Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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Objective: The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) is the gold standard to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although the CAPS-5 was developed and validated in Western...Show moreObjective: The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) is the gold standard to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although the CAPS-5 was developed and validated in Western populations, many clinicians and researchers also use it to assess PTSD in non-Western refugee populations. In this study we investigated whether PTSD as assessed with the CAPS-5 has the same structure and meaning across trauma-exposed, treatment-seeking individuals with either a Dutch (i.e. Western) background or a non-Western refugee background. Method: We evaluated commonly accepted DSM-5 PTSD factor models and tested different levels of measurement invariance (configural and scalar invariance) in a clinical sample of non-Western refugee patients (N = 710) and Dutch patients (N = 1162) suffering from prolonged complaints of psychotrauma, using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Results: CFAs showed that the Hybrid model of PTSD fit the data best in the Dutch and non-Western refugee subsample, as well as in the combined sample, indicating that configural invariance was met. The model representing scalar invariance showed a worse fit compared to the model representing configural invariance, indicating that factor loadings and/or symptom severity differed between the subsamples. Further investigation showed that this result could mainly be attributed to non-Western refugee patients often manifesting higher scores on the CAPS-5 items than Dutch patients. Conclusions: Non-Western refugee patients showed a similar structure of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms as Dutch patients. Furthermore, the relative contribution of the majority of symptoms to its belonging symptom cluster was similar between non-Western refugee patients and Dutch patients. This meant that both groups understood these symptoms in the same way. However, non-Western refugee patients often manifested a higher symptom severity than Dutch patients.Show less
This study has investigated the (possibly) mediating role of stress in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and quality of life (QoL) in adolescents with substance use...Show moreThis study has investigated the (possibly) mediating role of stress in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and quality of life (QoL) in adolescents with substance use disorder (SUD), whilst correcting for the severity of the addiction. Adolescents are vulnerable to developing SUD and as substance misuse has a neurodegenerative effect, it is important to understand the mechanics behind SUD in adolescents. This current study consisted of 334 adolescents with SUD, with the age ranging from 16 to 23 years old. Cannabis was the primary substance for which participants entered treatment (63.5%), followed by alcohol (17.7%) and cocaine (11.1%). The WHODAS-2.0 was used to measure Qo. To measure self-reported stress the DASS-21 was used, whereas hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was used to measure chronic stress. The YIT-Q was used to measure the ACEs and finally, the MATE-Y was used to measure the SUD severity. HCC is a proposed biomarker for chronic stress. As it is relatively new, HCC has not yet been investigated for adolescents with SUD. Two mediations were investigated, one with HCC as variable for stress, and one with self-reported stress. Study findings showed that the relationship between ACEs and QoL was fully mediated by self-reported stress, whereas no mediation was found for HCC. This indicates a difference in HCC and self-reports as a measure of stress and highlights the importance for continued research into HCC as biomarker for chronic stress. A recommendation for future research is to further investigate the usability of HCC as a biomarker for chronic stress, for example by continuing investigating HCC in adolescents with SUD, as current study was the first to do so. Additionally, it is recommended to repeat the mediation analysis in a broader population to investigate whether HCC does have a mediating role in other populations.Show less
This study aims to investigate whether parental sensitivity is related to the level of correspondence within parent-child dyads in terms of the strategies that they use while monitoring animations...Show moreThis study aims to investigate whether parental sensitivity is related to the level of correspondence within parent-child dyads in terms of the strategies that they use while monitoring animations of social interactions. Higher levels of synchrony, or the level of correspondence in behavior between parents and their children, is related to better social and emotional developmental outcomes for the children. In total, 69 parents and their 12-months-old baby’s participated in an eye-tracking study, in which an animation was shown that depicted a situation, wherein a “baby figure” shows distress after it is separated from a “parent figure”. This so-called separation segment of the animation was followed by the so-called response segment, wherein either a reunion or further separation of the two characters was shown. Both the parental sensitivity during free-play and the relative fixation duration to the “parent