Parent/Child relationship quality, genetic influences, and longitudinal outcomes
Growing evidence speaks to the importance of both genetic predisposition and the quality of early care for later socio-emotional and behavioural problems including depression, self-harm, and anti-social behaviours. Together with our colleagues at Harvard Medical School and Semmelweis University, we continue to publish evidence that links both genetic predisposition and mother/infant interactions to various well-being outcomes when the children are adults – using a prospective longitudinal methodology and having followed the same “high-risk” sample for over 25 years. This research is financed by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Foggarty International Scheme. See www.familypathwaysproject.org.

Identifying early risk for attachment problems
While researchers have developed sophisticated methods for identifying mother/infant pairs who have or may develop severe attachment problems such as infant disorganization, these methods are lengthy and costly and of less use to practitioners in a public health context. While health practitioners in Scotland are aware of the importance of early attachment for the developmental success and mental and physical well-being of the child, they lack feasible tools with which to help them make an assessment of the potential for a negative development. With some financial assistance from the Centre for Integrated Healthcare Research (CIHR), we are conducting a series of studies to assist the NHS in validating research based tools that can be used by health-care professionals in a clinical context. Our partners are Harvard Medical School, University of Reading, Queen Margaret University, and NHS Scotland. This research still needs more funding (consider contributing)!

Parental Interventions
The lab in linked in to B*A*I*R*N*S (Biosocial and Intervention Network Scotland), an international collaboration between top international researchers and clinicians focused on validating interventions through randomized controlled trials. If society is going to invest resources into interventions, policy-makers need to have a strong evidence base for the effectiveness of interventions. This research still needs serious funding (consider contributing)!

Romantic Couples Attachment Coding System (RCACS)
An important factor for the success of attachment bonds between adults is the ability to effectively negotiate situations that are potentially threatening to the relationship and move towards resolution. Compatibility in communication styles between partners may determine the success or failure of a relationship. In this program of research, we are particularly interested in how past experiences influence compatibility in communication styles and the ability to cope with and negotiate interpersonal conflict within a romantic relationship. Together with our collaborators at Harvard University and the University of Massachusetts, we have developed and validated the RCACS (Romantic Couples Attachment Coding System) – a coding system that uses actual videotaped dyadic interaction (as opposed to surveys or interviews) to assess how couples are attached to one another. The system differs from others in that it was created on the basis of a developmental attachment tradition but adapted to function with adult attachment from a social psychology tradition. The system draws conclusions about the couple’s level of security or level of organized insecure strategies; however, the system also uses numerous “clinically” focused codes to assess disorganized forms of attachment interaction in adult couples. This is the first system to identify and code disorganized attachment behaviors in romantic couples. This research still needs serious funding (consider contributing)!

MAGIC (Marriage and Ageing in Collaboration)
Research has established a cost on health from divorce. However, we know little about what the consequences are from staying in an unhappy marriage over a long period of time. We believe that a supportive and happy relationship can alleviate stresses in life. However, we expect that chronic exposure to a dysfunctional relationship over a long period of time (e.g., +40 years) will increase a person’s risk for cognitive decline and health problems in older age (e.g., over 70). This emerging set of research is focused on attachment, self-esteem, dyadic interaction, relationship satisfaction, emotional intelligence, and various bio-markers – all studied to establish the effects of a long-term positive or negative marriage on cognitive decline and health in old age. While we have started this research with support from a small private donation, this research still needs serious funding (consider contributing)!

Romantic relationships and media consumption
How people experience their relationships is intrinsically linked to how satisfied they are with their romantic lives and may ultimately contribute to the success or failure of romantic relationships. Although there are numerous sources of information in our society, the role that popular mass media has on shaping people’s relationship beliefs has hardly been studied. Indeed, if popular media cultivates relationship beliefs or serves to confirm social stereotypes, then how issues about relationships are portrayed in media becomes important for understanding why some people have trouble developing and maintaining healthy relationships.  This program of research explores the social comparisons people make between themselves and others in romantic relationships and is investigating how such comparisons are affected by popular media consumption habits. This research still needs serious funding (consider contributing)!