Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction have consistently been associated with the development of dysfunctional thinking patterns, known as Early...Show moreAdverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction have consistently been associated with the development of dysfunctional thinking patterns, known as Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ACE and the EMS Impaired Limits domain, while exploring the potential moderating role of sex assigned at birth in this relationship. We expected that more adverse experiences would predict more severe difficulties in controlling impulses and following rules and that sex assigned at birth would moderate this relationship. A cross-sectional design with convenience sampling was implemented, and self-report online questionnaires were completed by 131 Leiden University students, who volunteered to participate in the study. The Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) and the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form; version 3 (YSQ-S3) were used to measure ACE and the EMS Impaired Limits domain respectively. Demographic information was collected, regarding participants’ sex assigned at birth, gender identity, country of origin, years lived in the Netherlands and cumulative GPA. The final sample consisted of 125 participants, out of which 114 were female (91.2%) and 11 (8.8%) were male. The average age of the participants was 19 years. To examine the relationship between ACE and the EMS Impaired Limits domain, linear regression analysis was conducted. The findings revealed that ACE score significantly predicted participants’ scores in the EMS Impaired Limits domain, (β = 1.66, p < .001, 95% CI [20.63, 24.02]), explaining 10.5% of the variance (R2 = 0.105). Moderation analysis to explore the role of sex assigned at birth did not yield reliable results, due to the disproportionate representation of male participants in the sample. The findings underscore the importance of ACE in understanding the development of the EMS Impaired Limits domain, highlighting the need for early and tailored interventions for individuals with a history of ACE. Future studies could further investigate additional factors influencing the development of this EMS domain, including a nuanced exploration of both sex assigned at birth and gender identity, utilizing more balanced and representative samples.Show less
The reading skills of children in the Netherlands have been significantly declining since 2015. Reading skills are fundamental for successful participation in society. The reading enjoyment of...Show moreThe reading skills of children in the Netherlands have been significantly declining since 2015. Reading skills are fundamental for successful participation in society. The reading enjoyment of children is also declining and reading enjoyment is associated with reading skills. Research has shown that struggling readers need individualized intensive multicomponent reading interventions to improve their reading skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two online reading interventions on reading skills and reading enjoyment of struggling readers in grades 4 and 5. The first reading intervention, the ‘Universele Interventie voor Lezen’ (UIL), is individualized and intensive and uses direct and explicit instruction. The second reading intervention, the ‘Meelees Interventie’ (MLI), is individualized, but less intensive and makes less use of direct and explicit instruction. Both interventions cover multiple components of reading. The interventions were compared to a wait-list control group (CG) in which children received the UIL at the end of the study. Reading skills were divided in word reading, reading fluency and reading comprehension and were measured using CBM word reading, CBM reading aloud, and CBM maze-selection. Reading enjoyment was measured using the Reading and Me Survey. Results revealed that struggling readers in the intervention conditions (UIL and MLI) made significantly greater pre-posttest gains in word reading than did struggling readers in the control group. No significant effects were found for reading fluency, reading comprehension or reading enjoyment. The results suggest that providing extra, intensive individualized multicomponent reading interventions to struggling 4th- and 5th-grade readers over a period of 4 weeks with 8 sessions may increase their word reading skills, but not their reading fluency skills, their reading comprehension skills or their reading enjoyment. In addition, the results suggest that interventions with more and less direct and explicit instruction were equally effective.Show less
