Brenda Volling, Ph.D.
Research Professor, CHGD;
Professor of Psychology, College of LS&A

Brenda Volling is a developmental psychologist whose research focuses on the social and emotional development of infants and young children. Her main interests focus on family relationship functioning (mother-child, father child, sibling and marital relationships) and its effect on young children's socioemotional development. She is the PI of the Family Transitions Study, a 5-year longitudinal investigation of changes in the family after the arrival of a second child, which is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The study follows 200 families over five time points (prenatal, 1, 4, 8 and 12 months) to examine changes in parental depression, marital relationship functioning, social support and the older sibling's adjustment. She has also received additional funding from the Fetzer Institute to continue following the infants when they turn 18 months old and recently received another grant from NICHD to follow the families when the secondborn is 24 and 36 months. She is also examining sibling jealousy and the family factors that contribute to sibling rivalry over time, with a particular interest in the role fathers play in their children's development. The goal of this research program is to eventually provide information to parents and family practitioners about how to support the older child during the transition to siblinghood and what parents can do to help diminish jealousy and sibling rivalry in the family.