Dutch Citizens Research Articles

Affective Aspects of Religiousness and 6-Year Course of Depressive Symptoms in Aged Dutch Citizens.

In prospective studies on religiousness and depressive symptoms, it remains unclear whether religiousness is a predictor or parallels the fluctuating course of depressive symptoms. The current study focuses on several affective aspects of religiousness in their associations over time with late life depressive symptoms. As part of the population-based Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, a subsample of 222 respondents (mean age 76.3 years) completed up to three postal questionnaires with 3-year intervals. The questionnaires included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale and subscales of the Questionnaire God Representations and the Brief Religious Coping scale. Analyses were performed using mixed model analysis and logistic regression. Positive feelings toward God were associated with fewer depressive symptoms over time. Anxiety toward God, discontent about God, and negative religious coping predicted more depressive symptoms over time (between-subject effects) but also tended to run parallel to the course of depressive symptoms (within-subject effects).

Are Certain Types of Microtargeting More Acceptable? Comparing US, German, and Dutch Citizens’ Attitudes

Much of the research on political microtargeting has focused on growing public concerns about its use in elections, fuelling calls for greater regulation or even a ban on the practice. We contend that a more nuanced understanding of public attitudes toward microtargeting is required before further regulation is considered. Drawing on advertising psychology research and the results of academic analyses into microtargeting, we argue that individual concern, and by corollary, acceptance of microtargeting will vary based on socio-demographic characteristics and political orientations, and the type of personal data used. We hypothesise that microtargeting that relies on observable or publicly accessible personal information will be more accepted by voters than that which uses unobserved and inferred traits. We test these expectations and the expected variance of public acceptance by individual characteristics using comparative survey data from the US, Germany, and the Netherlands. We find that across countries and socio-demographic groups, not all microtargeting is considered equally problematic. For example, whereas the use of age and gender is generally deemed acceptable, the use of sexual orientation is not, and right-leaning individuals are more accepting than those who lean left. Additionally, overall, the US is more accepting of microtargeting than Germany or the Netherlands. Thus, we find that not all microtargeting is considered equally problematic across countries and socio-demographic groups. We conclude by calling for a more contextualised debate about the benefits and costs of political microtargeting and its use of “sensitive” data before the expansion of current regulation.

Determinants of Citizens' Intention to Participate in Self-Led Contact Tracing: Cross-Sectional Online Questionnaire Study.

Contact tracing (CT) is a key intervention to contain outbreaks of communicable diseases. During large-scale outbreaks, public health services may lack the resources required to perform CT effectively. One way of mitigating this issue is to shift some of the tasks in CT normally performed by public health services to cases and their contacts, supported by digital tools. We refer to this as "self-led CT." However, while the effectiveness of the self-led CT inherently depends on the willingness and skills of citizens to participate, the determinants of citizens' intention to participate in self-led CT are not yet fully understood. We aimed to identify determinants of Dutch citizens' intention to participate in self-led CT and assess their potential for behavioral change, so as to identify "behavior change targets," which may be used in the development and implementation of self-led CT to increase citizens' intention to participate. In March 2022, we performed an online cross-sectional questionnaire study. The questionnaire was developed based on findings from a previous exploratory semistructured interview study and distributed among a Dutch consumer panel. Using all questionnaire items as potential predictors, we performed a random forest analysis to identify determinants of citizens' intention to participate in self-led CT. We then performed an Agglomerative Hierarchical Cluster Analysis to identify groups of related determinants that may be considered overarching behavior change targets. Finally, we used Confidence Interval-Based Estimation of Relevance and calculated the Potential for Change Indices to compare the potential for behavioral change of the selected individual determinants and determinant clusters. The questionnaire was completed by 3019 respondents. Our sample is representative of the Dutch population in terms of age, gender, educational level, and area of residence. Out of 3019 respondents, 2295 (76%) had a positive intention to participate in self-led CT. We identified 20 determinants of citizens' intention that we grouped into 9 clusters. In general, increasing citizens' trust in the digital tools developed for self-led CT has the highest potential to increase citizens' intention, followed by increasing the belief that using digital tools makes participating in self-led CT easier, reducing privacy-related concerns, and increasing citizens' willingness-and sense of responsibility-to cooperate in CT in general. Overall, Dutch citizens are positive toward participating in self-led CT. Our results provide directions for the development and implementation of self-led CT, which may be particularly useful in preparing for future, large-scale outbreaks.

