The Developmental Psychology program at Florida State University will provide students with in-depth training in the area of developmental psychology, with opportunities for both basic and applied research.  The goal of the program is to prepare students for future positions as professors in universities and colleges, researchers in government and private-sector laboratories, and as educators. The program is guided by the view that the best way to become a researcher is to carry out research, so continuous involvement in research projects is stressed. The curriculum has core course requirements, but maximizes opportunities for specific seminars and individual research opportunities that fit a training program designed by the student and his or her major professor.

Applicants must satisfy all admission requirements and policies set by the university.  In addition, the department requires a broad undergraduate preparation, a grade point average of 3.0 or better during the junior and senior undergraduate years, a combined score of at least 1000 on the verbal and quantitative portion of the aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examination, at least three references from former professors in support of the applicant, and a statement of purpose by the applicant.  About 12 semester hours in psychology, including a laboratory experimental course and a course in statistics are desired.  Developmental psychology applicants who demonstrate an interest and experience in research and who express interest in the research areas of the developmental faculty are given priority.

Neil H. Charness, Ph.D., 1974, Carnegie Mellon University. Expertise/skill acquisition and aging (chess, bridge, word processing); age and human factors (computer interfaces and training, computer - based cognitive assessment).

Carol Connor, Ph.D., 2002, University of Michigan. Language development and comprehension, family and life span developmental psychology, educational psychology, learning disabilities, quantitative methods and research design, psychometrics, testing and assessment.

K. Anders Ericsson, Ph.D., 1976, University of Sweden at Stockholm. The acquisition of expert performance through deliberate practice in domains, such as music, science, golf and darts. The structure and acquisition of Long-Term Working Memory. Thinking, reasoning and planning that mediate problem solving, learning and skilled performance. The structure of cognitive processes and attention revealed by the analysis of think-aloud protocols and retrospective verbal reports.

Frank Johnson, Ph.D., 1989, University of California at Riverside. Research focuses on the functional architecture of a brain-wide network that controls vocal imitation in an animal model for human speech learning.

Michael Kaschak, Ph.D., 2003, University of Wisconsin - Madison. Role of learning and memory in language processing; Embodied cognition, particularly the relationship between language and systems of perception and action; How language comprehenders process idiosyncratic and creative language; The influence of idiosyncratic syntactic structures on the course of language acquisition.

Janet Kistner, Ph.D., 1981, State University of New York at Binghamton.   Developmental psychopathology; children's responses to stress and failure; problematic social interactions of children; learning and behavior problems of children.

Chris Lonigan, Ph.D., 1991, State University of New York at Stony Brook.  Developmental psychopathology: principal focus on emotional and motivational influences on the development of psychopathology; early intervention (language/literacy) and its effects on cognitive, behavioral, and social development. Other interests include: PTSD in children; language acquisition; and language and behavior disorders of children.

Natalie Sachs-Ericsson, Ph.D., 1985, Southern Illinois University. Psycho-social factors that influence the onset and course of psychiatric disorders and health problems; Racial, ethnic and gender differences in protective and vulnerability factors that influence psychiatric disorders; Childhood physical and sexual abuse and its affect on the psychological, social, and health functioning of adults.

Chris Schatschneider, Ph.D., 1995, Case Western Reserve University. Educational psychology, learning disabilities, quantitative methods and research design, reading and language comprehension.

Richard K. Wagner, Ph.D., Yale University, 1985. The acquisition of complex cognitive knowledge and skills. The role of reading-related phonological processing abilities in normal and abnormal development of reading skills, and in the prediction, prevention, and remediation of dyslexia. The role of practical knowledge and intelligence in intellectual performance manifested outside the classroom setting.