Developmental Psychology

The Developmental Psychology Area comprises a group of faculty and doctoral students who are addressing questions involving cognitive, social, or emotional development within and across various phases of the lifespan. Understanding developmental processes is an invaluable part of understanding any psychological phenomenon. Developmental students often specialize in one phase of development or a particular content area, but they are also encouraged to explore the general nature of the change process across the lifespan. Developmental students take graduate courses on a variety of topics, including the option to pursue advanced statistical training. 

Each student works closely with a faculty advisor or a co-mentoring team to develop a programmatic line of research. We emphasize presenting work at major academic conferences as well as publishing in top peer-reviewed journals. For more details, please explore the web pages of developmental faculty (see below) to get a closer look at their research topics. Envisaging a good fit between an applicant’s research interests and those of a specific developmental faculty member is a very important aspect of the admissions process.

The Psychology doctoral program offers optional concentrations in Quantitative Methods and Developmental Psychopathology. Psychology doctoral students with neuroscience interests can also receive a Specialization in Neuroscience through the interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program that is based in the College of Liberal Arts. 

For further information or questions concerning the Doctoral Program in Developmental Psychology, please contact the Director of Graduate Area of Developmental Psychology Dr. Hongling Xie:

Developmental Psychology Primary Faculty

Developmental Area Primary Faculty

Faculty

Area of Study

Accepting Graduate Students

Not Accepting Graduate Students

Vlad Ayzenberg

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Infant Development, Visual Perception, fMRI, Machine Learning

Accepting graduate students for fall 2025

Deborah Drabick

Developmental psychopathology, conduct problems, comorbidity

Graduate applications accepted through the Clinical Area only

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

Developmental psychology, language, literacy, play, early childhood

Accepting graduate students for fall 2025

Peter Marshall

Developmental social-cognitive neuroscience, self-other correspondence, body representations

Accepting graduate students for fall 2025

Nora Newcombe

Spatial cognition and development, episodic memory and development, science of learning

Accepting graduate students for fall 2025

Laurence Steinberg

Adolescence, juvenile justice, risk-taking and decision-making, adolescent brain development

Not Accepting graduate students for fall 2025

Ronald Taylor

Social and emotional development; family and kinship relations; ethnic minority adolescents and emerging adults

Not Accepting graduate students for fall 2025

Marsha Weinraub

*Emeritus

Not Accepting graduate students for fall 2025

Willis Overton

*Emeritus

Not Accepting graduate students for fall 2025

Hongling Xie

Aggression, victimization, peer social networks

Not Accepting graduate students for fall 2025