Research Labs
- Advancing Learning Lab
- Building Knowledge Lab
- Brain Development Lab
- Children's Learning Lab
- Communication and Language Lab
- Computational Cognitive Development Lab
- Conversation Lab
- Early Development Lab
- Exploration & Learning Lab
- Hands-On Play Lab
- Language Development Labs
- Little Learners Lab
- Mood, Emotion, and Development Lab
- Social Cognition Lab
- Stress and Coping Lab
- Stress and Early Adversity Lab
- Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
- Vietnam Icohrta Project
- Research Opportunities for Undergraduate
Department Overview
The Department of Psychology and Human Development is committed to building a department where each student, faculty member, and staff person can thrive and contribute to the university and their respective disciplines. We come from a variety of backgrounds, current circumstances, and personal and social identities and celebrate our various strengths.
Researchers use and develop state-of-the-art methods to examine biological, behavioral, and psychological processes and the contexts in which they occur. Faculty direct several specialized research labs.
A collaborative and interactive group, department members work together with each other, with faculty across the Vanderbilt campus and at other universities to answer research questions. Collaborators include other departments at Peabody College, in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, in the College of Arts and Science, as well as at other universities nationally and internationally.
Undergraduate Programs
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Child Development
Focusing on children from infancy through adolescence and the contexts in which they live--including family, peer, school, community, and cultural influences--this program offers excellent preparation for graduate work in psychology, medicine, nursing, social work, education, or public policy. -
Child Studies
An interdisciplinary major with a broader focus than child development, child studies enables you to work with children outside formal educational settings. -
Cognitive Studies
If you are intrigued with the process of learning itself, this major will shed light on how people think, solve problems, and reason. The program frequently sends students on to graduate work in the social and behavioral sciences or areas such as medicine and law that stress inquiry and clear thinking.
Master’s Programs
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Child Studies
This program features two tracks. Within the Clinical & Developmental Research track, students work alongside Vanderbilt researchers to strengthen their eventual application to doctoral programs in clinical, developmental, and other areas of psychology. Within the Applied Professional track, students are matched with community foundations, hospitals, and other human service organizations to gain hands-on experience toward a variety of careers, including child development advocates, child life specialists and behavior analysts. -
Quantitative Methods
This program provides students with strong quantitative methods training for applied research settings. Alumni work in school systems, government, industry, dedicated research institutes, academic settings, and medical school research settings. -
Cognitive Psychology in Context
The program focuses on how cognitive processes unfold in everyday contexts. You'll have the opportunity to design a master's thesis that reports the results of your student-directed research project. You will develop this independent research project working in close collaboration with our internationally renowned faculty, acquiring the critical skills for master's students to successfully pursue future advanced research in a Ph.D. program or enter the job market.
Doctoral Program
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Psychological Sciences (Ph.D.)
This program is a joint offering of the College of Arts and Science and Peabody College. Candidates choose from six specializations: Clinical Science, Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognition in Context, Developmental Science, Neuroscience, and Quantitative Methods. Students benefit from access to several world-class research centers, such as the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Vanderbilt Vision Research Center.
Psychology and Human Development News
Faculty Spotlight: Autumn Kujawa Research Rundown
Faculty
Deon Benton
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Robert Bodenheimer
Professor of Computer Science, Computer Science
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Director, Scientific Computing Minor Program, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Professor of Psychology, Psychology
Professor of Psychology and Human Development, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Jessika C. Boles
Assistant Professor of the Practice, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Amy E. Booth
Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
James R. Booth
Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Program Director, Educational Neuroscience
Sarah Brown-Schmidt
Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Li Chen
Part-time Lecturer, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Sun-Joo Cho
Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Alexander Christensen
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
David Cole
Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Bruce Compas
Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Director of Clinical Psychology Training, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Jenni Dunbar
Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Elisabeth Dykens
Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Lisa Fazio
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Douglas Fuchs
Research Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Nicholas Hobbs Chair of Special Education and Human Development, Emeritus, Department of Special Education
Judy Garber
Professor Emerita, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Vicki Harris
Director, Applied Professional Track, Child Studies
Associate Professor of the Practice, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Justine Hoch
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Kathryn Leigh Humphreys
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Shane Hutton
Principal Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Program Director, Quantitative Methods
Principal Senior Lecturer, Leadership and Learning in Organizations
Principal Senior Lecturer, Leadership and Learning in Organizations-Global
Autumn Kujawa
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Jonathan D. Lane
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Daniel Levin
Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
David J. Lubinski
Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Psychology and Human Development, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Kimmy Marble
Assistant Professor of the Practice, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Nina Martin
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Associate Professor of the Practice of Psychology & Human Development, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Director, Clinical and Developmental Research Track, Child Studies
Joe McLaughlin
Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Krista Mehari
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Amy Needham
Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Julia Noland
Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Laura Novick
Associate Professor, Emerita, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Maria Osina
Program Director, Cognitive Psychology
Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Kristopher Preacher
Lois Autrey Betts Chair in Education and Human Development, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Bethany Rittle-Johnson
Anita S. and Antonio M. Gotto Chair in Child Development, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Joseph Rodgers
Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Research Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Research Professor, Quantitative Methods
Megan Saylor
Chair, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Leigh Scheer
Principal Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Sonya Sterba
Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Chris Strauss
Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Sophia Vinci-Booher
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Duane Watson
Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Frank W. Mayborn Chair in Cognitive Science, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Bahr Weiss
Research Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Eric Wilkey
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Hao Wu
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
Cristina Zepeda
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Human Development
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