Citizen’s perspective on pandemic preparedness

Abstract In the aftermath of COVID-19, pandemic preparedness has become a key concern for governments and public health institutes across the world. As policymakers and scientist grapple with the lessons learned and implications for pandemic preparedness, it is also imperative to take the perspectives of citizens into account. To explore the perceptions and expectations regarding pandemic preparedness, the Behavioural Unit of RIVM conducted a qualitative follow-up study amongst a representative sample of Dutch citizens. At different locations in the Netherlands focus groups were organized with diverse participants. The topic guide was based on an analysis of a previously administered pandemic preparedness questionnaire and theoretical framework, also presented in the current workshop. Topics included risk perceptions, trust in government and other institutions versus self-reliance and the role of media and communication. Furthermore, pandemic preparedness was contrasted with other forms of disaster and crisis management. During the presentation the latest results are shared, and we will discuss possible policy recommendations and how the general public can be involved to develop a better understanding of their needs with respect to preparedness.

Designing a Positive Health Dialogue Tool for Adolescents and Young Adults: A Mixed Methods Study.

Being able to express and address strengths and needs related to health is an important asset to enhance resilience during emerging adulthood. Towards this end, we aimed to develop a specific version of the My Positive Health (MPH) dialogue tool for this developmental period (ages 16-25). By adopting a broad perspective on health and striving for applicability in various settings, this tool ultimately seeks to promote integrated collaboration across various domains (healthcare, social care, school). The tool was co-designed with end users, using mixed methods: a descriptive cross-sectional survey questionnaire (N = 118) followed by qualitative focus groups and interview sessions (N = 36). Participants were Dutch citizens (mean age 21.6; 79% female) who were stratified by educational level and chronic disease status (yes/no). The final selection of the content of the tool was made during expert sessions. A preference appeared for the following dimensions to be part of the dialogue tool: My body, My feelings and thoughts, Meaningfulness, Quality of life, Participation and Daily life. Each dimension was operationalised by aspects (43 in total) to facilitate reflection and dialogue. The following new aspects that are typical for emerging adulthood were formulated and included in the dialogue tool: 'Confidence in yourself', 'Being in control', 'Having confidence in the future', 'Self-expression', 'Meaningful relationships', 'Being able to work or study' and 'Ability to plan'. Other aspects derived from the adult and children's versions of the MPH dialogue tool. A dialogue tool was designed for individuals aged 16-25 in various health- and vulnerability-related conditions and with applicability in various domains. The development of the dialogue tool was specifically driven by the needs expressed by the users themselves. Planned public and patient contribution comprised consultation and collaboration in (i) design, (ii) recruitment, (iii) focus group sessions, (iv) analysis and discussion of the data and (v) dissemination. Not applicable.

Using XGBoost and SHAP to explain citizens’ differences in policy support for reimposing COVID-19 measures in the Netherlands

AbstractSeveral studies examined what drives citizens’ support for COVID-19 measures, but no works have addressed how the effects of these drivers are distributed at the individual level. Yet, if significant differences in support are present but not accounted for, policymakers’ interpretations could lead to misleading decisions. In this study, we use XGBoost, a supervised machine learning model, combined with SHAP (Shapley Additive eXplanations) to identify the factors associated with differences in policy support for COVID-19 measures and how such differences are distributed across different citizens and measures. We use secondary data from a Participatory Value Evaluation (PVE) experiment, in which 1,888 Dutch citizens answered which COVID-19 measures should be imposed under four risk scenarios. We identified considerable heterogeneity in citizens’ support for different COVID-19 measures regarding different age groups, the weight given to citizens’ opinions and the perceived risk of getting sick of COVID-19. Data analysis methods employed in previous studies do not reveal such heterogeneity of policy support. Policymakers can use our results to tailor measures further to increase support for specific citizens/measures.

