- Netherlands
Bram De Castro
Utrecht University, Developmental Psychology, Faculty Member
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Only a limited number of effectiveness studies have been performed to study the benefits of efficacious behavior problems prevention programs for children when implemented through national health service systems. This study uses a... more
Only a limited number of effectiveness studies have been performed to study the benefits of efficacious behavior problems prevention programs for children when implemented through national health service systems. This study uses a quasi-experimental design to test the effectiveness of the school-based PATHS prevention program (Providing Alternative THinking Strategies) when implemented through Dutch municipal health services by health promotion professionals. A sample of 1,294 children was followed for two years: 674 children attending nine schools providing PATHS and 620 children in nine comparison schools. We hypothesized finding an intervention effect of PATHS in terms of a significant reduction in teacher- and student-rated externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors, and a significant improvement in teacher-, student-, and peer-rated social skills and emotional skills. In fact, the results show low levels of program implementation and no intervention effects on problem be...
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Zijn wij ‘autonome subjecten’ die eigen keuzes maken op grond van ons geweten? Hoe is dat geweten tot stand gekomen? En welke krachten sturen de gewetensontwikkeling van psychologen zelf? Grote vragen, aldus Bram Orobio de Castro.
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... dat hoog-leraar Bram Orobio de Castro juist in de stationsrestauratie van Utrecht CS graag zijn verhaal doet. Hij legt namelijk aan de hand van een metafoor over vertrekkende treinen uit wat voor onderzoek hij doet met zijn groep... more
... dat hoog-leraar Bram Orobio de Castro juist in de stationsrestauratie van Utrecht CS graag zijn verhaal doet. Hij legt namelijk aan de hand van een metafoor over vertrekkende treinen uit wat voor onderzoek hij doet met zijn groep Experimentele Ontwikkelingspsychopathologie ...
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... Bram Orobio de Castro (*) Dr. B. Orobio de Castro is werkzaam bij de capaciteitsgroep Ontwikkelingspsychologie van de Universiteit Utrecht. ... het 'opvoeden' van een ander door hem te straffen, het nastreven van een... more
... Bram Orobio de Castro (*) Dr. B. Orobio de Castro is werkzaam bij de capaciteitsgroep Ontwikkelingspsychologie van de Universiteit Utrecht. ... het 'opvoeden' van een ander door hem te straffen, het nastreven van een dominante positie, en – bij een kleine groep – door plezier ...
Agressief, regelovertredend en delinquent gedrag van kinderen en jongeren is een belangrijke reden tot zorg. Om gedragsproblemen effectief te kunnen voorkomen en behandelen is het belangrijk te weten hoe ze ontstaan. In deze context duidt... more
Agressief, regelovertredend en delinquent gedrag van kinderen en jongeren is een belangrijke reden tot zorg. Om gedragsproblemen effectief te kunnen voorkomen en behandelen is het belangrijk te weten hoe ze ontstaan. In deze context duidt het begrip ‘gedragstoornis’ alleen op een gedragspatroon dat een bepaalde naam heeft gekregen; een gedragsstoornis is dus geen oorzaak voor gedrag, maar een beschrijving ervan. Dit hoofdstuk beschrijft het ontwikkelingsverloop van agressief en regelovertredend gedrag. Bij de beschrijving van risico- en beschermende factoren komt steeds de wisselwerking tussen kind en omgeving aan bod, die kan leiden tot een vicieuze cirkel waarin gedrag van het kind de omgeving ongunstig beinvloedt en de omgeving het gedrag van het kind ongunstig beinvloedt. Er spelen immers niet alleen kindfactoren, maar ook invloeden uit het gezin, van leeftijdgenoten en de bredere sociale omgeving.
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Most research on children's social problem-solving skills is based on responses to hypothetical vignettes. Just how these responses relate to actual behaviour in real-life social situations is, however, unclear, particularly for... more
Most research on children's social problem-solving skills is based on responses to hypothetical vignettes. Just how these responses relate to actual behaviour in real-life social situations is, however, unclear, particularly for children with mild intellectual disabilities (MID). In the present study, the spontaneous and selected responses of 56 children with MID to hypothetical situations from the Social Problem-Solving Test for children with MID (SPT-MID) were compared to their actual behaviour in comparable staged standardized real-life conflict situations. Correlations to externalizing behaviour problems were assessed using the Teacher's Report Form (TRF). The results show children with MID and accompanying externalizing behaviour problems to behave more aggressively in the staged real-life conflicts and provide more spontaneous aggressive responses to the hypothetical vignettes than children with MID and no accompanying externalizing behaviour problems; they did not, however, select more aggressive responses from the hypothetical options provided. A moderate correlation was found between the aggressiveness of the spontaneous responses in the hypothetical situations and actual behaviour in the staged real-life situations. In addition, both the spontaneous aggressive responses under hypothetical circumstances and the actual aggressive behaviour under staged real-life circumstances were related to teacher-rated aggressive behaviour in the classroom. It is concluded that the hypothetical vignettes from the SPT-MID do provide information on both the actual behaviour and knowledge of social problem-solving skills of children with MID.