figure” in regards to the “baby figure” were measured. Within this study, no relationship between parental sensitivity and the level of correspondence in monitoring strategies has been found. Moreover, there was no proof for the statement that overall the monitoring strategies of parents and their children correspond with each other while watching animations that depict a social interaction. The baby’s tend to look more at the “parent figure” than their parents do. The focus on the “parent figure” increased from the separation segment to the response segment, for both the parents and their baby’s, although this increase in fixation is bigger for the parents than for their baby’s. These results imply that further research into the possible precursors or influences on the correspondence of behaviors within parent-child dyads is necessary.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
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Both youth with a substance use disorder (SUD) and youth who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) show heightened vulnerability to psychopathology. We aimed to quantify the risk of...Show moreBoth youth with a substance use disorder (SUD) and youth who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) show heightened vulnerability to psychopathology. We aimed to quantify the risk of comorbid disorders in SUD youth with ACE-history. Additionally, we aimed to examine relations between ACEs, overall household experience, and general distress. We used cross-sectional YIT-study data from interviews with Dutch youth (aged 16-22) upon SUD treatment entry for cannabis, alcohol, or stimulant use. We measured ACE-types experienced up until 15 years of age, past-year DSM-5 disorders, general distress (DASS-21), and overall household experience rating. Logistic regressions quantified relations between ACE sum score and anxiety, depressive, behavior, and any disorder. Higher ACE sum scores related to increased risks for a(n) anxiety (OR = 1.12, highest odds = 2.84; χ2(1) = 6.71, p < .010; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.2), depressive (OR = 1.21, highest odds = 5.43; χ2(1) = 18.11, p < .001; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.6), behavior (OR = 1.20, highest odds = 5.24; χ2(1) = 17.41, p < .001; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.6), and any (OR = 1.25, highest odds = 7.58; χ2(1) = 17.26, p < .001; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.7) disorder. Exploratory analyses revealed that frequency of parental fighting, being hit/abused, getting belittled, emotional neglect, physical neglect, insufficient household income, long parental sickness, and overall household experience positively related to DASS-21. In a hierarchical regression analysis with all ACEs and overall household experience, only emotional neglect related to DASS-21 (B = 3.68, t(373) = 2.41, p = .017). Overall household experience did not improve the model (F(12) = 3.51, p < .001; R2change < .001). In hierarchical regression analyses containing ACE sum score and overall household experience, overall household experience was not uniquely related to DASS-21 (t = -0.22, p = .824; R2change < .01). In conclusion, ACEs relate to comorbid disorders in SUD youth. Our exploratory research suggests that ACE frequency might influence this relation, while overall household experience does not further explain this relation. Further research should investigate which ACE measures (a.o., type, frequency) strongly relate to SUDs and psychopathology and examine improved treatment options.Show less
Tien procent van de bevolking van 16 jaar en ouder meldt in de afgelopen vijf jaar slachtoffer te zijn geweest van een of meerdere vormen van dwingende controle als vorm van huiselijk geweld (CBS,...Show moreTien procent van de bevolking van 16 jaar en ouder meldt in de afgelopen vijf jaar slachtoffer te zijn geweest van een of meerdere vormen van dwingende controle als vorm van huiselijk geweld (CBS, 2023). Het is een vorm van huiselijk geweld waar nog relatief weinig over bekend is. Daarom is de organisatie Enver bezig met het opstellen van een nieuw protocol voor het werken met deze problematiek. In dit adviesrapport staat beschreven wat de kennis over dwingende controle is binnen Enver en wat de behoeften zijn van medewerkers in het verbeteren van de kennis en de aanpak. Hierbij is gezocht in reeds bestaande literatuur naar de definitie, de mogelijke gevolgen en waarop gelet moet worden bij het signaleren van dwingende controle. Daarnaast is onderzocht welke kennis de medewerkers van Enver al hebben en waar eventuele behoeften liggen, door middel van een vragenlijst die is verspreid onder de medewerkers van Enver. Uit de resultaten van de literatuur komt naar voren dat er verschillende definities worden gehanteerd voor dwingende controle. De definitie van Stark (2007) is het meest passend. Hierin definieert Stark dwingende controle als een strategische reeks onderdrukkend gedrag die verder gaat dan fysiek geweld. Daarnaast zijn in het literatuuronderzoek ook resultaten gevonden over de signalering van dwingende controle. Hieruit is een helder dader- en slachtoffer profiel naar voren gekomen. Verder blijkt in de literatuur geen consensus te zijn over concrete richtlijnen van signalering van dwingende controle. Wel zijn twee recente gidsen (Instrumenten Voor Opsporing van Dwingende Controle, z.d.), een gespreksinstrument (DASH; Myhill & Hohl, 2019) en een training voor professionals gevonden (Geweldspatroon van Dwingende Controle in (Ex-)Partnerrelaties - het Verschil Tussen Wat Er Gebeurt op het Toneel en in de Coulissen | RINO Groep Utrecht, z.d). Als laatste is uit de literatuur gebleken dat er verschillende negatieve gevolgen zijn op persoonlijke en relationele vlakken voor partners. Ook kunnen er gevolgen zijn voor een kind. Uit het empirisch onderzoek blijkt dat, als er gekeken wordt naar de afdelingen, ‘gedragswetenschappers’ de hoogste score behalen en deze significant hoger scoren dan de ‘jeugdhulpverleners’. Verder is naar voren gekomen dat op het cluster gevolgen beter wordt gescoord dan op de clusters signaleren en gedragskenmerken. Wat betreft de behoeften blijkt dat medewerkers behoefte hebben aan duidelijke richtlijnen binnen de organisatie over hoe te handelen in het geval van dwingende controle. Het advies voor Enver is om richtlijnen op te stellen voor gepaste hulpverlening na signalering van dwingende controle en eventuele bijscholing voor afdelingen te overwegen.Show less
Verbal information transmission has been proposed as one of the most influential fear learning pathways in the acquisition of social fears among children. Empirical studies have demonstrated that...Show moreVerbal information transmission has been proposed as one of the most influential fear learning pathways in the acquisition of social fears among children. Empirical studies have demonstrated that the content of parental verbal information regarding social situations plays a crucial role in shaping children’s development of social fear. Specifically, verbal threat (versus safety) information by the parent regarding novel stimuli significantly influenced children’s reported fear of the social scenario. The current study aims to further investigate whether such verbal threat and safety messages affect children's reported fear in social situations. Additionally, the study explores the potential moderating influence of parental social anxiety on this relationship, as evidence suggests that socially anxious parents convey more negative information regarding novel stimuli, thereby amplifying children's fear beliefs. A total of 69 children (mean age = 11.92 years; 38 girls) received standardized threat and safety information regarding a stranger from their primary caregivers. Subsequently, children engaged in three social tasks with each stranger and reported their fear beliefs about the stranger at the end of the social tasks. Results indicate significantly higher fear beliefs among children who received threat information compared to safety information regarding the stranger. However, parental social anxiety did not moderate the effects of negative verbal information on children’s reported fear beliefs. These findings underscore the role of negative verbal information transmission in children's acquisition of social fears while highlighting the complexity of factors within social anxiety that could contribute to the intergenerational transmission of these fears.Show less
Mensen worden zich steeds bewuster van de potentie van ademhalingsoefeningen. Uit voorgaande onderzoeken blijken deze oefeningen zelfs de hartslagvariabiliteit te verhogen. Dit wijst op de...Show moreMensen worden zich steeds bewuster van de potentie van ademhalingsoefeningen. Uit voorgaande onderzoeken blijken deze oefeningen zelfs de hartslagvariabiliteit te verhogen. Dit wijst op de activatie van het parasympathische zenuwstelsel. Ademhalingsoefeningen blijken vooral effectief te zijn bij onder andere angststoornissen. Bij deze stoornissen ligt de hartslagvariabiliteit gemiddeld hoger dan in de gezonde populatie. Een groot deel van de mensen met een angststoornis zoekt geen hulp omdat ze een hoge mate van angst ervaren bij sociaal contact. Vooral jongeren blijken hier last van te hebben. Om toch deze groep te helpen, kunnen er behandelingstechnieken worden ingezet waarbij er geen sociaal contact nodig is. In deze studie is er onderzoek gedaan naar het effect van de ademhalingstechniek ‘slow breathing’ bij jongeren met sociale angst. Dit is onderzocht bij een subklinische populatie om te kijken of de ademhalingstechniek ook bij deze groep effectief is. De meeste onderzoeken zijn namelijk uitgevoerd bij de gezonde of klinische populatie. Om te kijken of de ademhalingsoefening effectief is, is tijdens een sociaal stressvolle taak de hartslagvariabiliteit gemeten. Uit de resultaten is gebleken dat slow breathing significant de hartslagvariabiliteit van de interventiegroep verlaagt. Ook is er een significant verschil gevonden in de hartslagvariabiliteit tussen de interventie- en controlegroep na het uitvoeren van de oefening. De ademhalingstechniek is dus effectief bij het op de korte termijn verlagen van de hartslagvariabiliteit bij jongeren met sociale angst. In vervolgonderzoek is het interessant om te kijken naar het langetermijn effect van de slow breathing oefening.Show less
