Dr. A.L. (Alithe) van den Akker
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Programme group: Preventive Youth Care
Visiting address
- Nieuwe Achtergracht 127
Postal address
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Postbus 15776
1001 NG Amsterdam
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Biography
Alithe van den Akker works as an assistant professor in the Preventive Youth Care research group in the Department of Child Development and Education. Her research focuses on the development of temperament and personality traits across childhood and adolescence. She investigates how these characteristics both shape and are shaped by parenting, and how child characteristics and parenting together contribute to the development of problems such as anxiety, depression, aggression and delinquency.
Alithe obtained a bachelor's degree in Health Psychology (2006), and a master's degree in Development and Socialization in Childhood and Adolescence (2008) from the University of Utrecht. She worked at the research group of Clinical Child and Family Studies at Utrecht University, where she obtained a PhD (2013), and as a postdoctoral researcher within Research Priority Area Yield at the University of Amsterdam.
Research interests
- child temperament and personality development in relation to social context
- etiology of adjustment problems in children and adolescents
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Teaching and PhD supervision
Undergraduate level
- BA3: Bachelorscriptie [Bachelor thesis]
Graduate level
- MA: coordinator international Mastertrack Youth at Risk
- MA: Opvoeding en Ontwikkeling [Parenting and Development, Preventive Youth Care master track]
- MA: Resilience and Risk Processes in Childhood and Adolescence [international master track Youth at Risk]
- MA: Academic Skills [research master track Child Development and Education]
PhD Students
- Rosanne op den Kelder: Executive functions in trauma exposed youth.
- Chirstiane Wesarg: Don't get stressed baby! Investigating the effects of early interventions in toddlers at risk for the development of stress-reactivity and self-regulation problems.
- Karen Fischer: Children’s externalizing problem behavior and differential susceptibility to parenting: Who are the ORCHIDS and how do they tick?
- Marianne-Welmers van de Poll: The therapeutic alliance in intensive home-based family therapy.
- Imane Oulali: The role of culture and religion in children's prosocial behavior and well-being.
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Publications
- refereed (41)
- academic (1)
- professional (1)
- conference contributions (6)
- recognitions (8)
- supervised theses (4)
- doctoral thesis (1)
2024
Van den Akker, A. L., van Rooij, F. B., Overbeek, G., & Asscher, J. J. (2024). Maternal personality change from pregnancy until 12 months postpartum: Associations with parenting. Journal of Family Psychology, 38(1), 129-135. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001168 [details]- van den Akker, A. L., Leijten, P. H. O., Hoffenaar, P. J., & Gardner, F. (2024). Using daily diary assessments to better understand the role of parental consistency in the development of externalizing child behavior. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 52(1), 79-92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-023-01073-w
2023
- Huijzer-Engbrenghof, M., van Rijn-van Gelderen, L., van den Akker, A., Jorgensen, T. D., & Overbeek, G. (2023). Intervention-induced temperament changes in children: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial of the Incredible Years parent program. Developmental Psychology, 59(10), 1839-1851. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001591 [details]
- Leijten, P. H. O., Melendez-Torres, G. J., Hoffenaar, P. J., & van den Akker, A. L. (in press). Parenting and disruptive child behavior: A daily diary study during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Family Psychology.
