Conduct disorder (CD) is a psychiatric disorder which is associated with repetitive outbursts in which there is no control over aggressive impulses. Despite the high prevalence and the high social-...Show moreConduct disorder (CD) is a psychiatric disorder which is associated with repetitive outbursts in which there is no control over aggressive impulses. Despite the high prevalence and the high social- and economic load, there is little research done into CD and its possible predictors. The current research attempted to understand the antisociality of boys with CD by means of socioeconomic status (SES). The level of aggression and the level of psychopathic traits have been investigated. The participants were 52 boys with CD, with an average age of 16.94 years. The participants filled out questionnaires, of which the level of aggression and the level of psychopathic traits was determined. The socioeconomic status was determined based on the postal code of the participants. The research showed no relationship between the SES and the level of aggression and psychopathic traits.Show less
By identifying and preventative intervening in children and adolescents with externalizing problem behaviour at an early stage, efforts are made to prevent bigger problems later on. It is important...Show moreBy identifying and preventative intervening in children and adolescents with externalizing problem behaviour at an early stage, efforts are made to prevent bigger problems later on. It is important to know which factors are related to externalizing problem behaviour, so that identifying and treatment can focus on those. Current research focuses on the relationship between gender, age, inhibition and emotional facial recognition with externalizing problem behaviour. Previous research was inconsistent or little research has been done. 232 children and adolescents (𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑒 = 10.51; SD = 1.39), of which 79.3% were boys and 20.7% were girls, completed the Shifting Set Visual (SSV) to measure the level of inhibition and the Facial Emotion Recognition (FER) to measure the emotional facial recognition. The teachers of the children and adolescents completed the Teacher Report Form (TRF) to measure the degree of externalizing problem behaviour of the child or adolescent. The results show that boys have a higher degree of externalizing problem behaviour than girls. A lower inhibition level is related to a higher degree of externalizing problem behaviour than a higher inhibition level. Average emotional facial recognition appears to influence the relationship between inhibition and externalizing problem behaviour, whereas below-average emotion facial recognition did not. Also, age does not appear to be linked to externalizing problem behaviour. The results implicate that focussing on the inhibition level during identifying and treatment of externalizing problem behavior, is useful. They also imply that boys have a higher risk of a higher degree of externalizing problem behaviour than girls. Although expected, below-average emotional facial recognition did not appear to influence the relationship between inhibition and externalizing problem behaviour. This indicates that emotional facial recognition does not have to be taken into account during the signalling and treatment. More research is needed to make the findings more certain.Show less
Background: Verbal difficulties have been shown to be related to externalizing behavior in children. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between externalizing behavior and...Show moreBackground: Verbal difficulties have been shown to be related to externalizing behavior in children. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between externalizing behavior and difficulties in verbal memory, receptive language ability and verbal mentalizing ability. This helps us to uncover whether this combination of verbal difficulties forms a meaningful profile in predicting externalizing behavior and its treatment. Methods: The sample is derived of the Preventive Intervention Trajectory (PIT) and consists of 215 children aged 6 to 14. Within PIT, children with (sub)clinical levels of externalizing behavior receive a prolonged, preventive intervention tailored to their cognitive strengths and difficulties. Assessment of cognitive abilities includes measures of verbal memory (15-Words test), receptive language ability (CELF-4 subtest Concepts and Following Directions), and verbal mentalizing ability (Social Cognitive Abilities test (SCVT)). Results: Findings showed that verbal memory, receptive language ability and verbal mentalizing ability were not consistently positively correlated among each other. The combination of verbal abilities was modestly predictive of externalizing behavior. This predictive relationship was not significant when children were divided by verbal profile. Children with verbally weak profiles did not exhibit significantly more externalizing behavior than children with verbally strong profiles and both groups showed the same significant decrease in externalizing behavior after six months of treatment for their behavioral problems. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the combination of children’s verbal memory, receptive language ability and verbal mentalizing ability cannot be considered a meaningful profile in relation to externalizing behavior, as no differences emerged in externalizing behavior between children with weak verbal abilities and children with strong verbal abilities. The PIT intervention proved to be effective in reducing externalizing behavior, irrespective of verbal ability.Show less
