Active Projects (2023-2024)
Below is a list of projects that are seeking participants, click on the link to find out more!
- United for the Well-Being of Latino Families
- ESSAMA: Latino Mother-Teen Support, Stress, Sleep, and Well-Being (more info to come; 4/11/24)
- The TEAM (TEens And Mothers) Project: Maternal Socialization of Coping and Adolescent Coping (more info to come; 4/11/24)
Completed Projects
The Middle School Transition Project
The upcoming transition to middle school can be both an exciting and challenging time for children, especially when it comes to their peer relationships and academics. In this study, we were interested in learning about how children deal with these types of challenges and how parents and children talk about these experiences. Before and after the transition to middle school, mothers and children participated in lab activities that involve conversations about one peer problem and one school/academic problem that the child has recently faced. Physiological assessments of heart rate, respiration, and sweating were conducted during these conversations. The goal of this research is to identify effective ways for parents and youth to cope with the normative challenges of the middle school transition to promote youth well-being and adjustment during times of change and transition.
Information about some study findings:
- Mother and youth conversations and youth coping: Link
- Youth coping and physiological responses: Link
Interpersonal Stress and Well-Being in Early Adolescence
In collaboration with Dr. Joseph Cohen and the STEPP Lab, this project investigated how youth respond to and manage experiences of interpersonal stress. Interpersonal stressors (e.g., conflict with parents, friends) can have implications for youth well-being, including mental and physical health. Family and peer stress/conflict can be particularly salient and distressing for youth during a developmental period characterized by increases in autonomy from parents and strong desires to be well-liked and accepted by their peers, respectively. The objectives of this study are to examine parent and youths’ physiological responses to parent-adolescent conflict and their associations with parent and youth well-being, the role of individual differences (e.g., coping styles, family environment), and how different childhood adversities (e.g., exposure to community violence) may inform parent and youth psychophysiological functioning, vulnerability for maladjustment, and overall mental health.
“Adolescents’ Everyday Experiences” Study
In collaboration with Dr. Shardé McNeil Smith, we interviewed adolescents and their parents about adolescents’ interpersonal experiences over a 2 week period. Adolescents were asked about how they responded to experiences of interpersonal stress, and their thoughts and feelings. The goal of this project is to gain more insight into the types of experiences adolescents have with family members, friends, peers, and others from day to day and how these experiences may be linked with adolescents’ mental health and well-being.
Understanding Sleep and Well-Being in Adolescence
Sleep problems among teens are a major concern with a majority of teens not getting enough sleep or experiencing other sleep problems (e.g., difficulty falling/staying asleep). Sleep is important for developing teen’s overall physical and mental health as well as academic performance. In this study high-school students and one parent completed daily diaries for 7 consecutive days, followed by surveys about sleep, peer and family relationships, coping with stress, and their general well-being.
Preliminary findings (Oct. 2020)