In the past decades, methylphenidate has gained widespread popularity onto the pharmacological market, directed toward individuals with a diagnosis of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD...Show moreIn the past decades, methylphenidate has gained widespread popularity onto the pharmacological market, directed toward individuals with a diagnosis of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and even human immunodeficiency virus infections. This cognitive enhancer exerts its effects by binding to the dopamine transporter, resulting in heightened extracellular dopamine levels. However, the psychophysiological side-effects associated with this medication are not yet fully understood. The present study delves deeper into erratic psychophysiological side-effects, including psychosis, mood changes, experiences of seizures, tics and the development of skin rashes. Our primary objectives were twofold. Firstly, we aimed at exploring the frequency of adverse symptom perception in individuals receiving methylphenidate as treatment. Secondly, we sought to investigate the potential impact of treatment duration on symptom perception, and examine any potential correlation between the two. To achieve this, we implemented an online version of ‘The Methylphenidate monitoring side effects scale’ (MMSES), with a total of 135 participants, 22 belonging to the experimental group, with prescribed medication, and 113 to the control group, not receiving medication. The results of our study revealed that adverse symptom perception did not significantly differ between the experimental and the control group, (t = 0.31, p = .852). However, psychotic symptoms were significantly lower in the control group in comparison to the experimental group (t = 0.56, p = .041). Additionally, the correlational analysis demonstrated a non-significant relationship between treatment duration and symptom perception (r(20) = .21, p = .353). These preliminary findings need to be followed up by future research and require to be interpreted with caution due to a possibly confounding effect of age differences and other limitations. Future directions may comprise the inclusion of neuroimaging techniques to identify the pathophysiological changes associated with methylphenidate administration, and a larger sample size.Show less
The current study experimentally investigated young adults’ help-seeking for financial stress, specifically by testing differences in willingness to seek help between two sources of help ...Show moreThe current study experimentally investigated young adults’ help-seeking for financial stress, specifically by testing differences in willingness to seek help between two sources of help (professionals vs. social network) and between two help types (financial advice vs. emotional support). Young adult participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, each presented with a flyer showing a combination of one source of help and one help type. Subsequently, participants’ willingness to seek help was measured. A 2 by 2 factorial ANOVA showed, contrary to the hypothesis, no effect of source of help. Neither an effect of help type nor an interaction effect was found. A correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between personality trait conscientiousness and willingness to seek help. Altogether, these results offer new insights into the nuances of help-seeking among financially stressed young adults and call for more research on a broader range of variables that may be influential.Show less
It is shown that social mindfulness (SoMi) – a form of low-cost cooperation defined by leaving others with a choice – is positively related environmental concern at the country-level. However,...Show moreIt is shown that social mindfulness (SoMi) – a form of low-cost cooperation defined by leaving others with a choice – is positively related environmental concern at the country-level. However, little is known about individual-level environmental concern in relation to SoMi. This study explores whether social mindfulness can be connected to environmental concern on an individual level by differentiating environmental concern into attitudes, intentions, and self-reported and actual pro-environmental behaviors. A positive relationship is hypothesized between SoMi and the various expressions of EC. This relationship was assessed using a questionnaire-based correlational research design (N = 108). The results indicate a lack of associations between SoMi and environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavior. However, an association is found between SoMi and pro-environmental intentions. This could enhance our understanding of how demonstrating consideration for others may be related to increased environmental concern on an individual level.Show less
