University of Rochester · PsychologySturge-Apple Lab
Melissa L Sturge-Apple · Rochester, New York
Research Focus
Dr. Melissa L Sturge-Apple's research focuses on how external stressors, like domestic violence and parenting challenges, affect family dynamics and the relationships within families. She investigates how these stressors impact parent-child interactions and overall family functioning over time. By examining these issues through a longitudinal study design, her work aims to uncover protective factors and improve evidence-based interventions to support families in distress.
family dynamicsinterparental conflictharsh parentingdomestic violenceparental self-regulationlongitudinal studiesspillover processeschild developmentfamily systems
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the impact of external stressors on family relationships.
AIM 02Examine the relationship between interparental hostility and parenting behaviors.
AIM 03Identify protective factors in family dynamics amid stressors.
AIM 04Explore the role of parental neurobiological self-regulation in family functioning.
AIM 05Assess the long-term effects of familial conflict on child development.
Skills the Lab Values
data collectionlongitudinal study designstatistical modelingqualitative methodspsychological assessmentmulti-informant approachescoding family interactionsparent-child relationship assessmentssurvey design
Output against the department
Publications145bottom 48% of dept.153rd of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations5.4kbottom 46% of dept.161st of 296
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.