Identifying risk factors for hyper-arousal in response to infant distress

Research Group

Centre for Mind and Behaviour

Proposed supervisory team

Dr Elizabeth Kirk

Dr Jacob Dunn

Dr Matt Bristow

Theme

Development Psychology

Summary of the research project

Infant crying serves an evolutionary function, signalling distress to caregivers who are hardwired to be aroused by this stimulus, thus eliciting caregiving and promoting survival. Unfortunately, infant crying can also trigger abuse by parents who demonstrate hyper-arousal in response to infant distress. This PhD project will aim to identify the factors and mechanisms underlying hyper-arousal, which could offer important insight into cry-triggered mistreatment or abuse.

Our current work uses lab-based studies that measure adults’ self-reported responses (intentional response and aversiveness rating) in response to audio samples of infant emotional signals (crying and laughter), in addition to collecting saliva samples and measuring heart rate variability to measure physiological arousal. One of the key novel components of this research is that we are analysing the acoustic properties of the cry and laughter stimuli (duration, frequency, amplitude and non-linear phenomena) and will test the contribution that this has on participants’ stress responses to the stimuli. The PhD programme of research will extend this work to further identify the risk factors that presuppose an individual to hyper arousal in response to infant distress in a larger sample.

The supervisory team are existing collaborators and bring together interdisciplinary expertise on developmental psychology, perinatal mental health, biological markers of stress, bioacoustics and emotional signalling. The PhD student would be well supported by the team, which has experience in PhD supervision and can offer the student training in various methodological and statistical processes and packages. Dr Kirk is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology, her research focuses on parent-child interaction, including mind-mindedness and maternal wellbeing in the perinatal period. Dr Bristow is the director of the ARU Biomarker Laboratory with expertise in salivary biomarkers. Dr Dunn is a behavioural ecologist, interested in the biology and evolution of communication systems in humans and other animals (mostly primates) (www.thepeergroup.org.uk).

Where you'll study

Cambridge

Funding

This project is self-funded.

Details of studentships for which funding is available are selected by a competitive process and are advertised on our jobs website as they become available.

Next steps

If you wish to be considered for this project, you will need to apply for our Psychology PhD. In the section of the application form entitled 'Outline research proposal', please quote the above title and include a research proposal.