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This study examined whether individual differences in personality (development) from adolescence to emerging adulthood were associated with burnout and happiness in emerging adulthood. At Time 1 (2009; M[subscript age] = 15.7 years), Time 2 (2012), and Time 3 (2015), Belgian participants (N = 329; 43.1% boys) reported on the personality dimensions of extraversion, agreeableness/benevolence, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness/imagination. Burnout (exhaustion, disengagement) and happiness (life satisfaction, overall affect) were measured through self-reports at Time 4 (2018). For each personality dimension, except benevolence, higher levels were associated with fewer burnout symptoms. Initial levels of all personality dimensions were related to more happiness. Shallower decreases in extraversion, emotional stability, and stronger increases in imagination were related to fewer burnout symptoms and more happiness. Results indicate the importance of studying personality "development" as a determinant of later well-being, above and beyond effects of initial levels. Findings offer new insights into the field of personality, occupational, and positive psychology.

This study examined the family emotional climate as assessed by Five Minute Speech Samples and the relation with parenting stress and parenting behaviors among parents of children (6-17 years, 64.7% boys) with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and without any known disability (n = 447). The large majority of parents (79%) showed low levels of Expressed Emotion, an indicator of a positive family climate. In all groups, more Emotional Over-involvement, more Criticism and fewer expressions of Warmth were associated with higher levels of parenting stress. Across groups, Emotional Over-involvement was related to more autonomy-supportive parenting, Criticism to more psychologically controlling and overreactive parenting, and Warmth was associated with more responsive and less psychologically controlling and overreactive parenting.

This preregistered study examined whether child temperament and executive functions moderated the longitudinal association between early life stress (ELS) and behavior problems. In a Dutch population-based cohort (n = 2803), parents reported on multiple stressors (age 0-6 years), child temperament (age 5), and executive functions (age 4), and teachers rated child internalizing and externalizing problems (age 7). Results showed that greater ELS was related to higher levels of internalizing and externalizing problems, with betas reflecting small effects. Lower surgency buffered the positive association of ELS with externalizing problems, while better shifting capacities weakened the positive association between ELS and internalizing problems. Other child characteristics did not act as moderators. Findings underscore the importance of examining multiple protective factors simultaneously.

The general factor of psychopathology (GP, or p factor) and the Dysregulation Profile (DP) are two conceptually similar, but independently developed approaches to understand psychopathology. GP and DP models and their stability, antecedents and outcomes are studied in a longitudinal sample of 1073 children (49.8% female). GP and DP models were estimated at ages 8 and 14 years using the parent-reported Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self Report (YSR). Early childhood antecedents and adolescent outcomes were derived using a multi-method multi-informant approach. Results showed that the general GP and DP had similar key symptoms and were similarly related to early-childhood antecedents (e.g., lower effortful control, higher maternal depression) and adolescent outcomes (e.g., reduced academic functioning, poorer mental health). This study demonstrates that GP and DP are highly similar constructs in middle childhood and adolescence, both describing a general vulnerability for psychopathology with (emotional) dysregulation at its core. Scientific integration of these approaches could lead to a better understanding of the structure, antecedents and outcomes of psychopathology.

This nine-year longitudinal study addresses the joint contribution of parent-rated negative controlling parenting and child personality on psychosocial outcomes in 141 families of children with autism spectrum disorder (83% boys, mean age Time 1 = 10.1). Latent change modeling revealed substantial variation in within-person change in parenting and psychosocial outcomes across a six- and three-year-interval. Over time, negative controlling parenting and child personality were consistently related to externalizing problems, whereas child personality was differentially related to internalizing problems and psychosocial strengths. Three personality-by-parenting interactions were significant, suggesting that children with less mature personality traits show more externalizing behaviors in the presence of controlling parenting. This study identified both parenting and child personality as important modifiers of developmental outcomes in youth with autism.

Because parents of children with cerebral palsy encounter many challenges, the quality of their parenting varies substantially across time. To understand how and why their parenting behaviors change across time, we examined the contributions of child behavior and parents' psychological needs to explanations of yearly variation in responsive, autonomy-supportive, and psychologically controlling parenting. We also explored whether parents' motivation to take care of their child explained why some parents engage in better-quality parenting than others. Parents (N = 117) of children with cerebral palsy (M[subscript age] = 10.98 years) participated in a three-wave longitudinal study. Multilevel analyses indicated that yearly variations in parents' need satisfaction and frustration related to yearly fluctuations in, respectively, autonomy-supportive and psychologically controlling parenting. Child behaviors had few unique effects on parenting. Parents' autonomous motivation was associated with better overall quality of parenting. We discuss implications for practice and directions for future research.

