Despite numerous studies investigating need-supportive teaching, research on how students experience such teaching is scarce within the educational context. The current study aims to address this...Show moreDespite numerous studies investigating need-supportive teaching, research on how students experience such teaching is scarce within the educational context. The current study aims to address this gap by examining the influence of both emotional insight (i.e., one's clear understanding of emotions) and teacher expectations on the perceived need support among primary school students. The study involved 23 students aged 8 to 12 years (fifth to eighth grade). Mixed methods research was conducted – both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed. The quantitative research includes questionnaire responses for emotional insight and need support. The qualitative research entailed semi-structured interviews, which involved comparing students' levels of emotional insight using vignettes based on either high or low teacher expectations. Using correlation analysis, the quantitative results indicate there is no correlation between emotional insight and need support. However, an association was found between high expectation teachers and experienced need support by students. The qualitative results suggest that through emotional insight, a student can process information, distance themselves from the situation, and then choose to deal with it in a positive way. Students with high and low emotional insight emphasize the importance of the bond they have with the teacher before asking for help. These findings show that the role of emotional insight in student-teacher interaction and experiencing need support contributes to the development of the literature on social interactions in the classroom.Show less
A Request for Discussion (Verzoek tot Bespreking [VTB]) can be issued at the Youth Protection Table (Jeugdbeschermingstafel [JTB]) if the development or safety of a child is at risk. The current...Show moreA Request for Discussion (Verzoek tot Bespreking [VTB]) can be issued at the Youth Protection Table (Jeugdbeschermingstafel [JTB]) if the development or safety of a child is at risk. The current study examined the relation between Socioeconomic Status (SES) of the family and the decision to request an investigation (raadsonderzoek) in the Netherlands. In addition, we examined the moderating role of workload of the professional. 104 VTBs from different regions in the Netherlands were anonymized and coded. 71 professionals filled in a questionnaire (M = 40.2 years old; SD = 10.9; 52 female; 18 male). A logistic regression analysis was performed with 39 VTBs. This analysis showed a relation between SES of the family and the decision to request an investigation. Families with a high SES more often got a decision to start an investigation than families with a low SES. Analysis showed that workload of the professional was not a moderator. Limitations of this study were the small sample size, the quality of the VTBs and the interpretation of the coder. Of note, this study showed that many of the social health care professionals in the Netherlands experience high workload. It is important to reduce this workload to ensure the health of the professional.Show less
Kinderen uit etnische minderheidsgroepen ondervinden achterstanden op school en ervaren een lagere kwaliteit zorg. Onderzoek naar onderliggende mechanismes is nodig om etnische ongelijkheden beter...Show moreKinderen uit etnische minderheidsgroepen ondervinden achterstanden op school en ervaren een lagere kwaliteit zorg. Onderzoek naar onderliggende mechanismes is nodig om etnische ongelijkheden beter te begrijpen. Echter, veel onderzoek bestudeerde de interacties tussen volwassenen. De huidige studie is een replicastudie (Spencer, Heitland, Montoya, Branje, & Bos, 2018) waarbij de neurale structuren die plaatsvinden bij interacties tussen volwassenen en kinderen met verschillende etnische kenmerken worden bestudeerd. In het huidige onderzoek werd met behulp van event-related potentials (ERPs) de neurale verschillen bij gezonde vrouwen (N = 81) gemeten terwijl zij keken naar ingroup (eigen etniciteit) en outgroup (andere etniciteit) kindergezichten. Daarnaast werd onderzocht of verschillen in ERP componenten gerelateerd zijn aan gedragsreacties door het meten van schattigheidsbeoordelingen en de motivatie om naar een kindergezicht te kijken. Eerdere resultaten met volwassengezichten als stimuli komen deels overeen met de resultaten van het huidige onderzoek, waarbij op de P200 component en de N170 component sterkere reacties werden gemeten op de outgroup stimuli en op de N200 component waren de reacties op de ingroup stimuli sterker. Op de N100 component werden geen verschillen gemeten. Ook speelde etniciteit geen rol in de schattigheidsbeoordelingen en de motivatie om een kindergezicht te bekijken. Alles samengenomen dragen deze bevindingen bij aan het begrijpen van onderliggende mechanismes in de omgang met kinderen uit etnische minderheidsgroepen.Show less
