L. Alan Sroufe William Harris Professor of Child Development Ph.D., 1967, University of Wisconsin, Madison Office: 140 Child Development Telephone: 612-624-1035 E-mail: srouf001@umn.edu Research Lab: Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Socioemotional development, developmental psychopathology

My research involves the complementary study of normal and abnormal development. The basic strategy of that research is to define the salient developmental issues for each period, then trace normative pathways and delineate developmental deviations. The focus of my recent work is on prediction of adaptation in adulthood, including parenting, and the roots of psychopathology. The longitudinal approach allows study of continuity and change from infancy forward. (See the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children research lab.)

One emphasis has been to outline the progressive nature of relationship competence from early childhood to adulthood. Preschool children face the challenge of entry into the peer group and development of interactive skills. Beyond these, in middle childhood forming close same-gender friendships, coordinating these with functioning in the same-gender peer group, and maintenance of clear gender boundaries become important. Adolescents have the task of coordinating close friendships, same gender group functioning, cross-gender group functioning and cross-gender dyadic relationships. Adults bring these experiences plus early attachment history to the task of parenting.

The research articulates a general model of development and psychopathology where behavior is seen as a joint product of past history and current circumstances. Assessments of early experience and current contexts together always predict psychopathology better than either alone. Early experience does not directly or solely cause later problems, yet has a special role through framing of subsequent experience. Tests of this idea include showing that foundations add to current contexts in predicting pathology and that troubled children having positive early foundations are more likely to recover than troubled children who do not. The obverse case is also true. Children with histories of anxious attachment who are functioning well in middle childhood are more likely to have problems in adolescence or adulthood than are other well-functioning children.

For more on Dr. Sroufe's research with Byron Egeland and Andrew Collins see "Poverty: how much does it matter?"

Recent publications

Roisman, G., Padrón, E., Sroufe, L. A., & Egeland, B.  (2002).  Earned-secure attachment status in retrospect and prospect.  Child Development, 73, 1204-1219.

Yates, T., Dodds, M., Sroufe, L. A., & Egeland, B.  (2003).  Exposure to partner violence and child behavior problems: Controlling for child- directed abuse, child cognitive ability, family income, and life stress.  Development and Psychopathology, 15, 199-218.

Carlson, E., Sampson, M., & Sroufe, L. A.  (2003). Attachment theory and pediatric practice.  Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 24 (5), 364-379.

Carlson, E.A., Sroufe, L.A., & Egeland, B. (2004). The construction of experience: A longitudinal study of representation and behavior. Child Development, 75(1), 66-83.

Appleyard, K., Egeland, B., van Dulmen, M.,  & Sroufe, L. A. (2005). When more is not better: The role of cumulative risk in child behavior outcomes. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 46, 235-245.

Burt, K., Carlivati, J., Sroufe, L. A., Appleyard, K., van Dulmen, M., Egeland, B., Forman, D., & Carlson, E. (2005). Mediating links between maternal depression and offspring psychopathology: The importance of independent data.  Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 46, 490-499.

Shaffer, A., & Sroufe, L. A. (2005). The Developmental and adaptational implications of generational boundary dissolution: Findings from a prospective, longitudinal study. Journal of Emotional Abuse.

Sroufe, L. A., Egeland, B., Carlson, E., & Collins, W. A. (2005) The Development of the Person: The Minnesota Study of Risk and Adaptation from Birth to Adulthood. New York: Guilford Publications.

Roisman, G., Collins, W. A., Sroufe, L. A., & Egeland, B. (2005). Predictors of young adults’ representations of and behavior in their current romantic relationships: Prospective tests of the prototype hypothesis. Attachment and Human Development.

Sroufe, L. A. (2005). Attachment and development: A prospective, longitudinal study from birth to adulthood, Attachment and Human Development. 7, 349-367.

Sroufe, L. A. (2007). The place of development in developmental psychopathology. In A. Masten (Ed.), eL. Alan Sroufe - Institute of Child Development - University of Minnesota Slave Www Culos Mojadosc t Pron Erotica x Sex Erotica zL. Alan Sroufe - Institute of Child Development - University of Minnesota Slave Www Culos Mojadosp u Slave His Sister