Institute of Early Life Care
Research projects
Collaboration Project: "Welcome - Support - Protect" Development and Evaluation of a Screening Program
The mental well-being of (expectant) parents directly affects their baby's well-being and development. Early identification of parental stress allows us to provide timely support and positively impact child development.
This study aims to identify parental psychosocial stress through simple, effective questions, helping to improve prenatal care screenings.
Contact person: Dr.in Gabriela Markova
Sparkling Science Project: "Reflecting Minds" Development of a Mentalization Training Program for Early Childhood Educators
Increasingly scarce resources are putting a strain on working conditions in kindergartens and daycare centers. Educators face the challenge of maintaining sensitivity in their interactions with children while also practicing self-care and mindfulness under growing pressure. Recent research suggests that strong mentalizing abilities can serve as a protective resource for educators in this demanding environment.
The "Reflecting Minds" Sparkling Science project aims to strengthen the mentalizing abilities of future early childhood educators. In partnership with students and teachers from two educational institutions, we are developing a training program to enhance these skills. The project will assess whether this training improves mentalizing abilities and positively impacts educators' interactions with children.
Contact person: Dr.in Antonia Dinzinger
Smart.Daddy Study: Effects of Paternal Smartphone Use on Father-Child Interaction
Smartphones and tablets have become an integral part of family life, raising new questions for research. Despite growing scientific interest, it remains unclear how infants in their first year of life physiologically react when their caregiver's attention is diverted by a smartphone. This study aims to explore how paternal smartphone use affects both infant and paternal stress levels. Additionally, we aim to identify factors that may mitigate the infant's stress response caused by an interruption in interaction.
We are currently seeking fathers with their infants (3-6 months old) to participate in our study, starting in August, at the Institute for Early Life Care.
If you are interested or have any questions, please feel free to contact the study director via email.
Contact person: Dr.in Antonia Dinzinger