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Introduction: This study examined the relationship between psychological control of parents and Effortful Control of adolescents, and whether this relationship differs between boys and girls. Method: This study used quantitative data from a large scale longitudinal study called ‘Research on Adolescent Development And Relationships (RADAR)’, with seven measurement waves. The population exists of Dutch adolescents who are on average 13 years old. There were 294 boys (59%) and 228 girls (47%). The adolescents were in their first year of high school and came from families with an average or high socioeconomic status. The data has been collected through adolescent self-reports. Effortful Control is measured with the Behavioral Inhibition Scale (BIS) and Behavioral Activation Scale (BAS). Results: The analyses showed that there was no significant relation between psychological control of parents and Effortful Control BAS. However, psychological control of parents was positive related to Effortful Control BIS. This means that a high level of psychological control of parents is related to a high level of adolescent behavioral inhibition. The results did not support the expectations that psychological control was negatively related to Effortful Control BIS/BAS. There were no differences found between boys and girls in the relationship between psychological control and Effortful Control BIS/BAS. Conclusion: This study provides information for the development and improvement of preventive treatments and intervention programs. This can increase the degree of Effortful Control among adolescents and can reduce the psychosocial, cognitive, academic, and social problems.

Self-regulation is an important aspect of a child's life; it is necessary to be able to adapt yourself successfully in daily life. Parental responsiveness is related to child’s self-regulation. In this study, the relation between parental responsiveness and (pre)adolescent self-regulation is examined. It is also examined whether the age of the (pre)adolescent is moderating this relation. This survey study was conducted under 120 Dutch mother-child pairs, of which the (pre)adolescents were between 8 and 14 years old. Parental responsiveness was measured with the Nijmeegse Opvoedingsvragenlijst - Responsiveness. Self-regulation of the (pre)adolescents was measured with the Early Adolescence Temperament Questionnaire Revised, which was filled in by the mothers of the (pre)adolescents. This study has shown that parental responsiveness positively correlates with (pre)adolescents self-regulation. In addition, it has been found that age does not moderate this relation. Age as moderator on this relation should be further investigated in the future, to expand scientific acknowledge.

This study examined the relations between parenting behaviors (parental knowledge and parental control) of both mothers and fathers and externalizing behavior of adolescents (11-16 years). Moderation of these relations by gender was also investigated. The sample of this study consisted of 520 adolescents (Mage = 13.03; SD = .46). Questionnaires of adolescents were used to measure parenting behavior. To measure externalizing behavior questionnaires of mothers and fathers were used. Findings revealed that less parental knowledge and less parental control was associated with more adolescent externalizing behavior. No gender differences were found in this relation.

In (pre)adolescence, externalizing and internalizing problem behavior reach a peak. To be able to reduce this problem behavior, it is important to investigate its causes. The aim of the present study is to investigat e the relation between maternal stress and externalizing and internalizing problem behavior in (pre)adolescents between 8 and 14 years. This research study can contribute to the development and optimization of preventive interventions that reduce the effect of maternal stress on the development of preadolescents. This can be achieved by making the risk factors clearer. This study can also be used to develop screening materials to reduce maternal s tress and exter nalizing and internalizing problem behavior in (pre)adolescents. Based on literature research two hypotheses have been drawn. A positive relation between parental stress and both externalizing (1) and internalizing (2) problem behavior among (pre)adolesce nts was expected. The subjects of this study (120 mothers) were selected in the network of students. In the current study two questionnaires have been used, i.e. the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for measuring externalizing and internalizing problems, and items of the Parental Stress Index (PSI) and Nijmeegse Ouderlijke Stress Index (NOSI) for measuring maternal stress. On the basis of the results of this research, it can be concluded that a higher degree of maternal stress may be associate d with a higher degree of both externalizing and internalizing problems among (pre)adolescents. Thereby previously established hypotheses were confirmed. By studies on environmental influences within a family, such as current research, the quality of child hood education and childhood development can be optimized by reducing maternal stress and problem behavior.

De belangrijkste bevinding van dit onderzoek is dat er een klein significant negatief verband bestaat tussen responsiviteit van ouders en internaliserende problematiek bij (pre)adolescenten, waarbij deze relatie volledig wordt gemedieerd door NA.

