Past and current social relationships play a vital role in maintaining both our emotional and physical well-being. THRIVE Lab’s research program examines the links between close relationships, emotional regulation, and health in both children and adults, as well as the ways in which we can harness relationship experiences to enhance health outcomes. Grounded in a lifespan developmental psychopathology perspective, we investigate both normative and pathological developmental processes. A central question of interest is how individual variation in the receipt of care in early childhood influences how people come to experience and express their own emotional and physical needs, as well as how this impacts their ability to respond to these needs in others. Our work is premised on the notion that reactivity to stress is one prominent risk factor for the developmental of mental and physical health problems, as well as the argument that the quality of one’s experiences in close relationships has concurrent and prospective impacts on stress reactivity, and thus, on health. Attachment theory provides a compelling lens for understanding the links between relationship experiences, stress reactivity, and health, and is the main theoretical framework we employ in examining these constructs.
Cultivating Relational Attachments Despite Limited Engagement Study (CRADLE)
The Cultivating Relational Attachments Despite Limited Engagement (CRADLE) Study is interested in understanding the emotional experiences of NICU parents and identify ways to support them in the years following their experience in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Parents of NICU infants often receive excellent support while their infants are hospitalized but the support tapers off after that point. Our goal is to better understand the needs of these parents and to identify ways of supporting them. If you are interested and would like to learn more or participate, please email ucicradle@gmail.com
Enjoying Memories (ED)
The Enjoying Memories (ED) study aims to investigate the impact of relational savoring on a clinical population ages 18+ with eating disorders. This study will inform our understanding of the role that positive relationships play in the lives and recovery of eating disorder patients living in treatment facilities as well as allow us to assess the impact of making those relationships salient on various inter and intrapersonal well-being outcome variables. The Enjoying Memories (ED) study is looking for adult woman with eating disorders receiving residential treatment at the Center For Discovery. If you’re interested in learning more, please email us at ucithrivelabedstudy@gmail.com.
Growing Together Study
This study recruits children aged 8-12 and their mothers to participate in a series of interactive tasks and individual interviews. Our aim is to better understand different aspects of the parent-child relationship, including attachment security and parenting. If you’re interested to learn more about the project, please email ucigrowingtogether@gmail.com
