Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-12-16T00:00:00Z
This study investigated an aspect of cognitive functioning or more specifically of executive functioning, that appears to be strongly affected in NF1: working memory. The primary goal of this...Show moreThis study investigated an aspect of cognitive functioning or more specifically of executive functioning, that appears to be strongly affected in NF1: working memory. The primary goal of this functional MRI study was to investigate whether or not the neuronal activity during working memory performance differs between NF1 children and controls. A second aim was to investigate the working memory performance outside the scanner. Participants included children with NF1 (N=21, 7 female), and controls (N=18, 10 female). Ages ranged between 8.2 and 19.1 (Mage= 13.12, SD=3.17). Neuronal activity was measured during the N-back task, and working memory performance outside the scanner was measured with the Memory Search 2D task of the ANT program. With respect to the main aim, the group means comparisons revealed non-significant differences. Though, the participants with NF1 had greater activity in the prefrontal cortex, and less activation in the posterior brain regions compared with controls. Overall, the NF1 children performed poorer on the working memory task outside the scanner. They performed even worse on the second, more demanding condition than the controls. These results may be explained by the dysfunction of the protein neurofibromin and a possible compensatory function of brain regions in individuals with NF1. These insights in brain functioning of individuals with NF1 might contribute to the development of intervention or treatment programs, medication and gene therapy.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-11-15T00:00:00Z
This study investigated the predictive value of executive functioning for proactive and reactive aggression in a sample of 387 secondary school boys (Mage 14.1 years; SD = 1.2). Additionally, the...Show moreThis study investigated the predictive value of executive functioning for proactive and reactive aggression in a sample of 387 secondary school boys (Mage 14.1 years; SD = 1.2). Additionally, the effectiveness in terms of decrease in aggressive and executive functioning problems of the ‘Minder Boos en Opstandig’ (‘Less Anger and Rebellion’) intervention was investigated in a sample of 13 children (Mage at pretest 9.8 years; 3 girls). Executive functioning was assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. The Reactive Proactive Questionnaire was used as a measure of reactive and proactive aggression and the Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits was used to assess the influence of callous and unemotional traits. Results showed higher problem scores on the indices of the BRIEF to be uniquely predictive for reactive aggression. Several predictors on subscale level were found for reactive aggression and proactive aggression. Introducing the CU traits to the models of executive functioning as predictors of aggression did not lead to substantial differences. Treatment effects of the MBO intervention were found for both aggression and executive functioning, with significantly lower aggression scores for reactive individuals and a decrease in executive functioning problems. A focus on improving executive functioning in children and adolescents with aggression seems to be important as executive function impairments were associated with both reactive and proactive aggression. The differential influences of executive function impairments on both subtypes provide implications for treatment strategies of aggressive children and adolescents.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-09-22T00:00:00Z
The main objective of this study was to unravel characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by studying autism traits, social cognition, and gender differences in Klinefelter Syndrome (KS)...Show moreThe main objective of this study was to unravel characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by studying autism traits, social cognition, and gender differences in Klinefelter Syndrome (KS) and Triple X syndrome. ASD traits were assessed with the parent-report Autism Spectrum Quotient. Social cognition was measured with the Social Cognitive Skills Test. Participants included 17 KS boys and 16 Triple X girls (Mage = 12.0 years, SD = 2.6), and 85 control children (Mage = 10.6 years, SD = 1.1). Our results showed that both boys and girls with an extra X chromosome show substantially elevated rates of ASD traits compared to controls. In addition, our study is the first to show that KS boys and Triple X girls have overall impaired social cognitive skills and function at a lower social cognitive level than typically developing children. Our study provides guidelines for the design and enhancement of screening instruments and treatment programs, which will benefit the development of these children. Future studies should focus on identifying risk factors endangering the development of children with ASD and those that are born with an extra X chromosome.Show less
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
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2015-01-01T00:00:00Z
