James W. Allen

Program affiliation: Lifespan development

Supervisors: Dr. Christopher Lalonde

Research interests

My research interests center mainly on social-cognitive development and personality development from childhood to young adulthood, particularly in terms of socio-cultural influences on developmental processes. Much of my research has focused on how cultural context influences the identity formation process for young people. For example, my master’s project involved the creation and initial testing of a questionnaire measure meant to examine the different ways that young people construct a sense of self-continuity within their lives. I also have a strong interest in narrative perspectives in developmental psychology, which emphasize the role of storytelling in cognitive development and identity development. Currently I am examining research on the ways in which narrative thinking or storytelling may function in child and adolescent development. Other research interests include work on positive youth development emphasizing the role of culture, the role of cultural continuity in development for Aboriginal young people, and the development of social understanding, autobiographical memory and generativity.

Awards

Sept 2009 – National Network for Aboriginal Mental Health Research (NAMHR) – Doctoral Fellowship
June 2009 – Network Environments for Aboriginal Health Research (NEAR) BC – Doctoral Fellowship

Representative publications and presentations

Pratt, M. W., Lawford, H. L. & Allen, J. W. (under review). Early fatherhood, generativity and men’s development: Setting out on a two-way street to maturity. In J. Ball & K. Daly (Eds.). Engaging fathers in social change: Lessons from Canada. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.

Allen, J. W., Lawford, H. L., & Pratt, M. W. (under revision). Future parenting selves in young adult men and women: Eriksonian generativity, and attachment styles as predictors.

Sokol, B. W., Allen, J., Huerta, S., & Müller, U. (2009). Social understanding and self-regulation. In B. Sokol, U. Müller, J. I. M. Carpendale, A. Young, & G. Iarocci, G. (Eds.), Self- and social-regulation: Exploring the relations between social interaction, social cognition, and the development of executive functions. New York: Oxford University Press.

Wilson, A.E., Allen, J. W., Strahan, E. J., & Ethier, N. (2008). Getting involved: Testing the effectiveness of a volunteering intervention on young adolescents’ future intentions. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 18, 630-637.

Conference presentations

Allen, J. W., Lalonde, C., Diaute, C., Lightfoot, C., & Nelson, K. (2010). A Discussion Session on Narrative and Identity. Accepted discussion session for the Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society in St. Louis, 3-5 June 2010.

Allen, J.W. & Lalonde, C. (2009). Assessing Variability in Reasoning about Self-Continuity. Paper presented the 39th Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, Park City, Utah.

Allen, J. W., & Pratt, M. W. (2008). Emerging adults expectations of a future parenting self: differences by gender and level of Eriksonian generativity. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Adolescence, Chicago, Illinois.

Allen, J. W., & Yates, R. A. (2007). Reframing and Reclaiming Research: Engaging First Nations Communities in Health Research. Paper presented at the 37th Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Workshop presentations

Allen, J.W. (2008). Building respectful relationships. Presented at Building Community Capacity for Aboriginal Health Research, a community workshop held by Network Environments for Aboriginal Health Research (NEAR) BC, in Campbell River, BC.

Allen, J. W. (2007). An Introduction to NEAR BC. Presented at Canuel: Bringing People Together. A lecture series presented by the Office of Community Based Research at the University of Victoria