The Diversity in Adolescence Lab is a research lab in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University. It is directed by Dr. Yijie Wang and engages undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in adolescent development within diverse contexts.
The DALab conducts research on adolescent development in the psychological, physical, and cognitive domains, with a particular interest on cultural and ethnic/racial diversity. Our projects investigate a variety of developmental outcomes, such as socioemotional well-being, academics, health behaviors, sleep, stress responses, and executive functioning. We seek to understand how these developmental outcomes are influenced by various contexts including family, peer, school, and neighborhood environment. We are particularly interested in the opportunities and challenges associated with cultural and ethnic/racial diversity, such as ethnic/racial discrimination, socialization, and identity development.
The goal of our lab is to conduct cutting-edge developmental research and train promising young scholars who are interested in human development and related areas.