people

W. Dustin Albert

Visiting Research Fellow

Dustin Albert is a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Developmental Science at UNC Chapel-Hill and a visiting research fellow at the Center for Child and Family Policy. His research investigates cognitive, affective, and social influences on adolescents’ self-regulation and decision making.

Dustin received his Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Temple University, where he utilized neuroimaging methods to examine the hypothesis that maturational changes in frontal and striatal brain systems during adolescence produce a period of increased sensitivity to social and reward cues that bias teens toward risk taking, at the same time that their self-regulatory skills are not mature enough to consistently “put the brakes on” impulsive, risky behavior.

His current work examines the development of neurobehavioral function as a product of transactional change with the environment. For instance, he is currently investigating (a) genetic markers of differential susceptibility to behavioral intervention; (b) the effects of intervention on neural function supporting self-regulatory maturity; and (c) cross-cultural stability and variation in self-regulation and decision making across the course of adolescence.

Recent Publications   (More Publications)

1. Albert, D., Chein, J., & Steinberg, L. (2013). Peer influences on adolescent decision making. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22, 114-120. [doi]  [abs]


2. Dodge, K.A., & Albert, D. (2012). Evolving science in adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 48, 624-627.  [abs]


3. Mirman, J.H., Albert, D., Jacobsohn, L.S., & Winston, F.K. (2012). Factors associated with adolescents’ propensity to drive with multiple passengers and to engage in risky driving behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 50, 634-640. [doi]  [abs]


4. Hampton, A.S., Conner, B.T., Albert, D., Anglin, M.D., Urada, D., & Longshore, D. (2011). Pathways to treatment retention for individuals legally coerced to substance use treatment: The interaction of hope and treatment motivation. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 118, 400-407.


5. Albert, D., & Steinberg, L. (2011). Age differences in strategic planning as indexed by the Tower of London. Child Development, 82, 1501-1517.