University of Rochester

Risk Behavior
Development Lab

team

Welcome to the RBD Lab
at the University of Rochester!

Emotions, and the way we approach the world around us can have a profound impact on our daily lives. Emotions and personality represent ever changing aspects of our self that go through many changes throughout the life span and are influenced my many factors, including physical health, age, and gender. Our research focuses on understanding how emotional and personality development influence behavior across the lifespan. We approach this work from a developmental psychopathology framework, with the aim of identifying the many pathways by which early experiences may lead to both positive and negative outcomes across the lifespan. We strive to conduct research that has not only theoretical, but also practical clinical and social policy implications.

Currently, our lab has a particular interest in understanding how these processes unfold among women and girls, with an emphasis on understanding how they contribute to the development and maintenance of antisocial and risky behaviors. The lab has three main areas of emphasis:

  1. development of risky behaviors in females
  2. precursors and consequences of maladaptive personality and emotional development
  3. understanding gender-specific factors that may influence
    treatment of risky behaviors.