Objective: The period after successfully coming off treatment (SCOT) following a childhood cancer diagnosis is known to be a vulnerable time for parents in which increased levels of distress can...Show moreObjective: The period after successfully coming off treatment (SCOT) following a childhood cancer diagnosis is known to be a vulnerable time for parents in which increased levels of distress can play a significant role. It is important to know more about the distress experienced by parents during this period to determine whether an intervention should be used to help parents return to ‘normal life’. The aim of this study was therefore to gain better understanding of parental distress and factors related to their distress during the first year after their child has successfully completed treatment. Methods: A sample of 283 parents of children who had successfully completed cancer treatment in the previous year were included in this cross-sectional study. These parents, who were part of the SCOT group, were invited to complete the Distress Thermometer for Parents (DT-P) within one year after treatment completion. The DT-P consists of a thermometer score to measure experienced distress and problem domains (practical, social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and parenting). Parents in the SCOT group were compared with parents in the general population (NORM group) to see if their distress levels were higher. In addition, the association between distress and the problem domains and child- or parent-related factors (time since the end of treatment, cancer type, child’s age, parental disease, and perceived support) was examined. Results: Parents (73.9% mothers) in the SCOT group experienced higher levels of distress in the first year after SCOT compared to the general population (fathers SCOT: M=3.5, SD=2.6 vs. fathers NORM: M=2.8, SD=2.5; p=.032; mothers SCOT: M=4.1, SD=2.7 vs. mothers NORM: M=3.5, SD=2.7; p=.001). Emotional (p<.001), practical (p=.016), and physical (p=.005) problems were predictors of higher distress levels. Parents’ perceived support from their environment contributed also to their level of distress (p<.001). Conclusions: Parents of children who have successfully completed cancer treatment experience increased levels of distress in the first year after treatment compared to parents in the general population. There may be value in developing an intervention to ease this transition that specifically addresses their emotional well-being and highlights the importance of their social network during this vulnerable period.Show less
Expectations can influence the experience of pain and itch, hence expectations may also contribute to symptoms in patients with chronic itch and pain. Currently there is limited research...Show moreExpectations can influence the experience of pain and itch, hence expectations may also contribute to symptoms in patients with chronic itch and pain. Currently there is limited research investigating the role of expectancies in the perception of these patients’ itch and pain compared with healthy people. This study investigates if and how acquired expectations on ambiguous stimuli applied to the skin affect experiences between three groups; healthy people, and patients with chronic pain and itch. This study hypothesises whether patients with chronic pain and chronic itch have a higher expectation and experience a higher intensity of pain and itch, respectively, compared to healthy individuals, and to what extent the expectation of higher intensity of pain and itch contributes to the actually experienced intensity of pain and itch. A mediation analysis is examined to answer this hypothesis. The study used an observational between-subject design to investigate the three groups (Chronic pain group n = 9, chronic itch group n = 4 and healthy participants n = 10, with the target for further study n = 45). Participants were asked about prior expectations and the experience of pain and itch when applying the Von Frey monofilament. Contrary to our hypothesis, this study showed no significant differences in expectations and experiences between the chronic pain and chronic itch group and the healthy participants. In addition, the results of the mediation analyses did not show an indirect significant mediation effect of expectancies in the relationship between the groups and experienced pain/itch. For mild ambiguous stimuli, expectations determine perceptions of pain and itching, while chronic pain and itching do not seem to determine expectations. However, limitations such as the limited sample size need to be taken into account, and additional research is needed to draw further conclusions.Show less
The present study aimed to examine the way depressed adolescents experience their stressful life events, alongside their perceptions of parental support towards them. There was a sample of 115...Show moreThe present study aimed to examine the way depressed adolescents experience their stressful life events, alongside their perceptions of parental support towards them. There was a sample of 115 adolescents, and their parents (n = 214), including a group of depressed and a group of healthy control adolescents. Each adolescent was asked to write down two stressful events from his/her past and code the intensity of these events. After that, they were asked to discuss these events with their parents, and answer to three questions of the Parental Bonding (PB) questionnaire. Researchers also coded the intensity of the events. For our first hypothesis we conducted a multiple regression analysis to investigate whether depression constitutes a moderator variable between the adolescents’ codes of intensity towards their events and the researchers’ codes. For the second hypothesis we ran one-way ANCOVA to examine if there were any differences between the two groups in PB answers. Depression did not seem to moderate the relationship between the adolescents’ and the researchers’ intensity codes. However, separately, the researchers’ codes and the condition of the adolescents, depressed or not, proved to have statistically significant and positive main effects on the way the adolescents experienced their events. At the same time, the two groups also exhibited statistically significant differences on the PB. Considering these results, it is imperative to highlight the importance of including familial factors and the cultivation of resilience and coping skills towards stress into the intervention and prevention programs that address the adolescent depression.Show less