This study examined the family emotional climate as assessed by Five Minute Speech Samples and the relation with parenting stress and parenting behaviors among parents of children (6-17 years, 64.7% boys) with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and without any known disability (n = 447). The large majority of parents (79%) showed low levels of Expressed Emotion, an indicator of a positive family climate. In all groups, more Emotional Over-involvement, more Criticism and fewer expressions of Warmth were associated with higher levels of parenting stress. Across groups, Emotional Over-involvement was related to more autonomy-supportive parenting, Criticism to more psychologically controlling and overreactive parenting, and Warmth was associated with more responsive and less psychologically controlling and overreactive parenting., Author(s): Lana E. De Clercq [sup.1] , Peter Prinzie [sup.2] , Petra Warreyn [sup.3] , Bart Soenens [sup.4] , Lisa M. Dieleman [sup.4] , Sarah S. W. De Pauw [sup.1] [...]

Despite the benefits swift academic progress holds for many stakeholders, there is scarce literature on how academic progress may be improved by changes to assessment policies. Therefore, we investigated academic progress of first-year students after an alteration of characteristics of the assessment policies in three large course programmes: business administration (n = 2048) changed the stakes; medicine (n = 1630) changed the stakes and performance standard; psychology (n = 1076) changed the stakes, performance standard and resit standard. Results indicate that students' academic progress was sensitive to the characteristics of the assessment policy in all three course programmes. The changes in progress could be explained by differences in performance, as well as by differences in selection for progress by the different policies. Implications are that assessment policies seem effective in shaping student progress, although one size does not fit all.

Grounded on Belsky's process model and family systems theories and using an actor-partner interdependency modeling (APIM) approach (Belsky & Jaffee, 2006; Cox & Paley, 2003), the current study was the first to examine whether Big Five personality characteristics and depressive symptoms of parents and their partners are related to adolescent-perceived parenting behavior directly and indirectly via interparental stress experienced by both parents. Longitudinal data (Time 1: 2001; Time 2: 2007; and Time 3: 2009) from a large community sample of Flemish families was used (N = 455; Time 1 children: Mage = 7.10 years). Results revealed that, for both parents, more agreeableness and autonomy predicted more parental warmth, and more depressive symptoms and lower agreeableness predicted more overreactive discipline (i.e., actor effects). Both parents' depressive symptoms predicted their own interparental stress (i.e., actor effects). Regarding partner-effects, paternal overreactive discipline was shaped by mother's extraversion and experienced interparental stress, and paternal warmth was affected by mother's experienced interparental stress in addition to fathers' own psychological resources. In contrast, maternal parenting was affected by their own psychological resources only. Although no consistent mediating role of interparental stress was found, one small dyadic indirect effect indicated that maternal depressive symptoms were related to more paternal overreactive discipline via heightened levels of interparental stress experienced by both parents. These results provide new support for the idea of interdependency between parents and specifically support the fathering vulnerability hypothesis. Tentatively, this study informs clinical practice by showing that family interventions aiming to improve parenting should pay attention to specific personality characteristics affecting parenting behavior and adopt a dyadic approach including both parents, especially when targeting paternal parenting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The current pilot study examines pre-schooler's play behaviour involving dolls with and without facial characteristics of Down syndrome over a period of 16 weeks. Play behaviours were categorized into one of 3 behavioural categories with predefined observational scoring grids: prosocial, antisocial, or neutral/no behaviour. Participants also individually received an adapted version of the Preschool Racial Attitude Measure, to assess in- and outgroup attitudes of participants towards children with Down syndrome. Positive and negative attitudes and behaviours towards Down syndrome dolls were analysed over time with pre and post-measurements. Results showed that, whereas children showed negative behaviour towards the Down syndrome doll at the start of the experiment, this negative behaviour disappeared by the end of the experiment. Furthermore, children showed significantly more positive play behaviour during the experiment towards the Down syndrome dolls. The results of this pilot study indicate that playing with Down syndrome dolls at preschool age can potentially be used as a low cost, non-invasive prevention program to foster future positive behaviours towards Down syndrome, setting the stage for interactions with real children with Down syndrome in inclusive education. Implications for meeting the needs of children with Down syndrome and their peers in inclusive education are discussed.

