This study focuses on the quality of sibling relationships, measured in warmth and conflict, and its association with internalizing- and externalizing-behavior problems in adolescence. For the...Show moreThis study focuses on the quality of sibling relationships, measured in warmth and conflict, and its association with internalizing- and externalizing-behavior problems in adolescence. For the study, 26 sibling pairs aged 8-15 years were included. These were only biological siblings and all lived in or near Leiden. The sibling pairs came to Leiden University to individually complete a VR task and a computer task and to fill out a questionnaire (SRQ-S). The parent also completed a questionnaire (CBCL 6-18 years) during the study. For this study, the CBCL and the SRQ-S were used. For this specific study, the younger sibling was examined because the older sibling influences the younger sibling more than the younger sibling influences the older sibling. The study found that conflict in a sibling relationship was positively related to internalizing behavior problems in the younger sibling. This can be explained by the cognitive model of depression: conflict causes stress and this stress relates to negative distortions of reality. These negative distorions of reality can form negative cognitive schema’s which relate to internalizing problems. There were no associations between warmth and internalizing problems and between warmth, conflict and externalizing problems. These conclusions must take into account that a general population sample was used: there were no high or low rates of warmth, conflict, internalizing and externalizing problems; they were avarage.Show less
The study aimed to investigate the association between working memory and planning skills in learning potential in Dutch primary school children aged 8 to 11. Specifically, it sought to determine...Show moreThe study aimed to investigate the association between working memory and planning skills in learning potential in Dutch primary school children aged 8 to 11. Specifically, it sought to determine whether variations in working memory and planning abilities influenced children's learning potential and whether gender moderated these relationships. It is relevant to conduct research on this topic because current studies are scarce or inconsistent. Additionally, it can provide valuable insights into how education can be further tailored to maximize the potential of students. Using a MANOVA, the research analyzed the interplay between cognitive factors and learning potential, measured via the Dynamic Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Task (drawing task for learning potential), Picture Span (working memory), and Tower of Hanoi (planning skills). Separate MANOVAs examined the impact of working memory and planning skills, individually and combined, on learning potential, and explored interaction effects with gender. This multivariate approach allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of these relationships. However, the study found no significant relationships between working memory, planning skills, and learning potential. Additionally, gender did not significantly moderate these associations. These findings underscore the need for caution in assuming the sole importance of working memory and planning skills in children's learning potential. They highlight the complexity of factors influencing learning outcomes, suggesting that other variables beyond cognitive abilities may play crucial roles. Moving forward, future research should adopt a broader perspective, considering a wider range of factors such as motivation, emotional intelligence, socioeconomic status, and environmental influences. Additionally, employing more reliable measurement tools and accounting for contextual and individual differences will be essential for a nuanced understanding of the intricate dynamics shaping children's learning potential.Show less
Children nowadays become toilet trained at a later age, which is found to be associated with negative consequences for the child and the environment. This study has investigated whether the succes...Show moreChildren nowadays become toilet trained at a later age, which is found to be associated with negative consequences for the child and the environment. This study has investigated whether the succes of the toilet training in children between 1.5 and 4 years old is related tot parenting style, child temperament, child age at start and use of a specific method for toilet training. The specific method was an app, called ‘De Pot Op’, which gave parents guidance in the process of toilet training in a rapid of gradual manner. The study had a retest-posttest RCT design with random assignment to the experimental group, which used the method, or the control group, which designed the toilet training in its own way. The sample consisted of 99 participants who completed a questionnaire about parenting and temperament before the start of the toilet training. After two weeks the participants were asked if their child was toilet trained. Although the factors investigated were expected to have an nfluence, no factor was found to be significantly related to toilet training success. Age did seem to have some effect: The children who were toilet trained after two weeks were significantly younger at the start of toilet training than the children who were not yet toilet trained after two weeks. Also, the use of the 'De Pot op' method seemed promising. Temperament, parental parenting style and starting age had no direct influence. Limitations such as a homogeneous sample and possible measuring instrument biases may have influenced the results. This study provides valuable insights for future research, such as the impact of socioeconomic status and more personalized toilet training methods.Show less
