The PhD project
The main purpose of the PhD project is investigating interactional quality between infants and their fathers. We aim at validating an interactional measure; The Parental Embodied Assessment (PEMA), for fathers. PEMA is developed by Dana Shai at Tel Aviv University and measures how the parent is trying to make sense of what the baby wants or feels by analyzing the movements of their bodies. To evaluate PEMA for fathers and their infants, we use already collected data from the “Little in Norway” study. The dataset contains rich information about both parents and child from pregnancy into the early years. The project also aims at exploring paternal risk factors measured in pregnancy: whether they are associated with interactional quality at infant age 12 months, and also later child socioemotional development.
Funding
- Helse Sør-Øst (BUP-prosjektet) and Vestfold Hospital Trust.
- Collaborations: Department of Psychology and Vestfold Hospital Trust
Academic interests
Infant mental health and development, attachment, parental mentalizing, mechanisms of change in parent-infant therapy.
Background
Licensed psychologist in child and youth psychology.
Research team
Supervisors
Associate professor Mona Bekkhus, Associate professor Eivor Fredriksen and PI of LIN study and Head of education at Department of Psychology, Vibeke Moe.
Collaborators
Phd/Head of Department of Child psychiatry, Vestfold Hospital Trust Anne Karin Ullebø, and Associate professor and Head of Seed Center, Dana Shai, Tel Aviv University.