Attentional bias (AB) is when certain stimuli catch attention quicker than others, which varies according to individual characteristics. The study investigated: (1) if there is an AB to or from...Show moreAttentional bias (AB) is when certain stimuli catch attention quicker than others, which varies according to individual characteristics. The study investigated: (1) if there is an AB to or from itch; (2) whether this differs between people with chronic itch and healthy controls; (3) and if there is a possible AB/stress association. This is because understanding ABs to/from itch further elucidates the experience of patients with chronic itch and possible future clinical applications. Furthermore, an explorative analysis compared two tasks measuring AB, namely the Posner cueing and dot-probe task. The two tasks, alongside a stress-questionnaire, were administered online to the participants (N=70). A (frequentist and Bayesian) RM ANOVA was done for the main analysis, and a within- subjects t-test for the explorative task-comparison. Given that the task-comparison found the two tasks differing significantly (p = 0.01 d = -0.31), the results of the two tasks were interpreted separately. Overall, indications of AB being biased away from itch stimuli was found. When the AB was contrasted between participant group (people with and without chronic itch), the Posner cueing task found no significant difference (p = 0.68, ηp 2 = 0.003) whereas the dot-probe task found an AB away from itch-stimuli in patients with chronic itch (p = 0.02, ηp 2 = 0.077). Similar pattern unfolded with the stress-association: the Posner cueing task finding that AB did not significantly differ with stress (p = 0.23, ηp 2 = 0.021). The dot-probe task did find that they significantly differed (p = 0.01, ηp 2 = 0.091) where with higher stress, the AB switched to being an AB towards itch stimuli. The discrepancy between the two tasks aligns with expectations considering that the tasks were found inequivalent - highlighting one of the strengths of this study being that the two tasks were compared. Altogether this points towards differences in what the two tasks tap into, and that the attention of people with chronic itch is biased as a function of stress. Summarizing, AB to itch differed between the two groups and was associated with stress when using dot-probe task, which did not apply to the Posner cueing task.Show less
Extinction learning, a process where conditioned responses to a previously threatening stimulus are reduced, is a foundational process of many therapeutic interventions such as exposure therapy....Show moreExtinction learning, a process where conditioned responses to a previously threatening stimulus are reduced, is a foundational process of many therapeutic interventions such as exposure therapy. Individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment may have impairments in extinction learning processes, potentially affecting the efficacy of these therapies for this population. Investigation of this relationship between childhood trauma and extinction learning can better the development of effective therapeutic strategies for those with trauma histories.. The relationship between childhood maltreatment and extinction learning in healthy volunteers was investigated to explore whether individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment exhibit different patterns of threat extinction compared to those without exposure to maltreatment. Using a cross-sectional design, data was analyzed from healthy adult volunteers, combined from two studies (n= 73), those with and without exposure to childhood maltreatment, divided into two groups based on their Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) scores. Participants completed an extinction paradigm, during which skin conductance responses (SCR) and heart rate (HR) were measured. The results showed that CTQ-exposed participants exhibited heightened HR to CS+ and lower responses to CS- during extinction trials compared to non-exposed individuals, revealing distinct physiological reactions. There were no additional significant differences in SCR and HR extinction and re-extinction patterns between the maltreatment-exposed and non-exposed groups. These findings suggest that childhood maltreatment may not necessarily impair extinction learning in a healthy adult population. Further research with longitudinal designs and clinical populations is needed to further understand how maltreatment experiences may influence extinction processes.Show less
This study investigates how perceptions of status and warmth of help-seekers affect the willingness of help-givers to offer help as well as the type of help they offer (autonomyoriented help...Show moreThis study investigates how perceptions of status and warmth of help-seekers affect the willingness of help-givers to offer help as well as the type of help they offer (autonomyoriented help/dependency-oriented help). Data were collected using a scenario approach (N = 205) in an experimental study, which simulated a debt assistance setting in a municipality. The variables Status (low/high) and Warmth (low/high) were investigated in a betweensubjects design. Participants completed an online survey on perceived warmth, status, and locus of attribution of a help-seeker and indicated their willingness to help as well as the type of help. It was hypothesized that warmth perceptions of help-seekers would influence the likeliness to help, that status perceptions would influence the locus of attributions as well as the type of help and that the effect between status and type of help would be mediated by the locus of attributions. The study did not find support for these hypotheses. However, exploratory analyses revealed a significant positive effect of both Status and Warmth on perceived competence, and significant correlations between locus of attributions and likeliness to help, autonomy and dependency-oriented help, and emotions (admiration/envy/pity) and type of help. These findings underline the role of stereotypes and biases in influencing helping behavior, emphasizing the need for further investigations of helping mechanisms.Show less
