Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2020-11-30T00:00:00Z
Objective: To examine (a) the effect of maternal reflective functioning (RF) on precursors of theory of mind (ToM) and executive functioning (EF) in 20-month-old children, (b) the relation between...Show moreObjective: To examine (a) the effect of maternal reflective functioning (RF) on precursors of theory of mind (ToM) and executive functioning (EF) in 20-month-old children, (b) the relation between ToM and EF at 20 months, and (c) the effectiveness of an early intervention program aimed, among others, at improving maternal RF. Method: The sample consisted of 118 mother-child dyads. Maternal RF was assessed during pregnancy using the Pregnancy Interview-Revised and at 20 months using the Parent Development Interview. At 20 months children’s ToM understanding was examined using a simple visual perspective (VP) taking task, a discrepant desires (DD) task and an imitation task; EF performance was assessed using a delay task (inhibition) and a working memory (WM) task called ‘hide the pots’. The Child Behavior Checklist was conducted to assess children’s problem behavior. Results: Children of mothers low on maternal RF, especially child-related RF, showed significantly worse VP-taking capacities compared with children of mothers average/high on RF. A significant moderating effect of children’s problem behavior was present; children with high attention problems or a high withdrawn level were more affected by their mothers’ low RF capacities. No unequivocal and significant effects of maternal RF on DD, imitation and EF performance were found. In addition, only a significant correlation between DD and WM performance was present. The effectiveness of the early intervention program regarding improving RF could not be confirmed. Conclusions: Early intervention programs should focus on improving child-related aspects of maternal RF of mothers at risk for being low on RF, especially when their children show problem behavior. Future research should reexamine both the effect of maternal RF on ToM and EF, and the relationship between ToM and EF at e.g. 2.5 years.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2020-08-06T00:00:00Z
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterized by communication deficits. Emotions are part of interpersonal communication and adequate use of emotions are vital for successful...Show moreChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterized by communication deficits. Emotions are part of interpersonal communication and adequate use of emotions are vital for successful interaction. To see if children with ASD express emotions to the same extent, we compared 17 children with ASD (age range: 3-6 years) to 33 typically developing children of the same age on both on behavioral emotion expression and on psychophysiological arousal. The behavioral expression and psychophysiological parameters of emotion (heart rate and skin conductance level) were continuously measured during rest and a fear inducing paradigm. The groups did not differ on the intensity of negative or positive emotion expression. The ASD group had lower skin conductance levels during rest compared to the typically developing children and a more pronounced increase in psychophysiological arousal in response to a fear paradigm. To integrate these two separate measures of emotion, the concordance between the behavioral and psychophysiological components was evaluated. Negative emotions were related to heart rate in the ASD group and to skin conductance in the control group, but the strength of the correlation did not differ significantly between the two groups. Considering the health and behavioral risks associated with abnormal levels of emotional arousal, the specific effects of deviant emotional arousal in children with ASD need to be further explored. Targeting psychophysiological levels of arousal in interventions might be an effective approach to ameliorate challenging behavior in children with ASD.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
under embargo until 2035-11-28
2035-11-28T00:00:00Z
The aim of this study was to examine whether routines around bedtime mediate the relation between family disorganization and sleep quality. In addition, we explored the moderating role of child...Show moreThe aim of this study was to examine whether routines around bedtime mediate the relation between family disorganization and sleep quality. In addition, we explored the moderating role of child temperament in the relation between bedtime routines and sleep. A moderated mediation model was tested in 52 families with a three to four year old twin. We randomized the two children within the families to create two comparable samples and tested the model in both samples. Parents reported on family disorganization, child temperament, and the child´s bedtime routines and bedtimes. Actigraphy was used to assess sleep duration and sleep onset latency. No associations were found between family disorganization and sleep. Consistent bedtime routines but not consistency in bedtimes itself significantly predicted sleep quality in one of the samples. The relation between bedtime routines and sleep quality was moderated by child characteristics: Children with low levels of self-regulation have lower sleep quality when there are inconsistent routines around bedtime. These findings suggest that implementing a consistent routine around bedtime may be particularly important for children with low levels of self-regulation.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2020-08-10T00:00:00Z
