Children with sex chromosome trisomy (SCT) are at increased risk for psychopathology, particularly within the social domain. This study investigates whether children with SCT exhibit elevated...Show moreChildren with sex chromosome trisomy (SCT) are at increased risk for psychopathology, particularly within the social domain. This study investigates whether children with SCT exhibit elevated autism traits compared to typically developing children, given the difficulties in social interaction and communication that are typical of autism spectrum disorders. The sample comprised 67 children with SCT (27 girls with XXX, 29 boys with XXY, 11 boys with XYY) and 70 typically developing children, aged 2.5 to 7.5 years. Autism traits were assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second edition (SRS-2). Statistical analyses revealed that children with SCT demonstrate more severe deficits in social responsiveness than typically developing children, scoring primarily in the subclinical range. Children with SCT scored significantly higher on all assessed autism aspects, with social awareness being the least affected compared to the control group. No differences were found across different karyotypes, suggesting a consistent elevation of autism traits across SCT genetic variants. Age had no effect on the severity of autism traits, implying stability across development. These insights enhance understanding of the specific needs and challenges of children with SCT in their social development, which is crucial for the development of effective support and intervention programs. Additionally, these findings underscore the importance of early detection and intervention for children with SCT, with autism traits serving as potential early indicators of SCT presence.Show less
Objectives: Free-play and social interactions during school recess are crucial for children's development. This study explored the social preferences of autistic and non-autistic children during...Show moreObjectives: Free-play and social interactions during school recess are crucial for children's development. This study explored the social preferences of autistic and non-autistic children during recess, and their impact on children’s recess enjoyment. Based on prior research, the study hypothesized that (1) both autistic and non-autistic children would interact more with in-group peers, and (2) more in-group interactions would contribute to higher recess enjoyment. Methods: Measurements were conducted on 69 children with special educational needs (19 autistic, 50 non-autistic) aged 4-14 years at a special educational primary school in the Netherlands. Radio frequency identification (RFID) proximity sensors tracked children’s number of interaction partners and total interaction time during recess. Recess enjoyment was assessed using six items from the Lunchtime Enjoyment of Activity and Play (LEAP) self-report questionnaire, completed on tablets with assistance. Interaction measures were adjusted for different group sizes and recess duration. Results: Mixed ANOVAs and post hoc tests showed that non-autistic children had significantly more non-autistic interaction partners than autistic partners (t(49) = 8,88, p < .001), whereas autistic children had a similar number of autistic and non-autistic partners (t(18) = .961, p = .175). No significant difference were found in the time spent interacting with autistic and non-autistic peers for either group (F(1, 66) = 1.09; p = .300; partial η² = .016). Regression models showed no significant relationship between in-group interactions and recess enjoyment (b = .40, t(48) = .13, p = .897 for time spent in interaction; b = 1.87, t(48) = .77, p = .443 for number of interaction partners). Conclusion: The study partially replicated previous findings of in-group social preferences among non-autistic children but found no such preference among autistic children during recess. The results highlight the differences in social patterns alongside similarities in the time spent in close interactions and enjoyment of recess in both groups. The findings have implications for professionals in designing and managing school environments that respect diverse social preferences while handling social exclusions. Limitations, future directions, and theoretical implications supporting the social model of autism are discussed.Show less
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