This study explores the intricate connections between music, movement, and cognition by exploring the effect of auditory cue on motor and cognitive performance in fifty healthy participants between...Show moreThis study explores the intricate connections between music, movement, and cognition by exploring the effect of auditory cue on motor and cognitive performance in fifty healthy participants between 18-39 years (females n=38). Employing a within-subjects design, participants engaged in tapping tasks under various auditory conditions, including metronome, experimenter-selected, and subject-selected musical tracks, in both single and dual-task scenarios. Objective measures of tapping timing consistency and force, alongside subjective ratings of induced arousal, induced emotional valence, familiarity, and likeness were examined. Two multilevel models were built to assess subjective ratings and/or musical condition as predictors of tapping force, consistency and 2-back performance. Significance was set at p<.05 (∝=.05). Higher ratings of emotional valence, arousal, familiarity, and liking were not found to predict higher tapping force and consistency. A repeated measures ANOVA investigated differences in tapping force and timing consistency between the three auditory conditions, however no significant difference was found for force (F(2, 123) = 0.004, p =.99) or timing consistency (F(2, 121) = 2.813, p = .06). Contrary to expectations, the metronome was found to be the only predictor of working memory (estimate = 4.92, SE = 0.63, p = .001, 95% CI = 3.69, 6.15). No significant difference was found between auditory conditions when compared in an ANOVA (experimenter-selected tracks = (t(56.89) = 1.28, p = 0.2, 95% CI = -0.78, 3.53); subjectselected tracks = (t(53.42) = , p = 0.17, 95% CI = -0.66, 3.58). Findings underscore the potential implications of auditory cues for cognitive tasks, challenging previous assumptions. By addressing gaps in existing literature and exploring the role of force in music-cued tapping, this study contributes to our understanding of human behaviour and cognition. Ultimately, these insights may inform the development of interventions aimed at optimizing performance across diverse cognitive tasks and populations.Show less
Previous research has shown that children’s art viewing behaviour is influenced by bottom-up factors, as opposed to top-down factors in adults. This study examines the influence of painting...Show morePrevious research has shown that children’s art viewing behaviour is influenced by bottom-up factors, as opposed to top-down factors in adults. This study examines the influence of painting descriptions tailored to children aged 10-12 on their visual attention and aesthetic appreciation of art. Sixty-two participants viewed a set of three painting in the halls of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, while their eye movements were recorded. One group received a description tailored to their age-group before viewing each painting (Child Description Condition), while the two other groups either received the museum’s description (Adult Description Condition) or no description at all (Free-Viewing Condition). After viewing, each participant’s aesthetic appreciation was measured. Findings indicate significant differences in visual attention between conditions, where participants with child-tailored description viewed more areas of interest for a longer period compared to other conditions. However, no difference in aesthetic appreciation was found between conditions. These results highlight the importance of tailoring art descriptions to the knowledge level of specific demographics, children in particular. Furthermore, it shows that adult-level descriptions are just as effective at modulating children’s visual attention as giving no description or information at all. Going further, this knowledge can be applied to enhance children’s understanding and maintain engagement in various real-world settings, such as education and safety.Show less
Movement sonification translates kinesiological parameters into sound stimuli. Many different sonification types are described by existing literature including musically informed sonification (MIs)...Show moreMovement sonification translates kinesiological parameters into sound stimuli. Many different sonification types are described by existing literature including musically informed sonification (MIs) and parameter mapping sonification (PMs). Both techniques have been proven efficient for training and rehabilitation settings, with researchers pointing the cause at different contributing characteristics, such as motivational aspects and enhanced informational content of either MIs or PMs stimuli respectively. Limited consideration has been devoted to personal characteristics, such as musical sophistication. The focus of this study was to investigate the differences between two sonification types, parameter mapping sonification (PMs) and musically informed sonification (MIs), in terms of subjective intuitiveness and motivation. PMs was hypothesized to be more intuitive, as well as MIs was