The focus in this study was the relation between executive functioning (EF) and social cognition in school aged children who showed an exceptional level of externalizing behavior. The aim of this...Show moreThe focus in this study was the relation between executive functioning (EF) and social cognition in school aged children who showed an exceptional level of externalizing behavior. The aim of this study was to examine the predictive value of inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory on social cognition. The sample of this study contained of 169 children in the age of 9 to 12 years who were classified in a research group of children (N= 138), who showed externalizing behavior in a clinical range and a control group in a non-clinical range. Social cognitive skills were measured with the Social Cognitive Skills Test. Inhibition and cognitive flexibility were measured with the Shifting Attentional Set (SSV), part of the Amsterdamse Neuropsychologische Taken (ANT). Working memory was measured with the subtest Digit Span from the WISC-III-NL The results showed that children who show externalizing behavior in the clinical range have significant reduced social cognitive skills and working memory. These children also have reduced inhibition and cognitive flexibility, but only when measured in errors and not reaction time. The multiple regression showed that working memory is a significant predictor of social cognition is this sample. Contrary to the expectations, inhibition and cognitive flexibility were not. It can be concluded that children who show externalizing behavior in the clinical range have reduced social cognitive skills and reduced executive functioning (EF), but the direction of the relation between social cognitive skills and EF remains unclear. This study contributed to the ongoing research on the relationship between social cognition and EF and showed that targeting EF in an intervention will not directly influence the social cognitive skills.Show less
Reading comprehension is a vital skill. It is important for a reader to make inferences between story elements while integrating background information. In addition, it is important that the reader...Show moreReading comprehension is a vital skill. It is important for a reader to make inferences between story elements while integrating background information. In addition, it is important that the reader can apply metacognition in which the reader monitors and regulates his/her own understanding about the text. These cognitive processes ensure that the reader forms and maintains a coherent mental representation about the story and these processes may be similar across different media. Research results from PISA shows a decrease in grades for reading comprehension, reading enjoyment, and competence perception among Dutch 15-year-old students. Following these results and the possible relationship between comprehension skills across different media, such as written text, auditory and visual presentations, this study has been conducted. This study investigated whether the narrative comprehension differed between these media and if the application of story-based and knowledge-based inferences, and metacognition to a story affects narrative comprehension in 8-12 year old children. Three stories in written text, auditory, and visual presentation modes, comprehension questions about these stories, and the think-aloud protocol were used. Narrative comprehension was measured using comprehension questions. Using the think aloud protocol, the relationship between comprehension skills and narrative comprehension was examined. The results indicate a difference between narrative comprehension in written text and visual presentation, with narrative comprehension in visual presentation being higher. Furthermore, the number of story-based inferences is a significant predictor for narrative comprehension in written text presentation and story-based and knowledge-based inferences for narrative comprehension in auditory presentation. Although further research is needed, these findings suggest the importance of using narrative texts across different media. Also these findings may be used for developing interventions in which children practice making inferences and use their metacognition across different media.Show less
Nowadays children read less and less. They spent more time on other media, such as audio and animation video. Therefore it is important to know how children can learn through these media. This...Show moreNowadays children read less and less. They spent more time on other media, such as audio and animation video. Therefore it is important to know how children can learn through these media. This study examines differences in online and offline comprehension between text, audio and animation video. So far research about this subject is scarce. Eighty-three children between eight and twelve years old participated in the study. A within-subjects design was used with three stories. A think-aloud protocol was used and after each part of the story participants were asked to say out loud what they were thinking. Children’s statements were categorized into different types of inferences. Online comprehension was measured using three types of inferences: connecting, reinstatement and knowledge-based inferences. Offline comprehension was measured with comprehension questions. Results indicated that there was no difference between the amount of connecting-, reinstatement- and knowledge-based inferences made in the different media. Regarding the second research question children answered significantly more comprehension questions correctly after watching an animation video than after reading a text. In addition, no differences were found in offline comprehension between text and audio and audio and animation video. This study supports the idea that children develop a general inference skill that is similar in different media. This suggests that they can practice making inferences via animation videos and being read to by someone. Regarding offline comprehension, additional research is needed on the effectiveness of using animation videos in the classroom to improve comprehension strategies. These inference skills and comprehension strategies can later be applied in reading comprehension.Show less
