Her approach assumes that in order to understand development, one needs to examine youth characteristics (e.g., temperament, age, gender), as well as parents' behavior and characteristics (e.g., personality, social support), the quality of parent-child relationships, and the sociocultural context in which they are embedded. Her research uses qualitative and quantitative methods, including behavioral observations, self-report, interviews and informant reports. She is also interested in community-based research as an avenue for social change and promoting social justice for undergrepresented populations.