The prevalence of overweight children in the Netherlands poses a threat to both mental and physical health. While genetic factors are important, the environment, particularly parental influence,...Show moreThe prevalence of overweight children in the Netherlands poses a threat to both mental and physical health. While genetic factors are important, the environment, particularly parental influence, also plays a significant role in the development of childhood overweight, as children of overweight parents are more often overweight. Parents pass on their genetic predispositions but also their learned eating behaviors to their children. This thesis explores how three different parental feeding styles moderate the intergenerational transmission of BMI between mothers and children: Restriction, Pressure to Eat, and Responsiveness to Child Fullness Cues. Participants were recruited through the Baby's First Bites project and were visited repeatedly at home. This study included 205 mother-child dyads, and children were assessed aged 36 months. Responsiveness to Child Fullness Cues and Pressure to Eat were assessed through observations, while Restriction was measured using the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire. Both mothers and children were weighed at home and their BMIs were calculated using their height and age. The moderation analysis revealed a significant relationship between maternal and child BMI. Pressure to Eat acted as a negative moderator, with high levels of Pressure to Eat weakening the BMI relation between mothers and children. When analyzing the effect of gender, the full model was not significant for boys. However, for girls, Pressure to Eat remained a significant negative moderator, with high levels of Pressure to Eat weakening the BMI relation between mothers and children . These findings suggest that maternal BMI is a significant predictor of BMI in 36-month-old girls but not in boys, and that maternal Pressure to Eat moderates this relation. Intervention programs should consider these gender differences. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of this study, causal relationships cannot be inferred.Show less
Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health disorders among children and adolescents, significantly impacting various aspects of their lives. Preventative measures are crucial in...Show moreAnxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health disorders among children and adolescents, significantly impacting various aspects of their lives. Preventative measures are crucial in reducing these disorders' incidence and negative outcomes. However, preliminary research on the mechanisms behind anxiety prevention programs is limited. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate a program designed to prevent anxiety development by targeting parents of behaviorally inhibited children, as they are at risk for anxiety. The research question was: What is the moderating effect of the gender of the child and the age of the parent in the mediating relationship of parental anxiety on the effectiveness of the Cool Little Kids (CLK) intervention on child anxiety post-intervention, compared to pre-intervention? A total of 76 parents and their inhibited children aged three to six years were included in this study. The study employed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to assign them to either the CLK parenting training or a book with general parenting tips. Child anxiety was measured using a condensed version of the Diagnostic Infant and Preschool Assessment (DIPA) interview administered to the parent, and parental anxiety was assessed using the State-Trate Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire. A moderated mediation analysis was conducted for separation anxiety, specific phobias, and social anxiety using the PROCESS plug-in for SPSS. The findings indicated that none of the moderated mediation models nor the individual pathways were significant. All hypotheses were rejected. No significant difference in child anxiety was found pre- to post-intervention in both the CLK intervention and active control condition, and parental anxiety does not mediate this relationship. Child gender and parental age did not significantly moderate the link between child and parental anxiety. Despite excelling in among others its preventive system-oriented approach and credibility, this study has several limitations that warrant further research to firmly conclude the role of parental anxiety in CLK’s effectiveness on child anxiety. Recommendations include employing a larger and more diverse sample and experimenting with different scoring methods for the DIPA interview.Show less
Background. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is high in patients with depression or anxiety, which might explain the higher risk of cardiovascular mortality in this population. Symptoms of...Show moreBackground. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is high in patients with depression or anxiety, which might explain the higher risk of cardiovascular mortality in this population. Symptoms of affective disorders can lead to changes in eating behaviors. However, poor diet quality seems implicated in underlying pathology of behavioral health disorders and could be a risk factor for developing depression and anxiety disorders. Objective. We aim to investigate the association between diet quality and metabolic syndrome in participants with and without anxiety and depressive disorders. Psychotropic medication, symptom severity, and lifestyle factors (i.e. physical activity, smoking, and alcohol use) are investigated as potential moderators. Methods. In the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), the Mediterranean diet, the metabolic syndrome, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, severity of symptoms, and medication were assessed among participants with depressive (n = 110), anxiety (n = 149), remitted disorders (n = 761), comorbid disorders (n = 110), and healthy controls (n = 295), in a cross-sectional design. Follow-up data from NESDA wave six is used, nine