Abstract Working memory performance declines naturally in people as they get older. However, much variation exists between people in the degree to which their working memory deteriorates. Knowing...Show moreAbstract Working memory performance declines naturally in people as they get older. However, much variation exists between people in the degree to which their working memory deteriorates. Knowing the risk-factors associated with higher or lower working memory performance could help mitigate some of the negative effects that are experienced by people as such. There are many known predictors for lower working memory performance identified by the literature, such as age, education, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and history of concussion. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of these predictors with working memory performance to identify which of these variables most strongly predict performance on a working memory test. Identifying the most prominent risk-factors associated with lower working memory performance can aid the development of specific tools and treatments for counteracting working memory deterioration as people get older. We included 132 subjects from the general population and measured working memory performance using a computerized OSPAN test. The predictors were measured using different self-report questionnaires, regarding demographics and general health. Linear regression models were then used to test each variable as a predictor of working memory performance. The total sample consisted of 49 males and 83 females with a median age of 44.5, and a mean education level of 4.97 years of education. Our analysis demonstrated that education level was positively associated with working memory performance (p = 0.008, F(1, 129) = 7.23, adjusted R2 = 0.05 ), whereas the other variables did not show a relationship with working memory. This result shows education level to be a significant determiner of higher or lower performance of working memory. However, the small effect size (0.05) makes it difficult to say whether education level makes much difference when generalizing to the general population. Furthermore, the influence of age, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and history of concussion on working memory performance was not confirmed in this sample. The influence of these variables on working memory performance may only appear under different conditions, such as only in older participants or in participants that smoke or drink more frequently.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
closed access
Child maltreatment is highly prevalent among juvenile delinquents and can result in numerous negative life outcomes, one of which could be violent delinquency. The current study aimed to provide...Show moreChild maltreatment is highly prevalent among juvenile delinquents and can result in numerous negative life outcomes, one of which could be violent delinquency. The current study aimed to provide new insights into the relation between child maltreatment and violent delinquency, as well as the mediating roles of working memory (WM) and three aspects of social information processing (SIP) on this relation. This was done using a cross-sectional design with a questionnaire, WM task, SIP task and file analysis. In total, 58 Dutch juvenile delinquents were included in the study. No relation was found between child maltreatment and violent delinquency in a juvenile delinquent population. In addition, WM and SIP did not mediate the relation between child maltreatment and violent delinquency. Child maltreatment was however related with more hostile attribution bias and more aggressive response evaluation, indicating that juvenile delinquents who have experienced child maltreatment have more hostile attributions in social situations and see aggressive responses as more appropriate than their non-maltreated peers. Furthermore, all three aspects of SIP were related to each other, and WM was related to more hostile attributions. This study highlights the fact that hostile attributions and aggressive response evaluations can be targeted in interventions that aim to improve social skills and reduce recidivism for maltreated juvenile delinquents. Further research is needed to unravel the consequences and underlying mechanisms of child maltreatment and violent delinquency in juvenile delinquent populations.Show less
A phenomenon called “email apnea” (EA), defined as a combination of shallow breathing and breath holds during screen usage, is circulating on blogs and news articles, yet lacks scientific support....Show moreA phenomenon called “email apnea” (EA), defined as a combination of shallow breathing and breath holds during screen usage, is circulating on blogs and news articles, yet lacks scientific support. This study directly explores the existence of EA an its impact on working memory performance with a mixed factor design. Sixty participants (mean age 21,1) were divided into a screen versus paper condition and performed a reading and writing task during which respiration patterns and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) were measured with a respiration band and pulse oximeter. Measurements were taken in 5-minute epochs: baseline , two reading task epochs (R1, R2) and two writing task epochs. Afterwards, the participants performed a 3-level n-back task measuring working memory performance. The hypotheses predicted that there would be a difference in the respiration and SpO2 between the screen and paper conditions, coupled with a decrease in n-back performance in the screen condition. Bayesian repeated measures ANOVA showed no differences between the conditions for the mean breath durations, inhalation/exhalation ratio and SpO2. The results of the Bayesian independent samples T-test analyzing n-back task performance were also inconclusive. Interestingly, participants showed a strong effect of time for mean breath duration decreasing during the reading task and decreasing further during the writing task while the inhalation/exhalation ratio was lowest during R1 and highest during R2. This study provides evidence against EA, although subsequent research should explore if adding the variable stress could provide more insight.Show less