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Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Education, Social Problems, Intellectual Disability, and 13 moreMedicine, Problem Solving, Humans, Child, Aggression, Female, Male, Netherlands, Social Environment, Behavioural Problems, Child behavior disorders, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
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... DOI: 10.1080/17405620444000300 Welmoet Merk a * , Bram Orobio de Castro a , Willem Koops a & Walter Matthys b pages 197-220. Available online: 20 Jun 2011. ...
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Psychology, Personality, Illustration, Stability, Variance, and 15 moreAdjustment, Adolescence, Inequality, Bayes Factors, European, International English, Empirical evidence, Latent Class Analysis, Psychosocial Functioning, Taverne, Likelihood, Null Hypothesis, Hypothesis Test, Inequality Constraints, and inequality constraint
When people reflect on their important values, they may become more attuned to the needs of others. Two longitudinal field experiments examined whether a subtle value-affirmation manipulation can initiate relatively enduring increases in... more
When people reflect on their important values, they may become more attuned to the needs of others. Two longitudinal field experiments examined whether a subtle value-affirmation manipulation can initiate relatively enduring increases in young adolescents' prosocial feelings (Study 1; Mage = 12.9) and prosocial behaviors (Study 2; Mage = 12.9). Participants completed a brief writing exercise that affirmed the values they deemed either most important (value-affirmation group) or unimportant (control group). As predicted, the value affirmation, coupled with a booster affirmation 6 weeks later, caused increases in prosocial feelings and behaviors over the 3-month study period. Antisocial students who were value-affirmed showed especially strong increases in prosocial behavior. These results suggest that "gentle passions" can be aroused in youth by cost- and time-efficient means. The practical utility of value affirmations will need to be evaluated in future work.
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Psychology, Cognitive Science, Developmental Psychology, Psychometrics, Adolescent, and 15 moreMedicine, Prosocial Behavior, Emotions, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Humans, Child, Female, Male, Field Experiment, Netherlands, Longitudinal Studies, Analysis of Variance, Social Behavior, Adolescent Behavior, and Control Group
Narcissism is a dynamic form of personality characterized by a pervasive sense of grandiosity and self-importance, and by a need to obtain continuous self-validation from others. Very little is known about its etiology and development.... more
Narcissism is a dynamic form of personality characterized by a pervasive sense of grandiosity and self-importance, and by a need to obtain continuous self-validation from others. Very little is known about its etiology and development. What factors (e.g., temperament, parenting experiences) and processes (e.g., transactions between these factors over time) cause some children to become more narcissistic than others? When does narcissism first emerge, and how does narcissism develop over time? This article describes a framework for research on the etiology and development of narcissism, and recommends ten research priorities. This research should yield fundamental knowledge and should inform intervention efforts to minimize the negative impact narcissistic individuals have on themselves and on others.
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Psychology, Cognitive Science, Personality, Child Development, Personality Assessment, and 13 moreMedicine, Humans, Child, Personality Assessment Inventory, Narcissism, Punishment, Dark Triad, Interpersonal Relations, Self Concept, Homeostasis, Psychological Models, Age of Onset, and Personality Inventory
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Psychology, Cognitive Science, Developmental Psychology, Individuality, Child Development, and 15 moreHumans, Child, Correlation, Evaluation methods, Personality Development, Female, Narcissism, Male, Interpersonal Relations, Peer group, Self Concept, Internet, Self Esteem, interpersonal relation, and reinforcement psychology
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Psychology, Cognitive Science, Child Development, Medicine, Intention, and 15 moreAggressive Behavior, Humans, Child, Aggression, Effect size, Female, Male, Attribution, Selection Criteria, Meta Analysis, Hostility, General Population, Severity of Illness Index, Child preschool, and Child behavior disorders
Background:For elementary school-children with aggressive behaviour problems, there is a strong need for effective preventive interventions to interrupt the developmental trajectory towards more serious behaviour problems.Aim:The aim of... more
Background:For elementary school-children with aggressive behaviour problems, there is a strong need for effective preventive interventions to interrupt the developmental trajectory towards more serious behaviour problems.Aim:The aim of this RCT-study was to evaluate a school-based individual tailor-made intervention (Stay Cool Kids), designed to reduce aggressive behaviour in selected children by enhancing cognitive behavioural skills.Method:The sample consisted of 48 schools, with 264 fourth-grade children selected by their teachers because of elevated levels of externalizing behaviour (TRF T-score > 60), randomly assigned to the intervention or no-intervention control condition.Results:The intervention was found to be effective in reducing reactive and proactive aggressive behaviour as reported by children, mothers, fathers or teachers, with effect sizes ranging from .11 to .32. Clinically relevant changes in teacher-rated externalizing behaviour were found: the intervention r...
