New From Applied Developmental Psychology at George Mason University

2019 Psychology alumna Kaitlyn Mumma is receiving national attention for research that began as her master’s thesis. Her 20-year study examining nearly 400,000 students found that children who attended public pre-K experienced lasting academic benefits, including stronger reading and math performance in third grade. The research has been featured by Education Week, the Miami Herald, EdSource, and…

Sabine Doebel is featured in Fast Company discussing the psychology of delayed gratification and how strategically using rewards can help people stay focused on long-term goals. The article explores how delaying immediate rewards can support productivity, self-control, and goal achievement.

Co-authored research by Adam Winsler, and PhD student Victoria Rabii found public school pre-kindergarten helps children do well academically in third grade.

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Thalia Goldstein, Department of Psychology, discusses her new book and the psychological processes that are activated through theater education.

Psychology doctoral student Caroline Toth looks at how adolescents’ social media use is associated with the structure of their in-person friendship networks.

The Office of Research Innovation and Economic Impact (ORIE) has announced the results of the 2022 Seed Funding Initiative for two new seed funding opportunities: Building the Foundation: Early-Stage Research to stimulate the development of new research and scholarship initiatives; and Take It to the Next Level to advance scalable multidisciplinary projects for research and scholarship in Sustain…

In the Developing Minds Lab at George Mason, Sabine Doebel says she has a dream job. As an undergraduate, she became fascinated by children’s thinking and how it changes with age. Now, as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, where she directs the Lab, she spends much of her time designing studies to understand how young children learn to think and act flexibly — that is, how th…

Goldstein, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, quote to CNN about children’s belief in Santa is referenced in Bored Panda article.

Goldstein talks about how storytelling can be helpful to deliver "painful truths" to children as new movie, "The Sheep Detectives," hits theaters.

Thalia Goldstein, Department of Psychology, speaks about her research on the effects of theater education and how it can enhance emotional and social development.

In Babycenter, Susanne Denham, Department of Psychology, is quoted in an article about how to teach 2-year-olds to share. The article lists strategies to encourage toddlers to share by creating healthy boundaries and seeing their parents as role models.