Ongoing research on the impact of the corona crisis

• Behavioral aspects
• Economic consequences
• The role of governance, law and privacy

Behavioral aspects

• Preconditions for Covid-19 mobile apps: A feature-level investigation of user acceptance based on insights from South Korea and Canada applied in the Netherlands
  Dr. Ashley Metz (Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, TSB)
  The study will reveal preferences and opinions about the adoption of apps in the Netherlands. Evidence suggests that citizens in South Korea are more accepting of actions taken to promote public health and more open to surveillance, which has allowed for the rapid implementation of mobile apps, though this comes with other issues. The researchers expect the project to reveal preferences in the Netherlands, which may differ even in the Netherlands.
• Consequences of restrictive measures by COVID-19 outbreak on loneliness and social needs of residents, relatives and volunteers in nursing homes
  Dr. L.C. van Boekel MSc (Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, TSB)
  The aim of this research is to gain insight into the perceived loneliness and social needs of residents, relatives and volunteers in nursing home care due to restrictive measures surrounding COVID-19. It also looks at their resilience and then at ways to minimize possible negative consequences.
• Has the corona crisis led to a poorer working relationship between caregivers and vulnerable families?
  Dr. A. Lange and Prof. Ron Scholte (Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, TSB)
  The central question of this project is to what extent the corona crisis has affected the quality of the relationship between the practitioner and the parents in vulnerable families. For this purpose we will use already available data (>1000 clients): monthly alliance measurements within Multisystem Therapy (MST). This project compares the average alliance and alliance formation of clients before and during the crisis. It will also look at subgroups, e.g., with regard to family problems (in collaboration with Psychotherapeutic Center De Viersprong).
• Child, Conflict & Crisis: a comparative study across the globe on the impact of COVID-19 containment measures on family life
  Prof. H.J.A. van Bakel (Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, TSB)
  The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed family life by working remote, closing schools/daycares and isolation measures. So far, little is known about the effects of restrictive government measures on family life. This unique project investigates and compares the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on parental response and the role of individual, family and contextual factors in 40 Western and non-Western countries. It provides insight into factors that may buffer or increase negative effects on family life (e.g., stress, resiliency, conflict and violence).
• Needs assessment psychosocial and practical help for corona-affected citizens, caregivers and next of kin in Noord-Brabant.
  Dr. M. Cloin (TSB)
  Little is still known about the specific needs of people who have themselves become ill or lost a loved one to COVID-19. According to findings of the patient association IC Connect (FCIC) and signals received from Victim Support, there is a great need for aftercare among people affected by corona, partners (families), caregivers, and next of kin. This project is focused on mapping out the needs and wishes in terms of content and form of psychosocial and practical help for the above-mentioned target groups and on organizing and deploying the appropriate assistance (in cooperation with GGD West-Brabant, GGZ Breburg, Instituut Maatschappelijk Werk Tilburg, Schoolmaatschappelijk Werk, Reinier van Arkel Groep, Slachtofferhulp Nederland, Landelijk Bureau LOS).
• Why do people (not) adhere to COVID-19 preventive measures? Studying the temporal influence of risk perceptions and media use in a representative sample of the Dutch population
  Dr. N. Bol (Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences, TSHD)
  The COVID-19 pandemic calls for drastic measures to prevent an unmanageable spread of the virus, yet we lack knowledge of how people respond to such measures. This project studies the impact of factors related to risk perceptions and media use on adherence to preventive measures over time. Nadine will identify clusters of the Dutch population particularly at risk for non-adherence, which is essential for devising adequate and possibly tailored communication strategies both for this and future pandemic health crises.
• Parenting in the time of COVID-19
  Dr. M.M.E. Hendricx-Riem (TSB)
  COVID-19 has upended family life. School closures, remote working, social distancing: it is a lot to navigate, especially for parents. Why are some parents successfully keeping their family life on track, whereas others are in distress? The proposed study will shed light on these issues by examining parenting across three countries: China, Italy, The Netherlands. The study will lead to knowledge on factors associated with impaired parenting in the time of COVID-19, needed to target support to at-risk families.
• Psychosocial aspects of the Corona virus 2019-2020 epidemic (PSYCOR)
  Prof. W.J. Kop (TSB)
  The physical health threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the socioeconomic impact, have induced high levels of anxiety and other forms of psychological distress. This project examines who is at risk for COVID-19 -related symptoms and psychological problems during and in the aftermath of the epidemic. Building on data collected just before the COVID-19 outbreak, this project will identify psychosocial risk factors for: 1) subsequent COVID related symptoms; and 2) psychological problems (health- and COVID-specific anxiety) and health behaviours.
• Tracking levels of fear for the coronavirus
  Dr. G. Mertens (TSB)
  Many people are afraid of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Fear is an appropriate emotion as long as the pandemic is ongoing. However, once under control, it is important that fear for the coronavirus and related safety behaviours decline. Otherwise, prolonged fear could have unwanted consequences such as mental distress (at the individual level) and economic recession (at the level of countries). In this project, we want to track levels of fear for the coronavirus across time.
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal mental health: the C-19—Pandemic Perinatal Project (C19-PP-p), an extension of the Brabant Study
  Prof. V.J.M. Pop MD PhD (TSB)
  The lockdown to cope with the COVID-19-pandemic (C19-P) has major impact on psycho-social functioning of everyone in the country, especially on pregnant women because the worries for the unborn child. We propose to set-up focus groups interviews with pregnant women (+partners), eventually resulting in a C19-pandemic-perinatal questionnaire (C19-PPQ). The current proposal is an extension of the Brabant Study (BS) in which mental health is repeatedly assessed in 4000 pregnant women from 12 weeks gestation to 10 weeks postpartum.
• Values in Times of Corona. A Follow-Up of the European Values Study Amidst COVID-19
  Dr. T. Reeskens (TSB)
  Confronted with COVID-19 and tight measures to contain it, the Netherlands is confronted with several insecurities for which studies suggest that they impact relevant values and attitudes. Insecurities would increase reliance on authority and yield in-group at the expense of out-group solidarity, to give two examples. Our study extends the European Values Study 2017 Netherlands with two follow-ups to be fielded in May and October to detect (1) if values have changed, and (2) how persistent this shift is.
• The early effects of the coronavirus crisis on health, attitudes, and behaviour, and their long-term consequences for Dutch households
  Dr. B. Siflinger (Tilburg School of Economics and Management, TiSEM)
  Up to now, the LISS panel has fielded two waves of a questionnaire on the impact of the Corona crisis on daily life in the Netherlands. This includes questions on how the Dutch handle working conditions, childcare and uncertain expectations. To continue this investigation through the crisis and beyond, I propose a third questionnaire in May 2020. This will elucidate the impact of the crisis on household labour supply and mental health for the Dutch population.
• Employing meta-research to enrich COVID-19 preprints and study the impact of time pressure on research quality
  Dr. Robbie C. M. van Aert, dr. Michèle B. Nuijten, & prof. dr. Jelte M. Wicherts (TSB)
  The current COVID-19 outbreak demands quick answers to a multitude of questions related to health-care, economy, and social sciences. This high time pressure may decrease researchers’ scrutiny in conducting research, potentially resulting in lower research and reporting quality. We will study the quality of preprints (openly accessible, non-reviewed papers) of COVID-19 research by focusing on inconsistencies in the reported statistical results. Our goals are to enrich COVID-19 preprints by publishing short reports online about observed statistical inconsistencies and to empirically study whether more inconsistencies are observed in COVID-19 preprints than in comparable non-COVID-19 preprints.

