Projects in Developmental Psychology Supervised by Rachel White
Professor White primarily supervises research projects in child psychology. She is also open to supervising some research on adult behavior and development in the areas described below. One-semester projects will consist of a literature review and a research proposal. Two-semester projects for next year will focus on one of the following topics:
Self-control
The ability to actively control our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions influences nearly every aspect of our lives. From preschool children trying to inhibit the impulse to grab a friend’s toy to adults battling the urge to procrastinate, we all struggle at times with this important skill. Students could investigate topics related to a range of questions, such as: How can we improve self-control across the lifespan? What strategies are most effective at different ages and in different contexts? How does self-control contribute to important life outcomes like school readiness, social competence, or physical and mental health?
Play and imagination
Play is one of the hallmark behaviors of early childhood. From an early age, children around the world spend hours each day immersed in playful learning activities such as building with blocks, playing games, and pretending to be superheroes. But, beyond pure fun, what do children gain through play and using their imagination? Senior projects in this area could investigate how play contributes to children’s cognitive and social development; how play could help children deal with adversity; how children learn from fictional sources (e.g., books, cartoons, movies) and varied media (e.g., television, video games, apps); how playful learning compares to more traditional academic approaches; or how we can improve creativity. Students could also look into how play benefits adults, a relatively understudied but important topic related to well-being.
Psychological distancing
Psychological distancing is the way in which we separate ourselves mentally from the here and now. For example, instead of dwelling in our own negative emotions, we can take a mental “step back” and think about our situation from someone else’s perspective. Doing so helps us to be less emotional and more objective in our responses. For example, taking an outsider’s perspective helps children exert self-control, and adolescents who spontaneously view negative experiences from a distanced point of view are better able to control their emotions. Students interested in this topic might want to investigate how psychological distancing strategies impact emotion regulation (e.g., anxiety, anger), risk taking, problem-solving, or social interactions in children or adults.