Christine O’farrelly
Biographic Data
| ID | 186846 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Christine O’farrelly |
| GIVEN NAMES | Christine |
| FAMILY NAME | O’farrelly |
| SIGNATURE | O’FARRELLY C |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Cambridge |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9269-6564 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 11 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 6 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 11 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Long‐term follow‐up of a randomised controlled trial of a brief home‐based parenting intervention to reduce behavioural problems in young children
BACKGROUND: Behaviour problems are common in childhood and are associated with higher rates of mental health problems, educational and relationship difficulties throughout life. This study assessed whether a Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) has sustained benefit 6 years after delivery. It had previously been shown to reduce behavioural problems in children aged 2 and 4 years old. METHODS…
Children's perspectives on their play experiences during the Covid ‐19 pandemic
The COVID‐19 pandemic and lockdown regulations introduced many changes to children's everyday lives, including play, creating a unique pandemic experience for children. For this qualitative study, 15 children (ages 3–10) participated in virtual interviews on play during the pandemic between August and October 2020. While children recognised changes to play, it had persisted despite restrictions—play itself was not on lockdown. Children showed tha…
It’s up to you if you want to take part . Supporting young children’s informed choice about research participation with simple visual booklets
Formal consent for children’s research participation legally resides with adults, and guidelines typically recommend consulting children about their participation only from 7 years of age. How can researchers support younger children’s informed decision-making about their research participation, particularly in larger-scale studies without extended researcher-participant engagement? In this paper, we share our experience of four studies (270 chil…
Can guidance during play enhance children’s learning and development in educational contexts? A systematic review and meta-analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis considered evidence of guided play compared to direct instruction or free play to support children's learning and development. Interventions from 39 studies were reviewed (published 1977–2020); 17 were included in meta-analysis (Ntotal = 3893; Mchildage = 1–8 years; Mgirls 49.8%; Methnicity White 41%, African American/Black 28%, Hispanic 19%). Guided play had a greater positive effect than direct instructi…
Assessing behavior in children aged 12–24 months using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Behavioral and emotional problems in infants and toddlers are common, often persist and put children at risk of later mental health problems. Reliable, efficient, and sensitive tools are needed to identify young children who may benefit from further assessment and support. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), offers a brief, convenient means of screening for early problems, however, it lacks psychometric validation in infants. The …
Maternal anxiety and depression and their associations with mother–child pretend play
Maternal anxiety and depression are associated with less pretend play during mother-child interaction. Mother's pretend play might help reduce child behavioural problems risks, suggesting that play might be one mechanism by which maternal mental health influences children's development
Bringing young children’s voices into programme development, randomized controlled trials and other unlikely places
Interventions aimed at improving children's lives are widespread and research evaluating these is central to policy decisions that affect their lives. Although there is an increasing move in intervention and evaluation research to include stakeholders’ perspectives this rarely extends to children's voices. As a psychologist committed to children's rights, this article explores my experiences of working at times on the fringes of my own discipline…
Participant engagement with play research - examples and lessons learned from the Centre for Play in Education, Development and Learning
Participatory approaches to play research emphasise the active engagement of key stakeholders in all aspects of the research. Ranging from children, parents and educators to policy makers, the Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL) at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK, actively engages with a variety of play research stakeholders. The current paper focuses on the ways PEDAL Centre involves c…
Reconstructing readiness
Be good, know the rules
Despite the importance of self-regulation for school readiness and success across the lifespan, little is known about children's conceptions of this important ability. Using mixed-method interviews, this research examined kindergarten children's (n = 57) perspectives on self-regulation in a disadvantaged area in Dublin, Ireland. Children depicted school as requiring regulation of their emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses. They characte…
Considering the realities of salivary research with young children
Over the last two decades, interest in salivary research in the social sciences has grown rapidly. Salivary research is appealing as a quick, inexpensive and non-invasive means of determining a range of biological markers, which offer insight into a variety of human responses, for example, stress. To the social researcher these advantages provide exciting possibilities for new transactions between social, behavioural and biological models of deve…
Reconstructing readiness
Be good, know the rules
