Research Opportunity Program (ROP) Position: Scott Lab
Work in Dr. Katreena Scott’s Lab to gain valuable research experience for a full-course credit through the Research Opportunity Program (ROP)!
| Position Title | Research Opportunity Program (ROP299/399) Student — Fall/Winter 2017-2018 |
| Project Code | LTE 15 |
| Project Title | Safe and Understood: Intervening with Families to Promote Healthy Child Outcomes and Prevent Abuse Recurrence for Young Child Victims of Domestic Violence Exposure |
| Number of Positions | 3 |
Objectives
Selected ROP students will become involved in an applied cluster randomized trial, studying the impact of embedding two promising, community-based interventions within child protection services. These interventions aim to reduce impairment and prevent abuse recurrence in young child victims (0 to 4) of exposure to domestic violence.
Interventions:
- Mothers in Mind promotes the social, emotional, and developmental health of young children who have been exposed to domestic violence. Using a trauma-informed approach, it acknowledges the impact of violence and trauma on people’s lives, and focuses on client safety and empowerment, and on increasing maternal sensitivity.
- Caring Dads engages fathers in group settings to develop positive parenting skills, break cycles of violence, and support children’s healing and development.
Methodology
Primary outcomes for the cluster randomized trial are re-referral to child protection, and child social and emotional development. We are also following families across three assessment points to gain a better understanding of developmental trajectories. Our assessment includes: (1) parent self-reports of child and family functioning; (2) observations of mothers and fathers in interaction with their children and in a co-parenting interaction; and (3) task-based and eye-tracker measures of children’s developing emotional regulation and neuropsychological functioning.
Responsibilities
Selected ROP students will be assigned specific responsibilities (e.g., coding father-/mother-child interaction, examining psychophysiological data), and have the opportunity to use related data to propose and examine questions relevant to the project. They will attend and participate in lab meetings, as well as prepare a research poster for the annual 299/399 undergraduate research fair.
Depending on level of experience, they may also be trained to:
- Attend intervention groups as part of recruitment efforts
- Conduct interviews with child protection workers
- Work with senior students to conduct assessments of mothers, fathers, and young children.
Additional Information
This is an exceptional opportunity for students with an interest in graduate studies and/or a career in clinical psychology, social work, or mental health related fields. More detailed information on the project and application process can be found here: http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/rop/courses. This position is under the Applied Psychology and Human Development section (Project Code: LTE 15).