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Arnold J. Sameroff

Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan

Arnold J. Sameroff, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology and a Research Professor at the Center for Human Growth & Development at the University of Michigan. Dr. Sameroff is a former Board Member of ZERO TO THREE.

Contributions to the Field

Dr. Sameroff is best known for developing the transactional model of development, which describes the ways in which the child, parent, and environment affect each other and the child’s development. He has advised or participated in several prominent national research efforts focusing on early childhood mental health and development.

Affiliations

ZERO TO THREE Board Member Emeritus; Developmental Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association (President 1995-96); International Society for Infant Studies (President 2002-04); and Society for Research in Child Development (President 2007-09), World Association of Infant Mental Health, Society for Research in Adolescence.

Current Research

Dr. Sameroff is currently involved with research on risk and positive factors for mental health. His primary research interests are in understanding how family and community factors impact the development of children, especially those at risk for mental illness or educational failure. His studiens have served to heighten understanding of the complexities of early development, and of the opportunities for support and therapeutic intervention during this period.

Honors/Awards/Recognition/Books Published

Dr. Sameroff’s honors include the Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award from the Society for Research in Child Development and the G. Stanley Hall Award from the American Psychological Association, Developmental Psychology Division.

Dr. Sameroff is the author or numerous research articles. His recent books include the Handbook of Developmental Psychopathology (with Michael Lewis), Treating Early Relationship Problems: Infant, Parent, and Interaction Therapies (with Susan McDonough and Katherine Rosenblum), and the forthcoming Transactional Development: Operationalizing a dynamic system.