Research Projects
We engage in a number of investigations, from small “pilot” projects to large projects funded by the federal government. Students may work with data from ongoing studies but can also utilize existing data collected from previous work in order to answer new questions.
The Autism Emotion & the Family Study
Arousal Tendencies and Individual Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD R15HD0878775)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jason K. Baker
Co-Investigator: Dr. Rachel M. Fenning (Claremont McKenna College)
Consulting collaborators: Dr. Stephen Erath (Auburn University), Dr. Daniel Messinger (University of Miami) and Dr. Brian Baucom (University of Utah)
STATUS: Data collection has been completed; Data are available for student use
This project examined the interactive contributions of children’s physiological arousal tendencies and parent-child interaction to the prevention and exacerbation of externalizing behavior problems in children with autism.
Current Ongoing Projects:
Parenting Enhancement Interventions (with Claremont McKenna College)
Piloting of augmentations to standard parent training focused on family climate and parent-child co-regulation
Status: Data collection phase
Additional Collaborations:
Stress-Reduction Techniques for Enhancing Parenting Skills (STEPS) - Loma Linda University (C. Neece, PI)
Collaboration on a LLU project involving a randomized-controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for parents of newly-diagnosed children with autism.