- Mo, J., van den Akker, A. L., Leijten, P., & Asscher, J. J. (2023). Parental discipline techniques and changes in observed temper tantrum severity in toddlers. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 51(4), 571-582. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-022-01007-y [details]
- Wesarg-Menzel, C., Ebbes, R., Hensums, M., Wagemaker, E., Zaharieva, M. S., Staaks, J. P. C., van den Akker, A. L., Visser, I., Hoeve, M., Brummelman, E., Dekkers, T. J., Schuitema, J. A., Larsen, H., Colonnesi, C., Jansen, B. R. J., Overbeek, G., Huizenga, H. M., & Wiers, R. W. (2023). Development and socialization of self-regulation from infancy to adolescence: A meta-review differentiating between self-regulatory abilities, goals, and motivation. Developmental Review, 69, Article 101090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2023.101090 [details]
- de Mooij, B., Fekkes, M., Miers, A. C., van den Akker, A. L., Scholte, R. H. J., & Overbeek, G. (2023). What works in preventing emerging social anxiety: exposure, cognitive restructuring, or a combination? Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32, 498-515. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02536-w [details]
2022
- Fischer, K., Larsen, H., van den Akker, A., & Overbeek, G. (2022). The role of sensory processing sensitivity in the longitudinal associations between relationship qualities with parents and peers and externalizing behavior in adolescence. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(8), 2549-2571. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075221083962 [details]
- Op den Kelder, R., Van den Akker, A. L., Ensink, J. B. M., Geurts, H. M., Overbeek, G., de Rooij, S. R., Vrijkotte, T. G. M., & Lindauer, R. J. L. (2022). Longitudinal associations between trauma exposure and executive functions in children: Findings from a Dutch birth cohort study. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 50(3), 295-308. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-021-00847-4 [details]
- Wesarg, C., Van den Akker, A. L., Hoeve, M., Wiers, R. W., & Oei, N. Y. L. (2022). Reliability of salivary cortisol levels in toddlers. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 19(3), 419-437. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2021.1926230 [details]
- Wesarg, C., Van den Akker, A. L., Oei, N. Y. L., Wiers, R. W., Staaks, J., Thayer, J. F., Williams, D. P., & Hoeve, M. (2022). Childhood adversity and vagal regulation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 143, Article 104920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104920 [details]
- de Mooij, B., Fekkes, M., van den Akker, A. L., Vliek, L., Scholte, R. H. J., & Overbeek, G. (2022). Does affirming children's autonomy and prosocial intentions help? A microtrial into intervention component effects to improve psychosocial behavior. Journal of School Psychology, 90, 60-81. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2021.11.003 [details]
- van den Akker, A. L., Hoffenaar, P., & Overbeek, G. (2022). Temper tantrums in toddlers and preschoolers: Longitudinal associations with adjustment problems. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics, 43(7), 409-417. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000001071 [details]
- van den Akker, A. L., Majdandzic, M., de Vente, W., Asscher, J., & Bögels, S. (2022). Just as they expected: How parents' expectations about their unborn child's characteristics provide a context for early transactions between parenting and child temperament. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 942392. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.942392 [details]
2021
- Welmers-van de Poll, M. J., Stams, G. J. J. M., van den Akker, A. L., & Overbeek, G. (2021). Alliance discrepancies in home-based family treatment: occurrence, development and the therapist’s perspective. Journal of Family Therapy, 43(4), 642-664. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12309 [details]
- Welmers-van de Poll, M. J., Stams, G. J. J. M., van den Akker, A. L., & Overbeek, G. (2021). Therapists’ Contributions to the Alliance in Home-Based Family Treatment: The Role of Alliance Building Behaviors, Personality, and Clinical Experience. Contemporary Family Therapy, 43(4), 306-319. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-021-09597-3 [details]
- van den Akker, A. L., Briley, D. A., Grotzinger, A. D., Tackett, J. L., Tucker-Drob, E. M., & Harden, K. P. (2021). Adolescent Big Five Personality and Pubertal Development: Pubertal Hormone Concentrations and Self-Reported Pubertal Status. Developmental Psychology, 57(1), 60-72. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001135 [details]
2020
