Importantly, the new research, headed by Professor Claire Hughes and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, will look at the role played by fathers. Researchers say that, even though the time British fathers spend caring for their infants leapt a massive 800% between 1975 and 1997, developmental psychology still mainly focuses on mothers. The Cambridge NewFAMS project will incorporate fathers from the beginning and at every stage of the research.
Self-control in the first years of life has been linked to key outcomes in adulthood – from wealth to criminal activity. The researchers will also be investigating the psychological impact on first-time parents: how becoming a parent affects a person’s wellbeing and their relationships with their partner and family.
They are looking for soon-to-be mums and dads over 21 in the Eastern region who are expecting their first child before April 2015 – as the team aim to start collecting data before a child is actually born to help build scientific understanding of some of the earliest impressions of a new human life.
Home visits from the Cambridge scientists will involve interviews and observations of parents and later the children, as well as specifically designed games to learn about thinking skills in infants. In addition saliva samples will be taken from mums, dads and kids to learn about chemical markers of well-being before the transition to parenthood and in the first two years of life. Families will receive small remunerations as well as DVD recordings of all the observations: an important record of their firstborn’s first contribution to science.
Research associate Dr Rory Devine said: “Between 1975 and 1997 the role of British fathers in the care of infants rose dramatically from an average of 15 minutes a day to 2 hours – an 800% increase – and data from the Millennium Cohort Study showed that 25% of dads share care equally with mums when children are toddlers. The study team are eager to learn about fathers’ experiences of the transition to parenthood and about the unique contribution of fathers to early childhood development.”
East Anglia is one of three international areas where data will be collected, as the work is part of a collaboration with scientists in the US state of New York and the Dutch city of Leiden. The team are aiming to involve 200 couples from the region in the in-depth study.
Added Devine: “There has been a growth of interest in how early experiences shape children’s self-control. Recent studies have shown that preschool children with parents who are more sensitive and responsive outperform their peers on standard tests of self-control.
“NewFAMS breaks new ground by looking at how parental well-being and parent-infant interactions in the first two years of life relate to early measures of infant self-control offering a window on potential routes for early intervention for children who are lagging behind. Underlining the potential for this study to inform new interventions and healthcare policies, this study has already attracted considerable interest within the NHS.”
The NewFAMS team are looking for:
- First-time fathers and mothers
- Aged over 21 years
- Living together in East Anglia for the next three years
- Expecting a single baby before April 2015
Apart from contributing to the scientific understanding of early child development participants will be reimbursed for taking part in the study. For the initial interview in the final month of pregnancy, fathers and mothers will each receive £10. For each of the three home visits, fathers and mothers will each receive £15. In addition, the team will provide small ‘thank you’ gifts for infants at these home visits as well as DVD recordings of the observations.
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For more information or to speak to a researcher, contact Dr Rory Devine:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01223 334549
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