Despite the deleterious effects feelings of loneliness can have on mental and physical health, factors that may mitigate feelings of loneliness are understudied in youth with autism spectrum...Show moreDespite the deleterious effects feelings of loneliness can have on mental and physical health, factors that may mitigate feelings of loneliness are understudied in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study focused on the role of friendships in feelings of loneliness in autistic students and their allistic peers. We aimed to examine the extent to which autistic and allistic students differ in the number of perceived, received, and reciprocal friendships, how these three types of friendships are related to feelings of loneliness in school, and how autistic and allistic (without ASD) students differ in this relation. Forty-one autistic students (92,7% male, M age = 10.17, SD = 1.0) were compared with 44 allistic students (43,2% male, M age = 11.14, SD = 1.0), both from special education schools. Participants completed the Children’s Loneliness Scale and provided names of their best friends (up to five names). Results indicated that autistic students did not have fewer perceived, received, and reciprocated friendships than their allistic peers, and did not differ in feelings of loneliness with their allistic peers. Also, the number of received and reciprocal friendships did not contribute to feelings of loneliness, but having more perceived friendships was associated with less feelings of loneliness, to the same extent in the two groups. In conclusion, the findings showed that autistic students can form friendships that fulfill their social needs when in a suitable environment, and the perception of having friends could be the most important for both groups to feel a sense of connectedness in school. Thus, for regular schools, it may be helpful to learn from special education schools to facilitate the best environment for all students to form and maintain friendships.Show less
Childhood trauma is strongly associated with the risk of developing various physical and mental health disorders, such as depression and eating disorders. Three-quarters of chronically depressed...Show moreChildhood trauma is strongly associated with the risk of developing various physical and mental health disorders, such as depression and eating disorders. Three-quarters of chronically depressed people have experienced childhood trauma. Depression, described as a disorder of impaired emotion regulation, is linked to various disordered eating behaviors. Emotional eating, overeating in response to negative affect, is viewed as a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy and may contribute to the creation, maintenance, or worsening of depressive symptoms. This study aimed to examine the association between childhood trauma and emotional eating in a large sample of adults with current or past depression. Given that women show higher prevalence in disordered eating, we tested for a moderation effect of gender. Additionally, we explored how separate subtypes of trauma are related to emotional eating. We used data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), an ongoing naturalistic longitudinal cohort study. The sample consisted of 1,353 individuals (818 women, 355 men) aged 26-75 years (M = 51.30). To assess childhood trauma, depression, and emotional eating, we used the Comprehensive Trauma Interview, CIDI 2.1, and the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. As hypothesized, childhood trauma was predictive of emotional eating. Although women showed higher levels of emotional eating, no moderation effect of gender was found. As the first study in the Netherlands to examine these relationships, the results highlight the importance of assessing childhood trauma in any psychopathology and emphasize the need to screen for emotional eating in the depressed population to better inform treatment options.Show less
Psychotherapy necessarily involves a relationship between a therapist and a client. In examining this relationship, researchers address what is referred to as the therapeutic alliance. Contemporary...Show morePsychotherapy necessarily involves a relationship between a therapist and a client. In examining this relationship, researchers address what is referred to as the therapeutic alliance. Contemporary research established this alliance as an important common factor that has a significant effect on therapeutic outcomes. An alliance rupture is defined as a breakdown in agreement on therapeutic goals or tasks or of the therapeutic bond. Such ruptures are a near inevitable aspect of the therapeutic process. Distinct from existing meta-analyses which explored the relationship of rupture repairs on outcomes, the present research examines the effect that alliance ruptures themselves, identified through direct measures, have on therapeutic outcomes. Five studies were included in the meta-analysis (N = 366). A multilevel model was used to determine an aggregate effect size of ruptures on outcome across the included studies. In agreement with the paper’s hypothesis, the analysis showed a small but consistent positive relationship between ruptures and therapeutic outcomes where increased ruptures correlated with greater impairment in outcomes.Show less