The occurrence of traumatic experiences in early life is associated with increased vulnerability to psychiatric disorders. The objective of this study is to integrate childhood trauma (CT) and...Show moreThe occurrence of traumatic experiences in early life is associated with increased vulnerability to psychiatric disorders. The objective of this study is to integrate childhood trauma (CT) and emotional eating (EE) with anxiety to show how implementing tailored treatment in standard therapy benefits overall health. This study is the first of its kind to investigate these variables. Three research questions are explored, all using regression analysis: first, is there an association between CT and EE in healthy controls (no diagnosis of anxiety or depression) and with diagnosed anxiety, second, what role does anxiety play in EE and what is the moderating effect of anxiety on CT and EE. The third investigates the five subtypes of childhood trauma (emotional, sexual, physical abuse, emotional and physical neglect) and its association with EE. The population was taken from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), a total of 1391 participants were included with either a lifetime diagnosed anxiety disorder or healthy controls. There was a significant positive association between CT and EE when controlled for anxiety. EE was higher in participants with an anxiety disorder relative to controls. Emotional abuse had the strongest association with EE, physical abuse had no significant association. The findings provide evidence that risk groups with childhood trauma and emotional eating would benefit from tailored interventions such as mindfulness, emotional regulation and dialectal behaviour therapy. Future research is recommended to investigate factors such as gender and depression to understand the extent of symptomology and ensure successful treatment.Show less
About 40% of Dutch employees engage in physically demanding work (PDW). PDW involves tasks during work that require prolonged standing, heavy lifting, repetitive movements, and taxing postures....Show moreAbout 40% of Dutch employees engage in physically demanding work (PDW). PDW involves tasks during work that require prolonged standing, heavy lifting, repetitive movements, and taxing postures. Recent research shows that PDW deteriorates health, but mechanisms and buffers or boosters for this relation have remained unclear. In the present study, lower leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and higher alcohol consumption are postulated as explanations and as moderators for the negative relation between PDW and health. Thus, this study investigates the relationship between PDW and health outcomes over one year, and further focusses on the potential mediating and moderating roles of the lifestyle behaviors, LTPA and alcohol consumption. The sample consisted of N = 1,259 Dutch employees and data was used from a longitudinal study (LISS-panel) conducted over two waves with a one-year interval (2021-2022). Using self-reported questionnaires, the participants reported about their health status (at both baseline and after one year), physical work demands, alcohol consumption and participation in LTPA. The statistical analysis involved a regression analysis (main effect), and the PROCESS Macro by Hayes model 1 (moderation) and 4 (mediation). There was controlled for gender, age, education level and health at baseline. The analyses showed that first, in line with the literature, PDW negatively affects health. Second, neither LTPA nor alcohol consumption significantly mediates or moderates the negative relationship between PDW and health outcome. These results suggest that the impact of PDW cannot be explained by the lifestyle factors studied. Also, the findings point at a need for investigating other mechanisms in the relation between PDW and health, such as other lifestyle behaviors or implementing tools to make jobs itself less physically demanding. We also recommend future research to follow up on these findings with objective measurements of health and physical activity (instead of self-reporting questionnaires), longer study periods, and the use of multiple item questions to fully understand the long-term health implications of PDW and lifestyle behavior.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
This research aims at analysing how women in Egypt have used comic books and graphic novels to portray feminist comics activism. It focuses on the case study of Deena Mohamed using content analyses...Show moreThis research aims at analysing how women in Egypt have used comic books and graphic novels to portray feminist comics activism. It focuses on the case study of Deena Mohamed using content analyses of the second part of Deena Mohamed’s graphic novel Shubeik Lubeik and her webcomic Qahera. The content analyses have shown the presence of feminist comics activism in both works. They tackle the issues of gender inequality, gender-based violence, corruption, class difference, stereotyping and depression, However, the chapter from the Shubeik Lubeik novel consisted of a less prominent display of feminist comics activism further argued through not meeting the requirements of activist communication. This can be explained by the fact that Shubeik Lubeik was a printed novel that needed to be screened by a publisher. Whilst the Qahera webcomic was published online and entirely independent allowing it more freedom regarding its content.Show less
