Background: The intricate interplay of social factors (loneliness, the need to belong, social connectiveness), and maladaptive eating patterns is still not entirely understood. Reduced social...Show moreBackground: The intricate interplay of social factors (loneliness, the need to belong, social connectiveness), and maladaptive eating patterns is still not entirely understood. Reduced social connectiveness may contribute to a greater prevalence of maladaptive eating patterns, especially in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The current study aimed to explore these associations. Methods: In the current study N=62 women with BPD and N=47 healthy women completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Need to Belong Scale, the revised Social Connectedness scale, and supplemental items of the Borderline Symptom List 23. Linear regression, group comparisons, and moderation analyses were performed to test within- and between-group associations. Results: The results revealed a significant positive association between loneliness as well as need to belong and maladaptive eating patterns. Conversely, a significant negative relationship emerged between social connectiveness and maladaptive eating patterns. Patients with BPD reported more loneliness, need to belong, and more maladaptive eating, while experiencing less social connectedness. At the same time, these associations were not significantly stronger in the BPD group than in the healthy group. Conclusion: These findings underscore that, in the whole group, experiences of loneliness, a heightened need to belong, and lower social connectiveness are linked to increased instances of maladaptive eating patterns. While social factors play a significant role in maladaptive eating patterns, the presence of BPD may not substantially alter these associations. More research including larger samples and prospective studies are needed in order to further clarify and understand the role of BPD in this context.Show less
Previous studies on uncertainty have acknowledged the efficacy of job control as a way to cope and enhance job satisfaction, although the literature using intolerance of uncertainty remains...Show morePrevious studies on uncertainty have acknowledged the efficacy of job control as a way to cope and enhance job satisfaction, although the literature using intolerance of uncertainty remains relatively scarce. Our study aimed to address this gap by investigating the mediating role of job control in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and job satisfaction. The proposed hypotheses were that (i) there would be a statistically significant negative association between intolerance of uncertainty and job satisfaction and that (ii) the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and job satisfaction would be mediated by job control. The study was carried out on a sample of 109 adults, working in the Netherlands. Mediation analysis using PROCESS Procedure by Andrew Hayes was used. Contrary to expectations, hypotheses were not supported. A positive significant relationship was found between job control and job satisfaction. Results and implications of the study have been discussed.Show less
To understand how someone feels when they're bullied at work and no one steps in to help, we looked at what victims think, how they feel, and what they need most during bullying at work. We thought...Show moreTo understand how someone feels when they're bullied at work and no one steps in to help, we looked at what victims think, how they feel, and what they need most during bullying at work. We thought that those who didn't get any help would feel more like it’s their own fault, they would feel more down, and would have a stronger desire to fit in the group, to have control over the situation, to feel like their life has a purpose and to feel good about oneself. We asked 163 victims about their experiences through an online survey on Qualtrics. The independent sample t test showed that victims of workspace bullying who didn’t get help felt a stronger sense of not fitting in the group and a stronger sense of their life lacking purpose. Whether they got help or not didn't change how much they felt it was their own fault, how much they were feeling down and their need to have control over the situation and need to feel good about oneself. In the discussion we talk about what this means and its importance.Show less
This thesis examines how brain drain can be problematized in light of relational egalitarianism. This approach views the existing economy as that of joint production as it relies heavily on mutual...Show moreThis thesis examines how brain drain can be problematized in light of relational egalitarianism. This approach views the existing economy as that of joint production as it relies heavily on mutual dependency between citizens. Here, it aims to find whether the moral duty citizens hold towards one another can legitimately place restrictions on freedom of movement in the case of brain drain. Through taking relational egalitarianism to its normative furthests, it becomes clear that the right to exit can legitimately be constricted.Show less
