Social anxiety can have a huge impact on adolescents’ lives, including emotional, social, and educational problems. The relationships between social anxiety, audience perception, and expressiveness...Show moreSocial anxiety can have a huge impact on adolescents’ lives, including emotional, social, and educational problems. The relationships between social anxiety, audience perception, and expressiveness are considered to play a role in the development of those problems, since they cause intense distress or even avoidance of social or performance situations. Effective treatment options are therefore important to prevent further problems. This study examined the relationship between social anxiety, audience perception, and expressiveness, and the feasibility of blended care. To examine this, 43 participants followed a 12 week blended care intervention consisting of psychoeducation, social skills training, cognitive restructuring techniques, exposure tasks, assertiveness training, and homework assignments. In addition, the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, the Audience Perception Questionnaire, and the Speech Performance Observation Scale for Youth were administered before and after treatment. A mediation analysis was done to study whether audience perception mediated the relationship between social anxiety and expressiveness. To test whether blended care was feasible in reducing symptoms of social anxiety, and increase audience perception and expressiveness, multiple paired samples t-tests were performed. No significant relationships were found between social anxiety and audience perception (β = -.054, p = .40), between social anxiety and expressiveness (β = .005, p =.37), and between audience perception and expressiveness (β = -.009, p =.75). Logically, the whole mediation model was also not significant (β = .005, p =.45). Results from the paired samples t-tests showed significant differences for social anxiety (t(29) = 2.66, p = .013), lowering the mean scores from 56.8 to 50.6, and audience perception (t(28) = -4.00, p < .001), increasing the mean scores from -3.2 to -0,8. No significant differences were found for expressiveness (t(13) = .10, p = .92). The results show no relationships between social anxiety, audience perception, and expressiveness, which could be explained by the unfamiliarity of the concept of expressiveness, a different mediator that has influence on these variables, having a small sample size, or participants’ level of education. Further research is needed on both, to gain more insight in relationships affecting social anxiety in adolescents. The results did show the feasibility of blended care in reducing social anxiety and increasing audience perception. Using blended care is encouraged to provide more and better care to adolescents.Show less
Prior research indicates a positive correlation between affective empathy, encompassing both empathic concern and personal distress, and anxiety. Empathic concern is associated with pro-social...Show morePrior research indicates a positive correlation between affective empathy, encompassing both empathic concern and personal distress, and anxiety. Empathic concern is associated with pro-social behaviours, whereas personal distress is linked to avoidant behaviours. However little research has been done in a parental sample. This study explores whether empathic concern might mediate the relationship between parental anxiety and parental bonding. Parental bonding is the expected behavioural outcome of empathy and encompasses supportive parenting behaviours. Using data from the RE-PAIR study, a mediation analysis via regression was conducted. The sample consisted of 143 parents and their (adolescent) child. The parental bonding was measured through a questionnaire that the child had to fill in about their parents after the reminiscence task (REM). The REM was conducted in the lab, the task entailed that the child had to talk about an emotional event. Results showed that there was no mediating effect, though anxiety did seem to correlate significantly with empathic concern (β = 0.20, p = 0.01). There was no correlation found between anxiety and parental bonding or between empathic concern and parental bonding. This suggests that higher empathic concern does not necessarily translate into perceived supportive parenting behaviours. This may indicate issues in the communication of expressing empathy. Perhaps, family therapies or a training focusing on emotional communication could be beneficial. Future research could focus on conducting multiple lab measures in order to take out more situational variables.Show less
