Families and Development Lab
Rachel Lucas-Thompson, Ph.D.
How do
characteristics of the family environment during childhood and
adolescence
influence
In the Families and Development lab,
we are dedicated to understanding and improving the lives of families
and
children from diverse backgrounds. Through research, we investigate
many
factors that affect child and adolescent development. In particular, we
examine
the links between exposure to marital conflict, the quality of family
relationships, stress physiology (including cortisol and
cardiovascular
responses to stress), relationships with peers and romantic partners,
and
physical as well as mental health (such as depression, anxiety, and
problem
behaviors). Of particular interest is the
mechanisms (i.e., mediators) by which family relationships influence
child and adolescent outcomes, as well as protective and risk factors
(i.e., moderators) of the associations between family relationships and
later development.
 Research assistants (RAs) demonstrating the social-evaluative stressor. |
 An RA hooked up to the BioPac and blood pressure machines, answering an ACASI questionnaire. |
 An RA demonstrating the procedures used to collect salivary cortisol. |
 RAs demonstrating one of the interaction tasks that parents engage in, in which they work together to solve a puzzle. |
We
conduct research with families in the community (see the recruitment
website at:
www.macalester.edu/psychology/faculty/familylab.html), in which
two-parent
families with a child between 10 and 17 come to the lab; parents engage
in two
interaction tasks (which are videotaped and later
coded for positive and negative communication behaviors)
and answer questionnaires; teens
also answer questionnaires, engage in a standardized social-evaluative
stressor, and watch an episode of marital conflict. We also take
physiological
measurements from the teens, including
saliva samples to measure cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate
variability, skin conductance, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia.
The development lab consists of several
rooms each
equipped with 2 computers with Audio Computer Assisted Self Interview
(ACASI) software
that is used for gathering information from children, adolescents,
and adults of varying reading
levels. In addition, the lab is equipped
with BioPac equipment and AcqKnowledge software that allows for
acquisition and
analysis of aspects of physiology such as electrocardiogram, heart rate
variability, skin conductance, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Also
utilized
are DinaMap Pro blood pressure machines that allow for manual and
automatic
assessment of cardiovascular functioning. In addition, the lab is
equipped with digital
audio and video recording equipment.
Rachel
Lucas-Thompson, Ph.D.
Links to:
Faculty
webpage
Lab
recruitment website
Curriculum vitae
Email: rlucasth@macalester.edu
Phone: 651-696-6462
Office: Olin Rice 323
Labs: Olin Rice 356 and 357