Background. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a rare neurogenetic disorder. Little longitudinal research has been conducted on the development of intelligence in children with NF1. The purpose of...Show moreBackground. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a rare neurogenetic disorder. Little longitudinal research has been conducted on the development of intelligence in children with NF1. The purpose of this research was to explore the development of total IQ (TIQ), verbal IQ (VIQ), and performance IQ (PIQ) in children with NF1, as well as to determine whether ADHD can affect this development, expecting TIQ, VIQ, and PIQ to decrease over time. Method. To test these hypotheses, intelligence scores (WPPSI-III) were examined in a sample of children with NF1 (N=171) by comparing 2–4-year-olds (T3) and 5–7-year-olds (T6) in both a longitudinal and cross-sectional design. For the longitudinal study, 40 participants were analysed with paired samples t-tests to examine whether TIQ, VIQ, and PIQ decrease over time. To examine how ADHD influenced intelligence, a multivariable regression was conducted. For the cross-sectional study, 45 children participated in T3 and 86 in T6. Multiple independent samples t-tests were conducted to examine changes in TIQ, VIQ, and PIQ, followed by an analysis that examined whether children with ADHD scored differently than children without ADHD. Results. Results of the longitudinal study revealed a significant increase in TIQ from T3 to T6 (p = .015, d = .36), as well as for VIQ (p = .021, d = .34) and PIQ (p = .020, d = .34). However, no significant effect was found for ADHD. Exploring the cross-sectional hypotheses, no significant change was found in TIQ, VIQ, and PIQ. In addition, ADHD also produced no effect on intelligence in these groups. Conclusion. This study has identified an increase of TIQ, VIQ, and PIQ scores in the longitudinal group. In contrast, the results in the cross-sectional study revealed no change in intelligence scores. These findings challenge the assumption that intelligence either decreases or increases meaning for researchers and clinicians to thoroughly evaluate intelligence scores and carry out diagnosis of ADHD so that guidance and education can be tailored, as children with NF1 remain a vulnerable and diverse group.Show less
This research focused on women and their children who have recently moved in to a women’s shelter after experiencing domestic violence. Women who have suffered domestic violence have a high chance...Show moreThis research focused on women and their children who have recently moved in to a women’s shelter after experiencing domestic violence. Women who have suffered domestic violence have a high chance of developing trauma-related symptoms, which can affect their mental health and parenting skills. Often, these women’s children are at risk of developing externalizing behaviour, which can lead to violent and criminal behaviour in the future. This research aimed to study the relationship between trauma-related symptoms in mothers and externalizing behaviour of their children. The age at which mothers had their first child was used as a moderator. Data was collected within the research project Samen Stap Voor Stap Vooruit, by visiting women in their shelter. There were three visits per participant, each consisting of a set of questionnaires being taken and video recordings being made of the interaction between mother and child. Data from questionnaires of the first visit were used for this paper. After performing regression analyses with trauma-related symptoms and age of first becoming a mother as independent variables and children’s externalizing behaviour as dependent variable, no relation was found between these variables for the total model. However, there was a positive relation between the age at which a mother had her first child and the externalizing behaviour of the participating child. Children of mothers who were older at first conception were more likely to score higher on externalizing behaviour. The idea of social timing can possibly explain this, with older mothers perhaps having a smaller social safety net, more health issues, less energy, or having stayed longer in the abusive relationship. Further research about the possible relation between being a relatively older mother and externalizing problems in the children is encouraged, as current literature about this topic is slim.Show less
The present study aims to investigate the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty at workplace on employee’s intentions of turnover and the effect of perceived organizational support on...Show moreThe present study aims to investigate the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty at workplace on employee’s intentions of turnover and the effect of perceived organizational support on this relationship. The study hypothesizes that employees who are intolerant to uncertainty will report more intentions of turnover. Furthermore, it is also expected that perceived organizational support will moderate this relationship. The hypotheses were investigated on 137 working participants, age ranged from 18 to 64 years old, via online survey. Participants filled out demographics form, intolerance of uncertainty scale, perceived organizational support scale and turnover intention scale. Findings have found no significant support for both hypotheses. However, a significant, negative relationship between perceived organizational support and turnover intention has found, suggesting that when organizational support is perceived high, employees are less intended to turnover.Show less
This study explores whether generating more options influences how satisfied people feel about their decisions, whether they are choosing for themselves or someone else. This is relevant because it...Show moreThis study explores whether generating more options influences how satisfied people feel about their decisions, whether they are choosing for themselves or someone else. This is relevant because it provides insights into the complexity of consumer behavior, where factors such as the variability in the number of alternatives influence this decision-making process and the satisfaction of consumers. Participants were asked to respond to open-ended questions about various real-life situations where a choice had to be made. Subsequently, they selected their preferred option and rated their satisfaction with it. Surprisingly, the results showed no significant differences in satisfaction, regardless of having more or fewer options to choose from. Additionally, the placement of the chosen option in the list of all generated options made also no difference in satisfaction level. Furthermore, participants generated more options for someone else compared to for themselves. However, again in this condition, their satisfaction remained the same.Show less
