The present study employs a randomized control trial design to evaluate the impact of deterrence and procedural justice on perceptions of legitimacy and cooperation with law enforcement among... Show moreThe present study employs a randomized control trial design to evaluate the impact of deterrence and procedural justice on perceptions of legitimacy and cooperation with law enforcement among individuals in Quito, Ecuador. Specifically, a sample of 308 premises where alcohol is sold were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: an experimental group (n = 156) in which officers received training in the implementation of a procedural justice-based script, and a control group (n = 152) in which officers were not provided with any specific instructions. Results indicate that the manipulation of procedural justice was associated with a significant enhancement in perceptions of legitimacy and a greater willingness to cooperate with the police. Show less
Frey, V.; De Mulder, H.N.M.; Bekke M. ter; Struiksma M.E.; Berkum, J. J. A. van; Buskens, V. 2022
The current study investigates whether self-talk phrases can infuence behavior in Ultimatum Games. In our three self-talk treatments, participants were instructed to tell themselves (i) to keep... Show moreThe current study investigates whether self-talk phrases can infuence behavior in Ultimatum Games. In our three self-talk treatments, participants were instructed to tell themselves (i) to keep their own interests in mind, (ii) to also think of the other person, or (iii) to take some time to contemplate their decision. We investigate how such so-called experimenter-determined strategic self-talk phrases afect behavior and emotions in comparison to a control treatment without instructed self-talk. The results demonstrate that other-focused self-talk can nudge proposers towards fair behavior, as ofers were higher in this group than in the other conditions. For responders, self-talk tended to increase acceptance rates of unfair ofers as compared to the condition without self-talk. This efect is signifcant for both other-focused and contemplation-inducing self-talk but not for self-focused self-talk. In the selffocused condition, responders were most dissatisfed with unfair ofers. These fndings suggest that use of self-talk can increase acceptance rates in responders, and that focusing on personal interests can undermine this efect as it negatively impacts the responders’ emotional experience. In sum, our study shows that strategic selftalk interventions can be used to afect behavior in bargaining situations. Show less
Governments worldwide are regularly faced with severe weather conditions and disasters caused by natural hazards. Does the way in which governments respond to disasters affect their legitimacy? The... Show moreGovernments worldwide are regularly faced with severe weather conditions and disasters caused by natural hazards. Does the way in which governments respond to disasters affect their legitimacy? The current study investigated how evaluations of authorities were influenced by four aspects of a governmental response to a hypothetical disaster. In a survey experiment participants read a scenario in which a government distributed aid in the aftermath of a flooding. Data were collected from the Netherlands, France, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia (N = 2,677). Results showed that the government was seen as more legitimate when it was described as distributing resources fairly, following fair procedures, and providing a material benefit to the participant. However, in contrast to predictions derived from system‐justification theory, results showed that outcome dependence was associated with reduced legitimacy. These findings suggest that response policies that address both instrumental and fairness concerns might help maintain positive evaluations of governments. Show less