Preferences for the Societal Impacts of a Pandemic when it Transitions into an Endemic: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

The stage of the pandemic significantly affects people's preferences for (the societal impacts of) COVID-19 policies. No discrete choice experiments were conducted when the COVID-19 pandemic was in a transition phase. This is the first study to empirically investigate how citizens weigh the key societal impacts of pandemic policies when the COVID-19 pandemic transitions into an endemic. We performed two discrete choice experiments among 2181 Dutch adults that included six attributes: COVID-19 deaths, physical health problems, mental health problems, financial problems, surgery delays and the degree to which individual liberties are restricted. We used latent class choice models to identify heterogeneous preferences for the impacts of COVID-19 measures across different groups of respondents. A large majority of the participants in this study was willing to accept deaths to avoid that citizens experience physical complaints, mental health issues, financial problems and the postponement of surgeries. The willingness to tolerate COVID-19 deaths to avoid these societal impacts differed substantially between participants. When participants were provided with information about the stringency of COVID-19 measures, they assigned relatively less value to preventing the postponement of non-urgent surgeries for 1-3 months across all classes. Having gone through a pandemic, most Dutch citizens clearly prefer pandemic policies that consider citizens' financial situations, physical problems, mental health problems and individual liberties, alongside the effects on excess mortality and pressure on healthcare.

What Drives Support for Armed Humanitarian Intervention? Experimental Evidence From Dutch Citizens on International Law and Probability of Success

What Drives Support for Armed Humanitarian Intervention? Experimental Evidence From Dutch Citizens on International Law and Probability of Success

Imagined constituents: Minoritized citizens’ evaluations of political representatives in Germany and the Netherlands

ABSTRACT The presence of minoritized representatives is considered essential to advance the interests and inclusion of minoritized groups. But do minoritized citizens prefer politicians like them? Drawing on nineteen focus groups (N = 98) with minoritized Dutch and German citizens, I ask how citizens evaluate (descriptive) representatives. Citizens see descriptive representation as intersectional. They value politicians – regardless of descriptive status – who imagine their lived reality, politically judge, and act on that basis, and enhance emancipation and group legitimacy. Many see descriptive representatives as better able to do so. Yet, in practice, citizens examine if descriptive politicians share their political judgements and act for them within established politics. The findings suggest that increasing numbers is necessary but not sufficient. Whether citizens perceive representation depends on the space descriptive representatives have within the political system to articulate marginalized identities and concerns. Citizens’ evaluations reflect differences in self-identification, privilege/disadvantage, group histories, electoral systems, and representation legacies.

How ingroup norms of multiculturalism (and tolerance) affect intergroup solidarity: The role of ideology.

Multiculturalism and tolerance, as two sets of normative beliefs about how to deal with intergroup diversity, have been recognized as effective at reducing outgroup negativity among majority group members. However, whether majority group members' normative beliefs regarding them might motivate their solidarity-based collective actions and how their political ideology might qualify this influence remained unclear. To answer these questions, we conducted two pre-registered experimental studies (N = 626), both zooming in on the multiculturalism issues in the context of the relationships between native Dutch citizens and citizens with a Moroccan background within Dutch university campuses (Study 1) and broader Dutch society (Study 2). In both studies, we found an ingroup norm of tolerance (vs. control) undermined majority group members' engagement in collective actions in support of ethnic minorities. Additionally, ideological leftists were more sensitive to norms than rightists: Study 1 showed a facilitative effect of the multiculturalism norm (vs. control) on solidarity-based collective action intentions particularly among leftists, whilst Study 2 revealed a dampening effect of the tolerance norm (vs. control) on these intentions particularly among leftists.

