This thesis investigated the development of emotional functioning in 2-to-6-year-old children with and without autism. Whereas autistic children experienced more challenges in the emotional domain,... Show moreThis thesis investigated the development of emotional functioning in 2-to-6-year-old children with and without autism. Whereas autistic children experienced more challenges in the emotional domain, their emotional abilities improved with age, and developed in similar ways as observed in non-autistic children. On the one hand, this thesis showed that autistic children might deal with emotions in a different way, and they might experience various difficulties when communicating emotions with non-autistic people. One the other hand, it is important to note that the difficulties could be bidirectional. As stated by the “double empathy problem”, non-autistic people may experience the same difficulties when communicating with autistic people. This could be a meaningful direction for future research, investigating emotional communication as a two-way interaction rather than focusing only on how people with autism react to people without autism. Furthermore, this thesis showed that autistic children had the potential to learn and to develop in the emotional domain. Again, this points to the importance of investigating how to create an inclusive social environment, which is not only nurturing for children without autism, but can also benefit the development of children with autism and with other special needs. Show less
Anthropogenic noise negatively affects wildlife in a wide range of taxonomic groups. Especially for birds, a substantial number of observational studies have now shown negative associations between... Show moreAnthropogenic noise negatively affects wildlife in a wide range of taxonomic groups. Especially for birds, a substantial number of observational studies have now shown negative associations between noise pollution and abundance and diversity along roadsides. Researchers investigating birds’ behavioural responses to high level noise to date have mostly focused on the immediate adjustment of vocal signalling behaviour. However, there is more than one mechanism by which birds might cope with increasing noise levels. They may show immediate behavioural reactions, such as spatial avoidance and/or vocal adjustment, but also more ontogenetic adjustments with long-term consequences like changes in sensory and personality traits. To test these potential effects of traffic noise on birds, I conducted a series of experiments using zebra finches. I have demonstrated that traffic noise per se can contribute to spatial avoidance in birds and cause variation in parental behaviour, and that there can be changes in noise avoidance behaviour in the course of a lifetime. These results provide new insights into the potential impacts of noise on birds. Show less
This dissertation is about the Baduy, an adat community in Banten Province, Indonesia. It argues that the conversion of the Baduy was influenced by their self-concept, which requires them to detach... Show moreThis dissertation is about the Baduy, an adat community in Banten Province, Indonesia. It argues that the conversion of the Baduy was influenced by their self-concept, which requires them to detach from modernity and development, the limited size of their land, and the increase of the population. This process of conversion was supported by the politics of religion, which differentiates local beliefs (kepercayaan) from state-recognised religions (agama) where adhering to a local belief was considered irreligious (tidak/ belum beragama) and backward. To make the adherents of local beliefs religious, the government allows followers of major religions to invite the adherents of local beliefs into their faith. Furthermore, to develop the adherents of local beliefs, the government created development policies, in particular a resettlement programme. The programme aimed at Baduy society began in 1977 and lasted until 1999. Besides developing the adat communities, this programme was also aimed at changing their beliefs so that they aligned themselves with “monotheistic views”. The fact that Muslim and Christian missionaries were targeting the same group of people caused tension, contestation, and even violence. Confronted with this situation, the adherents of local beliefs fought back and resisted the policies in various ways. Show less