From the current literature, it is evident that emotions influence working memory performance. However, based on the current literature, it seems that the direction of the influence of emotion...Show moreFrom the current literature, it is evident that emotions influence working memory performance. However, based on the current literature, it seems that the direction of the influence of emotion depends on the situation. Specifically, it seems that the epoch (the moment when an emotional stimulus was present) is a determining factor for the variability in how emotions influence working memory. To examine whether this is the case, this meta-analysis was conducted using data from healthy, young participants. Subsequently, the data were filtered based on a priori determined factors to achieve greater homogeneity. Ultimately, this meta-analysis encompasses 32 articles, contributing 109 effect sizes. To account for the expected high variance, the following a priori determined factors, in addition to epoch, were incorporated in the analyses: the valence of the emotional stimulus (positive or negative), the type of working memory task (verbal or visuospatial) and the type of type of metric (e.g., reaction time or accuracy). The analyses revealed that none of these moderators could account for the variance; neither the main effects nor the interaction effects were significant (p > 0.05). Exploratory analyses, however, indicated that when an emotional stimulus was present in the epoch “before encoding”, emotions negatively impacted working memory capacity and positively influenced the precision of working memory. In conclusion, the a priori determined factors in this meta-analysis cannot explain the variance of the influence of emotions on working memory. Nonetheless, these results offer valuable insights for guiding future research. Furthermore, the exploratory analyses provide valuable insights into the complex relationship between emotion and working memory, emphasizing the potential trade-off between capacity and quality of working memory in the context of an emotional stimulus. More clarity into the relationship of emotion and working memory (when and how emotions intervene in working memory) can contribute to and improve the efficacy of interventions for psychopathologies.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
The gender gap in STEM majors and careers is very prominent and alarming (Beilock & Maloney, 2015). Students are more likely to avoid STEM careers when they show higher levels of Mathematics...Show moreThe gender gap in STEM majors and careers is very prominent and alarming (Beilock & Maloney, 2015). Students are more likely to avoid STEM careers when they show higher levels of Mathematics Anxiety (MA; Ahmed, 2018). The current study investigates the difference in Mathematics Anxiety between male and female students in their first year of the preacademic educational track (HAVO, atheneum and gymnasium) in secondary school in the Netherlands. The Numerical Dot-Probe Task (NDPT) is a computerized task that is based on attentional bias and less susceptible to bias than self-report questionnaires. (Rubinsten, Eidlin, Wohl, & Akibli, 2015). Related concepts to MA that will be controlled for are; mathematical achievement, general anxiety and working memory. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling, the final sample consisted of seven students. Using the adapted t-test, z-scores of all participants were compared in order to answer the research question (Crawford, Garthwaite, & Wood, 2010). 100% of girls and 20% of boys showed higher levels of MA when looking at their scores on the self-report questionnaires compared to their score on the NDPT. Overall, the girls’ MA score was overestimated and the boys’ MA score was underestimated. However, this effect was not strong enough to result in an overrepresentation of girls and an underrepresentation of boys in the population of children with high levels of MA when looking at the self-report questionnaires. Results suggested that the prominent gender gap in STEM studies might not be due to gender differences in MA. Due to the smaller sample size, it is important that these findings are replicated in future studies using bigger samples. Stereotype threat is a variable that could explain the STEM gender gap and should thus be included in these future studies.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
closed access