- Fischer, K., Weeland, J., Leijten, P., van den Akker, A., & Overbeek, G. (2020). Current and future perspectives on children’s genetic- and endophenotype-based differential susceptibility to parenting. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29(3), 773-779. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01567-6 [details]
- Fischer, K., van den Akker, A. L., Larsen, H., Jorgensen, T. D., & Overbeek, G. (2020). Dopamine Functioning and Child Externalizing Behavior: A Longitudinal Analysis of Polygenic Susceptibility to Parenting. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics, 41(8), 628-636. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000000834 [details]
- Wesarg, C., Van Den Akker, A. L., Oei, N. Y. L., Hoeve, M., & Wiers, R. W. (2020). Identifying pathways from early adversity to psychopathology: A review on dysregulated HPA axis functioning and impaired self-regulation in early childhood. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 17(6), 808-827. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2020.1748594 [details]
2019
- Oulali, I., Bos, H., van den Akker, A., Fukkink, R. G., Merry, M. S., & Overbeek, G. (2019). Development and validation of the Religious Collective Self-Esteem scale for children. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 11(3), 188-202. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000145 [details]
2018
- Asscher, J. J., Deković, M., Van den Akker, A. L., Prins, P. J. M., & van der Laan, P. H. (2018). Do extremely violent juveniles respond differently to treatment? International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 62(4), 958-977. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X16670951 [details]
- Op den Kelder, R., Van den Akker, A. L., Geurts, H. M., Lindauer, R. J. L., & Overbeek, G. J. (2018). Executive functions in trauma-exposed youth: a meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 9(1), Article 1450595. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2018.1450595 [details]
- Welmers-van de Poll, M. J., Roest, J. J., van der Stouwe, T., van den Akker, A. L., Stams, G. J. J. M., Escudero, V., Overbeek, G. J., & de Swart, J. J. W. (2018). Alliance and treatment outcome in family-involved treatment for youth problems: A three-level meta-analysis. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 21(2), 146–170. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-017-0249-y [details]
2017
- Weeland, J., Van den Akker, A., Slagt, M., & Putnam, S. (2017). Perception is key? Does perceptual sensitivity and parenting behavior predict children's reactivity to others' emotions? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 163, 53-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2017.06.012 [details]
- de Haan, A., de Pauw, S., van den Akker, A., Deković, M., & Prinzie, P. (2017). Long-term developmental changes in children’s lower-order big five personality facets. Journal of Personality, 85(5), 616-631. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12265 [details]
2016
- Asscher, J. J., Dekovic, M., van den Akker, A. L., Manders, W. A., Prins, P. J. M., van der Laan, P. H., & Prinzie, P. (2016). Do personality traits affect responsiveness of juvenile delinquents to treatment? Journal of Research in Personality, 63(August), 44-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2016.05.004 [details]
- Becht, A. I., Prinzie, P., Deković, M., van den Akker, A. L., & Shiner, R. L. (2016). Child personality facets and overreactive parenting as predictors of aggression and rule-breaking trajectories from childhood to adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 28(2), 399-413. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579415000577 [details]
- van den Akker, A. L., Prinzie, P., & Overbeek, G. (2016). Dimensions of personality pathology in adolescence: Longitudinal associations with Big Five personality dimensions across childhood and adolescence. Journal of Personality Disorders, 30(2), 211-231. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi_2015_29_190 [details]
2015
- Egberts, M. R., Prinzie, P., Deković, M., de Haan, A. D., & van den Akker, A. L. (2015). The prospective relationship between child personality and perceived parenting: Mediation by parental sense of competence. Personality and Individual Differences, 77, 193-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.12.046 [details]
2014
- Prinzie, P., van Harten, L. V., Deković, M., van den Akker, A. L., & Shiner, R. L. (2014). Developmental trajectories of anxious and depressive problems during the transition from childhood to adolescence: personality x parenting interactions. Development and Psychopathology, 26(4pt1), 1077-1092. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579414000510 [details]
