The developmental psychology programme studies typical and a-typical cognitive development across the life-span: from infancy to senescence.
The study of typical development focusses 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.
In both research lines, we study social, affective, and motivational modulations of cognitive development. We have a strong focus on:
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 supperort from the research priority area Yield, which focusses on the bio-ecology of human development, and from the NWO's Nationale Wetenschap Agenda.