Parental sensitivity is an important construct in the development of the child. It is important to know which constructs respond to parental sensitivity. This study investigated whether the child's...Show moreParental sensitivity is an important construct in the development of the child. It is important to know which constructs respond to parental sensitivity. This study investigated whether the child's temperament predicts parental sensitivity. In addition, it was investigated whether this relationship is moderated by the parent's perception of competence, consisting of reflective ability and self-confidence in parenting behavior. The sample consists of 21 parents, both mothers and fathers, with their child. The children were all between three and five years old. There were two measurement moments, two weeks apart, in which the parent performed a structured play task with the child. The parent was coded for sensitivity for both measurement moments using the Ainsworth Scale. Between the two measurement moments, the parents completed the Children's Behavior Questionnaire – very short form, Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire and Me as a Parent. The regression used to investigate whether the child's temperament predicts parental sensitivity did not show a significant result. The reflective ability of the parent appears to be a significant negative predictor of parental sensitivity. Reflectivity ability is a significant moderator between child temperament and parental sensitivity, but not in the expected direction. A high reflective capacity of a parent with a child with a difficult temperament was found to show less sensitive parenting behavior. Parental self-confidence in parenting behavior was found to be a significant negative predictor of parental sensitivity. Parental self-confidence in parenting behavior was not found to be a significant moderator in the relationship between child temperament and parental sensitivity. These results should be interpreted with caution as the sample size was very small and not very divers. Due to the large effect sizes and high explained variances, this study provides starting points for further scientific research into the relationship between these constructs.Show less
In the last decade, digital media has become more sexually explicit than ever. Among others, young people are increasingly exposed to this type of media. They can be deliberately exposed, like...Show moreIn the last decade, digital media has become more sexually explicit than ever. Among others, young people are increasingly exposed to this type of media. They can be deliberately exposed, like searching for information about sex and watching pornography. We call this active exposure. There are also young people who accidently get exposed to sexually explicit media content. This is called passive exposure and can consist of, for example, pop-up advertisements or unsolicited sexually explicit messages. Several studies have been conducted on exposure to sexually explicit media, but the prevalence varies widely. The aim of this study is to get a clear image of in which extent young people are exposed to sexually explicit media. Therefore, the following research question was formulated: To what extent are young people actively and passively exposed to sexually explicit media, and are there differences based on gender and sexual orientation? To answer the research question, an online questionnaire was developed and distributed among Dutch respondents between the age of 16 and 26 years old. The results show that boys have a higher chance of being actively and passively exposed to sexually explicit media. Sexual orientation does not appear to influence either active or passive exposure. In addition, no interaction was found between gender and sexual orientation. Based on these preliminary results, it is recommended to make young people more aware of the risks of experimenting with online sexual behaviors, through education and counseling by experts. Future research should recruit a more diverse sample with a larger group of men, people from the LGBTQ+ community, medium and low educated people, and people who live outside the city. Further research could also focus on which forms of sexually explicit media young people encounter most and what effects these may have.Show less
Background: Selective Mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder with a consistent difficulty to speak in certain social situations, whereas this difficulty is not present in other situations such as the...Show moreBackground: Selective Mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder with a consistent difficulty to speak in certain social situations, whereas this difficulty is not present in other situations such as the home environment. Regarding the different mechanisms underlying Selective Mutism, the physiological component is largely unknown. However, this information can provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of children with SM. Method: The present study compared 27 children with SM (M = 5.11 years) and 40 typically developing children (M = 5.35 years) during a rest phase and two phases of a social interaction task. In both groups physiological arousal was measured using the BIOPAC acquiring system deriving two parameters, mean heart rate (HR) and mean heart rate variability (HRV). Results: Children from the SM-group experienced higher HR during rest (F (1,63) = 5.63, p = .021) and recovery (F (1,64) = 5.19, p = .026; F (1,62) = 8.74, p = .005) compared to typically developing children. Second, children from the SM-group experienced lower HRV during performance (F (1,65) = 4.47, p = .039; F (1,62) = 4.28, p = .043) and recovery (F (1,64) = 4.22, p = .044; F (1,62) = 5.10, p = .028) compared to typically developing children. Discussion: Current research replicates and extends research in children with SM. The findings from HR and HRV indicate a prolonged stress response in children with SM in different (social) situations. Children with SM seem to be limited in their ability to adapt their physiological responses in HR and HRV to the situation. The results seem to suggest an overactive sympathetic autonomic nervous system in children with SM.Show less