years after baseline measurement. Results. Participants (n = 1425) were on average 52.4 years old (SD = 13.13) of which 65.2% female. The association between diet quality and metabolic syndrome was the strongest for individuals with current depression (β = -.23 (CI: -.42 ; -.08); t = -2.87; p = .005), comorbid disorders (β = -.20 (CI: -.36 ; -.02); t = -2.22; p = .029), and remitted disorders (β = -.12 (CI: -.19 ; -.06); t = -3.85; p < .001). The association between diet quality and metabolic syndrome was not moderated by medication, symptom severity and lifestyle factors. Limitations. Results cannot be generalized to other cultures and the use of self-report scales could lead to a misclassification bias. Due to the cross-sectional design, it is impossible to provide evidence for temporal or causal relations. Conclusion. Low adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a high score on metabolic syndrome for patients experiencing depression, comorbid depression and anxiety or remitted depression or anxiety. This association is not moderated by medication, symptom severity and lifestyle factors.Show less
Background. Research shows mixed results regarding executive functioning (EF) deficiencies in adolescent Anorexia Nervosa (AN), contrasting with established EF impairments in adult AN patients....Show moreBackground. Research shows mixed results regarding executive functioning (EF) deficiencies in adolescent Anorexia Nervosa (AN), contrasting with established EF impairments in adult AN patients. This study aimed to assess EF and its association with Body Mass Index (BMI) in adolescent girls with first-onset AN. Method. 79 AN patients were compared to 75 matched healthy controls (HC), all females aged 12-22. EF was assessed using the Central Coherence Index (CCI) of the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF). Standardized BMI scores (BMI-SDS) were used to determine the influence of BMI on EF. Measurements were taken at baseline (T1) and one-year follow-up (T2). Results. Total EF scores showed no differences between AN and HC at baseline or follow-up. Compared to HC, AN patients had significantly worse scores on the BRIEF subscales Flexibility (p < .001; p < .001), Emotion Regulation (p < .001; p = .006), and Initiative (p < .001; p = .006), and significantly better scores on Orderliness and Neatness (p = .002; p < .001). P-values represent T1 and T2 respectively. At baseline, AN patients scored significantly higher on the RCFT CCI (p = .009). There was no significant relation between BMI-SDS and EF. Conclusions. Compared to HC, AN patients had normal EF scores with mild weaknesses in set- shifting, emotion regulation, and initiating skills, and strengths in orderliness and neatness. Changes in EF were unaffected by BMI-SDS. This study enhances understanding of EF in adolescent AN patients, which can aid the development of treatment programs.Show less
Een setback is een tijdelijke terugval bij het streven naar een gedragsdoel. Onderzoek heeft aangetoond dat mensen regelmatig niet optimaal reageren op een terugval. Ondanks veel studies naar self...Show moreEen setback is een tijdelijke terugval bij het streven naar een gedragsdoel. Onderzoek heeft aangetoond dat mensen regelmatig niet optimaal reageren op een terugval. Ondanks veel studies naar self-efficacy en doeloriëntaties bij setbacks, ontbreekt het begrip van hoe deze factoren elkaar beïnvloeden in het specifieke geval van de drie deelconstructen van self-efficacy: taak self-efficacy, onderhoud self-efficacy en herstel self-efficacy. Dit onderzoek onderzocht de invloed van approach- en avoidance-doelen op deze deelconstructen bij mensen die een setback hebben ervaren. Met behulp van een online vragenlijst over gedragsdoelen op het gebied van voeding, alcohol, nicotine, fysieke activiteit, schermtijd, gelduitgave en tijd voor hobby’s of ontspanning, zijn de participanten gevraagd naar hun gedragsdoelen en de setbacks die zij hebben ervaren. De respondenten (N=152) waren tussen de 17-30 jaar en streefden minstens een van deze gedragsdoelen na. Drie afzonderlijke t-testen vergeleken de deelconstructen van self-efficacy tussen approach- en avoidance-doelen. Resultaten toonden aan dat deelnemers met een approach-doel een hogere taak en onderhoud self-efficacy hadden na een setback dan degenen met een avoidance-doel. Herstel self-efficacy werd niet beïnvloed door doeloriëntatie en had een lagere correlatie met taak en onderhoud self-efficacy. De relatie tussen doeloriëntatie en de deelconstructen van self-efficacy bleek daarmee niet eenduidig. Mogelijke verklaringen voor deze bevindingen kunnen liggen bij individuele verschillen en andere psychologische mechanismen die niet zijn onderzocht in deze studie. Deze bevindingen kunnen worden gebruikt voor het ontwikkelen van effectievere interventies. Daarnaast benadrukken deze bevindingen het belang van verder onderzoek naar de afzonderlijke deelconstructen van self-efficacy en hun relatie bij setbacks.Show less
