Considering the many children around the world that live in financially scarce conditions, it is of importance to know the consequences with regard to cognition. Life history theory suggests people...Show moreConsidering the many children around the world that live in financially scarce conditions, it is of importance to know the consequences with regard to cognition. Life history theory suggests people growing up in these scarce circumstances might develop different ways of adapting to this environment. This study looks at the influence of childhood financial scarcity on cognitive performance, when a current mindset of financial scarcity is activated. Specifically, this research is focused on determining performance on inhibition and cognitive switching tasks for people with different scarcity backgrounds and mindsets. In order to test this, people were questioned about their childhood. Then, half of the participants was instructed to recall a scarcity-related memory, while others recalled a neutral memory. Finally participants were presented with a cognitive task, which measured either inhibition or cognitive switching. It was expected that in a current scarcity mindset, people that had a scarcity background would perform lower on inhibition, but higher on switching. According to the results, neither childhood scarcity, current scarcity mindset, nor the combination of the two, were significant predictors of performance on the cognitive tasks. On these grounds, further research is needed to determine the relation between scarcity and cognition.Show less
The continual retrieval of a subset of information i.e., from lists can often lead to a unique phenomenon known as Retrieval Induced Forgetting (RIF), where the practiced items cause an individual...Show moreThe continual retrieval of a subset of information i.e., from lists can often lead to a unique phenomenon known as Retrieval Induced Forgetting (RIF), where the practiced items cause an individual to forget the non-rehearsed but related information. This effect can also be demonstrated through visual images – referred to as Recognition Induced Forgetting. The present study replicated the recognition induced paradigm used by Maxcey and Bostic during their 2015 study examining RIF in children. The present study sought to demonstrate recognition-induced forgetting into two separate age groups (6–7-year old’s and 11–12-year old’s). Additionally, the current study further contributed to the research on RIF by examining the mean reaction times of both age groups throughout the study. The main findings of the study demonstrated that for the sample used, RIF was not found in terms of percentage of correct items nor the reaction time of the children across the different items. Furthermore, the study found that age was a significant influence on reaction times of participants during different phases of the experiment – with older children demonstrating faster reaction times. The main conclusion reached was that further research must be done usingShow less
It is known that adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID) take more risks than typically developing adolescents. To gain more knowledge in which factors underlies this...Show moreIt is known that adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID) take more risks than typically developing adolescents. To gain more knowledge in which factors underlies this increased risk-taking, this study investigated whether inhibition capacity is a predicting factor of susceptibility to peer influence in adolescents with MBID. To investigate this, a group with adolescents with MBID was compared to a typically developing control group. The sample comprised of 27 completed questionnaires, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART; in a peer or solo condition), assessing risk taking and a stop signal task (SST) assessing inhibition. Analyses indicated that (a) risk taking behavior increased when manipulated with peer influence; (b) peer effects were not different for adolescents with MBID than typically developing adolescents; (c) adolescents with MBID showed no lower inhibition response compared to adolescents without MBID and (c) inhibition was not a predictor for increased susceptibility to peer influence. Surprisingly, these findings were not consistent with our hypotheses. However, this is the first study investigating the underlying mechanisms for susceptibility to peer influence in adolescents with MBID. Results of this study may serve as key directions for future research.Show less
This thesis investigates the influence of cognates on language switching in Dutch-English bilinguals. The aim of this study is to determine whether language-switch direction and a bilingual’s L2...Show moreThis thesis investigates the influence of cognates on language switching in Dutch-English bilinguals. The aim of this study is to determine whether language-switch direction and a bilingual’s L2 proficiency or “L2 background” (i.e. how often participants use English, their L2, outside of an academic context) influence the effect of cognates. Thirty-three Dutch-English bilingual students were divided into four groups based on their L2 (English) proficiency and their “L2 background”. These participants performed a cued language switching task with pictures of both cognate and non-cognate words, which had to be named in English or Dutch in accordance to the color cue. The results of this research show: (1) cognate facilitation from L1 (Dutch) to L2 (English) but only in average proficiency participants; (2) switch direction influences the performance in the experiment, and possibly inhibits switches from L2-L1 but not in combination with cognates; (3) and similarly, the proficiency and the L2 background of the participant may influence the performance, but not the cognate effect as there was not a significant interaction with the trigger variable. This thesis did not find clear evidence for cognate facilitation in both switching directions; there is only a cognate facilitation effect in the average proficiency group switching from Dutch to English. Cognate status did not have a significant interaction with the response time, whereas switch direction did have a significant interaction. This could suggest that switch direction is influences switching performance more than cognate status in L2 learners.Show less
