed. In the present
proposal, we build on this idea but take on an original
focus. We introduce the factor of gender of the inquirer
as the main element to be analysed. This factor
previously remained unconsidered.
* Alexander, M. G., & Fisher, T. D. (2003). Truth and consequences:
Using the bogus pipeline to examine sex differences in self‐reported
sexuality. Journal of sex research, 40(1), 27-35.
Questionaires are the main
methodological tool.
However, we will make use of three different
questionaire methods. The questions and answering
possibilities remain exactly the same, but the setting
changes. One part of the respondants will be asked to
complete an online survey, creating a private,
anonymous atmosphere. In half of the cases the
request comes from a woman, in the other half it
comes from a man. The second part of the participants
will be presented a paper questionaire which is to be
filled out in the presence of a male or female
researcher. The last group of participants will be
questioned in person by an either female or male
interviewer.
The survey questions will be multiple choice and they
are mainly of the personal kind. Although it is far from
final or concrete, please see the box on the bottom
right for a list of preliminary questions.
The significance of this reseach
lies in three areas.
The first one may be obvious: research methods in
itself. We investigate a certain type of bias that is
hardly taken into account in scientific research.
The results of our study can be transferred to many
academic fields in which surveys are used. As all
academics know and have probably experienced:
bias is a serious threat to validity of results and it
can hide in obscured places. Exploring and
identifying types of bias through studies like this
one, is therefore a major concern in the academic
world.
At the same, we also take a serious psychological
approach. The research question addresses
largely unconscious behaviour driven by processes
in our brain. The results learn us more about the
way in which these hidden processes 'programme'
our behaviour. The third field of study that this
research connects to, is sociology. By analysing
the human reaction to different environments and
people, we touch upon sociological questions.
Researching behavioural change due to male or
female presence, has great sociological value.
Preliminary survey questions
● How often do you flirt?
● How often do people flirt with you?
● How confidant do you feel about your body?
● How often do you have sex?
● How many friends do you have?
● In social groups, are you a leader or a follower?
● How appreciated do you feel amongst friends?
● How would you rate your popularity in your social
environment?
● How attractive would you rate yourself?
16. How fast and effectively What is the best u 4 students
can you train your way to memorize u 3 weeks practice
memory? a deck of playing u 2 methods
cards? u 1 face-off
REMEMBER?
AISE DE PAGTERLOREM IPSUM
DOLOR SIT AMET
8:30 P.M.
location time
19. Investigating eyewitness testimony
RQ: To what extent can the misinformation technique be used to alter event-specific recall?
WHY? PRIOR WORK
• Eyewitness testimoy is widely used as evi-
dence in the legal system
• False imprisonment due to eyewitness testi-
mony
• Contribute to a deeper understanding of
memory processes and provide scientific ev-
idence to support court and police proceed-
ings
• According to the Innonce Project, 73% of 311
convictions overturned by DNA evidence
were initially false due to eyewitness identifi-
cation1
HOW?
• Methodological design: quantitative, experi-
mental
• Video of simulated burglarly shown to partici-
pants, subsequently asked to recall the event
• Experimental group: covert experimenter/as-
sistant asks about the weapon during video
• Control group: no question asked
• Indicates that it is possible to influence the
formation and recall of a memory by employ-
ing several techniques
• Consolidation - the period in between the
formation of a memory and its‘solidification’-
underpins several of these techniques2
• Memories are left‘active’after formation, in
which they can be influenced by outside in-
formation3
=>
=>REFERENCES:
1:“Eyewitness Identification Reform”, Innoncence Project, no date, retrieved from: http://www.innocen-
ceproject.org/Content/Eyewitness_Identification_Reform.php
2: Memory - a Century of Consolidation, McGaugh, J. L.
3:“Planting misinformation in the humand mind: A 30-year investigation of the malleability of memory”,
Loftus E. F., 2005
20. On our way to a girl’s college
ABSTRACT
One of UCM’s key features is it’s diversity and international appearance. The Liberal Arts College attracts all kinds of different
people from all over the world because of its unique educational system and academic excellence. Nevertheless, UCM’s gender
composition is unbalanced as significantly less students are male. Gender differences to such an extent are often found in
disciplines with female connotations such as elementary school teaching or with male connotations such as knowledge
engineering. UCM, however, offers a vast amount of different disciplines within 130 different courses that reach from Economics to
International Relations. As a result, the Research Question of this project is Why are there so little male students at UCM?
METHODOLOGY
!
Population 5 male and 5 female UCM Students
Sample Participants selected by various factors (concentration, nationality) in order to ensure diversity
Variables As the research is exploratory, the variables will be developed in the process of the
conduction of the research.
Conduct Unstructured focused Interviews (qualitative research)
The focus points for the interviews will be the reason of the participants for choosing UCM
as well as the doubts that were raised in the decision process.
EARLIER EMPIRICAL WORK "
Even after extensive research on several similar topics (e.g. Gender diversity
at Liberal Arts Colleges in general or gender diversity at universities in the
Netherlands), earlier empirical work has not been found. Therefore, as the research
is exploratory and focuses on a unique phenomenon, there is no need for justification
of the relevance.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES "
!
• To figure out why UCM seems to be more attractive for
female students
• To find out why it is thus less attractive for male students
• To provide a basic idea on how UCM could increase its
attractiveness for male students
• To use the information for other University Colleges in the
Netherlands that face the same problem
• To use the information for other Liberal Arts & Science
programs that face such problem
Elena Klaas i6074531 - April 25th, 2014
21. Does the use of a „memory palace“ help students to efficiently increase their long-term memory power?#
#
!
