Adolescent Moral Socialization
Conversations about moral situations are important contexts for adolescents to formulate and develop their understanding of morality. Such conversations can take place with peers, family, and adults. Mothers and adolescents participated in a study several years ago during which they discussed several moral topics and completed a battery of questionnaires. For this project, we are focused on adolescents' conversations with their mothers about what they might do to intervene in four hypothetical bullying situations. We are working to identify conversational tactics mothers employ that facilitate adolescents' level of moral reasoning.
Student Research Opportunity: We are looking for several undergraduate research associates to help with fine-tuning the conversational transcripts, finalizing the coding scheme, and ultimately coding conversations.
I am open to accepting a graduate student interested in adolescent prosocial behavior and moral development particularly as it related to family dynamics.
Student Research Opportunity: We are looking for several undergraduate research associates to help with fine-tuning the conversational transcripts, finalizing the coding scheme, and ultimately coding conversations.
I am open to accepting a graduate student interested in adolescent prosocial behavior and moral development particularly as it related to family dynamics.
Helicopter Parenting: Its Correlates and Outcomes
Helicopter Parenting is a form of developmentally age-inappropriate, intrusive parenting where parents tend to over-control, be overly involved, and engage in pre-mature problem-solving for their children. It was initially sensationalized by the media, as parents were perceived to "bubble-wrap" their children and be overly protective. Since its initial introduction into our social lexicon, it has become a focus of interest for many researchers, as such intrusive parenting has been linked to poor adjustment and outcomes for youth. Yet, other work shows that there can be positive outcomes, as well, depending on context and culture. I join others in my desire to better understand what helicopter parenting is, what predicts its use by parents, and the ways it is associated with adolescent and young adult adjustment.
At present, I share a fairly large data set with two collaborators: Meredith McGinley (University of Wisconsin-Parkside) and Wendy Rote (University of South Florida). We are in the process of presenting findings at national conferences and writing up results for publication. I hope to follow up this study soon.
Student Research Opportunity: I am open to accepting a graduate student interested in examining helicopter parenting with the idea that we would develop a new study.
At present, I share a fairly large data set with two collaborators: Meredith McGinley (University of Wisconsin-Parkside) and Wendy Rote (University of South Florida). We are in the process of presenting findings at national conferences and writing up results for publication. I hope to follow up this study soon.
Student Research Opportunity: I am open to accepting a graduate student interested in examining helicopter parenting with the idea that we would develop a new study.
College Student Mental Health
For the past five years, I have been working with the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities of Oakland county, MI, to implement an intervention program advocating for college student mental health. Certainly, the COVID pandemic and its corresponding societal responses (shut-down, virtual classes) contributed to the uptick in college-student stress, anxiety, and depression, but given five years of data collection, I noted an increase in mental health issues reported by our students prior to the pandemic. The PADLab's role is to assess student well-being, attitudes, and behavior across each academic year in the fall and in the spring.
Student Research Opportunity: I am open to accepting a graduate student interested in college student adjustment.
Student Research Opportunity: I am open to accepting a graduate student interested in college student adjustment.