Child factors and contextual factors collectively contribute to the development of (externalizing) behavioral problems. Individual cognition and beliefs are of influence on this interplay. The...Show moreChild factors and contextual factors collectively contribute to the development of (externalizing) behavioral problems. Individual cognition and beliefs are of influence on this interplay. The current study focused on the influence of perceived self-competence on the negative relationship between intelligence (as an important child factor) and externalizing behavioral problems. It was hypothesized that the four aspects of perceived self-competence (cognitive, social, physical and general self-worth) fulfill mediating or moderating roles in the negative relationship between intelligence and externalizing behavioral problems. The sample consisted of 117 children (27 girls, 90 boys) aged 6-14 years old (M = 9.67, SD = 1.65). Intelligence was measured using the Total IQ score of the WISC-IIINL, perceived self-competence was measured using the Competentie Belevingsschaal voor Kinderen, and externalizing behavioral problems were measured using the Externalizing Problem Score of the Teacher’s Report Form. The presence of a negative relationship between intelligence and externalizing behavioral problems was confirmed through a Pearson correlation (r (116) = -.524, p <.001). In addition, a significant, negative association was found between the cognitive aspect of perceived self-competence and externalizing behavioral problems (r (104) = -.273, p <.01). No other associations were found, ruling out the possibility of the aspects of perceived self-competence fulfilling mediating or moderating roles in the relationship between intelligence and externalizing behavioral problems. However, the results of the current study have led to interesting insights, which can be implemented during the development of specifically targeted interventions in order to reduce externalizing behavioral problems.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
under embargo until 2025-09-29
2025-09-29T00:00:00Z
In this study we examined the relations between home literacy environment, reading attitude, self-concept of reading, reading frequency and reading performance. We also tested whether children with...Show moreIn this study we examined the relations between home literacy environment, reading attitude, self-concept of reading, reading frequency and reading performance. We also tested whether children with a negative reading attitude show a resistance to reading. The participants were 428 Dutch fourth and fifth grade primary school students. Questionnaires were assessed to address the reading development and resistance to reading was measured as an attentional bias toward reading stimuli using a visual dot probe test. Results show that the home literacy environment and self-concept of reading were positively related to reading attitude. Reading attitude and reading frequency were both positively related to reading performance. Results did not confirm an attentional bias in children with a negative reading attitude. The results are discussed in light of the existing literature and directions for future research are provided.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2020-04-25T00:00:00Z
Objective: Poor emotion regulation in early development has been related to negative child outcomes and is expected to be influenced by interactions with primary caregivers. This study examines the...Show moreObjective: Poor emotion regulation in early development has been related to negative child outcomes and is expected to be influenced by interactions with primary caregivers. This study examines the relation between infant emotion regulation and maternal self-regulation. Method: The sample consisted of 132 infant-mother dyads. Maternal emotion regulation (ER) problems and executive functioning (EF) problems were assessed during pregnancy by means of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function—Adult version. At six months of age, infant’s behavioral and physiological stress responses were observed during the Still Face Paradigm (SFP). Results: In response to the still face, infants showed an increase in heart rate and negative affect, and a decrease in positive affect and gaze. Infants of mothers with more ER problems showed more reactivity on heart rate, and arching and squirming. During the still face, infant self-soothing behavior increased. In response to the reunion positive affect, gaze, self-soothing behavior and negative affect increased, while arching and squirming behavior decreased. Infants of mothers with more ER problems, but few EF problems, showed less gaze during the still face, and higher levels of negative affect in general. Conclusion: This study underlines that a mother’s capacities to self-regulate influence the infant’s stress system and the emotional development of their infant. Helping mothers to enhance their own ER capacities could possibly decrease the risk for future psychopathology for their infants.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2020-12-31T00:00:00Z