!
!
!
6. Methodology
Hypothesis #
1. The use of a „memory palace“
leads to an increase of a
students long-term memory
power.
2. The „memory palace“ looses
its appeal to be used for
memorizing if it becomes too
energy-intensive
Experiment#
• Select 10-20 students and
divide them into two groups
• Instruct and familiarize half of
the participants with the
method of „memory
palace“ (Group A)
• Provide both groups with a list
of random 40 items and ask
them to memorize it. Group A
is asked to use the loci method.
• Ask each student to recall the
remembered items and note
the number of correctly
remembered items.
• Ask participants to recall the list
1, 7, 14 days later
• Ask Group A if loci method is
viewed useful for future:
• ( ) Yes (x) No. If no, why?______
Data & Evaluation#
• Compare and evaluate result of
both groups using contingency
table and scatterplot
THE POWER OF A MEMORY PALACE
5. Theoretical
Framework
The Memory Palace#
The „Memory Palace“, also referred to
as the method of loci, is an ancient
mnemonic device that relies on
memorized spatial relationships
between familiar loci to arrange and
retrieve memorial content (Dalgleish
et al.,2013). It works as follows:
• Step 1: Create a Memory Palace
• Step 2: Define Items and Route
• Step 3: Commit it to Memory
The human mind is good at
remembering familiar places. Thus,
the first step is to create a „memory
palace“ by choosing a well-known
location such as one’s home. Next,
items-to-be-remembers need to be
placed there and visualized, e.g.
using symbols. The more salient,
vivid, and bizarre the image linking
the material to the location, the easier
it is to recollect (Von Restorff, 1933).
!
1. Introduction
Knowledge is one of the most valuable resources
students can gain from their studies, yet parts of it often
seem to turn into useless temporary acquisitions once
the testing moment is over. Without memory, some of
the hard-studied facts can become mere ghosts of a
glory past. While some might consider this the perfectly
justified outcome of a natural selection of knowledge,
others might regret the waste. At either end, however, it
could be perfectly useful to get at least acquainted with
tools and skills to enhance one’s memory power before
giving in to the „just google it“ mentality. The „memory
palace“ is one such mnemonic device and it is often
used by geniuses like Lu Chao who is able to recall π to
67,890 decimal places without error (Raz et al., 2009).
Could the average person achieve that as well? The
research proposal at hands seeks to explore the value of
a „memory palace“ for average people, particularly for
students. It seeks to answer the question of whether a
„memory palace“ helps students to efficiently increase
their long-term memory power. Efficiency is key here for
it introduces the idea (1) to assess the success of the
„memory palace“ for the average person and (2) to
assess its desirability, that is, whether the achieved result
is worth the effort put into building a „memory palace“.
2. The Forgetting Curve
In 1855, Ebbinghaus confirmed the hypothesis of
the decline of memory retention in time. His so-
called forgetting curve illustrates how information
is lost over time if there is no attempt to retain it.
3. Grand Masters of Memory
While the majority of people succumb the law of
forgetting, some „Grand Masters“ like Frost McKee
memorize with a single sighting a random
sequence of 36 decks of cards within a hour using
the method of a „memory palace“
4. Relevance of Research
The „memory palace“ has a great potential to help
students enhancing their performance in school
and long-term knowledge repertoire, provided it
works well for the average person and can be
easily internalized. If so, the research proposal at
hands can contribute to the organization of
curriculum content and motivate a re-design.
References: Dalgleish, T., Navrady, L., Bird, E., & Hill, E. (2013). Method-of-Loci as a Mnemonic Device to Facilitate Access to Self-Affirming Personal Memories for Individuals With Depression. Clinical Psychological Science, 1(2), 156-162.Ebbinghaus,
H. (1964). Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology. New York: Dover Publications. , Raz, A.,et al . (2009). A slice of π: An exploratory neuroimaging study of digit encoding and retrieval in a superior memorist. Neurocase, 15(5), 361–372.
Von Restorff, H. (1933). Uber die wirkung von bereichsbildungen im spurenfeld [The effects of field formation in the trace field]. Psychological Research, 18, 299–342.
Gizem Kaya
22. To what extend does the lived experience of
female embodiment differ from the male?
In the cultural context that we inhabit bodily habits and
practices differ from male to female subjects. Men tend to use up
more space by standing wider and taller, engaging in more movement
while walking and while completing other tasks. Women tend to limit
themselves into using less space, crossing their arms and legs, walking
stiffer and using smaller steps. These remarkable differences between
male and female spatial behavior originate in the patriarchal society
that defines men as One and women as the Other. The aim is to gain a
deeper understanding of what female embodiment is, how it works,
looks and feels in the concrete case. More than about the specific
demarcation or experience of gendered bodies, such as
menstruations, pregnancy or the growing of body parts, this research
is concerned with the habitual comportment of men and women.
As female the proposed research views every woman, given that she
herself identifies as such, if the described account of bodily behavior applies or
not.
While the subjectivity may or may not lie independently, the body is
fixed with certain markers stating the sex of a person. Embodiment talks about
“specific experiences that have been made gendered through cultural
practices”(Alcoff, 2005, p. 106).
: How a subject comes into contact with gendered habitual
performances and practices, how it is observed and what impression it leaves.
