Publications

Realist Approach to Social Policies (RASP) study to reduce socioeconomic health inequalities through systems change: protocol for a research project combining mixed-methods realist research with institutional action research
May 2024 – Jantien van Berkel, Ernst-Jan de Bruijn, Maikel van Waardenburg et al. – BMJ Open

This project aims to contribute to the reduction of health inequalities through (1) a better understanding of how social policy interventions can contribute to reducing health inequality through the redistribution of burdens and resources and (2) developing anticipatory governance strategies to implement those insights, contributing to a change in social policy systems…. Continue reading.

A Behaviorally Informed Financial Education Program for the Financially Vulnerable: Design and Effectiveness
December 2022 – Ernst-Jan de Bruijn, Gerrit Antonides, and Tamara Madern – Frontiers in Psychology

Financially vulnerable consumers are often associated with suboptimal financial behaviors. Evaluated financial education programs so far show difficulties to effectively reach this target population. In our attempt to solve this problem, we built a behaviorally informed financial education program incorporating insights from both motivational and behavioral change theories… Continue reading.

Poverty and Economic Decision Making: A Review of Scarcity Theory
March 2022 – Ernst-Jan de Bruijn and Gerrit Antonides – Theory and Decision

Poverty is associated with a wide range of counterproductive economic behaviors. Scarcity theory proposes that poverty itself induces a scarcity mindset, which subsequently forces the poor into suboptimal decisions and behaviors. The purpose of our work is to provide an integrated, up-to-date, critical review of this theory… Continue reading.

Determinants of Financial Worry and Rumination
January 2020 – Ernst-Jan de Bruijn and Gerrit Antonides – Journal of Economic Psychology

Significant parts of populations in developed countries frequently worry and ruminate about their finances. Financial worry and rumination can have serious psychological consequences, resulting in lower psychological well-being, mental-health problems, and impaired cognitive functioning… Continue reading.

Discussion papers

Debt Relief for the Financially Vulnerable: Impact on Employment, Welfare Receipt, and Mental Health
July 2023 – Ernst-Jan de Bruijn, Heike Vethaak, Pierre Koning and Marike Knoef – IZA Discussion Paper No. 16336.

We study the labor market and mental health impacts of debt relief among financially vulnerable individuals. We exploit a cutoff rule used by a Dutch welfare office to determine eligibility to debt relief of welfare debts. We use this cutoff as an instrument in both a fuzzy regression discontinuity and instrumented difference-in-difference design… Continue reading.

When co-residents affect your benefit level: Impact of the Dutch cost sharing standard
(with Heike Vethaak and Marike Knoef)

The Effects of Application Processing Times and Prepayments on Welfare Receipt and Employment
(with Heike Vethaak, Marike Knoef, and Pierre Koning)

Methods for Studying Financial Scarcity (with Leon Hilbert and Wilco van Dijk)

Experienced Administrative Burden of Compliance Demands in a Social Benefit Program: Scale Development and Antecedents (with Timo Verlaat and Gerrit Antonides)

Impact of Welfare Conditionality on Experienced Administrative Burden: Results from a Dutch Field Experiment among Social Assistance Claimants (with Timo Verlaat and Gerrit Antonides)

Het ontstaan, kwijtschelden en afboeken van bijstandsschulden bij de gemeente Rotterdam
May 2023 – Ernst-Jan de Bruijn, Heike Vethaak, Marike Knoef, and Pierre Koning – Research report Leiden University
_{(Translation: The origin and relief of welfare debts at the City of Rotterdam)}

Effectiviteit van de budgetcursus: Onderzoek naar de effecten van twee verschillende budgetcursussen
November 2019 – Tamara Madern, Ernst-Jan de Bruijn, Barbera van der Meulen, and Eline Maussen – Research report Utrecht University of Applied Sciences
_{(Translation: Effectiveness of financial education programs: Investigation into the effects of two different programs)}

Bijstand veelvoorkomende bron van schulden
August 2024 – Ernst-Jan de Bruijn, Heike Vethaak, Pierre Koning, and Marike Knoef – Economische Statistische Berichten
_{(Translation: Social welfare common source of welfare debts)}

Ervaren impact van kwijtschelding en afboeking van bijstandsschulden
October 2023 – Barbera van der Meulen and Ernst-Jan de Bruijn – Tijdschrift voor Schuldsanering
_{(Translation: Perceived impact of debt relief of welfare debts)}

Afboeking bijstandsschuld nauwelijks effect op werk en mentale gezondheid
July 2023 – Ernst-Jan de Bruijn, Heike Vethaak, Pierre Koning, and Marike Knoef – Economische Statistische Berichten
_{(Translation: Relief of welfare debts has hardly any effect on work and mental health)}

Laten we stoppen met uitspraak dat armoede het IQ verlaagt
September 2022 – Ernst-Jan de Bruijn – Economische Statistische Berichten
_{(Translation: Let’s stop saying that poverty lowers IQ)}

Hoe organisaties zelf aan de slag zouden kunnen met effectiviteit
March 2020 – Tamara Madern and Ernst-Jan de Bruijn – Tijdschrift voor Schuldsanering
_{(Translation: How organizations could start with focusing on effectiveness)}