'Code-switching' is een onderwerp waarbij veel vragen worden gesteld. Het bestuderen van asymmetrische en symmetrische 'Code-switching' en de tijdkosten, zijn actuele onderzoeken. Veel definities...Show more'Code-switching' is een onderwerp waarbij veel vragen worden gesteld. Het bestuderen van asymmetrische en symmetrische 'Code-switching' en de tijdkosten, zijn actuele onderzoeken. Veel definities brengen 'Code-switching' in verband met Transfer ? Hoe onderscheidt men Transfer en leerstrategieen ? Is 'Code-switching een oorzaak van cross-linguitic activation of wordt 'Code-switching' tevens gebruikt als een leerstrategie. Onderzoekers bestuderen neurocognitieve mechanismen om meer te leren over 'Code-switching' en of het alleen een kenmerk bij tweetalige sprekers is.Show less
Is code-switching een leerstrategie of niet, of is code-switching alleen maar een kenmerk van tweetaligheid, Een aantal onderzoekers hebben bevestigt dat het een resultaat was van parallele cross...Show moreIs code-switching een leerstrategie of niet, of is code-switching alleen maar een kenmerk van tweetaligheid, Een aantal onderzoekers hebben bevestigt dat het een resultaat was van parallele cross-language activationShow less
Background: Several studies have shown that problems in the executive functions (EF) underlie social deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The 'Socio-cognitive integration of abilities model’...Show moreBackground: Several studies have shown that problems in the executive functions (EF) underlie social deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The 'Socio-cognitive integration of abilities model’ has shown that there is an interaction between cognitive functions and the factors which influence social behaviour. Aim: This research focuses on the predictive value of executive functions (inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory) and receptive language on the social behaviour of typically developing young children. Method: 38 children between 3 and 6 years (M = 4.2, SD = .99) of age participated in this study. In a quantitative study the results of the receptive language test and questionnaires about social deficits and executive functioning were analysed. The ‘Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III-NL’ was used to assess receptive language and parent-report questionnaire measures ‘Social Responsiveness Scale’ and ‘Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions Preschool version’ were used to assess social problems and executive functions, respectively. Results: This study shows that receptive language and executive functions (subtests: inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility) were related to social problems. Higher levels of problems in working memory and cognitive flexibility were associated with more social problems. However, higher levels of problems in inhibition were related to less social problems. Higher levels of receptive language were related to less social problems. Discussion: Results and suggestions for future research are discussed.Show less
Children with increased global self-worth obtain better school results than children with low self-worth. Therefore it can be beneficial to provide children with a training that can potentially...Show moreChildren with increased global self-worth obtain better school results than children with low self-worth. Therefore it can be beneficial to provide children with a training that can potentially increase their self-competence. The feeling of self-worth is build up from multiple domains, such as in school, with their peers and their performance practicing sports. Executive functioning (EF) is a term containing a variety of learning skills that can help children in their learning process, which can increase children’s feeling of self-worth in their performance at school. The most basal EF inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory are researched in this study. The project Talentenkracht aimed at improving EF by training teachers from primary schools to increase explorative learning by asking children more explorative questions. This current study looked at whether the training had a positive effect on EF and whether this effect caused an increase on self-efficacy beliefs in children aged 9 to 12. In total 79 children from two schools participated, of which 46 children from one school were in the group where the teachers were trained and 33 children were from another school and formed the control group. The data was collected with the Amsterdamse Neuropsychologische Taken (ANT) to test EF and Competentiebelevingsschaal voor Kinderen (CBSK) for self-efficacy beliefs. No correlation was found between EF and self-efficacy beliefs at baseline or with changes in scores over time. In addition, there was an increase in inhibition and cognitive flexibility, not in working memory, but no increase in EF caused by the training. Since previous researches show there’s a relation between EF and self-efficacy beliefs and between EF and behavioural problems it’s important to further research the impact of EF on emotional development and how to improve EF with lowest scoring children.Show less