This master thesis investigated how social motives (prosocial vs. pro-self) and communication medium (headphones vs. no headphones) affect group negotiation outcomes. The study used a 2x2 factorial...Show moreThis master thesis investigated how social motives (prosocial vs. pro-self) and communication medium (headphones vs. no headphones) affect group negotiation outcomes. The study used a 2x2 factorial design with 41 three-person groups (N = 123), who engaged in a structured negotiation task. Hypothesis 1 predicted that prosocial groups would achieve higher joint outcomes than pro-self groups, and results of an ANOVA supported this prediction. Hypotheses 2 and 3, predicting that structured communication, using headphones to manipulate turn-taking behaviour, would improve prosocial and reduce pro-self groups negotiation outcomes, respectively, were not supported by an ANOVA. This suggests that while prosocial motives significantly improve outcomes, structured communication alone does not. Future research should explore additional communication structuring methods and broader contexts to validate these findings.Show less
Measurement invariance of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) was examined in secondary samples of young adults and adults from China and the USA. Confirmatory factor analysis found that a...Show moreMeasurement invariance of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) was examined in secondary samples of young adults and adults from China and the USA. Confirmatory factor analysis found that a unidimensional structure of the SIAS, in which its three reverse- coded items were removed (S-SIAS), showed the best fit for both samples. Subsequently, this model was used in a hierarchical multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA). The results of the MGCFA support the S-SIAS’ configural and metric invariance across these two countries. This is an indication of the S-SIAS being a unidimensional measure of social interaction anxiety in the USA and China. However, the results indicate the presence of only partial scalar invariance. Therefore, it is likely that individuals from these cultures interpret certain items of the SIAS differently, which complicates direct comparisons across these groups. What this implies for past and current research comparing individuals from these cultures, in terms of social anxiety, as well as implications for future research, are explored further.Show less
Sibling relationships are among the longest-lasting relationships in most individuals' lives and the majority of the Dutch population has at least one sibling. Sibling relationships are crucial, as...Show moreSibling relationships are among the longest-lasting relationships in most individuals' lives and the majority of the Dutch population has at least one sibling. Sibling relationships are crucial, as they offer daily opportunities for children to develop social skills. The quality of sibling relationships can be influenced by various factors, including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which include 10 types of possible traumatic experiences among which child abuse, neglect and household dysfunction. ACEs can negatively impact a child's social and emotional development, posing risks to their ability to form and maintain relationships and having a possibly negative effect on their mental health later on in life. Current research often only considers biological siblings while the step-sibling relationship was the fastest-growing type of sibling relationship in families with divorced parents between 1997 and 2017. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the association between ACEs and the quality of the relationship among both biological and step-siblings who have experienced parental divorce. Hundred young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 completed a questionnaire in which they answered questions about their relationship with their siblings and their ACEs. Multiple regression analyses revealed that ACEs were similarly associated with a lower quality of the sibling relationships for both biological and stepsiblings. Specifically, emotional abuse by a parent during childhood and having a parent with alcohol and/or drug problems during childhood were linked to lower quality of the sibling relationship, while other childhood experiences examined were not related to relationship quality. These results highlight the significance of improving sibling relationship quality, as these relationships may buffer the adverse impacts of traumatic experiences. Adopting a family-focused approach could reduce these negative impacts, addressing the shadow of the past that these experiences may cast on sibling relationships.Show less
