News
FIRA Becomes Partner in New Research Project
Wednesday Dec 2, 2009
FIRA’s John Hoffman has been asked to be a secondary investigator on a new neuroscience study to be conducted at York University’s Milton and Ethel Harris Research Initiative (MEHRI). The study, led by Jim Stieben, director of MEHRI’s Neuroscience Group, will investigate the relationship between paternal empathy and children’s development of self-regulation. Self-regulation, summarized as children's developing ability to control or regulate their attention, emotions and impulses, is increasingly seen as a crucial aspect of optimal child development and mental health.Stieben and his team will use dense-array EEG electrode sensor nets to track brain activity in fathers, mothers and children as the parents watch their children play an emotion inducing computer game. This is an extension and further development of Stieben’s previous research involving mothers and children. The new study will be the first time fathers have been included in these procedures.
Hoffman’s role will be to ensure that knowledge from father involvement research, particularly research about influence of mothers on father involvement and the nature of father/child relationships, will be incorporated into the design of the study. FIRA has made a financial contribution to assist with recruiting subjects for the study. Data collection will begin in 2010.
