WFU Psychology

Debbie Best

Education

	B.A., Wake Forest University, 1970
	M.A., Wake Forest University, 1972
	Ph.D., UNC-Chapel Hill, 1981

Research interests:

My first research interest is cognitive development during the preschool and school-age years, focusing upon age-related changes in memory strategies and knowledge base (semantic memory). Current studies look at applied aspects of memory, children’s misattributions about memory, their understanding of forgetting, and the effects of memory training.

My second interest is in the development of sex stereotypes among young children in the U.S. and other countries. Impact of stereotypes on adult behavior and interactions (e.g., gender and occupations, gender and compliance with exercise regimes, gender and religion). Current research is looking at cross-cultural comparisons of public social behaviors of men and women.

Attitudes of typically-developing children toward their peers with special needs has also been a continuing area of research interest.


Scholarly Interests:

	Cognitive Development
	Stereotypes and Attitudes
	Cross-Cultural Psychology
	Health Psychology

Representative Publications:

	Best, D.L. (in press). Gender roles in childhood and adolescence. In U.P. Gielen, & J.L. Roopnarine (Eds.), Childhood and adolescence in cross-cultural perspective. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press/Ablex.
	Best, D.L. (in press). Varieties of university experience: Issues facing beginning faculty. In J.M. Darley, M.P. Zanna, & H.L. Roediger III (Eds.), The complete academic (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
	Best, D.L., & Thomas, J.J. (in press). Cultural diversity and cross-cultural perspectives. In A. H. Eagly, A. Beall, & R. Sternberg (Eds.), The Psychology of Gender (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Publications.
	Best, D.L., & Foster, D.J. (in press). Culture and gender. In J. W. Berry & H.C. Triandis (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
	Best, D.L., & Williams, J.E. (2001). Gender and culture. In D. Matsumoto (Ed.), Handbook of culture and phsychology (pp. 195-219). New York: Oxford University Press.
	Best, D.L. (2001). Cross-cultural gender roles. In J. Worrell (Ed.), Encyclopedia of gender (pp. 279-290). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
	Best, D.L. (Guest Ed.). (2000). Gender concepts: Convergence in cross-cultural research and methodologies. Cross-Cultural Research, 34(4: Special Issue: In Honor of Ruth H. Munroe, D.L. Best, Guest Ed.), 410-432.
	Guajardo, N.R., & Best, D.L. (2000). Do preschoolers remember what to do? Incentive and external cues in prospective memory. Cognitive Development.
	Best, D.L. (2000). Recent trends in cross-cultural studies of human development: The role of current research traditions. In A.L. Comunian & U. Gielen (Eds.), International perspectives on human development (pp. 35-49). Berlin: Pabst Science Publishers.
	Intons-Peterson, M.J., & Best, D.L. (Eds.). (1998). Memory Distortions and Their Prevention. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Eribaum.
	Best, D.L., Hamlett, K.W., & Davis, S.W. (1992). Memory compliant and memory performance in the elderly: The effects of memory-skills training and expectancy change. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 6, 405-416.
	Williams, J.E., & Best, D.L. (1990). Measuring sex stereotypes: A multi-nation study. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
	Inderbitzen, H.M., & Best, D.L. (1986). Children's attitudes toward physically handicapped peers. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 7, 417-428.

Courses taught: 

	Developmental Psychology
	Graduate Seminar in Developmental Psychology
	Honors Seminar