Contemporary police officers often lack a proper understanding of civilian’s mental states required to deliver an appropriate empathic response. Recently, virtual reality (VR) emerged as a...Show moreContemporary police officers often lack a proper understanding of civilian’s mental states required to deliver an appropriate empathic response. Recently, virtual reality (VR) emerged as a promising medium to promote empathy, offering several crucial advantages over traditional methods. However, as research is limited on VR empathy training, its effectiveness and practical utility for the police remains unclear. This study investigated the effectivity and utility of two VR empathy tools for the Dutch police force. In this study, 11 Dutch police officers were immersed in two simulations of the perspectives of a child victim of domestic violence (DV) and a person living with a mild intellectual disability (MID), in counterbalanced order. Results showed that, in line with the hypotheses, for the DV simulation, participants’ illusionary feeling of presence in the virtual world predicted their emotional involvement with the experience, and in turn, this emotional involvement predicted empathy towards victims of domestic violence. Contrary to the hypotheses, for the MID simulation, presence did not predict emotional involvement. Yet, in line with the hypotheses, emotional involvement did predict empathy towards people living with a mild intellectual disability. Combined with insights from post-simulation interviews, both VR empathy tools are concluded to be effective and useful for Dutch police empathy training. These findings highlight VR’s potential to shape scalable and standardardized training opportunities to support the complex role of contemporary policing. Future research could extend our approach by including a control group and by making a direct comparison between VR, traditional perspective-taking tasks, and roleplay empathy training.Show less
Background. Sensory processing problems and impaired social skills are often seen in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Moreover, understanding the gender gap in ASD prevalence and...Show moreBackground. Sensory processing problems and impaired social skills are often seen in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Moreover, understanding the gender gap in ASD prevalence and symptomatology is still not achieved. Studies are inconsistent in findings regarding gender specific ASD symptomatology and possible underlying mechanisms of gender differences. This study investigated the relationship between sensory processing and impaired social skills, and whether a mean difference exists in sensory processing symptoms between ASD boys and girls with similar social skills. Method. In this cross-sectional study 169 children (aged 7-12) participated, of which 96 typically developing (TD) and 58 ASD children. All were tested on social skills, measured through the Social Responsiveness Scale and on sensory processing problems, which was mapped out by measures of tapping accuracy, using the DrumPad 2.0 as a rhythmic measurement device. The relationship between sensory processing and social skills was investigated with the use of a Spearman’s Rho test. Mean differences in sensory processing between ASD boys and girls with similar social skills were investigated with the use of a 2x2 ANCOVA. Results. After performing Spearman's Rho test, a significant positive relationship was found in the overall sample between social skills and tapping accuracy. The 2x2 ANCOVA did not prove a significant effect of gender on mean tapping accuracy, but a significant main effect of social skills on the mean tapping accuracy was found. No significant interaction effect of gender and social skills was found. Discussion. Results indicated that social skills and tapping accuracy are associated, and that – after correction for age – social skills have an effect on tapping accuracy, irrespective of gender. To our knowledge, this is the first time that sensory processing was measured through a rhythmic device. This study contributes to the existing literature regarding gender-specific symptomology in ASD.Show less
This study explores the effects of multidimensional empathy, specifically perspective taking and empathic concern in gifted early adolescents. This research was initiated in order to study whether...Show moreThis study explores the effects of multidimensional empathy, specifically perspective taking and empathic concern in gifted early adolescents. This research was initiated in order to study whether gifted early adolescents would develop higher perspective taking and empathic concern levels based on their cognitive abilities compared to non-gifted early adolescents, such that a higher score on empathic concern and perspective taking in the Interpersonal Reactivity Index was expected for gifted early adolescents. A sample of 41 gifted (n=27) and non-gifted (n=15) aged 9 to 12 participated. No significant differences were found on empathic concern and perspective taking for gifted early adolescents compared to non-gifted early adolescents which leads to the conclusion that gifted and non-gifted early adolescents may be more similar then previously depicted in research.Show less
