Typical and a-typical development
The study of typical development focuses on learning, decision-making, cognitive control, and capacities required at school, e.g. second language acquisition, whereas the study of a-typical development investigates addiction, ADHD, mild to borderline intellectual disability, anxiety, and learning disabilities (dyslexia and math anxiety). The study of a-typical development addresses underlying mechanisms, optimal ways of assessment, as well as interventions.
Social, affective, and motivational modulations
In both research lines, we study social, affective, and motivational modulations of cognitive development. We have a strong focus on:
- the relation between cognitive development and brain maturation;
- theoretical, computational, and statistical modelling of (neuro-)cognitive development; and
- a combination of fundamental research with practice-oriented work.
The developmental psychology research programmme has been funded by several NWO innovative research schemes (VENI-VIDI-VICI), EU grants. The research programme has also received financial support from the research priority area Yield, which focusses on the bio-ecology of human development, and from the NWO's Nationale Wetenschap Agenda.