The Coffin-Siris Syndrome (CSS) is a rare genetic disorder with many different potential symptoms and a broad neurocognitive and behavioral phenotype. The aim of the present study was to generate...Show moreThe Coffin-Siris Syndrome (CSS) is a rare genetic disorder with many different potential symptoms and a broad neurocognitive and behavioral phenotype. The aim of the present study was to generate more knowledge about this syndrome by investigating how the executive functions inhibition, emotion regulation and task-monitor predict the outcome of externalizing behavior in children with CSS. The sample included 26 children and adolescents between the biological ages of 4 and 17 years (M = 9.8, SD = 4.11), of whom 46.2% were boys (n = 12) and 53.8% were girls (n = 14) originating from the Netherlands (n = 25) and Belgium (n = 1). Inhibition, emotion regulation and task-monitor were the executive function-domains used as independent variables and externalizing behavior as dependent. The results show an above average level of problems with executive functions within children with CSS and indicate that a combination of the executive function problems is related to the extent of externalizing behavior (F(3,26) = 4.971, p = .015, R2 = .516, Radj2 = .412). A non-significant trend was found for emotion regulation problems in the prediction of externalizing behavior. This illustrates the variety of symptoms in CSS-patients and suggests that it is probably a combination of such symptoms that leads to further problems in socio-behavioral outcomes. The findings also suggest that targeting a combination executive functions in interventions might be beneficial to behavioral outcomes in CSS.Show less
This study explores the relationship between genotype, parental functioning, and executive function development in children with Sex Chromosome Trisomies (SCTs). Despite growing awareness of the...Show moreThis study explores the relationship between genotype, parental functioning, and executive function development in children with Sex Chromosome Trisomies (SCTs). Despite growing awareness of the importance of genetic research, knowledge about the behavioral and neurocognitive characteristics of SCTs remains limited, as most studies focus on medical aspects. Children with SCTs are at increased risk for suboptimal neurodevelopment, leading to intellectual and developmental challenges, including executive function issues. This current study indicates that children with SCTs have more problems with more complex executive functions like emotion regulation and cognitive flexibility compared to peers without SCTs, with borderline significant differences in the basal executive function inhibition. No significant differences were found between girls with Trisomy X (47, XXX) and boys with Klinefelter syndrome (47, XXY) in these domains, which suggests that the extra X-chromosome is associated with suboptimal development of executive functions, regardless of gender. This indicates that these domains of executive functioning are particularly vulnerable in this population. Parental sensitivity appears to play a role in the cognitive flexibility of children with SCTs, implying that interventions aimed at improving parent-child interactions may be beneficial for improving executive functions.Show less
Although the well-documented vulnerability of parents with childhood trauma to relationship difficulties and parenting stress during the perinatal period, existing studies have primarily focused on...Show moreAlthough the well-documented vulnerability of parents with childhood trauma to relationship difficulties and parenting stress during the perinatal period, existing studies have primarily focused on mothers and have not differentiated between various types of childhood trauma (Chamberlain et al., 2019; Prachason et al., 2023). This study aims to address these gaps by investigating the impact of a history of emotional abuse or emotional neglect on the quality of partner relationships among fathers. Additionally, this study examined whether parenting stress mediates this relationship while correcting for cultural background, socio-economic status (SES), and psychological problems of the fathers. It was hypothesized that a history of emotional abuse and emotional neglect in fathers would be associated with lower quality partner relationships, and that parenting stress would mediate this relationship. A sample of 191 fathers, recruited through voluntary response sampling, completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire- Short Form, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale-7, and the Parental Stress Scale to assess experiences of emotional abuse or neglect, the quality of the partner relationship, and parenting stress, respectively. Regression analyses revealed a significant negative relationship between emotional neglect and partner relationship quality, as well as between parenting stress and partner relationship quality. No significant effects were observed for other variables. Furthermore, parenting stress did not mediate the relationship in either model. In summary, the findings indicate that fathers with a history of emotional neglect and fathers with parenting stress experience diminished quality in their partner relationships. Given that partner relationship quality influences the well-being of fathers and affects child development, it is essential to provide support for fathers with a history of emotional neglect (Christie et al., 2017). By incorporating insights from follow-up research into effective interventions, the well-being of both fathers and their children can be enhanced.Show less
The rapidly changing and growing multicultural society in the Netherlands necessitates that healthcare professionals pay increased attention to cultural diversity in care provision to ensure...Show moreThe rapidly changing and growing multicultural society in the Netherlands necessitates that healthcare professionals pay increased attention to cultural diversity in care provision to ensure successful application of culturally sensitive adaptations. This study focused on the development of problem behavior in children in relation to the cultural background of the mother and the traumatic events experienced by the mother. Twenty-nine mother-child pairs who participated in this study were part of an ongoing research project conducted by Leiden University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, in collaboration with Sterk Huis and Blijf Groep. The Life Events Questionnaire was used to measure traumatic events experienced by mother and the Child Behavior Checklist was completed by mother to assess her child's problem behavior. Additionally, a distinction was made between Dutch and nonWestern mothers to clarify migration and cultural differences among mothers. T-tests, regression analyses, and the Baron and Kenny method for mediation were employed to address the sub-questions. No significant association was found between traumatic events experienced by mother and mother's cultural background, nor between child's problem behavior and mother's experienced traumatic events, or between child's problem behavior and mother's cultural background. No mediation effect of mother's experienced traumatic events on the relationship between mother's cultural background and child's problem behavior was found. Though the results suggest that the issues among the groups of mothers and children are generally similar, the sample size is too small to detect a significant association and draw strong conclusions. Nonetheless, each may require a different approach to resolve their problems, and everyone benefits from a professional who develops cultural knowledge, cultural skills, and a cultural attitude that aligns with mother and child.Show less
