Research

Understanding_Children_and_Families

The Understanding Young Children and Families Laboratory is interested in furthering our understanding of the parent/caregiver-young child connection.  To do so, a number of research studies are always underway.  Some examples of our recent and current work include:

  • The Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Attachment-Focused Parenting for Families with Young Children:  Using Circle of Security in the Child Welfare System
  • Piloting the Circle of Security Group Intervention for Pregnant and Parenting Mothers Who Are Substance-Involved
  • Understanding Predictors of Child Maltreatment Potential: A Closer Look at Mother and Child Temperament, Emotion and Behavior Regulation, and Stress and Coping
  • Predicting Child Maltreatment Potential in Mothers Who Are Substance-Involved: A Study of Temperament, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Stress, and Emotion Regulation as Mechanisms of Action
  • The Role of Parents’ Characteristics, Parenting Behaviors, and Parent-Child Interactions in the Functioning of Young Children
  • Mothers’ Temperament, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Psychological Symptoms: How Are Enduring Maternal Characteristics Related to Mothers’ Perceptions of Children’s Temperament, Behavior Problems, and Adaptive Functioning? 
  • Parenting in the Context of Childhood Trauma: Using Parenting Self-Efficacy as a Mediator Between Reflective Functioning and Attributions and Parenting Competence
  • Childhood Maltreatment and Mother-Child Attachment: Examining Interactions Among Depression, Attachment, Reflective Functioning, Parenting Behaviors, and Young Children’s Outcomes in Mothers with Histories of Childhood Maltreatment

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Also see the following links for more information…

Substance Abuse and Parenting

Attachment and Substance Misuse