- Singapore, Singapore
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Understanding the social-psychological processes that characterize communities’ reactions to a pandemic is the first step toward formulating risk communications that can lead to better health outcomes. This study examines comments on... more
Understanding the social-psychological processes that characterize communities’ reactions to a pandemic is the first step toward formulating risk communications that can lead to better health outcomes. This study examines comments on Facebook pages of five Singapore media outlets to understand what topics are being discussed by the public in reaction to the implemented precautionary measures in Singapore so as to infer their psychological concerns. Using Anchored Correlation Explanation as a topic modelling technique, this study examines around 10,000 comments and identifies 21 topics that are discussed. The 21 topics were categorized and organized into seven broad themes of psychological concerns. Implications for theory and practice are then discussed.
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COVID-19 vaccination programmes have helped reduce deaths and morbidity from the pandemic and allowed for the resumption of normal life. However, vaccine hesitancy remains an issue even with recurrent surges in COVID-19 cases due to new... more
COVID-19 vaccination programmes have helped reduce deaths and morbidity from the pandemic and allowed for the resumption of normal life. However, vaccine hesitancy remains an issue even with recurrent surges in COVID-19 cases due to new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Purpose: To elucidate psychosocial factors that contribute to our understanding of vaccine hesitancy. 676 Participants in Singapore took part in an online survey on vaccine hesitancy and uptake between May and June 2021. Data on demographics, perception of the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccine willingness and hesitancy factors were collected. The responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study found that confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines and risk perception of the COVID-19 situation are significantly associated with vaccination intention, while vaccination intention is also significantly associated with reported vaccination status. Additionally, certain chronic medical conditions moderate the relationsh...
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This study seeks to understand the community’s perceptions towards detecting signs of online radicalisation and examine whether different community members would exhibit different levels of understanding. A 57-item survey was administered... more
This study seeks to understand the community’s perceptions towards detecting signs of online radicalisation and examine whether different community members would exhibit different levels of understanding. A 57-item survey was administered to 160 undergraduates from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and 160 Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers. Based on the ratings of the 42 online radicalisation indicators identified by Neo (2020), two-factor analyses were separately conducted using oblique rotation to undercover a four-factor structure for the NTU sample and a three-factor solution for the MTurk sample. The results revealed valuable insights into how community members would identify terrorist threats. Furthermore, the survey revealed differences in the participants’ views on the role of the internet in radicalisation pathways and their perceptions regarding various counter-terrorism strategies. Together, the findings would contribute to the discussion of how law enforcement ...
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The COVID-19 pandemic has facilitated a shift in working arrangements. Work from home may blur work and family boundaries, with potential deleterious influence on Work-Family conflict levels. This is especially so for women, who have... more
The COVID-19 pandemic has facilitated a shift in working arrangements. Work from home may blur work and family boundaries, with potential deleterious influence on Work-Family conflict levels. This is especially so for women, who have traditionally been associated with a greater share of homecare and family duties. Using a sample of 754 married, working mothers in Singapore, this study seeks to examine the conflicting roles of women in Singapore during COVID-19 and their consequences on Work-Family conflict. Results show that the negative impacts of COVID-19 increased Work-Family conflict levels. Additionally, factors such as work occupational commitment, work role overload, parental demands, and family support are found to be key predictors for Work-Family conflict during COVID-19. Implications are then discussed, and the findings can inform companies and governmental institutions on strategies to reduce Work-Family conflict levels.
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This study involved the creation of factors and indicators that can detect radicalization in social media posts. A concurrent approach of an expert knowledge acquisition process (modified Delphi technique) and literature review was... more
This study involved the creation of factors and indicators that can detect radicalization in social media posts. A concurrent approach of an expert knowledge acquisition process (modified Delphi technique) and literature review was utilized. Seven Singapore subject-matter experts in the field of terrorism evaluated factors that were collated from six terrorism risk assessment tools (ERG 22+, IVP, TRAP-18, MLG, VERA-2, and Cyber-VERA). They identify those that are of most considerable relevance for detecting radicalization in social media posts. A parallel literature review on online radicalization was conducted to complement the findings from the expert panel. In doing so, 12 factors and their 42 observable indicators were derived. These factors and indicators have the potential to guide the development of cyber-focused screening tools to detect radicalization in social media posts.
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Abstract Children have long been a blind spot for academics and practitioners in relation to the growing threat of violent extremism. Whilst often assumed to be passive agents, children have in fact been involved in many violent extremist... more
Abstract Children have long been a blind spot for academics and practitioners in relation to the growing threat of violent extremism. Whilst often assumed to be passive agents, children have in fact been involved in many violent extremist groups, and the increasing number of children involved in recent conflicts presents a cause for concern. Thus, this chapter focuses on the involvement of children in violent extremism and explores the concept of ‘child abuse’ using the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) classification. Two case studies (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS], and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam [LTTE]) will be used to illustrate the psychological physiognomies of child abuse in the context of violent extremism. Implications for academics and practitioners will also be discussed.