[Context / motivation] Social skills are really important in daily lifetime because it affects a great part of a human’s life. Several factors influence the development of social skills, for...Show more[Context / motivation] Social skills are really important in daily lifetime because it affects a great part of a human’s life. Several factors influence the development of social skills, for example executive functioning (EF), and Theory of Mind (ToM). A wealth of studies has been conducted to explore the relation between social skills and EF. [Question / problem] Just a limited amount of research has taken ToM into consideration. It is important to investigate the exact relation between social skills, EF and ToM to improve the interventions related to social skills. [Method] This study has examined one hundred fifty-four children from 4-8 years old (mean age = 6.17 years). They performed subtasks of de Amsterdamse Neuropsychologische Taken (ANT 4.0) that requires EF and the Sociaal Cognitieve Vaardigheden Test (SCVT) to measure ToM. Parents and teachers reported in the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) the social skills of the children. [Results] Results of multiple regression analyses demonstrated that inhibition and working memory were not significant related to social skills and ToM. Which are remarkable findings in comparison with previously research, probably the measurement of variables in this study are more accurate than previous research. Shifting demonstrated a direct and an indirect relation with social skills (partial mediation). Children who are better in shifting were more likely to rated higher on social skills. ToM is also positive related to shifting and social skills. [Contribution] Based on these results, customized treatments are suggested. Besides the usual social skills treatment it seems to be effective to pay attention to shifting and ToM to optimize the effect of social skills treatments.Show less
Objective: The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that emotion regulation is a mediator of the relation between language skills and social competence, in elementary school children aged...Show moreObjective: The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that emotion regulation is a mediator of the relation between language skills and social competence, in elementary school children aged four to eight years. If this hypothesis is true, it is not unlikely that young children with both language problems and social problems would benefit from interventions targeting emotion regulation. Methods: Children from the Dutch study “Talentenkracht”, were rated on emotion regulation and social skills, by both teachers and parents. Emotion regulation was tested by the corresponding subscale of the BRIEF (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function). Social skills were tested by the SSRS (Social Skills Rating System). The CELF-4NL (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals) was used for measuring expressive and receptive language skills. To determine whether a mediation effect was present, necessary regression analyses and Sobel tests were performed for all combinations between rater (parents or teachers) and type of language skills (receptive or expressive). Results: Out of 154 included children (mean age 6.1±1.24 years), 151 had sufficient data for performing one or more regression analyses. On both teachers’ and parents’ ratings, receptive language skills were a predictor of social competence, but expressive language skills were not. Only when parents’ ratings were used, this relationship between receptive language skills and social competence, was mediated by emotion regulation (p < .05). Conclusion: In children aged four to eight years, emotion regulation is a full mediator in the relationship between receptive language skills and social competence. Future research should address whether children with both receptive language problems and social problems can benefit from interventions targeting emotion regulation. Since the mediation effect was only found in parents’ ratings, future researchers in this area should consider including both teachers’ and parents’ ratings.Show less
Klinefelter Syndrome (KS; 47, XXY) is a sex chromosome aneuploidy that affects male physical, cognitive and psychological development. KS has been related to difficulties in social interactions and...Show moreKlinefelter Syndrome (KS; 47, XXY) is a sex chromosome aneuploidy that affects male physical, cognitive and psychological development. KS has been related to difficulties in social interactions and executive dysfunctions. This study investigates several executive functions (inhibition, cognitive flexibility, planning, working memory and sustained attention), social skills and the relationship between these two variables in men with KS. Eighteen men with KS and 29 controls between the age of 16 and 60 years old, participated in this study. Social skills were measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale rated by informants (SRS-A). Executive functions were assessed by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) questionnaire and by tasks of the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks (ANT) and by one task of the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS-NL). The clinical group rated poorer social skills than the controls. They also had weaker executive functions compared by controls (measured by the BRIEF). The ANT tasks revealed that from the executive functions, the Klinefelter group only had more difficulties in sustained attention compared by controls. Working memory was significantly (positively) correlated to social skills. The present findings suggest that KS is related to executive dysfunctions measured by the BRIEF and a weak working memory was related to poorer social skills. The results from this study provided insight in which cognitive structure is related to social skills in male with KS and could thereby contribute in the treatment and prevention of problems in social skills.Show less