The selective attention towards specific emotional concerns, such as itch- related stimuli, is referred to as attentional bias (AB). The relationship between AB and itch has been scarcely...Show moreThe selective attention towards specific emotional concerns, such as itch- related stimuli, is referred to as attentional bias (AB). The relationship between AB and itch has been scarcely researched, with contradictory findings among healthy individuals. While some studies report no attentional bias for itch in this population, others establish a relationship. In individuals experiencing chronic itch, findings are more harmonious and indicate a relationship between attentional bias and itch. The influence of negative affect on attention towards itch, regarding itch-related symptoms, remains unclear in the scientific field. In light of these gaps, this study aimed to investigate AB towards itch in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) or psoriasis compared to a healthy control group. We also explored the potential influence of catastrophizing thoughts about itch and the degree of experienced itch on AB towards itch. We conducted an online study, utilising a pictorial dot-probe task to measure attentional bias in a total of 70 participants: half were patients suffering from AD or psoriasis, and the other half were healthy controls. Various measures were employed, including a dot-probe task, a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) to report the current level of itch, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale Adjusted for Itch (PCS-I). In line with the initial hypothesis, the study did reveal the presence of a significant AB towards itch in the patient group, but an absence of one in the control group. Additionally, we found that a higher degree of catastrophizing thoughts about itch and experienced itch did not predict AB towards itch in either group, which contradicted the initial hypothesis. Implications of this study suggest the need for further exploration into the influence of beliefs, expectancies, and stigmatisation on AB towards itch in patients suffering from AD or psoriasis. Moreover, in addition to physiological treatment, mindfulness cognitive therapy could be effective to target AB in individuals suffering from chronic itch. In conclusion, although the study did not yield all the anticipated results, it contributes valuable information to future research on the topic.Show less
Several studies have revealed that parents play a crucial role in shaping their children’s early emotional development and regulation. However, research on emotion regulation in adolescents and how...Show moreSeveral studies have revealed that parents play a crucial role in shaping their children’s early emotional development and regulation. However, research on emotion regulation in adolescents and how peer victimization experiences affect it have been scarce on that field. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate if the effect of parent-child relationship quality on emotion regulation strategies was different in different levels of peer victimization exposure. A total of 87 students from two secondary Dutch schools, aged between 13-16 years old, participated in the study. Data about their peer victimization history, tendencies to regulate their emotions and the way they assessed their relationship with their primary caregivers were collected through self-report measures. The findings revealed that peer victimization effectively moderated the relationship between negative parent-child relationship quality and expressive suppression. Specifically, the effect of negative parent-child relationship quality on expressive suppression use was stronger for adolescents who experienced lower levels of peer victimization. A main effect of positive relationship quality on habitual use of cognitive reappraisal was also recognized. These results suggest that in general parent child relationship quality plays a significant role in the regulation of emotions in middle adolescence, whether peer victimization is involved or not. The limitations of the current study highlighted the need for further investigation with a longitudinal study design and heterogenous sample to examine how emotion regulation strategies and parent-child relationship are affected across the developmental period of adolescence and across different ethnicities.Show less
Financial scarcity is known to negatively affect well-being of young adults, leading to heightened stress and uncertainty about their financial future. Despite the availability of numerous debt...Show moreFinancial scarcity is known to negatively affect well-being of young adults, leading to heightened stress and uncertainty about their financial future. Despite the availability of numerous debt relief and financial counselling programs, too little use is being made of this offered assistance. The reluctance to accept help may be influenced by a strong desire for autonomy. This study aimed to assess the association between the implicit need for autonomy and the willingness to accept help in young adults experiencing financial scarcity. Participants completed a survey that included a modernized Picture Story Exercise and a self-report questionnaire on help acceptance. Results from a multivariate regression analysis gave a marginally significant result showing that a higher implicit need for autonomy was associated with a slightly higher likelihood of help acceptance behavior, and with a more negative emotional attitude towards accepting help. Exploratory analyses highlighted that negative feelings about financial debt were a stronger predictor of help acceptance. These results underscore the importance of considering autonomy and debt-related feelings in improving interventions for young adults facing financial scarcity.Show less
