Happy start to Summer, everyone! We hope that all of our terrific BEAR Lab families have been enjoying the warmer weather and are gearing up for a fun summer. Since it has been a little while since we have put out a newsletter, we are excited to share the changes and updates our lab has gone through since then.
What’s New in the BEAR Lab?
We are happy to report that since our last newsletter, we have had 12 new pairs of moms and infants visit our lab "OTTERS" (Ohio-Texas Transactional Emotion Research Study) study for a total of 22 participating families. As these OTTERS infants begin to grow into toddlers, we have also begun entering Phase 2 of this study in our lab, inviting families in for their year 2 visits. For a refresher, this project is a collaboration with Dr. Rebecca Brooker at Texas A&M University wherein we are researching the development of mothers’ and infants’ emotions and anxiety during the first three years of children’s lives.
We are still recruiting 11-16 month-old infants and their mothers for Phase 1 of our study and are now also recruiting 23-27 month-old infants for Phase 2 of our study, no matter whether they experience anxiety or not! Families who choose to participate will have the opportunity to receive up to $225 over three years ($50 at age 1, $75 at age 2, and $100 at age 3). In addition to participating in similar games and activities to our other studies, moms and babies will also participate in activities during which we will take EEG measurements. We’d love for you to join us if you have an infant in that age range, or to pass along our contact info to people you know who do!
You can follow the QR code on the right OR go to the “Contact” tab on our lab website (https://www.mubearlab.com)
The TEDDI study is about to start a new phase! We will be inviting previous TEDDI participants who are 8 to 13 years old for a lab visit focused on emotion. We will have some familiar games and activities and hope that as many families as possible will participate with us! Be on the lookout for an email or phone call from us a bit later in the summer or early in the fall. (And if you want to update your contact information in anticipation of this visit, feel free to email us at bearlab@miamioh.edu).
Finally, we have to say some bittersweet farewells to some of our lab members this summer. We have 11 graduating undergraduate research assistants, and although we are sad to see them go, we wish them all the best for their individual next steps! Additionally, we will be saying goodbye to current project coordinator, Ashley, at the end of July. She will be starting her doctoral program at Lehigh University in August, and we wish her the best of luck there as well!
BEAR Lab in the Wild!
During the academic year, many of our lab members traveled outside of Oxford to present their work from our lab at a few different conferences! These included conferences for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), and the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA).
Helpful Resources for Parents
Do you need ideas for fun, family-friendly events to fill your summer? Mark your calendar for these events, happening right here in Butler County!
Oxford Farmers Market - Head to the farmers market every Saturday from 9am-12pm to shop the best goods and treats from local businesses! Plus, keep an eye out for our BEAR Lab table where we might be recruiting for our newest studies and giving away coloring pages and other goodies for the kiddos!
Red Brick Friday: Books on the Bricks - August 4th @ 6pm-10pm - Visit Uptown Oxford to see and support all of your favorite Oxford businesses at Red Brick Friday! This event will also include live music, food trucks, a children's story hour, new and used book sales, and the Book Mobile. Also keep an eye out for our BEAR Lab table at this event! We will be recruiting for our newest studies and will have fun activities and goodies for all the kiddos!
Movers and Shakers - Visit the Oxford Lane Library every Thursday from 11:00am-11:30am to sing songs, read stories, and meet other families from the area! This event is suggested for children ages 12-24 months old and their caretakers.
Stories, Strollers and Fun - Another event from the Oxford Lane Library, families will gather at the Oxford Park Gazebo to read stories and sing songs with the library staff! This event, recommended for families of children 1-4 years of age, will take place from 10:00am-11:00am every Monday in August. Each week, the storytime will also be followed by a fun activity led by the Oxford Parks & Recreation Department!
Keeping in Touch with the BEAR Lab
We want to stay in contact with you! We would like to be able to contact you for help in future studies or just to tell you what we’re up to, so we would like to have your current address information. If anything has changed please let us know by sending an email to BEARLab@miamioh.edu or give us a call at (513)-529-2411. You can also contact our director, Elizabeth Kiel, at Elizabeth.Kiel@MiamiOH.edu or (513)-529-5430.
Be sure to check out our lab website (https://www.mubearlab.com/ ) where you can find information on our current research studies, the latest news and publications, and more!
You can now like us on Facebook! Follow the “Behavior Emotions and Relationships Lab” page to meet our lab members, read some helpful articles on parenting and emotional development, and stay up to date on all things BEAR Lab.