Hein F. M. Lodewijkx

Workplace mobbing and bystanders' helping behaviour towards victims: The role of gender, perceived responsibility and anticipated stigma by association

We examined victims perceived responsibility and bystanders anticipated risk of being victimized themselves when others associate them with the victim (stigma by association, SBA) as possible antecedents of bystanders helping behaviour towards a victim of workplace mobbing, and explored the effects of gender. Guided by the attribution model of social conduct (Weiner, 2006), a 2u2009×u20092 vignette experiment was conducted. Participants were Dutch regional government employees (Nu2009=u2009161). Path analyses generally supported the hypotheses, but showed different results for women and men. In the strong (Vs. weak) responsibility condition, women reported less sympathy and more anger and men only more anger, which resulted in lower helping intention. Additionally, for men the results showed an unexpected direct positive effect of responsibility on helping intention. Furthermore, in the strong SBA condition, women and men reported more fear and men, unexpectedly, more anger. Consequently, helping intention decreased. The findings on gender are discussed in the context of social role theory, gender and emotion. Our findings suggest that to prevent and tackle mobbing, organizations and professionals should be aware of the attributional and emotional processes and gender differences in bystanders helping behaviour.

Some Empirical Notes on the Epo Epidemic in Professional Cycling

The 1990–2010 period in professional cycling is labeled by some as the epo epidemic. Surprisingly, performance enhancement by epo and blood doping is not that clear-cut for endurance athletes, leading to the question whether doping indeed strongly influenced cyclists performances from the 1990s onwards. We examined the records (1947–2008) of the Tour de France, Giro dItalia, and Vuelta a España (N = 181) and assessed the time it took riders to win the race. The findings revealed normally distributed performances and linear and quartic relationships in victors performances over time that correspond with Brewers (2002) sociohistorical analysis of professional cycling, suggesting that effects of the epo epidemic on professional cyclists achievements may be overestimated.

“Better to be safe than to be sorry”: Extinguishing the individual – group discontinuity effect in competition by cautious reciprocation

The individual – group discontinuity effect entails that in mixed-motive situations, such as the Prisoners Dilemma game (PDG), intergroup interactions are more competitive than inter-individual interactions. Based on Pruitt and Kimmels (1977) goal/expectation theory and Axelrods (1984) cooperation theory, we propose a cautious reciprocation model (CRM), which specifies variables that extinguish or reduce the discontinuity effect by enhancing intergroup cooperation. The model entails that, relative to individuals, the cooperative decisions of the more rational and instrumental group members are more strongly determined by a combination of a concern for long-term greed and a fear of anticipated retaliation, leading them to become more responsive to changes in the PDG task and/or social environment, and to follow an instrumental, cautious reciprocation technique. This technique is measured by increases in the level of cooperation (or competition) shown by groups in reaction to changes in the PDG decisions of the other party, or to experimental manipulations in the PDG task environment (i.e., time perspective, reciprocal strategies, reward structure, sequential vs simultaneous play). A summary of the findings of several earlier Utrecht studies and of recent discontinuity research by Insko, Schopler and co-workers yields evidence for the CRM.

The influence of dysfunctional impulsivity and alexithymia on aggressive behavior of psychiatric patients

Current approaches in Dutch mental health care institutions towards inpatients aggression have focused predominantly on environmental factors, such as training the staff in aggression management. However, personality traits might be an important factor in patients aggression - as shown by incidents in the wards. This study explores the influence of dysfunctional impulsivity and alexithymia on psychiatric patients aggressive behavior, through self-reports and through involvement in aggressive incidents. Personality traits influencing patients aggression emphasize the importance of a more direct approach to their aggression. Clinical patients at Dutch mental health care institution Emergis (n=84) filled out questionnaires about their aggressiveness (using Buss and Perrys Aggression Questionnaire Short Form), dysfunctional impulsivity and alexithymia. Multiple regression analyses indicated that dysfunctional impulsivity positively related to self-reported aggressive behavior. The relationship, however, could not be confirmed for inpatients aggression as reported by the staff on the wards. Unexpectedly affective alexithymia negatively related to hostility. Gender differences in self-reported aggression were found. Female patients showed higher levels of hostility. Regression analyses indicated that the male gender positively related to physical aggression. Findings emphasize the importance of a new approach in Dutch mental health care, in which patients may engage in aggression-regulation training programs.

The Epo Fable in Professional Cycling: Facts, Fallacies and Fabrications

The massive doping schemes that surfaced in professional cycling suggest that riders’ performances, realized in the controversial ‘epo era’ (>1990), are a cut above achievements delivered by their forerunners. We examined this superior performances assumption (SPA) by conducting six historic studies, which all scrutinized archival records of winning riders’ stage race and time trial performances demonstrated in the three European Grand Tours (Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a Espana; 1903–2013), including Lance Armstrong’s wins. Findings revealed that all riders’ wins in the epo years are no exception to the variability in speed progress observed in the three races over time and none of their achievements proved to be outliers. This also holds true for Armstrong’s performances. These findings agree with results of a meta–analysis of epo studies we conducted, indicating that the ergogenic effects of epo and blood doping on riders’ aerobic performances and associated cycling speeds are overrated. In conclusion, we argue that our observations render the SPA doubtful. They also made us realize that arguments used in contemporary discussions about effects of doping in cycling often involve psychological biases, false reasoning and fabrications. They are presented in the closing sections of this contribution.