Last Updated 11/6/18

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

1) Parenting and Anxiety Project

We are currently working on a lab-based study investigating transactional processes between preschool-age children and parents/caregivers in the context of anxiety problems. Our focus is on the relationship between temperamental risk for anxiety and parenting attitudes and behaviors in shaping pathways toward anxiety disorders in children.

2) Children’s Coping Project

The goal of this short-term longitudinal study was to explore risk factors of anxiety and depressive symptoms in late elementary school-age children, an important time period for the onset of internalizing disorders.
A sample of fourth and fifth graders, along with their parents, completed measures assessing a range of variables, including temperament, emotion regulation, coping strategies, stress, and parenting styles.
A subset of these families completed the same measures again the following year.

3) Procedural Anxiety Study

The goal of this study was to examine predictors of children’s anxiety before, during, and after a voiding cystourethrogram.
This procedure, better known as a VCUG, is a fluoroscopic study of the urinary tract that may be used to assess risk of kidney infections in children with recurrent urinary tract infections. Though not considered painful, the VCUG may elicit anxiety and discomfort in patients given its invasiveness.
Children and parents completed various measures before and after the procedure. Ratings of children’s procedural anxiety were obtained from children, parents, examining medical staff, and independent observers.

Current Projects

1-2 students are invited each semester to join RECAP as research assistants.
As an RA, you can develop understanding of child mental health, as well as skills in formulating research questions/ hypotheses and using data analysis software.
Opportunities for preparing conference submissions and manuscripts are available.

Applicant Requirements:

Must commit to a full year.
Priority given to sophomores, juniors, and graduate students.
Must have min GPA of 3.5 and shown excellence in research methods or statistics courses.
Submit application, writing sample, and transcript to Dr. Fox’s mailbox in Dickson 219.