Child Development

A deep interest in children and their development brings together the faculty and students of Child Development. Our faculty and students design research using empirical methodologies that are situated within the natural, actual settings in which children live their lives. From the early childhood years of preschool to the transitions of adolescence, Child Development faculty and students investigate core aspects of youth: language development in their verbal and signed manifestations; the impact of teachers as shepherds of developmental growth; the acquisition (or not) of academic motivation; bullying and peer harassment; the growth of cognitive and mathematical skills, identity formation with respect to gender, race, and ethnicity; the creation of small yet structured societies of youth; peer influence and social networks; the disruptive functions of aggressive and antisocial behavior; the positive connectedness of friendship and cooperation. Our faculty and students have diverse interests, but we share a commitment to improving children’s experiences with education through a creative and rigorous application of psychological theory and research.