The subject constructs reality through learned and shared
concepts, thus, perception is an active process and things gain meaning through
this act.
How a subject experiences space, how it takes up and uses space.
References:
Alcoff, L. (2005). Visible Identities. Race, Gender and the Self. USA: Oxford University Press
De Beauvoir, S. (1949).The Second Sex: Introduction. Random House: Alfred A. Knopf
Young, I. (2005). On female body experiences: “Throwing Like a Girl” and other essays. USA: Oxford University Press
- Gaining a deeper understanding of gendered experiences in cultural context
- Investigating into how the practical contact with the matter goes
- By taking a closer look into habitual body comportments and default positions a part of
everyday life is put under attention that goes by unnoticed otherwise
- Uncovering that while there may be factual differences between men and women, the
bigger part in the perceived difference between male and female behavior stems from
how the body is used
- Showing how ideas of male and female embodiment are constructed through
perception, by breaking out of preconceived ideas and habitual behavior
- Integrating and contrasting the different experiences of embodiment will lead to a more
holistic understanding of gendered behavior
Target of the research: able-bodied, student aged males and females investigating experiences of gendered
embodiment in their direct environment/cultural context
Case Studies
Breaching experiments:
- three perspectives: conductor of experiment, observer, bystander (to be interviewed)
- in typically gendered positions: walking, standing, sitting, completing different tasks
- in different contexts: university, public, work, at home
Researchers get together after the case studies, combine the gathered perspectives and compare them to
pre-collected literature/theories to form understanding on how these insights come together on the matter of
gendered spatiality.
In their research, that is partly based on own empirical observations and partly a review of pre-existing literature, philosophers such as Simone de
Beauvior and Iris Young noted that while men use put their whole body in motion while throwing a ball, women tend to limit their own movements
and generally only use the body parts directly responsible for the actions. Furthermore, they put it into cultural context by observing specific bodily
comportments and their implications on the situation of women in society. While they are surely not the only ones conducting research in that field,
the approach of this research proposal relies heavily on phenomenology and their ideas and methodology.
The research team will be able to put prior findings into their immediate context and draw their own conclusions about gendered
bodily behavior.
23. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
No
training
during
childhood
Training
during
childhood
Level
of
Spa+al-‐Temporal
Reasoning
Classical
Jazz
Electronic
Rock
The Influence of Music Training
Methodology
Analysis and relevance
References
Introduction
Since
the
foundaBon
of
music
lies
in
mathemaBcal
relaBonships,
extensive
research
has
been
done
into
the
connecBon
between
music
and
mathemaBcs
(Fiore,
n.d.).
Music
training
has
already
been
proven
to
enhance
both
long-‐term
and
short-‐term
spaBal-‐temporal
reasoning
(Rauscher,1995;
Graziano,
1999).
Thus
far,
studies
have
mainly
focused
on
the
relaBonship
between
classical
music
and
mathemaBcal
skills.
This
research
will
therefore
address
the
impact
of
several
music
genres.
Research
quesBon:
To
what
extent
do
different
music
genres,
when
prac6ced
during
childhood,
improve
our
level
of
spa6al-‐
temporal
reasoning
on
a
long-‐term
basis?
Ÿ
A
quanBtaBve
method
will
be
used.
Ÿ
CorrelaBons
will
be
calculated
between
the
level
of
spaBal-‐temporal
reasoning
of
adults
and
the
presence/absence
of
a
specific
music
training
during
their
childhood.
Ÿ
The
music
genres,
being
the
specific
music
trainings,
that
will
be
examined
are
classical
music,
jazz,
rock
and
electronic
music.
on Mathematical Skills
If
significant
correlaBons
will
be
found
and
if
there
is
a
reasonable
difference
between
the
influences
of
music
genres,
these
findings
can
be
used
as:
Ÿ
Guidelines
for
special
training
that
aim
for
improving
spaBal-‐temporal
skills
Ÿ
FoundaBon
for
further
research
Lide
Grotenhuis
–
I6065389
–
SKI1005
Ÿ
Fiore,
T.
M.
(n.d.).
Music
and
Mathema6cs.
Retrieved
from
h]p://
www-‐personal.umd.umich.edu/~tmfiore/1/musictotal.pdf
on
April
24,
2014.
Ÿ
Graziano,
A.
B.,
Peterson,
M.,
&
Shaw,
G.
L.
(1999).
Enhanced
learning
of
proporBonal
math
through
music
training
and
spaBal-‐
temporal
training.
Neurological
Research
21(2),
139-‐152.
Ÿ
Rauscher,
F.
H.,
Shaw,
G.
L.,
&
Ky,
K.
N.
(1995).
Listening
to
Mozart
enhances
spaBal-‐temporal
reasoning:
towards
a
neurophysiological
basis.
Neuroscience
LeDers
185(2),
44-‐47.
24. SKI1005-Louis Gore-Langton- Assignment1.docx
Problem Statement:
1. Memory is normally negatively
affected by psychoactive drugs
2. ‘State dependant learning’ theory
claims memory relies on repeated
mental states
3. Can repeated mental states
advantage memory
State dependent learning and cannabis
If you revise high, should you do the test high?
