De effectiviteit van de leerstrategie ‘voorspellingen maken’ is al eerder onderzocht en aangetoond, maar nog niet tegenover een passieve leerstrategie gezet. Het maken van voorspellingen werd in...Show moreDe effectiviteit van de leerstrategie ‘voorspellingen maken’ is al eerder onderzocht en aangetoond, maar nog niet tegenover een passieve leerstrategie gezet. Het maken van voorspellingen werd in eerder onderzoek vergeleken met andere generatieve leerstrategieën. In het huidige onderzoek wordt het maken van voorspellingen vergeleken met een passieve strategie: herhalen. Hierbij werd er gekeken naar de invloed van deze leerstrategieën op het onthouden van numerieke feitjes. Dit onderzoek is uitgevoerd bij 111 participanten. De bedoeling was om inzicht te krijgen in het effect op verschillende leeftijdsgroepen, waarbij kinderen (10-13 jaar) vergeleken werden met jongvolwassenen (18-26 jaar). Daarnaast werd er in het huidige onderzoek gekeken naar het effect van prediction error (voorspellingsfout) op de leerprestaties in beiden leeftijdsgroepen. Ten slotte werd er onderzocht of goed gokken invloed heeft op de leerprestatie. Er werd een interactie-effect gevonden waarbij kinderen meer profiteerden van het maken van voorspellingen dan herhalen ten opzichte van jongvolwassenen. Bij jongvolwassenen was er geen significant verschil in het gebruik van leerstrategieën. Daarnaast werd gevonden dat zowel kinderen als jongvolwassenen beter presteren als er sprake is van verwachtingsconsistente voorspellingen en grote verwachtings-schendende voorspellingen. Er zou gesteld kunnen worden dat voorspellingen maken effectief is om te gebruiken bij het geven van instructie bij kinderen. Verder onderzoek is nodig om inzicht te krijgen in andere aspecten die invloed hebben op het maken van een voorspelling.Show less
Sibling aggression is a common phenomenon which can lead to negative outcomes on the development of children. Aggression between siblings can possibly be explained by the quality of the sibling...Show moreSibling aggression is a common phenomenon which can lead to negative outcomes on the development of children. Aggression between siblings can possibly be explained by the quality of the sibling relationship and gender. The aim of the current study is to investigate whether anger in response to a sibling, as an indicator of the quality of the sibling relationship, is related to sibling aggression and whether gender plays a moderating role. A sample of 18 sibling pairs (oldest sibling: aged 10 to 18 years, M = 14, SD = 1.9) participated. The aggression between siblings was measured with the sibling version of the Conflict Tactics Scale, CTS2-SP. To measure anger in response to provocative behavior of the sibling a Virtual Reality (VR) task was used. The provocative behavior was believed to be controlled by their sibling but was actually an avatar. The participants were also asked if they believed if their sibling controlled the avatar during the VR task. The scores of the oldest sibling of the pairs were included. The results showed that anger in response to the sibling was not related to sibling aggression and that participants showed equal aggression towards their sibling. Also, no gender differences were found between participants in the link between anger and aggression, so gender did not play a moderating role. It seems that gender differences in siblings play a smaller role than in boys and girls for showing aggression. The results suggest that aggression between siblings might be more normal and accepted than aggression between boys and girls and that siblings may be more used to each other compared to non-family related children. However, further research is needed, to understand the phenomenon of sibling aggression even better in order to prevent it, since the consequences of sibling aggression can be profoundly serious.Show less
This research study explores the differences in executive functioning (EF) between normally developing children and children with Sex Chromosome Trisomies (SCT) between 1 and 8 year old. Rather...Show moreThis research study explores the differences in executive functioning (EF) between normally developing children and children with Sex Chromosome Trisomies (SCT) between 1 and 8 year old. Rather than the typical karyotype XX or XY, people with SCT have three sex chromosomes, resulting in karyotype XXY, XYY or XXX. Executive functions can be defined as mental processes that allow people to control their actions. The BRIEF, BRIEF-P and MEFS were utilized to obtain information about the development of EF. A total of 147 participants between the ages of 2,8 and 7,6 years old took part in the study. 74 participants with SCT (Mage= 4,8, SD = 1,3) and 70 (Mage= 4,5, SD = 1,0) participants without SCT. Analysis methods used were independent samples t-tests, correlations and Fisher-Z transformations. It was found that there are differences in executive functioning as a whole between children with and without SCT. The differences in working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility are small. Bigger differences between children with and without SCT were found with regards to their emotional control and cognitive flexibility. The research concludes that developmental delay regarding executive functioning is visible in children with SCT before the age of 8 years old. When children mature these differences become more obvious as the gap between what is expected with regards to EF increases faster than children with SCT improve their EF skills. Additional research is needed in order to discover whether the EF profile found is unique for children with SCT and what implications this has. Future studies should also investigate the ways EF impacts children with SCT and which treatments yields the most benefits for them. Support with regards to the development of EF in children with SCT is crucial in order to enable them to maximize the possibilities in their lives.Show less
