My summer fellowship project is called Harmony in the HomeLab. One of the main goals of the project is to monitor co-parenting and parent attunement during the covid-19 lockdowns which was done using online surveys. Another main goal is to monitor co-parenting and physiological responses to small stress inducing tasks. This will be done by monitoring co-parents and their child while they complete activities together including cleaning up toys, washing hands, and making cookies. This will take place in the HomeLab, which is modeled to look like a home, using cameras and body sensors. I have two roles in the Harmony project. My first role is to analyze data that was previously collected through online surveys, and my second role is to help develop a new method of data collection through in-person interviews.
This project will have a potential impact on how individuals self reflect on how their behavior effects their relationship. Their relationship being highlighted could cause people to think about what issues they have in those relationships and what is causing them. The project could also have an impact of mental health workers. The results from the project could lead to an understanding of parent dynamics during isolation. If there was ever to be a call for public isolation there will already be concluded research on how this will affect co-parents. Research ethics plays an important role in conducting the Harmony project. We will be working with identifiable data so it will be important for us to maintain the privacy of the participants. The data from the sensors must remain in the lab on a locked computer and we cannot discuss private information about the participants whether it’s from a survey or in-person appointment.
Thanks for sharing more about your research project and the role ethics plays in your research. As a parent, I am definitely interested in learning more about your project and the results.
-Emily