Researchers

Dr Thomas G. O'Connor,
Prof Judith F. Dunn,
Dr Barbara Maughan,
Dr Stephen B. C. Scott
Institute of Psychiatry

1 November 2002 - 31 October 2005

Context

Recent research findings pose fundamental challenges to basic assumptions underlying the theories used in family research. This research programme brings together diverse investigators in order to identify key areas of controversy in family research and address their underlying methodological dilemmas.

Aims and Objectives

• To identify key areas of controversy in family research and their underlying methodological dilemmas;
• To develop, refine and expand methodologies to address these areas of controversy;
• To transfer knowledge of methodological advancements to family researchers.

Methodological aspects

The research programme examines measured variables in the social environment mediated within and between family variance using:

• `natural experiments` looking at twins, adoptees and stepfamilies
• multilevel modelling approaches to assess patterns of child-level and family-level variance

Research Design

• Bring together a mix of methodological strategies for studying families;
• Evaluate what certain methods can and cannot tell us about the nature of family influences on children`s development;
• Develop multilevel models for family research;
• Pool datasets on studies of families in the UK, USA and Canada;
• Assess the points of convergence between experimental intervention studies and naturalistic studies;
• Exploit the genetically-sensitive nature of studies with twins, adoptees, step families and full, half and unrelated siblings.

Outputs

• Two PhD students who will be trained on all aspects of the research programme;
• Provide the support to pool resources and compare experiences in family research;
• A book and a conference on research methodologies for family research.