Background: This study aimed to investigate whether people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) can benefit from reliving positive autobiographical memories in terms of mood and state self... Show moreBackground: This study aimed to investigate whether people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) can benefit from reliving positive autobiographical memories in terms of mood and state self-esteem and elucidate the neural processes supporting optimal memory reliving. Particularly the role of vividness and brain areas involved in autonoetic consciousness were studied, as key factors involved in improving mood and state self-esteem by positive memory reliving. Methods: Women with BPD (N = 25), Healthy Controls (HC, N = 33) and controls with Low Self-Esteem (LSE, N = 22) relived four neutral and four positive autobiographical memories in an MRI scanner. After reliving each memory mood and vividness was rated. State self-esteem was assessed before and after the Reliving Autobio-graphical Memories (RAM) task. Results: Overall, mood and state self-esteem were lower in participants with BPD compared to HC and LSE, but both the BPD and LSE group improved significantly after positive memory reliving. Moreover, participants with BPD indicated that they relived their memories with less vividness than HC but not LSE, regardless of valence. When reliving (vs reading) memories, participants with BPD showed increased precuneus and lingual gyrus activation compared to HC but not LSE, which was inversely related to vividness. Discussion: Women with BPD seem to experience more challenges in reliving neutral and positive autobio-graphical memories with lower vividness and less deactivated precuneus potentially indicating altered autono-etic consciousness. Nevertheless, participants with BPD do benefit in mood and self-esteem from reliving positive memories. These findings underline the potential of positive autobiographical memory reliving and suggest that interventions may be further shaped to improve mood and strengthen self-views in people with BPD. Show less
The results described in this thesis support the strong empirical evidence for the effectiveness of CBT-Ef for patients with an eating disorder and a BMI>17.5. When compared to TAU, we found... Show moreThe results described in this thesis support the strong empirical evidence for the effectiveness of CBT-Ef for patients with an eating disorder and a BMI>17.5. When compared to TAU, we found comparable effects on eating disorder psychopathology, however CBT-Ef is superior in enhancing self-esteem with significantly fewer sessions and within a shorter time. We found no support for the hypothesis that more severe self-esteem problems, higher levels of perfectionism, or more interpersonal problems would obstruct long-term improvement and would therefore need extra attention in an extended protocol. A broader use of CBT-Ef in clinical practice could result in more efficient and accessible treatment for patients with an eating disorder. In another study we found COMET to be effective in enhancing self-esteem in patients with an eating disorder. Since we did not find the predictive value of low self-esteem in CBT-E treatment outcome, we suggest to integrate COMET in an eating disorder treatment only when low self-esteem is pronounced and interferes with making progress. Show less
In this thesis, I investigated the behavioral and neural processes involved in self-concept development in adolescence within the context of future-oriented educational decision-making. The studies... Show moreIn this thesis, I investigated the behavioral and neural processes involved in self-concept development in adolescence within the context of future-oriented educational decision-making. The studies presented in this thesis all highlight that self-concept is a multifaceted and complex construct that not only develops in interaction with the social environment, but can also have an impact on someone’s future environment. For example, results from chapter 2 indicated that the social environment, expressed in the outcomes of social comparisons, can affect the positivity of the self to a different extent across multiple domains and different stages of adolescence. Chapter 3 showed how adolescents’ academic self-concept can influence their motivation to stay committed to goals important for their future educational environment, whereas chapter 4 illustrated differences in self-esteem and self-concept clarity in individuals who differed in their experienced problems with choosing this future educational environment. Finally, chapter 5 demonstrated that in late adolescence, sensitivity to outside influences can be used to stimulate self-concept development through training which can ultimately help adolescents in their educational decision-making and adjustment in higher education. Together, these studies provide a comprehensive view on self-concept development in adolescence that takes place within a broader social, and educational context. Show less
People diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) continuously struggle with knowing who they are and maintaining relationships. Fortunately, psychotherapies for BPD have proven effective... Show morePeople diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) continuously struggle with knowing who they are and maintaining relationships. Fortunately, psychotherapies for BPD have proven effective. However, not everyone benefits from treatment with particular challenges remaining in social relations and finding meaning in life. Therefore, it is important to understand how we can better support people with BPD.We know that identity disturbances relate to interpersonal difficulties but we do not really understand how. Therefore, we investigated how interactions with others are influenced by how people see themselves, in the general population and in people diagnosed with BPD. To this end, we studied brain activation and the role of childhood trauma and low self-esteem. In addition, we investigated whether self-views can be strengthened using positive memories.We found that the way people respond to critiques and compliments relates to how positive or negative they see themselves. Moreover, vivid positive memories can benefit mood and self-esteem. However, people with BPD seem to not sufficiently distance themselves from critiques nor engage in positive memories and compliments. Finding the right balance between distance from critiques and engagement with a positive self-image may break the cycle of negative self-knowledge and contribute to better social interactions. Show less
Geel, M. van; Goemans, A.; Zwaanswijk, W.; Gini, G.; Vedder, P. 2018
In the current study two meta-analyses are performed on longitudinal studies on peer victimization and self-esteem. The goal of these meta-analyses was to analyze whether a low self-esteem predicts... Show moreIn the current study two meta-analyses are performed on longitudinal studies on peer victimization and self-esteem. The goal of these meta-analyses was to analyze whether a low self-esteem predicts future peer victimization, or whether peer victimization predicts future low self-esteem. The databases PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and ERIC were searched for relevant literature. Two authors independently went through the retrieved articles and found four doctoral dissertations and 14 peer reviewed articles eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Articles were independently coded by two authors, with good interrater agreement. A total of 16,230 youth were included in the meta-analysis on peer victimization and self-esteem, and a total of 16,394 youth were included in the meta-analysis on self-esteem and peer victimization. Significant prospective pathways were found from peer victimization to self-esteem, and from self-esteem to peer victimization, which suggests that peer victimization and self-esteem are related in a transactional manner. Analyses suggested a negligible role of publication bias in the obtained results. Moderator analyses revealed that effect sizes were smaller for studies that used peer reports, and for studies that considered longer time-spans. The results of the current study suggest that peer victimization could have long lasting negative effects on self-esteem, but also point out that children may become victims because of low self-esteem. Show less
Vonk, R.; Radstaak, M.; Heus, P. de; Jolij, J. 2017
Contingent self-worth has been studied as an individual differences variable affecting how self-relevant information is processed. We examined the effects of self-relevant information on contingent... Show moreContingent self-worth has been studied as an individual differences variable affecting how self-relevant information is processed. We examined the effects of self-relevant information on contingent self-worth as a dependent variable. In Experiment 1 (N = 79, college students), participants’ performance contingency was higher after negative than positive performance feedback. In Experiment 2 (N = 3764, community sample), social approval and appearance contingencies were lower in a social approval condition than in control conditions. Mediation analyses suggested this effect was mediated by enhanced self-esteem. Thus, self-esteem increased due to the very source that participants came to regard as less important: Social approval. Results are explained in terms of sociometer theory and limited introspection abilities: All self-esteem is sensitive to external contingencies, people just become more aware of this when it is threatened. Show less
Meulen, M. van der; Veldhuis, J.; Braams, B.R.; Peters, S.; Konijn, E.A.; Crone, E.A.M. 2017
Media’s prevailing thin-body ideal plays a vital role in adolescent girls’ body image development, but the co-occurring impact of peer feedback is understudied. The present study used functional... Show moreMedia’s prevailing thin-body ideal plays a vital role in adolescent girls’ body image development, but the co-occurring impact of peer feedback is understudied. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test media imagery and peer feedback combinations on neural activity related to thin-body ideals. Twenty-four healthy female late adolescents rated precategorized body sizes of bikini models (too thin or normal), directly followed by ostensible peer feedback (too thin or normal). Consistent with prior studies on social feedback processing, results showed increased brain activity in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC)/anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and bilateral insula in incongruent situations: when participants rated media models’ body size as normal while peer feedback indicated the models as too thin (or vice versa). This effect was stronger for girls with lower self-esteem. A subsequent behavioral study (N = 34 female late adolescents, separate sample) demonstrated that participants changed behavior in the direction of the peer feedback: precategorized normal sized models were rated as too thin more often after receiving too thin peer feedback. This suggests that the neural responses upon peer feedback may influence subsequent choice. Our results show that media-by-peer interactions have pronounced effects on girls’ body ideals. Show less
This book presents a mode by which to discuss and assess Jewish religious participation and religious group membership as a social phenomenon through the lens of social identity theory. It... Show moreThis book presents a mode by which to discuss and assess Jewish religious participation and religious group membership as a social phenomenon through the lens of social identity theory. It includes analyses and discussion of minority groups’ self-perception within broader national contexts, self-esteem as a result of religious group membership, and the dichotomy between religious in-group identity and active belief. If we are able to distinguish ‘belief’ from ‘belonging’ relative to institutional religions, we might better accommodate the needs and values of these groups. This book focuses on a Canadian group of secular Jews, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to illuminate how religious identity, connection and membership affect daily modern life. Show less
The thesis (working title: 'Indigenous Education and Heritage Revitalization') focuses on the (possible) roles of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the education of indigenous peoples in... Show moreThe thesis (working title: 'Indigenous Education and Heritage Revitalization') focuses on the (possible) roles of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the education of indigenous peoples in Taiwan, against the background of worldwide discussions and studies of the possibilities to create and implement adequate and desired forms of bilingual and intercultural education in indigenous communities (as recommended by UNESCO and reaffirmed in the U.N. Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007). The research is not simply focused on the indigenous peoples in Taiwan, but situates their experiences in a global perspective (ranging from the case of the Maori in New Zealand to that of the Frisians in the Netherlands and the First Nations in Canada). The idea of the author is to create an important value of this dissertation is that it not only explores the theoretical and practical dimensions of indigenous education models, but also examines the issues of identity and proposes possibilities for national mainstream society to understand, acknowledge, and appreciate cultural diversity. Show less