This study explored the relation between chronotype and cognitive and behavioral problems in 333 school-aged children (mean age 9.97 years, 55% girls), with an important focus on a potential...Show moreThis study explored the relation between chronotype and cognitive and behavioral problems in 333 school-aged children (mean age 9.97 years, 55% girls), with an important focus on a potential mediating role of sleep duration and sleep quality. Participants completed short-form WISC-IIINL and several tasks on the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks (ANT), which assesses important domains of attention. Their parents filled out a sleep log and several questionnaires regarding chronotype (CCTQ), sleep habits (CSHQ), and behavioral problems (CBCL). Results showed that indeed eveningness was associated with behavioral problems. No direct associations with cognitive functioning were found. Sleep duration was not associated with cognitive-behavioral functioning. Sleep quality, specifically feeling rested in the morning during weekdays, was associated with cognitive and behavioral functioning. Several mediating relations were identified. The findings highlight that sleep quality partially mediates the relation between chronotype and cognitive-behavioral problems. Evening types show behavioral problems when they do not feel rested in the morning. These findings have significant clinical implications.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2017-02-10T00:00:00Z
The current study examined the predictive interrelations between social cognition, executive functioning, social skills, and psychopathology in 4-to-7-year-old typically developing children....Show moreThe current study examined the predictive interrelations between social cognition, executive functioning, social skills, and psychopathology in 4-to-7-year-old typically developing children. Furthermore, the moderating and mediating effects of social skills on the relationships between social cognition, executive functioning and internalizing/externalizing behaviour were examined. The sample consisted of 286 children from regular primary schools in the Netherlands. Both direct and indirect measures of social cognition (Theory of Mind, emotion recognition and social cognitive skills in daily life) and executive functioning (inhibitory control, visual spatial working memory, verbal fluency, planning abilities and EF in daily life) were used in the study. Social skills and psychopathology were measured using parent-rating scales (SSRS and CBCL respectively). Problems in the domain of social cognition and executive functioning, as well as internalizing and externalizing behaviour problems were highly correlated. Also, social skills were highly correlated with psychopathology. Social cognition only predicted internalizing behaviour, whereas executive functioning only appeared to be a unique predictor of externalizing behaviour. Moderation and mediation models demonstrated social skills to be a moderator and partial mediator in the relationship between executive functioning and externalizing behaviour problems. Mediation analyses indicated the relationship between social cognition and externalizing behaviour to be fully mediated by executive functioning. The results of this study suggest that training social skills may be important for children who show deficits in executive functioning and who are at risk for developing externalizing behaviour problems. Furthermore, the mediating role of executive functioning on the relationship between social cognition and externalizing behaviour possibly explains the absence of a moderating/mediating effect of social skills on the relationship between social cognition and externalizing behaviour problems. For more knowledge on precursors of psychopathology, future studies should focus on atypically developing children, should examine the prediction of specific psychiatric disorders, examine the possible differential results from direct and indirect measures and examine the development of the social cognition, executive functions, social skills and psychopathology in middle and late childhood, and during adolescence.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-10-29T00:00:00Z
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder associated with multiple cutaneous, physical and neurological symptoms. The aim of this study was to validate current NF1...Show moreNeurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder associated with multiple cutaneous, physical and neurological symptoms. The aim of this study was to validate current NF1 severity scales using PCA, and relating the NF1 severity scale and components to cognitive and behavioural outcomes. Participants were 18 children diagnosed with NF1 aged 8 to 16 years. The PCA showed that NF1 symptoms could be divided into neurological and appearance symptoms. The presence of more neurological symptoms was associated with a lower score on the task Comprehension. More symptoms in the appearance were associated with less assertiveness. A higher total number of NF1 symptoms was negatively related to the scale meta-cognition of the BRIEF, indicating poorer executive functioning in daily life for children with more NF1 symptoms. Also, elevated autistic traits were observed using the SRS, and poorer emotion recognition as measured with the ANT. Together, these results might indicate that children with NF1 share a neuropsychological profile commonly seen in children with ASD, which might be related to neurological symptoms.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
Research on five 'prikacties' ('zap actions': provocative actions to gain media attention) by Dolle Mina. Many actions of the Dutch feminist action group Dolle Mina from the late 1960s and 70s were...Show moreResearch on five 'prikacties' ('zap actions': provocative actions to gain media attention) by Dolle Mina. Many actions of the Dutch feminist action group Dolle Mina from the late 1960s and 70s were organised as a result of similar American actions. This thesis focuses on the transfer of ideas and actions over the Atlantic Ocean. Dolle Mina also proved to be quite influensive in the U.S. as well.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