This study investigated Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Executive Functioning (EF) in people with Coffin-Siris Syndrome (CSS) in the Netherlands. The main research question was wether...Show moreThis study investigated Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Executive Functioning (EF) in people with Coffin-Siris Syndrome (CSS) in the Netherlands. The main research question was wether differences in ADL and EF existed CSS-patients different types of genetic mutations. The differences between the groups of genetic mutations were examined taking into account the intercorrelation of ADL and EF, and the age of the (groups of) patients. In the study, 73 patients with Coffin-Siris Syndrome participated (N=73), divided into 2 groups: one group with the genetic mutation ARID1B and 1 group with other genetic mutations. The study data was obtained through the de Voorbereidende vragenlijst Coffin Siris Syndroom poli. This study revealed that no distinction could be made between different genetic mutations with respect to EF, F(1,26) = .21; p = .652. The same is true for ADL, F(1,31) =1.29; p = .264. On average, the groups with different genetic mutations did not score significantly different from each other to distinguish between them. It was also found that when corrected for age, no distinction could be made between the different genetic mutations. There were no significant influences of age in either EF (p= .478) or ADL (p= .214). When looking at the entire target group of CSS patients, rather than the groups of genetic mutations, the study found that initially there does not appear to be a relationship between EF and ADL, r = .33, p = .053. However, the study does show a significant positive weak relationship between EF and ADL when adjusted for age, r = .35, p = .049. Thus the study did not find sufficient results to imply a distinction between different gene mutations in ADL and EF in clinical practice. However, there does seem to be a relationship between EF and ADL in CSS patients. Research with larger groups of CSS-patients with the ARID1B- and other mutations is necessary in order to reveal potential differences.Show less
Conduct disorder (CD) is a psychiatric disorder which is associated with repetitive outbursts in which there is no control over aggressive impulses. Despite the high prevalence and the high social-...Show moreConduct disorder (CD) is a psychiatric disorder which is associated with repetitive outbursts in which there is no control over aggressive impulses. Despite the high prevalence and the high social- and economic load, there is little research done into CD and its possible predictors. The current research attempted to understand the antisociality of boys with CD by means of socioeconomic status (SES). The level of aggression and the level of psychopathic traits have been investigated. The participants were 52 boys with CD, with an average age of 16.94 years. The participants filled out questionnaires, of which the level of aggression and the level of psychopathic traits was determined. The socioeconomic status was determined based on the postal code of the participants. The research showed no relationship between the SES and the level of aggression and psychopathic traits.Show less
By identifying and preventative intervening in children and adolescents with externalizing problem behaviour at an early stage, efforts are made to prevent bigger problems later on. It is important...Show moreBy identifying and preventative intervening in children and adolescents with externalizing problem behaviour at an early stage, efforts are made to prevent bigger problems later on. It is important to know which factors are related to externalizing problem behaviour, so that identifying and treatment can focus on those. Current research focuses on the relationship between gender, age, inhibition and emotional facial recognition with externalizing problem behaviour. Previous research was inconsistent or little research has been done. 232 children and adolescents (𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑒 = 10.51; SD = 1.39), of which 79.3% were boys and 20.7% were girls, completed the Shifting Set Visual (SSV) to measure the level of inhibition and the Facial Emotion Recognition (FER) to measure the emotional facial recognition. The teachers of the children and adolescents completed the Teacher Report Form (TRF) to measure the degree of externalizing problem behaviour of the child or adolescent. The results show that boys have a higher degree of externalizing problem behaviour than girls. A lower inhibition level is related to a higher degree of externalizing problem behaviour than a higher inhibition level. Average emotional facial recognition appears to influence the relationship between inhibition and externalizing problem behaviour, whereas below-average emotion facial recognition did not. Also, age does not appear to be linked to externalizing problem behaviour. The results implicate that focussing on the inhibition level during identifying and treatment of externalizing problem behavior, is useful. They also imply that boys have a higher risk of a higher degree of externalizing problem behaviour than girls. Although expected, below-average emotional facial recognition did not appear to influence the relationship between inhibition and externalizing problem behaviour. This indicates that emotional facial recognition does not have to be taken into account during the signalling and treatment. More research is needed to make the findings more certain.Show less