Previous research:
· Mohammad-Reza
Zarrindast research into
morphine with mice,
results gave strong
evidence in support of
SDL (2004)
· John Elliotson reports
incidences of SDL among
alcoholics (1835)
Tentative Hypotheses:
1. Memory is more accurate when recalling in
same mental state as when learning
2. Memory tested on cannabis will score
higher when both learning and recall are
under intoxication (rather than just one)
3. SDL will prove positive for cannabis use
SKI1005-Louis Gore-Langton- Assignment1.docx
Method and Steps:
· Controlled experiment using ten participants
· Students between ages of 20- 30 – all should previously have used cannabis,
but preferably not be regular users (maximise generalizability and decrease
confounding variables such as addiction and tolerance)
· Participants will take basic memory tests involving recall of series of numbers
and words
· The tests will be taken four times – once sober for both learning and recall,
once intoxicated for both, once intoxicated only for learning and not for recall,
and once intoxicated only for recall and not for learning.
Data Analysis and Conclusion:
The results from the four sets of tests will be compared in order to establish correlation between
memory and consistency of mental states. If the results show that the two sets of tests taken
under consistent mental states (intoxicated or sober for both learning and recall) produce higher
scores than the tests in which mental states were mixed, then we can assume a positive
correlation and this should support the hypothesis that memory is dependent on consistent
mental states. Moreover, the experiment should secure positive data for SDL in cannabis
particularly, adding to the hypothesis that usually focuses on alcohol.
25.
26. SEXUAL RISK TAKING OF MEN
in relation to their Digit Ratio
Introduction
• Risky behaviour plays a role in many
human actions. Research shows that
risk taking behaviour of men
correlates positively with prenatal
androgen hormones, such as
testosterone (Bogaert & Fisher, 1995).
Moreover, circulating levels of saliva
testosterone lead to risky preferences
in finances (Apicella et al., 2008) and
driving (Schwerdtfeger, Heims, & Heer,
2010). However, little is known about
sexual risk taking in relation to
prenatal androgenic hormones.
• Similarly determined by androgenic
hormones is the digit ratio:
• The ratio is developed in the
embryotic phase and does not change
significantly after birth.
• The ratio correlates negatively with
the level of prenatal androgenic
hormones
Research question
What is the relation between risky
sexual behaviour and androgenic
hormones, measured with the digit
ratio, in Dutch male young adults?
Data and methods
1. Sample: 40 male participants, age
20-30
2. Computation of the participant’s
digit ratio in mm.
3. 12 questions on sexual risk taking,
e.g. condom use, scores from 1 – 5.
4. Comparison of the participant’s digit
ratio with his questionnaire.
MAUD ESKES - RESEARCH METHODS II
𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 (2𝐷)
𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 (4𝐷)
27. Battle of the Ages : Who is smarter?!
One learns an incredible amount of one’s elders. Both
grandparents and parents, two completely different
generations who have an immense amount of
accumulated wisdom, are important in the process of
helping the next generation acquire knowledge.
Our elders will always be wiser, since
wisdom comes with experience and age. Which leaves
one wondering, are they more intelligent as well or will
the new generation be, as they stand on the shoulders of
giants?
Therefore this research will try to answer
the ancient question : which generation is smarter?
Introduction
• Fluid intelligence: peaks in adolescence
declines around age 30 or 40
• Crystallized intelligence grows throughout adulthood.
• The development of intelligence:
• linear growth to about 16 years.
• negative acceleration to a peak between the
ages of 18 and 21.
• gradual decline leading to the intelligence level
of 14 years old, when reaching the age of 55.
• Decrease in speed and (=intelligence) explained by the
loss of sensory acuity experienced when aging.
• IQ test measures 5 intellectual abilities: speed,
reasoning, memory, knowledge, and fluency.
Earlier Empirical Work
Methodology
Research Question : Does intelligence increase or
decrease with age?
Hypothesis : Intelligence does not come with age.
Variables:
*Independent variable = age: years one person has lived
* Dependent variable = intelligence : IQ
Sampling
Tools of Measurement
* Online IQ tests
- spatial reasoning, word analysis , quantitative skills ,
“fill in the blank” exercises, speed
Statistical analysis
- Collect all data
- Analyse per group:
- Age : mean, standard deviation,
minimums, maximums, variance
- IQ : mean, standard deviation,
minimums, maximums, variance
- create visual representations
- compare data
Planning
Expectancies
Expectancy is to find a negative parabolical relationship
between intelligence and age
The average IQ lies around a hundred within the world
population. There is to be expected to find a slightly
higher IQ due to the area of the world where the test will
be conducted. The peak IQ is expected to lie around 20
years of age.
Limitations
Limitations
- Small sample
- University only level of inquiry
- cross-sectional study of independent individuals
- Confounding variables:
- Biological factors : heritence,
implications during birth, nutrition,
drugs, medication etc.
- Environmental factors : upbringing,
number of siblings, quality of education,
socio-economic status etc.
28. Ophélie Hue i6066705
Method
1. Collect data for the attendance of men and women at various
classes at UM Sport to asses the population.—This could either
be done by counting people at the door or asking the UM Sport
office for the data.
2. Compare the different types of activities (ie group classes vs
personal gym session).
3. Provide a survey to fill out, differentiating male and female
participants, in which they can determine
- Which sporting activities interest them the most
- Why they participate in sporting activities
- What effect a group class with an instructor has on
their performance
- What effect being alone in a gym has on their
performance
4. Interviews with approximately 10-20 participants could also be
beneficial and enable us to delve deeper into the motivations of
individuals for their preferences in sporting activities.
