Mentor: Dr. Ruth Speidel
Assistant Professor (LTA); Managing Director of the Centre for Child Development, Mental Health, and Policy
Project Description
At the Centre for Child Development, Mental Health, and Policy, our research is guided by a vision of fostering children’s healthy development and potential for kindness. To support this vision, we conduct research examining the developmental mechanisms that shape children’s social-emotional capacities (e.g., emotion regulation, empathy), prosocial behaviours, and mental health outcomes (e.g., aggression, depression, anxiety). Drawing on developmental and clinical psychology perspectives, our research investigates how child, family, and community contexts influence these trajectories over time.
One of our ongoing projects is the Adversity and Development of Affective and Prosocial Trajectories (ADAPT) study, which is a longitudinal study that follows children beginning at age five. This study explores how early experiences of adversity and support are associated with changes in children’s social-emotional functioning, prosocial behaviour, and mental health across development. Data are collected from children and caregivers using a multi-method approach including physiological measures, behavioural and observational assessments, and caregiver- and child-report surveys.
An SROP student will play an active role in the ADAPT study and will receive hands-on training across various stages of the research process. Responsibilities may include supporting participant recruitment and data collection, assisting with data entry and management, learning foundational data coding and analytic skills appropriate to the student’s interests and experience, and collaborating with other students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows in the lab. Through this project, students will develop practical, hands on research skills and a deeper understanding of child development and mental health.
Mentorship Statement
My mentorship philosophy centres on creating an engaging, supportive, and collaborative learning environment where students can meaningfully apply research skills to their own interests and long-term goals. I value mentorship that emphasizes the process of learning, encourages curiosity, and affirms diverse perspectives and lived experiences as strengths in research. Mentorship in my lab occurs through regular lab meetings and one-on-one check-ins that provide structure, feedback, and opportunities for reflection and growth. Students receive training across multiple stages of the research process, including research ethics, participant recruitment, data collection, data management, and, where applicable, data coding and analysis. I am motivated to participate in the SROP because I believe that the field of psychology benefits from greater representation of underrepresented scholars, and I see mentorship as a critical pathway for supporting students’ confidence, skill development, and sense of belonging in research.