Humor is a pleasant and universal yet still not fully understood human experience. A growing body of literature proposes potential anxiety alleviating effects of humor but thus far has been...Show moreHumor is a pleasant and universal yet still not fully understood human experience. A growing body of literature proposes potential anxiety alleviating effects of humor but thus far has been inconclusive and methodologically lacking. With the world’s population getting older and a concerning number of older adults having anxiety-related complaints, we set out to rigorously test this hypothesis using a prospective longitudinal design. We investigated whether humor influences anxiety following adverse life events in older adults. We analyzed data of 1589 participants collected over three measurement points three years apart using a Multilevel Linear Mixed model. Scores on anxiety, humor and negative life events questionnaires were compared. Contrary to the proposed hypothesis, we did not demonstrate humor affect anxiety following adverse life events. Stress-buffering effect of humor is hence yet to be conclusively proven. Study limitations and future directions were discussed.Show less
Disordered eating is a predictor of clinical eating disorders, which have an increasing prevalence nowadays. Thus, it is important to understand risk and protective factors for the prevention of...Show moreDisordered eating is a predictor of clinical eating disorders, which have an increasing prevalence nowadays. Thus, it is important to understand risk and protective factors for the prevention of disordered eating. It has been shown that sex hormones affect eating behaviour, but research on how eating behaviour may be affected by hormonal contraceptives is scarce. However, self-esteem has been shown to be one of the main predictors or disordered eating in several studies. The association between hormonal contraception and self-esteem is less understood. The hypothesis of the study is that hormonal contraception is positively related to disordered eating and possibly mediated/moderated by self-esteem. To test this, a sample of 760 female participants filled out the Rosenberg Self-Esteem questionnaire, SCOFF and answered questions regarding their contraceptive use. A mediation analysis found out that there is no direct relationship, but a mediated one. In a moderation analysis a significant interaction between hormonal contraception and self-esteem has been found. This suggests that people taking hormonal contraceptives and having lower levels of self-esteem are potentially at a higher risk of developing disordered eating. Future research should focus on examining the different types of hormonal contraceptives and exogenous sex hormones, since this study was not able to make a differentiation.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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Poverty in the UK has increased, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic. To prevent people from falling into a poverty trap, it is important to understand how financial scarcity affects financial...Show morePoverty in the UK has increased, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic. To prevent people from falling into a poverty trap, it is important to understand how financial scarcity affects financial decisions involving risks. This topic lacks consensus in the literature with some authors arguing for a tendency towards more risk-taking, while others arguing for more risk aversion. This study posits that the risk tendency is influenced by frames of gains and losses. More specifically, financial scarcity leads to more risky choices in the domain of losses (H1), whereas it leads to less risky choices in the domain of gains (H2). People in financial scarcity tend to experience negative affect that impacts their cognitive systems, leading to more reliance on System 1 thinking, which exacerbates biases, such as the reflection effect. To test the hypotheses an online survey was conducted and 200 participants from the UK were recruited via Prolific Academic. The participants were divided into two groups for the manipulation of financial scarcity using the household task. Half of the participants were in the debts condition (financial scarcity), whereas the other half were not (control). Subsequently, all participants were presented with six risky choices, where they had to choose one of two options (one risky, the other conservative) framed in both gains and losses and three combinations of probabilities. Results from a Generalized Mixed Model showed that the cognitive bias associated with the reflection effect was found to be equally present in everyone and was more pronounced for more extreme probabilities (e.g., 10%/90% and 20%/80%), but not for moderate probabilities (e.g., 40%/60%). Thus, the expected interaction between debts and frames was not confirmed. It is suggested that future studies use an intuitive decision-making manipulation with more extreme probabilities (e.g., 1%/99%), consider a field risk manipulation, an incentivized lottery and the same expected value within and between probabilities at the lottery.Show less