Introduction
By attending classes at UM Sport on a regular basis, it has
come to my attention that the group classes (SuperHIIT,
Power Kick, Workout Mix) are very densely female
populated.
The Social Psychology concepts of Social Loafing and Social
Facilitation suggest that in certain cases, the presence of
others can either enhance or reduce our performance.
This depends on the task at hand, but there is also a
variation between males and females.
The aim of this research is to determine why we find more
females than males at these group classes.
Social Loafing and Social Facilitation
The concept of Social Loafing explains the situation where the
presence of others relaxes us, while Social Facilitation explains
where the presence of others energises us, thus encouraging us to
“work hard”.
When working in a group, men are more likely to “slack off”
Women tend to have higher relational interdependence (meaning
that they place more importance on personal relationships with
others.
In Social Facilitation,
the emphasis lies
with the presence of
others, not if they
are actively a part of
your group.
Earlier Empirical Work
Social Facilitation research has been carried out regarding
introverts and extroverts in a sports environment
- Extroverts were found to perform better, most
likely due to the attention they received and felt
comfortable with (Graydon & Murphy, 1995).
As Figure 1 shows, the performance of a task will vary
depending on the arousal (surrounding people) of a
person, but also the difficulty/ familiarity of the task
(Aronson et al. 2002).
Figure 1
Presence of others
Individual efforts cannot be
evaluated
Individual efforts can be
evaluated
No evaluation apprehension Alertness
Evaluation apprehension
Distraction– conflict
Relaxation Arousal
Social Loafing Social Facilitation
Enhanced
performance
on complex
tasks
Impaired
performance
on simple
tasks
Enhanced
performance
on simple
tasks
Impaired
performance
on complex
tasks
Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D., & Akert, R. M. (2002). Social Psychology Global Edition (4th Ed). Boston: Pearson Education Graydon, J. & Murphy, T (1995). "The effect of personality on social facilitation whilst performing a sports related task." Personality and Individual Differences 19(2): 265-267.
30. Immigration Securitization: Post-9/11 Discourse on the
US/Mexican Border
Anna Bernstein
Introduction
Methodology
Background Info: Post-9/11 Immigration
• After NAFTA and before 9/11, the US was posed
for immigration reform, but this was an early
casualty of the 9/11 attacks (Andreas, 2003).
• In 2003 the domestic department of immigration
was dissolved and was put under control of the
newly formed Dept. of Homeland Security, created
to protect national security and fight terror
(Rosenblum, 2011)
• By 2006 the budget for Border Patrol increased by
$40 billion, the number of deportations tripled,
and 700 miles of steel fence was built on border
(Rosenblum, 2011)
• Qualitative discourse analysis of contemporary political
secondary and primary sources on immigration from
the years after 9/11
• Sources will consist of speeches by President George
W. Bush and Senators of border states such as
California, Texas, and Arizona
• Sources will be linguistically analyzed to assess the
extent to which the political discourse frames Latin
American immigration as a security threat
*references on accompanying text*
After 9/11 immigration changed from a political issue
to a matter of national security - with the border
between the US and Mexico becoming particularly
securitized (Ramirez, 2009; Tirman, 2006; Andreas,
2003).
How has this post-9/11 securitization of the
US/Mexican border manifested itself in the
political discourse concerning Latin American
immigrants in the US?
31. STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE 2014 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTION
Introduction:
With the upcoming eighth EU Parliament election the
concern about the participation of European citizens
rises.
A clear trend can be seen that the voter participation in
the European Parliament elections has declined steadily
in the last 35 years. (Fig. 2)
Little is known about what drives young people to not
make use of their right to vote.
First aim: to examine if there has been a change of
voter participation in the sample group.
Second aim: to find out what the reasons for the
possible lack of interest within the student body of UM
are.
KEY INFORMATION:
Type: Mixed
Sampling Method: Survey & Interview
Sample Population: Students 18-30
years (EU citizens)
Sample Size: 50 (survey) 10 of those
will be interviewed
Research Question: Why do Maastricht
University students NOT care about the European
Parliament election anymore?
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/aboutparliament/en
/000cdcd9d4/Turnout-%281979-2009%29.html
Fig. 2
Justification:
If the outcome of the EU Parliament
election continues the trend of a
decline of voter participation, then
reasons for this lack of interest might
be found. Whether it is the feeling
that their vote does not count in
the bureaucracy of the EU, or the lack of motivation to
fill out the ballot.
However, if the unlikely event happens and the turnout
shows an increase in participation then the question
arises why that happened in this particular election.
After a steady decline in all former elections. It could be
seen in connection with the ongoing economic crisis or
the occuring upheavals in Ukraine, as they might
function as a catalysator for a European communal
sense. The question is: Do students in a truly European
city like Maastricht care more or less about the
elections than students in other cities?
Methodology:
Due to the limited time of the
research project the preferred form
of solely interviewing students is not
applicable, but the mixture of surveys
and interviews will provide enough
relevant data to work with. Therefore,
the methodological approach will
focus on surveying, randomly
selected students from Maastricht
University and then, on the basis of
the outcome of the survey, ten
people will be selected and invited
for a follow up interview. In these
interviews the deciosions for or
against the participation will be
analysed thoroughly.
Fig. 1
Fig. 1:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/common
s/f/fc/EP-constituencies.svg
Analysis:
The results of the survey will be
analysed and upon the
findings a correlation
between the possible lack of
interest and other socio-
economic factors will be
worked out. Upon these
findings the questions for the
interview will be adapted.
