Embedded Files
Development & Psychophysiology (DAP) Lab projects
Extending prior work from both the TOTS and the PPP projects, in collaboration with Dr. Cardinale, we aim to understand the independent and combined roles of psychophysiology (e.g., RSA, PEP, EEG, ERP measures), emotion, and behavior in developmental processes linked to risk-taking and externalizing behaviors. Some example directions of interest are...
the psychophysiological and behavioral correlates of temperamental exuberance (i.e., profile of enhanced positive affect, approach behavior, & sociability) across the lifespan
the role and impact of social support across contexts in the development of social competence, particularly for temperamentally reactive individuals (e.g., inhibited, exuberant, frustration-prone), across the lifespan
defining positive risk behaviors across the lifespan, as well as discovering their frequency and their role in adaptive or maladaptive outcomes for those highly reactive to novelty (e.g., inhibited or exuberant)
the role of and types of socialization promoting positive risk behavior at different points in development (e.g., childhood, adolescence, young adulthood)
defining the emotional, behavioral, and physiological profiles of exuberance and differentiating them from other patterns of temperamental reactivity (e.g., inhibited, frustration-prone).
defining interoception and its involvement in temperament and behavior links across development
Personality and Physiology of Positive Risk-Taking (PPP) projects
Taking risks, or going ahead with a task despite little certainty of a positive outcome, is an essential part of human (adult) life. Some risk-taking behaviors (applying for jobs/awards, nominating themselves for positions of leadership, meeting new people, etc.; i.e., adaptive risk-taking) are beneficial for positive well-being and a westernized ideal of success. However, risk-taking behaviors are often defined as those that involve potential danger or harm to the individual, while offering an opportunity to obtain a reward (i.e., maladaptive risk taking). This line of research examines the individual personality and physiological factors associated with these different types of risk-taking behavior. In sum, this project focuses on the ways in which personality, physiological reactivity (e.g., HRV, PEP), and risk-taking are inter-related with one another. Some of our current work is focused on:
developing and validating self-report measures of exuberance and positive risk-taking in emerging adulthood
the resilience factors (e.g., inhibitory control, social support) that moderate links from approach-related emotion and behavior to different types of risk behavior in emerging adulthood
the concurrent links between personality, physiological reactivity, resilience factors, and risk-taking behavior (both adaptive & maladaptive)
the cognitive-emotional processes involved in responsivity to uncertainty and/or reward and how these relate to personality and risk-taking behavior
Temperament Over Time Study (TOTS)
As a Research Affiliate and Co-Investigator, Dr. Degnan collaborates on this federally-funded project conducted at the University of Maryland's Child Development Lab over the past 18-20 years. It is a longitudinal study investigating the individual and contextual factors associated with social development and well-being from infancy through emerging adulthood, utilizing parent- and self-report, behavioral observation, psychiatric interview, and psychophysiological measures.
A HUGE thank you goes out to the families that made this project possible over the past 20+ years!
Here in the PDL, we are exploring the following using archival TOTS data:
The role of toddler regulation behaviors in the presence of a reactivity-eliciting novel object on the stability of inhibited behavior one year later
The frequencies of mother-child language use while reminiscing about emotional events in middle childhood: their causes and their effects on child outcomes across adolescence
Profiles of parenting behavior from when children were 4-months to 7-years of age: Pathways of risk and resilience to outcomes in late childhood
The effects of maternal parenting behavior and/or executive functioning on pathways from early temperamental exuberance to adaptive and maladaptive social functioning across development.
The roles of mother-child and teacher-child relationships on trajectories of temperament and social functioning across early childhood.
Individual Studies...
If students are interested in developing and conducting their own research study, the PDL can help them collect, code, and analyze the data:
Effects of priming positive mood on self-perception of profile pictures in a sample of emerging adults (PI: Bridie McGroarty, BA, 2022)
Adult perception of taking mental health days across child age and situational context (PI: Kathryn Guajardo, MA 2023)
The parent-teacher-child system and its effects on child social development in pre-kindergarten (PI: Meredith Karam, PhD, 2024)
The role of temperament in individual levels of interoception and their joint influence on well-being (Emily Fair, PhD student)
More to come...
Report abuse