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a common autoimmune disorder. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients may experience cognitive impairments such as memory problems, even after receiving LT4-monotherapy. This...Show moreHashimoto’s thyroiditis is a common autoimmune disorder. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients may experience cognitive impairments such as memory problems, even after receiving LT4-monotherapy. This study investigates the memory performance of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients with residual symptoms after receiving LT4 monotherapy, utilizing participants from the T3-4 Hypo Trial. Memory performance was assessed using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) 15-Word Task and the data were compared to normative data from the Advanced Neuropsychological Diagnostics Infrastructure Norms (ANDI-Norms). Results indicate that Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients do not significantly perform different to the general population. This study investigated whether age and sex are potential predictors of memory performance. These factors showed no significant results suggesting that they are not related to memory performance. However, this study does highlight limitations such as possible comorbidity, uneven distribution of sex and education levels that need consideration. Future research is advised to better understand the complex relationship between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and cognitive function. This study contributes to the broader understanding of the relationship between cognitive function and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and underscores the need for future research to develop effective and/or improve existing clinical management strategies.Show less
The current study investigated the role of early maladaptive schema (EMS), particularly the schemas subjugation and self-sacrifice in mediating the relationship between adverse childhood...Show moreThe current study investigated the role of early maladaptive schema (EMS), particularly the schemas subjugation and self-sacrifice in mediating the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and transdiagnostic somatic symptoms. Through convenience sampling, participants’ demographic data, EMS score (YSQ-3), ACE score (ACE questionnaire), and presence of transdiagnostic somatic symptoms (DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure) were measured. The total scores of subjugation and self-sacrifice, ACE, and transdiagnostic somatic symptoms were respectively summated, then analysed through mediation analysis. Participants were (N = 131) students of Leiden University from the age of 18 years old (M = 19, IQR = 2), comprising of 91.2% female and 8.8% male. Through the analysis, it was found that subjugation and self-sacrifice together significantly mediate the relationship between ACE and transdiagnostic somatic symptoms (b = .314, p = .003). The indirect effect was found to have mediated 55.6% (b = .175, p = .002) of the relationship. Moreover, exploratory analyses indicated that individually, subjugation and self-sacrifice also successfully mediated this relationship. This finding further strengthens the existing argument that following ACE, particular behavioral stress-response may lead to transdiagnostic somatic symptoms in later life. In this case, the schemas subjugation and self-sacrifice were found to be crucial in this relationship. Thus, providing a deeper look into the developmental trajectory of the ACE, EMS, and transdiagnostic domains and may aid clinicians in recognizing and targeting schemas related to transdiagnostic somatic symptoms.Show less
Background: Previous studies have shown that the transition to parenthood elicits stress in parents, which may have negative consequences for their children, especially in their first years of life...Show moreBackground: Previous studies have shown that the transition to parenthood elicits stress in parents, which may have negative consequences for their children, especially in their first years of life. Yet, knowledge of paternal stress and its risk factors is scarce, because fathers have been neglected in parenting research. In the current study we, therefore, examined whether a history of child maltreatment, a thoroughly studied risk factor for stress in mothers, predicted parenting stress in fathers, making a clear distinction between neglect and abuse. Additionally, exploratory analyses were run to investigate the possible role of paternal protective tendencies. Method: First-time fathers with children up to three years old were recruited via social media platforms and via clinical facilities that offer perinatal care to fill out an online questionnaire. Results: A total of 210 fathers participated, who were mainly highly educated (72,4% bachelor’s degree or higher). Findings showed a significant positive association between childhood neglect and parenting stress. No mediating or moderating role of parental motivation for protection was found, however, a direct positive association was found between childhood abuse and parental motivation for protection. Conclusion: Current results underscore the importance of supporting fathers with a history of neglect in the early postnatal period and highlight the importance of distinguishing different types of childhood maltreatment. Furthermore, it suggests that fathers have a higher motivation to protect their children after experiencing childhood abuse, emphasizing the importance of more research into the possible overprotection tendencies of abused fathers. Longitudinal and experimental research is needed to support these findings and to unravel the mechanisms that cause paternal stress and factors that may buffer the negative consequences of childhood maltreatment.Show less
Objective. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a rare autosomal dominant single-gene disorder, primarily characterized by multiple (sub)cutaneous neurofibromas and café-au-lait macules. The cognitive...Show moreObjective. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a rare autosomal dominant single-gene disorder, primarily characterized by multiple (sub)cutaneous neurofibromas and café-au-lait macules. The cognitive profile of children with NF1 is hypothesised to be associated with deficits in three domains; visuospatial ability, executive function, learning and their interdependency. Between ages 11 and 15 years, an increase in PIQ was found in children with NF1. Because visuospatial abilities are strongly related to the level of PIQ as measured with the WISC-III-NL, the objective of this study was to find if improvement in visuospatial abilities in this course of age predicts this progress in PIQ. Methods. In a longitudinal design, 31 children with NF1 were assessed with the WISC-III-NL and a standardised battery of neuropsychological assessments at average age 11 and 15. In the statistical analyses the scores on the subtests of the WISC-III-NL constituting PIQ at age 11 and 15 were compared with paired t-tests and a repeated measures ANOVA. Next, five multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted with the increase in PIQ as the dependent variable and five neuropsychological constructs (visual and auditory attention, visuospatial ability, processing speed and fine motor skills) as the predictors. Results. Picture arrangement was the only WISC-III-NL subtest to increase between age 11 and 15, d = 1.04, p < .001. The repeated measures ANOVA resulted in a difference in improvement between the five WISC-III-NL subtest scores, p < .001. Visuospatial ability was the only neuropsychological construct that predicted the increase in PIQ, b = 1.22, p = .005. There was no correlation between improvement in picture arrangement and improvement in visuospatial ability. Conclusions. Improvement in visuospatial ability appears to predict increase in PIQ in children with NF1 between age 11 and 15. Further investigation is required to determine if these findings are replicable in larger sample sizes. Additionally, there is further research needed to explore variances in the amount of improvement observed across different visuospatial tasks. It may be possible that progress in executive function effects improvement in some visuospatial tasks. Implications are that executive functioning must be taken into account when interpreting (visuospatial) results from neuropsychological assessments in children with NF1, both in science and in the clinic.Show less
The ability to recognize other people’s emotions is essential for successful social interactions. Learning to recognize emotions in others can be more challenging for children with fewer...Show moreThe ability to recognize other people’s emotions is essential for successful social interactions. Learning to recognize emotions in others can be more challenging for children with fewer opportunities for learning in social interactions, such as children with hearing loss. Therefore, it is important to better understand the development of emotion recognition in this group. This study used a multimethod approach to examine three types of emotion recognition abilities in preschool children with hearing loss and followed their development of emotion recognition over a year. 231 children from China (116 children with hearing loss, 115 typically hearing children) aged 2 to 6 years participated in this study. Three behavioral tasks were used to measure children’s emotion differentiation, identification and attribution abilities at time 1. A parent questionnaire was used to measure children's emotion recognition abilities at two time points, with one year apart. Moreover, parents reported children’s internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems at time 1. The outcomes confirmed previous findings that children with hearing loss had more difficulty with identifying and attributing basic emotions than typically hearing children. No differences were found on the emotion differentiation ability or on the verbal emotion attribution ability, specific for negative emotions. The parent reports showed no differences in emotion recognition between children with and without hearing loss. Furthermore, according to the parent report, emotion recognition abilities improved over time, in both children with hearing loss and typically hearing children. No differences in the magnitude of development were found between the two groups. Regression analyses showed no relationship between emotion recognition and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems, regardless of the hearing status. These findings and their implications for future research are discussed in detail, with the intention to enhance our understanding of the unique needs of children with hearing loss and to support their development.Show less
This study investigated the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms in adolescents aged 11 to 21, taking into account the potential effects of age and sex. Given the global...Show moreThis study investigated the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms in adolescents aged 11 to 21, taking into account the potential effects of age and sex. Given the global increase in depressive symptoms, particularly among young women, understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing preventive measures and interventions. Prior research has highlighted the protective role of social support during adolescence, which is why we focused on investigating its impact on depressive symptoms. The study utilized regression and moderation analyses to explore whether social support, from family, friends, and teachers, predicts depressive symptoms in adolescents and whether these effects vary by age or gender. The dataset used in this study consisted of 6,504 American adolescents from 80 high schools across the United States, part of the Add Health dataset collected in 1994-1995. Results showed a significant negative relationship between social support and depressive symptoms: higher levels of social support were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. This effect was found for every type of social support but most prominent for family. The effect of total social support on depressive symptoms was stronger for girls, while age did not significantly influence the relationship between total social support and depressive symptoms. This study provides new insights by highlighting that the beneficial effects of social support, particularly from family, are consistent across adolescent age ranges and underscore the greater sensitivity of girls to social support in mitigating depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that interventions should prioritize enhancing family support and consider gender-specific strategies to effectively address adolescent depression.Show less
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