Global temperatures are rising as policymakers aim to tackle the climate challenges our world faces today. The European Union plays a leading role in climate politics and the global reduction of...Show moreGlobal temperatures are rising as policymakers aim to tackle the climate challenges our world faces today. The European Union plays a leading role in climate politics and the global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through one of its key tools, the Emissions Trading System. This thesis examines the impact of EU member states’ industrial composition on implementing the EU ETS in phase 2 through a comparative analysis of the Netherlands and Belgium. An examination of the correlation between national industries and the national implementation of the ETS has thus far remained absent in the existing literature and provides policy insights for future climate politics. An analysis of the relevant policy documents reveals how both countries varied in their implementation of the system. It demonstrates how the more pollutive industrial composition of the Netherlands caused the government to be more responsive to the affected industries’ interests in the allocation process. However, contrary to expectations, the Netherlands was not more lenient the monitoring of the system and was even more strict than Belgium in most areas.Show less
Dynamic testing (DT) is a method of testing that includes the provision of a form of feedback and guidance to the testing procedure, and can be used to examine children’s potential for learning in...Show moreDynamic testing (DT) is a method of testing that includes the provision of a form of feedback and guidance to the testing procedure, and can be used to examine children’s potential for learning in various cognitive functions, including working memory (WM). Furthermore, intrinsic motivation (IM) seems to be related to enhanced WM performance and learning, especially in feedback-contexts. However, research on the effectiveness of DT of WM in this age group, as well as the influence of IM, is lacking. Therefore, the current thesis aimed to study the effectiveness of our DT of WM, as well as the influence of IM. The study had a pretest-training-posttest design with two groups. The experimental group received training, whereas control group did not. The sample included 100 typically developing primary school children between 8 and 9 years old (Mage = 8.46, SD = 0.50, 51% girls). Contrary to previous findings, our results showed a decrease from pretest to posttest in WM performance in the control group and a slight increase in performance in the experimental group. Moreover, the children’s IM did not significantly influence the WM improvements when tested dynamically. The findings suggest that the training element in our DT could have protected against the decrease in WM from pretest to posttest and that IM did not have a significant influence on these results. These findings contribute to the field of research by highlighting the importance of factors such as sustained attention and time-on-task effects in the prevention of this decline in WM performance during DT. Besides these factors, future research should look into the effects of age, cognitive load and engagement on the DT of WM and IM to gain a better understanding on how to improve its effectiveness, especially in 8- to 9-year-old children. Further exploration could aid educational professionals in implementing the dynamic approach and supporting children’s learning processes and cognitive development.Show less
Objective Recent research has found conflicting interactions between health and different domains of physical activity (PA). Occupational physical activity (OPA) seems to negatively impact health,...Show moreObjective Recent research has found conflicting interactions between health and different domains of physical activity (PA). Occupational physical activity (OPA) seems to negatively impact health, whereas leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) positively impacts health, a phenomenon known as the physical activity paradox. What remains unclear is how these different domains of PA interact with each other and how their interaction influences health. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the main and interactive effects of OPA and LTPA on physical and mental health. A better understanding of these relations can contribute to more accurate PA advice, indirectly contributing to the closure of socioeconomic health inequalities. Based on previous studies, it was expected that higher OPA would relate to higher physical and mental health problems, while higher LTPA would relate to lower physical and mental health problems. Additionally, this study aimed to answer the research question whether LTPA functions as a buffer for the negative effects of high OPA on health or as an accelerator. Methods To investigate the hypotheses and research question, data from a longitudinal panel study were used. Two data measurement points were used with a one-year time lag. The sample was heterogeneous and consisted of Dutch employees working ≥ 24-hours a week (N = 1578). Results It was found that OPA and LTPA independently did not affect physical or mental health outcomes differently. Additionally, different combinations of OPA and LTPA did not lead to an increase or decrease in both physical mobility or mental health problems one year later. However, the results did show that individuals who had high levels of both OPA and LTPA had the highest chance on developing physical health problems one year later (b = 0.393, p = <0.001). Conclusion This study shows that OPA and LTPA may have different effects on the development of physical health problems, like headache and sleeping problems. The findings suggest that the health benefits of LTPA are affected by the extent of OPA and that a combination of both high OPA and LTPA is the most unfavourable combination. This combination is associated with an increase in physical health problems. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.Show less
