Explore Our Research
Curious about how parent-child relationships shape our future? Want to understand the intricate dance of family interactions? Our publications offer a window into these compelling questions and more.
Dyadic Prenatal Coparenting Interaction Behaviors Predicting Postpartum Depressive Symptoms during the Transition to Parenthood
The study employs a dyadic mixed-method longitudinal approach to test the hypothesis that prenatal coparenting interaction patterns predict postpartum depressive symptoms at 3, 6, and 24 months post-birth.
The intersection between alexithymia, testosterone reactivity, and coparenting in fathers predicts child’s prosocial behavior
The study hypothesized that higher levels of alexithymia in expectant fathers predict lower coparenting quality three months post-birth, which in turn predicts lower prosocial behavior in two-year-old children. This relationship is moderated by the fathers' testosterone reactivity during a stressful parenting task.
Actor and Partner Effects of Prenatal Coparenting Behavior on Postpartum Depression in First-Time Parents
This study explores how prenatal coparenting behaviors affect postpartum depression (PPD) in first-time parents. Analyzing data from 107 couples, it finds that both negative and positive interactions predict PPD. The results emphasize the importance of relational dynamics during pregnancy in understanding PPD risks.
What Nourishes Maternal Bonds? Focus on Subjective Bottle and Breastfeeding Experiences Predicting Parental Bonding
This study investigates the relationship between maternal subjective feeding experiences and mother-infant bonding, challenging the traditional view that breastfeeding directly enhances bonding. Analyzing data from 99 women intending to breastfeed, it finds that positive feeding experiences up to three months postnatally predict stronger bonding six months later. The results suggest that the quality of maternal feeding experiences is crucial for bonding, rather than the feeding method itself.
The Moderating Role of Attachment in the Association Between Physiological Synchrony in Married Couples and Supportive Behavior in the Transition to Parenthood
This study explores how attachment styles influence the relationship between cardiac synchrony and the quality of spousal support in couples expecting their first child. Analyzing 58 couples, it finds that while cardiovascular dynamics synchronize during supportive interactions, higher attachment anxiety negatively impacts the effectiveness of support provided. The results highlight the need for future research to integrate physiological, behavioral, and psychological factors in understanding intimate relationships.
The emotional pathway to parenthood: Parental mentalizing mediates the association between alexithymia and parental emotion regulation in the transition to parenthood
The study investigates how parental self-emotion regulation at six months can be predicted from a prenatally measured trait-like capacity for emotional awareness and labeling, known as alexithymia. It also examines the mediation role parental mentalizing plays in this longitudinal association, while accounting for parental depression.
The multifaceted role of empathy in the transmission of postpartum depressive symptoms between parents
The study investigates how different forms of empathy (perspective-taking, empathic concern, and personal distress) moderate the transmission of postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) between first-time parents.
Measurement Invarance of the Coparenting Relationship Scale across ten countries
This study evaluates the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS) across 10 countries, based on a seven-factor coparenting model. Analyzing data from 9,292 participants, it finds a consistent six-factor structure across diverse contexts, though metric and scalar invariance were not supported. The results highlight the CRS's potential for cross-country research, emphasizing the need to explore universal and context-specific aspects of coparenting quality.
The Mediating Role of Parental Embodied Mentalizing in the Longitudinal Association Between Prenatal Spousal Support and Toddler Emotion Recognition
This study finds that maternal embodied mentalizing mediates the link between prenatal spousal support and toddler emotion recognition at 24 months, highlighting the importance of parental support in child development.
In Her Shoes: Partner Reflective Functioning Promotes Family-Level Resilience to Maternal Depression
The study investigates how partner reflective functioning (RF) can buffer the negative effects of prenatal parental depression on postnatal parental depression, parenting styles, and child effortful control.
Developmental trajectories of infant nighttime awakenings are associated with infant-mother and infant-father attachment security
The study examines the developmental trajectories of infant sleep problems, specifically nighttime awakenings, from 3 to 24 months old and investigates their associations with infant-mother and infant-father attachment security and infant dependency.
​I “get” you, babe: Reflective functioning in partners transitioning to parenthood
This study introduces Partner reflective functioning (RF) in first-time parents, linking it to parental RF, attachment, and relationship satisfaction. Among 107 couples, higher maternal Partner RF was associated with decreased couple and coparenting satisfaction during the transition to parenthood, highlighting its importance for understanding relationship dynamics and parental well-being.
​The effect of childhood unpredictability on co-parenting relationships during the transition to parenthood: A life history approach
This research examines how early-life unpredictability affects co-parental behaviors in a longitudinal study of 109 families. Findings indicate that greater unpredictability experienced by mothers predicts more negative co-parental behaviors and lower co-parenting quality in observations and self-reports post-birth, emphasizing the influence of mothers' early experiences on co-parenting dynamics.
​Mother–child adrenocortical synchrony: Roles of maternal overcontrol and child developmental phase
This study examines cortisol synchrony between mothers and children (N = 99, ages 9–12) as a measure of biobehavioral co-regulation. It finds positive correlations in cortisol levels before a task for older dyads, but inversely correlated levels at 25 and 45 minutes post-task in dyads with higher maternal overcontrol, highlighting the complex dynamics in parent-child relationships.
Predicting infant–father attachment: the role of pre- and postnatal triadic family alliance and paternal testosterone levels
The study investigates how prenatal and postnatal triadic family alliance and paternal testosterone levels predict infant-father attachment security, examining potential mediating effects.
​Prenatal Coparenting Under High Arousal Predicts Infants’ Cognitive Development at 18 Months
This chapter explores the impact of prenatal coparenting on postnatal dynamics using the Inconsolable Doll Task (IDT) to assess coparenting under stress. Findings from pregnant couples in Israel indicate that interactions with the doll correlated with their coparenting quality and that negative dynamics during the IDT predicted infants' cognitive development at 18 months, emphasizing the need to consider both negative and positive coparental behaviors in varying arousal contexts.
The Inconsolable Doll Task: Prenatal Coparenting Behavioral Dynamics Under Stress Predicting Child Cognitive Development at 18 Months
This study introduces the Inconsolable Doll Task (IDT) to assess prenatal coparenting behaviors under stress, revealing that negative escalation in coparenting predicts children's cognitive development at 18 months. Findings remain significant after considering various assessments and parental education, emphasizing the IDT's potential for early intervention with expectant parents.