Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-09-22T00:00:00Z
This study seeks to uncover the externalizing behavioral phenotype of extra X chromosome children, and discover the role of emotion-regulation and executive functioning (EF) deficits in its...Show moreThis study seeks to uncover the externalizing behavioral phenotype of extra X chromosome children, and discover the role of emotion-regulation and executive functioning (EF) deficits in its development. Participants included extra X chromosome children (N = 29, 16 girls and 13 boys) and control children (N = 84, 33 boys, 51 girls). Ages ranged between 7 and 16 (Mage = 10;3, SD = 1;7). Externalizing behavior was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire assessed emotion regulation and two tasks of the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks battery measured EF. To provide a detailed picture of overall social functioning of the participants the Social Skills Rating System was used. Results showed that extra X chromosome children show more externalizing behavior, more mental flexibility deficits and nearly significantly more rumination. In extra X chromosome children, externalizing behavior was positively related to inhibition deficits and to rumination levels. Emotion regulation and EF were not related but children exhibiting less rumination were more dependent on their EF in the prediction of externalizing behavior. Implications include evidence for the role of neuropsychological deficits in externalizing behavior and possible guidelines for the treatment of children with an extra X chromosome and externalizing behavior.Show less