The aim of this study was to determine the relation between effortful control and externalizing problem behaviour in (pre)adolescents and to examine the moderating role of gender in this relation. Gender differences in the degree of effortful control and externalizing problem behaviour were also examined. Furthermore, this study investigated whether a difference in the relations between the domains of effortful control (inhibitory control, activation control and attention) and externalizing problem behaviour in (pre)adolescents exists. It is important to examine the moderating role of gender and the differences in the relations between the domains, because interventions can be made more specific to reduce externalizing problem behaviour. A sample of 120 (pre)adolescents (age 8-13) were examined. The scores of effortful control were assessed by the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire Revised and the scores of externalizing problem behaviour by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, both completed by the mothers. It was found that high effortful control was related to less externalizing problem behaviour in (pre)adolescents and that this relation was stronger for boys. No differences were found in the degree of effortful control and externalizing problem behaviour between boys and girls. Also no differences were found between inhibitory control and activation control in the relation with externalizing problem behaviour. Furthermore, no relation between attention and externalizing problem behaviour was found. It is recommended to repeat the research with a clinical sample involved a large sample size, multi-informants and more measuring instruments.

The goal of this study was to examine the correlation between parental disciplining and externalizing behavior of (pre)adolescents. In this case, parental disciplining was subdivided into harsh disciplining and consistent disciplining. There were 119 mothers who participated with one of their children between the age of 8 and 14. Externalizing behavior of (pre)adolescents was measured, as well as harsh disciplining and consistent disciplining by mothers. The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ), the Parental Dimension Inventory (PDI) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were used. The questionnaires were filled in by mothers. The findings indicate that there is no correlation between harsh disciplining and externalizing behavior. However, a negative correlation between consistent disciplining and externalizing behavior was found. The hypothesis that a high prevalence of parental harsh disciplining is related to a high prevalence of externalizing behavior for (pre)adolescents was not confirmed. The hypothesis that a high prevalence of parental consistent disciplining is related to a low prevalence of externalizing behavior for (pre)adolescents was confirmed. Limitations regarding this study and further recommendations for future research are noted.

Deze master thesis onderzoekt het belang van het element gedragsactivatie (GA) binnen de cognitieve gedragstherapie (CGT) in het preventief en curatief behandelen van depressie bij adolescenten. Aan de hand van een taxonomie zijn 22 depressie protocollen geanalyseerd. Hierbij is gekeken naar: de aan- of afwezigheid van GA, onderdelen van GA, de ontvanger van de therapie, de modaliteit, de aanbiedingsvorm, de dosering en de plaats binnen de interventie waarin GA een rol speelt. Aan de hand van een kwalitatieve analyse van de taxonomie en effectiviteitsstudies kunnen indirecte verbanden worden gelegd tussen de verschillende condities van GA en de effectiviteit. Naast de analyse van protocollen zijn vier professionals geïnterviewd om te achterhalen in hoeverre professionals verschillende elementen toepassen en welke elementen zij belangrijk vinden. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat GA in minder dan de helft van de protocollen voorkomt, aan de hand van minimaal twee inhoudelijke onderdelen wordt aangeboden, meestal face-to-face aan een kind individueel of aan een groep kinderen wordt aangeboden, bij het merendeel van de protocollen die GA toepassen in minder dan de helft van de sessies wordt toegepast en meestal vanaf het begin van een programma wordt ingezet. De resultaten duiden op onvoldoende aanwijzingen om een verband te leggen tussen GA en de effectiviteit van CGT. Wel is er een mogelijke relatie tussen een online aanbiedingsvorm en de effectiviteit van een interventie. Er wordt aanbevolen om in vervolgonderzoek te kijken naar de effectiviteit van een online aanbiedingsvorm van CGT en naar de effectiviteit van GA in combinatie met andere CGT elementen als mogelijk werkzaam element.

