Jackie completed her undergraduate degree at Swansea University before moving to Birmingham to study for her PhD. After finishing her PhD. she began a lectureship at Birmingham and has worked within the School of Psychology since 1998.

I currently teach a third year course in Parental Cognition, Psychopathology and Behaviour. 

My current postgraduate students are:

Samantha Rogers, who is studying the role of breastfeeding and infant cortisol metabolism in weight gain and feeding behaviours in the first year of life.

Kate Graham, who is studying the relationships between maternal depression and anxiety and infant EEG.

Meltem Budak, who is investigating maternal mental health after stillbirth and other pre or postnatal losses.

Anna Fogel, who is investigating children's taste perception and its relationship with their fruit and vegetable consumption and preference.

Carmel Bennett, who is investigating the relationships between impulsivity, weight and eating in young children.

Maria Pomoni, who is investigating feeding problems in children with autistic spectrum disorders.

My research is focused on the affective and cognitive factors which determine detrimental parenting behaviour and parent child interaction, particularly in the context of feeding and eating problems. For example, recently, I have used experimental observational methods to demonstrate that feeding practices teach emotional eating in preschool children. I am also involved in studies using a variety of methodologies from fMRI, infant EEG, behavioural observations, questionnaires, and qualitative methods.

My studies involve a wide variety of participants including mothers with clinically diagnosed mental health problems and their infants, obese children, adolescents with type II diabetes, pregnant women and mothers of neonates.

Listen to my podcast 'Early development of taste in children' (MP3 - 13.4MB) or read the podcast transcript.

Listen to my podcast 'Emotional eating' (MP3 - 1.61MB).

Selected Publications since 2005 (full listing available on request).

Blissett, J., & Bennett, C. (2013) Cultural differences in parental feeding practices and children's eating behaviours and their relationships with child BMI: a comparison of Black Afro-Caribbean, White British and White German samples. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67, 180-184.

Haycraft, E., Farrow, C. & Blissett, J. (2013) Maternal symptoms of depression are related to observations of controlling feeding practices in mothers of young children. Journal of Family Psychology, 27, 159-164.

Meyer C, Blissett J, Alberry R, Sykes A. (2013). Beliefs about exercise: Relationship to eating psychopathology and core beliefs among young female exercisers. Eating Behaviors, 14(1):79-82 2013.

Robinson, E; Blissett, J; Higgs, S (2013). The Influence of recent tasting experience on expected liking for foods. Food Quality and Preference, 27, 101-106.

Haycraft, E. & Blissett, J. (2012). Predictors of maternal and paternal controlling feeding practices with 2-5 year old children. Journal of Nurtition, Education and Behavior, 44, 390-397.

Blissett, J., Donohoe, J., Bennett, C., Rogers, S. & Higgs, S. (2012) Predicting successful introduction of novel fruit to preschool children. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 112, 1959-67.

Rosenthal, H., Walsh, J., Millings, A., Farrow, C., Waugh, M., Blissett, J. & Crisp, R. (2012). Attachment anxiety and friendship group identification under attachment threat: The moderating role of priming support network expectations. Personality and Individual Differences, 53, 562-567.

Robinson, E, Blissett, J & Higgs, S. (2012). Changing Memory of Food Enjoyment to Increase Food Liking, Choice and Intake. British Journal of Nutrition, 108, 1505-1510.

Farrow, C. & Blissett, J. (2012). Stability and continuity of parentally reported feeding practices and child eating behaviours from 2-5 years of age. Appetite, 58, 151-156.

Jenkins, P., Rienecke Hoste., R., Conley, C.S. Meyer., M &. Blissett. JM (2012). Perception of Control during Episodes of Eating: Relationships with Quality of Life and Eating Psychopathology. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 45, 115-9.

Blissett, J. (2011) Relationships between parenting style, feeding style and feeding practices and fruit and vegetable consumption in early childhood. Appetite, 57, 826-831

Robinson, E, Blissett, J & Higgs, S. (2011) Recall of vegetable eating affects future predicted enjoyment and choice of vegetables. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 111, 1543-1548.

Farrow, C., Haycraft, E., & Blissett J (2011). Does child weight influence how mothers report their feeding practices? International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 6, 306-313

Robinson, E, Blissett, J & Higgs, S. (2011) Peak and end effects on remembered enjoyment of eating in low and high restrained eaters. Appetite, 57, 207-212.

