Ongoing studies

Studies on parent-child relationships and attachment development with joint parental custody

How does attachment develop when very young children who grow up with joint parental custody (JPC) and alternating between both parents’ homes? Research shows that children in JPC who share their time between the two parental homes seem to be able to develop secure attachment relationships to both their parents. Our studies are therefore not about how a certain family form may be linked to insecure attachment. Instead, we focus on how this development takes place and how the children experience the relationship with their parents. We ask the following questions:

Read more about the parent-child relationships study

Security and emotional adjustment: Introduction to preschool

The importance of the quality in the relationships children form in their first years of life for their further socio-emotional development is well-established knowledge in developmental psychology.
However, the child’s entire network of close caregivers ought to be considered when studying the child’s development of attachment security. 

Security and emotional adjustment: Introduction to preschool