Abstract: Several studies have reported on the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gender dysphoria (GD), especially during adolescence. A specific treatment program for Dutch...Show moreAbstract: Several studies have reported on the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gender dysphoria (GD), especially during adolescence. A specific treatment program for Dutch adolescents with comorbid ASD and GD remains absent, while difficulties with self-worth and psychological wellbeing play a major role for this minority group. The current study investigates the effectiveness of a peer support group on the self-worth and psychological complaints of adolescents, using a pre- and post-test design. A total of 26 adolescents, 16 boys (61,5%) and 10 girls (38,5%) aged 13 to 24 (M = 18,92, SD = 2,30), were included. To assess self-worth and psychological complaints self-report questionnaires CBSA and SCL-90-R are used respectively, prior to and after finishing the intervention. A dependent t-test was used to compare the means of the measurement regarding self-worth and psychological complaints before and after the intervention took place. Results indicated that psychological complaints significantly reduced (t(22) = 2,56, p = ,02), while no effect was found on self-worth. A linear regression was used to test psychological complaints as a predictor of the effectiveness regarding self-worth. A trend was found in the positive direction, F(1,15) = 3,60, p = ,08. A higher level of psychological complaints in the pre-test predicts more overall improvement on self-worth. The results need to be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size and the absence of an experimental study design. Nevertheless, the research on the intervention contributes to the limited knowledge on treatment for adolescents with comorbid ASD and GD and shows significant reduction of psychological complaints after participating in the intervention, while taking the needs of adolescents with ASD and GD in regard.Show less
Low quality of life can have an enormous impact on someone’s mental health. It can also withhold people with mental problems to recover. The aim of this study is to investigate the differences in...Show moreLow quality of life can have an enormous impact on someone’s mental health. It can also withhold people with mental problems to recover. The aim of this study is to investigate the differences in social and psychological wellbeing between adolescents with and without selective mutism. Furthermore, the relationship between speaking behavior and the two wellbeing variables are investigated. Twenty-nine adolescents with selective mutism (f = 23, m= 6, mean age = 12,78) and 45 typical developing adolescents (f = 24, m= 21, mean age = 13.31) participated in this study. All the adolescents in the selective mutism group had a parent-reported diagnosis which presence was confirmed with the SMQ. Adolescents who were in (partial) remission were excluded. An online survey was send to the participants to collect the data for this study. The online survey consisted items from original questionnaires and items with questions about background information. Social- and psychological wellbeing is measured with the KIDSSCREEN-52 and speaking behavior is measured using the SMQ. Results showed that adolescents (10 – 18 years old) with selective mutism have lower psychological and social wellbeing than their typically developing peers. Furthermore, the presence of comorbid ASS above a diagnosis of selective mutism has a more negative impact on social wellbeing, but not psychological wellbeing, in comparison to adolescents with a single diagnosis selective mutism. Results have also shown that there is a positive relationship between the amount of difficulties in speaking behavior and social wellbeing but not for psychological wellbeing. These results implicate that adolescents with selective mutism have not only problems with expressing themselves in a verbal way but also experience a lower psychological and social quality of life than their typical developing peers. National Mental Health services should therefore not only pay attention to reducing the anxious behavior itself, but also look for ways to improve the psychological and social wellbeing of adolescents with selective mutism.Show less
Shared interethnic prejudice of White children and their parents makes the question as how prejudice comes about pressing, especially in a tumultuous time as the corona pandemic where people with...Show moreShared interethnic prejudice of White children and their parents makes the question as how prejudice comes about pressing, especially in a tumultuous time as the corona pandemic where people with an East Asian descent were blamed. This study examined out-group rejection of people of East Asian descent among White mothers, fathers and their children, aged 7-12 years (M = 9.30, SD = 0.90), in the Netherlands. The sample consisted of 80 mothers, 40 fathers and 80 children (47 girls and 33 boys). Parents can be children’s main way to acquire socialization experiences. Parental sensitivity has been appointed as a moderating variable to study the intergenerational transmission of explicit interethnic prejudice between parents and their children. Negative explicit interethnic prejudice was measured among children using a task in which they could distribute cards with words, like ‘mean’ and ‘annoying’, among eight pictures of children with four different ethnic appearances. For this study only the cards given to appearances of the children with East Asian appearances were accounted for. Additionally, maternal and paternal explicit interethnic prejudice against people of East Asian descent were determined using a questionnaire. Furthermore, parental sensitivity was assessed during a parent-child task. Results showed no relation between explicit interethnic prejudice of White children and their mothers and fathers against people with East Asian descent. The results also showed no moderating effect of parental sensitivity. However, it is important to note that the sample used for this study is not representative for the White Dutch community. Nevertheless, multiple studies have shown that the corona pandemic has increased interethnic prejudice against people with an East Asian background on a global scale and in the Netherlands. Future research should elucidate if explicit interethnic prejudice against people of East Asian descent is present among a representative sample of White Dutch people.Show less
