Affective empathy plays a crucial role in parenting. One possible predictor of affective empathy is parents’ attitudes towards children. However, little research has been conducted on this...Show moreAffective empathy plays a crucial role in parenting. One possible predictor of affective empathy is parents’ attitudes towards children. However, little research has been conducted on this relationship. Additionally, stress could play a moderating role in this relationship, via suppression of the positive role of attitudes on empathy. The aim of this study, therefore, is to gain insight into the relationship between attitudes towards children and affective empathy, and the moderating role of stress in this relationship. The main question is: “To what extent is there a relationship between attitudes towards children and affective empathy in female students between 18 and 25 years old and is this relationship moderated by stress?”. Affective empathy is measured by sympathy experienced when observing children in negative social contexts and positive affect experienced when observing children in positive social contexts. Participants were randomly assigned to two conditions: the stress condition (Trier Social Stress Test) and the no-stress condition. In both conditions, participants completed an experimental task measuring affective empathy and filled out questionnaires. Results showed that more positive attitudes were related to more sympathy and positive affect. Stress played no role in this relationship. From this study, it can be concluded that there is a positive relationship between attitudes towards children and affective empathy. This provides opportunities for interventions. Positive attitudes can be promoted through education and training, which in turn can be implemented to stimulate affective empathy. Finally, this research provides a starting point for further research into the predictors of affective empathy.Show less
This thesis aims to address the existing research gap on protective factors related to child abuse and neglect and the successive traumatic complaints. It examines the relationship between child...Show moreThis thesis aims to address the existing research gap on protective factors related to child abuse and neglect and the successive traumatic complaints. It examines the relationship between child abuse and neglect and traumatic complaints, including the possible moderating effect of cognitive functioning. Existing research in this field has uneven gender distributions, women are being researched more, which this thesis aims to balance. The study design is correlational, using a dataset (n = 241) obtained from Buisman et al.'s (2020) research. It has an even distribution of males (42.3 %) and females (57.7%), and the age ranges from 25 to 87 years (M = 50.97, SD = 13.43), comprising participants from the Netherlands with a mostly Western background. Participants were targeted if they had a history of experienced or committed abuse. Various measures were executed, including the RAVEN (cognitive functioning), a combination of the CTQ and CTS-PC questionnaires (experienced child abuse and neglect), and an interview using the PSSI-5 (traumatic complaints). The results showed that women have a significantly higher degree of traumatic complaints. Child abuse and neglect have a significant negative association with traumatic complaints. And lastly, cognitive functioning was not a significant moderator. The discussion stresses balanced gender research, as current focus tends to be on women. Understanding the reasons behind women's higher levels of traumatic complaints, as to how this imbalance can be levelled, is crucial. Even so, a balance in research into protective and risk factors is desirable, as the latter is being researched more. It is worth noting that a potential issue with internal validity arose; the main hypothesis was based on research on IQ, while cognitive functioning served as a possible moderator in this study. Further research is required to examine the moderating effect of general intelligence, measured through multiple variables, for instance cognitive functioning and IQ.Show less
Little is known about the mechanisms behind the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment (ITCM). The aim of the current study is to investigate if non-adaptive emotion regulation...Show moreLittle is known about the mechanisms behind the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment (ITCM). The aim of the current study is to investigate if non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies (self-blame, blaming another, catastrophizing and rumination) explain the relationship between experienced child maltreatment and perpetrated child maltreatment. Having non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies are being examined as a mechanism because they have been associated with both experienced child maltreatment and perpetrated child maltreatment. Multiple sources were used to obtain information on child maltreatment: mothers, fathers and children. A total of 234 individuals reported on maltreatment and emotion regulation strategies. Four separate mediation analyses were performed to answer the research question. The results showed that that the relationship between experienced child maltreatment and perpetrated child maltreatment was not mediated by non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies. This applies to all four strategies. In conclusion, having non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies does not explain ITCM. The findings contribute to the knowledge about the cycle of child maltreatment and indicate that ITCM might be explained by other mechanisms. An important goal for future research is to explore an interplay of multiple factors, such as emotional dysregulation and psychopathology. Further implications for future research are being made.Show less
Attachment between parents and children is the foundation of the development of children. Limited research has been done about the role of attachment with fathers in the development of children....Show moreAttachment between parents and children is the foundation of the development of children. Limited research has been done about the role of attachment with fathers in the development of children. However, fathers fulfill an important parenting role in the society, which makes it important to involve fathers in research. Therefore, the present study investigates the predictive role of attachment with fathers and mothers on the development of emotion regulation in children. The research question is: 'To what extent does a more fearful and avoidant attachment with fathers and mothers predict the emotion regulation of the child?' To answer this question, the emotion regulation strategies 'Acceptance' and 'Catastrophizing' are examined. A correlational study was conducted using a subset of the data from the Three Generation Parenting Study by Buisman and colleagues (2020). Children (N = 192) from 16 to 65 years old were involved (Boys: N = 80, Girls: N = 112), whose parents were still alive and with which they were still in contact. To measure the attachment forms and the use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies, the participants had to complete questionnaires (ECR-RS & CERQ) in the lab of the University of Leiden. The study found that fearful and avoidant attachment with parents explained a unique part of the variance of using both cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Looking at the separate contributions of the attachment relationships, only a more fearful and avoidant attachment with fathers had a significant predictive role in using the cognitive emotion regulation strategy 'Catastrophizing'. The results suggest that, to prevent psychosocial problems, it is important to give emotion regulation therapy to children who are insecure attached to their parent(s). Furthermore, it is essential to use Acceptance-Based Therapies, because ‘Acceptance’ is a more robust regulation strategy when children are insecure attached to their parents.Show less
Introduction: Parental sensitivity has been shown to be important for a child’s healthy development. Most research on parenting has been conducted with mothers, with research on fathering lagging...Show moreIntroduction: Parental sensitivity has been shown to be important for a child’s healthy development. Most research on parenting has been conducted with mothers, with research on fathering lagging behind. In the present study, we, therefore, focused on fathers. It was examined whether the use of an intervention that stimulated physical contact, i.e., a baby carrier, would increase fathers’ sensitivity, and whether this association was mediated by testosterone. Method: Participants in this study were 38 men (Mean age = 34.60, SD = 5.02) who recently became fathers. Infant age ranged from 8 to 12 weeks old at the start of the intervention. Fathers were asked to use a baby carrier for 21 days. Sensitivity was observed before and after the intervention in a free play setting. Use of the baby carrier was measured with warmth sensors on the baby carrier. Testosterone levels are measured by taking saliva samples. Results: Men used the baby carrier on average 33 minutes per day. Results showed no relation between the use of the baby carrier (i.e. physical contact) and testosterone and no relation between testosterone and sensitivity. This means that the relationship between physical contact and sensitivity was therefore not mediated by testosterone. Conclusion: Low levels of baby carrier use may not be enough to increase sensitivity in fathers. In addition, future research could include a larger and more diverse sample to examine the relations between physical contact, testosterone and sensitivity.Show less
