van Dulmen Lab Research Projects
Romantic Relationships as Turning Points for the Development of Antisocial Behavior
We are currently embarking on several studies that focus on identifying mechanisms by which adolescent and young adulthood romantic relationships serve as a turning point for the development of adolescent and young adulthood antisocial behavior. Some of the previous findings in our lab have shown that these effects are age-specific (van Dulmen et al., 2005), depend on the type of antisocial behavior (van Dulmen & Goncy, 2006), and are further moderated by gender (van Dulmen & Goncy, 2006). We are currently building on these findings by conducting multi-method (observation, interview, survey, daily diary) assessments with young adult couples, including follow-up assessments at 3 and 6 months. In addition to identifying which aspects (e.g. quality, hostility) of romantic relationship functioning affect continuity and change in antisocial behavior, we are also interested in the moderating role of individual affect and self-control. We are also in the planning stages of a study that will focus on the role of adolescent (9th and 10th graders) romantic relationships in the development of antisocial behavior. Finally, the dissertation work from one of the graduate students (Susaye Rattigan) involves a study of how adolescent romantic relationships may impact the link between child maltreatment and adolescent antisocial behavior.
Extracurricular Activities and Adolescent Antisocial Behavior
Several of the graduate students in the lab (Liz Goncy & Andrea Mata) are interested in the role of extracurricular activities in the development of antisocial behavior and related risky behaviors. We are planning to investigate how involvement in extracurricular activities affects antisocial behavior using national representative data (AddHealth) as well as data from a sample of 9th and 10th graders. One of the undergraduate students in the lab, Andrea Vest, is currently working on a project that investigates how family structure and family processes affect the relation between extracurricular activity involvement and adolescent antisocial behavior.
Family Relationships and Adolescent Antisocial Behavior
Current lab activities include the role of fathers (Liz Goncy) and siblings (Dana Carnes) in the development of antisocial behavior. Research questions focus on (1) whether individual differences in levels of paternal involvement impact adolescent antisocial behavior and (2) identifying what aspects of the father-child relationship serve as a risk or protective factor for the development of adolescent antisocial behavior. In addition, we are currently starting to investigate whether the mechanisms by which family (and peer) relationships affect antisocial behavior differ across various ethnic groups.
Trajectories of Antisocial Behavior
We are interested in understanding conceptual and methodological reasons for discrepancies in findings on trajectories of antisocial behavior (e.g. why do some studies find 4 trajectories, whereas other studies find 5 or more?) (van Dulmen, Goncy, Vest, & Flannery, 2006). One of the graduate students (Andrea Mata) is interested in starting a project that will focus on the antecedents and correlates of young adult-onset offenders. Other lab research builds on our previous findings related to romantic relationships and individual differences in antisocial behavior and investigates how these findings can be translated to studying trajectories of antisocial behavior.
Developmental Assessment of Adolescent and Young Adulthood Functioning
We are currently working on a number of papers that aim to enhance methodology and measurement for studying adolescent and young adulthood functioning. Some of these projects focus specifically on antisocial behavior (e.g., can antisocial behavior be more reliably studied when measured with 3 month time-intervals as compared to longer time-intervals? Is level of behavior problems related to time (i.e., month) of the year in which they are assessed?), including a validation of a measure of violence exposure (van Dulmen, Belliston, Flannery, & Singer, under review). Other projects focus on adaptive areas of functioning (Ong & van Dulmen, 2006) including developmental tasks of emerging adulthood (van Dulmen & Goncy, 2006) and competence more broadly defined (van Dulmen & Ong, 2006; Obradovic, van Dulmen, et al., 2006).