The literature suggests a possible link between self-esteem and the affective component of eye contact. We drew on these findings to examine whether this link is also present with a subcomponent of...Show moreThe literature suggests a possible link between self-esteem and the affective component of eye contact. We drew on these findings to examine whether this link is also present with a subcomponent of self-esteem, namely parental self-efficacy. Parental self-efficacy has a mutual influence on parental care, and, along with eye contact, they are critical to the formation of a healthy parent-child relationship, which in turn fosters favorable child development outcomes. However, not much is known about how parental self-efficacy and parental care impact (the experience of) eye contact between a parent and their child. The present study (n = 62) investigated the association between parental care as perceived by the child, parental selfefficacy, and the affective response of parents to eye contact with their own child. Parents engaged in an fMRI task where they were shown pre-recorded movies of target people gazing directly at them. Targets were either the participant’s own child or an unfamiliar child. The objective was to explore whether parental self-efficacy impacts how parents feel after direct eye contact with their child and if parental care influenced this relationship. Our findings did not support these expectations. The study provides further grounds for the link between parental selfefficacy and parental care. Additional implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
open access
Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by extreme symptom heterogeneity within diagnostic categories, which complicates treatment and inherently causes high relapse rates. The ability to predict...Show moreEating disorders (EDs) are characterized by extreme symptom heterogeneity within diagnostic categories, which complicates treatment and inherently causes high relapse rates. The ability to predict ED course in individuals would support clinicians in identifying early warning signals of relapse and to intervene accordingly. Traditional approaches have considered EDs as the shared origin of all symptoms which are reflective of a disorder, hindering prediction as it does not allow to unravel mechanisms of symptom progression. Network analysis provides new insights on EDs as it allows to model symptoms as networks of mutually causal relationships. However, most network analysis studies are limited as they only allow for conclusions on group-level at one single time point. By using time series data and intraindividual networks we can incorporate both individual and temporal information yielding insight in within-person variations over time. In this proof-of-concept study, we predicted ED severity using time series and intra-individual network features derived from ecological momentary assessment data in a transdiagnostic ED sample (n = 63). We explored whether time series and network features added to model performance on top of demographic and clinical features using machine learning and what features were most predictive of ED severity. Our findings show no convincing evidence that time series and network features improve predictive accuracy. Nonetheless, some time series and network features were identified as important, highlighting their potential clinical value. We consider our proposed combination of intra-individual networks and machine learning as a starting point towards personalized prediction of psychological outcomes.Show less
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between behavioral coping mechanisms and religious support on the one hand and depressive symptoms on the other during the Covid-19...Show moreThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between behavioral coping mechanisms and religious support on the one hand and depressive symptoms on the other during the Covid-19 pandemic and to examine whether gender moderated these relationships. Current study was part of a larger study on behavioral coping in the elderly. The research sample consisted of 244 Dutch elderly aged 65 and older from the general Dutch population. The respondents had completed one online self-reported questionnaire with different topics. One topic focused on behavioral coping (BERQ) and one focused on depressive symptoms (PHQ-9). Gender and religious support were questioned in the sociodemographics of the questionnaire. The relationships were studied using Pearson correlations, a multiple regression analysis and a moderator analysis. The results of the current study showed a negative significant correlation between 'actively approaching' and depressive symptoms. In contrast, 'ignoring' and 'withdrawal' had a positively significant correlation with depressive symptoms. It was expected that the other helping coping mechanisms and religious support would also have a negative significant correlation with depressive symptoms and that the relationships would be moderated by gender, but that was not confirmed. A possible explanation for this was the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic. When developing new interventions for the Dutch elderly, it could be helpful to teach them to actively approach problems, although further research is needed to confirm the findings of the current study and to explore the relationship between religious support and depressive symptoms.Show less
