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Animal ethologists suggest that non-human primates console victims of aggression in a manner similar to humans. However, the empirical basis for this cross-species comparison is fragile, given that few studies have examined consolation behavior among humans. To address this gap, we revive and apply the underappreciated ethological branch of micro-sociology, which advocates the study of human interactions by applying ethological observation techniques. We thus systematically observed naturally occurring human consolation captured by video surveillance cameras in the aftermath of violent public assaults. Consistent with prior human and non-human primate research, social affiliation promoted consolatory helping. By contrast, we found no main effect of sex. A further exploratory analysis indicated an interaction effect between social affiliation and sex, with female affiliates having the largest probability of providing consolation. We discuss implications for the cross-species study of primate consolation and advocate that micro-sociology should reappraise ethological perspectives.

Research on other than human animals has widely documented the behavioural expression of distress in a conflict context. In humans, however, this remains largely unknown due to the lack of direct access to real-life conflict events. Here, we took the aftermath of 76 video recorded street conflicts and applied the ethological method to explore the distress-related behavioural cues of previous antagonists. Drawing on observations on nonhuman behaviour and inductively identified behaviours, we developed and inter-coder reliability tested an ethogram for the behavioural repertoire of distress. We further quantitively analysed the behaviours with a correlation matrix and PCA, that revealed that the behaviours we observed were not displayed in combination with each other, showing a variability in how people express distress. Since both human and nonhuman primates react to conflict situations with similar expressions of distress, we suggest a comparative approach to understand the evolutionary roots of human behaviour., Research on other than human animals has widely documented the behavioural expression of distress in a conflict context. In humans, however, this remains largely unknown due to the lack of direct access to real-life conflict events. Here, we took the aftermath of 76 video recorded street conflicts and applied the ethological method to explore the distress-related behavioural cues of previous antagonists. Drawing on observations on nonhuman behaviour and inductively identified behaviours, we developed and inter-coder reliability tested an ethogram for the behavioural repertoire of distress. We further quantitively analysed the behaviours with a correlation matrix and PCA, that revealed that the behaviours we observed were not displayed in combination with each other, showing a variability in how people express distress. Since both human and nonhuman primates react to conflict situations with similar expressions of distress, we suggest a comparative approach to understand the evolutionary roots of human behaviour.

Objectives A high number of street dealers operate in the Red Light District in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. To displace the dealers, the Municipality of Amsterdam installed text-based light projections in a street attracting a high number of dealers. Methods To evaluate the intervention, we did a pre-post analysis of video footage from two CCTV cameras located in the street. In total, we analyzed 765 one-minute segments of footage from before and after the implementation. Results The implementation was followed by a four percentage point reduction in street dealers. However, the estimated efect shows fragileness with wide confdence intervals and a p-value just below 0.05, and a Bayesian robustness analysis suggests that the intervention was not associated with the outcome. Conclusions Analyzing CCTV-footage ofers a unique avenue for evaluating small scale interventions in open-air drug markets. While we observed a decrease in the presence of dealers, the intervention still needs further validation.

