Dear SDTIC community,  

The Communications Team is working on keeping us connected with each other through our Community Spotlight Series. Each Spotlight will feature two researchers (one junior, one senior) from our community and shine a light on their latest projects, partnerships, and ideas. We hope this fuels collaboration and illuminates the broad scope of SDTIC researchers' interests and passions! If you would like to nominate someone or yourself for this Spotlight Series, feel free to email [social.domain.theory.group@gmail.com].

April 2024 SDTIC Spotlights: Erin Baker & Betül Zeyrek

What new research methods have you tried lately?  

In my department, I'm in the division of Educational Psychology and Methodology, so I greatly benefit from being surrounded by methodologists and statisticians who are constantly designing and refining new statistical methodologies. I also really enjoy trying out new methods when the opportunities present, and my grad students often bring new methods they've learned in class or other labs to our work as well. Recently, I've been having fun using person-centered methodologies across a variety of research designs. In general, my lab uses experiment and longitudinal work, both qual and quant, to examine social cognitive questions in historically disinvested communities, so there are lots of opportunities to test different types of person-centered methods.

What new collaboration have you begun?

I'm currently on sabbatical, so I'm presently working with several international teams on a variety of projects. Much of my time is focused on a few projects taking place in Germany regarding the development of the moral self from an environmental perspective, and I'm also working with a team in the UK examining children's executive functions using eye-tracking methods. I've never done any eye-tracking work, so this is a particularly interesting project for me.  

What projects are your students working on?

The PhD program I'm affiliated with (Ed Psych and Methods) is very supportive of students working with several faculty simultaneously, so students typically have interests that cut across different areas of development. Specifically, my students are working on projects that focus on (1) how parents’ characteristics and parent-child relationships affect children’s social cognition, (2) how communication patterns with children informs children's understanding of morality, and the ways in which we communicate moral information with young children in general, (3) how various forms of media (literature, social media) inform Theory of Mind and moral reasoning, and (4) the impact of parents/ caregivers/ authority’s role in children’s understanding of morality in the context of historically disinvested environments.

What is your latest /major research project? Or what research questions are you wrestling with right now?

I recently completed a research study that examines how Turkish mothers perceive and establish rules for their young children. The study explores the domains in which mothers assert control and the areas where they are more inclined to grant autonomy. It also investigates potential areas of conflict between mothers and children, analyzing how these dynamics shift with the child’s age and whether parental expectations change over time.

A particularly compelling aspect of this research is its cultural context. Turkey, situated at the intersection of Eastern and Western values, provides a unique opportunity to explore how cultural influences shape parenting practices. By examining the balance between individualistic and collectivist orientations within Turkish families, this study offers valuable insights into parenting beliefs and strategies in culturally diverse settings.

The study is currently under review, and I am eager to see how it contributes to the broader discourse on parenting and cultural influences.

What new research methods have you tried?

Recently, I have been working on a meta-analysis as part of my research, which has been an exciting methodological challenge. Specifically, my meta-analysis focuses on the personal domain, examining factors such as act acceptability, rule acceptability, decision locus, emotion attribution, and compliance in children aged 2 to 10 years.

One of the most valuable aspects of this experience has been learning how to handle complex data structures, such as accounting for dependencies across multiple effect sizes hands-on experience with effect size calculations, converting mean differences (Cohen’s d, Hedges’ g) and advancing in R program coding.

This methodological and statistical shift has given me a deeper appreciation for the nuances of data across diverse cultural and methodological contexts, allowing for a more comprehensive and evidence-based understanding of children's developing autonomy and compliance.

Any other news or ideas you’d like to share with the community?

I'm currently in the process of transitioning my academic career from the USA to Europe, and I'm eager to engage more with the European research community. I would love to hear suggestions on professional societies to join and conferences that would be valuable for networking and staying updated on the latest developments in my field.

Given my focus on developmental psychology and socialization processes, I am particularly interested in opportunities that provide interdisciplinary perspectives and foster collaborations across different cultural contexts. Any recommendations on key conferences, workshops, or networking platforms that could help facilitate this transition would be greatly appreciated!