This experimental study used a 2 (social motives; pro-social vs. pro-self) x 2 (gender of the experimenter; female vs. male) design to examine the impact of social motives and gender stereotype...Show moreThis experimental study used a 2 (social motives; pro-social vs. pro-self) x 2 (gender of the experimenter; female vs. male) design to examine the impact of social motives and gender stereotype activation on the negotiating behaviour of female leaders in online group negotiations. A sample of 95 female participants, ranging from 20 to 70 years old and with various educational backgrounds, participated in an online group negotiation experiment. The participants negotiated against two fake counterparts. Their social motives were to either negotiate for themselves (pro-self) or for the group (pro-social) and they negotiated in an environment where gender stereotypes were activated through the gender of the experimenter. Results showed that neither social motives nor gender stereotype activation significantly impacted the negotiating behaviour of the female leaders. However, participants' social motives were more strongly influenced when a female experimenter led the experiment. These findings suggest that women may be more responsive to instructions from other women. Additionally, this study underscores the need to further explore the underlying factors affecting women's negotiation outcomes.Show less
While amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are primarily defined by cognitive deficits, studies have demonstrated that motor impairments can precede cognitive...Show moreWhile amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are primarily defined by cognitive deficits, studies have demonstrated that motor impairments can precede cognitive symptoms by several years in these conditions. However, it is uncertain if the ability to learn sequences of movements is also impaired in this population. Therefore, this study investigated whether aMCI and AD affect motor sequence learning abilities, and how such abilities are related to AD biomarkers. The sample included 33 individuals with aMCI, 28 with AD, and 52 healthy controls (HCs). All groups completed a motor task consisting of performing a sequence of button presses, alternated with random blocks. Reaction time, coefficient of variation, and learning rates were obtained from the task. Participants also completed a series of cognitive tests to assess memory, visuospatial abilities, processing speed, language, and attention. Additionally, the following biomarkers for AD were assessed: amyloid beta via PET imaging, hippocampal volume via structural MRI, and number of e4 alleles via APOE genotyping. ANOVAs showed that AD participants had longer and more variable reaction times, followed by aMCI individuals, and with HCs having the shorter and more consistent reaction times. No significant differences in sequence learning rate were observed between groups. Exploratory analyses revealed that aMCI/AD had significantly slower initial learning rate than HCs. Linear regressions showed associations of slower reaction times with smaller hippocampal volume, and of higher coefficients with higher amyloid deposition. Poisson regressions revealed no significant correlations between motor sequence learning and APOEe4 allele count. Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) results indicated that combining cognitive test with motor measures improves the prediction of AD biomarkers. Overall, AD and aMCI individuals showed impairments in general motor performance but relatively preserved motor sequence learning abilities, with some deficits in initial rate of learning. Moreover, statistical model comparison suggested that adding motor sequence learning measures to neuropsychological assessment tools enhanced the prediction of AD biomarkers. As such, future studies should explore the value of integrating motor sequence learning measures in the assessment and tracking of AD/aMCI.Show less
Background: This study on gut feelings investigates the correlation between microdiversity in the gut and cognitive reactivity in the brain, with sex as a potential moderator. Research on potential...Show moreBackground: This study on gut feelings investigates the correlation between microdiversity in the gut and cognitive reactivity in the brain, with sex as a potential moderator. Research on potential correlations and moderators is relevant to gain further insight into the networks involved in the gut-brain axis. The findings can influence treatment approaches in the field of clinical psychology to a greater focus on the gut- brain axis. Two hypotheses were examined: 1) a higher microdiversity in the gut is correlated with less emotion regulation difficulties, and 2) there are sex differences in the correlation between microdiversity and emotion regulation. Methods: This research was an observational between-subjects design with a total number of 75 participants. The primary outcome was the alpha score, assessed with the Shannon Index, which gives insight into individual microdiversity. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale was used to assess self-reported difficulties in emotion regulation to have insight into individual cognitive reactivity. Sex was conceptualised as the moderator variable. A correlational analysis for alpha scores and DERS scores was carried out, followed by a multiple regression analysis, which tested for a moderation with the variable sex. Results: There was no evidence for a negative correlation between high microdiversity and few emotion regulation difficulties. Sex did not have a significant moderation on this correlation either. Implications: Further research is needed on the gut-brain axis and sex differences in gut microdiversity and emotion regulation to adapt the treatment of stress-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or other anxiety-related disorders from a cognitive- to a more holistic approach.Show less
Loneliness affects both autistic and non-autistic children. Nevertheless, differences exist in the prevalence and characteristics of loneliness experienced by these two groups, especially in school...Show moreLoneliness affects both autistic and non-autistic children. Nevertheless, differences exist in the prevalence and characteristics of loneliness experienced by these two groups, especially in school settings. This study investigated how four school environment factors, i.e., physical connection, perceived emotional connections, received emotional connections, and recess enjoyment impact loneliness in school-aged children, focusing on the differences between autistic and non-autistic children. Conducted in 2 Dutch special education primary schools, this cross-sectional, between-group study included 104 students (Μ age = 10.4, age range: 6.8 – 14 years): 47 autistic (Μ age = 10.2) and 52 non-autistic (Μ age = 11.4). Loneliness levels were measured with the self-report questionnaire Children’s Loneliness Scale (CLS). For physical connection, the total time children spent in social contact during school recess was measured with proximity sensors (Radio Frequency Identification Device, RFID). Perceived emotional connections was measured with friendship nomination and received emotional connections with the “Like to play” (LITOP) questionnaire. Recess enjoyment was measured with Lunchtime Enjoyment of Activity and Play Questionnaire (LEAP). A regression analysis measured the relationship between feelings of loneliness and the four school environment factors, and the moderating role of autism. An independent sample t-test compared differences between groups for all variables. The results showed a significant relationship between physical connection and loneliness (β = -.409, t = -3.040, p = .003) and recess enjoyment and loneliness (β = .333, t = 2.690, p = .009). Autism moderated the impact of physical connection on loneliness: increased physical connection is associated with reduced loneliness in non-autistic children but heightened loneliness in autistic children (β = .596, t = 2.236, p = .028). Lastly, levels of physical connection (t (97) = 3.393, p = .001) were significantly lower in autistic (M = .539, SD = .221) than in non-autistic children (M = .695, SD). Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the distinct social needs and experiences of social interactions of autistic children. Policymakers and educators should prioritize gaining a deeper understanding of these differences between autistic and non-autistic children in order to develop more effective programs. With this knowledge, tailoring interventions specifically for autistic children can more effectively address loneliness.Show less
The placebo effect is a learning phenomenon strongly associated with cognitive mechanisms. Placebo conditioning, particularly, combines threat learning with verbal instructions and expectations....Show moreThe placebo effect is a learning phenomenon strongly associated with cognitive mechanisms. Placebo conditioning, particularly, combines threat learning with verbal instructions and expectations. These processes are central in shaping subjective pain experience and threat-related episodic memory. However, the specific influence of placebo conditioning on episodic memory accuracy and generalization is not yet known. It is hypothesized that threat associations enhance memory recognition and generalization by increasing arousal; thus, introducing a placebo manipulation in a threat conditioning paradigm might impair memory recognition by decreasing arousal. This can offer insights into the broader clinical implications of placebo, as threat-related responses and memory bias are hallmarks of anxiety disorders. This study used a within subjects experimental design with 72 healthy participants undergoing a pain calibration/placebo conditioning procedure, a Pavlovian threat conditioning paradigm with a placebo manipulation using pictures, and a memory test. Participants completed pain, mnemonic, and confidence ratings. We predicted that the placebo condition would correlate with lower subjective pain experience, and the CS+ condition with increased recognition memory and generalization compared to the CS+ placebo and CS- conditions. Although the placebo manipulation was successful, it did not significantly affect memory recognition, generalization or discrimination. There were indications that the CS+ condition correlated with higher recognition compared to the CS- condition, but these should be interpreted with caution. We conclude that the placebo manipulation’s subtle effects may not have reached the necessary threshold of arousal and motivational engagement required to alter memory processes. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.Show less