Third parties tend to take an active role and intervene in interpersonal conflicts in public. Previous research has shown that the level of aggression of these interventions determines how they influence the conflict. No previous study has, however, systematically investigated whether the aggression of third-party interventions is influenced by the development of the conflict situation. The objective of this study is twofold. First, the study determines the extent to which the aggression level of intervening third parties changes during the course of interpersonal conflicts. Second, the study identifies and investigates the factors that affect the aggression levels displayed by intervening third parties. We systematically observed and coded CCTV footage of 46 interpersonal conflicts in public space, recorded by surveillance cameras in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The data included 565 intervention behaviors by 125 third parties. We recorded the levels of aggression of the individuals involved in the conflict and conducted a multinomial logistic regression analysis to investigate what influenced the aggression level of the third-party interventions. We found that the aggression levels of the preceding intervention behaviors by the third parties predict aggression levels of their subsequent interventions. This shows a consistency in third-party interventions over the course of a conflict. We also found that the aggression levels of the conflict parties that are the targets of the interventions influence the aggression levels of third-party intervention. This finding demonstrates that the development of the conflict situation influences how aggressive the third parties are. Our study emphasizes the importance of taking the interactional dynamics of interpersonal conflicts into consideration when explaining third-party behavior., Third parties tend to take an active role and intervene in interpersonal conflicts in public. Previous research has shown that the level of aggression of these interventions determines how they influence the conflict. No previous study has, however, systematically investigated whether the aggression of third-party interventions is influenced by the development of the conflict situation. The objective of this study is twofold. First, the study determines the extent to which the aggression level of intervening third parties changes during the course of interpersonal conflicts. Second, the study identifies and investigates the factors that affect the aggression levels displayed by intervening third parties. We systematically observed and coded CCTV footage of 46 interpersonal conflicts in public space, recorded by surveillance cameras in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The data included 565 intervention behaviors by 125 third parties. We recorded the levels of aggression of the individuals involved in the conflict and conducted a multinomial logistic regression analysis to investigate what influenced the aggression level of the third-party interventions. We found that the aggression levels of the preceding intervention behaviors by the third parties predict aggression levels of their subsequent interventions. This shows a consistency in third-party interventions over the course of a conflict. We also found that the aggression levels of the conflict parties that are the targets of the interventions influence the aggression levels of third-party intervention. This finding demonstrates that the development of the conflict situation influences how aggressive the third parties are. Our study emphasizes the importance of taking the interactional dynamics of interpersonal conflicts into consideration when explaining third-party behavior.

Face masks have been widely employed as a personal protective measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, concerns remain that masks create a false sense of security that reduces adherence to other public health measures, including social distancing. This paper tested whether mask-wearing was negatively associated with social distancing compliance. In two studies, we combined video-observational records of public mask-wearing in two Dutch cities with a natural-experimental approach to evaluate the effect of an area-based mask mandate. We found no observational evidence of an association between mask-wearing and social distancing but found a positive link between crowding and social distancing violations. Our natural-experimental analysis showed that an area-based mask mandate did not significantly affect social distancing or crowding levels. Our results alleviate the concern that mask use reduces social distancing compliance or increases crowding levels. On the other hand, crowding reduction may be a viable strategy to mitigate social distancing violations.

Most countries in the world have recommended or mandated face masks in some or all public places during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, mask use has been thought to increase people's face-touching frequency and thus risk of self- inoculation. Across two studies, we video- observed the face-touching behaviour of members of the public in Amsterdam and Rotterdam (the Netherlands) during the first wave of the pandemic. Study 1 (n = 383) yielded evidence in favour of the absence of an association between mask- wearing and face-touching (defined as touches of face or mask), and Study 2 (n = 421) replicated this result. Secondary outcome analysis of the two studies— analysed separately and with pooled data sets — evidenced a negative association between mask-wearing and hand contact with the face and its t-zone (i.e. eyes, nose and mouth). In sum, the current findings alleviate the concern that mask- wearing has an adverse face-touching effect.

Objective: While previous research agrees that third-parties often manage to de-escalate interpersonal conflicts when they intervene, we still know little about how they achieve this influence. The aim of the present study is to address this gap in the literature by investigating how third-parties de-escalate conflicts. Method: We conduct a two-part qualitative analysis of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of 48 reallife conflicts from the streets of Amsterdam. The first part consists of an inductive analysis of CCTV-footage investigating the typical sequence of de-escalatory interventions. The second part consists of a deductive coding based on the findings from part one of the analysis. Results: We identify an ideal-typical model of de-escalation consisting of three phases: Objection, separation, and placation. This model describes how third-parties adapt their intervention to the reaction of the antagonists of the conflict through a contingency principle: When the current phase of intervention fails to de-escalate the conflict, the third-party proceeds to the following phase of the model. We also identify observable intervention behaviors that are characteristic of each of the three phases. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that there is not one way to de-escalate a conflict, but rather that third-parties are successful, because they adapt their intervention to the situation at hand. The findings of this study imply that if we want to get closer to understanding when third-party interventions are effective, we need to acknowledge the complexity of these interventions and move beyond the action/inaction dichotomy.

To mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Dutch government has implemented several rules and regulations during the pandemic. Compliance with these rules and regulations is crucial for its effectiveness. In the current article, the authors give an overview of research findings from three different studies looking at compliance with the COVID-19 mitigating measures in the Netherlands. In these studies, both manual and computer-based video-analysis is used to give insight in the behavior of people on the streets of Amsterdam. Study 1 monitors compliance with the social distancing directive and stay-at-home advice, showing that people keep less distance when it is crowded on the street. Study 2 focusses on compliance with mandatory mask-wearing and shows that mask-wearing increases with the implementation of the mandatory mask areas, but crowding does not decrease. Finally, Study 3 looks at compliance of citizens during the curfew and shows that streets became far less crowded after 9 p.m. during curfew nights.

Om verspreiding van het coronavirus te eperken, roept de regering burgers op om zo veel mogelijk thuis te blijven en minstens 1,5 meter afstand te houden van anderen. In hoeverre leven mensen in Amsterdam deze richtlijnen na? Hoe druk is het in de openbare ruimte van de stad en houden mensen deze afstand van elkaar? Op basis van camerabeelden in de openbare ruimte van Amsterdam geven wij maandelijks een overzicht van hoe druk het is op straat, in hoeverre burgers 1,5 meter afstand houden van elkaar, en hoe dit zich ontwikkelt in de loop van de dag en over een periode van een aantal weken. In deze eerste factsheet worden bevindingen gepresenteerd van de tweede golf in september tot eind november.

Little is known about how bouncer–patron interactions may influence a bouncer’s use of physical aggression. To address this gap, we offer a micro-interactional analysis examining real-life aggressive bouncer behavior captured by venue surveillance cameras. Quantitative results show that bouncer physical aggression is associated with interactions in which bouncers are directly involved as a conflict party, but not with interactions where they solely intervene as a third-party. Further, a qualitative analysis of emotional cues identifies anger as a plausible mechanism underpinning bouncer aggression. We consider the implications of these findings for night-time economy violence prevention strategies and discuss the relevance of video data for barroom research.

Are individuals willing to intervene in public violence? Half a century of research on the "bystander effect" suggests that the more bystanders present at an emergency, the less likely each of them is to provide help. However, recent meta-analytical evidence questions whether this effect generalizes to violent emergencies. Besides the number of bystanders present, an alternative line of research suggests that pre-existing social relations between bystanders and conflict participants are important for explaining whether bystanders provide help. The current paper offers a rare comparison of both factors-social relations and the number of bystanders present-as predictors of bystander intervention in real-life violent emergencies. We systematically observed the behavior of 764 bystanders across 81 violent incidents recorded by surveillance cameras in Copenhagen, Denmark. Bystanders were sampled with a case-control design, their behavior was observed and coded, and the probability of intervention was estimated with multilevel regression analyses. The results confirm our predicted association between social relations and intervention. However, rather than the expected reversed bystander effect, we found a classical bystander effect, as bystanders were less likely to intervene with increasing bystander presence. The effect of social relations on intervention was larger in magnitude than the effect of the number of bystanders. We assess these findings in light of recent discussions about the influence of group size and social relations in human helping. Further, we discuss the utility of video data for the assessment of real-life bystander behavior.

Are individuals willing to intervene in public violence? Half a century of research on the “bystander effect” suggests that the more bystanders present at an emergency, the less likely each of them is to provide help. However, recent meta‐analytical evidence questions whether this effect generalizes to violent emergencies. Besides the number of bystanders present, an alternative line of research suggests that pre‐existing social relations between bystanders and conflict participants are important for explaining whether bystanders provide help. The current paper offers a rare comparison of both factors—social relations and the number of bystanders present—as predictors of bystander intervention in real‐life violent emergencies. We systematically observed the behavior of 764 bystanders across 81 violent incidents recorded by surveillance cameras in Copenhagen, Denmark. Bystanders were sampled with a case–control design, their behavior was observed and coded, and the probability of intervention was estimated with multilevel regression analyses. The results confirm our predicted association between social relations and intervention. However, rather than the expected reversed bystander effect, we found a classical bystander effect, as bystanders were less likely to intervene with increasing bystander presence. The effect of social relations on intervention was larger in magnitude than the effect of the number of bystanders. We assess these findings in light of recent discussions about the influence of group size and social relations in human helping. Further, we discuss the utility of video data for the assessment of real‐life bystander behavior.