Developmental Psychology

Research group: The Gothenburg group for Research In Developmental psychology (GRID)

Our research

In the research group The Gothenburg group for Research In Developmental psychology (GRID) our aim is to contribute with knowledge on how people address these and similar questions and solve central developmental tasks in their lives. We have an outspoken developmental psychology perspective, which means that we study how and why individuals develop as they do, and how they experience this development. Youth development has long been in focus for our research, but we see development as processes of change and stability that continue throughout life, and we therefore study development in different parts of the lifespan.

Identity development is central during adolescent years but also continues into adulthood and concerns for example parental identity and ethnic identity. A related concept of identity is personality where we conduct research on what characterizes an individual and how these traits develop. Other central aspects that we study are body image and puberty development, sexual risk behaviour and exposure. We are interested in development and living conditions in different contexts, such as for example school, family and social media.

The goal with our research is to contribute with knowledge about individuals’ experiences, both concerning challenges they face and what can lead to positive development. Within GRID we use both quantitative and qualitative research methods, often in combination, within several longitudinal projects where we follow individuals over extended times.