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Dustin D. Albert

Visiting Research Fellow

Dustin Albert utilizes behavioral and neuroscientific methods to investigate the cognitive, affective, and contextual dynamics of decision-making in adolescence. At the Center, he will be working with Ken Dodge, researching individual differences in the development of decision-making behavior.

His personal research is on utilizing fMRI (as well as standard neurocognitive and self-report measures) to examine the hypothesis that asynchronous patterns of development across different 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.

Albert completed an undergraduate degree in English literature at the University of Oklahoma, a master’s degree in experimental psychology at Wake Forest University and his Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Temple University.

Recent Publications

1. 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.


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


3. Albert, D., & Steinberg, L. (2011). Peer influences on adolescent risk behavior. In M.T. Bardo, D.H. Fishbein, & R. Milich (Ed.).  Inhibitory Control and Drug Abuse Prevention: From Research to Translation. New York: Springer.


4. Albert, D., & Steinberg, L. (2011). Adolescent judgment and decision making. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21, 211-224.


5. Chein, J., Albert, D., O’Brien, L., Uckert, K., & Steinberg, L. (2011). Peers increase adolescent risk taking by enhancing activity in the brain’s reward circuitry. Developmental Science, 14, F1-F10.