The relationship between executive functions and social skills is particularly studied in children who have already experienced problems in their executive functions caused by brain damage. This...Show moreThe relationship between executive functions and social skills is particularly studied in children who have already experienced problems in their executive functions caused by brain damage. This study examined the relationship between executive functions (working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibition) and social skills in typically developing children (N = 85) between 5 and 8 years. The main question was; are executive functions a predictor for social skills in typically developing children from 5 to 8 years old? The hypothesis was; executive functions are a predictor for social skills. Questionnaires were used to measure executive functions and social skills, respectively by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS). Executive functions were also determined with the aid of a computer task, the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks (ANT). Pearson’s correlations and multiple regressions were used to analyze the relationship between executive functions and social skills. There were significant negative correlations with a small to modest effect size ( r = -.26, -36, -.42, p < .05) between all executive functions (BRIEF) and social skills. More problems in the executive functions (BRIEF) correlated with lower scores on social skills. There was only one significant positive correlation with small effect size ( r = .23, p < .05) between working memory (ANT) and social skills. Regression analyses revealed that from all three executive functions, only cognitive flexibility (BRIEF) (β = -‐.39, p < .001) is a predictor for social skills. To conclude, no relationship was found between executive functions and social skills, except for cognitive flexibility. Future research should focus on interventions that improve the cognitive flexibility in children and its relationship with social skills.Show less
This study was designed to examine the relationship between language skills and social cognition of children aged four to eight years. Language skills and social cognition are two abilities that...Show moreThis study was designed to examine the relationship between language skills and social cognition of children aged four to eight years. Language skills and social cognition are two abilities that are important for the development of social skills (Beauchamp & Anderson, 2010). Besides this relationship we looked if the variables gender and educational level of the parent affect the language skills and social cognition of children. Until today only a few similar studies were done. In this study were 372 kids, of which 172 girls and 200 boys between the age of 4-8 years. To measure the productive language skills the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale or Intelligence-III-NL (WPPSI-III-NL) Vocabulary and Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment-II-NL (NEPSY-II-NL) Word Fluency Test are used. To measure the receptive language skills the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF) Understanding Sentences is used. The CELF pragmatics list measures language in everyday life. Social cognition is measured by means of a cognitive task, the Social Cognitive Skills Test, and a questionnaire, the Social Responsiveness Scale. The results of this study show a weak to moderately strong positive correlation between language skills and social cognition. Also girls showed higher scores in understanding sentences than boys. Finally, in social cognition we only found a positive relationship between the educational level of the partner and the social cognition in everyday life. There was no relationship found between language skills and the educational level of the parents.Show less
This study investigated the influence of Executive functions, Social competence and Language on Reactive and Proactive Aggression. Additionally the effectiveness of the intervention ‘Minder Boos en...Show moreThis study investigated the influence of Executive functions, Social competence and Language on Reactive and Proactive Aggression. Additionally the effectiveness of the intervention ‘Minder Boos en Opstandig (MBO)’ was studied regarding changes in behaviour and cognitive functions. In the current study ‘aggression’ is divided in two subtypes: reactive en proactive aggression. The sample contained 22 children aged between 8 and 12 years (M = 10.2, SD = 1.03). Boys were in majority with 86% in this sample. The study had a pre- and post-test design. Parents participated as informants. The children filled out the Reactive and Proactive aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) and underwent language assessments through the PPVT and WFT. The parents filled in the Pragmatic questionnaire (CELF-4-NL ), the Executive functions Questionnaire (BRIEF), the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). Significant correlations were observed between reactive and proactive aggression and social and language skills during the pre-test assessment, indicating poorer skills among those with higher aggression. Executive functions correlated significantly with Externalising and Internalising behaviour problems, but not separately with reactive and proactive aggression. After participation in the MBO training a decrease of the correlations and strengths of relations was found between aggression, behaviour problems and the cognitive domains. Problems with Language ‘pragmatic’ and Social Skills were still strong significant predictors of reactive and proactive aggression. Executive functions did not significantly predict reactive and proactive aggression. Social skills did not improve after participation at the MBO training. The children did however show a significant decrease of reactive and proactive aggression problems after participation in the MBO training. Improvement in behaviour did not significantly go together with improvement in cognitive and social skillsShow less
In this research differences in social interaction and social communication skills among primary school children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD and a combination of both disorders were...Show moreIn this research differences in social interaction and social communication skills among primary school children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD and a combination of both disorders were investigated. Ages ranged from four until thirteen years old. The sample (N = 371) existed out of 231 boys and 140 girls. The adaptive skills were measured by the Adaptieve Vaardigheden Jeugdigen (AVJ). By this questionnaire parents rated on a five point Likert scale several behavioral indices which are part of social communication and social interaction skills. All children diagnosed with developmental psychopathology differentiated significantly from the children without any disorders. No gender and age differences were found among the groups. Children with ADHD and the children with ASD didn’t differ from each other regarding the communication skills. Regarding social interaction skills, there was no significant difference found between the children with ADHD and the children without psychopathology. Also there was no difference found between children with ASD and children with a comorbidity of both disorders. Explanations are found in cognitive psychology, the development of empathy and pro social behavior and gender specific behaviors.Show less