This work assesses the techniques available for the investigation of the materials which were used in Mesoamerica for the painting of objects, such as murals but also books. In order to assess the...Show moreThis work assesses the techniques available for the investigation of the materials which were used in Mesoamerica for the painting of objects, such as murals but also books. In order to assess the applicability of these techniques, first an overview of the current knowledge about the materials that were used by these people in the pre-colonial time (before 1521 A.D.) is given. Also the different media are discussed and the specific technology which was used in their production is discussed when this is currently understood. In the second part an explanation of the working of the different techniques is presented. This is of importance for understanding the possibilities and limitations of these techniques. Each of the selected techniques has the potential of coming to a better understanding of the physical properties of the material under study, but each needs a different input and can generate different output. In the third part, the applicability of these techniques under the specific conditions posed by the Mesoamerican objects is discussed. The materials and specific techniques used by the Mesoamerican artisans pose new challenges to the technology, but also provide unique opportunities. Lastly a case study dealing with a palimpsest in the Mexican Codex Selden, currently held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, exemplifies the potential of doing such a high-tech research and hopefully will act as a stimulus for further research suing these techniques in this field.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
The material category of cremation remains is of high importance for archaeologists. For many time periods, cremation was the prime way of disposing the dead and therefore has significant value for...Show moreThe material category of cremation remains is of high importance for archaeologists. For many time periods, cremation was the prime way of disposing the dead and therefore has significant value for understanding burial rituals of past societies. Next to that, in many areas including large parts of the Netherlands, cremations are more often retrieved than inhumation burials due to their resistibility to acidic soil circumstances. Although highly important, knowledge on how this material can be of assistance in archaeological research is often underestimated or misunderstood. This study therefore gives an up to date overview of possibilities and limitations of the material. The second part of the thesis is concerned with the ability of cremation research to shed new light on the burial ritual of the Urnfield culture in the South of the Netherlands. Although Urnfields are a well studied phenomenon, relatively little is still known about how the deceased were cremated and how the ritual took place. This thesis therefore seeks to give further insight in the possibility to gain more insight into the performed ritual, based on the information which can be extracted by osteological analysis. The study focuses on material from the Urnfield of Maastricht Ambyerveld, used as a case study. Attention is put on the possibilities to integrate histological and tooth cementum annulation research in standard cremation analysis as well.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
Isotopic analysis has been revealed highly applicable to the reconstruction of past dietary behaviour. In the line of this expansion of the archaeological methodology however, it might be easily...Show moreIsotopic analysis has been revealed highly applicable to the reconstruction of past dietary behaviour. In the line of this expansion of the archaeological methodology however, it might be easily forgotten that scientific methods needs exhaustive background studies to substantiate the use of the method. There is no doubt that isotopic analysis can say something about the dietary input, however when applied to the past it is important to investigate changes in climate, physiology and behaviour that could have altered the isotopic signal. The aim of this research is thus to establish whether any significant variations in the background isotopic signal occurred at the end of the Pleistocene and the beginning of the Holocene. This is attempted by the use of an extensive database of isotopic measurements on fauna and plant organic matter processed through temporal, spatial and biome specific analyses. The results obtained did indeed indicate major variations over time and space. In the temporal analysis the results obtained supports previous published chronologies to some extent, but differs in key aspects since it fails to support the δ15N-depletion observed elsewhere (Hedges et al. 2004; Richards and Hedges 2003; Steven and Hedges 2004). The temporal analysis additionally adds to the current knowledge of temporal variation by observing a pronounced δ15N-depletion between 37.000 and 35.000 BP, possibly linked to the Heinrich event 4. On a spatial scale the latitude-longitude analysis showed that prior to the LGM the δ13C-increases with increasing northern latitudes, this is contrary to the observations made for the LGM/LGT and the Holocene. The third analysis attempted to reconstruct LGM, LGT and Holocene biomes and correlate the isotopic signals in the plant organic matter to these biomes. These enquiries lead to the observation that during the LGM the most northern biome was more depleted than