Holly Wright, Ph.D.

Teaching Focus

My area of interest primarily focuses on the social-emotional development throughout childhood. By taking a developmental perspective I aim to engage students in thinking critically about the many facets of human development. I have spent years focusing on student learning and worked to develop courses that introduce them to concepts in the social sciences. My continued pursuit is to have students apply these important topics and ideas into their own lives and their interactions in the world around them. I aim to engage students in discussions while creating a classroom environment that is supportive, inclusive, and constructive.

Courses Taught

• Lifespan Development
• Developmental Assessment of Young Children
• Prenatal and Infant Development
• Theories of Human Development

Selected Publications

Rassmussen, E., Strouse, G., Colwell, M. J., Russo, C., Holiday, S., Brady, K., Flores, I., Troseth, G., Wright, H., Densley, R., & Norman, M. (2018) Promoting preschoolers’ emotional competence through prosocial TV and mobile app use. Media Psychology DOI: 10.1080/15213269.2018.1476890

Rasmussen, E.E., Shafer, A., Colwell, M. J., White, S.R., Punyanunt-Carter, N., Densley, R., & Wright, H. (2016). Relation between active mediation, exposure to Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and preschoolers’ social and emotional development. Journal of Children and Media, 10, 443-461. DOI: 10.1080/17482798.2016.1203806

Colwell, M. J., Gaines, K., Pearson, M., Corson, K., Wright, H. D. and Logan, B. J. (2016), Space, Place, and Privacy: Preschool Children's Secret Hiding Places. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 44, p. 412–421. doi:10.1111/fcsr.12169

Colwell, M.J., Corson, K., Sastry, A., & Wright, H. (2014) Secret keepers: Children’s theoryof mind and their conception of secrecy. Early Child Development and Care, 186, 369-381.