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Psychology, Cognitive Science, Emotional intelligence, Personality Assessment, Consumer Behavior, and 15 moreMedicine, Humans, Child, Text, Aggression, Female, Male, Netherlands, Longitudinal Studies, School health services, Self Perception, Randomized Controlled Trial, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy, Social cognitions, and Child behavior disorders
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Background A central tenet in developmental psychopathology is that childhood rearing experiences have a major impact on children’s development. Recently, candidate genes have been identified that may cause children to be differentially... more
Background A central tenet in developmental psychopathology is that childhood rearing experiences have a major impact on children’s development. Recently, candidate genes have been identified that may cause children to be differentially susceptible to these experiences (i.e., susceptibility genes). However, our understanding of the differential impact of parenting is limited at best. Specifically, more experimental research is needed. The ORCHIDS study will investigate gene-(gene-)environment interactions to obtain more insight into a) moderating effects of polymorphisms on the link between parenting and child behavior, and b) behavioral mechanisms that underlie these gene-(gene-)environment interactions in an experimental design. Methods/Design The ORCHIDS study is a randomized controlled trial, in which the environment will be manipulated with an intervention (i.e., Incredible Years parent training). In a screening, families with children aged 4–8 who show mild to (sub)clinical be...
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Medical Sciences, Research Design, Parenting, Medicine, Child Behavior, and 13 moreHumans, Child, Follow-up studies, Netherlands, Parents, Public health systems and services research, Randomized Controlled Trial, Genetic Polymorphism, Externalizing Behavior, Parent‐child Relations, Differential Susceptibility, Child preschool, and Child behavior disorders
Narcissism levels have been increasing among Western youth, and contribute to societal problems such as aggression and violence. The origins of narcissism, however, are not well understood. Here, we report, to our knowledge, the first... more
Narcissism levels have been increasing among Western youth, and contribute to societal problems such as aggression and violence. The origins of narcissism, however, are not well understood. Here, we report, to our knowledge, the first prospective longitudinal evidence on the origins of narcissism in children. We compared two perspectives: social learning theory (positing that narcissism is cultivated by parental overvaluation) and psychoanalytic theory (positing that narcissism is cultivated by lack of parental warmth). We timed the study in late childhood (ages 7-12), when individual differences in narcissism first emerge. In four 6-mo waves, 565 children and their parents reported child narcissism, child self-esteem, parental overvaluation, and parental warmth. Four-wave cross-lagged panel models were conducted. Results support social learning theory and contradict psychoanalytic theory: Narcissism was predicted by parental overvaluation, not by lack of parental warmth. Thus, chil...
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BACKGROUND: Unconditional regard refers to the feeling that one is accepted and valued by others without conditions. Psychological theory suggests that experiences of unconditional regard lead children to feel that they are valuable... more
BACKGROUND: Unconditional regard refers to the feeling that one is accepted and valued by others without conditions. Psychological theory suggests that experiences of unconditional regard lead children to feel that they are valuable despite setbacks. We hypothesized that reflecting on experiences of unconditional regard would buffer children’s negative self-feelings (eg, shame, insecurity, powerlessness) in the face of setbacks. To test this hypothesis, we randomized children to reflect on experiences of unconditional regard or other experiences, and examined their response to an academic setback 3 weeks later. METHODS: Participants (11–15 years old) were randomly assigned to reflect for 15 minutes on experiences of unconditional regard (n = 91), conditional regard (n = 80), or other social experiences (n = 76). Research personnel, teachers, and classmates remained blind to condition assignment. Three weeks later, after receiving their course grades, children reported their self-fee...