Welcome to the AIR lab!
Solidarity and Anti-Racism Statement.
As a lab, we acknowledge that the University of Michigan resides in the Three Fire Peoples Traditional Territories—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodewadmi. As we work, live, and play on these territories, we must keep in mind the ongoing effects of colonization, communities’ struggle for self-determination, colonial state violence, and the recognition of indigenous sovereignty. We affirm the Black Lives Matter movement and inclusive and diverse research efforts. We support and celebrate people of all identities—race, ethnicity, religion, class, creed, ability, sex, gender, and sexual orientation and hold pride in the diversity of our lab members, participants, and country. We, as people and researchers, acknowledge that non-racism is not enough to claim, but identifying microaggressions, implicit bias, stereotypes, and prejudices is very important to identify and learn about as a group. We encourage everyone to condemn racism and discrimination, work to dismantle oppressive systems, and create inclusive spaces.
Research Conducted in Our Lab
We study girls as they pass through important life transitions that have the potential to significantly affect their academic and psychological outcomes and how intersecting identities (gender, ethnicity-race, pubertal timing) shape girls’ interpersonal experiences in school. The transitions we examine include the major biological changes of puberty and the social transition into new social roles and interpersonal relationships. Our work centers on the complex interpersonal experiences that off-time developing Black girls, that is, developing earlier or later than one’s same-sex peers, face and how these experiences impact their mental health, behavior, and education. Off-time development is a non-normative aspect of puberty that confers risk for serious problems, including depression, anxiety, and delinquency.
Our research is grounded in the central principles of social development theories and Black Feminist theories. These frameworks emphasize that individual development occurs within a social and cultural context, which evolves and continuously interacts with the developing individual. Black Feminist theories provide culturally rooted perspectives that take into account the contextual and interactive effects of history, culture, race, class, gender, and various forms of oppression.
These frameworks offer a nuanced understanding of the experiences and perspectives of pubescent Black girls, highlighting the outcomes related to them in a culturally relevant and strength-based manner. We focus on how different aspects of puberty—such as its timing and tempo, its impact on identity development, and the perceptions of adults and peers regarding the girls’ developing bodies—affect their academic performance, psychological health, and overall well-being.
Select Publications
- , , & (2024). Gender messages in girls’ puberty books: A focus on parent representation. Journal of Adolescence, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12439
- Carter, R. and Flewellen, A.O. (2022), Ethnic-Racial Socialization Among Mothers of Black and Black-White Biracial Daughters During the Pubertal Transition. J Res Adolesc, 32: 99-114. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12724
- Blazek, J. L., Saint Arnault, D. M., & Carter, R. (2022). Breasts, Butts, and Thighs—Oh My! Weight Spurt and Body Image Messages in Girls’ Puberty Books. Journal of Adolescent Research, 07435584221076052.
- Seaton, E. K., & Carter, R. (2021). Puberty, depressive symptoms, and neighborhood context among African American and Caribbean Black males. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.umich.edu/10.1037/cdp0000512
- Carter, R., Blazek, J. L., & Kwesele, C. (2020). Perceptions of pubertal timing relative to peers: Comparison targets and social contexts of comparison. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 26(2), 221.
- Blazek, J. L. & Carter, R. (2019). Understanding disturbed eating in Black adolescents: Effects of gender identity, racial identity and perceived puberty. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 20(2), 252.
- Carter, R., Mustafaa, F., Leath, S., & Butler-Barnes, S. T. (2018). Teachers’ academic and behavioral expectations and girls’ pubertal development: Does the classroom learning environment matter? Social Psychology of Education, 1-28. doi: 1007/s11218-018-9450-1
- Carter, R., Halawah, A., & Trinh, S. L. (2018). Peer exclusion during the pubertal transition: The role of social competence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47, 121 – doi: 10.1007/s10964-017-0682-8
- Carter, R., Seaton, E., & Rivas-Drake, D. (2017). Racial identity in the context of pubertal development: Implications for adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 53, 2170 – doi: 10.1037/dev0000413
- Butler-Barnes, S. T., Leath, S., Williams, A., Byrd, C. M., Carter, R., & Chavous, T. M. (2017). Promoting resilience among African American girls: Racial Identity as a protective factor. Child Development. doi:10.1111/cdev.12995.