Keuzegedrag is een belangrijk cognitief proces dat binnen de wetenschap veel wordt onderzocht. Uit onderzoek van Damaso en collega’s (2022) bleek dat de reactietijd van participanten toeneemt na...Show moreKeuzegedrag is een belangrijk cognitief proces dat binnen de wetenschap veel wordt onderzocht. Uit onderzoek van Damaso en collega’s (2022) bleek dat de reactietijd van participanten toeneemt na het maken van een fout. Dit fenomeen, genaamd post-error slowing, komt mogelijk voort uit de afleiding van aandacht na een fout, om te proberen accurater te handelen. De speed-accuracy trade-off toont aan dat reactietijd toeneemt als mensen accurater zijn. In dit onderzoek werd post-error slowing onderzocht en gekeken naar de invloed van feedback en moeilijkheid hierop. Dit werd getoetst aan de hand van een twee- alternatieven geforceerde keuzetaak, afgenomen bij 43 participanten, waarin trials varieerden in moeilijkheid en trial- of blockwise feedback. Uit de resultaten bleek geen significant effect van zowel moeilijkheid als van trial- of blockwise feedback. Mogelijke limitaties lagen bij de moeilijkheid en de deadline van de trials. Voor toekomstig onderzoek was het advies de huidige taak enigszins aan te passen en een grotere/diversere sample te onderzoeken.Show less
Introduction: The Locus Coeruleus (LC) is a small structure residing in the midbrain and is the primary source of Noradrenaline (NA) in the brain. The LC-NA system’s roles include focusing...Show moreIntroduction: The Locus Coeruleus (LC) is a small structure residing in the midbrain and is the primary source of Noradrenaline (NA) in the brain. The LC-NA system’s roles include focusing attention towards salient stimuli. Animal studies suggest that the LC-NA system plays a role in reward related functions, an aspect primarily attributed to the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) Dopamine (DA) system. Animal studies suggest that habituation of the LC to salient stimuli occurs rapidly. The Dorsal and Ventral attentional networks (DAN and VAN respectively) are other regions relevant in attentional focus. Thus, we hypothesise that the reward and salient stimuli will elicit higher responses in the LC compared to the control, the LC will habituate across trials, the DAN network will respond highest to reward, and the VAN highest to salience. Methods: Forty-five healthy participants were recruited to complete a reward-oddball task during fMRI scanning. Repeated Measures (RM)-ANOVAs assessed changes in BOLD levels in our regions of interest (LC, VTA, DAN, VAN) as participants responded to the different stimuli oddballs (reward, salient, no reward). Results: A main effect for stimulus type on LC activity was not found (p=.079). Activity in the LC did not significantly habituate (p=.469). The DAN had overall higher activation than the VAN and had higher activation to the reward oddball compared to the salient (p<.001). The VAN region also had higher activation to the reward compared to the salient condition (p<.001). Conclusion: Results suggest that the LC had a similar degree of activation to each stimulus. This may suggest that the LC responds to contextual saliency and may not account for how goal relevant a stimulus is. We did not find a statistically significant habituation across trials. This may suggest that habituation in humans happens at a slower/less extensive rate than rats. The DAN region had globally higher activation than the VAN, reflecting this region’s role in sustained and goal related attention. The lack of activation within the VAN may suggest an orientation response was not required during this task. Strengths, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.Show less
People in debt often avoid contacting their creditors, a behaviour likely driven by feelings of shame. In the Netherlands, around one million households face significant debt, leading to stress and...Show morePeople in debt often avoid contacting their creditors, a behaviour likely driven by feelings of shame. In the Netherlands, around one million households face significant debt, leading to stress and shame, which exacerbates financial problems by hindering communication with creditors. This study investigates the impact of building shame resilience on reducing avoidance behaviours among debtors. Enhancing shame resilience means increasing individuals' sense of control over their situation and reducing feelings of being trapped. These factors can empower debtors to confront their financial problems rather than avoid them. Thus, an experiment involving 308 participants with financial distress evaluated the effectiveness of different versions of the same creditor letter. These messages were adjusted to either increase a sense of control, reduce feelings