ResearchIn the era of the genome and the brain the influence of parenting on child development is not self-evident anymore. In this research program we examine the role of parents and other caregivers in children's development of attachment and emotion regulation, and we study the limits of their influence.
In this research cluster we examine the interplay between nature and nurture. Our studies involve genes related to systems such as the dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin systems, and have a special focus on the differential susceptibility of children and parents to environmental influences.
Historical and ethological studies have shown that human beings, like many non-human species, are adapted to devote their parental investment to genetically unrelated children.
Others than mothers and fathers contribute to children’s development. The number of mothers who return to the workforce after childbirth has grown rapidly, whereas fathers generally do not cut down their working hours. Thus, out-of-home child care has become an important environment in which young children’s development is shaped.
Ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic background represent some of the most fundamental aspects of people’s identities.
Child maltreatment, including abuse and neglect, occurs all over the world, in different cultures within and across countries. There are indications that low socio-economic status, unemployment, and single parenthood are risk factors for maltreatment, but the question how these and other factors increase the risk for maltreatment still needs to be explored.