This nine-year longitudinal study addresses the joint contribution of parent-rated negative controlling parenting and child personality on psychosocial outcomes in 141 families of children with autism spectrum disorder (83% boys, mean age Time 1 = 10.1). Latent change modeling revealed substantial variation in within-person change in parenting and psychosocial outcomes across a six- and three-year-interval. Over time, negative controlling parenting and child personality were consistently related to externalizing problems, whereas child personality was differentially related to internalizing problems and psychosocial strengths. Three personality-by-parenting interactions were significant, suggesting that children with less mature personality traits show more externalizing behaviors in the presence of controlling parenting. This study identified both parenting and child personality as important modifiers of developmental outcomes in youth with autism., Author(s): Lana E. De Clercq [sup.1] , Lisa M. Dieleman [sup.2] , Jolene van der Kaap-Deeder [sup.3] , Bart Soenens [sup.2] , Peter Prinzie [sup.4] , Sarah S. W. De [...]

This study aimed to gain more insight in the sources of daily parenting among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specifically, we examined associations between daily variations in child behavior, mothers' psychological needs, and mothers' controlling and autonomy-supportive parenting. Moreover, the study examined the potential mediating role of daily vitality and stress within these associations. In total 41 mothers (M[subscript age] = 41.84 years) of children with ASD (M[subscript age] = 10.92 years, range 7-15) participated in a 7-day diary study. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that both daily child behavior (i.e., externalizing problems and prosocial behavior) and mothers' psychological needs relate to day-to-day variation in parenting behavior. Daily stress and vitality played an intervening role in most of these associations.

Despite the frequently reported association of characteristics of assessment policies with academic performance, the mechanisms through which these policies affect performance are largely unknown. Therefore, the current research investigated performance, motivation and self-regulation for two groups of students following the same statistics course, but under two assessment policies: education and child studies (ECS) students studied under an assessment policy with relatively higher stakes, a higher performance standard and a lower resit standard, compared with Psychology students. Results show similar initial performance, but more use of resits and higher final performance (post-resit) under the ECS policy compared with the psychology policy. In terms of motivation and self-regulation, under the ECS policy significantly higher minimum grade goals, performance self-efficacy, task value, time and study environment management, and test anxiety were observed, but there were no significant differences in aimed grade goals, academic self-efficacy and effort regulation. The relations of motivational and self-regulatory factors with academic performance were similar between both assessment policies. Thus, educators should be keenly aware of how characteristics of assessment policies are related to students' motivation, self-regulation and academic performance.

Coping, personality, and identity are three well-known constructs within the field of psychology. Yet, findings regarding how these constructs relate to each other have been inconsistent. The present study employs network analysis to investigate coping, adaptive and maladaptive personality, and identity and how they are related, using data from the Flemish Study on Parenting, Personality, and Development (FSPPD; Prinzie et al., 2003; 1999–current). Young adults (N = 457; 47% male), aged between 17–23 years old, completed a survey on coping, adaptive and maladaptive personality, and identity. Results indicate clear associations between coping and both adaptive and maladaptive personality within the network, suggesting coping and personality are distinct, yet highly related constructs whereas identity proved largely unrelated. Potential implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to describe problem behaviors and psychosocial strengths, examine the problem-strength interrelations, and evaluate profiles of problems and strengths in youth with Down syndrome (DS). The community-based sample consisted of 67 parents of children with DS aged between 4 and 19 years. Parents reported about the developmental age (Vineland screener), behavioral problems (Child Behavior Checklist), and psychosocial strengths (Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale) of their child. Results indicate that attention, social, and thought problems were most prevalent, whereas family involvement and receiving/expressing affection were identified as strengths. A confirmatory factor analysis identified problems and strengths as distinct, yet related, variables. Moreover, a cluster analysis of problems and strengths identified four different profiles. Implications for interventions are discussed.