Problematic behaviour remains a problem within healthcare of individuals with dementia, especially as its patient group is set to expand. Problematic behaviour is often caused by pain and places a...Show moreProblematic behaviour remains a problem within healthcare of individuals with dementia, especially as its patient group is set to expand. Problematic behaviour is often caused by pain and places a heavy burden on both professional and family caregivers. Especially since family caregivers are often overlooked as a factor in care. This study therefore investigates the effectiveness of the STA OP! method (SOM), a stepwise approach to address problematic behaviour and pain in individuals with dementia, as well as how the efficacy of SOM is moderated by family involvement. The study, conducted within the CARED-4 project, utilizes a quasi-experimental longitudinal design with measurements at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months after implementing SOM. It included 84 residents with dementia from 10 Dutch nursing homes units paired with their family caregivers. Problematic behaviour was examined using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) and family involvement was examined through a tailored questionnaire. Analysis was performed with RM Anova for problematic behaviour and family involvement and a general linear model for the moderation of SOM by family involvement. Results indicated that SOM effectively reduces problematic behaviour overall (F(2,55) = 3.81, p = 0.028), after 3 months (Mean Difference = 5.47 SE= 1.97, p = 0.007), but not after 6 months (Mean Difference = 5.70 SE = 3.36, p = 0.095). Family involvement did not change overall (F(1.62,30) = 2.12, p = 0.138). Accordingly, family involvement did not moderate the impact of SOM on problematic behaviour (F(2) = 1.43, p = 0.243). Despite methodological challenges mainly due to missing data, the study takes a first step towards understanding how the effectiveness of SOM interacts with family involvement. So, although family involvement did not moderate a significant reduction in problematic behaviour, the efficacy of SOM has further been established.Show less
Uit onderzoek is al gebleken dat mensen met een lage sociaaleconomische status (SES) minder informatiezoekend gedrag vertonen ten opzichte van mensen met een hoge SES. Daarnaast gaan mensen,...Show moreUit onderzoek is al gebleken dat mensen met een lage sociaaleconomische status (SES) minder informatiezoekend gedrag vertonen ten opzichte van mensen met een hoge SES. Daarnaast gaan mensen, ongeacht hun SES, meer op zoek naar positieve informatie dan naar negatieve informatie. In hoeverre SES minder informatiezoekend gedrag vertoont voor specifieke informatie is onduidelijk. In dit paper werd onderzocht of de SES variabelen inkomen en opleiding invloed hebben op informatiezoekend gedrag én of dit afhankelijk is van de valentie van de informatie, positief of negatief. Om deze hoofdeffecten en het interactie effect van SES en valentie te onderzoeken hebben de participanten (N = 130) een informatie zoektaak uitgevoerd, waarin de valentie (positief, negatief) van informatie werd gemanipuleerd en een vragenlijsten ingevuld over inkomen en opleiding. De resultaten toonden een hoofdeffect van valentie aan, waarbij participanten een hogere motivatie hadden voor positieve informatie in vergelijking met negatieve informatie. De hoofdeffecten van SES waren niet significant. De interactie tussen valentie en SES inkomen, en valentie en SES opleiding waren ook niet significant. Hieruit kan geconcludeerd worden dat de valentie van informatie invloed heeft op het informatiezoekend gedrag van mensen, maar dat SES geen invloed heeft op het informatiezoekend gedrag van mensen. Echter is er in dit onderzoek niet naar een breed scala aan SES variabelen gekeken, alleen naar inkomen en opleiding. In dit onderzoek is er alleen gekeken naar informatiezoekend gedrag in een financiële context, terwijl veel van het huidige bewijs in de medische context is gevonden.Show less
Research shows that many students don’t have enough reading comprehension to understand texts. One way of improving students’ reading comprehension could be by providing feedback to students while...Show moreResearch shows that many students don’t have enough reading comprehension to understand texts. One way of improving students’ reading comprehension could be by providing feedback to students while they answer questions about a text. To use feedback efficiently in the future, it’s important to know how elaborate effective feedback should be. Considering this, the current study examined the relation between feedback and the use of reading strategies in general, and for the use of reading strategies while reading a text. Moreover, the relation between the amount of information provided in the feedback and the use of reading strategies was examined. Experimental data of 97 participants aged 10 and 11 years (52.6% boys, M = 10.45, SD = 0.52) was collected using questionnaires, namely the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory and the Task-Specific Strategy Self-Report. Participants were pre- and post-tested and had three intervention sessions. They were randomly assigned to a condition, namely no feedback, short feedback, or elaborate feedback. During the intervention sessions, participants had to read a text, and answer questions about the text. Depending on their condition, they either received feedback or not. If they did, the amount of information in the feedback differed. Every session ended with a questionnaire. Using SPSS, two repeated measures ANOVA were completed. According to the results, there was no relation between feedback and the use of reading strategies. Furthermore, no differences were found for the different amounts of information in feedback and the use of reading strategies. The biggest limitation of the current study was the lack of a motivational component in the used intervention. Therefore, future research should use motivation as part of the intervention to investigate if feedback could help in improving the use of reading strategies for youth aged 10 to 11.Show less
