Rate My Professor Amanda Clifford

Dr Amanda Clifford is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology within the Division of Sciences at the University of Otago. She holds a BSc (Hons) and PhD from the University of Otago. Her research specializations include children's socio-emotional and language development, parent-child interactions, and the role of culture in clinical and developmental psychology. As a descendant of Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, and Kāti Māmoe, Dr Clifford utilizes kaupapa Māori and qualitative research methods to investigate mental health and wellbeing, focusing on how parents and educators impart socio-emotional concepts essential for mental health, and to address inequities while promoting positive outcomes for communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Dr Clifford contributes to significant research initiatives such as the Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start) study, a cluster randomized trial evaluating professional development for early childhood teachers to enhance children's oral language and self-regulation skills, including te reo Māori usage in education settings. Her key publications include 'Early Childhood Teacher Training Improves Toddlers' Oral Language and Self-Regulation' (2025), 'Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start Study): Observed Te Reo Māori Usage Within Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa New Zealand Following Professional Development' (2025), 'The Best Start Study (Kia Tīmata Pai): Parent- and Teacher-Reported Oral Language and Self-Regulation in a Large Diverse Sample of New Zealand Toddlers' (2025), 'Cohort Profile: The New Zealand Best Start study (Kia Tīmata Pai)' (2025), 'An Overview of Early Psychosis Care in New Zealand—A Need for Culturally Adapted Service Models' (2025), 'Tender Shoots: Effects of a preschool shared reading and reminiscing initiative on parent-child interactions and socio-emotional and self-regulation outcomes after school entry' (2024), 'Birth by emergency caesarean delivery: Perspectives of Wāhine Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand' (2024), and 'Disparities in Psychosis Risk Symptoms for New Zealand Māori May Be Explained by Systemic Stressors and Inappropriate Conceptualization of Culturally Normative Experiences' (2023). In 2024, she received the University of Otago Māori Early Career Award for Distinction in Research. Her work has accumulated 82 citations and she supervises postgraduate theses on topics such as cultural competence in mental health and language interactions in early development.