Food waste is a global problem, which necessitates addressing. A pilot (N = 56) and main study (N = 124) used online survey research to explore the expected negative relationship between viewing a...Show moreFood waste is a global problem, which necessitates addressing. A pilot (N = 56) and main study (N = 124) used online survey research to explore the expected negative relationship between viewing a food waste reduction-poster and food waste intentions, the expected negative relationship between self-efficacy and food waste intentions and the expected moderating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between poster and food waste intentions. In the main study, participants were randomly allocated to a poster (N = 31) or control condition (N = 30) without a poster. Repeated measures ANOVA showed no differences between groups nor within participants when comparing food waste intentions between two measurement points. Regression analyses showed neither a main- nor a moderating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between seeing the poster and food waste intentions. Limitations, suggestions and implications were discussed and the importance of future research into this subject was highlighted.Show less
For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), social contact can be particularly challenging, which can impact their level of peer acceptance. This study aimed to explore the relationship...Show moreFor children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), social contact can be particularly challenging, which can impact their level of peer acceptance. This study aimed to explore the relationship between social contact and peer acceptance among children with ASD. We hypothesized that children with ASD had fewer contacts and were less accepted by peers than children without ASD. Furthermore, we hypothesized that increased social contact was associated with greater levels of peer acceptance for both children with and without ASD, but less strong for children with ASD in comparison to children without ASD. With a novel approach, this study documented the amount of social contact and the level of peer acceptance of 95 children in two special education schools in the Netherlands. The sample included 46 children with (Mage = 10.2, SD = 1.0) and 49 children without ASD (Mage = 11.3, SD=1.0), with an age range from 8 to 13 years, who were observed through proximity tags to measure social contact, and the LITOP questionnaire was utilized to assess the level of peer acceptance. MANOVA was employed to investigate whether children with ASD had fewer contacts and were less accepted than their peers without ASD and the hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the potential relationship between social contact and peer acceptance and. Surprisingly, children with ASD engaged in contact with more partners and were more accepted than children without ASD, despite the expectedly shorter duration of contact. Moreover, no significant relation was found between social contact and peer acceptance, for the two groups alike. These findings indicate that peer acceptance may not solely depend on the quantity of contact, but rather on the quality and context. Consequently, it is advised that educators facilitate structured social activities to facilitate finding similar peers and shared interests. Further research is required to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of the contact and its emotional aspects, with the aim of developing more effective strategies for enhancing peer acceptance among children with ASD. This could be achieved through a combination of quantitative measurements, such as proximity tags and qualitative measurement, including observationsShow less
Math is a skill that is relevant throughout life. Therefore, a good mastery of math is crucial for a successful education and career. Previous research indicates that training spatial skills...Show moreMath is a skill that is relevant throughout life. Therefore, a good mastery of math is crucial for a successful education and career. Previous research indicates that training spatial skills improves both math and spatial skills in students. Spatial anxiety might influence the effectiveness of the training. This study aims to determine which spatial training condition works best to improve students' math and spatial skills and what role the spatial anxiety has on this effect. The training in the current research consists of mental rotation tasks. Four training conditions are compared in the current study: concrete, digital, video and control. In the concrete condition, the students can hold a physical figure identical to the task. In the digital condition, the students can turn the figure on their laptop screen. In the video condition, the students can watch a video of the figure turning. In the control