Biological and Environmental Risk for Affective Disorders
BE-RAD Laboratory
PROJECTS
KIDS AND ADULTS TOGETHER (KAT) STUDY
Parents play an important role in helping their children learn how to navigate a complex world. Behavioral synchrony, including matching affect, eye gaze, and vocalizations during discreet events, is associated with maternal sensitivity and quick repair of ruptures between parent and child, which in turn are associated with increased self-regulation, attachment security, and fewer behavioral problems in children. Previous research, however, has only begun to investigate how physiological synchrony is related to behavioral synchrony and child outcomes more broadly.
With funding from the American Psychological Foundation, we recently completed a pilot study to measure both behavioral and physiological synchrony in parent-child pairs. A follow-up study, funded through a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) award, is currently recruiting parents and their 8-10-year old children.
PARENTAL ASSISTANCE NAVIGATION DAILY CHALLENGES (PANDA) STUDY
The Parental Assistance Navigating Daily chAllenges (PANDA) study aims to investigate how parent mood impacts their emotion socialization behaviors and their child's help-seeking behaviors. Using an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) method, we will examine how the dynamic bidirectional processes in parent-child interactions impact child emotion regulation development and socioemotional outcomes
TANDEM ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVITY IN RELATIONSHIPS EXPLORATORY (TEA-REX) STUDY
The Tandem Engagement and Activity in Relationships Exploratory (TEA-REx) Study is focused on exploring the differences in how mothers and fathers may parent in the context of competition and collaboration with their children. Furthermore, this study investigates neurobiological correlates associated with various parenting behaviors in these contexts in the form of neural synchrony.
ASSESSING COLLEGE STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES
OF SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVERSITY DUE TO EARLY STRESS (ACE OF SPADES)
Early experiences of adversity have lingering, long-term impacts on young adults' adjustment. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been used to assess individual experiences of early stress, but the impact of these stressors may depend on current experience of stress or other psychological factors. To investigate this, we collected information from college students in New Orleans from January 2022-May 2022. Publications from this project are currently under review!