the in the south, and during the LGT the biomes show inconsistent variation that may be the result of localised reactions to the deglaciation. This exercise showed that major differences occur between the biomes and that generally wooded areas have lower δ13C-signals and that the signal is generally lower in the Holocene biomes compared to the LGM and LGT. The implications of this research to paleo-isotopic reconstructions are significant. The exhaustive collection of variation factors can be used as guidelines when making interpretations on isotopic measurements obtained from archaeological assemblages. The extension of the chronology to 45.000 BP moreover is a novel addition to the discussions on temporal variation in current research. The result of this research indicates the necessity of a methodological change in the practical field of archaeology where attention is often placed on site based reconstructions using the hominin fossils as the representative of the highest trophic link, however as proved here it is just as important, if not more, to contextualise these fossils by sampling exhaustively all along the trophic chain from different regions in order to make reliable paleo-dietary reconstructions.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
In this study, published intensive field surveys from different geographies on the Italian peninsula have been revisited with the aim of developing a better understanding of regional differences in...Show moreIn this study, published intensive field surveys from different geographies on the Italian peninsula have been revisited with the aim of developing a better understanding of regional differences in demography, settlement pattern, landuse and how Roman society could have functioned. The field surveys/regions that have been subject to in-depth enquiry are Cisalpine Gaul, the Potenza Valley, the suburbium of Rome, the Pontine region and the Biferno Valley. The focus has been on the Late Republican to Early Imperial period. Models and interpretive concepts have been assessed that originate from archaeology, social geography and ethnography using archaeological evidence. The following seven biases hinder the interpretation and comparison of field survey information; (1) an incompletely identified nucleated settlement pattern; (2) questions on the size and urban make up of civic centres; (3) the precise size and location of field walked transects; (4) the reported sample/transect size versus actual field walked area; (5) the use of site recovery multipliers; (6) site typology and site population and (7) the integration of metadata from different surveys. The establishment and comparison of the demographic dimension have been shown to be challenging and problematic. The base case would be the inner suburbium of Rome, which was believed to have been the most densely populated region of Roman Italy. A bivariate statistical analysis for the suburbium of Rome suggests that the settlement patterns of the main centres are structured by landscape and have Archaic antecedents. Not all field surveys have been conducted at the same survey intensities and a ranking has been suggested for each region. High survey intensities can be argued for the Potenza Valley and the Pontine region and lower survey intensities for the inner and outer suburbium. The underlying rationale for obtaining a realistic multiplier, per site-type, landscape or region, including the separation between statistical and archaeological inference has not been sufficiently studied by archaeologists. The high-level view on demography, settlement pattern and hierarchy considers the majority of the population, in the range of 75-90%, living in the countryside. Moderately- sized civic centres of 12-30 ha in size were spaced at regular intervals, depending on landscape, facilitating a day-return trip, essential for the marketing needs of the people living in the countryside. Vici filled the servicing gaps in those regions with exceptional non-marketable radii. The size of the hinterland of the civic centres, excluding Cisalpine Gaul and the Biferno Valley, was in the 150-225 km2 range. A working hypothesis on the function of the civic centres would consider them as service centres. A banding-servicing view has been envisioned for the towns and market centres that could reflect different levels of servicing for local, sub-regional and regional centres. The contrast between Greek and Roman urbanisation ratios offers very fruitful insights for future research in the functioning of these two civilisations.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
In the last centuries the Hopi in general and their calendar and its accompanying body of beliefs, rituals and deities in particular have caught the attention of many non-indigenous people. Many...Show moreIn the last centuries the Hopi in general and their calendar and its accompanying body of beliefs, rituals and deities in particular have caught the attention of many non-indigenous people. Many publications have been written, though few of them contain the Hopis perspective or acknowledge that there are some subjects which are too sensitive or even too sacred to be written down. Nevertheless these publications have shaped our image of the Hopi and their calendar and have lead to extensive discussions with regard to e.g. their age, origin or influences from Mesoamerican cultures. Interpretations from these old anthropologists and archaeologists appear often to be taken for granted and are hardly critically assessed. Therefore, this thesis questions that what we think we know about the Hopi calendar, its predecessor, and the beliefs, rituals and deities accompanying it.Show less
