Department of Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Developmental Psychology is the study of human development throughout life. The program in Developmental Psychology at UCR takes a lifespan approach to understand the development of biological, cognitive, emotional, motoric, and social processes across a variety of contexts, including:
- Culture
- Families
- Peers
- School
Ongoing work in the Developmental Area represents the breadth of the discipline, covering from infancy to older adulthood. Research topics include attention, learning, memory, perceptual-motor development, gene-environment interplay, emotion regulation, motivation and academic achievement, puberty, social and cultural contributions to cognitive development, and risk and resilience.
To uncover patterns and mechanisms of development in both typically and atypically developing individuals, we use various developmental research designs, including cross-sectional, longitudinal, cross-cultural, and quasi/experimental paradigms. We apply a wide range of research methods, such as genetic, physiological, neural, and behavioral assessments, and naturalistic observation.
Faculty and students have access to advanced research technology such as MRI, EEG, and eye-tracking devices. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the research, our faculty and students engage in collaborative projects with faculty within our area and department, researchers from other departments, and scientists around the world.