condition, the students were not provided with any tools. After correcting for missing values, 189 students from group 7 and 8 of primary schools in the West of The Netherlands participated in the current study. Math and spatial skills were measured through tests. Spatial anxiety was determined using a questionnaire. The results showed that students improved their spatial skills between the pretest and the posttest across all conditions. However, no significant differences were found between the conditions. Math skills improved among students in the control, digital and concrete condition. Spatial anxiety was not found to affect gains in math and spatial skills. These findings were partially aligned with previous research. The differences could possibly be explained by differences in research design or limitations of the current study. Based on this study, several suggestions are made for future research, such as adding an additional control group that does not undergo training.Show less
In Europe, more than half of adults are obese (WHO, 2022). Enhancing the self-regulation of energy intake, the ability to respond to one's own hunger or satiety signals, can reduce the risk of...Show moreIn Europe, more than half of adults are obese (WHO, 2022). Enhancing the self-regulation of energy intake, the ability to respond to one's own hunger or satiety signals, can reduce the risk of obesity (DiSantis et al., 2011). Promoting the self-regulation of energy intake as early as possible in development is therefore crucial. The present study examined the relation between maternal sensitivity in different contexts (during free play and during meals) at 18 months and the child's self-regulation of energy intake at 24 months. The sample consisted of 103 mother-child dyads (41.7% boys), obtained from the longitudinal study "Baby's first bites” (Van der Veek et al., 2019). Maternal sensitivity was measured using “the Ainsworth Maternal Sensitivity Scale” (Ainsworth et al., 1974). The self- regulation of energy intake was assessed using an “Eating in Absence of Hunger” paradigm (Schultink et al., 2021). First, no significant relation was found between maternal sensitivity during free play at 18 months and self-regulation of energy intake at 24 months. Second, maternal sensitivity during mealtime at 18 months was not related to self-regulation of energy intake at 24 months. Finally, maternal sensitivity during free play and during mealtime at 18 months did not make a unique contribution to the child's self-regulation of energy intake at 24 months. This study contributed to the emerging research area of parenting practices and the self-regulation of energy intake. Based on the current research, it cannot be stated that maternal sensitivity contributes to the child's self-regulation of energy intake. Therefore, it is not yet clear how parents can best contribute to good self-regulation of energy intake. Follow-up research is needed.Show less
Primary education teachers can feel incompetent in responding to the needs and behaviors of their pupils, especially those showing disruptive behaviors. By taking the student’s perspective, the...Show morePrimary education teachers can feel incompetent in responding to the needs and behaviors of their pupils, especially those showing disruptive behaviors. By taking the student’s perspective, the teacher should be able to understand the student better and react more responsively. Through this the teacher experiences more positive interactions with the student which contribute to developing and maintaining a positive student-teacher relationship. It is suggested that teachers’ sense of self- efficacy could play a role in the relationship between student-perspective taking and the student- teacher relationship. Therefore, the current study researches the relationship that is described above, and the potential role the teacher’s self-efficacy plays within this. The sample consisted of 133 Dutch regular primary school teachers. Results showed a significant relationship between student-perspective taking and the student-teacher relationship when teachers take the student’s perspective on the level of articulation. The relationship with taking the student’s perspective on the level of positioning, is non-significant. Regarding the role of teachers’ self-efficacy within this relationship, the results show that there is no mediating role. Meanwhile, a significant, positive relationship has been found between the teacher’s self-efficacy and the student-teacher relationship. The findings of this study can be used in developing and shaping interventions for teachers for developing, improving and maintaining positive student-teacher relationships.Show less
