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Welcome! » Faculty & Staff » Deborah Welsh


Deborah Welsh

Research Interests

Adolescent romantic relationships; Adolescent interactions with family members.

Research statement

My current research focuses understanding adolescent relationships and their impact on adolescent functioning.  Specifically, my research is focused on (1) understanding the development of adolescents' romantic relationships and (2) understanding relationship-related factors that are associated with the successful transition to college. My examination of adolescents’ romantic relationships uses observational methodologies and video recall techniques to understand participants' own perceptions of the meaning of their interactions with their romantic partners' interactions. I am interested in how romantic relationships develop over adolescence, how contextual and personal variables (such as gender, identity and intimacy development, temperament, cultural context, and religious context) impact romantic relationships, and how romantic relationships impact adolescent functioning.  I am also interested examining how late adolescents’ communications with family, romantic partners, and peers impact their transition to college.

Honors

  • Advisory Committee, Presidential Task Force on Adolescent Girls (1996-1997)
  • Reviewer for submissions to the Society for Research on Adolescence Biennial Meeting (1997-1998)
  • UTK College of Arts and Sciences Junior Faculty Research/Creative Achievement Award (1998)
  • UTK Chancellor's Award for Professional Promise in Research and Creative Achievement (1999)
  • Ad hoc reviewer, Journal of Adolescent Research
  • Ad hoc reviewer, Journal of Early Adolescence
  • Ad hoc reviewer, British Journal of Developmental Psychology
  • Ad hoc reviewer, Health Education Quarterly
  • Ad hoc reviewer, Psychology of Women Quarterly
  • Ad hoc reviewer, American Psychologist
  • Honorary member, Golden Key National Honor Society (1995)

Grants

  • National Science Foundation (1992-1995)
  • UTK Professional Development Award (1995-1996)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (1995-1997)
  • Social Science Research Council (1997-1998)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (2000-2005)

Selected Publications

*Langlais, M. R., *Kivisto, K. L., & Welsh, D. P. (2010). Communication and sexual behaviors within adolescent couples. Psi Chi, 15, 194-202.

Powers, S.I., Battle, C. L., Dorta, K., & Welsh, D. P. (2010). Adolescents’ submission and conflict behaviors with mothers predicts current and future internalizing problems. Research in Human Development, 7(4), 257–273.

*Smith, J.D., Welsh, D.P., & Fite, P. (2010). Adolescents' relational schemas and their subjective understanding of romantic relationship interactions. Journal of Adolescence, 33, 147-157.

Smith, J.D., Welsh, D.P., & Fite, P. (2009).  Adolescents' relational schemas and their subjective understanding of romantic relationship interactions. Journal of Adolescence. 1-11.

Buehler, C. & Welsh, D. P. (2009). A process model of adolescents’ triangulation into parents’ marital conflict: The mediating role of emotional reactivity.  Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 167-180.

Collins, W.A., Welsh, D.P., & Furman, W. (2009). Adolescent romantic relationships. Annual Review of Psychology. 60, 631-652.

Holmes, R., Little, K.C., & Welsh, D. P. (2009). Dating and romantic relationships, adulthood.  In D. Carr (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the life course and human development, Vol. 2. (89-92). Detroit: Macmillan Reference.

Lounsbury, J. W., Fisher, L. A., Levy, J. J., & Welsh, D. P. (2009).  An investigation of character strengths in relation to the academic success of college students.  Individual Differences Research, 1, 52-69.

Welsh, D. P. & Shulman, S. (2008). Directly observed interaction within adolescent romantic relationships: What have we learned? Journal of Adolescence, 31, 877-891.

Haugen, P. T., Welsh, D. P., McNulty, J. (2008).  Empathic accuracy and adolescent romantic relationships.  Journal of Adolescence, 31, 709-727.

Welsh, D. P. & Shulman, S. (2008). Introduction: Observational investigations of adolescent romantic relationships. Journal of Adolescence, 31, 669-670.

Harper, M.S., Welsh, D.P. (2007).  Keeping quiet:  Self-silencing and its association with relational and individual functioning among adolescent romantic couples.  Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24, 99-116.

Loveland, J.M., Lounsbury, J.W., Welsh, D., Buboltz, W.C. (2007).  The validity of physical aggression in predicting adolescent academic performance.  British Journal of Educational Psychology, 77, 167-176.

