Explore the study design & measures in the Leiden-CID study
What did we study? What constructs were measured? And when did we measure them in our cohorts? In the Leiden-CID study, more than a hundred measures were used over the course of two cohorts and twelve waves.
Metadata explorer
We think transparency, findability and accessibility are central to good research practice. Therefore we will share +/- 600 data files, each with their own accompanying metadata file when it's all processed.
Aim of the study
The primary aim of the Leiden-CID study is to increase our understanding of the developmental pathways of social behavior and behavioral control that are important to the development of social competence, from early childhood to young adulthood.
If we better understand the mechanisms involved in developmental processes of social competence this allows us to understand optimal conditions that add to the well-being of developing individuals
What is social competence?
Social competence is the ability to adapt flexibly to demands in the social environment, in childhood and adolescence.
Neuroscience research to date has shown that there are marked changes in the brain during childhood and adolescence that underlie the development of social competence. Moreover, periods of rapid brain growth mark development windows of increased plasticity that are indicative of periods of relative larger susceptibility to environmental influences.
unique Study design
To better understand the longitudinal developmental pathways of social competence and behavioral control, the Leiden-CID study has a unique study design.
Our set-up allowed us to take potential differential effects of social enrichment into account. The design includes longitudinal data collection in children to measures development, multimodal data, including neuroimaging, a randomized controlled intervention, as well as twins to study genetic and environmental contributions.
2
age cohorts
6
annual waves
10
years of development
495
twin pairs
8
PhD projects
50
researchers
Two cohorts
The Leiden-CID study includes two different cohorts: the early childhood cohort (ECC), aged 3-5 at wave 1, and the middle childhood cohort (MCC), aged 7-9 at wave 1.
Early childhood cohort with 476 subjects included at the start of the study from 3-9 years old.
Middle childhood cohort with 514 participants children 7-13 years old.
6 measurement waves
Each cohort has six annual measures, and across the 6 waves home and lab visits are alternated. The home visits include behavioral measures and lab visits additionally include a neuroimaging measure (EEG or MRI).
This allows us to study longitudinal within-person development of social competence on a behavioral and neural level.
Sequential design
The last two waves of the ECC overlap with the first two waves of the MCC, resulting in a cohort-sequential design including children aged 3-14 years old.
The overlap between the two cohorts not only allows for modeling development over a 10 year period, but also allows us to replicate our findings.
Parenting intervention
To experimentally examine social enrichment, we included a parenting intervention, which allows us to investigate causal effects of parenting on social development. Between the 2nd and 3rd measurement, 40% of the sample received a video feedback intervention to promote positive parenting and sensitive discipline (VIPP-SD).
Parenting intervention (video)
COVID-19 adjustments
Home visits
Digital home visits
Lab visits including:
EEG measurements
MRI measurements
Early childhood cohort
Middle childhood cohort
Metadata explorer
Coming Soon!
The variables of the measures in these data files are not identical for every wave and for each type of respondent. To illustrate, in some waves children received different items of a questionnaire than their parent(s), and some subparts of tasks were only used in some waves but not others.
To give a clear overview of all these different measures and the exact content of the data files, a codebook will be constructed from the metadata files that accompany our data. These metadata files will also be made available separately (you can find an example of a JSON metadata file here).
Constructs we measured
Our vision is that complex and dynamic processes can be best understood using a multi-informant (i.e., individual, sibling and parent reports), multi-method (observation, self-report and experimental) multi-index (behavior, hormones, brain measures) approach. Therefore we measured the following constructs.
These measures are collected on multiple time scales (single assessments (retrospective and current), daily assessments, yearly and two-yearly assessments).
Social competence
The ability to adapt flexibly to demands in the social environment.
Parenting
The specific, goal-directed behaviors that parents use to guide their children.
Neurobiological & physiological measures
Structural and functional neuroimaging measures, and physiological measures related to growth, sleep and heritability.
Family background measures
Family characteristics, live events, and pregnancy and birth.
Environmental factors
All factors related to the household and language environment.
Susceptibility markers
Including child as well as parent informed measures on temperament of the child.
Behavioral control
Regulating one’s behavior in response to stimuli.
Additional markers
Parenting intervention
To experimentally examine social enrichment, we included a parenting intervention, which allows us to investigate causal effects of parenting on social development.
Between the 2nd and 3rd measurement, 40% of the sample received a video feedback intervention to promote positive parenting and sensitive discipline (VIPP-SD).
Each cohort has six annual measures, and across the 6 waves home and lab visits are alternated. The home visits include behavioral measures and lab visits additionally include a neuroimaging measure (EEG or MRI).This allows us to study longitudinal within-person development of social competence on a behavioral and neural level.
Each cohort has six annual measures, and across the 6 waves home and lab visits are alternated. The home visits include behavioral measures and lab visits additionally include a neuroimaging measure (EEG or MRI).This allows us to study longitudinal within-person development of social competence on a behavioral and neural level.