Introduction. Many children in the Netherlands fail to achieve adequate reading levels by the end of primary school, posing concerns for their academic and later societal success. Effective...Show moreIntroduction. Many children in the Netherlands fail to achieve adequate reading levels by the end of primary school, posing concerns for their academic and later societal success. Effective stimulation of early literacy skills in kindergarten, including vocabulary, print knowledge, and phonological awareness, can reduce differences among students and reduce the risk of reading difficulties later on. While storybooks are effective in stimulating these early literacy skills, traditional storybook reading is not enough to provide a steady foundation for later reading success. Additionally, children with a smaller vocabulary do not benefit as much from storybook reading as their larger vocabularied peers, which increases early literacy skill level gaps between children. In this study, several effective methods in enhancing these skills are combined into the e-Prent&ABC method, which aims to enhance these skills simultaneously. Methods. 85 kindergarteners (41 boys, 44 girls) aged 4;2 to 6;3 years participated. Interactive digital reading sessions were conducted over five weeks, utilizing six picture books and varied reading methods. The first condition utilized non-interactive video books. Successive conditions used variations of the e-Prent&ABC reading method, focusing on either semantics, print knowledge, or phonological awareness. Participants underwent assessment of productive vocabulary, print knowledge, and phonological awareness before and after the reading conditions, along with a receptive vocabulary test before the conditions. Data were analysed using Mixed ANOVA and Repeated Measures ANOVA. Results. Kindergarteners, especially those with lower receptive vocabularies, experienced great vocabulary growth with the e-Prent&ABC method. The simultaneous stimulation of either print knowledge or phonological awareness proved effective, but not at the expense of vocabulary growth. Discussion. The e-Prent&ABC method proves effective in stimulating all three early literacy skills in the kindergarten setting, especially benefitting children with smaller vocabularies and thereby reducing skills gaps between individuals. These findings hold promise for improving children’s literacy outcomes.Show less
The level of reading skills and the reading motivation are decreasing, causing more and more school-aged children to experience difficulties in reading. When reading in children is difficult, it is...Show moreThe level of reading skills and the reading motivation are decreasing, causing more and more school-aged children to experience difficulties in reading. When reading in children is difficult, it is less fun to do. They will read less often so their reading skills will not improve (negative reading spiral) although reading is an important skill to participate in society and labor market. The current study investigated the effectiveness of two different online reading interventions aimed at improving the reading performance and reading motivation of children with reading difficulties in grade 4/5: the online, individually, guided Universal Intervention of Literacy (UIL) based on explicit direct instruction (EDI) and the Reading Along (RA) reading method based on the guided oral reading method. The interventions differed in instructional approaches. The current study examined whether EDI is needed to improve the reading performance of children with reading difficulties. In addition, it was examined whether the change in reading motivation can be explained by the change in reading achievement, from the reading spiral. The children with reading difficulties, divided into three conditions, received the UIL or RA intervention or no additional reading support (BAU, control group). Reading performance of technical reading and reading motivation were measured before and after the intervention period. The analyses showed that the UIL and RA were effective in improving reading achievement among children with reading difficulties in grade 4/5 after a five-week intervention period. The children who followed the UIL or RA grew equally in reading achievement. This suggests that EDI is not needed to improve reading achievement in children with reading difficulties. In addition, the children in the UIL, RA and BAU condition grew equally in reading motivation. The suggests that the UIL and RA interventions were not effective in improving reading motivation. Finally, no correlation was found between the change in reading achievement and the change on reading motivation. Change in reading motivation cannot be predicted by change in reading performance.Show less
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an interactive digital reading program (ePrent&ABC) on different domains, vocabulary and print knowledge (PK), of the early literacy....Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an interactive digital reading program (ePrent&ABC) on different domains, vocabulary and print knowledge (PK), of the early literacy. This study also examined whether visual working memory plays a role in the growth of vocabulary and PK. For this study participated 85 children between the ages 50-75 months (M = 63.08, SD = 6.07) old. The sample consisted of 44 girls and 41 boys. During four different conditions a kindergarten teacher read to the class four times a week based on a protocol and using the SMART board. The first week (condition A) the teacher did non-interactive reading. The other weeks of the study teachers used the ePrent&ABC program with every week another consolidation form for learning target words (condition B: semantics, condition C: PK and condition D: phonological awareness), except condition C, which was two weeks. Pretests and posttests were administered on target words, PK, and phonological awareness. Tests were also administered for general vocabulary and executive functions. This study focused in particular on the consolidation form of PK. During this consolidation form, teachers used non-verbal and verbal cues to draw the children’s attention to the text of the book. This study shows that children acquire more vocabulary and PK during ePrent&ABC than during non-interactive reading. In addition, a large effect (r = .67) was found of the growth in PK during the consolidation form PK. The consolidation form PK has a positive effect on multiple domains of the early literacy. This study shows also that visual working memory does not play a role in the growth of vocabulary and PK. EPrent&ABC offers teachers the opportunity to stimulate early literacy in preschoolers based on an evidence-based foundation with an interactive classroom method that considers both technical developments and the interests of preschoolers.Show less
