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 Schwartz and Farver.

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 Schwartz, Tarbox, and 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 Mintz, Moll, Manis, and Brain and Cognitive Sciences faculty member Jason Zevin.

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 Moll, Mintz, Morales, Schwartz, and Farver.