To investigate the effectiveness of interventions aiming to improve hot and cold executive functions (EFs) in children and adolescents with acquired brain injury (ABI) and to examine whether characteristics of the intervention, participants, etiology of ABI (Traumatic-brain-injury [TBI] or non-TBI), time of assessment, or study quality moderate intervention effects. Whereas cold EFs refer to purely cognitive EFs, hot EFs refer to the affective aspects of these cognitive skills. A total of 970 participants from 23 randomized-controlled-trial studies (112 effect sizes [ES]) were included. A three-level random effects approach (studies, ES, individual participants) was used. Moderation analyses were conducted through meta-regressions. The three-level random effects model showed a better fit than the two-level model. Almost all individual studies showed non-significant ES across outcomes but in combination interventions were effective (Cohen's d = 0.38, CI 0.16 ~ 0.61). Lower methodological quality, inclusion of participants with non-TBI, and parental participation predicted larger ES. Participants' age, time of assessment, number of sessions, and focus on hot or cold EFs were not related to ES. We found no evidence of publication bias. Interventions are effective with small to medium ES according to conventional criteria. Intervention effects do not seem to fade away with time. Parent participation in the intervention is important to improve EFs. The efficacy of interventions seems larger when non-TBI is part of the etiology of ABI. Variation between studies is relevant for tracing the effective intervention characteristics. Most studies are conducted in adolescence, and studies in early childhood are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to gain more insight in the sources of daily parenting among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specifically, we examined associations between daily variations in child behavior, mothers' psychological needs, and mothers' controlling and autonomy-supportive parenting. Moreover, the study examined the potential mediating role of daily vitality and stress within these associations. In total 41 mothers (M.sub.age = 41.84 years) of children with ASD (M.sub.age = 10.92 years, range 7-15) participated in a 7-day diary study. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that both daily child behavior (i.e., externalizing problems and prosocial behavior) and mothers' psychological needs relate to day-to-day variation in parenting behavior. Daily stress and vitality played an intervening role in most of these associations., Author(s): Lisa M. Dieleman [sup.1] , Bart Soenens [sup.1] , Maarten Vansteenkiste [sup.1] , Peter Prinzie [sup.2] , Nele Laporte [sup.1] , Sarah S. W. De Pauw [sup.1] Author Affiliations: [...]

Meet your new classmates, Tom and Jerry. When you are sad, Jerry is the type of friend that will come up to you and hug you. Tom, on the other hand, is more likely to laugh at you and make you feel silly for feeling sad. Tom and Jerry think and behave differently; that is, they have different personalities. People's personalities are made up of several personality traits. Some of these personality traits are generally seen as positive (so-called "light" traits) and some are generally seen as negative (so-called "dark" traits), although it is more complicated than that and we all have a mix of both. In this article, we discuss the personalities of Tom and Jerry and the differences and similarities between them. We will also help you to investigate your own personality, to find out if you are more like Tom or Jerry. Lastly, we will talk about how Tom became Tom and how Jerry became Jerry, and whether either of their personalities can change with time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this person-centered study, we identified different profiles of resilience and vulnerability in emerging adulthood in response to previously experienced stressful life events. Additionally, we examined whether mothers' and fathers' parenting and participants' personality traits in adolescence predicted these profiles. Data from the Flemish Study on Parenting, Personality, and Development (N = 346 families) were used. At T1 (2004; M age = 11 years), T2 (2007), and T3 (2009), mothers and fathers reported on their parenting and their child's personality. At T4 (2018; M age = 25 years), emerging adults retrospectively self-reported the occurrence and impact of 22 stressful life events and rated current behavior problems and subjective well-being. Latent profile analysis revealed three profiles: Competent (71%; low stress, low behavior problems, high subjective well-being), Vulnerable (21%; average stress, high behavior problems, low subjective well-being), and Resilient (9%; high stress, average behavior problems, average subjective well-being). Emerging adults in the Resilient profile had experienced higher levels of maternal positive parenting and were less emotionally stable and conscientious than those in the Competent profile. Furthermore, emerging adults in the Vulnerable profile were less emotionally stable than their peers in the Competent profile. These findings reveal new insights into the heterogeneous patterns of emerging adults' adaptation following stressful life events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transactional processes between parental support and adolescents' depressive symptoms might differ in the short term versus long term. Therefore, this multi-sample study tested bidirectional within-family associations between perceived parental support and depressive symptoms in adolescents with datasets with varying measurement intervals: Daily (N = 244, M age = 13.8 years, 38% male), bi-weekly (N = 256, M age = 14.4 years, 29% male), three-monthly (N = 245, M age = 13.9 years, 38% male), annual (N = 1,664, M age = 11.1 years, 51% male), and biennial (N = 502, M age = 13.8 years, 48% male). Preregistered random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) showed negative between- and within-family correlations. Moreover, although the preregistered models showed no within-family lagged effect from perceived parental support to adolescent depressive symptoms at any timescale, an exploratory model demonstrated a negative lagged effect at a biennial timescale with the annual dataset. Concerning the reverse within-family lagged effect, increases in adolescent depressive symptoms predicted decreases in perceived parental support 2 weeks and 3 months later (relationship erosion effect). Most cross-lagged effects were not moderated by adolescent sex or neuroticism trait level. Thus, the findings mostly support adolescent-driven effects at understudied timescales and illustrate that within-family lagged effects do not generalize across timescales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]