RESEARCH INTERESTS

- resilience and adolescent lifestyle choices, risk behaviours
- positive psychology, flow
- academic motivation and underachievement
- developmental pathways
- media-technology influences on social interaction and learning
- self-regulation

As a developmental psychologist, one of my research interests is adolescent resilience, particularly with regard to academic underachievement, risk behaviours, optimal experiences, and media/technology influences on lifestyle choices. A better understanding of resilience could suggest how and why lowered achievement and risk behaviours persist and escalate among some adolescents, but decrease and discontinue among others. The goal of my research program is to examine the relation between developmental pathways and protective factors that promote and strengthen adolescent well-being. Another research interest is the impact of technology-based environments on social interaction and learning.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

Adachi, P.J.C., & Willoughby, T. (in press). The effect of violent video games on aggression: Is it more than just the violence? Aggression and Violent Behavior.

Good, M., Willoughby, T., & Busseri, M. (in press). Stability and change in adolescent spirituality and religiosity: A person-centred approach. Developmental Psychology.

Segalowitz, S.J., Santesso, D., Willoughby, T., Reker, D.L., Campbell, K., Chalmers, H., & Rose-Krasnor, L. (accepted). Adolescent peer interaction and trait surgency weaken medial prefrontal cortex responses to failure. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

Good, M., Willoughby, T. (2010). Evaluating the direction of effects in the relation between religious versus non-religious activities, academic success, and substance use. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. DOI 10.1007/s10964-010-9581-y.

Willoughby, T., & Hamza, C. (2010). A longitudinal examination of the bidirectional associations among perceived parenting behaviors, adolescent disclosure and problem behavior across the high school years. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. DOI 10.1007/s10964-010-9567-9.

Desjarlais, M., & Willoughby, T. (2010). A longitudinal study of the relation between adolescent boys and girls’ computer use with friends and friendship quality: Support for the social compensation or the rich-get-richer hypothesis? Computers in Human Behavior, 26 (5), 895-905.

King, G., Servais, M., Forchuk, C., Chalmers, H., Currie, M., Law, M., Specht, J., Rosenbaum, P., Willoughby, T., & Kertoy, M. (2010). The features and impacts of five multidisciplinary community-university research partnerships. Health and Social Care in Community, 18(1), 59-69.

McNamara, J.K., & Willoughby, T. (2010). A longitudinal study of risk-taking behavior in adolescents with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities: Research & Practice, 25(1), 11-24.

Shaffer, D.R., Kipp, K., Wood, E., & Willoughby, T. (2009) Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence, Third Canadian Edition.  Toronto: Nelson.

Willoughby, T., Wood, E., Desjarlais, M., Williams, L., Leacy, K., & Sedore, L. (2009). Gender comparisons in preschoolers and elementary school children’s social interaction during a computer-based activity. Sex Roles, 61, 864-878.

Good, M., Willoughby, T., & Frijters, J. (2009). Just another club? The distinctiveness of the relation between church attendance and adolescent psychosocial adjustment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38(9), 1153-1171.

King, G., Servais, M., Kertoy, M., Specht, J., Currie, M., Rosenbaum, P., Law, M., Forchuk, C., Chalmers, H., & Willoughby, T. (2009). A measure of community members’ perceptions of the impacts of research partnerships in health and social services. Evaluation and Program Planning, 32, 289-299.

Willoughby, T., Anderson, A., Wood, E., Mueller, J., & Ross, C. (2009). Fast searching for information on the Internet to use in a learning context: The impact of prior knowledge. Computers & Education, 52(3), 640-648.

Busseri, M., Willoughby, T., Chalmers, H., & Bogaert, A. (2008). On the association between sexual attraction and adolescent risk taking involvement: Examining mediation and moderation. Developmental Psychology, 44(1), 69-80.

Good, M., & Willoughby, T.  (2008). Adolescence as a sensitive period for spiritual development. Child Development Perspectives, 2(1), 32-37.

McNamara, J.K., Vervaeke, S-L., & Willoughby, T. (2008). Learning disabilities and risk-taking behavior in adolescents: A comparison of those with and without comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.  Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41(6), 561-574.

Mueller, J., Wood, E., Willoughby, T., DeYoung, T., Ross, C., & Specht, J. (2008). Identifying discriminating variables between teachers who fully integrate computers and teachers with limited integration.  Computers & Education, 51, 1523-1537.

Willoughby, T. (2008). A short-term longitudinal study of Internet and computer game use by adolescent boys and girls: Prevalence, frequency of use, and psychosocial predictors. Developmental Psychology, 44(1), 195-204.

Willoughby, T., & Wood, E. (Eds) (2008). Children’s Learning in a Digital World.  Blackwell.