Theories of cooperation and competition focus on actions that explain how people behave and make choices in social interactions. Nevertheless, what might influence an individual's decision to...Show moreTheories of cooperation and competition focus on actions that explain how people behave and make choices in social interactions. Nevertheless, what might influence an individual's decision to cooperate or compete? The Maximizers and Satisficers theory contribute to this domain by highlighting the impact of different decision-making strategies. Maximizers strive for the best possible choice, meticulously exploring all options and information to attain optimal results. In contrast, satisficers seek satisfactory, "good enough" choices without pursuing the absolute best outcome. We developed an innovative economic game to investigate the relationship between individuals with higher maximization tendencies. Unlike traditional models focusing solely on cooperation or competition, the co-peace game allows participants to engage in cooperation and competition simultaneously and introduces a unique option: peace. With 198 participants, the study revealed no significant results in competition, cooperation, and peace between those with higher and lower maximization tendencies. This outcome emphasizes the complexity of social behavior, suggesting that various motivations influence decisions beyond maximization tendencies.Show less
Background: With the introduction of the Care Product Model (in Dutch the Zorg Prestatie Model), the Dutch mental health sector has adopted the Health of the Nations Outcome Scales+ (HoNOS+) for...Show moreBackground: With the introduction of the Care Product Model (in Dutch the Zorg Prestatie Model), the Dutch mental health sector has adopted the Health of the Nations Outcome Scales+ (HoNOS+) for determining the so-called care demand type (in Dutch ZorgVraagTypering). This care demand type is intended to reflect the care a patient requires at the time of admission. The final care demand type is determined by the clinical practitioner’s judgement. To date, limited research has been conducted on the accuracy of the HoNOS+ and its contribution to mental health care optimisation. The current study examined whether the care demand type assigned according to the HoNOS+ aligns with the care demand type assigned by the clinical practitioner. Additionally, the study explored features of discrepant cases and whether the Outcome Questionnaire-Symptomatic Distress subscale (OQ-SD) could enhance the predictive value of the HoNOS+ for the clinical judgement. Method: For this study, data was collected at PuntP, a clinic for clients with common mental disorders. For each participant a HoNOS+ score and a clinical evaluation of the care demand type was available. For the majority of cases, also an OQ-SD score had been obtained. Results: The main findings indicated a high agreement between the HoNOS+ recommendation and the clinical practitioner’s decision of the care demand type. An exploratory analysis revealed no factors that were related to discrepancy between the HoNOS+ recommendation and the clinical judgement. Adding the OQ-SD has provided additional predictive value over the HoNOS+. Discussion: Although, the results on this study are promising about the use of the HoNOS+ in Dutch mental health care, there are a number of limitations to consider. The value or validity of the Care Demand Type in the Dutch Care Product Model is mainly determined by how accurately it predicts the care that is actually provided. Further and more extensive research is needed on whether the Care Demand Type also corresponds to the care provided.Show less
Aim. The aim of this research was to contribute to the necessary knowledge for preventive action in reducing the development of aggressive behavior. Currently, many trainings and interventions...Show moreAim. The aim of this research was to contribute to the necessary knowledge for preventive action in reducing the development of aggressive behavior. Currently, many trainings and interventions focus on dealing with aggressive behavior reactively. The literature discusses the origin of aggressive behavior and how it can be influenced by both biological and environmental factors. Increased insight into these factors might also allow for more preventive action. However, little is known about the risk factors that can influence the development of aggressive behavior, even though this knowledge is crucial for recognizing these signs and taking. Design. The data for this quantitative study comes from the Mother-Infant Neurodevelopment Study (MINDS). For the current study, 253 mother-child pairs participated. The participants completed several questionnaires for this study: the Cardiff Infant Contentiousness Scale (CICS), the Self-efficacy in the Nurturing Role Scale (SENR), and the Physical Aggression Scale for Early Childhood (PASEC). The questionnaires were about the precursors of aggressive behavior in the child, the mother's sense of parental competence, and the expression of aggressive behavior. Findings. To examine these factors, a multiple regression with interaction effects was conducted. Both the interaction effect and the individual factors were analyzed. It was found that there is no significant interaction effect. However, both the early signs of aggression and the sense of parental competence proved to be significant predictors separately for the development of aggressive behavior in the child. This suggests that if a child exhibits more early signs of aggressive behavior at a younger age (6 months old), the child is more likely to develop aggressive behavior at a later age (12 months). Additionally, this means that if a mother experiences a lower sense of parental competence when the child is younger (6 months old), it can also be a predictor for the development of aggressive behavior in the child. Conclusion. This study confirms that there are already risk factors visible at a young age that increase the likelihood of developing aggressive behavior. For this reason, it is essential to conduct more research on additional possible risk factors and how professionals in practice can identify these factors. Subsequently, interventions for these risk factors can also be explored to take preventive action in combating the development of aggressive behaviorShow less
