Niyantri Ravindran

Education

Research

My research focuses on understanding the moment-to-moment dynamics of parent-child interaction during emotionally challenging situations in early childhood, at both behavioral and physiological levels. I examine factors that contribute to parents' responses to young children's negative emotions in real time, as well as how these parental responses promote or hinder children's developing ability to effectively manage negative emotions and stress. I am also interested in examining how sociocultural factors such as contextual stress shape the dynamics of parent-child interaction, and how these dynamics in turn contribute to children's long-term adjustment. To address my research questions, I use observational coding of laboratory tasks, naturalistic audio recordings of family interactions in the home, physiological assessments (e.g., RSA, EDA), and surveys, and I apply intensive longitudinal methods such as multilevel modeling to examine within- and between-person processes in parents and children.

Teaching

HDFS 8840 Introduction to Multilevel and Growth Curve Modeling

HDFS 2300 Research Unlocked: Skills for Understanding and Applying HDFS

HDFS 4860/6860 Parenting and Child Guidance

Prior Professional Positions

Editorial Appointments

Areas of Expertise

Development of emotion and stress regulation; Emotion Socialization; Parent-child Interaction; Social Development

Current Research

Currently, there are three ongoing research projects in my lab:

Learning, Emotions, and Parenting (LEAP) Project: This is a longitudinal study funded by NSF that follows parents and children from kindergarten to 2nd grade. The goal is to better understand parent-child interactions and children's emotions during challenging math activities during the early school years, including both observable behaviors and physiological responses. Data collection and observational coding are ongoing. 

Parents and Children Together (PACT) Extension Project: This is a small extension study of a recently concluded longitudinal investigation (PI Dr. Geoffrey Brown). The goal is to use surveys to better understand how Black American parents respond to preschool-aged children's negative emotions in different contexts, and how their own experiences, beliefs, and goals shape their parenting practices. Data collection is ongoing. This study is funded by the Society for Research in Child Development Small Grants Program for Early Career Scholars. 

Parent-Child Interaction Project (PCIP): This is a pilot study that focused on examining parent-child interactions in naturalistic settings in the preschool years, particularly during emotionally challenging situations. Parent-child dyads were video-recorded via Zoom during a series of interaction tasks. Children also wore an audio recorder as they went about their daily routines for 16 hours. Data collection and coding for this project has concluded, and we are in the process of writing up and publishing papers. 

Journal Articles

Select publications:

Ravindran, N., & McElwain, N. L. (2024). Dynamic coupling of maternal sensitivity and toddlers’ responsive/assertive behaviors predicts children’s behavior toward peers during the preschool years. Developmental Psychology. 60, 1801–1813. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001809

Ravindran., N., Zhang, X., & Ku, S. (2024). Within-person bidirectional associations between maternal cortisol reactivity and harsh parenting across infancy and toddlerhood. Journal of Family Psychology. 38, 911–920. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001231

Ravindran, N., McElwain, N. L., Berry, D., & Kramer, L. (2022). Dynamic fluctuations in maternal cardiac vagal tone moderate moment-to-moment associations between children's negative behavior and maternal emotional support. Developmental Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001299

Ravindran, N., Genaro, B. G., & Cole, P.M. (2021). Parental structuring in response to toddler negative emotion predicts children’s later use of distraction as a self-regulation strategy for waiting. Child Development. 92, 5, 1969-1983. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13563

Ravindran, N., Zhang, X., Green, L.G., Gatzke-Kopp, L.M., Cole, P.M., & Ram, N. (2021). Concordance of mother-child respiratory sinus arrythmia is continually moderated by dynamic changes in emotional content of film stimuli. Biological Psychology (Invited submission to Special Issue: Biological, emotional, and behavioral concordance: Multi-level, multi-person approaches to health across the lifespan). 161, 108053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108053

Ravindran, N., Berry, D. & McElwain, N. L. (2019). Dynamic bidirectional associations in negative behavior: Mother-toddler interaction during a snack delay. Developmental Psychology, 55, 1191-1198. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000703

Ravindran, N., McElwain, N. L., Berry, D., & Kramer, L. (2018). Mothers’ dispositional distress reactivity as a predictor of maternal support following momentary fluctuations in children’s aversive behavior. Developmental Psychology, 54, 209-219. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000418