Steven R. Asher CV

The current focus of my research is on: (1) studies of social cognition, especially the beliefs that students hold about friendships (their “working model” of friendships), and the types of goals children and college students pursue in response to interpersonal conflict, to friendship transgressions, and to other challenging peer relationship “social tasks”; (2) studies of how peer relationships (peer acceptance, participation in friendship, friendship quality) influence feelings of loneliness and belonging in elementary school, high school, and college; and (3) studies of the connections between academic engagement, measured as gusto for the work a student is doing in school or college, and their overall well-being, as measured by a wide variety of indicators. Much of my current research benefits from the collaboration with partners in schools and universities, as well the research participation in my lab by undergraduate students, many of whom conduct Graduation with Distinction theses.