Director, Center for Human Growth and Development, Professor of Psychology
Ph.D. Penn State
Area: Developmental

Contact Information

Email: volling@umich.edu
Psychology Office: 2026 East Hall
Psychology Phone: 734-764-7379

Alternate Office: 300 N. Ingalls, 10th Floor

Research and Teaching Interests

My research focuses on the social and emotional development of infants and young children and the role of family relationships in facilitating children’s developmental outcomes. I am particularly interested in the role of fathers, the quality of sibling relationships, and parent-infant attachment. My current research focuses on changes in the family and the older child’s adjustment after the birth of a second child (the Family Transitions Study), postpartum depression and infant attachment, the development of young children’s prosocial behavior, and sibling jealousy.

 

Representative Publications

• Volling, B. L., Kolak, A., & Blandon, A. Y. (2009). Family subsystems and the development of self-regulation. In S. L. Olson & A. J.  Sameroff (Eds.), Biopsychosocial regulatory processes in the development of childhood behavioral problems. (pp. 238-257).  NY: Cambridge University Press
• Blandon, A. Y., & Volling, B. L. (2008). Parental gentle guidance and children’s compliance within the family: A replication study.  Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 355-366.
• Rauer, A. J., & Volling, B. L. (2007). Differential parenting and sibling jealousy: Developmental correlates of self-esteem, attachment, and jealousy in young adults’ romantic relationships. Personal Relationships, 14, 495-511.
• Volling, B. L. (2005). The transition to siblinghood: A developmental ecological systems perspective and directions for future research. Journal of Family Psychology, special issue on sibling relationships, 19, 542-549.
• McElwain, N. L., & Volling, B. L. (2005). Preschool children’s interactions with friends and older siblings: Relationship specificity and joint contributions to problem behavior. Journal of Family Psychology, special issue on sibling relationships, 19, 486-496.

 

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