By Alex Earl<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had the great pleasure over the summer to work as Junior Research Associate with Dr Bonamy Oliver in the Nurture Lab that she codirects with Dr Alison Pike. I was supported throughout by my PhD mentor, Rachel Latham.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m broadly interested in pre-school children, specifically why some children do better than others in a range of cognitive and social capacities. The Nurture Lab\u2019s research foci are parenting, family relationships, and friendships in relation to prosocial and disruptive behaviours; the work centres on family and twin designs. I have volunt![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/files\/2015\/10\/Alex-Earl-225x300.jpeg?resize=338%2C450\")
eered in the Nurture Lab since my first year at the university, which has given me great exposure to the real world of research, in a field that fascinates me. I am very much hoping to continue my studies on completion of my undergraduate degree, and applying for a JRA with Dr Oliver felt like a natural progression.<\/p>\n
The JRA almost works like a miniature PhD, packed into eight weeks. I saw my JRA application as my first funding proposal, and was suitably terrified. However, I was really well supported, it was great exposure to the process, and really exciting when I found out I had been successful. I was interested in investigating the use of Mind-Minded (MM) parenting (the mother\u2019s proclivity to consider her child as having an autonomous mental life). Maternal MM parenting is well evidenced to be a precursor to complex cognitive and social abilities in children, such as Theory of Mind \u2013 which in turn predicts a range of outcomes in later childhood and adulthood.<\/p>\n
For my JRA, I used data from Dr Oliver\u2019s Twins, Families and Behaviour Study (TFaB) of UK twins born in 2009-2010.<\/p>\n
With dads taking an increasingly direct role in raising their children, our research questions examined the associations between paternal and maternal MM, and whether the precursors to paternal MM are the same as those evidenced in maternal MM.<\/p>\n
Being part of the lab, and doing \u2018actual research\u2019 has genuinely been a pleasure, and has allowed me to embrace my inner geek. I\u2019ve developed a number of skills that I\u2019ll need for the future, and have a load of practical experience to add to my academic C.V. I\u2019ve presented at lab meetings, coded parent speech samples until I cried (mostly joking), and conducted statistical analyses. Importantly, I\u2019ve also learned more about how to interpret the results \u2013 some surprising \u2013 into a coherent story, building upon the existing literature and enabling clear future directions. Getting real-time feedback on my work has been an invaluable part of the experience.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve also encountered some of the pitfalls of novel academic inquiry \u2013 for example, after coding some of the data we realised that there were problems with the existing coding, and I had to start recoding from scratch. I was assured that such hitches are very normal in work as experimental as this! I\u2019ve learned that you have to be pretty thick-skinned throughout the research process, and to try not invest too much in what you expect of the data but rather seek to understand what it tells you. On a personal note, I\u2019m working on reframing what success looks like to me.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had the chance to build some great relationships, within the University of Sussex and beyond. I\u2019ve been in contact with the academics that are leaders in the field of Mind-Mindedness and Theory of Mind, who have all been incredibly helpful and supportive of what we\u2019re doing. I\u2019ve also been in touch with colleagues at Canterbury Christ Church University, who are trialling interventions using Mind-Minded speak with mums, and I\u2019m looking forward to spending a day in their lab in October, when I\u2019ll present our findings to the team.<\/p>\n
So, I\u2019d say I\u2019ve taken two key things from the experience. Firstly, the emotional vicissitudes of the research process are not to be underestimated, but also are to be enjoyed as part of the journey. Secondly, completing a JRA has reinforced my ambition to continue in academia. The experience I believe is a great benefit when it comes to apply for future study; I hope that I continue to carve a path to a research career, at Sussex and beyond.<\/p>\n
Alex was awarded the 1st prize in the University JRA competition last Friday 2nd October 2015 for her presentation.<\/em><\/p>\n