How caregiver closeness shapes a baby's sense of security
Caregiver–Child Proximity and Attachment Security
Researchers will use small wearable tags to measure how often caregivers stay close to 12-month-old babies and see how those patterns relate to the babies' attachment security.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180075 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you enroll, a researcher will visit your home to video short interactions with up to two caregivers and your 12-month-old. You and the child will wear lightweight TotTag devices from wake time to bedtime (about 12 hours) so the team can record real-world physical proximity and caregiver "check-ins." Later, your child will take part in the Strange Situation Procedure to measure attachment security with each available caregiver. The team plans to recruit 100 families from diverse backgrounds to compare proximity patterns with attachment and caregiver sensitivity.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are families with a 12-month-old infant who can host a home visit, allow caregivers and the infant to wear TotTag sensors for a day, and complete brief interaction and attachment assessments.
Not a fit: Families with children outside the 12-month age window or those who cannot or prefer not to wear sensors or host home visits are unlikely to benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help parents and clinicians understand how everyday closeness supports secure attachments and inform ways to support healthy parent–child relationships.
How similar studies have performed: Prior attachment research has established links between caregiver responsiveness and child security in lab settings, but using wearable proximity sensors in everyday home life is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, UNITED STATES
- Vanderbilt University — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Humphreys, Kathryn Leigh — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Humphreys, Kathryn Leigh
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.