Anxiety and worry can cause great suffering and significantly impact one’s quality of life, especially for pre-adolescent children. Therefore, adequate treatment is necessary to minimize suffering...Show moreAnxiety and worry can cause great suffering and significantly impact one’s quality of life, especially for pre-adolescent children. Therefore, adequate treatment is necessary to minimize suffering and adverse outcomes. However, in order to adequately treat anxiety, the cultural background needs to be taken into consideration. Many differences concerning anxiety have been found among Western and non-Western cultures. However, previous research has primarily focused on children and/or adolescents in general, causing research about pre- adolescent children to be sparse. Since this particular period is signified by significant social and emotional growth, it has a great impact on the rest of the children’s lives. Therefore, receiving adequate treatment during this time can be incredibly beneficial. The present study explored the differences among Dutch and Indian children concerning the prevalence, manifestation and perceived causes of anxiety. In total, 140 pre-adolescent children between the ages of 10 to 12 years old were recruited by our researchers. Consequently, the participants were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire, the RCADS and the CFI. Contrary to our hypothesis, no significant differences were found regarding the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder among Dutch and Indian children. We did find that Dutch children were more likely than Indian children to mention psychological and somatic symptoms as a result of anxiety. Additionally, the perceived causes of anxiety were found to be different between Dutch and Indian children. Dutch children were more likely to attribute their anxiety to high personal achievement independent from interpersonal situations and moral values in line with individualism such as desiring uniqueness and sticking up for themselves. Whereas Indian children were more likely to attribute social factors such as disappointing others or bringing shame to their family, which are in line with collectivism, as causes of their anxiety. In conclusion, culture can significantly impact anxiety, particularly its perceived causes.Show less
This study aimed to examine the quality of children's statements during police interviews and its association with various factors. These factors were: gender, age, fantasy proneness, extraversion,...Show moreThis study aimed to examine the quality of children's statements during police interviews and its association with various factors. These factors were: gender, age, fantasy proneness, extraversion, concentration and experienced stress. This was measured based on the length, elaboration, and accuracy of the children's statements. The study employed a cross-sectional design and collected data through transcripts of the police interviews and questionnaires filled in by parents. The sample consisted of 30 participants aged between 7 and 11 years. T-tests, Mann-Whitney-tests and Kruskal-Wallis-tests were conducted to analyze the data and examine the relationships between the independent variables and the quality of children's statements. The results indicated that gender had no significant impact on the quality of the statements. However, age was found to be significantly associated with the length of the statements, with older children providing longer statements. Fantasy proneness, extraversion, concentration, and experienced stress did not show significant relationships with any of the statement quality measures. The findings suggest that age should be taken into account when assessing the length of children's statements, but other factors such as fantasy proneness, extraversion, concentration, and experienced stress may not be crucial in determining the quality of the statements. This implies that the interrogation protocol used in the Netherlands yields statements of comparable quality regardless of individual differences between children. Therefore, it is not necessary to modify these protocols based on individual differences between children.Show less
