Overview and Mission

The Western Kentucky University Center for the Study of Lifespan Development was established in April 2005 to coordinate, support, and further develop the research, education, and outreach activites of Western faculty working in some area of lifespan development. The mission of the Center is to promote the understanding of developmental processes and the discovery and application of research-based solutions to problems of human development.

Research

Center-affiliated faculty are currently engaged in basic, applied, and translational research in neurodevelopment, infant cognition, social and emotional development, moral development, gifted and talented education, parenting relationships, body image and eating disorders, cognitive aging, aging and perception, and aging and mobility. More detailed information about these research projects can be found on the Center faculty web pages.

Education and Training

The research activities of center faculty provide research training opportunities for M.A. students, especially those in the experimental and clinical psychology programs, and student engagement opportunities for undergraduate students. In addition, most of the Center faculty from the Department of Psychology participate in the Department's NSF-supported Research Experience for Undergraduates project which has a focus on lifespan developmental psychology.