Executive functions are critical for adequate social functioning which is mediated by social skills. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between executive functions and social skills...Show moreExecutive functions are critical for adequate social functioning which is mediated by social skills. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between executive functions and social skills of young children because associations between these domains have only rarely been examined. The research group consisted of 109 boys and 98 girls from primary schools with an average age between 4-7 years in 2009 and 5-9 years during the follow-up study in 2010. These children completed measurements of the Social Skills Rating Scale, the Dysexecutive Questionnaire for Children, the Zoo Map task, the Spatial Temporal Span task, the Go No Go task and the Response Organization Objects task. Results indicate that executive dysfunction in daily life is negatively correlated to social skills of boys and girls. For boys there also exists a positive correlation between working memory in 2009 and social skills in 2010. Based on the findings of this study it is concluded that executive dysfunction in daily life is a negative predictor for social skills of boys and girls.Show less
De ontwikkeling van bètaleren bij kinderen krijgt op het moment veel aandacht, omdat het voor de maatschappij belangrijk is dat jonge kinderen interesse hebben voor natuur en techniek. Daarmee...Show moreDe ontwikkeling van bètaleren bij kinderen krijgt op het moment veel aandacht, omdat het voor de maatschappij belangrijk is dat jonge kinderen interesse hebben voor natuur en techniek. Daarmee wordt de kans verhoogd dat ze later in hun leven een bètagerelateerd beroep zullen kiezen. Daarnaast ontwikkelen jonge kinderen vaardigheden die zij nodig zullen hebben om zich optimaal te kunnen ontwikkelen in alle domeinen van hun functioneren. Daarom moet duidelijk worden op welke ontwikkelingsgebieden kinderen stimulering nodig hebben om deze ontwikkeling te optimaliseren. In het basisonderwijs wordt de sociale en cognitieve ontwikkeling van kinderen gestimuleerd om hen daarmee voor te bereiden op de toekomst. Vooralsnog blijkt bètaonderwijs veelal geen grote plaats in het onderwijsprogramma te hebben, terwijl bètaberoepen belangrijk zijn voor de maatschappij. Aangezien de sociale ontwikkeling bijdraagt aan het leerproces is het belangrijk om te onderzoeken hoe sociale ontwikkeling in relatie staat tot het bètaleren. Hierdoor wordt bekend of kinderen kunnen groeien in hun sociale ontwikkeling en in het bètaleren wanneer de aandacht voor deze gebieden gecombineerd wordt. In dit onderzoek is daarom de relatie tussen de ontwikkeling van sociale cognitie en bètaleren van 160 vier- tot achtjarige kinderen (gemiddelde leeftijd = 5.90 jaar, 47.5% jongens) uit West- en Zuid-Nederland onderzocht. Bètaleren werd gerelateerd aan de sociale cognitie emotieherkenning en aan sociale vaardigheden. Bij de kinderen is een emotieherkenningstaak (Identification of Facial Emotions, IFE) en een taak voor kwantitatief redeneren (subtest Kwantiteit uit de Revisie Amsterdamse Kinder Intelligentietest, RAKIT) afgenomen als maat voor hun bètavaardigheden. De ouders hebben een vragenlijst over de sociale vaardigheden van hun kind ingevuld (Social Skills Rating System, SSRS). De belangrijkste bevinding was dat sociale cognitie en bètaleren positief aan elkaar gerelateerd zijn. Daarnaast werd een significante relatie (r = 0.38) gevonden tussen sociale vaardigheden en bètaleren. Naast de huidige stimulering van de sociale ontwikkeling lijkt het daarom van belang om daarbij ook het bètaleren bij jonge kinderen te stimuleren, zodat groei op deze gebieden elkaar wederzijds versterkt. Een sociale en uitdagende omgeving speelt daarbij waarschijnlijk een belangrijke rol.Show less
The aim of this study was to investigate whether cognitive factors, aspects of personality and social factors were associated with reactive and proactive aggression and the influence of these...Show moreThe aim of this study was to investigate whether cognitive factors, aspects of personality and social factors were associated with reactive and proactive aggression and the influence of these factors on the two types of aggression in young adults between 12 – 17 years of age (n =84, M = 13.5, SD = .919). The studied variables were Behavioral Regulation and Metacognition, Sensitivity to Punishment, Reward responsiveness, Impulsivity/fun-seeking and Drive, Callous-unemotional traits and Social skills. The instruments used were ‘Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire’ (RPQ), ‘Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function’ (BRIEF), ‘Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire’ (SPSRQ), ‘Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits’ (ICU) and ‘Social Skills Rating System’ (SSRS). The questionnaires were distributed among participating adolescents and their parents with the help of schools. In the current study Behavioral Regulation, Impulsivity/fun-seeking, Drive and Callous-unemotional traits were associated with Reactive aggression, although these did not remain significant predictors in regression analyses when proactive aggression and callous-unemotional traits were included. Proactive aggression was associated with Drive and Callous-unemotional traits. Reactive aggression and Callous-unemotional traits were the only significant predictors of proactive aggression in regression analysis, with Callous-unemotional traits as the strongest predictor.Show less
