Who Participates in Research and Why: Reducing Barriers to Diversifying Samples in Developmental Psychobiology

Recent calls emphasize the need to diversify samples in developmental psychobiology regarding race and ethnicity. However, there is limited guidance on effective methods to involve individuals from marginalized communities in research, or which issues these participants prioritize when considering involvement in studies with neurobiological data collection. Here, we explore these motivations for caregivers with children of color who participated in developmental psychobiology research and how their racial/ethnic identities influenced their experience. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 caregivers whose children participated in a study exploring adversity and brain development (61.5% self-identify as Black; 100% self-identifying as a woman). Using thematic analysis, we observed that caregivers participated to spend quality time with their child, gain insights to inform their parenting, diversify research, and satisfy their own scientific curiosity. While caregivers generally reported enjoying their participation, they additionally reported remaining mindful of how they present themselves among research staff to mitigate negative stereotypes and keep their families safe, consistent with known historical harm from the scientific community. Lastly, caregiver's feedback on how to increase representation and better disseminate study findings are reported. These results emphasize the importance of centering participants of color to improve representation and minimize harm in psychobiological study procedures.