Development Psychology Research

How does the cultural context shape development? What role does ethnicity and culture of origin play in development? Psychology faculty active in this area are Henrike Moll & David Schwartz

How does the infant brain support the origins of the mind and the ability to learn vast amounts of information from and about the world? What are the brain structures and systems that give rise to perception, cognition, and language? Psychology faculty active in this area include Heather Kosakowski & Santiago Morales.

What developmental processes predict later psychosocial maladjustment and psychopathology? What factors predict risk and resilience in development? In what ways can research on atypical development inform understanding of normal development? Psychology faculty active in this area are David Schwartz & Santiago Morales.

How does the expression of language emerge across the lifespan? Topics currently being examined include speech perception, the acquisition of word meanings and syntactic structures in infancy, and cognitive processes in children and adults with dyslexia. Psychology faculty active in this area include Sandy LaTourrette, Toby Mintz & Henrike Moll.

How do children develop the cognitive foundations that support social and emotional skills (e.g., thinking about others’ minds, cooperation, or emotion regulation)? What processes drive socialization in the family, peer group, and community? Psychology faculty active in this area include Heather Kosakowski, Henrike Moll, Toby Mintz, Santiago Morales & David Schwartz.