Limitations:
The outcome of this research
will not be representative for
the general voting behaviour
of young students. However,
it can show a trend on voting
participation, because of the
international environment in
Maastricht which creates a
sample of European students
that all study in the heart of
Europe and thus should have
a inclination towards caring
about the outcome of the
election.
32. Dina Amro – i6072501 – University College Maastricht – Research Methods II – Jeroen Moes
The Israel and Palestine struggle has existed at least since the 15th
of May in
1948. This is when Israel was established, and a bare minimum of 300,000
Palestinians were exiled into becoming refugees. Since this day, there has been
a social movement for the liberation of Palestinian land, and the return of
refugees. This social movement has traveled from being domestic to being
international. At least since 2005, there has been a global call for the boycott of,
sanctions on, and divestment from Israel (BDS). This research, if conducted
would study the relationship between individual knowledge, and struggle over
knowledge production on the likelihood of the Palestine Liberation Movement
(PLM) spreading into Maastricht University.
Figure1 : From the left, these are the flags pf Israel and Palestine. Retrieved from Wikipedia
T
This research will employ mixed methods in two stages:
1. Quantitative: Students would be examined for their trivial
knowledge on the ongoing struggle and some history. This would
be stratified random sampling to get a proportional number of
students from each faculty
2. Qualitative: Using interviews, there can be a comparison
between those whose exams showed that they know a lot about the
conflict and those whose exams showed the opposite. The
information could for example, show that those who know more
are more likely to mobilize for the cause.
Figure2Right: Palestinian women in traditional dress. Left: Future leaders of the Palestine Liberation
Organization. From: Institute for Palestine Studies
RQ: "How does the flow of information to possible movement participants
influence the likelihood of their mobilization with relevance to Maastricht
University and the Palestine liberation Movement?"
The subquestions that can help with answering this include: "How do social
movements, such as environmentalism and the PLM compete for space in
the public sphere?" there is scholarship on this topic:
"The reason for these strong selection pressures is that the public sphere is a
bounded space for political communication characterized by a high level of
competition" (Koopmans, 2004)
Another subquestion is "How is the information that student know about the
PLM framed?" and framing is defined by Gamson and Wolfsfeld (1993) as:
"A frame is a central organizing idea, suggesting what is at issue. It deals with
the gestalt or pattern-organizing aspect of meaning"
This research is important for the framing theory, for example, because it
provides these theories with more validity if it confirms them.
Like someone doing market research for the introduction of a new product, this
research can act as a test for the likelihood of the success of a Students for Justice
in Palestine (SJP) here in Maastricht
Figure 3 Taken from UrShalem.com, this cartoon shows people who will avoid mobilization at all costs: "occupy a barstool movement"
33. • On
March
19th
2014,
Maastricht
residents
were
called
to
cast
their
votes
for
the
municipal
elec<ons.
Municipal
decisions
impact
directly
the
lives
of
the
residents,
and
are
therefore
the
closest
poli<cs
to
us.
• With
16%
of
students,
Maastricht
can
be
defined
as
a
“student
town”.
This
amount
definitely
has
a
weight
in
the
elec<ons.
• Only
46.86%
of
the
popula<on
voted
in
the
last
elec<ons.
The
“Senioren
Par<j
Maastricht”
won
with
15.04%
of
the
votes.
• The
numbers
above
suggest
a
general
absenteeism
trend,
which
considering
the
winner
leads
us
to
believe
it
regarded
students
as
well.
Introduc<on:
The
research
ques<on
is
therefore:
“Was
there
an
absenteeism
trend
among
students
at
Maastricht
2014
municipality
elec;ons
and
what
were
its
causes.”
Such
a
research
would
be
helpful
also
to
understand
what
poli<cal
par<es
and
the
city
of
Maastricht
can
do
to
tackle
the
issue
of
absenteeism.
Previous
research
• Quintelier,
Hooghe
and
Marien
(2011)
discovered
that
young
people
have
less
moral
appeal
toward
poli<cs.
Especially
those
who
feel
to
be
morally
and
socially
a
minority.
It
could
be
that
students
feel
they
are
not
taken
into
considera<on
enough,
and
the
language
barrier
can
make
interna<onal
students
feel
as
a
minority.
• Hercus
(2011)
suggests
that
absenteeism
among
students
is
caused
by
a
lack
of
informa<on
and/or
a
nega<ve
percep<on
of
the
candidates.
He
also
found
that
there
is
a
lack
of
interest
and
importance
associated
with
local
elec<ons,
due
to
the
students’s
transient
nature
• Bouza
(2014)
found
out
that
youth
absenteeism
creates
a
vicious
circle
where
par<es
neglect
youth
issues
and
young
people
react
by
vo<ng
even
less.
Hypotheses
From
the
previous
research
the
following
hypotheses
can
be
deducted:
1. Absenteeism
might
be
related
to
the
common
impression
that
vo<ng
is
useless
2. They
will
not
be
living
their
whole
life
in
Maastricht
so
do
not
think
it
is
necessary
to
vote
3. Par<es
neglect
them.
