Research project

How children get ‘in sync’ with their caregivers and how optimal synchrony benefits child development, health and wellbeing

A silhouette of a young child holding their hands up to the sun and sky.

Research overview

This project aims to investigate child-caregiver bio-behavioural synchrony using fNIRS hyperscanning.

High quality child-caregiver interactions are crucial for child development, health and wellbeing. Children with available, responsive and sensitive caregivers show fewer behavioural problems, higher academic achievement and better mental and physical health and wellbeing.

It was recently suggested that better child-caregiver interaction quality is linked to higher child-caregiver bio-behavioural synchrony (BBS) – i.e., the tight coordination and reciprocity of behaviour, physiology and brain activity.

However, two central questions remain unanswered. First, when is high BBS most beneficial and when can it have detrimental effects on child development, health and wellbeing? Second, how does child-caregiver BBS differ in families with neurodiverse children and how could it be optimised through future interventions?

Impact

This collaboration with Dr Pascal Vritcka at the Department of Psychology at Essex and Dr Ben Marlow from ESNEFT will provide important insight into how health care for neurodiverse children can be improved via understanding of their early life interactions with caregivers.

These important early interactions have a tremendous impact on developmental outcomes and quality of life for both the child and the family, whilst also reducing the long-term impact on education and social care.

Related papers

Workshops

In March 2023 the University of Essex hosted a 2-day Conference Workshop on the topic "Interpersonal Synchrony and Its Relevance for Attachment & Caregiving" supported by Artinis Medical Systems. More information can be found here.