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This study seeks to develop a screening guide for jihadi terrorism with the intention of streamlining the huge amounts of raw intelligence into smaller amounts of data for further analysis. On the basis of the authors’ collective... more
This study seeks to develop a screening guide for jihadi terrorism with the intention of streamlining the huge amounts of raw intelligence into smaller amounts of data for further analysis. On the basis of the authors’ collective experience in dealing with terrorists, and a review of the literature and pre-attack indicators developed by law enforcement agencies worldwide, 53 features of jihadi terrorism belonging to three domains (behaviour ideology, group psychology and operational preparatory) were identified. These features were then mapped against 30 jihadi attacks from different parts of the world. The frequency distribution of each feature across the 30 attacks were analysed using Pearson’s χ2 test. Three significant features were identified: (i) individuals pushing for terrorist ideals through violence; (ii) individuals showing a desire for revenge; and (iii) the presence of a leader figure who espouses terrorist ideology. Results further revealed that features from the behaviour-ideology domain had higher prevalence estimates across the 30 attacks. Recommendations are made for operationalising these features as a potential early screening guide for the interpretation of data.
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This chapter proposes an Internet-mediated radicalisation model, RECRO. It consists of five phases: (1) the Reflection phase details the triggers, needs, and vulnerabilities that an individual may have which increase one's... more
This chapter proposes an Internet-mediated radicalisation model, RECRO. It consists of five phases: (1) the Reflection phase details the triggers, needs, and vulnerabilities that an individual may have which increase one's receptiveness towards alternative belief systems; (2) the Exploration phase details the period where the individual begins making sense of the information put forth by violent extremists; (3) the Connection phase details the influence of like-minded individuals and the online community on the individual's new worldview; (4) the Resolution phase details the period during which the individual gains the momentum to translate one's radical beliefs into action; and finally (5) the Operational phase details the period during which the individual is ready to commit violence to further one's radical objectives. This model provides a basis for understanding and informing judgements about an individual's level of involvement, and paves the way for future...
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Since the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) became prominent after the release of beheading videos of its prisoners, many have been confused over how to describe this development in relation to the way the Internet is exploited by... more
Since the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) became prominent after the release of beheading videos of its prisoners, many have been confused over how to describe this development in relation to the way the Internet is exploited by violent extremists. While the element of surprise and horror lingered on the minds of many observers, a more pressing question facing the law enforcement is: how does ISIS attract foreign fighters using such videos and online propaganda? As countries around the globe grapple with the security threat posed by their nationals travelling to join ISIS, the need to be au fait with the appeal of ISIS and its ability to use the Internet to recruit new members and sympathisers becomes even more apparent. This chapter uses a behavioural sciences lens to explicate how individual and organisational motivational factors may contribute to the overall appeal of joining ISIS.
Fake news has been a popular topic since the 2016 U.S. elections, where researchers have studied its impact on politics and social unrest. In recent times, there have been cases of fake news being perpetrated for criminal gain. For... more
Fake news has been a popular topic since the 2016 U.S. elections, where researchers have studied its impact on politics and social unrest. In recent times, there have been cases of fake news being perpetrated for criminal gain. For example, in Singapore, names of high-profile figures were used by scammers to trick people to invest in dubious cryptocurrency. Such cases highlight the emergence of a nexus between fake news and crime, for which there is scant literature. To enhance current understanding about this growing concern, this chapter examines 32 crime-fake news incidents in Singapore from 2013 to 2018. Based on a descriptive analysis of these cases, this chapter aims to answer the following questions: (1) What are the types of crime-fake news in Singapore? (2) What is the impact that it has in Singapore? (3) Who are these fake news creators and what motivates them? (4) What are the popular methods of transmitting crime-fake news? and (5) Who responds to the crime-fake news? In...
The world faces increasing prevalence of cyber threats and cyberattacks despite advancements in technological defences against them. Cyber perpetrators are constantly looking to exploit any vulnerabilities in the computer and network... more
The world faces increasing prevalence of cyber threats and cyberattacks despite advancements in technological defences against them. Cyber perpetrators are constantly looking to exploit any vulnerabilities in the computer and network systems, which humans are unfortunately the weakness link. Although they are aware of the threats and know what should be done in order to protect themselves and their organisations, people are still not engaging enough in these cyber hygiene practices. This article consequently attempts to understand human behaviours in cyberspace, providing insights to the reasons for this phenomenon and what can be done to improve it.
The growing pervasiveness of the internet and the rise of social media have revolutionised how individuals communicate and interact with one another. Serving as an effective conduit for communication, these technological advancements have... more
The growing pervasiveness of the internet and the rise of social media have revolutionised how individuals communicate and interact with one another. Serving as an effective conduit for communication, these technological advancements have also been exploited by individuals with malicious intent (e.g., criminals, violent extremists). As the world witnesses an upward trend of such crime and security concerns in the online sphere, it places the ‘responsibility' on intelligence and law enforcement agencies to respond with the appropriate technological interventions. Thus, this article will discuss how digital footprints can be leveraged to identify potential security threats, particularly for crime and security issues that will result in negative repercussion at the national level, such as acts of violent extremism and hate crimes.