Despite the importance of self-regulation for school readiness and success across the lifespan, little is known about children's conceptions of this important ability. Using mixed-method interviews, this research examined kindergarten children's (n = 57) perspectives on self-regulation in a disadvantaged area in Dublin, Ireland. Children depicted school as requiring regulation of their emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses. They characte…
Considering the realities of salivary research with young children
Over the last two decades, interest in salivary research in the social sciences has grown rapidly. Salivary research is appealing as a quick, inexpensive and non-invasive means of determining a range of biological markers, which offer insight into a variety of human responses, for example, stress. To the social researcher these advantages provide exciting possibilities for new transactions between social, behavioural and biological models of deve…
Reconstructing readiness
Be good, know the rules
Despite the importance of self-regulation for school readiness and success across the lifespan, little is known about children's conceptions of this important ability. Using mixed-method interviews, this research examined kindergarten children's (n = 57) perspectives on self-regulation in a disadvantaged area in Dublin, Ireland. Children depicted school as requiring regulation of their emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses. They characte…
Participant engagement with play research - examples and lessons learned from the Centre for Play in Education, Development and Learning
Participatory approaches to play research emphasise the active engagement of key stakeholders in all aspects of the research. Ranging from children, parents and educators to policy makers, the Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL) at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK, actively engages with a variety of play research stakeholders. The current paper focuses on the ways PEDAL Centre involves c…
Assessing behavior in children aged 12–24 months using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Behavioral and emotional problems in infants and toddlers are common, often persist and put children at risk of later mental health problems. Reliable, efficient, and sensitive tools are needed to identify young children who may benefit from further assessment and support. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), offers a brief, convenient means of screening for early problems, however, it lacks psychometric validation in infants. The …
Maternal anxiety and depression and their associations with mother–child pretend play
Maternal anxiety and depression are associated with less pretend play during mother-child interaction. Mother's pretend play might help reduce child behavioural problems risks, suggesting that play might be one mechanism by which maternal mental health influences children's development
Bringing young children’s voices into programme development, randomized controlled trials and other unlikely places
Interventions aimed at improving children's lives are widespread and research evaluating these is central to policy decisions that affect their lives. Although there is an increasing move in intervention and evaluation research to include stakeholders’ perspectives this rarely extends to children's voices. As a psychologist committed to children's rights, this article explores my experiences of working at times on the fringes of my own discipline…
It’s up to you if you want to take part . Supporting young children’s informed choice about research participation with simple visual booklets
Formal consent for children’s research participation legally resides with adults, and guidelines typically recommend consulting children about their participation only from 7 years of age. How can researchers support younger children’s informed decision-making about their research participation, particularly in larger-scale studies without extended researcher-participant engagement? In this paper, we share our experience of four studies (270 chil…
Can guidance during play enhance children’s learning and development in educational contexts? A systematic review and meta-analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis considered evidence of guided play compared to direct instruction or free play to support children's learning and development. Interventions from 39 studies were reviewed (published 1977–2020); 17 were included in meta-analysis (Ntotal = 3893; Mchildage = 1–8 years; Mgirls 49.8%; Methnicity White 41%, African American/Black 28%, Hispanic 19%). Guided play had a greater positive effect than direct instructi…
Children's perspectives on their play experiences during the Covid ‐19 pandemic
The COVID‐19 pandemic and lockdown regulations introduced many changes to children's everyday lives, including play, creating a unique pandemic experience for children. For this qualitative study, 15 children (ages 3–10) participated in virtual interviews on play during the pandemic between August and October 2020. While children recognised changes to play, it had persisted despite restrictions—play itself was not on lockdown. Children showed tha…
Long‐term follow‐up of a randomised controlled trial of a brief home‐based parenting intervention to reduce behavioural problems in young children
BACKGROUND: Behaviour problems are common in childhood and are associated with higher rates of mental health problems, educational and relationship difficulties throughout life. This study assessed whether a Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) has sustained benefit 6 years after delivery. It had previously been shown to reduce behavioural problems in children aged 2 and 4 years old. METHODS…
Psychology (9 works) · Early Childhood Education and Development (7 works) · Developmental psychology (6 works) · Children's Rights and Participation (5 works) · Medicine (5 works) · Sociology (5 works) · Social Psychology (4 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (3 works) · Medical education (3 works) · Political science (3 works)