Background: Verbal difficulties have been shown to be related to externalizing behavior in children. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between externalizing behavior and...Show moreBackground: Verbal difficulties have been shown to be related to externalizing behavior in children. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between externalizing behavior and difficulties in verbal memory, receptive language ability and verbal mentalizing ability. This helps us to uncover whether this combination of verbal difficulties forms a meaningful profile in predicting externalizing behavior and its treatment. Methods: The sample is derived of the Preventive Intervention Trajectory (PIT) and consists of 215 children aged 6 to 14. Within PIT, children with (sub)clinical levels of externalizing behavior receive a prolonged, preventive intervention tailored to their cognitive strengths and difficulties. Assessment of cognitive abilities includes measures of verbal memory (15-Words test), receptive language ability (CELF-4 subtest Concepts and Following Directions), and verbal mentalizing ability (Social Cognitive Abilities test (SCVT)). Results: Findings showed that verbal memory, receptive language ability and verbal mentalizing ability were not consistently positively correlated among each other. The combination of verbal abilities was modestly predictive of externalizing behavior. This predictive relationship was not significant when children were divided by verbal profile. Children with verbally weak profiles did not exhibit significantly more externalizing behavior than children with verbally strong profiles and both groups showed the same significant decrease in externalizing behavior after six months of treatment for their behavioral problems. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the combination of children’s verbal memory, receptive language ability and verbal mentalizing ability cannot be considered a meaningful profile in relation to externalizing behavior, as no differences emerged in externalizing behavior between children with weak verbal abilities and children with strong verbal abilities. The PIT intervention proved to be effective in reducing externalizing behavior, irrespective of verbal ability.Show less
The focus in this study was the relation between executive functioning (EF) and social cognition in school aged children who showed an exceptional level of externalizing behavior. The aim of this...Show moreThe focus in this study was the relation between executive functioning (EF) and social cognition in school aged children who showed an exceptional level of externalizing behavior. The aim of this study was to examine the predictive value of inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory on social cognition. The sample of this study contained of 169 children in the age of 9 to 12 years who were classified in a research group of children (N= 138), who showed externalizing behavior in a clinical range and a control group in a non-clinical range. Social cognitive skills were measured with the Social Cognitive Skills Test. Inhibition and cognitive flexibility were measured with the Shifting Attentional Set (SSV), part of the Amsterdamse Neuropsychologische Taken (ANT). Working memory was measured with the subtest Digit Span from the WISC-III-NL The results showed that children who show externalizing behavior in the clinical range have significant reduced social cognitive skills and working memory. These children also have reduced inhibition and cognitive flexibility, but only when measured in errors and not reaction time. The multiple regression showed that working memory is a significant predictor of social cognition is this sample. Contrary to the expectations, inhibition and cognitive flexibility were not. It can be concluded that children who show externalizing behavior in the clinical range have reduced social cognitive skills and reduced executive functioning (EF), but the direction of the relation between social cognitive skills and EF remains unclear. This study contributed to the ongoing research on the relationship between social cognition and EF and showed that targeting EF in an intervention will not directly influence the social cognitive skills.Show less
Reading comprehension is a vital skill. It is important for a reader to make inferences between story elements while integrating background information. In addition, it is important that the reader...Show moreReading comprehension is a vital skill. It is important for a reader to make inferences between story elements while integrating background information. In addition, it is important that the reader can apply metacognition in which the reader monitors and regulates his/her own understanding about the text. These cognitive processes ensure that the reader forms and maintains a coherent mental representation about the story and these processes may be similar across different media. Research results from PISA shows a decrease in grades for reading comprehension, reading enjoyment, and competence perception among Dutch 15-year-old students. Following these results and the possible relationship between comprehension skills across different media, such as written text, auditory and visual presentations, this study has been conducted. This study investigated whether the narrative comprehension differed between these media and if the application of story-based and knowledge-based inferences, and metacognition to a story affects narrative comprehension in 8-12 year old children. Three stories in written text, auditory, and visual presentation modes, comprehension questions about these stories, and the think-aloud protocol were used. Narrative comprehension was measured using comprehension questions. Using the think aloud protocol, the relationship between comprehension skills and narrative comprehension was examined. The results indicate a difference between narrative comprehension in written text and visual presentation, with narrative comprehension in visual presentation being higher. Furthermore, the number of story-based inferences is a significant predictor for narrative comprehension in written text presentation and story-based and knowledge-based inferences for narrative comprehension in auditory presentation. Although further research is needed, these findings suggest the importance of using narrative texts across different media. Also these findings may be used for developing interventions in which children practice making inferences and use their metacognition across different media.Show less