Realist Approach to Social Policies (RASP) study to reduce socioeconomic health inequalities through systems change: protocol for a research project combining mixed-methods realist research with institutional action research

IntroductionHealth inequalities are rooted in inequality in vital resources for health, including financial resources, a supportive informal network, a stable living situation, work or daytime activities or education and literacy....

Examining trust in the police and justice system among ethnic minority members: The case of Moroccan- and Turkish-Dutch citizens in the Netherlands

While extant studies indicate that ethnic minority citizens report relatively low levels of trust in the police and justice system, it is less clear how that trust can be explained. Thanks to its purposive oversampling of Dutch citizens with Turkish and Moroccan origins and nested structure (individuals clustered within neighbourhoods), the Netherlands Longitudinal Lifecourse Study has enabled us to scrutinise which of the following factors contribute to their trust in the police and justice system: (a) being in a weak socioeconomic position; (b) individual social capital; (c) (perceiving to be) living in underprivileged neighbourhoods characterised by disorder and low social capital; and (d) perceived discrimination. Multilevel structural equation modelling, allowing us to untangle individual perceptions from intersubjective neighbourhood-level conditions, reveals that Moroccan-Dutch citizens report less trust than Turkish-Dutch citizens. We find that perceived neighbourhood disorder and perceived discrimination link to lower trust, while traditional explanations such as socioeconomic position and social capital are far less relevant. We discuss our findings’ implications for ongoing debates on, amongst others, the role of ethnicity and neighbourhood conditions in trust in the police and justice system.

Development and validation of a Context-sensitive Positive Health Questionnaire (CPHQ): A factor analysis and multivariate regression study

BackgroundThe concept of Positive Health (PH) has gained increasing attention as a way of measuring individuals’ ability to adapt in the face of contextual challenges. However, a suitable measurement instrument for PH that encompasses contextual factors has not yet been developed. This paper responds to this need by developing a Context-specific Positive Health (CPH) measurement instrument that aligns with the Capability Approach (CA).MethodsThe measurement instrument was developed and tested among a representative sample of 1002 Dutch internet survey panel members with diverse sociodemographic backgrounds. The instrument was developed in two stages: a preparation phase consisting of focus groups and expert consultations, and a validation among a representative panel of Dutch citizens. The goal of the preparation phase, was to pilot test and refine previously proposed Positive Health questionnaires into an initial version of the CPHQ. The validation phase aimed to examine the initial CPHQ’s factorial validity using Factor Analysis, and its concurrent validity using Multivariate Regression Analysis.ResultsThe developed questionnaire demonstrated adequate factorial and concurrent validity. Furthermore, it explicitly includes an assessment of resilience, this being a key component of PH.ConclusionsThe introduced measurement tool, the CPHQ, comprises 11 dimensions that we have labeled as follows: relaxation, autonomy, fitness, perceived environmental safety, exclusion, social support, financial resources, political representation, health literacy, resilience, and enjoyment. In this article, we present four major contributions. Firstly, we embedded the measurement in a theoretical framework. Secondly, we focused the questionnaire on a key concept of Positive Health - the “ability to adapt.” Thirdly, we addressed issues of health inequality by considering contextual factors. Finally, we facilitated the development of more understandable measurement items.

The artificial intelligence divide: Who is the most vulnerable?

This study investigates users’ artificial intelligence (AI)-related competencies (i.e., AI knowledge, skills, and attitudes) and identifies the vulnerable user groups in the AI-shaped online news and entertainment environment. We surveyed 1088 Dutch citizens over the age of 16 years and identified five user groups through the latent class analysis: the average users, the expert advocates, the expert skeptics, the unskilled skeptics, and the neutral unskilled. The most vulnerable groups with the lowest levels of AI knowledge and AI skills (i.e., unskilled skeptics and neutral unskilled) were mostly older, with lower levels of education and privacy protection skills, than the average users. Overall, the results of this study resonate with the existing findings on the digital divide and provide evidence for an emerging AI divide among users. Finally, the societal implication of this study is discussed, such as the need for education programs and applications of the explainable AI.