Sleep deprivation and disturbances are a common problem among children (prevalence of 25-40 percent) and have impact on executive functioning, such as inhibition. Studies in adults demonstrated...Show moreSleep deprivation and disturbances are a common problem among children (prevalence of 25-40 percent) and have impact on executive functioning, such as inhibition. Studies in adults demonstrated that temperament influences this association. This study examined extraversion as a moderator of the association between sleep duration and inhibition in 401 school-aged children (183 boys and 218 girls) aged 9 to 12 years old. Children filled out the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R) and completed a three minute version of a revised Psychomotor Vigilance Task Go/No-Go. Their parents kept a sleep log for one week. ANCOVA results showed no significant association between average sleep duration on weekdays and inhibition, neither a significant association between extraversion and inhibition. No significant interaction effect was found for average sleep duration on weekdays with extraversion on inhibition. To conclude, no relationship between sleep duration and inhibition was found. Extraversion can’t be seen as a moderator for the association between sleep duration and inhibition. In order to enhance the knowledge concerning sleep deprivation, future research should focus on the association between sleep deprivation or sleep difficulties and executive functioning, as well as temperamental traits moderating this relation.Show less
In the last 100 years sleep duration of children declined with one hour a night. This is alarming, because it has been established that sleep duration has an influence on cognitive functions of...Show moreIn the last 100 years sleep duration of children declined with one hour a night. This is alarming, because it has been established that sleep duration has an influence on cognitive functions of children. To enhance the optimal development of boys and girls, we examined whether gender moderates the association between sleep duration and cognitive functioning. In this study 501 children, 229 boys and 272 girls, with an average age of 10.5 years participated. Parents kept a sleep diary for their child. The child completed various computer tasks which measure cognitive functions attention, inhibition and working memory. These were respectively the PVT, the PVT Go/No-Go and Digit Span. At home, the child did four Word pair tasks to measure declarative memory. Correlation analyses showed that shorter sleep duration was significantly associated with more attention (r = .18), less inhibition (r = .11) and better working memory (r = -.19), but not with declarative memory. Gender did not moderate the relations sleep duration and cognitive functions. However, girls performed significantly better than boys on the cognitive functions inhibition and working memory. Parents, teachers, social workers and children should know that short sleep duration as well as long sleep duration is associated with declined cognitive functioning, so the development of children can be advanced. It is also important to examine the best sleep duration for children of different ages, so they can use their best attention, working memory and inhibition and they can develop optimally.Show less
Introduction: Research on the development of executive functions (EF) in children can focus on multiple facets, but can also focus on a specific part such as planning, working memory and inhibition...Show moreIntroduction: Research on the development of executive functions (EF) in children can focus on multiple facets, but can also focus on a specific part such as planning, working memory and inhibition. The various executive functions can be distinguished clearly from each other, but cannot be seen independently. There is no clear data on the differences in the development of EF between boys and girls in their childhood. The present study focuses on the development of the executive functions planning, inhibition and working memory in boys and girls aged four to seven years over a period of one year. Methods: This study consisted of 462 children of the data from the ongoing study ‘Talentenkracht’. The data was collected between January to April 2009 (T1) and between January to May 2010 (T2). In this study, the executive functions planning (subtest "zoo map" of the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome for Children (BADS-NL)), inhibition (subtest GoNoGo of the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks (ANT)) and working memory (subtest Spatial Temporal Sequencing (STS) on the ANT) were investigated. Using paired-samples T-tests and univariate analyses of variance, the relation and development of the three executive functions, gender and age have been studied. Results: This study involved 247 boys (53.5%) and 215 girls (46.5%). The mean age (M) at T1 was 5.2 years and at T2 6.2 years. The mean outcome on T1 for planning was -1.45, inhibition 34.4 and working memory 12.0. This was at T2 -1.03, 28.4 and 22.4, respectively. For boys and girls, there was a significant difference in mean outcomes between T1 and T2 for inhibition and working memory. The development of inhibition has a significant relationship with gender at T1 and T2. Both measurements remained significantly different after adjustment for age. In the development of the working memory, there is both a significant relationship with age at T1 as well as at T2. Conclusions: The present study showed differences in the development of the executive functions planning, inhibition and working memory in boys and girls aged four to seven years. Apart from the expected (natural) development of the EF over a period of 11.3 months average, gender was also a profound influence on inhibition. As for planning, no significant results did occur. In the development of the EF memory, time is more indicative than gender.Show less