Doel. Met dit onderzoek is onderzocht of de psychologische flexibiliteit van ouders toenam en de ouder-kindrelatie, gemeten door communicatie en conflicten, verbeterde door deelname aan de oudercursus ‘ACTief opvoeden’. Methode. Voorafgaand aan, direct na afloop en zes maanden na de oudercursus hebben 55 participanten de Parental Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (PAAQ), de Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (PCS) en de Network of Relationship Inventory (NRI) ingevuld. Resultaten. Uit afhankelijke t-toetsen bleek dat de psychologische flexibiliteit van ouders significant is toegenomen, de communicatie significant is verbeterd en conflicten significant zijn verminderd direct na het volgen van de oudercursus. Effectgroottes varieerden van klein voor communicatie en conflicten tot groot voor psychologische flexibiliteit. De toename in psychologische flexibiliteit was na zes maanden nog steeds significant. De effectgrootte was groot. De verbetering in communicatie en de afname van conflicten waren na zes maanden niet significant ten opzichte van de voormeting. Daarnaast medieerde de toename in psychologische flexibiliteit van ouders de verbetering van communicatie en vermindering van conflicten door het volgen van de oudercursus niet. Conclusie. De oudercursus ‘ACTief opvoeden’ lijkt veelbelovend voor het vergroten van de psychologische flexibiliteit van ouders en het verbeteren van de ouder-kindrelatie. Vervolgonderzoek is echter nodig om meer inzicht te krijgen in de werkzame elementen van deze cursus en ACT-strategieën in ouderbegeleiding.

The following study investigated the relationship between maternal psychological control and emotional and conduct problems in (pre)adolescents. This study included 105 mother-child couples, with 8-14 year old children. Mothers completed the subscales emotional problems and conduct problems of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, while the (pre)adolescents completed the Psychological Control Scale. Correlation and regression analyses showed no significant relation between maternal psychological control and emotional problems in (pre)adolescents. However, there did seem to be a significant positive association between maternal psychological control and conduct problems in (pre)adolescents. More maternal psychological control was related to more conduct problems. Together, these findings suggest that maternal psychological control is positively related to conduct problems, but not to emotional problems in (pre)adolescence. The latter seems to be in contrast with previous literature, which could be explained due to intracultural differences, exclusion of fathers and possible under-reporting of emotional problems by mothers.

Parents vary in their way of raising their children. The quality of nurturing is related to parental behaviour and parental self-efficacy. There is limited information about the relation between parental self-efficacy and parental behaviour and the role of fathers and the role of the gender of the child. This study examined the relation between parental self-efficacy and parental behaviour, including the impact of the parent’s gender and the child’s gender, by parents with children between 2 and 4 years old. The data were collected through a cross-sectional survey. 79 fathers and 166 mothers participated in this study. Parental behaviour and parental self-efficacy were reported by the parent, by using global measurements. Parental behaviour was split up in four dimensions: warmth, structure, positive parenting and harsh discipline. For each dimension a regression method was used to examine whether parental self-efficacy predicted the value of the dimension, and whether this effect differed depending on the parent’s or the child’s gender. The results showed that higher parental self-efficacy predicted more warmth, structure and positive parenting and less harsh discipline. Thus, higher parental self-efficacy is related to better parental behaviour and this effect is the same for fathers and mothers, and for parents with a son and parents with a daughter.

Background: Parental divorce is related to internalizing and externalizing problems in children and adolescents. However, family structure has become more diverse over time. There is little understanding about how family structure relates to internalizing and externalizing. Therefore, this study includes married, cohabited, divorced and decohabited families. Purpose: The aim of the study is to clarify the relation between family structure and internalizing and externalizing problems, the role of gender, and quality of the parent-child relationship. Methods: This study includes 6821 Dutch adolescents in the age of 12 to 18 at a large representative group of secondary schools. Data were collected in six consecutive years via a cross-sequential design. These data consist of self-report questionnaires of adolescents about individual and family functioning. Results: Adolescents from divorced families show significantly higher levels of internalizing problems than adolescents from married, cohabitated, and decohabitated families. Adolescents from decohabitated families show significantly higher levels of externalizing problems than adolescents from married families. Furthermore, gender significantly interacts with family structure for internalizing problems. An indication for a (partial) mediation effect has been found for the quality of the parent-child relationship between family structure and internalizing and externalizing problems. Conclusion: Parental divorce is related to more internalizing problems in adolescents and parental decohabitation is related to more externalizing problems in adolescents, compared to adolescents with married parents. These relations could be partially mediated via the quality of the parent-child relationship and gender is related to the type of problem behavior.