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a newly developed dynamic screener to assess first year secondary school students’ potential for learning. Participants included 52 children ...Show moreThis study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a newly developed dynamic screener to assess first year secondary school students’ potential for learning. Participants included 52 children (mean age = 13.14) from different Dutch educational tracks. The dynamic screener consists of the subtests reading, mathematics, working memory, planning, divergent thinking, and inductive reasoning. Each subtest employs a test-training-test design. Based on randomized blocking, half of the children received a graduated prompts training between pre-test and post-test, while the other half did not. On some, but not all, subtests training seems to lead to an increase in performance. Additionally, some constructs measured through the dynamic screener relate to current school performance. This pilot study provides preliminary support to the use of such an instrument to gain more insight into children’s learning potential and instructional needs. Directions for future research are discussed.Show less
Several studies have shown that listening to music can have short-term cognitive enhancement properties. These effects have been explained by the mood-arousal hypothesis, which suggests that...Show moreSeveral studies have shown that listening to music can have short-term cognitive enhancement properties. These effects have been explained by the mood-arousal hypothesis, which suggests that listening to music can briefly heighten one’s mood and arousal, and this can consequently temporarily improve cognitive performance. There is limited evidence showing that familiarity with the music might intensify this relationship between mood, arousal and cognition. Therefore, in the present study we investigated this potential effect in a sample of 80 healthy, predominantly Dutch older adults between the ages of 65 and 84. We predicted that higher music familiarity would be related to improvements in phonological working memory (forward digit span) and phonemic fluency (letter fluency) performance just after listening, as compared to without music listening, and that this effect would be mediated by enhanced subjective mood and subjectively reported or physiologically measured arousal. The results did not provide evidence for this specific mediational relationship. Nevertheless, it was shown that higher familiarity with the music was significantly associated with increases in subjective mood and arousal. Moreover, the participants who were less aroused had larger improvements in their phonemic fluency, when comparing their baseline scores to scores after music listening. The present results contradict the mood-arousal hypothesis and do not provide support for the previous findings regarding the beneficial effect of music on cognition. Nonetheless, they demonstrate that familiar music can improve one’s subjective mood and arousal, which might act as a useful tool when incorporating music into practice, both in a clinical and non-clinical context. Further research into the mood-arousal hypothesis is needed in order to establish clear relationships between the involved variables, thus help inform clinical decisions regarding the use of music in a therapeutic context.Show less
The Florence Flood of 1966 resulted in the destruction and damage of an enormous array of material cultural heritage many of which were part of the Western cannon of art history. The sustained...Show moreThe Florence Flood of 1966 resulted in the destruction and damage of an enormous array of material cultural heritage many of which were part of the Western cannon of art history. The sustained international response of the community of conserva- tion and preservation professionals during the lengthy process of restoration has been commemorated through anniversary celebrations and the unveiling of restored artworks. The memory of the Flood is revisited through a transnational perspective as defined within the discipline of cultural memory studies. It will be argued that the annual commemoration of the Flood has the potential of becoming a day of world remembrance of culture at risk at large.Show less
Prior research has shown that diminished working memory performance might be both a consequence and cause of poverty, as it impairs the ability to make thoughtful decisions which can lead to...Show morePrior research has shown that diminished working memory performance might be both a consequence and cause of poverty, as it impairs the ability to make thoughtful decisions which can lead to economic choices that perpetuate poverty. In this study, we hypothesized that financial scarcity adversely affects working memory performance. We expected this effect to be stronger for sudden financial scarcity than for constant financial scarcity. In addition, we expected sudden financial abundance to alleviate the effect of financial scarcity on working memory performance. To test our hypotheses we conducted an online experiment with 187 British participants. During the experiment, participants had to manage expenses in the household task. Participants were randomly assigned to four experimental conditions, in which they experienced financial scarcity or financial abundance, the experience being either constant or sudden because of an economic shock. Subsequently, we measured their working memory performance with the online backward Corsi task. Our results do not provide evidence of adverse effects of financial scarcity on working memory performance. We discuss possible explanations for our results. We propose the null finding in this study is most likely due to our methodology.Show less