- van den Akker, A. L., Deković, M., Asscher, J., & Prinzie, P. (2014). Mean-level personality development across childhood and adolescence: a temporary defiance of the maturity principle and bidirectional associations with parenting. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 107(4), 736-750. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037248 [details]
2013
- de Haan, A. D., Deković, M., van den Akker, A. L., Stoltz, S. E. M. J., & Prinzie, P. (2013). Developmental Personality Types From Childhood to Adolescence: Associations With Parenting and Adjustment . Child Development, 48(6), 2015-2030. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12092 [details]
- van den Akker, A. L., Deković, M., Asscher, J. J., Shiner, R. L., & Prinzie, P. (2013). Personality types in childhood: relations to latent trajectory classes of problem behavior and overreactive parenting across the transition into adolescence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(4), 750-764. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031184 [details]
- van den Akker, A. L., Prinzie, P., Deković, M., de Haan, A. D., Asscher, J. J., & Widiger, T. (2013). The development of personality extremity from childhood to adolescence: relations to internalizing and externalizing problems. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105(6), 1038-1048. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034441 [details]
2012
- Prinzie, P., Deković, M., van den Akker, A. L., de Haan, A. D., Stoltz, S., & Hendriks, A. A. J. (2012). Fathers' personality and its interaction with children's personality as predictors of perceived parenting behavior six years later. Personality and Individual Differences, 52, 183-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.10.012
- Slagt, M. I., Dekovic, M., de Haan, A. D., van den Akker, A. L., & Prinzie, P. (2012). Longitudinal associations between mothers' and fathers' sense of competence and children's externalizing problems: The Mediating role of parenting. Developmental Psychology, 48, 1554-1562. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027719
2010
- Deković, M., Asscher, J. J., Hermanns, J., Reitz, E., Prinzie, P., & van den Akker, A. L. (2010). Tracing changes in families who participated in Home-Start parenting program: parental sense of competence as mechanism of change. Prevention Science, 11(3), 236-274. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-009-0166-5 [details]
- van den Akker, A. L., Deković, M., & Prinzie, P. (2010). Transitioning to adolescence: How changes in child personality and overreactive parenting predict adolescent adjustment problems. Development and Psychopathology, 22, 151-163. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579409990320
- van den Akker, A. L., Deković, M., Prinzie, P., & Asscher, J. J. (2010). Toddlers' temperament profiles: stability and relations to negative and positive parenting. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38(4), 485-495. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-009-9379-0 [details]
2009
- Asscher, J. J., Deković, M., Prinzie, P., Hermanns, J. M. A., & van den Akker, A. L. (2009). De betekenis van veranderingen in gezinnen die hebben deelgenomen aan het Home-Start programma en voorspellers van deze veranderingen. Pedagogiek, 29(3), 247-267. [details]
2023
- Op den Kelder, R., Van den Akker, A. L., Ensink, J. B. M., Geurts, H. M., Overbeek, G., de Rooij, S. R., Vrijkotte, T. G. M., & Lindauer, R. J. L. (2023). Correction to: Longitudinal associations between trauma exposure and executive functions in children: Findings from a Dutch birth cohort study. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 51(2), 273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-022-00984-4
2015
- van den Akker, A. L., Deković, M., Prinzie, P., & Asscher, J. J. (2015). Temperamenttypes bij peuters: stabiliteit en longitudinale relaties met negatief en positief opvoedgedrag. Kind en Adolescent, 36(2), 86-100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12453-015-0077-0 [details]
2019
- Fischer, K., van den Akker, A. L., Larsen, H., Jorgensen, T. D., & Overbeek, G. J. (2019). Dopamine functioning and child externalizing behavior: A longitudinal analysis of polygenic susceptibility to parenting. 14. Poster session presented at
19th Biennial ISRCAP Scientific Meeting , Los Angeles, California, United States. - op den Kelder, R., van den Akker, A. L., Ensink, J. B. M., Geurts, H. M., Overbeek, G. J., Vrijkotte, T., & Lindauer, R. J. L. (2019). Longitudinal associations of trauma exposure and executive functions in children: findings from a Dutch birth cohort. Poster session presented at Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) 2019, Baltimore, United States.
