Current Research Projects

Survey of Utah Adoptive Parents

Utah has one of the highest rates of infant-placed adoptions in the country. However, very little is known about these families and their experiences during the process of adoption. The purpose of the Survey of Utah Adoptive Parents is to better understand Utah adoptive families’ experiences during the process of adoption and how these experiences can contribute to healthy outcomes for parents and children. The current version of the survey also asks about the sources of stress and support during the pandemic and how COVID-19 may have impacted the process of adoption.

Baby Affect and Behavior Study: 18 Month Follow-Up

We are collecting data from families who were originally recruited by the CAN Lab to participate in a study on the consequences of prenatal stress for children's development. We are now inviting the mothers to participate in follow-up research visits when their children turn 18 months old. The goal of this research project is to help answer two questions: (1) do the harmful consequences of prenatal stress for children's behavior and biological responses persist through age 18 months and (2) can children's postnatal experiences with their caregivers reduce the impact of prenatal stress exposure by “recalibrating” children's development? To answer these questions, we will be collecting information about the mother-toddler attachment relationship as well as infants' emerging emotion regulation abilities, cognitive skills, and stress physiology.

Utah Adoption Project

Following the Adoption Survey, we are now collecting in-person data in lab visits with adoptive parents and their adopted infants. We meet with the families when their child is 7 months old and again at 18 months old. These visits replicate the protocol utilized in the Baby Affect and Behavior study, offering a unique perspective on the question of whether experiences with caregivers can reduce the impact of prenatal stress.