Life-span Development Laboratory

Our research focuses on different aspects of personal and social development in varying life periods across the whole of life. We currently focus on: developmental science and the law; child protection in relation to family, clinic and court for young children; pathways of development for refugee and immigrant children and young people; goal and career development in emerging adulthood; and intergenerational relations, especially inheritance arrangements in later life. A particular focus of our approach to understanding development involves the development and use of computer-assisted research instruments (computer-assisted interviews, and self-administered online interviews). We focus on developing research instruments that allow young people and older people to reflect on and express their perceptions and views.

Key research questions:
How do families and institutions of the justice system protect the lives and rights of children?
How do social institutions preserve procedural justice for young people?
What are the dimensions of development in a multi-cultural society for refugee children and young people (e.g., bi-cultural identity, enculturation, acculturation processes)?
Developmental transitions and pathways for refugee young people and for university students.
People's views of inheritance and caregiving arrangements in families: The way things are and the way things should be.