Headshot of Jenna Thomas
Author: Jenna Thomas | Major: Biology and Psychology | Semester: Spring 2024
I’m Jenna Thomas, a Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences student majoring in Biology and Psychology at the University of Arkansas. After I graduate, I hope to attend medical school to pursue a Doctor of Medicine. I joined SPARK lab, headed by Dr. Anastasia Makhanova, in the fall of 2022 after taking her social psychology class that previous spring. Thus, the conclusion of this semester marks the end of my fourth semester in the lab.
Our primary focus this semester was the Parenthood Study, delving into how the transition to parenthood influences individuals psychologically and affects their relationships after the birth of their first child. Our aim is to deepen understanding of the psychological impact of becoming a parent, with implications for relationship dynamics and overall well-being. By uncovering these effects, we hope to develop strategies and programs that can support couples during this challenging transition.
We’ve collected data from approximately 130 couples at two key points: during the 27-32 week pregnancy stage and again at 6 months post-partum. This comprehensive data collection includes in-person sessions involving saliva and urinary samples, problem-solving and support videos, as well as surveys. Additionally, we’ve collected online survey data throughout pregnancy and post-birth.
A significant aspect of our study is examining how conflict resolution strategies evolve during the transition to parenthood. During lab sessions, couples identified and discussed their most pressing relationship issues. These discussions were recorded and coded by our team this semester. My team, including Lauren, Haadiya, and myself, underwent training early in the semester to ensure consistency in coding procedures. We refined our codebook through weekly meetings, where we discussed our interpretations and findings from videos we had watched. Starting mid-March, we officially began the coding process, with each team member responsible for coding around 90 videos. Each video was coded by at least two different individuals to ensure accuracy. To code these videos, we watched them three times. The first time, we focused on the couple as a whole. The second and third time, we focused on a particular individual to code their behavior. We were particularly looking for oppositional behavior, both direct and indirect. Direct oppositional behavior includes blaming, demanding from, and rejecting one’s partner. Indirect oppositional behavior includes sarcasm, passive-aggression, hostile joking, and hostile questioning.
The common discussion topics among couples were interesting, as in-laws are a much more common point of conflict than I thought. I also realized that individuals who are very directly oppositional during conflict resolution often have a partner who is very indirectly oppositional. A challenge we encountered during coding was deciphering discussions where couples mumbled or whispered, making it difficult to capture the exact words in their interactions. Since our coding depends on what the individual is saying, it was essential that we could understand each word an individual used. However, with patience and repeated viewings, we were able to code the videos to the best of our ability.
This semester, I had the privilege of presenting research from the Parenthood Study at the Northeastern Evolutionary Psychology Society Conference in Niagara Falls, NY. I presented a poster on data from the Parenthood Study, which discussed the relationship between social nesting and partner traits in both pregnant women and their partners. It was an incredible opportunity to showcase our findings and engage with researchers from different universities.
As an individual who officially committed two years to this study, I am excited to finish coding for oppositional behavior, as this data plays a key part in my honors thesis, which examines the relationship between oxidative stress and oppositional behavior in conflict resolution. Additionally, I’m eager to contribute to the analysis of various other aspects of the study. Particularly, I am excited to begin the oxidative stress assays this summer, where we will gather oxidative stress levels for each participant from their urine sample. After this research is completed, I will begin data analysis and the thesis writing process.
The support from the Honors College grant has been instrumental in sustaining our study, enabling us to compensate participants for their time and commitment. Each couple receives $150 upon completion of the second in-person lab session, which we were able to finish this semester. We will have to continue to compensate participants for the last survey, which is completed at twelve months post-partum. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a field of research with profound implications for countless individuals. My team eagerly anticipates completing the coding and data analyses for this study, advancing our understanding of the transition to parenthood in psychology.