Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It affects approximately 5-8% of children globally, with around 60-70% of cases persisting into adulthood. ADHD has significant implications for educational attainment, social interactions, and occupational success.
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....

The Nativist Approach

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Prenatal folate, homocysteine and vitamin B<sub>12</sub> levels and child brain volumes, cognitive development and psychological functioning: the Generation R Study.

The British journal of nutrition·2019

Same author

Polygenic Risk Scores for Developmental Disorders, Neuromotor Functioning During Infancy, and Autistic Traits in Childhood.

Biological psychiatry·2019

Same author

Psychiatric Polygenic Risk Scores as Predictor for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Clinical Child and Adolescent Sample.

Behavior genetics·2019

Same author

Exposure to Maternal Depressive Symptoms in Fetal Life or Childhood and Offspring Brain Development: A Population-Based Imaging Study.

The American journal of psychiatry·2019

Same author

Using Food to Soothe in Infancy is Prospectively Associated with Childhood BMI in a Population-Based Cohort.

The Journal of nutrition·2019

Same author

Preschool family irregularity and the development of sleep problems in childhood: a longitudinal study.

Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines·2019

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Published on: December 2, 2015

Normal variation in early parental sensitivity predicts child structural brain development.

Rianne Kok¹, Sandra Thijssen², Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg³

¹Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Generation R Study Group, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

|September 27, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Nurturing parenting in early childhood is linked to better brain development in children. Both mothers and fathers play a crucial role in a child's brain maturation and structure.

Keywords:

MRI brain structure father mother sensitivity

More Related Videos

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

Published on: June 30, 2020

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Published on: December 2, 2015

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

Published on: June 30, 2020

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Area of Science:

Developmental neuroscience
Child psychology
Neuroimaging

Background:

Early caregiving significantly influences child brain development.
Research on normal variations in parenting quality and its brain impact is limited.
The combined role of maternal and paternal sensitivity in child brain maturation requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the prospective relationship between sensitive caregiving by mothers and fathers in early childhood and brain structure in later childhood.
To investigate the impact of normal variation in parenting quality on child brain development.

Main Methods:

A population-based prenatal cohort of 191 families was utilized.
Maternal and paternal sensitivity were repeatedly observed from ages 1 to 4.
Brain structure was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 8 years of age, with infant head circumference measured at 6 weeks.

Main Results:

Higher parental sensitivity in early childhood correlated with larger total brain volume and gray matter volume at 8 years.
Maternal sensitivity was specifically linked to larger gray matter volume, independent of infant head circumference.
No significant differences were found between the associations of maternal versus paternal sensitivity.

Conclusions:

Normal variations in caregiving quality are associated with indicators of more optimal brain development in children.
Both mothers and fathers contribute significantly to a child's brain development.
These findings highlight the importance of sensitive parenting for structural brain maturation.