Leiden University Student Repository

Toorn, Florien van den (2014)

Jongens tussen de 8 en 12 jaar met een disruptieve gedragsstoornis.

Master thesis | Education and Child Studies (MSc)

Background: Previous studies showed that frontal lobes are affected with children having a Disruptive Behavior Disorder (DBD). The frontal lobes are related to the development of executive functions (EF) and aggressive behavior. Goal: The main goal of this study is to obtain a better insight in the behavior of children with DBD by looking at the underlying mechanism of EF. A distinction has been made between reactive and proactive aggression. Method: This study has been taken amongst 70 boys between 8 and 12 years old. The boys were subdivided in a DBD group (N=41) and a control group (N=29). Aggression was measured by means of the IRPA parent-questionnaire. The EF have been measured by means of several ANT tasks and the BRIEF parent-questionnaire. Results: Boys with DBD scored worse on their EF compared to the control group. A positive correlation was found between BRIEF inhibition and reactive aggression for the DBD group. A positive correlation was also found for BRIEF cognitive...Show moreBackground: Previous studies showed that frontal lobes are affected with children having a Disruptive Behavior Disorder (DBD). The frontal lobes are related to the development of executive functions (EF) and aggressive behavior. Goal: The main goal of this study is to obtain a better insight in the behavior of children with DBD by looking at the underlying mechanism of EF. A distinction has been made between reactive and proactive aggression. Method: This study has been taken amongst 70 boys between 8 and 12 years old. The boys were subdivided in a DBD group (N=41) and a control group (N=29). Aggression was measured by means of the IRPA parent-questionnaire. The EF have been measured by means of several ANT tasks and the BRIEF parent-questionnaire. Results: Boys with DBD scored worse on their EF compared to the control group. A positive correlation was found between BRIEF inhibition and reactive aggression for the DBD group. A positive correlation was also found for BRIEF cognitive flexibility and proactive aggression for the control group. Conclusion: This study shows that boys with DBD between 8 and 12 years old, have more deficits in EF than the control group. A positive correlation between reactive aggression and inhibition was found for the DBD group as well as a positive correlation between proactive aggression and cognitive flexibility for the control group.Show less

disruptive behaviour disorder

executive functions

reactive aggression

proactive aggresion

Author

Toorn, Florien van den

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Education of Child Studies

Supervisors

Rijn, Sophie van

ECTS Credits

20

Language

nl