This research aimed to comprehensively understand the demographics and characteristics of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals seeking mental health care upon initiating gender...Show moreThis research aimed to comprehensively understand the demographics and characteristics of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals seeking mental health care upon initiating gender-affirming care. Additionally, it focused on optimal integration of mental health care into gender-affirming care according to TGD individuals. Both were within the framework of an ongoing investigation at the Zaans Medical Centre. The quantitative data analysis consisted of intake questionnaire data of twenty-five TGD individuals, variables were derived from sections of the intake questionnaire. For the qualitative data analysis, seven semi-structured interviews were held with TGD individuals. The characteristics of TGD individuals consisted of self-reported psychological distress and well-being. Their relationship to requested mental health care intensity was studied through Spearman rank order correlations. The demographics included age, educational level, ethnicity, employment status, experienced income, and gender assigned at birth. Their association with requesting mental health care was explored through chi-square tests. A thematic analysis with semantic approach was performed to analyse the data. No significant correlations were found between demographic variables and mental health care requests at admission. The correlation between self-reported psychological distress and mental health care intensity was χ2 = -.003, p = .987, for self-reported psychological well-being and mental health care intensity χ2 = -.001, p = .997. Thematic analysis of interview data yielded three overarching themes: motives for seeking mental health care, recommendations for integrating mental health services into gender-affirming care, and desirable attributes of mental health care providers. Reasons for refraining from or seeking mental health care included experiencing psychological distress or good psychological well-being, experiences due to gender dysphoria, acceptance of themselves, and experienced lack of support. Suggestions for optimal mental health care integration were better and more provision of (mental) health care and travel distance to mental health care. Qualities of the ideal mental health care professional were having certain character traits such as being accepting and being specialized in TGD. Overall, this research emphasizes the importance of knowledgeability and empathetic and inclusive qualities in mental health care professionals in the treatment of TGD individuals suggesting its importance over mental health care professionals’ gender identity.Show less
Bij het naleven van gedragsdoelen is een vorm van zelfregulatie van belang. Als deze zelfregulatie niet tot stand komt, spreken we van zelfregulatie falen. Hierbij hoort ook het ervaren van een...Show moreBij het naleven van gedragsdoelen is een vorm van zelfregulatie van belang. Als deze zelfregulatie niet tot stand komt, spreken we van zelfregulatie falen. Hierbij hoort ook het ervaren van een setback, een terugval in het naleven van een gedragsdoel. Om de kans op setbacks zo klein mogelijk te maken, moeten we begrijpen hoe individuen reageren op deze setbacks. In deze thesis wordt onderzoek gedaan naar het belang van gedragsdoelen en welke psychologische constructen invloed hebben of worden beïnvloed door het ervaren van een setback. Deze thesis onderzoekt daarnaast het verschil tussen approach-oriented en avoidoriented doelen in relatie tot subjectief succes bij gedragsverandering. Vanuit de literatuur werd verwacht dat doelen met betrekking tot fysieke gezondheid de belangrijkste gedragsdoelen waren. Daarnaast werd als hypothese gesteld dat approach-oriented doelen meer subjectief succes opleveren dan avoid-oriented doelen. Methoden. Met een steekproef van 167 participanten werden verschillende statistische analyses toegepast om antwoord te geven op de drie onderzoeksvragen. De resultaten duiden op een significant onderscheid tussen beide typen doelen, waarbij approach-oriented doelen aanzienlijk hogere gemiddelde scores op subjectief succes vertonen dan avoid-oriented doelen. In de context van de eerste onderzoeksvraag blijkt dat het verhogen of reguleren van wekelijkse sportactiviteiten het meest voorkomende doel is, terwijl het verhogen of reguleren van gezonde voeding het daaropvolgende meest gangbare doel is. De tweede onderzoeksvraag wijst op een algemene positieve perceptie van doelbereiking onder deelnemers, waarbij approach-oriented doelen, zoals het verhogen van gezonde voeding, meer succesvol lijken dan avoid-oriented doelen, zoals het reduceren van alcoholinname. Echter tonen de resultaten aan dat deelnemers die zich richten op het verhogen of reguleren van sportactiviteiten zich over het algemeen niet significant succesvoller voelen dan degenen die zich concentreren op het verhogen of reguleren van gezonde voeding, Conclusie. De bevindingen suggereren dat het streven naar gewenste resultaten een verhoogd gevoel van succes teweegbrengt in vergelijking met het vermijden van ongewenste resultaten. Dit impliceert praktische implicaties voor interventies gericht op gedragsverandering, waarbij een nadruk op approach-oriented doelen een effectieve strategie lijkt te zijn. Echter wijst dit onderzoek op enkele beperkingen, zoals een beperkte steekproefomvang en de mogelijkheid van vertekening door zelfrapportage. Toekomstig onderzoek zou baat hebben bij een representatievere steekproef en longitudinale ontwerpen om een dieper inzicht te verschaffen in deze dynamiek.Show less
