Using Structured Video Chat to Improve Relationships Between Young Children and Remote Grandparents

NCT06071832 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: R15HD107457-01A1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 540
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic many families are using video chat (e.g., Zoom) to maintain relationships with distant relatives, including grandparents. While 67% of all grandparents reported liking the idea of video chatting with their grandchildren, only 28% did so regularly. Increasing this percentage could significantly improve grandparent-grandchild relationships because the Preliminary Study 1 showed that video chat frequency is a strong predictor of grandparent's ratings of closeness to their grandchild, even after controlling for the geographic distance between them. The overall goal of the past, ongoing, and future research is to understand the cognitive and social developmental challenges of video chat in order to support its use with children. As the next step towards this goal, the investigators propose to directly compare two approaches to instructing grandparents on how to improve video chats between grandparents and young grandchildren (18-72 months of age). Families will use video chat without the involvement of researchers during each video chat. Parent-child- grandparent triads (n=180; the largest multi-session observational study of young children and video chat to date) will record 10 video chats under one of three randomly-assigned conditions: structured play, structured reading, or when given no instructions (control). The overall hypothesis is that structured video chat will increase children's engagement and joint attention (primary outcome measures), as well as grandparents' enjoyment of video chat and closeness with their grandchild (secondary outcome measures). The investigators will use detailed behavioral coding of the video recordings of these chats to objectively assess many of the outcome measures. The Preliminary Study 2 showed that structured video chat facilitates more positive social interactions. The proposed work extends the preliminary work because it translates laboratory methods to a complementary ecologically-valid approach in families' naturalistic environments. In Aim 1, the investigators will determine whether and for whom structured video chat improves child engagement and increases child-initiated screen- based joint attention during video chats between grandparents and grandchildren. In Aim 2, the investigators will determine whether structured video chat increases grandparents' enjoyment of the video chats and leads to greater feelings of closeness to their grandchild. Both principal investigators, who are at R15-eligible institutions, are well-qualified to complete the proposed work. Since 2017, they have published 9 papers on video chat, 12 papers on reading, and collaboratively completed 3 preliminary studies and 2 papers. They have mentored 77 undergraduate students, many of whom were co-authors on conference posters or presentations (37 students in total; 22 as a presenter) or journal articles. Importantly, 17 students came from underrepresented groups (BIPOC, first- generation in college, LGBT). A total of 47 are pursuing or have completed graduate work in health-related sciences, including 15 for doctoral degrees. The proposed work addresses a National Institute for Child Health \& Development, Child Development and Behavior Branch's (CDBB) priority of advancing understanding of "Effects of Technology and Digital Media Use on Child and Adolescent Development."

Conditions

Child Development; Family Members; Grandparents

Keywords

child development; cognitive development; grandparents; screen time; video chat; family relationships

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Child engagement

  Frequency of the number of occurrences of smiles, nods, \& on-topic verbalizations. To be measured by observing recordings of behavior.

  Through study completion, an average of 2 months

• Child initiation of within-screen joint attention

  Frequency of child's references to something in their own environment, paired with a look to the grandparent. e.g., child brings a toy to show grandparent. To be measured by observing recordings of behavior.

  Through study completion, an average of 2 months

• Child initiation of across-screen joint attention

  Frequency of child's direction of the grandparent's attention to an object or person on the other side of the screen, paired with a look to the grandparent. e.g., child points to her grandmother's dog. To be measured by observing recordings of behavior.

  Through study completion, an average of 2 months

• Grandparent Sensitivity

  Time-sampled in intervals of 30-seconds (coder gives a score for the sensitivity of each adult, based on that 30- second interval as one unit). Grandparent's accuracy in reading child signals, appropriate responsiveness to such signals, adult affect, awareness of timing, and flexibility to child's needs in the moment. Sensitivity will be coded following previously published criteria and will be a global rating that "emphasizes behavioral style rather than discrete behaviors" and accounts for the dyadic nature of sensitivity (child's needs affect parent's responses, and vice versa). To be measured by observing recordings of behavior.

  Through study completion, an average of 2 months

• Parental Involvement

  Frequency and duration of instances when the parent supports the child to engage with the grandparent, e.g., offers help. To be measured by observing recordings of behavior.

  Through study completion, an average of 2 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Grandparent enjoyment

  Through study completion, an average of 2 months

• Grandparent closeness

  Through study completion, an average of 2 months

Study Arms (3)

Structured Play Condition

EXPERIMENTAL

The following describes ONE intervention type with the following rationale. We chose to investigate shared book reading because it is a structured activity that is familiar, emotionally engaging, and supportive of general knowledge and language development. Adults report that shared reading is an important bonding activity that builds adult-child closeness through back- and-forth interactions. Importantly, the joint attention that occurs during shared book reading when adults and children share focus on the book may promote language and social emotional outcomes. Children are responsive and attentive during shared reading over video chat, but it is unknown whether a triadic interaction can be established during reading via video chat.

Other: Instructions for family Zoom session

Structured Reading Condition

EXPERIMENTAL

The following describes ONE intervention type with the following rationale. For our structured play condition, we chose to investigate the activities of playing show and tell, imitating with objects, and drawing because these are common activities derived from lab-based video chat experiments with children, many of which are authored by the PI and Co-I.

Other: Instructions for family Zoom session

Control Condition

EXPERIMENTAL

The control families will be asked to do video chat as usual, with no specific instructions.

Other: Instructions for family Zoom session

Interventions

Instructions for family Zoom session OTHER

Within both play and reading conditions, we will manipulate the method of enacting the structured activities with the goal of facilitating different types of grandparent-initiated joint attention.

Control Condition; Structured Play Condition; Structured Reading Condition

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Months - 5 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• have a child between the ages of 18 months and 5 years
• all parties speak English
• stable internet connection for all parties
• access to laptop, smart phone or tablet that can be used for Zoom interactions
• be able to hear to communicate effectively with partners in Zoom interactions
• see the screen well enough to communicate effectively on Zoom

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lafayette College: lead
• University of South Dakota: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania, 18042, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Lauren J Myers, Ph.D.

  Lafayette College

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: In Aim 1, we will focus on the effects of structured video chat on child engagement and initiations of joint attention during video chat with grandparents. In Aim 2, we will determine whether structured video chat increases grandparents' enjoyment of the video chats and leads to greater feelings of closeness to their grandchild.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 8, 2023
• First Posted: October 10, 2023
• Study Start: November 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: September 1, 2025
• Study Completion: September 1, 2025
• Last Updated: March 5, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: The data will be available in 2026 after our coding is complete.

Locations

US (1)