In the present thesis we report our findings assessing individual differences in perception of infant signals due to early-life experiences and variability in the oxytocinergic system. We found... Show moreIn the present thesis we report our findings assessing individual differences in perception of infant signals due to early-life experiences and variability in the oxytocinergic system. We found that the perception of infant cues differs between individuals with fewer versus more experiences of emotional maltreatment (Chapter 5). These adverse experiences seem to change the activity and responsiveness of the oxytonergic system, such that higher levels of oxytocin are secreted, which in turn are associated with a more positive evaluation of infant mood (Chapter 2). Moreover, intranasal administration decreases the memory for negative infant cues in individuals who experienced childhood emotional maltreatment (Chapter 4). Our results may suggest that developmental changes in the oxytonergic system might help maltreated individuals to be open to new, potentially positive relationship experiences and to facilitate new attachments. Moreover, we suggest that reward training might be helpful in changing individuals__ perception of an infant for the better (Chapter 3). Overall, our findings might serve as a first step toward identifying cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms that might help to improve (future) parenting Show less
The aim of this set of studies was to provide more insight in individual characteristics that influence care-giving abilities, in particular precursors of harsh and abusive parenting. We examined... Show moreThe aim of this set of studies was to provide more insight in individual characteristics that influence care-giving abilities, in particular precursors of harsh and abusive parenting. We examined how different subtypes of childhood abuse were related to child abuse potential in adulthood. Emotional neglect in childhood was related to child abuse potential, which is in line with earlier research showing the long-lasting effects of emotional maltreatment and neglect in childhood. With regard to the effects of oxytocin on the neural basis of parenting, we used fMRI to examine how oxytocin influenced emotion recognition using pictures of both adult and infant faces, taking experiences of maternal love withdrawal into account as potential moderator. Oxytocin enhanced neural activity in regions involved in emotion processing, such as the IFG, insula and STG. Our findings regarding the moderating role of experiences of maternal love withdrawal are inconsistent for emotion recognition in adult faces and in infant faces. Lastly, a new paradigm (LISSA) to observe sensitivity in response to standardized infant cues was developed and tested. Our results show that sensitivity can be reliably assessed using this procedure, making the LISSA a promising method for future research and clinical practice. Show less
In conclusion, the results of the present studies show how schizotypal symptoms may develop following child psychiatric psychopathology and how these symptoms unfavorably influence a persons__... Show moreIn conclusion, the results of the present studies show how schizotypal symptoms may develop following child psychiatric psychopathology and how these symptoms unfavorably influence a persons__ quality of life. It is important for clinicians to be aware of the complex dynamics of psychopathology and the higher risk for adult schizotypal symptomatology following behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders at child and adolescent age. Show less
The main focus of the current dissertation is on the associations between self-regulation and academic outcomes, with special attention to these issues in ethnic minority children. Following a... Show moreThe main focus of the current dissertation is on the associations between self-regulation and academic outcomes, with special attention to these issues in ethnic minority children. Following a systematic meta-analysis on the association between cognitive self-regulation and academic achievement regardless of ethnic group, two empirical studies focus on self-regulation and aspects of education in ethnic minority children specifically, examining self-regulatory capacities in relation to educational attainment, and the relation between the transition to primary school and the development of self-regulation. In Chapter 2, flexible thinking that is an important contributor to cognitive self-regulation (i.e., executive function), was found to be positively and substantially related to math and reading performance. The findings of Chapter 3 showed that behavioral self-regulation (i.e., effortful control) is related to educational attainment with respect to secondary school tracks via self-efficacy in Turkish minority preadolescents. Chapter 4 provided evidence that children showed differential gains in flexible thinking from kindergarten to formal schooling, as less able children made more progress following the transition. The findings provided evidence for the important role of self-regulation in school performance and for the role of the transition to formal schooling in shaping the development of higher-order cognitive processes that contribute to self-regulation. Show less
How often does child maltreatment occur in the Netherlands and which factors increase the risk of child maltreatment? In this thesis we describe the findings of two epidemiological studies aimed at... Show moreHow often does child maltreatment occur in the Netherlands and which factors increase the risk of child maltreatment? In this thesis we describe the findings of two epidemiological studies aimed at answering these questions. First, in the Netherlands__ Prevalence study on Maltreatment of children and youth (NPM-2010) we examined the year prevalence of child maltreatment in the general Dutch population, using sentinel reports, substantiated CPS reports, and high school students__ self-report. Overall prevalence rates were 33.8 per 1,000 children based on combined sentinel and CPS reports and 99.4 per 1,000 based on self-report. Important risk factors for maltreatment were low SES, single parent families, large families, stepfamilies, and immigrant status. Second, we examined the year prevalence of child sexual and physical abuse in residential and foster care. Children without disabilities had an increased risk of sexual abuse in residential care, and an increased risk of physical abuse in both types of care compared to the general population. Children with a mild intellectual disability were at increased risk of sexual abuse in both residential and foster care compared to regular out-of-home care and compared to the general population. Findings presented in this thesis contribute to the prevention of future child maltreatment in different care settings. Show less
