Biobehavioral and Social-Emotional Development Lab

Our lab is working to better understand the systems and processes that promote psychosocial adaptation or contribute to the emergence of psychopathology across development. We are particularly interested in examining how early experiences (e.g., parent-child, sibling, and peer relationships) and individual differences in children’s self-regulation contribute to social and emotional development from infancy to early adolescence. Our research examines how these influences shape developmental trajectories across various domains of adaptive functioning, including social competence, prosocial and empathic behaviors, and school success, and maladaptive functioning, including aggression, callous-unemotional traits, and anxiety.

An overarching theme in our lab is the use of multiple methods for studying child development at experiential (e.g., self- and other-report methods), behavioral (e.g., observations, eye-tracking), and biological (e.g., autonomic and neuroendocrine regulatory systems) levels of influence.

We are currently recruiting 1-4 year olds for the Promoting Empathy and Affiliation in Relationships (PEAR) Study.

Participation will involve coming into our research lab for fun, age-appropriate activities with your child and answering questions to help us learn more about how to promote healthy parent-child relationships. Check out our website (thepearstudy.com) to learn more about our study and complete the interest form.