The PICS Project is a study of prenatal foundations of child self-regulation funded by the National Institute for Child Health and Development (NICHD).  Self-regulation enables children to effectively react to new situations, manage their emotions, and focus attention.  The project aims to understand how naturally occurring maternal hormones during pregnancy and fetal neurodevelopment influence children's self-regulation in early childhood. 

We are conducting home visits when children are between 5 to 6 years old.  During the visit, we ask mothers to complete questionnaires.  Meanwhile, one of our research staff plays computer and other games with children to measure behavior regulation.  We also collect saliva from children to measure hormone levels that index physiological regulation.