Developmental Science
Research Focus
Developmental Science
Is concerned with describing and explaining human growth, change and variability in social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning across the lifespan at multiple timescales, levels of analysis, and across diverse contexts. Full-time members of the area conduct research that investigates individual and environmental processes that explain change and variability in emotions, behaviors, and cognitions in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, with the application of innovative quantitative modeling techniques. Currently, research in the DS cluster focuses on 4 main themes:
Cognitive Development + Aging
Studies of executive function, normal and successful aging, and neuropsychology of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Social Cognition
Studies of the development of age stereotyping and ageism and impacts in real world contexts.
Developmental Neuroscience + Neurogenetics
Studies of developing brain-gene-environment-cognition relations.
Social + Emotional Development
Studies of mental health and psychopathology, emotion and behavioral self-regulation, and peer, family and teacher-child relations.
Associated Psychology Research Labs
- Adolescent Development Lab (Dr. Yao Zheng)
- Alberta Brain and Cognitive Development Lab (Dr. Sandra Wiebe)
- PEERS Lab (Dr. Wendy Hoglund)
- The Emotion Neuroscience and, Development Lab (Pan Liu)
- Victoria Longitudinal Study (Dr. Roger Dixon)
Research in this cluster is multidisciplinary and collaborative. Many of the faculty and students within the DS cluster participate in research groups composed of researchers within the DS cluster and/or researchers in other departments at UofA and other institutions. These groups include: