Research
What we study, and how we study it.
We combine developmental and clinical science with experimental, psychophysiological and immersive methods.
Research programme
Developmental Psychopathology
How do patterns of psychological adjustment and psychopathology emerge and change across development?
DPLab studies developmental pathways across childhood, adolescence and emerging adulthood, examining both risk and protective processes.
Emotion Regulation
How do young people understand, experience and regulate emotion?
Our research examines emotion-regulation processes and their relationship with behaviour, psychological adjustment and psychopathology.
Conduct Problems & Antisocial Behaviour
Why do serious behavioural difficulties develop differently across individuals?
DPLab has a strong research focus on conduct problems, antisocial behaviour and the developmental processes associated with them.
Callous-Unemotional Traits
Why do some young people show persistently low responsiveness to others' distress or reduced interpersonal sensitivity?
The lab investigates callous-unemotional traits and related emotional, behavioural and interpersonal processes within a developmental framework.
Relationships & Social Development
Development does not happen in isolation.
We study how relationships with parents, peers and other social contexts interact with emotional and behavioural development.
Intervention & Prevention
Understanding mechanisms is only part of the goal.
DPLab also investigates how knowledge about emotion, behaviour and interpersonal processes can inform more targeted prevention and intervention approaches.
Methodology
From questionnaires to immersive environments.
We study psychological processes from multiple perspectives.
Questionnaires, behavioural measures and validated psychological instruments.
Research + Technology
Studying psychological processes inside environments we can design.
Virtual Reality allows DPLab researchers to create immersive and controlled environments in which emotional, behavioural and interpersonal processes can be studied in new ways.
The lab is also exploring VR-based intervention approaches, including research focused on emotion regulation and developmental psychopathology. Technology here is a method in service of psychological science.
A model of DPLab research