Self-esteem is partially formed through social evaluations. After receiving approval from others, we feel better about ourselves. Attachment styles, the ways individuals relate to other people,...Show moreSelf-esteem is partially formed through social evaluations. After receiving approval from others, we feel better about ourselves. Attachment styles, the ways individuals relate to other people, influence both views of the self and how feedback from others is perceived. To understand how attachment styles impact on self-esteem responses to social feedback, the present study explored how approval and disapproval feedback affect self-esteem levels in young adults with different attachment styles. A sample (n = 48, 37 women, M age = 21.5) consisting of young adults performed a social evaluation task in which they predicted whether others would like them based on some information about their general tendency to like other people. Subsequently, participants received feedback about whether these people like them or not and then reported on their self-esteem repeatedly. Consistent with prior research, disapproval feedback lowered self-esteem, especially when it was unexpected. These self-esteem responses were not modulated by attachment styles. Securely attached individuals reported higher self-esteem and expected to be liked more often. Fearful-avoidant individuals reported lower self-esteem and less predictions to be liked. Anxious-preoccupied individuals reported less predictions to be liked. Together, these results show that attachment styles impact views of the self and others, but do not modulate self-esteem fluctuations in response to social feedback from strangers. The findings can be further implemented to understand how attachment styles impact self-esteem and how the nature of social feedback influences attachment system activation and self-esteem responses.Show less
Empathic accuracy and eye contact form the foundation of everyday human social interaction. Here, the association between the duration of eye gaze fixation of the perceiver on the eye region of the...Show moreEmpathic accuracy and eye contact form the foundation of everyday human social interaction. Here, the association between the duration of eye gaze fixation of the perceiver on the eye region of the target and the level of empathic accuracy when presented with dynamic emotional video stimuli was examined and it was determined whether gender plays a role in this association. In this study, 110 participants had their gaze behavior tracked while watching ten 180-seconds during videoclips of strangers telling an emotional autobiographical story. Participants had to rate the target’s feelings at the moment of recording the videoclip and their own feelings. It was hypothesized that people that spend more time fixating on the eye region of strangers have a higher level of empathic accuracy than people that spend less time fixating on the eye region of strangers and that this relationship differs between males and females. Linear regression analyses did not reveal significant evidence for a relationship between eye gaze behavior and empathic accuracy that is moderated by gender. Gaining more insight in the topic of eye gaze behavior, gender and empathic accuracy is still so valuable for the improvement in treatment for empathy-related difficulties and atypical gaze patterns that some individuals have to deal with in their daily life.Show less
Depression and Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are both in the top leading causes of death, disability and productivity loss in the world and this is only projected to get worse. As the urgence of...Show moreDepression and Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are both in the top leading causes of death, disability and productivity loss in the world and this is only projected to get worse. As the urgence of prevention is clear, research shows this could possibly be done simultaneously as there is a bidirectional effect between the two. One of the most recent explanations is that of an overactive HPA-axis and its hypersecretion of the hormone cortisol. One way of over-activating the HPA-axis is by ruminating, a common symptom of depression. Objective: This study explores the possibility of identifying the risk of developing depression and CVD early on using Pulse Transit Time (PTT) measurements and the LEIDS-RR. Methods: The participants, 34 women between 18-35 years old, were asked to fill out three questionnaires about depression and describe a negative situation that had happened to them. Weeks later their heart rates were measured in an fMRI where they were asked to ruminate about those negative situations. PTT was conducted using the ECG data. Results: No correlation between the LEIDS-RR scores and PTT during baseline or rumination was found. PTT scores did decrease significantly between baseline (M = 61.64687) and working memory task (M = 60.92451) (p = .048) though this was not in line with hypotheses. LEIDS-RR did not count as a moderator for this time effect. Discussion: A number of limitations may have affected the outcome of this study such as comorbidity, the circadian rhythm of cortisol, the low sample size, the duration of measurement or the vast variation in vehemence of described situations by the participants. Nevertheless, it is important to conduct further research into a possible early prevention of CVD and depression.Show less
Research has shown that trait affective empathy and empathic accuracy as well as trait affective empathy and eye gaze behaviour are positively correlated. Furthermore, it is known that the eye...Show moreResearch has shown that trait affective empathy and empathic accuracy as well as trait affective empathy and eye gaze behaviour are positively correlated. Furthermore, it is known that the eye region is highly expressive by portraying a wide range of social clues including feelings, expectations and information about interpersonal relationships. It is therefore possible that people who have higher levels of trait affective empathy have higher levels of empathic accuracy because they tend to look more towards the eyes of another person. The current study, therefore, investigates whether eye gaze behaviour mediates the relationship between trait affective empathy and empathic accuracy. A sample of 110 adults filled in the subscale “empathic concern” of the IRI (Davis, 1983) and did a computerized empathic accuracy task inspired by Aan het Rot and Hogenelst (2014) while being eye tracked. Trait affective empathy was found to positively correlate with eye gaze behaviour. Yet, trait affective empathy and empathic accuracy as well as eye gaze behaviour and empathic accuracy were not found to significantly correlate. The primary explanation is therefore that people who have higher levels of trait affective empathy tend to look more towards the eye region, which is in line with the past findings, but are not more empathically accurate. That trait affective empathy and empathic accuracy were not found to correlate is in contrast to past investigations. Alternative explanations, possible threats to validity, suggestions for future investigation and implication for the clinical field are discussed.Show less