Core deficits in people with autisme spectrum disorders (ASD) are difficulties in adapting their behaviour to the social environment which hampers the possibilities to communicate adequately and to... Show moreCore deficits in people with autisme spectrum disorders (ASD) are difficulties in adapting their behaviour to the social environment which hampers the possibilities to communicate adequately and to have reciprocal relationships. These problems have a serious impact on functioning in their daily life. Since ASD are severe and lifelong conditions, it is relevant to examine how children with ASD develop troughout their life and to investigate which factors constitute an unfavourable contribution to their development. This thesis reveals that children with ASD are at specific risk of poor quality of life in adulthood when compared to children with other psychiatric disorders. Secondly, the impact of ASD on specific domains of intellectual functioning is different at different ages, implicating that re-evaluation of cognitive function during development of children with ASD is recommended during their life. Thirdly, children with ASD who are at risk of schizophrenia spectrum pathology, may show negative schizotypal symptoms, but also disorganized and positive symptoms in addition to ASD symptomatology. These symptoms of schizotypy appear to be associated with inhibition problems. We should be aware of inhibition problems in children with ASD because they may be indicators of high risk to schizophrenia spectrum pathology later in life. Show less
As infants are fully dependent on their parents, correct perception and interpretation of infant signals is crucial for infant survival. It is therefore not surprising that specific brain circuits... Show moreAs infants are fully dependent on their parents, correct perception and interpretation of infant signals is crucial for infant survival. It is therefore not surprising that specific brain circuits and neuroendocrine processes have evolved to perceive infant signals correctly and to respond adequately. However, parents vary in their ability to respond to their infants in a sensitive way and several factors may be involved in parental sensitive responsiveness. One important factor influencing parenting behavior is the neuropeptide oxytocin. Of all the hormones involved in parenting and other social behaviors, oxytocin has received the most interest, as evidenced by the high number of scientific studies over the past decade (Bos, Panksepp, Bluthé, & Honk, 2012; Van IJzendoorn & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2012). Many studies suggest that oxytocin is related to sensitive parenting (Bakermans-Kranenburg & Van IJzendoorn, 2008; Feldman, Weller, Zagoory-Sharon, & Levine, 2007), although the exact mechanism underlying this positive association is not entirely clear yet. Another factor that influences parenting behavior is adult state of mind with respect to attachment (Van IJzendoorn, 1995). In the current dissertation, the role of oxytocin and adult attachment in parenting is examined with a series of functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments. Show less
During early adolescence, there is no association between internalizing behaviour and cannabis use. There is an association between externalizing behaviour and cannabis use, where externalizing... Show moreDuring early adolescence, there is no association between internalizing behaviour and cannabis use. There is an association between externalizing behaviour and cannabis use, where externalizing behaviour precedes cannabis use rather than the other way around. Secondly, during adolescence, there is an association between psychosis vulnerability and cannabis use, where cannabis use predicts psychosis vulnerability and vice versa, suggesting a bi-directional cascading association. Thirdly, during early adolescence, the social skill “self-control” was (unexpectedly) unrelated to cannabis use. Cooperation and assertiveness are associated with cannabis use during this life phase, where higher levels of cooperation decrease the chance of using cannabis and higher levels of assertiveness increase the chance of using cannabis during early adolescence. Cooperation and assertiveness did not differentiate between early and late onset of cannabis use or predict frequency of use. In addition, compared to non-users, cannabis users experience problems only in motivational inhibitory control, not in cognitive inhibitory control. Also, cannabis users experience problems in behavioural impulsivity, which is related to motivational inhibitory control. Lastly, cannabis users have problems with social perception in comparison to non-using controls, particularly when these social perception skills involve emotion recognition. Also, heavy cannabis users experience significantly more psychological problems when they have relatively poor social perception skills. Future research must determine whether the behavioural and cognitive concepts and constructs examined in this thesis in relation to cannabis use should be incorporated in prevention and intervention programs. Show less
The development of self-regulation is one of the major challenges of a child’s healthy development. In the current thesis, the contribution and interplay of parental and biological factors in... Show moreThe development of self-regulation is one of the major challenges of a child’s healthy development. In the current thesis, the contribution and interplay of parental and biological factors in the development of self-regulation in preschoolers are studied in a large population-based cohort, the Generation R Study. We found that attachment insecurity in infancy was related to higher levels of toddler active resistance during Clean-Up. Maternal negative discipline was related to lower levels of committed compliance in toddlers, and the association between maternal positive discipline and child committed compliance was moderated by the child’s COMT rs4680 genotype, indicating that the association was stronger in children with the Met/Met variant than for children with other COMT genotypes. Maternal family-related stress during pregnancy predicted lower levels of toddler committed compliance through lower levels of maternal positive discipline. Maternal sensitivity was associated with lower levels of executive function problems and lower levels of internalizing problems in preschool age. In children with a relatively short corpus callosum in infancy, higher levels of maternal positive discipline predicted lower levels of inhibition problems. Our studies demonstrate the role of various aspects of positive parenting and mother-child relationship quality in preschool children’s regulation of emotions and behavior. Show less
