ASU students' research acknowledged in article on infant attachment research
The topic of the students' research was attachment in the relationship of parents and babies.
Students from Arizona State University's CDE 430 Infant/Toddler Development in the Family course, taught by Professor Tracy Spinrad, recently had their research highlighted in an article for the state-funded organization First Things First.
The fall 2020 class was the first year Spinrad’s students collaborated with First Things First to showcase their research findings. Dan Puglisi, senior director of marketing and strategic initiatives, communications and engagement with First Things First, met with the class to introduce the topic for their research, which was attachment in the relationship of parents and babies.
“CDE 430 was a class I took to be more well-rounded, as it is different from computer science to say the least,” said Mitchell Rines, an undergraduate computer science student. “At first, I didn’t expect much from the course other than a major requirement. However, this class let me diversify my knowledge set and was very informative. I had a lot of fun researching about parenting and attachment. It is fulfilling to see mine and other peers’ work transform into an informative article for parents. I think the whole project turned out a success for both us students and First Things First.”
Spinrad said, “It has been a pleasure to work closely with Barrett honors students from all over campus as part of my infant and toddler development course. It is especially exciting to see that their work has meaning and impact on our community through this partnership with First Things First.”
Currently, another year of students are getting ready to partner with First Things First on a new set of topics. Once they are done with their findings, they’ll present them to Puglisi so he can share it on the First Things First website as a helpful resource for parents.
“I really enjoy working with Tracy and her class,” Puglisi said. “I feel it is a win-win for everyone involved. The students get a taste of different career options in child development, and I get valuable research information to pass along to parents in the community.”
Learn more about the CDE 430 Infant and Toddler Development in the Family course.