Current Projects
"Disclosure, Secrecy, and Nondisclosure in Adolescent-Parent Relationships" Funded by the National Science Foundation.
We are currently conducting several studies of adolescent disclosure, nondisclosure, and secrecy in adolescent-parent relationships. The studies (current and planned) employ different methods and multiple informants and are conducted in different ethnic and cultural contexts. These include:
- We recently completed a daily diary study of disclosure and secrecy to parents and best friends about everyday activities in a sample of urban African American, Latino, and European American youth.
- Myriam Villalobos is conducting a study of the influence of Latino cultural values on Latino adolesents' disclosure and sevrecy with parents.
- With Jenny Yau (Azusa Pacific University), we have conducted a study of disclosure to parents in a sample of Chinese American, Mexican American, and European American adolescents.
- With Charles Helwig (University of Toronto), we are conducting a study of disclosure and secrecy among rural and urban adolescents in China.
"Selfishness and Selflessness in Adolescent-Parent Relationships" Funded by the Fetzer Institute and Institute for Research on Unlimited Love.
The aim of this multi-method, multi-informant project is to examine the developmental prerequisites and contextual conditions that lead adolescents (and their parents) to prioritize selflessness over selfishness in adolescent-parent relationships. Early and middle adolescents and their parents are completing questionnaires and are participating in semi-structured interviews to assess their judgments and justifications for situations that entail conflicts between parents' and adolescents' needs. We also are examining the influence of parenting, adolescent spirituality, beliefs about family obligations, adolescent autonomy, and adolescent-parent relationships on judgments. This research will further our understanding of the development of the ability to look beyond the duties and obligations inherent in close relationships to consider the well-being of those we love.
Children's Understanding of Moral and Social Rules
We are conducting a study of young (preschool) children's understanding of moral and social conventional rules to learn more about the developmental course of children's moral understanding in early childhood and the factors influencing development.
