Faculty

Related Links
Cognitive Psychology Program
Developmental Psychology Program

Research Interests
My primary interests are in cognitive development, with a special focus on memory development. Much of the work in my laboratory concerns young children's recollections of salient information and events. A central theme is the interplay between memory and other aspects of cognitive and social functioning. I am particularly interested in the impact of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs on recollective processes across development. For example, we have looked at how children's understanding of events affects their recall of those events, and how changes in knowledge over time influence the way early memories are recollected. My research group is also investigating autobiographical memory among teens and young adults exposed to various forms of abuse during childhood. We have been examining the long-term retention of childhood abuse experiences, as well as how exposure to abuse might actually alter autobiographical memory functioning. We have found, for instance, that compared to teens with no abuse histories, teens with abuse histories have difficulty remembering specific childhood experiences and are less likely to recollect emotions associated with childhood experiences. My work in these areas is relevant to our basic understanding of cognitive development, and to real-world issues such as children's testimony or reports about events in the world around them. My interests also include statistical methodology, with an emphasis on techniques for the analysis of developmental change.

Selected Publications
Greenhoot, A.F., McCloskey, L.M., & Glisky, E. (2005). A longitudinal study of adolescents' recollections of family violence. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 19, 719-743.

Greenhoot, A.F., Tsethlikai, M., & Wagner, B.  (2006). The relations between children’s past experiences, social knowledge, and memories for social situations. Journal of Cognition and Development, 7, 313-340.

Tsethlikai, M., & Greenhoot, A.F., (2006). The influence of another's perspective on children's recall of previously misconstrued events. Developmental Psychology, 42, 732-745.

Greenhoot, A.F., Bunnell, S., Curtis, J., Beyer, A.M., & McCloskey, L. (2008). Trauma and autobiographical memory functioning: Conclusions from a longitudinal study of family violence. In M. Howe, G. Goodman, & D. Cicchetti (Eds.) Stress, Trauma, and Children's Memory Development: Neurobiological, Cognitive, Clinical, and Legal Perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.