Current Studies

Please see the studies that our lab is currently conducting below! You can click on the links to learn more about each study.

Caregiver Appraisals of Risk and Emotion (CARE) study: The purpose of this study is to learn about caregivers' perceptions of their child’s environments, emotions, and future. We hope to better understand how caregiver mental health and perceptions are associated with child emotion regulation and mental health outcomes. We hope that this work will benefit caregiving programs and policies in the future.

Parent and Child Emotions (PACE) study: This study, funded by the Murray Bowen Archives Project, aims to look at links among caregivers' mental health symptoms, caregiver perceptions, family functioning, parenting behaviors, and child emotion regulation. This research may provide insights into the sharing of mental health symptoms across families. Research has shown that many mental health conditions have biological components, but there may be other contributors such as learning.

Adaptation, Health, and Early Adulthood Development (AHEAD) study: The purpose of this research study is to learn how childhood adversity influences young adults’ mental well-being. We also want to look at why that may be and who might be more at risk or more protected.

Financial Empowerment Program Evaluation: Working in conjunction with our community partners – The Salvation Army of Central Virginia and Urban Hope, Inc. – we aim to demonstrate the acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy of the Building Wealth and Health Network and the Economic and Community Healing Network programming. Data will be used by the community to improve the lives of low income families in Richmond, Virginia.

Children's Museum Partnership: Our partnership with the Children's Museum of Richmond and Seymour's Living Laboratory provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate student education while conducting research in a community setting.
(1) Come to Your Senses (CTYS) Study: This project focused on young children’s temperament, especially their sensory sensitivity.
(2) Learning, Exploring, and Reasoning Novelty (LEARN) Study: This study is examining how children react – cognitively and emotionally – when they are faced with information that contradicts what they believe.