Improving Research of Children Using a Rights-Based Approach: A Case Study of Some Psychological Research About Socioeconomic Status

Socioeconomic status (SES) and other social determinants of health are “identified as top priorities for action” in research [Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC), 2011, p. 42]. Consequently, SES is increasingly popular in some psychological and neuroscience research in order to expand upon understanding of its relationship to child development. In sum, this research demonstrates: “Growing up in a family with low SES is associated with substantially worse health and impaired psychological well-being, and impaired cognitive and emotional development throughout the lifespan” (Hackman et al., 2010, p. 651). Expanding the SES focus to include consideration of child rights (CR) in the research process, structure, and results would advance better understanding of children and improve research about them. This brief article inquires: how would CR assist research about children by psychologists interested in neuroscience and SES? In short, children have human rights, which involve “the right to be properly researched” (Knowing Children, 2010). Indeed, Steinmetz (2010), p. 12 states that all our knowledge about how “abnormal child development” adversely affects the child’s brain structure and capacity can be ultimately traced back to the disrespect of his/her rights. As such, CR should inform efforts related to researching the relationship between SES and neuroscience. This brief commentary recognizes SES includes “occupations and thus the underlying levels of education and resulting incomes of the adult members of a household” (Johnson et al., 2007, p. 526). First, this article describes a child RBA (CRBA). Then, a CRBA frames analysis of some recent neuroscience and SES research and review articles before concluding.