The dark side of national team identity: ethnocentrism and xenophobia

ABSTRACT The emphasis in team identity scholarship often is on the positive effects of social identity, such as consumer behaviour and sense of belonging, often ignoring the potential negative effects. Within the context of national teams, where the team is symbolic of the overall nation, we posit that team identity can also have broader negative societal effects such as xenophobia and ethnocentrism. Using a survey design, we collected data from 655 Dutch citizens and propose a structural equation model examining the effects of national team identity and national identity on ethnocentrism and xenophobia. Findings reveal that feelings of xenophobia and ethnocentrism were significantly greater among participants who showed a stronger national team identity and national identity and provide evidence that team identity does have a dark side. As elite sport often is subsidised by public funding, we provide constructive proposals to governments that invest public money into support for elite sport.

Bypassing digital literacy: Marginalized citizens’ tactics for participation and inclusion in digital societies

This article asks what digital literacy tactics low-literate Dutch adults employ to bypass their low-literacy to be able to participate in digital society, and what the consequences are for their socio-digital exclusion and inclusion. It contributes to a better understanding of the impact of digitalization for low-literate citizens, and the linguistic and digital barriers encountered in everyday life. Drawing upon participant observations and semi-structured interviews with low-literate adult citizens in four libraries, a community center, and a school for adult education ( N = 73), this article develops a taxonomy of five tactics which enables low-literate citizens to digitally participate despite their linguistic and digital barriers: (1) informal support structures, (2) formal support structures, (3) non-written communication, (4) translation software, and (5) optimal character recognition. We show how these tactics of appropriating the affordances of information and communications technologies (ICTs), and making use of social networks enable low-literate Dutch citizens to participate in socially situated manners, making use of social support structures and digital literacies developed in relation to “foreign” languages. Consequently, this study counters the stigma on such marginalized groups, who are often assumed to be unable or unwilling to participate, and presents them as not adhering to the dominant discourse of participatory culture. Hence, the added value of this study is threefold: (1) it centers the capabilities of low-literate citizens stemming from social capital and obfuscated linguistic potential, (2) it gives visibility toward more hidden everyday (digital) practices of marginalized subgroups with a larger distance toward the digital society, and (3) it foregrounds the lived experiences of the user and their (limited) use of ICTs, and how tactics are developed and practiced to bypass linguistic and/or digital barriers showing situated agency and problem-solving capacities. We argue that digital literacies should not be considered as a prerequisite for digital participation and inclusion, as our findings show that low-literate Dutch citizens are a highly diverse group that are capable of participating, despite their low (digital)-literacy. However, they do so in socially situated and non-written manners, in line with their digital and linguistic capabilities and barriers.

To what extent are Dutch citizens' interests and rights protected by ethical guidelines for smart cities?

Over the past two decades, the notion of smart cities has become increasingly popular to solve the complex problems that cities are facing. To deal with the ethical implications of smart cities, the Netherlands face a proliferation of ethical guidelines, principles, and manifests. However: To what extent are Dutch citizens' interests protected by ethical guidelines? This study answers that question using a critical discourse analysis. This exploratory analysis uncovers unnoticed themes in the ethical discourse on smart cities and offers recommendations to strengthen the protection of citizens. Together, the ethical guidelines that are selected represent at least five major cities in the Netherlands. This study finds that the ethical guidelines support the Smart City discourse in which: data is seen as a promise for the future, citizens' interests are not central and public-private governance is pre-supposed in the digital public space. Indeed, the ethical guidelines overlook how Big Data analytics transforms ways of governing, which is described as ‘algorithmic governmentality’. Therefore, if guidelines want to commit to the protection of citizens' interests, this study encourages them to review their guidelines in a Big Data context. However, as ultimately only laws and regulations can ensure the protection of citizens' interests and rights, future research is encouraged to look into the restructuring of the legal system.

