Welcome to the Biopsychosocial Development Lab! Below is our lab philosophy, described by our lab director, Dr. Leslie Atkinson:
We are involved in a cooperative research venture. We take a minimalist approach, aiming to identify a small number of factors (biological, psychological, and social), which, in combination and through varied interactional means, crucially influence a broad array of outcomes. We each bring to this endeavour a different suite of experiences and skills. It is this diversity, and respect for this diversity, that guarantees success in our pursuit of knowledge.
As a lab, our raison d’être is to advance understanding. I hope that this purpose is reflected in the experience of each and every lab member, whatever our level of expertise. I hope that we all learn something about psychology, but also something about working collaboratively with respected team mates, about communicating openly, about the rewards inherent in asking questions without fear of censure. I hope that we do good science, that we do it with integrity and energy, and that we enjoy the process of collaborative discovery. I hope that when lab members look back 10 years hence, we remember the lab as formative on all levels, as a milieu that facilitated professional, personal, and interpersonal growth. And I hope that lab members recognize that these three aspects of development are inseparable. I wish all lab members the very best experience in the Biopsychosocial Development Lab.
– Leslie Atkinson