Insomnia is highly prevalent in patients with long-term medical conditions. Although fatigue is the most common daytime symptom of insomnia, it is still largely unknown which underlying components...Show moreInsomnia is highly prevalent in patients with long-term medical conditions. Although fatigue is the most common daytime symptom of insomnia, it is still largely unknown which underlying components are associated with fatigue in a broader population of insomnia patients. Previous literature stated that dysfunctional sleep-related beliefs (DSRB) and pre-sleep arousal (PSA) could explain the relationship between insomnia and fatigue. Additionally, subjective sleep characteristics, such as insomnia severity, number of nocturnal awakenings (NoA) and sleep efficiency might also be components of this relationship. This study aimed to investigate how these factors affect fatigue in a broad medical population with insomnia. It was hypothesized that more disturbed sleep-related psychological factors and subjective sleep characteristics were associated with increased fatigue. This cross-sectional study, derived from the ongoing TIMELAPSE study, consisted of 154 participants. Participants completed questionnaires assessing fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength-20), DSRB (Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep-16), PSA (Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale), and insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index). The Consensus Sleep Diary tracked NoA and sleep efficiency daily for one week. Two multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between sleep-related psychological factors (DSRB, PSA), subjective sleep characteristics (insomnia severity, NoA, sleep efficiency) and fatigue. Age, gender, and depression were included as controlling variables. Results showed that DSRB (β = .174, p = .027), PSA (β = -.160, p = .036), and insomnia severity (β = .243, p = .002) were factors associated with fatigue in insomnia patients. More severe DSRB and higher insomnia severity predicted elevated levels of fatigue. Contrary to expectations, PSA was negatively associated with fatigue. Lastly, NoA and sleep efficiency were not related to fatigue. This study uncovered connections between more severe DSRB, lower PSA, and higher insomnia severity that led to higher levels of fatigue. The current study suggests that improvements in DSRB and reducing insomnia severity may reduce fatigue of insomnia patients with long-term medical conditions. Sleep interventions should emphasize on challenging these DSRB. Future research is needed to examine the complex relationship between PSA and fatigue, as well as whether changes in DSRB during CBT-I treatment reduce fatigue symptoms in this population.Show less
This thesis explores the impact of gain-framed messages on psychological detachment from work among self-employed workers, considering the moderating effects of financial stress and message trust....Show moreThis thesis explores the impact of gain-framed messages on psychological detachment from work among self-employed workers, considering the moderating effects of financial stress and message trust. Using an experimental between-subject design with online surveys, 225 UK-based participants were randomly assigned to control or gain-framed message conditions. The gain-framed message conditions included health-gain and work-performance-gain. Surprisingly, participants in the control group showed more detachment than those in the message conditions, challenging previous literature. Contrary to the expectations, the moderating effects of financial stress and message trust were not found. Despite limitations, such as a sample limited to the UK and the use of a questionnaire, the research contributes new insights into messaging effects on preventive behaviors. It underscores the importance of context and individual differences in message reception and behavior, and urges future research to consider the effectiveness of gain-framed messages in motivating people to adopt certain behavior.Show less