They
do
not
try
to
involve
students
enough
4. Lack
of
informa<on
and
language
barrier
(for
EU
students)
about
the
elec<ons
Methods
• The
first
step
(week
1)
of
the
research
will
consist
in
contac<ng
the
municipality
to
see
if
we
can
have
more
data
on
the
elec<ons
and
on
absenteeism
• A
second
step
(week
1),
related
to
the
third
and
fourth
hypotheses
will
be
to
interview
poli<cal
representa<ves
to
understand
how
much
is
student
votes
important
to
them
and
what
they
are
doing
to
involve
students
in
local
poli<cs.
Those
qualita<ve
interviews
will
be
structured,
based
on
the
hypotheses
of
the
research.
The
analysis
of
the
data
will
be
content-‐centered.
• The
main
element
(week
1,2,3)
and
third
step,
of
the
research
will
be
a
quan<ta<ve
survey
based
on
the
hypotheses
above.
This
ques<onnaire
will
be
distributed
through
the
main
social
medias
(such
as
“Sharing
is
Caring”
on
Facebook)
so
that
a
wide
variety
of
students
can
answer
it.
Municipal
Elec<ons
Results:
Source:
nos.nl
(2014)
Quintelier,
E.,Hooghe,
M.,
and
Marien,
S.,
(2011).
The
Effect
of
Compulsory
Vo<ng
on
Turnout
Stra<fica<on
Paderns:
A
Cross-‐na<onal
Analysis.
Interna;onal
Poli;cal
Science
Review,
32(4),
396-‐416.
Hercus,
J.
(2011).
Youth
voter
turnout
in
New
Zeland:
percep<ons
and
aitudes
of
student
non-‐voters
in
the
2010
local
body
elec<ons.
University
of
Otago,
Dunedin.
Bouza,
L.
(2014).
Addressing
Youth
Absenteeism
in
european
elec<ons.
Interna<onal
Ins<tute
for
Democracy
and
Electoral
Assistance.
Fédora
Bernard
f.bernard@student.maastrichtuniversity.nl
-‐
University
College
Maastricht
34. Kai Koenemann, I6064990 SKI1005 Research Methods II, First Assignment Tutor & Course Coordinator: Jeroen Moes Tutorial Group: 07 25.04.2014
References: Uppsala Conflict Data Program (Date of Retrieval, 14/04/22) UCDP Conflict Encyclopedia: www.ucdp.uu.se/database, Uppsala University; Figure 1: Themnér, Lotta & Peter Wallensteen, 2013. "Armed Conflict, 1946-2012."
Journal of Peace Research 50(4); AK-47 Images retrieved from http://www.full-stop.net/2011/12/12/blog/nika-knight/on-the-ak-47-as-jewelry/attachment/ak47s/ , 23.04.2014; Francisco Dans, A map of armed conflicts in Africa between
1997-2011, UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, accessed through www.indexmundi.com, 23.04.2014
Overview
Media coverage on conflict has been primarily focused on the crisis in the Ukraine and the
civil war in Syria for the last several months. Although these conflicts bear great danger for
international peace, there has been a seeming public neglect over other regions and nations
of the earth still facing serious violent clashes. With approximately 40 armed-conflicts still
ongoing (UCDP, 2014), one can only question the extent to which these are aware among
the student body; the politicians and policy makers of tomorrow. What do they know about
armed conflicts in practice?
Research Aim
- The underlying aim of the research is guided towards raising awareness and self-reflection among
the UCM student body on the occurrence of armed conflict, beyond what mainstream media covers.
- RQ: What (kind of) knowledge does the UCM student body generate on the issue of armed conflicts
around the globe and how can the extent of this knowledge be understood and evaluated?
- To further guide the broad RQ, subsequent aspects of inquiry:
What specific regions and states are primarily known?
Are numbers of casualties, military forces and overall spending known?
How do the students define terms such as “war”, “armed conflict” and “peace”?
o What are the prominent features mentioned?
Is it of the student´s interest to gain more knowledge on armed conflicts in the world (“Do they
care”) and how do they explain their attitude?
How did the student obtain this kind of knowledge
How could the provided answers of the questions above relate back to the student´s cultural
heritage and academic concentration?
Generating Data and Method
1. Create a qualitative questionnaire, including specific questions such as name, age, gender,
academic concentration, current semester, place of birth. Additionally, open questions engaged
with the tentative questions of the research aim will be constructed.
2. Using quota-sampling within UCM, the three main strata being the academic disciplines
(Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences), an equal amount of 30 subjects (50% M/F) pro strata will
be asked to fill out the questionnaire
3. Generate raw data Analysis of tendencies and deviances of produced findings Elaboration of
analyzed data
4. Analyzed data will further be investigated, by conducting informal interviews with 6 subjects of
each strata (50% M/F) that agreed on the questionnaire to participate
5. Reevaluation of Step 3. How did the students view the findings, what were their explanations for
some of the tendencies found and how did it differ from the interpretation of the research team
(comparison back to step 3)?
6. Drawing of conclusions, beginning with paper writing
7. Finalization of the research
What do YOU know about
Armed Conflict?
Kai Koenemann, University College Maastricht
Fig. 1: Armed Conflicts by Region, 1946-2012 (Lotta & Wallenstein, 2013)
Possible Conclusions and Implications
- Given the international student body of UCM, the produced knowledge could reflect a large range
of information and perspectives concerning armed conflicts, facilitated by the interaction between
peers from various cultural backgrounds
- Differences in academic concentrations could solidify the extent to which the student can provide
background knowledge, though most subjects can engage with the topic in an unrestricted way
- If great divergences are found within the questions of definition, it could outline the need for overall
clarification or articulation of these very concepts to enhance students interests for, and engagement
with, this vital topic
- Ultimately, I hope to raise awareness to the fact that suffering due to armed conflicts goes far
beyond what we hear and see on a daily basis and that it is important to keep this in mind
35. Introduction:
In the municipali elections this year, less than half (46,9%) of
the citizens allowed to vote actually casted their vote
(Trouw, 2014).