A deficit in empathy underlies social interaction difficulties in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Conduct Disorder (CD). To date, few studies have directly compared youths with...Show moreA deficit in empathy underlies social interaction difficulties in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Conduct Disorder (CD). To date, few studies have directly compared youths with ASD and CD to delineate disorder-specific empathy profiles in clinical samples. This study aimed to compare cognitive and affective empathy in male adolescents aged 15 to 20 years with ASD, CD and a control group. Additionally, we examined whether the presence of Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits and autistic features influenced cognitive and affective empathy. Finally, we explored whether a combination of elevated CU traits and autistic features had an interaction effect on these forms of empathy. Participants included 23 boys diagnosed with ASD, 54 boys diagnosed with CD, and 37 boys without a diagnosis in the control group. Participants completed questionnaires assessing empathy, autistic features, and CU traits. As hypothesized, participants with CD exhibited deficits in affective empathy. Interestingly, participants with ASD did not show significant differences in cognitive empathy compared to the control and CD groups. CU traits and CD diagnosis were significant predictors of deficits in affective empathy, while autistic features were significant predictors of cognitive empathy. The diagnosis of ASD was not a significant predictor of cognitive empathy. No significant interaction effect was found between autistic features and CU traits on cognitive and affective empathy in these groups.Show less
Emotional neglect, characterized by a lack of sensitive caregiving, is the most common and the most rapidly increasing form of child maltreatment worldwide, with far-reaching consequences for...Show moreEmotional neglect, characterized by a lack of sensitive caregiving, is the most common and the most rapidly increasing form of child maltreatment worldwide, with far-reaching consequences for individuals' emotional, neurobiological, and social development. The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the relationship between experiences of emotional neglect in childhood and later positive parenting in mothers. Specifically, the potential mediating roles of parenting stress and emotional stability were examined. Data originated from a cohort study (2016-2020) conducted by the Verwey-Jonker Institute. The sample consisted of 757 mothers, of whom 233 reported a history of emotional neglect. The results indicated that emotional neglect was not directly, but indirectly associated with lower levels of positive parenting through increased parenting stress and reduced emotional stability. Using the PROCESS macro in SPSS, it was determined that parenting stress played a stronger mediating role than emotional stability in the relationship between emotional neglect and positive parenting. Limitations of this study include potential selection bias, limited measurement of key variables, and failure to meet the assumptions of multiple regression. These factors may affect the reliability, validity, and generalizability of the results, which therefore should be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, this study provided several important insights. It underscores the need for interventions aimed at reducing parenting stress and enhancing emotional stability in mothers with a history of emotional neglect. Interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can be helpful in improving coping mechanisms, both for stress reduction and emotion regulation, and enhancing resilience among these mothers. This study emphasizes the need for targeted support to address the potential effects of trauma caused by emotional neglect, and to foster positive parenting practices.Show less
Temperament of children is often associated with the degree of parental sensitivity, yet there is little consensus on whether the relationship exists. This study investigates whether there is a...Show moreTemperament of children is often associated with the degree of parental sensitivity, yet there is little consensus on whether the relationship exists. This study investigates whether there is a relationship between the temperament of children aged 3 to 5 years old and parental sensitivity. Next the study focused on whether this relationship is mediated by the mental well-being of parents and challenging behavior of children. The analyses utilized data from 21 parent-child pairs who participated in the study 'Parenting – how to measure?' at Leiden University. Temperament and mental well-being were measured using standardized questionnaires (CBQ and CES-D). Parental sensitivity and challenging behaviors were observed and coded by the researchers. The results indicate that there is no significant relationship between the child's temperament and parental sensitivity. Additionally, no mediation effects were found for the mental well-being of parents and the challenging behavior of children on the relationship between temperament and sensitivity. Some indications were found that the relationship between temperament dimension activity and sensitivity may exist as well as a relationship between mental well-being and parental sensitivity. The findings of this study should be interpreted with caution, particularly due to the small sample size. It is recommended to design a larger study with more participants focusing on the relationships between the activity temperament dimension and the relationship with parental sensitivity, as well as the relationship between mental well-being and parental sensitivity, given the indications found in this study.Show less
