Current Research

The Crick Lab currently has one active longitudinal project:

• Peers and Healthy Youth Study

Past Research

• Assessment of Aggression Among Ugandan Youth
• PFSC Project
• The Pre to K Project (a continuation of Preschool Pals)
• The Preschool Pals Project
• School Buddies
• Project KIDs
• Peers and Pals Project

Student Research

In addition to the general lab research, students are encouraged to initiate their own projects based on their individual interests. Often these studies become the basis for a Ph.D. dissertation, undergraduate Honors Thesis, or undergraduate UROP.

Current Research:
• A study of relational aggression, victimization, and friendship among prechoolers in Taiwan
• A study of relational aggression, victimization, and friendship among school age children in Taiwan
• Adolescent Peer Project - A Study of Peer Relations and Adjustment in Adolescents
• An Electonic Daily Diary Study of Adolescent Experience of Aggression Hostile attribution in adolescent popularity
• Peer Interactions Aggressive and Playful Behaviors AKA Peer Interactions Study
• Teacher Perceptions
• The Development of Preschool Social Behavior
• The role of children's social cognition in friendships

Past Research:
• Relational Aggression: How Does the Popular Media Compare to Empirical Research?
• Agreement between Parent and Teacher Reports of Children’s Behavioral Inhibition
• The Effect of Physical Aggression, Relational Aggression, and Prosocial Behavior on Conflict and Closeness in the Teacher-Child Relationship.
• Aggression in Adolescent Sport Teams: Gender Norms and Social—Psychological Adjustment
• Evaluation of coping skills for relational victimization in adolescents
• Elementary School Teachers’ Strategies Regarding Relational Aggression in the Classroom: Implications for Intervention

Future Directions

Intervention and prevention programs

While there remains a great need for the basic research leading to greater understanding of relational aggression and victimization, the Crick Lab feels that the development of efficacious, practical, empirically derived intervention and prevention programs cannot be delayed. Every day, thousands of children and adolescents are faced with the prospect of being tormented by their peers at school, childcare settings, or neighborhoods. While relationally aggressive incidents don’t capture headlines as readily as more traditionally violent ones, they are no less devastating. Over the past couple of years various members of the Crick Lab have been focusing on designing the program elements necessary to develop the types of programs that offer support and relief to both aggressors and victims. Unfortunately we haven’t reached the point of being able to provide intervention/prevention manuals, programs, or tools that we can share with parents or teachers. However, we are very interesting in hearing from students, teachers, parents, and others who have thoughts or ideas about this topic.

Biopsychology/Neuropsychology/Psychophysiology

In addition to our recent NSF grant award, several of our former and current graduate students have incorporated elements of these methodologies into their research. We hope to dramatically expand our efforts in these domains as we feel they are essential to not only developing a stronger understanding of relational aggression but also developing effective strategies for combating RA.

See also the API and CORA sections for other programs the Crick Lab is involved with.