The winning party was the Senior Party (Senioren partij),
which focuses on citizens older than 50 years. In a city with
about 16.000 students (on a population of 120.000 people)
this is a surprising result, because the Seniorparty does not
necessarily represent the needs of students. (Senioren Partij,
n.d.).
Did students go voting? And if not, what withheld them? By
researching the voting behavior of students, their turnout
rate could be increased in the future.
Which group to research?
(sample)
250 students who are doing their
bachelors.
Age between 18 - 25
Students at Maastricht University
(UM).
It is furthermore intended to
represent students from all different
faculties., programs and
nationalities.
Source: Circle, n.d.)
How to research this?
A questionnaire will be used, because it can address a
large group of students
The questions of the questionnaire will be closed ended
questions (yes/no; multiple choice and scaled questions)
and some open ended questions.
Example questions: did you inform yourself about the
different parties eligible in the recent municipal elections of
Maastricht? Are you interested in the local politics of
Maastricht?
The results will then be analyzed statistically.
Research question:
What were the reasons for students of Maastricht
to abstain from voting in municipal elections?
What are the expected independent variables?
Possible independent variables (O’Loughlin & Unangst, 2006):
o Bonding with the city of Maastricht, depending on:
Time living in Maastricht
Contacts with local community
Expectancy of staying in Maastricht for a longer period
o Knowledge about the local politics of Maastricht.
o Nationality of the student
o Practical reasons: no time or lacking knowledge about the procedure.
http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/30480/Gemeenteraadsverkiezingen-
2014/article/detail/3618807/2014/03/20/Senioren-Partij-grootste-in-Maastricht.dhtml
http://www.seniorenmaastricht.nl/v1/index.php
What does earlier work tell us?
American students are more motivated to vote when they can vote close to their
campus (Niemi and Hanmer, 2004).
Factors such as inexperience and the political culture of their group can cause
young people to decide not to vote (O’loughlin & Unangst, 2006).
Did you vote?
What are the reasons for students to abstain from voting in Municipal elections?
36. LESS LESS LESS!
The PVV Mindset
- a qualitative research
Introduction
Over the last decade, there has been a shift in
the voting pattern in the Netherlands. Whereas
in the twentieth century the average political
opinion tended more and more to the left side of
the spectrum, in the first decade of the twenty-
first century this changed completely. Radical
right wing parties and politicians emerged and
grew in popularity very quickly. The most
popular right wing party at the moment is the
Partij voor de Vrijheid (Party for Freedom, from
now on called PVV), led by the charismatic
politician Geert Wilders.
This research aims to show the motivations of
PVV voters and wishes to identify certain themes
related to PVV voting.
RQ: WHAT ARE THE INTRINSIC AND EXTERNAL MOTIVATIONS FOR SOMEONE TO VOTE PVV?
Earlier Research on the Topic
Much research has been done to show the trend
of radical rightwing voting, in the Netherlands
and outside. For example Rovny (2014), who
shows that right wing voting is indeed increasing.
There is also no lack of quantitative research on
the topic, which shows the demographics of the
average PVV voter. An example of this is van der
Waal, de Koster & Achterberg (2013) who show
that PVV voting is most common in cities where
different ethnicities live mostly apart from eadh
other.
Qualitative research that tries to understand
personal, and general, motives for PVV voting is
still lacking, however. This research aims to fill
that gap.
Methodology and Sampling
The proposed research will be a qualitative one, since its
aim is to create narratives of PVV voters about their
motivation to vote the way they do. It assumes an
interpretivist paradigm, so the goal is not the formulation of
a theory, but rather the identification of certain reoccuring
themes related to PVV voting and the provision of insight
into personal motivations of PVV voters.
The research method will be interviewing. The interviews
will be semi-structured and problem-centered. The first,
minimally structered interview will be used to identify
certain themes on which can be further elaborated in the
slightly more structured follow up interview. The first
interview can be based on a broad question such as ‘what
moved you to vote PVV?’. Themes that could pop up are
Wilders’ personaility, childhood, immigrants, etc. The
second interview will be structured according to these
themes.
The sampling will happen according to a criterion (voting
PVV). To find respondents earlier quantitative research will
be used. If those show that a lot of elderly people vote PVV,
for example, a request will be placed on a notification board
in an elderly home. A few of these categories will be
identified and targeted. From there on snowball sampling
will be used to find more respondents.
References
Rovny, J. (2013). Where do radical right parties stand? Position blurring in multidimensional compete
tion. European political science review, 5(01), 1-26.
van der Waal, J., de Koster, W., & Achterberg, P. (2013). Ethnic segregation and radical right-wing voting in
Dutch cities. Urban Affairs Review, 49(5), 748-777.
Source picture
Metronieuws. (2013). Geert Wilders Trapt Af [Photograph]. Retrieved on April 24, 2014 from, http://
www.metronieuws.nl/nieuws/algemene-beschouwingen-geert-wilders-trapt-af-met-motie-van-
wantrouwen/SrZmiy!0sbjMfbRKtf0A/
