Leiden University Student Repository

Kuiper, Fleur (2026)

De samenhang tussen executieve functies en sociaal gedrag bij peuters en kleuters met een geslachtschromosoomtrisomie

Master thesis | Education and Child Studies (MSc)

Abstract Children with a sex chromosome trisomy (SCT; 47,XXX. 47,XXY, 47,XYY) are at increased risk for difficulties in executive functioning and social behavior from early childhood onward. Executive functions play a key role in regulating behavior, emotions and attention in social context, yet little is known about how executive functioning relates to social behavior in young children with SCT, or whether this relation differs between boys and girls. The present study examined the relation between executive functions and social behavior in children with SCT aged one to seven years and investigated the moderating role of gender. Participants were 109 children with SCT (47,XXX: N = 34; 47,XXY: N = 51; 47,XYY: N = 24) recruited through the international TRIXY study. Executive functions were assessed using both parent-report questionnaire (BRIEF-P; Sherman & Brooks, 2010) and a task-based measure (MEFS; Carlson & Zelazo, 2020). Social behavior was measured via parent-report using the...Show moreAbstract Children with a sex chromosome trisomy (SCT; 47,XXX. 47,XXY, 47,XYY) are at increased risk for difficulties in executive functioning and social behavior from early childhood onward. Executive functions play a key role in regulating behavior, emotions and attention in social context, yet little is known about how executive functioning relates to social behavior in young children with SCT, or whether this relation differs between boys and girls. The present study examined the relation between executive functions and social behavior in children with SCT aged one to seven years and investigated the moderating role of gender. Participants were 109 children with SCT (47,XXX: N = 34; 47,XXY: N = 51; 47,XYY: N = 24) recruited through the international TRIXY study. Executive functions were assessed using both parent-report questionnaire (BRIEF-P; Sherman & Brooks, 2010) and a task-based measure (MEFS; Carlson & Zelazo, 2020). Social behavior was measured via parent-report using the SRS-2 (Constantino et al., 2015). Results show a strong positive association between behavioral executive function problems and social difficulties, indicating that greater executive dysfunction in daily life was related to more pronounced social impairments. Girls showed more behavioral executive function problems, measured by the parent-report, than boys, but no gender differences were found in task-based executive functioning. Sex did not moderate the relationship between executive functioning (parent-report and task-based) and social behavior, indicating that executive functioning was similarly related to social difficulties in boys and girls with SCT. In conclusion, behavioral executive functioning appears to be a key factor underlying social difficulties in young children with SCT, independent of gender. These findings highlight the importance of early identification and intervention targeting executive regulation in daily contexts to support social development in this population.Show less

Author

Kuiper, Fleur

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Orthopedagogiek

Supervisors

Emmen, R.A.G

ECTS Credits

20

Language

nl