The present study investigates the effect that the level of cognitive empathy and moral development have on the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce externalising behaviour among at-risk...Show moreThe present study investigates the effect that the level of cognitive empathy and moral development have on the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce externalising behaviour among at-risk youth. All subjects (N = 135, 7;8–12;10 years old) engaged in pre-intervention diagnostic screening, measuring their level of moral development, cognitive empathy and externalising behaviour. Six months after the start of the intervention, each subject’s level of externalising behaviour was measured once again. No significant relationship was found between moral development and cognitive empathy, nor did the results show a significant relationship between moral development and cognitive empathy in relation to the reduction of externalising behaviour. Alternative explanations for this unexpected outcome include that moral development merely has a too small effect on externalising behaviour to detect with the current sample, that there are shortcomings in the validity and reliability of the used questionnaires, and that the intervention is already properly addressing the issues coming from low moral development and cognitive empathyShow less
Background: Little research has been done about the mother’s psychopathology as an umbrella term and the possible connection with behavioral problems the child may have. There is also only so much...Show moreBackground: Little research has been done about the mother’s psychopathology as an umbrella term and the possible connection with behavioral problems the child may have. There is also only so much research about the possible difference in perspective on behavioral problems of the child according to the mother and according to the social worker. The aim of this study is to examine to what extent there is a connection between the psychopathology of the mother and the behavioral problems of the child reported by the mother and reported by the involved social worker. Method: The research has been administered to fourteen mother-child pairs in a shelter for women and their involved social workers. During three research visits the mothers has been asked to fill out the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) regarding the mother’s psychopathology and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) regarding the behavioral problems of the child according to the mother. During these three visits the involved social worker has been asked to fill out the Teacher’s Report Form (TRF) regarding the behavioral problems of the child according to the involved social worker. Results: The results indicate no significant difference between the behavioral problems of the child reported by the mother and the behavioral problems of the child reported by the involved social worker (T1: Z = -.30, p = .77; T2: Z= -1.84, p = .07). Other results indicate a significant relationship between the mother’s psychopathology and the behavioral problems of the child reported by the mother during the first research visit (Rs = .65, p<.05), but a non- significant relationship during the second research visit (Rs = .41, p = .21). Results also show no significant relationship between the mother’s psychopathology and the behavioral problems of the child reported by the involved social worker (T1: Rs = -.10, p = .80; T2: Rs = .03, p = .92). Conclusion: The behavioral problems of the child reported by the mother and the involved social worker do not differ. Also, there is no unambiguous result when it comes to the relationship between the mother’s psychopathology and the behavioral problems that are reported by the mother. Since there is a positive and not positive relationship measured. Lastly, the results do not show a positive effect of the mother’s psychopathology on the behavioral problems of the child reported by the social worker.Show less
Domestic violence is a type of violence that occurs in every country and class. Victims of domestic violence are mainly mothers and children. Many of the mothers that have experienced domestic...Show moreDomestic violence is a type of violence that occurs in every country and class. Victims of domestic violence are mainly mothers and children. Many of the mothers that have experienced domestic violence will develop anxiety and depression symptoms. It is known that this has impact on the behavior of their children. However, there is still a lot unknown about the relation of anxiety and depression symptoms of mothers, having experienced domestic violence, with the behavioral problems of young children. The current study has investigated the following question: Is there a relation between anxiety and depression symptoms of mothers that have been victims of domestic violence and the behavioral problems of their children? The first hypotheses was that there would be a relation between anxiety and depression symptoms of the mothers and the child’s behavioral problems. The second hypothesis was that depression of mothers would be a stronger predictor of child behavior problems than the mother’s anxiety. The sample consisted of ten victimized mothers living in Dutch domestic violence shelters. The children were between one and six years old. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) was used to identify anxiety or depression symptoms by the mothers and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for behavior problems among the children. The results show that none of the hypotheses were confirmed. However, the current research is a step towards follow up research in this age group (children between one and six years) and the target group (women and children who have experienced domestic violence). From here further research can be executed on the impact of depression and anxiety of mothers who have experienced domestic violence and its influence on their children's behavioral problems.Show less