2018
- van den Akker, A., van Rooij, F. B., De Haan, A., & Asscher, J. J. (2018). Maternal personality change from pregnancy until after childbirth:Associations with warm and hostile parenting behavior. 188. Abstract from 19th Conference on Personality (ECP 19)., Zadar, Croatia. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326690308_Revisited_Alternative_Five-factor_Model_in_Bosnian-Herzegovinian_Croatian_Serbian_and_Montenegrin_cultures
2017
- Fischer, K., van den Akker, A. L., Larsen, H., & Overbeek, G. J. (2017). Children’s genetic and psychophysiological susceptibility to reward- and punishment-based parenting. Poster session presented at 18th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, ECDP 2017, Utrecht, Netherlands.
2016
- op den Kelder, R., van den Akker, A. L., Lindauer, R. J. L., Geurts, H. M., & Overbeek, G. J. (2016). The association between psychological traumatizatoin and executive functions in children and adolescents: A meta-analytic approach. Poster session presented at EUCCAN, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- op den Kelder, R., van den Akker, A. L., Lindauer, R. J. L., Geurts, H. M., & Overbeek, G. J. (2016). The association between psychological traumatizatoin and executive functions in children and adolescents: A meta-analytic approach. Poster session presented at IPSCAN, Canada.
Membership / relevant position
- van den Akker, A. (2018-2020). member of committee for the doctoral grant for teachers, NWO committee doctoral grant for teachers.
Media appearance
- van den Akker, A. (19-10-2022). Is het erg als je kind driftbuien heeft? [Web] Universiteit van Nederland. Universiteit van Nederland - Is het erg als je kind driftbuien heeft?. https://www.universiteitvannederland.nl/college/is-het-erg-als-je-kind-driftbuien-heeft
- van den Akker, A. (19-05-2021). BNN VARA podcast: Echte oogappels, aflevering 23 [Other]. BNN vara podcast: Echte oogappels. https://podcast.npo.nl/feed/echte-oogappels.xml
Journal editor
- van den Akker, A. (editor) (2020-2025). Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (Journal).
- van den Akker, A. (editor) (2020-2024). European Journal of Personality (Journal).
- van den Akker, A. (editor) (2012-2020). Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology (Journal).
Talk / presentation
- Fischer, K. (speaker), van den Akker, A. (speaker), Larsen, H. (speaker), Jorgensen, T. (speaker) & Overbeek, G. (speaker) (23-11-2018). Dopamine functioning and child externalizing behavior: A longitudinal analysis of polygenic susceptibility to parenting, VNOP-CAS Research Days 2018, Utrecht.
Others
- van den Akker, A. (other) (15-9-2021 - 15-2-2022). Chair of NWO committee for the doctoral grant for teachers (other).
2023
- Wesarg, C. (2023). Psychobiological adaptation to childhood adversity: The role of contextual and individual factors. [Thesis, fully internal, Universiteit van Amsterdam]. [details]
- op den Kelder, R. (2023). Executive functioning in trauma-exposed youth. [Thesis, fully internal, Universiteit van Amsterdam]. [details]
2021
- Fischer, K. (2021). Gene and endophenotype-based differential susceptibility in children and adolescents: Investigating susceptibility factors to the parent and peer environment. [Thesis, fully internal, Universiteit van Amsterdam]. [details]
- Welmers-van de Poll, M. (2021). Working (on) alliances: A systemic perspective on alliances and their relation to outcome in home-based family treatment for youth problems. [Thesis, externally prepared, Universiteit van Amsterdam]. [details]
2013
- van den Akker, A. L. (2013). Children in changing context. Child temperament and personbality development as interrelated with parenting in the etiology of adjustment problems. Child and Adolescent Studies.
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Ancillary activities
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Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
editorial board member -
NWO
commissielid promotiebeurs voor leraren
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Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Van den Akker, A. L., van Rooij, F. B., Overbeek, G., & Asscher, J. J. (2024). Maternal personality change from pregnancy until 12 months postpartum: Associations with parenting. Journal of Family Psychology, 38(1), 129-135.