Met de vergrijzing van de bevolking groeit ook het belang van een vroege en nauwkeurige diagnose van neurodegeneratieve aandoeningen zoals de ziekte van Alzheimer (AD). Dit onderzoek richt zich...Show moreMet de vergrijzing van de bevolking groeit ook het belang van een vroege en nauwkeurige diagnose van neurodegeneratieve aandoeningen zoals de ziekte van Alzheimer (AD). Dit onderzoek richt zich specifiek op het verkennen van de verschillen tussen twee vormen van AD, namelijk Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease (EOAD) en Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease (LOAD), met als doel het verbeteren van classificatiemodellen. We hebben vier classificatiemodellen ontworpen, elk gericht op specifieke hersengebieden die mogelijk atrofie vertonen, met Model 1 en 2 gericht op respectievelijk LOAD en EOAD, Model 3 als een gecombineerd model en Model 4 dat de algehele hersenatrofie omvat. Deze modellen zijn geanalyseerd aan de hand van Area Under the Curve (AUC) en zijn ontwikkeld met behulp van logistische regressie en LASSO om de meest relevante variabelen te selecteren. Onze bevindingen suggereren dat EOAD en LOAD verschillende neuropathologische patronen vertonen, waarbij EOAD mogelijk wordt gekenmerkt door specifiekere neuropathogenese patronen, terwijl LOAD meer uniforme hersenveranderingen vertoont. Model 3, dat specifieke hersengebieden combineerde, presteerde het beste bij het classificeren van beide groepen, terwijl Model 4, dat alle hersengebieden omvatte, een lagere classificatie-accuratesse vertoonde voor EOAD. Deze resultaten benadrukken dat AD patiënten geen homogene groep zijn en benadrukken het belang van gedifferentieerde diagnostische benaderingen om rekening te houden met de heterogeniteit binnen deze aandoening.Show less
Prosocial behavior, defined as any action taken to benefit another, has maintained persistent interest in regarding its intricate relationship with loneliness and apathy. Loneliness, conceptualized...Show moreProsocial behavior, defined as any action taken to benefit another, has maintained persistent interest in regarding its intricate relationship with loneliness and apathy. Loneliness, conceptualized as a subjective feeling of social isolation is often found comorbid with apathy; one’s reduced motivation to put in effort for others’ benefit relative to one’s own benefit. Although all three variables demonstrate a relationship to one another, research remains scarce regarding their shared impact. However, findings show a positive influence of prosocial behaviors on social connections, consequently decreasing experiences of isolation as well as apathy. This investigation aims to uncover the potential mediating effect of prosocial behavior on the bidirectional relationship of loneliness and apathy. To fill the gap in the literature, assessing both models helps highlight intervention approaches aiming to effectively break the cycle – ultimately improving well-being. Higher levels of loneliness are expected to indicate higher levels of apathy, whereas prosocial behaviors may mediate and limit the negative affect. Ultimately, it is also expected higher levels of apathy lead to higher levels of loneliness, with prosocial behavior possibly mitigating this negative affect. 287 participants underwent a behavioral task assessing their prosocial tendencies, as well as questionnaires measuring their level of loneliness and apathy. Both mediation analyses revealed a significant total effect between the variables. This was indicative of a negligible mediating role of prosocial acts. These results underline the specific gaps left for future research, ranging from exploring the nuanced relationships and contextual factors involved affecting the constructs over time.Show less
Research suggests a prominent relationship between self-esteem and social evaluation, such that individuals with low self-esteem may show biased perceptions of social evaluation. This study...Show moreResearch suggests a prominent relationship between self-esteem and social evaluation, such that individuals with low self-esteem may show biased perceptions of social evaluation. This study examines interactions between self-esteem, attachment styles, and neural sensitivity to social feedback using electroencephalography (EEG). The focus was on the Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN) component, indicative of neural sensitivity to expectancy violations in social feedback. It was hypothesized that low self-esteem would predict greater FRN during the SELF-Profile task, with insecure attachment styles adding to the variance of this relationship. Individuals with insecure attachment styles were also predicted to underestimate proportions of acceptance feedback received during the task, with low self-esteem and an insecure attachment predicting a lower proportion of expected acceptance feedback. Eighty adolescents aged 12-to-18 years (60 females, 20 males) participated in this study. Participants completed the SELF-Profile task, involving receiving probabilistic feedback from peers on social-media-like profiles, mimicking real-word scenarios of social feedback and potential uncertainties around these interactions. Participants indicated their perception of the interaction, reporting percentages of perceived social acceptance from peers. EEG recordings were conducted throughout this task. Results demonstrated that participants with low self-esteem exhibited heightened FRN amplitudes in