expected to be more motivating, as compared to each other. Additionally, the individual relationship between motivation or intuitiveness and three GMSI subscales – active engagement, perceptual abilities and musical training – were examined for PMs. Here, it was speculated that only the former one would predict intuitiveness and motivation scores for PMs. To test our hypotheses, two paired samples t-tests and two backward stepwise linear regression analyses were performed in a final sample size of 171 healthy participants (67 female). Results demonstrated statistically significant differences between PMs and MIs both for motivation [t (169) = 5.64, p<.001, d = .69] and intuitiveness [t (168) = -9.71, p<.001, d = .83] respectively. The backward stepwise regression analysis yielded statistically significant results for a model of active engagement predicting PMs motivation scores [R2 = .03, F (1, 168) = 4.6, p < .05; adjusted R2 = .02]. All other regression models did not reach statistical significance levels. These observations support the hypothesis that PMs was perceived as more intuitive than MIs and that MIs was rated as more motivating than PMs. Besides, active engagement was the only GMSI subscale to predict motivation scores for PMs, with no GMSI subscales having statistically significant predictive values for intuitiveness ratings of PMs. Based on these findings, practical implications are discussed. Limitations of this research project, as well as recommendations for further research are described.Show less
This study investigates the effectiveness of the 'i-Sleep & BioClock' digital cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention in reducing insomnia severity and anxiety symptoms among university...Show moreThis study investigates the effectiveness of the 'i-Sleep & BioClock' digital cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention in reducing insomnia severity and anxiety symptoms among university students with self-reported sleep problems. Utilizing a Single-Arm Open Pilot Trial design, 216 participants from Dutch universities, aged ≥ 16 years were included. Participants followed the intervention over five weeks and 64 participants answered the post-test questionnaire in week 7. Standardized questionnaires assessed insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index), anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale), and chronotype (Munich Chronotype Questionnaire) at baseline and post-intervention. Results indicate significant reductions in insomnia severity and anxiety symptoms from baseline to post-intervention, with large and small to moderate effect sizes, respectively. Although the moderating role of chronotype was nonsignificant, findings suggest that individuals with intermediate chronotypes experienced the most significant change in insomnia symptoms. Limitations include the absence of a control group and a notable dropout rate. This study underscores the promising efficacy of digital interventions for addressing sleep and anxiety issues among university students, advocating for further research to optimize intervention strategies and enhance treatment outcomes.Show less
In this research the effects of childhood scarcity on adult inhibition and task switching while being in a current scarcity mindset, were explored. The hypotheses were based on the life history...Show moreIn this research the effects of childhood scarcity on adult inhibition and task switching while being in a current scarcity mindset, were explored. The hypotheses were based on the life history theory, an evolutionary perspective on learning adaptive behaviors in the childhood environment to adjust to similar situations in later life, and previous research by Mittal et al (2015). Mittal et al. (2015) observed positive effects of childhood unpredictability on switching scores. In this current research it was hypothesized that childhood scarcity has a main effect on inhibition scores, such that high childhood scarcity is related to lower performance on an inhibition task. It was also hypothesized that childhood scarcity has a main effect on switching scores, such that high childhood scarcity is related to higher performance on a switching task. Furthermore, these effects were expected to be moderated by whether a scarcity mindset is activated. This moderation effect was indicated by participants having experienced childhood scarcity to perform better on switching, but worse on inhibition tasks only with an activated current scarcity mindset. This effect was not expected when a current scarcity mindset is not activated. All hypotheses were rejected: no effect of childhood scarcity on adult switching and inhibition was found, and no moderation for this effect was detected.Show less