Economic consequences

• Measuring Risk and Time Preferences During the Emergence of the COVID-19 Crisis
  J.T.G. Goossens (TiSEM), prof. M. Knoef (Leiden University)
  The researchers implement an experiment on a representative sample in The Netherlands coincidentally during the COVID-19 crisis on risk and time preferences, in combination with an experiment for stock trading behavior and attitudes towards pension decisions. All the survey data are taken from the LISS panel (Longitudinal Internet Study in the Social Sciences), gathered by CentERdata.
• Intelligent Unlock: Business Resilience during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
  Dr. N.R. Barros de Oliveira (TSB)
  The COVID-19 pandemic has been about stopping the virus, but we must now feel the pulse of the economy and society to help policy-makers to identify “intelligent unlock” strategies in business. This research proposal aims to track the spread of innovation (work practices) as well as areas of concern (stress). Using an app, this project will harvest innovations made during the lockdown to help fast tracking a resilient economy and society in The Netherlands.

The role of governance, law, and privacy

• Strengthening digital opportunities in Africa through capacity building and education
  Prof. M.E.H. van Reisen (TSHD)
  Mirjam van Reisen, professor of International Relations, Innovation and Care, recently obtained three grants for her research, totalling € 2 million. The programmes aim to build resilience through education in Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Tunisia and Niger. The corner-stone is digital innovation.  
• Incidence of COVID-19 and Movement among Migrants in the Central Mediterranean region
  Prof. M.E.H. van Reisen (TSHD)
  Under-detection of COVID-19 infection, coupled with high movement amongst vulnerable, health-fragile migrants, poses a risk to the management of COVID-19 in the Central Mediterranean. Due to war and unfavourable circumstances, including the lock-down, little information is available on (suspected) infection incidence and migrants’ movements. This undermines control of the crisis, migrants’ health and poses risks in Europe as destination. Open real-time data on (suspected) incidence of COVID-19 infections amongst migrants, their location and movements, is critical for researchers and policy-makers.