How mothers' positive emotions affect children's brain responses to rewards
Official title: Maternal Positive Affect Socialization and Child Neural Reward Response
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-10850200 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how when moms help their preschoolers feel and express positive emotions, it can change how their kids' brains respond to rewards, and it aims to teach moms ways to encourage these happy feelings in their children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $790,712 |
| NIH project number | 1R01MH135881-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10850200 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are mothers of preschool-aged children who may benefit from training in positive emotion socialization.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who may not receive benefit from this research include those with older children or those who are not engaged in the caregiving process.
What this research studies
This research investigates how mothers' encouragement of positive emotions can influence their children's brain responses to rewards. It focuses on preschool-aged children, a critical period for emotional and brain development. By training mothers in emotion coaching, the study aims to enhance maternal behaviors that promote positive emotional experiences in children. The research will utilize non-invasive techniques to measure changes in children's neural reward responses as a result of these maternal interactions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could improve children's emotional well-being and reduce the risk of depression by fostering healthier brain reward responses.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that maternal behaviors can significantly influence child development, suggesting that this approach has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Morgan, Judith K. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Morgan, Judith K.
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.