Background. The elderly population affected by dementia is rapidly increasing, and this rise may lead to more requests for end-of-life interventions like euthanasia, a debated topic worldwide....Show moreBackground. The elderly population affected by dementia is rapidly increasing, and this rise may lead to more requests for end-of-life interventions like euthanasia, a debated topic worldwide. Despite legal restrictions, studies show diverse views on euthanasia acceptability among Japanese and US physicians. Factors like country of practice, religious beliefs, and attitudes toward death have been associated with euthanasia acceptability. Thus, this research aimed to investigate the relationship between country of practice, religion, and attitudes towards death in relation to euthanasia acceptability, while accounting for the influence of age and gender. Methods. The study used a cross-cultural mixed-method design and included 75 participants aged 26 to 71 years. Three separate logistic regression analyses were conducted to measure the influence of these factors on euthanasia acceptability separately. Additionally, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis examined whether the relationship between country of practice and euthanasia acceptability was moderated by religion. Results. The results did not reveal any significant associations between country of practice, religion, attitudes towards death, and euthanasia acceptability. However, there was a significant association between gender and euthanasia acceptability, and results showed that males were more likely to not accept euthanasia as an end-of-life intervention compared to females. Moreover, results showed that the relationship between country of practice and euthanasia acceptability was not moderated by religion. Conclusion. In conclusion, this study suggests that country of practice, attitudes towards death and religiousness, may not be decisive factors in determining euthanasia acceptability, while gender could play a more influential role. These findings serve as an initial step toward understanding the diverse effects of cultural factors on euthanasia acceptability across different countries.Show less
Alcohol use and perceived social support are both predictors of cognitive performance in adolescents. However, it is unclear how these predictors influence cognitive performance in adolescents who...Show moreAlcohol use and perceived social support are both predictors of cognitive performance in adolescents. However, it is unclear how these predictors influence cognitive performance in adolescents who have a parent with a mood disorder. The objective of the study is to better understand these predictors in the offspring of parents with mood disorders, in order to improve future interventions to enhance cognitive performance in high-risk offspring. Hypotheses posited a negative association between alcohol use and cognitive performance, a positive association between perceived social support and cognitive performance, and the idea that social support would attenuate alcohol's negative impact on cognition. This observational study had a cross-sectional design. The study included 104 participants with an age range of 13 to 25 years old. It was known that 57 participants had a parent with a mood disorder, which were called the ‘high-risk’ sample. At the time of the study, it was still unknown if the remaining participants had a parent with a mood disorder or not. Therefore, all hypotheses were tested for the whole group and a sensitivity analysis was conducted as well, comprising the high-risk sample. Cognitive performance was measured with a subtask from the WISC-V and WAIS-IV. Alcohol use and perceived social support were measured using self-report questionnaires. Three hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to assess all three hypotheses in the whole sample and in the high-risk sample. In the whole sample, our results showed no significant association between alcohol use and cognitive performance, no significant association between perceived social support and cognitive performance, and a higher perceived social support did not attenuate the effect alcohol use had on cognitive performance. Subsequently, we also conducted the sensitivity analysis and our results showed no significant associations in all three hierarchical multiple regressions as well. This means that the current study did not find evidence that alcohol use and perceived social support are associated with cognitive performance in high-risk offspring. This inconclusive evidence implicates the need for thorough methodology and design set-up when researching predictors of cognitive performance.Show less
Reading and writing are important skills in life. However, children with dyslexia, a neurodevelopmental learning disorder with a genetic basis, have difficulty with these skills. Dynamic assessment...Show moreReading and writing are important skills in life. However, children with dyslexia, a neurodevelopmental learning disorder with a genetic basis, have difficulty with these skills. Dynamic assessment might be a better predictor of children’s cognitive abilities and reading and writing skills than static tests. Dynamic assessment is based on the idea that learning is a social proces and uses feedback. This study investigated the effectiveness of dynamic assessment on reading and writing performance, specifically phonemic awareness, prosodic awareness and spelling, and whether there were group differences between dyslexic and non dyslexic children, and boys and girls. The participants included 91 children aged seven to nine, with 45.1% diagnosed with dyslexia. The participants were divided in an experimental condition with a pretest-training-posttest design, and a control condition with a pretestposttest-training design. It was found that the children in the experimental condition improved more over time than the children in the control condition on prosodic awareness. No group differences were found in the effectiveness of the dynamic test. These results show that the dynamic test can be an effective tool in education for increasing the reading and writing skills in children and examining their learning potential.Show less
