The study focuses on mothers and their young, normally developing children. We are interested in young children’s development and the mother-child relationship. We study how mothers and toddlers interact and play, as well as other factors that may be involved in children’s early development, for example, temperament differences among young children or characteristics of the family as a whole.
The Principal Investigator (PI) is Dr. Grazyna Kochanska, Stuit Professor of Developmental Psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Iowa. She is an experienced researcher who has conducted several similar studies in the past, funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Kochanska specializes in early social-emotional development and has published numerous articles in professional journals. More information is available at http://www.psychology.uiowa.edu/Faculty/Kochanska/Kochanska1.html
Dr. Kochanska works with a team of other psychology professionals and students. They all have good knowledge of child development and are very experienced in interacting with young children.
The Play Study will last 9-10 months. During the first 3-4 months, there will be two 2-3-hour visits to our lab at the Department of Psychology in Iowa City as well as one 30 minute visit to our lab.
Then, 6 months later, there will be one 3 ½ hour visit to our lab.
Lab visits: The lab is a homelike, fun environment, furnished comfortably, with children's safety in mind. Snacks, beverages, other foodstuffs, reading materials, toys, books, etc. are provided. You and your child will be observed in situations that resemble typical daily contexts, for example, daily care routines, playing, cleaning up toys, having a snack, talking, etc. In some situations, the focus will be on the child. For example, we will observe your child’s emotional response to funny, colorful puppets, or to a somewhat unusual-looking toy, or to a minor "mishap", such as a toy suddenly breaking.
A female staff member, the visit coordinator, experienced with mothers and children, will conduct the lab visits. All sessions will be videotaped.
You will receive a detailed script of the session beforehand; the visit coordinator will answer all your questions before or during the session.
For more information, please call 319-335-0500 or email us at psychology-childlab@uiowa.edu
The Play Study will last 9-10 months. During the first 3-4 months, there will be two 2-3-hour visits to our lab at the Department of Psychology in Iowa City as well as a one 30 minute visit to our lab. Then, 6 months later, there will be one 3 ½ hour visit to our lab. All those visits will be videotaped.
We will also ask you to complete questionnaires, either during the sessions or at your leisure (you will receive stamped envelopes to return the completed questionnaires by mail). We will also ask you to complete a very simple Daily Diary for about 8 weeks.
The risks in this study are minimal. The children may experience mild, brief, and short-lived negative feelings during some situations (for example, irritation when having to clean up toys after play or shyness when presented with an unusual-looking toy). Those feelings do not differ in any substantial way from emotions all young children experience in the course of their normal daily lives in the first five years.
Although the mother will always accompany the child during the sessions, in some situations the child will be observed by him/herself, while the parent will be in the adjoining room, or behind a curtain. If the child is uncomfortable with the separation, it will be cut short, or the door to the adjoining room or the curtain will be open.
The study has been approved by the University of Iowa Institutional Review Board.
The videotaped data will be coded and analyzed by the research staff. The videotapes and all data will be identified only by ID numbers; all personal information will be removed. Your personal information will be stored in a secured computer file. That computer is disconnected from the Internet to provide maximum security. The analyses will focus on statistical trends that characterize groups of children (for example, girls compared to boys; children's behavior at the entry to the study compared to behavior at the end of the study), and not on individual children or mothers. The record of your participation will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law.
To reimburse you for your time and effort, you will receive compensation. Depending on the activity, you will be paid from $10 to $20 per hour (up to $450.00).
We will cover your costs of parking during the laboratory sessions. If you travel more than 15 miles (one way), the costs of driving will also be reimbursed. If you do not have transportation, we may be able to help.
Additionally, you and your child will receive various small gifts, and the child will win "prizes" for participating in several activities and games. Most of those activities are interesting and enjoyable for both parents and children.
| Please call: | |
| The Laboratory | 319-335-0500 |
| Professor Kochanska | 319-335-2409 (collect if applicable). |
| You can also email us at | psychology-childlab@uiowa.edu |