Blissett, J., Meyer, C., & Haycraft, E. (2011). The Role of Parenting in the Relationship between Childhood Eating Problems and Broader Behaviour Problems. Child: Care, Health & Development, 37, 642-648

Blissett, J. & Haycraft, E. (2011) Parental Eating Disorder Symptoms and Observations of Mealtime Interactions with Children. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 70, 368-371

McGuinness, M., Jones, C. & Blissett, J. (2011). OCD in the perinatal period: is Postpartum OCD (ppOCD) a distinct 'subtype'? Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 39, 285-310

Jenkins., P., Rienecke Hoste., R., Conley, C.S. Meyer., M &. Blissett. JM (2011). Is being Underweight Associated with Impairments in Quality of Life in the Absence of Significant Eating Disorder Pathology? Eating and Weight Disorders, 16, E61-E64 .

Jenkins, P., Rienecke Hoste, R., Meyer^, C., & Blissett^, JM. (2011). Eating Disorders and Quality of life: a review of the literature. Clinical Psychology Review, 31, 113-121.

Haycraft, E., Farrow, C., Meyer, C., Powell, F., & Blissett, J. (2011). Relationships between temperament and eating behaviours in young children. Appetite, 56, 689-692.

Blissett, J; Haycraft, E. & Farrow, C. (2010). Inducing preschool children’s emotional eating: relationships with parental feeding practices. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 92:359–65.

Haycraft E., & Blissett J. (2010) Predictors of Paternal and Maternal Controlling Feeding Practices with 2 to 5-Year-Old Children. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour, DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2010.03.001.

Haycraft, E. & Blissett, J. (2010). Eating Disorder Symptoms and Parenting Styles. Appetite. 54(1), 221–224. DOI:10.1016/j.appet.2009.11.009

Haycraft, E. & Blissett, J. (2010). The role of parents’ romantic relationship warmth and hostility in child feeding practices and children’s eating behaviours. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 6, 266-274. DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2009.00212.x

Coulthard, H & Blissett, J (2009). Sensory sensitivity and fruit and vegetable consumption. Appetite, 52, 410-415.

Farrow, C & Blissett, J. (2009) Do obsessive compulsive symptoms mediate the relationship between maternal eating psychopathology and restrictive feeding practices? International Journal of Eating Disorders, 42 (1), 76-80.

Robertson, W, Friede, T, Blissett, J, Rudolf, MCJ, Wallis, M, Stewart-Brown, S (2008). Pilot of ‘Families for Health’: community-based family intervention for obesity. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 93, 921-926. IF 2.616.

Haycraft, E. & Blissett, J (2008). Controlling feeding practices and psychopathology in a non-clinical sample of mothers and fathers. Eating Behaviors, 9, 484-492.

Blissett, J & Haycraft, E. (2008). Are parenting style and controlling feeding practices related? Appetite, 50 477-485. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2007.10.003.

Haycraft, E. & Blissett, J. (2008) Maternal and Paternal Controlling Feeding Practices: Reliability and Relationships with BMI. Obesity. 16, 7, 1552-1558.

Farrow, C, & Blissett, J. (2008).Controlling Feeding Practices: Cause or Consequence of early child weight? Pediatrics, 121, 1, E164-E169.DOI 0.1542/peds.2006-3437.

Farrow, C & Blissett, J. (2007) The development of maternal self-esteem. Infant Mental Health Journal, 28(5), 517-535.

Blissett, J. & Farrow, C. (2007) Predicting controlling feeding practices at one and two years. International Journal of Obesity 31, 1520-1526. DOI 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803661.

Blissett, J., Meyer, C., & Haycraft, E. (2007) Mental Health and child feeding difficulties in a non-clinical group. Eating Behaviors, 8, 311-318.

Blissett, J., & Meyer, C. (2006). The Mediating Role of Eating Psychopathology in the Relationship between Unhealthy Core Beliefs and Feeding Difficulties in a Non-Clinical Group. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 39 (8): 763-771.

Blissett, J., Meyer, C., & Haycraft, E. (2006). Maternal and paternal controlling feeding practices with male and female children. Appetite, 47, 212-219.

Farrow, C. & Blissett, J. (2006). Does maternal control during feeding moderate early infant weight gain? Pediatrics, 118(2), 293-298.

Farrow, C., & Blissett, J. (2006). Maternal Cognitions, psychopathologic symptoms and infant temperament as predictors of early infant feeding problems: a longitudinal study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 39 (2) 128-134.

Farrow, C., & Blissett, J. (2006) Breast-Feeding, Maternal Pressure to Eat and Mealtime Negativity at 1 Year. Appetite 46, p49-56

Farrow, C., & Blissett, J. (2005) Maternal Psychopathology and Obesigenic Feeding Practices. Obesity Research, Vol 13 (11) (11) p1999-2005.