Harper, M. S., Dickson, J.W., &  Welsh, D. P. (2006). Self-silencing and rejection sensitivity in adolescent romantic relationships. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, 459-467.

Grello, C. M., Welsh, D. P., & Harper, M.S. (2006). No strings attached: The nature of casual sex in late adolescents. The Journal of Sex Research, 43, 255-267.

Widman, L., Welsh, D. P., McNulty, J. K., & Little, K.C. (2006). Sexual communication and contraceptive use in adolescent dating couples.  Journal of Adolescent Health, 39, 893-899.

McNeeley, M. E., May, L. N., & Welsh, D. P. (2006). The effects of romantic involvement on psychological well-being in late adolescence. Psi Chi: Journal of Undergraduate Research, 11, 14-20.

Welsh, D. P. & Dickson, J. W. (2005). Video-recall procedures for examining observational data and subjective understanding in family psychology. Journal of Family Psychology, 19, 62-71.

Welsh, D. P., Haugen, P.T., Widman, L., Darling, N., & Grello, C. M. (2005). Kissing is good: A developmental investigation of sexuality in adolescent romantic couples. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 2, 32-41.

Lounsbury, J. W., Welsh, D. P., Gibson, L. W. & Sundstrom, E. (2005). Broad and narrow personality traits in relation to cognitive ability in adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 38, 1009-1019.

Galliher, R. V., Welsh, D. P., Rostosky, S. S., & Kawaguchi, M. C. (2004). Interaction and relationship quality in late adolescent romantic couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 21, 203-216.

Welsh, D.P., Grello, C.M., Harper, M.S. (2003). When love hurts: Depression and adolescent romantic relationships. In P. Florsheim (Ed), Adolescent Romantic Relations and Sexual Behavior: Theory, Research and Practical Implications. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Haugen, P.T., Risch, S.C., Welsh, D.P. (2003). Peer influence. In J.J. Ponzetti (Ed), International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family. New York: Macmillan.

Rostosky, S.S., Galliher, R.V., Welsh, D.P., & Kawaguchi, M.C. (2000). Sexual behaviors and relationship quality in late adolescent couples. Journal of Adolescence. 23, 583-597.

Welsh, D.P., Rostosky, S.S., & Kawaguchi, M.C. (2000). A normative perspective of adolescent girls' developing sexuality. In C.B. Travis & J.S. White (Eds.), Sexuality, society, and feminism: Psychological perspectives on women (pp. 111-140). Washington, D.C.: APA.

Rostosky, S., Welsh, D.P., Kawaguchi, M.C., Vickerman, R.C. (1999). Commitment and sexual behaviors in adolescent romantic couples. In W. Jones and J. Adams (Eds), Handbook of Interpersonal commitment and relationship stability. New York: Plenum.

Welsh, D.P., Rostosky, S.S., Kawaguchi, M.C. (1999). A normative perspective of adolescent girls' developing sexuality. In C.B. Travis and J.S. White (Eds), Sexuality, society and feminism: Psychological perspectives on women. Washington, DC: APA.

Galliher, R.V., Rostosky, S.S., Welsh, D.P., Kawaguchi, M.C. (1999). Power and psychological well-being in late adolescent romantic relationships. Sex Roles 40: 689-710.

Kawaguchi, M.C., Welsh, D.P., Powers, S.I., Rostosky, S. (1998). Mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters: Temperament, gender, and adolescent-parent relationships. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 44: 77-96.

Powers, S.I., Welsh, D.P. (1998). Mother-daughter interactions and adolescent girls' depression. In M. Cox and J. Brooks-Gunn (Eds), Conflict and closeness: The formation, functioning and stability of families. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Welsh, D.P., Galliher, R.V., Powers, S.I. (1998). Divergent realities and perceived inequalities: Adolescents', mothers' and observers' perceptions of family interactions and adolescent psychological functioning. Journal of Adolescent Research 13: 377-402.

Deborah Welsh

Deborah Welsh

Professor
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts (1992)

Email: dwelsh@utk.edu
Web site: http://web.utk.edu/~welsh/
Phone: (865) 974-8540

Key words: Adolescent romantic relationships, adolescent friendships, gender, family relationships, couples.