Understanding the role of diversity in informal care

Introduction: In the Netherlands, professionals in social work and healthcare are increasingly involved in care networks in which informal caregivers, volunteers and professionals need to collaborate in a relationship of equality to support care recipients. At the same time, there is a growing consciousness that the diversity among Dutch citizens should be taken into account within this collaboration. In order to achieve good collaboration, it is important that professionals pay attention to the informal caregiver: who is this person and what views does this person have about providing informal care? Informal caregivers and their views are often very different from each other. In this presentation, we will discuss how professionals can create space for this diversity among informal caregivers.
 Public involvement: This presentation is part of two PhD studies in which informal caregivers, care recipients and professionals in social work and healthcare are involved and determined the necessity for these studies and are involved in the participatory analysis and the dissemination of the results in educational programs and practice. 
 Methods: As part of our PhD studies, several projects were conducted in which both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. All projects used an intersectional perspective to better understand the role of diversity in informal caregiving experiences. Next to that, a scoping review on this topic was conducted. During the presentation, we will combine insights of several projects to discuss the importance of creating space for diversity in care situations. 
 Results: We discovered the added value of an intersectional perspective to look into diversity among informal caregivers. This perspective helps to get to know the person behind the informal care better, but also to gain a better understanding of the context in which informal care is provided and what people need to be able to continue to provide informal care in a pleasant way. Additionally, this lens provides insight in the necessity for reflexivity amongst professionals about their own positionality and views on providing informal care. Reflecting on professionals’ own frames of reference helps to recognize blind spots and assumptions about the other. Avoiding such assumptions enables professionals to make informal caregivers feel safe and understood.
 Implications for practice and further research: Adopting an intersectional perspective to look into diversity among informal caregivers and working reflexively stimulates professionals to analyse which views, but also assumptions about informal caregivers exist among professionals in teams. This encourages organizations and professionals to improve accessibility of their support and to create space for differences in views and needs in the support they provide. Using intersectionality in informal care research helps to understand the role of diversity in caregiving needs and experiences.

Cybercrime during the COVID-19 pandemic: Prevalence, nature and impact of cybercrime for citizens and SME owners in the Netherlands

The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in December 2019 and the restrictive measures that were implemented to slow down the spread of the virus have had a significant impact on our way of life. The sudden shift from offline to online activities and work may have resulted in new cybersecurity risks. The present study therefore examined changes in the prevalence, nature and impact of cybercrime among Dutch citizens and SME owners, during the pandemic. Qualitative interviews with ten experts working at various public and private organizations in the Netherlands that have insights into cybercrime victimization and data from victim surveys administrated in 2019 and 2021 were analyzed. The results show that there was only a small, non-statistically significant increase in the prevalence of cybercrime during the pandemic among citizens and SME owners. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic did have an impact on the modus operandi of cybercriminals: victims indicated that a considerable proportion of the offenses was related to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the case of online fraud. Moreover, the use of new applications and programs for work was associated with an increased risk of cybercrime victimization during the COVID-19 crisis. These results suggest that increases in rates of registered cybercrime that were found in previous studies might be the consequence of a reporting effect and that cybercriminals adapt their modus operandi to current societal developments.

Multiple barriers to the Dutch welfare state. Black Feminists’ intersectional claims to social citizenship in the 1980s

Already in the 1980s, Black feminists contributed to political debates on the Dutch welfare state. Their intersectional analyses of social citizenship were directly based on the lived experiences of Black women in the Netherlands. However, then and now, these contributions have been largely overlooked in both Dutch politics and welfare state research, leading to social policies that do not correspond with the lived experiences of all women. Through archive research, and using the analytical framework of political claims-making, this article sheds light on the social rights claims of the Surinamese-Dutch feminist organization Ashanti that was active between 1980 and 1987. Their Black feminist perspectives provide important insights into the underlying mechanisms of in- and exclusion of the Dutch welfare state, from the standpoints of Dutch citizens and families that did not necessarily fit the picture of the “imagined citizens” for whom the Dutch welfare state was built.