While social media has emerged as one of the primary sources for accessing information over the past decade, this has had the consequence of easily spreading misinformation, including conspiracy...Show moreWhile social media has emerged as one of the primary sources for accessing information over the past decade, this has had the consequence of easily spreading misinformation, including conspiracy theories. This study investigates whether experts are more credible than non-experts in debunking conspiracy theories and whether the use of a warm communication style is more credible in debunking conspiracy theories than the use of a communication style without warmth. Additionally, it investigates the correlation between narcissistic traits in individuals and their susceptibility to conspiracy beliefs. A 2x2 within-subject design was used to research 179 participants who were exposed to a refutation of a conspiracy theory by either experts or non-experts, using either warm communication or communication without warmth. Results show that expertise significantly influences the effectiveness of debunking conspiracy theories. In contrast to our expectations, warmth does not influence this effectiveness. Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between narcissistic traits and general belief in conspiracy theories. These results emphasize the importance of expertise, communication style and personality traits in counteracting the spread of misinformation. Future research could explore the impact of different types of expertise and develop strategies to reduce susceptibility to conspiracy theories among individuals with high levels of narcissistic traits.Show less
Empathizing involves the understanding and responding to an individuals’ emotions, while systemizing refers to the understanding and the ability to predict systems. The topics of empathizing and...Show moreEmpathizing involves the understanding and responding to an individuals’ emotions, while systemizing refers to the understanding and the ability to predict systems. The topics of empathizing and systemizing have been studied in children and adults. However, as far as we are aware, no research has investigated these constructs in adolescence, whereas there is a lot of development that takes place during this period. Earlier studies found gender differences in systemizing and empathizing, with males scoring significantly higher on systemizing, while females scored significantly higher on empathizing. This study examined the current gap in research, by examining the relationship between empathizing and systemizing in adolescence and possible gender differences. We did this by estimating network models with partial correlations (Gaussian graphical model) and calculating bridge centrality which identified nodes. These nodes acted as important bridges between one or more communities (e.g., the relationship between understanding of empathizing and motoric systemizing), for both male and female participants. We utilized data from the empathizing and systemizing questionnaire in 6,644 adolescents (2574 males and 4070 females, aged 13-24 years old), which we obtained from the Open-Source Psychometrics Project. We found gender differences in the relationships between empathizing and systemizing nodes in the male and female networks. For instance, in the female network, a correlation was found between the subconstructs feeling of empathizing and natural systems, while in the male network no correlation was found between the two. Moreover, understanding of others’ feelings showed to be highly correlated with all subconstructs of systemizing in all three networks but was not correlated with other subconstructs of empathizing. This study provided a foundation for further exploration of how the constructs of empathizing and systemizing are related and could be used to help guide the design of gender-specific interventions aimed at enhancing both empathizing and systemizing skills in adolescence.Show less
This study examined the relationship between internalizing problem behavior and parental skills in children with sex chromosome trisomy (SCT). Focusing on children aged 1 to 7 years, it compared...Show moreThis study examined the relationship between internalizing problem behavior and parental skills in children with sex chromosome trisomy (SCT). Focusing on children aged 1 to 7 years, it compared them with typically developing peers. The hypothesis that children with SCT exhibit more internalizing problem behavior was confirmed; they scored significantly higher on anxious and withdrawn behavior. No significant difference was found in parental skills between parents of children with SCT and those of the control group, suggesting interventions for internalizing problem behavior may be universally applicable. Results indicate that only parental positive affect was significantly associated with internalizing problem behavior in children with SCT. This finding suggests that parents of children who exhibit a relatively high degree of internalizing problem behavior, may display more positive affect as an adaptive response to their children’s needs. No other parental skills were found to significantly contribute to the explanation of internalizing behavior. Factors other than parental skills, such as biological, psychological or environmental factors, may have a greater impact on the development of internalizing behavior in children with SCT. The study is limited by its cross-sectional nature and the selectivity of the sample, which may affect the generalizability of the results. Nevertheless, this research provides insight into the parenting skills of parents of children with SCT and offers an initial examination of the relationship between these skills and internalizing behavior in children with SCT. Additionally, it contributes to a better understanding of SCT in young children and underscores the importance of early identification and appropriate interventions to prevent more severe internalizing problems later in life.Show less