The goal of the present study was to investigate whether maternal sensitivity and infant temperament were predictors of infant jealousy. The differential susceptibility hypothesis was also tested....Show moreThe goal of the present study was to investigate whether maternal sensitivity and infant temperament were predictors of infant jealousy. The differential susceptibility hypothesis was also tested. It was investigated if infant temperament could moderate the relationship between maternal sensitivity and infant jealousy. Forty-eight 10-month-olds and their mothers participated in the study. Jealousy was measured during a 10 minutes episode of free-play between mother and infant during which mothers were instructed to care for a life-like doll. The doll cried for 5 minutes of the total episode. Infants were able to play with a large variety of toys during the jealousy evoking situation. Maternal sensitivity was measured during three additional short episodes (break, free-play without toys, free-play with toys). Infant temperament was measured by the Infant Characteristic Questionnaire (ICQ). The results showed that maternal sensitivity and infant temperament were not predictors of infant jealousy within the present study. Also, no proof was found for the differential susceptibility hypothesis. Infant temperament was not a significant predictor in the relationship between maternal sensitivity and infant temperament. The results of the present study indicate that the relationships between maternal sensitivity and infant jealousy and between infant temperament and infant jealousy might not be as strong as suggested by previous studies.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2020-03-16T00:00:00Z
The Cardiff Infant Contentiousness Scale aims to measure early signs of aggression. In the ‘Een Goed begin’ longitudinal study, aggressive traits of 152 infants (85 of them boys) were assessed...Show moreThe Cardiff Infant Contentiousness Scale aims to measure early signs of aggression. In the ‘Een Goed begin’ longitudinal study, aggressive traits of 152 infants (85 of them boys) were assessed using the CICS. In this study, reliability and validity of the instrument were examined. Internal consistency was .44 for children aged 6 months, and .54 for children around 12 months old. For children aged 12 months old in the low-risk part of our sample however, this number increased to .68. Test-retest reliability between these two time points was .20. In validity analysis, a correlation was expected between CICs ratings and infant temperament as well as physical aggression. At 6 months old the CICS correlated with several aspects of infant temperament (r = -.32, -.24, .37, p <.01) while at 12 months old there were no correlations between the CICS and infant temperament. At 12 months of age, a correlation was found with physical aggression scores (r = .34, p >.01) . Since reliability and validity were not found to be sufficient, caution must be exercised when using the CICS as a measure of infant aggression in research and practice.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-10-24T00:00:00Z
Women with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have become focus of research only recently, thus far there is little knowledge about the female phenotype of ASD in relation to social information...Show moreWomen with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have become focus of research only recently, thus far there is little knowledge about the female phenotype of ASD in relation to social information processing. This study focused on social cognition in high functioning women with ASD with specific focus on social attention and empathy. Participants consisted of 31 women with ASD and 29 non-clinical controls. Social attention was assessed by measuring eye fixation patterns using eye tracking while participant watched four movie clips of children expressing specific emotions. Empathic abilities were assessed using the informant reported Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Results show deceased fixation duration on the face and mouth in women with ASD compared to non-clinical controls, no differences were found in fixation duration on the eyes, objects and outside the areas of interest. In addition, women with ASD had a reduced ability to take the other’s perspective, a reduced ability to imagine the actions and feelings of (fictional) characters, and experienced more personal distress in stressful situations compared to non-clinical controls. In women with ASD, a negative correlation was found between personal distress and total fixation duration to the face. It is concluded that women with ASD have a deviant attention in social situations and reduced cognitive empathic abilities, but have more distress in social situations al well. It is suggested that an attentional deployment hypothesis might explain the findings. These findings stress the need for adjusting diagnostic assessment and treatment of women with ASD to the female phenotype of ASD.Show less