response to positive incongruent feedback, suggesting increased sensitivity to unexpected positive social feedback. Moreover, individuals with insecure attachment styles show trends of amplified neural reactivity to social feedback which was visible in FRN outputs. Regression analyses additionally found significant correlations between self-esteem, attachment style and overall expectation of social feedback (positive and negative), with self-esteem explaining most of the variance. These findings elucidate neural mechanisms underlying feedback processing in relation to self-esteem and attachment, suggesting that low self-esteem and insecure attachment styles influence our social feedback sensitivity and expectation. Results provide insights for clinical practice suggesting the importance of improving self-esteem when working on client difficulties in social settings through positive feedback reinforcement.Show less
Steun die vanuit ouders wordt ontvangen blijkt uit onderzoek negatief samen te hangen met depressie symptomen in adolescenten. Uit onderzoek blijkt daarnaast dat adolescenten die lage steun vanuit...Show moreSteun die vanuit ouders wordt ontvangen blijkt uit onderzoek negatief samen te hangen met depressie symptomen in adolescenten. Uit onderzoek blijkt daarnaast dat adolescenten die lage steun vanuit ouders, maar hoge steun vanuit vrienden ontvangen, meer depressie symptomen laten zien dan adolescenten die vanuit beide groepen lage steun ontvangen. In dit cross-sectionele onderzoek is gekeken of dit effect ook te vinden is in een gedeeltelijk klinische steekproef. Gezonde (N = 80) en depressieve adolescenten (N = 35) voerden een gesprek met hun ouders over een emotionele gebeurtenis. Hierna werd de steun vanuit de ouders tijdens het gesprek beoordeeld door de adolescenten. Deze steun vanuit ouders was negatief gecorreleerd met depressie symptomen bij de adolescenten. Steun vanuit vrienden bleek deze negatieve relatie niet significant te beïnvloeden. Er zal meer onderzoek gedaan moeten worden in welke context steun vanuit vrienden wel of niet deze relatie tussen steun vanuit ouders en depressie beïnvloedt.Show less
Climate change is a serious threat to the future ecological environment, and household behaviors contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Engaging young people in sustainable household...Show moreClimate change is a serious threat to the future ecological environment, and household behaviors contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Engaging young people in sustainable household behaviors is crucial to reduce their carbon footprints. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether young adults’ perceived need for autonomy, relatedness, and competence vary across different living situations (Deci & Ryan, 2000) and if these needs, in turn, promote their motivation to perform pro-environmental behavior (PEB). The hypothesis was that students living in peer co-residentials experience higher levels of these needs, leading to increased PEB. Methods: This observational and cross-sectional study was part of the Horizons research project. The participants included students (N = 214), aged 16 to 26. The Needs-satisfaction Scale (Sheldon et al., 2001) was used to measure perceived autonomy, relatedness and competence for PEB. A modified version of the Behavior-based Environmental Attitude Scale for adolescents (Kaiser et al., 2007) was used to assess PEB. Living situations were categorized as peer co-residentials, parental homes, and other households. One-way ANOVAs were performed to analyse the levels of the needs across the household types. A between-subject ANCOVA was performed to analyse the main effects of household, autonomy, relatedness and competence on PEB, including interaction effects. Results: No significant differences were found in the levels of perceived needs across the household types, p >. 05. Similarly, no main effects on PEB were identified, p >. 05. However, a significant interaction effect between perceived competence and household type on PEB was observed, F(3, 204) = 4.55, p < .001. Regression analysis revealed an interaction between perceived competence and PEB within in parental households, F(1, 74) = 4.39, p = .04, with competence having a significant and positive effect on PEB, b = .77, t(75) = 2.09, p < .001. Conclusion: Within parental homes, students who perceived more competence while performing PEB were more inclined to engage in PEB. Except for this effect, the findings revealed no significant differences in perceived needs or levels of PEB across household types. This study highlights that young adults’ perceived competence in parental homes plays a role in their environmental engagement. Future research may explore how parent-child relationships continue to shape young adult’s perceived needs after they move out. Understanding these dynamics can inform programs aimed at engaging young adults’ pro-environmental behavior, leading to reduced household carbon footprints over time.Show less