of being trapped, or serve as a baseline with no specific emotional content. The study hypothesised that these adjustments would lead to greater willingness to contact creditors and that gender might moderate the impact. Results showed that messages enhancing control or reducing feelings of being trapped significantly increased participants' willingness to engage with creditors. Although the hypothesis regarding gender moderation was not supported overall, women responded more positively to messages reducing feelings of being trapped. These findings suggest that supportive communication strategies addressing emotional barriers like shame can facilitate better debt management. The study's implications for policy and creditor practices emphasise prioritising psychological well-being to enhance financial stability.Show less
An SCT is a genetic disorder in which children are born with an extra sex chromosome that arises during pregnancy. Even though SCTs are one of the most common chromosome duplications, many people...Show moreAn SCT is a genetic disorder in which children are born with an extra sex chromosome that arises during pregnancy. Even though SCTs are one of the most common chromosome duplications, many people with SCTs go undiagnosed due to a lack of evidence or visible symptoms. Previous studies showed that the neurocognitive functioning, especially executive functions and social cognition of children with SCT differ from those of children without SCT. However, that research focuses mostly on older children, so there was a need for knowledge of the development of children under 4 years with an SCT. Research also showed that ADHD symptoms in children with an SCT increased as these children got older and that there are differences in social-emotional development between boys and girls. This study examined which factors influence the difference in social-emotional development between children with and without SCT. Social-emotional development is about the social and emotional skills that children acquire to communicate and deal with emotions. Differences between SCT and no SCT and between boys and girls as well as the influence of age on social-emotional development were examined. The sample of this study is part of a larger ongoing project investigating development in different domains of children with an SCT. The total score on the Ages & Stages Questionnaires was used to measure social-emotional development. This research shows that there is a significant difference in social-emotional development between children with and without an SCT. Specifically, children with an SCT grow into a deficit as they get older. It could not be shown that gender has an influence. The recommendation is to perform more research towards the early diagnosis of SCTs in children in order to be able to intervene at a young age. This will prevent them from growing into deficit when they get older.Show less
Given the profound environmental impact of single-use plastic packaging, this study addresses the influence of moral appeals and environmental attitudes regarding plastic-free consumer choices in...Show moreGiven the profound environmental impact of single-use plastic packaging, this study addresses the influence of moral appeals and environmental attitudes regarding plastic-free consumer choices in the UK. Utilizing an experimental between-subject design (N = 263), moral appeals were expected to influence plastic-free choices. Stronger pro-environmental attitudes were expected to increase plastic-free choices following an individualizing moral appeal, whereas weaker pro-environmental attitudes were expected to increase plastic-free choices following a binding appeal. Results did not support the hypotheses, as plastic-free choices did not differ between the moral appeal conditions and the control condition, and pro-environmental attitudes did not moderate this relationship. Surprisingly, the individualizing appeal prompted more plastic-free choices than the binding appeal. The roles of price, culture, and self-construal, as well as the partially failed manipulations, are discussed as possible explanations for the findings. In conclusion, using an individualizing moral appeal effectively promotes plastic-free purchasing behaviour in the UK.Show less
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by motor symptoms due to the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. However, non-motor symptoms such as cognitive...Show moreParkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by motor symptoms due to the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. However, non-motor symptoms such as cognitive decline are prevelant in up to 80% of PD patients. Multi-system degeneration and neurotransmitter decifiences are likely the cause. One of the systems implicated in PD-related cognitive decline is the cholinergic system but it remains unclear to what extent the system is affected and how it links to different disease stages. This retrospective cohort study explores the integrity of the cholinergic system in PD through the measurement of alpha reactivity using electroencephalography (EEG). EEG data from 191 participants, including 