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Knowledge generation is a major goal of Purdue's Department of
Child Development and Family Studies. The department carries out
a broad range of research projects, and there is a strong record
of intramural and extramural grant funding. The faculty have identified 6 themes that reflect the focus on applied research and scholarship in CDFS. In addition to faculty
research projects, the department is home to two research centers.
Diversity and Culture
Diversity is an integral part of all societies and groups. Scholars from different theoretical perspectives and interests investigate variability and similarities across groups in developmental and family outcomes in several domains. Research focuses on the processes linked to group (e.g., culture, social class) variation and commonalty. Examples of research areas include child-parent relationships and parenting practices across cultures, preschoolers' perceptions and interactions with children with disabilities, children's perceptions of conflict in varying political settings, and pathways to literacy readiness across culturally, socially, and economically diverse groups.
Relationships
Human beings are inherently social creatures. Familial relationships set a foundation and provide a context for emotional, social, and cognitive achievements. Departmental research considers how parents, siblings, friends, in-laws, stepparents or children, and other social partners influence each other's well-being and development. Our research covers the life-span from infancy to old age, looking at individuals and families.
The department's Individual, Couple, and Family Therapy Clinic is part of the doctoral training program in marriage and family therapy. The clinic offers services to individuals, couples, and families having personal or family-related problems, and is staffed by supervised graduate student therapists specializing in marriage and family therapy.
Early Childhood Interventions
A growing research literature documents the nature, process, and consequences of early childhood learning and development, and directs attention to the role of risk and protective factors in children's development. Research in CDFS on early childhood education focuses specifically on understanding the relations between home and school factors that contribute to children's positive developmental and learning outcomes. A primary research focus is on the design and evaluation of targeted interventions that support the development of children's social, cognitive and academic competence.
Two children's programs (the Child Development Laboratory School and the Miller Child Learning Center) provide child development practicum and student teaching experiences for students, fulfill a need in the community for child care, and support child development research.
The Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Early Childhood Research at Purdue University is supported by a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences , U.S. Department of Education. The program supports two IES Postdoctoral Fellows.
Adult Development & Aging
One of the most dramatic changes in the history of humanity occurred in the past 100 years as life expectancy has doubled from approximately age 40 in 1900 to age 80 today. The ways in which individuals enter adulthood, experience midlife, a senesce in old age warrants increased research attention. Social, emotional, familial factors that contribute to adult development are of particular importance.
The mission of the Purdue University Center on Aging and the Life Course is to promote aging-related interdisciplinary research and education at Purdue University that enhances quality of life. It seeks to generate, integrate, disseminate, and apply gerontologist knowledge that addresses complex life course topics.
Families & Health
Health concerns are central to family life across the developmental spectrum. Parents of young children often closely monitor their children's health. Youth gradually develop greater responsibility for managing their healthcare. Families become increasingly important as adults face health care changes in old age. Faculty who work in this area are guided by the bio psychosocial model. Particular areas of study are well-being and physical health in later-life, family functioning and coping with cancer.
The Center for Families serves as a catalyst for initiating and integrating activities that support families. It facilitates collaboration among professionals, policymakers, employers, and human service professionals regarding the vital roles of children and families in society.
The Military Family Research Institute was created in 2000 with funding from the Department of Defense. The institute conducts basic and applied research on the quality of life of military families and its implications for job satisfaction, performance, and retention.
Work-Family
Members of families spend most of their waking hours working, including working for pay in the economy and doing the unpaid work of daily family life. Work, particularly paid work, affects many aspects of human experience, including not only the well-being and development of individual workers, but also workers' relationships with their spouses, children, social networks and communities. Research in CDFS focuses on the intersection of work and family life, with particular attention to factors that make it easier and more difficult for workers to successfully fulfill their responsibilities at work and at home.
The Military Family Research Institute was created in 2000 with funding from the Department of Defense. The institute conducts basic and applied research on the quality of life of military families and its implications for job satisfaction, performance, and retention.
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