Nowadays children read less and less. They spent more time on other media, such as audio and animation video. Therefore it is important to know how children can learn through these media. This...Show moreNowadays children read less and less. They spent more time on other media, such as audio and animation video. Therefore it is important to know how children can learn through these media. This study examines differences in online and offline comprehension between text, audio and animation video. So far research about this subject is scarce. Eighty-three children between eight and twelve years old participated in the study. A within-subjects design was used with three stories. A think-aloud protocol was used and after each part of the story participants were asked to say out loud what they were thinking. Children’s statements were categorized into different types of inferences. Online comprehension was measured using three types of inferences: connecting, reinstatement and knowledge-based inferences. Offline comprehension was measured with comprehension questions. Results indicated that there was no difference between the amount of connecting-, reinstatement- and knowledge-based inferences made in the different media. Regarding the second research question children answered significantly more comprehension questions correctly after watching an animation video than after reading a text. In addition, no differences were found in offline comprehension between text and audio and audio and animation video. This study supports the idea that children develop a general inference skill that is similar in different media. This suggests that they can practice making inferences via animation videos and being read to by someone. Regarding offline comprehension, additional research is needed on the effectiveness of using animation videos in the classroom to improve comprehension strategies. These inference skills and comprehension strategies can later be applied in reading comprehension.Show less
Abstract: Several studies have reported on the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gender dysphoria (GD), especially during adolescence. A specific treatment program for Dutch...Show moreAbstract: Several studies have reported on the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gender dysphoria (GD), especially during adolescence. A specific treatment program for Dutch adolescents with comorbid ASD and GD remains absent, while difficulties with self-worth and psychological wellbeing play a major role for this minority group. The current study investigates the effectiveness of a peer support group on the self-worth and psychological complaints of adolescents, using a pre- and post-test design. A total of 26 adolescents, 16 boys (61,5%) and 10 girls (38,5%) aged 13 to 24 (M = 18,92, SD = 2,30), were included. To assess self-worth and psychological complaints self-report questionnaires CBSA and SCL-90-R are used respectively, prior to and after finishing the intervention. A dependent t-test was used to compare the means of the measurement regarding self-worth and psychological complaints before and after the intervention took place. Results indicated that psychological complaints significantly reduced (t(22) = 2,56, p = ,02), while no effect was found on self-worth. A linear regression was used to test psychological complaints as a predictor of the effectiveness regarding self-worth. A trend was found in the positive direction, F(1,15) = 3,60, p = ,08. A higher level of psychological complaints in the pre-test predicts more overall improvement on self-worth. The results need to be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size and the absence of an experimental study design. Nevertheless, the research on the intervention contributes to the limited knowledge on treatment for adolescents with comorbid ASD and GD and shows significant reduction of psychological complaints after participating in the intervention, while taking the needs of adolescents with ASD and GD in regard.Show less
Low quality of life can have an enormous impact on someone’s mental health. It can also withhold people with mental problems to recover. The aim of this study is to investigate the differences in...Show moreLow quality of life can have an enormous impact on someone’s mental health. It can also withhold people with mental problems to recover. The aim of this study is to investigate the differences in social and psychological wellbeing between adolescents with and without selective mutism. Furthermore, the relationship between speaking behavior and the two wellbeing variables are investigated. Twenty-nine adolescents with selective mutism (f = 23, m= 6, mean age = 12,78) and 45 typical developing adolescents (f = 24, m= 21, mean age = 13.31) participated in this study. All the adolescents in the selective mutism group had a parent-reported diagnosis which presence was confirmed with the SMQ. Adolescents who were in (partial) remission were excluded. An online survey was send to the participants to collect the data for this study. The online survey consisted items from original questionnaires and items with questions about background information. Social- and psychological wellbeing is measured with the KIDSSCREEN-52 and speaking behavior is measured using the SMQ. Results showed that adolescents (10 – 18 years old) with selective mutism have lower psychological and social wellbeing than their typically developing peers. Furthermore, the presence of comorbid ASS above a diagnosis of selective mutism has a more negative impact on social wellbeing, but not psychological wellbeing, in comparison to adolescents with a single diagnosis selective mutism. Results have also shown that there is a positive relationship between the amount of difficulties in speaking behavior and social wellbeing but not for psychological wellbeing. These results implicate that adolescents with selective mutism have not only problems with expressing themselves in a verbal way but also experience a lower psychological and social quality of life than their typical developing peers. National Mental Health services should therefore not only pay attention to reducing the anxious behavior itself, but also look for ways to improve the psychological and social wellbeing of adolescents with selective mutism.Show less
