Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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Pregnancy leads to volumetric reductions in brain regions involved in Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks. These volumetric reductions appear to be an expression of the woman’s brain preparing itself for...Show morePregnancy leads to volumetric reductions in brain regions involved in Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks. These volumetric reductions appear to be an expression of the woman’s brain preparing itself for motherhood and caregiving. Yet, how pregnancy affects ToM abilities is still largely unknown. The present study investigated how pregnancy affects ToM in primiparous women (i.e., woman who is bearing a first offspring) and whether these changes are predictive of maternal sensitivity. ToM abilities, as assessed through total accuracy scores on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task (RMET), were not enhanced at post-pregnancy, compared to pre-pregnancy (H1). Neither did we observe a stronger enhancement in RMET child format performance compared to RMET-adult performance over the course of pregnancy (H2). Moreover, changes in ToM abilities across pregnancy was not a significant predictor of maternal sensitivity at one year postpartum (H3). In conclusion, ToM abilities, as assessed via RMET, did not change over de course of pregnancy. We speculated that the incongruence between our hypotheses and results could potentially be attributed to suboptimal operationalization of ToM abilities. For future studies it may be relevant to include ToM measures that focus more directly on the affective aspect of ToM.Show less
This study was designed to examine the influence of depression and anxiety on changes in feelings of self-efficacy in mothers, prenatal and six months postnatal. 48 expectant first-time mothers...Show moreThis study was designed to examine the influence of depression and anxiety on changes in feelings of self-efficacy in mothers, prenatal and six months postnatal. 48 expectant first-time mothers participated in this study, with ages varying between 17-25 years. The expectant mothers were divided in a ‘high risk’ or ‘low risk’ group and completed the following questionnaires: the pre- and postnatal version of the Self- Efficacy in the Nurturing Role questionnaire (SENR), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II-NL) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Through correlations, ANOVA and repeated measures AN(C)OVA the relations and effects of depression and anxiety on changes in perceptions of self-efficacy have been tested. Results showed that all variables were correlated. More specifically; when feelings of depression and anxiety increased, feelings of self-efficacy decreased. High risk mothers showed significantly less feelings of self-efficacy and more feelings of anxiety than low risk mothers during pregnancy. All mothers increased in self- efficacy over time. When anxiety was added as a covariate, differences between groups on self-efficacy disappeared. Significant differences in feelings of self-efficacy pre- and postnatal can be partially explained by the influence of anxiety during pregnancy. Because anxiety during pregnancy is the most important predictor of self-efficacy, early recognition and treatment of anxiety during pregnancy is of the upmost importance and could greatly improve the wellbeing of mothers and eventually lead to better outcomes in child development and attachment.Show less