Deze bachelorscriptie onderzoekt descriptieve representatie op gemeenteniveau in Nederland. Dit onderzoek kijkt als een van de eerste onderzoeken naar descriptieve representatie als afhankelijke...Show moreDeze bachelorscriptie onderzoekt descriptieve representatie op gemeenteniveau in Nederland. Dit onderzoek kijkt als een van de eerste onderzoeken naar descriptieve representatie als afhankelijke variabele. Hiermee wordt een wetenschappelijke bijdrage geleverd door te onderzoeken welke factoren een invloed hebben op de mate van descriptieve representatie. In dit onderzoek worden regressieanalyses gebruikt om te onderzoeken of er een correlatie bestaat tussen descriptieve representatie van vrouwen, mensen met een migratieachtergrond en leeftijd als afhankelijke variabelen. Daarnaast gaat het in dit onderzoek om het aandeel hoogopgeleiden, gemiddeld inkomen per persoon en de mate van religieuze aanhang in een gemeente als onafhankelijke variabele. Er wordt geconcludeerd dat opleidingsniveau een positief verband kent met descriptieve representatie. Gemiddeld inkomen kent een negatief verband bij descriptieve representatie van vrouwen en voor mensen van de leeftijd van 18 tot en met 35 jaar. De mate van religieuze aanhang heeft een negatief effect op de descriptieve representatie van vrouwen. Voor migratieachtergrond en leeftijd zijn er in dit onderzoek geen statistisch significante verbanden gevonden.Show less
Over the course of the last century, the Japanese population has left their humble hometowns and moved to large population centres. Now Japan experiences one of the worst population declines in the...Show moreOver the course of the last century, the Japanese population has left their humble hometowns and moved to large population centres. Now Japan experiences one of the worst population declines in the modern era and especially the countryside is shrinking at a rapid rate. This has prompted the government to implement measures to slow down the depopulation of the countryside and boost local economies. One of these measures is the furusato nozei tax system, which distributes a part of people’s inhabitant taxes towards other municipalities than the one they live in so that people may donate a share of their taxes to their hometown or any other municipality. This system may be tied to a general feeling of nostalgia that the Japanese people have towards their hometown or other places that generally evoke a sense of nostalgia as people have become desensitized with their current lives that sharply contrast with the calm and peaceful image of the Japanese countryside. Within the furusato nozei system, municipalities advertise themselves as the ‘ideal hometown’ by catering to peoples’ emotions towards those towns that people feel a certain connection with, but how do these emotions of nostalgia emerge in practice within the program? Do municipalities utilise nostalgia as a tool to draw in donations, and in what ways do they do this? Furusato on itself means something like ‘hometown’ or ‘native place’, but does this materialise in the self-marketing schemes of certain municipalities? By looking at two municipalities’ homepages and other websites, this paper determines that symbols of nostalgia are indeed drawn upon in the self-marketing schemes to gain more revenue in the program in the form of images, phrases, etc. These symbols evoke warm and nostalgic feelings and in a way reflect the state of the towns. Moreover, one may identify two ‘types’ of furusato on these homepages: either ‘emotional longing to one’s hometown’ or ‘nostalgia towards an older version of Japan in general’, which materialise to various degrees depending on the image that the towns want to impose on itself and the audience that they are trying to reach.Show less
Dit onderzoek richt zich op uitdagingen en ondersteuningsbehoeften op het gebied van psychosociaal functioneren en zelfredzaamheid van jonge vrouwen vanaf achttien jaar die ongepland zwanger zijn...Show moreDit onderzoek richt zich op uitdagingen en ondersteuningsbehoeften op het gebied van psychosociaal functioneren en zelfredzaamheid van jonge vrouwen vanaf achttien jaar die ongepland zwanger zijn geraakt en een eigen woonplek hebben. De studie is uitgevoerd middels semi-gestructureerde interviews en is kwalitatief van aard. Er is voor een kwalitatieve benadering gekozen omdat op deze manier diepere kennis vergaard kan worden. Daarnaast is gekozen voor een selecte steekproef, waarbij alleen de cliënten van Siriz zijn geworven op vrijwillige basis. De uiteindelijke steekproef bestond uit twee personen. De data zijn geanalyseerd door middel van een inhoudsanalyse om te kunnen achterhalen wat de uitdagingen en behoeften van de ongeplande zwangere vrouwen zijn. Tevens is een literatuuronderzoek uitgevoerd. Uit de literatuur blijkt dat ongeplande zwangerschappen gepaard kunnen gaan met fysieke problemen en een negatievere kijk op hun zwangerschap en bevalling dan vrouwen met een geplande zwangerschap (Karaçam et al., 2011). Echter was er beperkte beschikbare literatuur. De gevonden informatie sluit hierdoor niet volledig aan op de onderzoeksvraag. Het empirisch onderzoek toonde aan dat de deelnemers vooral uitdagingen ervaren op het gebied van gebrekkig contact met eigen opvoeders, financiën, sociale vaardigheden en beide deelnemers hebben geen relatie meer met de biologische vader van hun