Wood, E., Specht, J., Willoughby, T., & Mueller, J. (2008).  Integrating computer technology in early childhood education environments: Issues raised by early childhood educators. Alberta Journal of Educational Research. 54(2), 210-228.

Busseri, M., Willoughby, T., & Chalmers, H.  (2007). A rationale and method for examining reasons for linkages among adolescent risk behaviors.  Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36, 279-289.

Desjarlais, M., & Willoughby, T. (2007). Supporting learners with low domain knowledge when using the Internet.  Journal of Educational Computing Research, 37(1), 1-17.

Good, M., & Willoughby, T. (2007). The role of religious faith in the identity formation experiences of church-attending rural adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 22, 387-412.

Willoughby, T., Chalmers, H., Busseri, M., Bosacki, S., Dupont, D., Marini, Z., Rose-Krasnor, L., Sadava, S., & Ward, T. (2007). Adolescent non-involvement in multiple risk behaviors: An indicator of successful development? Applied Developmental Science, 11(2), 89-103.

Busseri, M., Rose-Krasnor, L., Willoughby, T., & Chalmers, H. (2006). A longitudinal examination of breadth and intensity of youth activity involvement and successful development. Developmental Psychology, 42(6), 1313-1326.

Busseri, M., Willoughby, T., Chalmers, H., & Bogaert, A. (2006). Same-sex attraction and successful adolescent development. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(4), 561-573.

Chalmers, H. & Willoughby, T. (2006). Do predictors of gambling involvement differ across male and female adolescents? Journal of Gambling Studies, 22(4), 373-372.

Good, M., & Willoughby, T. (2006). The role of spirituality versus religiosity in adolescent psychosocial adjustment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(1), 1-15.

Rose-Krasnor, L., Busseri, M.A., Willoughby, T., & Chalmers, H. (2006). Breadth and intensity of youth activity involvement as contexts for positive development. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(3), 365-379.

Holmes, E., & Willoughby, T. (2005). Play behaviour of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 30(3), 156-164.

McNamara, J., Willoughby, T., Chalmers, H., & YLC-CURA. (2005). Psychosocial status of adolescents with learning disabilities with and without comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 20(4), 234-244.

Shaffer, D.R., Wood, E., & Willoughby, T. (2005). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence, Second Canadian Edition. Toronto: Nelson .

Wood, E., Mueller, J., Willoughby, T., Specht, J., & DeYoung, T. (2005). Teachers' perceptions: Barriers and supports to using technology in the classroom. Education, Comunication, & Information, 5, 183-206.

Wood, E., Willoughby, T., Schmidt, A., Porter, L., & Gilbert, J. (2005). Use of computer input devices by older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 24, 419-438 .

Willoughby, T., Chalmers, H., & Busseri, M. (2004). Where is the syndrome? Where is the risk? Co-occurrence among multiple "problem" behaviors in adolescence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 1022-1037.

Wood, E., Willoughby, T., Schmidt, A., Porter, L., Specht, J., & Gilbert, J. (2004). Assessing the use of input devices for teachers and children in early choldhood education programs. Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual, 16, 261-280.

Wood, E., Willoughby, T., Desmarais, S., Groves, A., & Bruce, S. (2003). Can gender stereotypes facilitate memory when elaborative strategies are used? Educational Psychology, 23(2), 169-180.

Willoughby, T., Wood, E., & Kraftcheck, E.R. (2003). When can a lack of structure facilitate strategic processing of information? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 73, 59-69.

Wood, E., Willoughby, T., Specht, J., & Porter, L. (2002). An examination of how a cross-section of academics use computer technology when writing academic papers. Computers in Education, 38, 287-301.

Wood, E., Willoughby, T., Specht, J., Stern-Cavalcante, W., & Childs, C. (2002). Developing a computer workshop to facilitate computer skills and minimize anxiety for early childhood educators, Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(1), 164-170 .

Willoughby, T., Wood, E., McDermott, C., & McLaren, J. (2000). Enhancing learning through strategy instruction and group interaction. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 14, 19-30.

Wood, E., Willoughby, T., McDermott, C., Motz, M., Kaspar, V., & Ducharme, M.J. (1999). Developmental differences in study behavior. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 527-536.

Willoughby, T., Porter, L., Belsito, L., & Yearsley, T. (1999). Use of elaboration strategies by students in grades 2, 4, and 6. Elementary School Journal, 99(3), 221-232.

Willoughby, T., Wood, E., Desmarais, S., Sims, S., & Dalra, M. (1997). Mechanisms that facilitate the effectiveness of elaboration strategies. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(4), 682-685.

Wood, E., Woloshyn, V.E., & Willoughby, T. (1995). Cognitive strategy instruction for middle and high schools. Cambridge: Brookline Books.