Sleep duration and chronotype are known to have an influence on inhibitory control in adolescents. To date, there are no studies that have looked into this relationship in in school age children ....Show moreSleep duration and chronotype are known to have an influence on inhibitory control in adolescents. To date, there are no studies that have looked into this relationship in in school age children . The question in this research is, is the relationship between chronotype and inhibition mediated by sleep duration in children between the age of 9 and 11 years old? The sample included 594 children between 9 and 11 years old (M=10.48, SD=.82). There were 227 boys and 263 girls (from 104 children gender was unknown). Three instruments have been used; the first instrument was the Children's ChronoType Questionnaire (CCTQ). This questionnaire measures whether the child would a morning type or an evening type. The second instrument was a sleep diary. This sleep diary measures different elements of sleep, for this study the average sleep duration was used. The last instrument that was used, was the inhibition Psychomotor Vigilance Task GoNogo (PVT GoNogo). This instrument measures inhibition with the percentage of correct Nogo's. In this study, chronotype did not serve as a significant predictor for inhibition. In addition, chronotype did not serve as a significant predictor for sleep duration. However, sleep duration did serve as a significant predictor for inhibition (β =.12, t(459) = 2.48, p =.014). Longer duration of sleep was correlated to better inhibition. There was no evidence for sleep duration as a mediator between chronotype and inhibition in children between the age of 9 and 11 years old. Information on the influence of sleep on inhibition problems can be valuable to both professionals and parents. Sleeping problems should also be considered, when there are inhibition problems.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-01-01T00:00:00Z
This study examined whether temperament is a moderator of the association between sleep duration and the cognitive functions alertness, inhibition, and working memory in 130 children (56 boys and...Show moreThis study examined whether temperament is a moderator of the association between sleep duration and the cognitive functions alertness, inhibition, and working memory in 130 children (56 boys and 74 girls) aged 9 to 11 years. The children completed a short 3-min version of the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), a GoNogo task and a visual Digit Span test. Furthermore, a questionnaire regarding temperament (EATQ-R) was filled out by the children. Parents kept a sleep log for a week. ANCOVA results showed that the relation between average sleep duration on weekdays and alertness (PVT mean reaction time (RT) and PVT number of lapses) was moderated by the temperament traits extraversion (pPVT_RT = .030, η2 = .05; pPVT_lapses = .076, η2 = .03) and negative affectivity (pPVT_RT = .039, η2 = .04; pPVT_lapses = .057, η2 = .04). Relatively high levels of extraversion or low levels of negative affectivity were associated with more adverse effects of inadequate sleep on alertness. For inhibition and working memory this effect was not found. No significant interaction effects appeared for the other temperament traits: effortful control and affiliativeness. We conclude that the sensitivity for sleep related cognitive decrements in children can be partly explained by differences in temperamental traits.Show less
This study investigates the consistency of the parental social functioning and executive functions in children. Known is the impact of social strain in parents on their functioning and that the...Show moreThis study investigates the consistency of the parental social functioning and executive functions in children. Known is the impact of social strain in parents on their functioning and that the parental behaviour influences the development of executive functions in children. But unknown is if there is a consistency of parental social functioning on executive functions in children. The 76 boys and 84 girls are aged four to seven years and tested at school. Their parents completed questionnaires. The parental social functioning is represented by two variables, the experience of social strain and the frequency of behaviour in social situations. The executive functions in children that are involved are cognitive flexibility, inhibition and working memory. The experience of social strain in parents does have a significant correlation with cognitive flexibility and inhibition in children. There are no significant relations found between the frequency of behaviour in social situations and working memory. Apparently, current research shows that social strain in parents has a relation with cognitive flexibility and inhibition in children, which may clear the impact of regulation in parents on the development of executive functions in children. A recommendation for further research is to check the executive functions in parents because of the possibility of heredity factors.Show less