kinderen. Daarnaast blijkt uit het onderzoek dat de behoeften verschilden per individu. De deelnemers gaven aan behoefte te hebben aan meer duidelijkheid en ondersteuning na de bevalling, aan meer lichaamsbeweging en om te stoppen met roken. Tevens gaven ze aan behoefte te hebben aan opvang of een oppas voor hun kind om werk of studie te kunnen combineren met de verzorging van het kind. Tot slot was er behoefte aan oude leefgewoonten. Om de vrouwen binnen Siriz optimaal te kunnen helpen, is het van belang dat er naar gestreefd wordt om elke ongepland zwangere vrouw de juiste hulp en ondersteuning te bieden bij haar specifieke situatie. Maatwerk is daarom een cruciaal aspect. De ondersteuning kan geboden worden middels voorlichting, trainingen of intensieve een-op-een begeleiding. Geadviseerd wordt dat Siriz zich gaat richten op het bieden van gerichte ondersteuning op de veelvoorkomende uitdagingen en behoeften die in dit onderzoek naar voren zijn gekomen. Dit kan ervoor zorgen dat de ongepland zwangere vrouwen zich beter kunnen redden in het dagelijks leven. Door het bieden van ondersteuning kan de zelfredzaamheid en het psychosociaal functioneren verbeterd worden.Show less
The severe consequences of climate change are effecting people worldwide. To minimize the negative effects of climate change, it is important to increase our pro-environmental behavior. This study...Show moreThe severe consequences of climate change are effecting people worldwide. To minimize the negative effects of climate change, it is important to increase our pro-environmental behavior. This study explored the underlying factors within the environmental attitude – behavior gap among young adults by investigating the mediating role of descriptive environmental norms between environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavior of young adults, moderated by social connectedness. Data was collected from 216 young adults using self-report questionnaires. The moderated mediation model using Hayes PROCESS macro (model 14) was conducted to test the study hypothesis. Results showed there was no significant moderated mediation. Environmental attitudes were not significantly associated with either pro-environmental behavior or descriptive environmental norms. However, descriptive environmental norms showed a significant positive association with pro-environmental behavior (t = 6.86, p < .001, 95% CI [0.27, 0.49]). Furthermore, social connectedness significantly moderated the association between descriptive environmental norms and pro-environmental behavior, with lower social connectedness strengthening this association (t = -2.39, p = .018, 95% CI [-0.23, 0.02]). These findings provide a better understanding of what drives young adults to pro-environmental behavior and can contribute to more targeted campaigns to encourage young adults to pro-environmental behavior.Show less
Background: Child welfare services face substantial challenges in managing out-of-home placements, with various risk factors influencing the duration and outcomes of these placements. Research has...Show moreBackground: Child welfare services face substantial challenges in managing out-of-home placements, with various risk factors influencing the duration and outcomes of these placements. Research has shown that both maternal and child characteristics can significantly impact the stability and length of these out-of-home placements, yet there is a lack of comprehensive studies examining these relationships within the Dutch context. Understanding these factors is crucial for developing effective interventions and support mechanisms. That is why this study aims to investigate the associations between the duration of out-of-home placements and maternal and child risk factors, as well as the role of help provided during the placement. Method: A case file analysis was conducted of 199 children (104 boys, 95 girls) within the Dutch child welfare system. The data was collected from randomly selected case files from various certified agencies across the Netherlands. The study employes both correlation and regression analysis to examine the relationship between the variables. Results: Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between maternal risk factors and the child’s age and a significant positive correlation with the duration of the placement and the amount of help provided during the placement. Child risk factors were positively correlated with the child’s age and negatively correlated with maternal risk factors. Regression analysis confirmed that maternal risk factors and help during the placement are significant predictors of the duration of out-of-home placements. Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of targeted interventions addressing maternal risk factors and providing psycho-education for mothers regarding their role in the duration of out-of-home placements. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that access to support services is easy and straightforward for mothers, to encourage their engagement and participation in available interventions.Show less