46 early-stage PD patients, 17 late-stage PD patients, and 128 healthy controls was analyzed. Alpha reactivity, measured as the difference in alpha power between eyes closed and eyes open conditions, was assessed via EEG. Cognition was assessed via the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). Results revealed significantly reduced alpha reactivity in PD patients compared to healthy controls. ANCOVA analyses demonstrated reductions in alpha reactivity in both early-stage and late-stage PD groups when compared to healthy controls. However, no significant reduction in alpha reactivity was found between early and late-stage PD patients. These findings provide neurophysiological evidence of a reduction in alpha reactivity in PD patients, which could indicate a cholinergic dysfunction in PD, irrespective of disease stage. This study also highlights the potential utility of alpha reactivity as a biomarker for assessing disease severity.Show less
Existing research indicates that there is an association between parental bonding characterized by high parental care and low parental overprotection and an increase of anxiety symptoms. However,...Show moreExisting research indicates that there is an association between parental bonding characterized by high parental care and low parental overprotection and an increase of anxiety symptoms. However, studies within student samples are rather limited, particularly looking at international students, despite their increased vulnerability to anxiety. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected via an online survey incorporating the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to assess anxiety symptoms and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) to evaluate parental bonding. The study included 230 students of which 126 were Dutch students and 104 international students. The data of the current study indicated that parental care and parental overprotection were both significant predictors of anxiety. Higher parental care and higher overprotection both were associated with lower anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, parental care was found to be significantly lower among international students. Lastly, student status did not moderate the effect of parental overprotection or parental care on anxiety. Nonetheless, current research indicates that cultural variations in parental bonding exists and their impact on anxiety can vary but this may be less visible in the current sample due to the heterogeneity of the international group. Further research should compare specific cultural groups directly to better understand the impact of parental bonding on anxiety and investigate other contributing factors affecting international students, enabling more effective support for this vulnerable population.Show less
This is the first cross-sectional, observational study concerning the experience of Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence (CDH) symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) in the context of the menstrual...Show moreThis is the first cross-sectional, observational study concerning the experience of Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence (CDH) symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) in the context of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause within the female human CDH population. 104 Dutch women (16-85 years) with CDH completed a self-designed hormone questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) to assess the experience of CDH symptoms during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause. It was expected that per hormonal phase a majority of women would experience a difference in their CDH symptoms and that women who experienced a difference would have a worse QoL compared to the women who did not experience a difference. Results: For the menstrual cycle a minority of women experienced a difference (X2(1, N = 56) = 4.57, p = .033). For pregnancy a majority of women experienced a difference (X2 (1, N = 30) = 10.80, p = .001). For menopause no significant result was found. Exploration revealed the majority of eleven specific experienced CDH symptoms to change in intensity during the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy. This was not found for menopause. Additionally, no significant outcomes were found concerning the ESS, FSS and SF-36 between women that experienced a difference and women that did not experience a difference in their CDH symptoms during hormonal phases. Conclusion: This study is the first to suggest that not all female CDH patients share the same experience, providing a starting point for further investigation to fully understand how the experience of CDH can be altered within women as a result of hormonal influences. If it is known how and why CDH can present itself differently, CDH will be better detectable, leading female patients to receive accurate diagnosis, treatment and support more quickly. However, results of this study need to be interpreted with caution due to limitations including retrospective data, utilization of a non-validated questionnaire and a small research sample.Show less