In this study, we hypothesized that the financial scarcity mindset would lead to a lower working memory performance. Additionally, we also hypothesized that a sudden loss of money would lead to...Show moreIn this study, we hypothesized that the financial scarcity mindset would lead to a lower working memory performance. Additionally, we also hypothesized that a sudden loss of money would lead to lower working memory performance than it would a longer period of financial scarcity. We experimentally induced financial scarcity by a financial task - the Household task and we operationalized working memory performance as participants’ scores on the backwards Corsi task. In an online experiment, 187 adult British participants were randomly assigned to four groups, which varied both in the amount of income they received and whether they received or did not receive a wealth shock. Although none of our hypotheses were confirmed, significant experimental manipulation results proved this study design is valid to use when experimentally inducing financial scarcity. We discussed the results and proposed that incentivizing people should be taken into consideration in future research and practice, as an important factor that might diminish the negative effects of financial scarcity on working memory performance.Show less
Beta blocker administration is one of the most common treatment methods for the vascular tumours infantile haemangiomas (IHs). Previous research has attributed possible side-effects to beta...Show moreBeta blocker administration is one of the most common treatment methods for the vascular tumours infantile haemangiomas (IHs). Previous research has attributed possible side-effects to beta blockers, which include sleep disturbances and memory decline. Furthermore, research has found a link between sleep disturbances and memory decline. Thus, the present study aimed to test for possible long-term side-effects of beta blockers atenolol and propranolol. The study focused on children between ages 7-11 with IHs who were treated with beta blockers within their first year of life. The relationship between sleep disturbances and working memory among these children was analyzed. Furthermore, the differences between the study sample and population norms were analyzed regarding sleep disturbances and working memory performance. Lastly, differences between atenolol and propranolol on these measures were explored. The main findings showed a significant correlation between a high likelihood of sleep disturbances and a low working memory performance. In addition, the beta blocker sample showed a higher likelihood of sleep disturbances when compared to population norms. However, no lower working memory performance was detected in this comparison. Furthermore, no significant differences were found between propranolol and atenolol on neither sleep disturbances nor working memory performance. The main conclusion of this study points towards the possible negative relationship of beta blocker treatment with long-term sleep disturbances, which have a negative correlation with working memory performance. Possible directions for future research are discussed.Show less
The present study examines the effect of financial scarcity on cognitive performance by not only measuring the objective, but also the subjective aspect of scarcity, contrary to earlier research in...Show moreThe present study examines the effect of financial scarcity on cognitive performance by not only measuring the objective, but also the subjective aspect of scarcity, contrary to earlier research in this field. Cognitive performance was measured by means of a cognitive control task and a working memory task. A moderating effect of cognitive load was tested by randomly assigning participants into either a ‘difficult’ or ‘easy’ condition, determining the level of difficulty of the financial scenarios they had to solve. This effect could not be rejected, nor supported. By use of the Psychological Inventory of Financial Scarcity (PIFS), this study finds support for the relationship between subjective financial scarcity and cognitive performance. More specifically, we demonstrate an effect on cognitive control, while no support was found an effect on working memory. This study underwrites the importance of a measurement of subjective financial scarcity and encourages future research to uncover the true impact of the cognitive load in the minds of the poor.Show less
The study examines the relationship between theta/beta ratio (TBR) and mind wandering (MW), an important aspect in the domain of attentional control. Contemporary research suggests that high TBR ...Show moreThe study examines the relationship between theta/beta ratio (TBR) and mind wandering (MW), an important aspect in the domain of attentional control. Contemporary research suggests that high TBR (the ratio of power in the theta band to power in the beta band) can be used as an indicator of attentional lapses, i.e. MW. To investigate this notion, an experimental study was conducted. 79 participants completed a sustained attention task while brain activity was measured using electroencephalography. Additionally, it was examined whether TBR is associated with impeded resilience to emotional interference during a working memory task. Moreover, the role of fatigue as a secondary factor was investigated as it potentially further deteriorates MW. No significant relationship between TBR and MW or WM could be found. Further, TBR was not associated with working memory performance. Finally, fatigue was not correlated to MW occurrence. In conclusion, the relationship between TBR and MW could not be confirmed. However, this study is a step towards studying internal experiences without reliance on introspection.Show 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
