The Personality and Cognition Lab (PAC Lab) is a research group led by Dr. D. A. Briley, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The PAC Lab studies the development of individual differences, broadly construed. Common topics include personality and cognition (obviously), but also motivation, health, academic achievement, interests, parenting, hormones, and substance use. We tackle these broad domains of study from a developmental behavior genetic perspective. Current work focuses predominantly on the potential impact of life events for spurring personality change and the role that life transitions play in identity development.
Individual differences in personality influence the ways in which people approach and interact with concepts and ideas. Across development, children transition through the educational system and gain knowledge and beliefs about how the world works. This work can inform discussions of how to best help children achieve their full potential. To accomplish this goal, I am exploring the dynamic relation between children and their learning environment, and how the unique characteristics of the individual child influence personal, academic, and social growth over time. I use a variety of methods to explore these topics including structural equation modeling, longitudinal data analysis, and behavior genetics. Currently, I am interested in ways that gender impacts thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and trajectories of identity development.