This thesis aims to address the existing research gap on protective factors related to child abuse and neglect and the successive traumatic complaints. It examines the relationship between child...Show moreThis thesis aims to address the existing research gap on protective factors related to child abuse and neglect and the successive traumatic complaints. It examines the relationship between child abuse and neglect and traumatic complaints, including the possible moderating effect of cognitive functioning. Existing research in this field has uneven gender distributions, women are being researched more, which this thesis aims to balance. The study design is correlational, using a dataset (n = 241) obtained from Buisman et al.'s (2020) research. It has an even distribution of males (42.3 %) and females (57.7%), and the age ranges from 25 to 87 years (M = 50.97, SD = 13.43), comprising participants from the Netherlands with a mostly Western background. Participants were targeted if they had a history of experienced or committed abuse. Various measures were executed, including the RAVEN (cognitive functioning), a combination of the CTQ and CTS-PC questionnaires (experienced child abuse and neglect), and an interview using the PSSI-5 (traumatic complaints). The results showed that women have a significantly higher degree of traumatic complaints. Child abuse and neglect have a significant negative association with traumatic complaints. And lastly, cognitive functioning was not a significant moderator. The discussion stresses balanced gender research, as current focus tends to be on women. Understanding the reasons behind women's higher levels of traumatic complaints, as to how this imbalance can be levelled, is crucial. Even so, a balance in research into protective and risk factors is desirable, as the latter is being researched more. It is worth noting that a potential issue with internal validity arose; the main hypothesis was based on research on IQ, while cognitive functioning served as a possible moderator in this study. Further research is required to examine the moderating effect of general intelligence, measured through multiple variables, for instance cognitive functioning and IQ.Show less
Proficient reading competencies are considered one of the most important basic skills for functioning in society. Unfortunately, research has shown that the reading skills of Dutch students have...Show moreProficient reading competencies are considered one of the most important basic skills for functioning in society. Unfortunately, research has shown that the reading skills of Dutch students have significantly declined in recent years, and reading motivation also deteriorated sharply. To reduce current reading deficits and stimulate reading motivation, additional measures are necessary, such as providing effective, targeted, and intensive individual guidance. Therefore, this study investigated whether a tutor reading intervention with guided reading or rather a tutor intervention based on explicit direct instruction, the UIL, is most effective for improving the technical reading skills of students with reading deficits. The study was conducted based on data from 50 students in grades 6 and 7 with reading deficits. The students, all from regular education, were randomly assigned to the guided reading group, the UIL group or the control group. The intervention consisted of eight online tutor reading lessons. To assess the growth in students' reading skills, a pre- and posttest was conducted using CBM Word Reading as the measurement instrument. The repeated measures ANOVA’s revealed that both tutor reading interventions are effective in stimulating the technical reading skills of students with reading problems in grades 6 and 7. The students who received explicit direct instruction had slightly more growth than the students with the guided reading method, however this difference was not significant. Further research with a larger sample size is required to determine whether the guided reading method and the UIL actually differ significantly in effectiveness or not. Based on the current research, it was concluded that both tutor reading interventions can be utilized within education to effectively support students with reading deficits in their development into independent readers.Show less
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of attentional control as possible mediator on the relation between working memory and mind wandering during reading. In total, forty...Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the role of attentional control as possible mediator on the relation between working memory and mind wandering during reading. In total, forty undergraduate students from Leiden University participated in this study. The students read a text while frontal Theta/Beta-ratio (TBR) and self-reported mind wandering was measured. Afterwards they filled in questionnaires including questions regarding mind wandering during reading and performed a working memory test. Attentional control during reading was measured by frontal TBR during reading and working memory was determined by the Reading Span test. Mind wandering was calculated in two different ways: self-reported mind wandering during reading and seven questions of the DSSQ regarding task-irrelevant interference during reading filled in after reading. The research question was answered based upon the results of two mediation analyses using the PROCESS-algorithm. Both analyses showed no relation between working memory and mind wandering. Results showed that attentional control could not be identified as mediator. Moreover, gender was included as covariate and had a significant direct effect on self-reported mind wandering during reading. Limitations of the study include amongst others subjective bias and a selective sample. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.Show less
