Faculty Directory

Margaret Briggs-Gowan, Ph.D., is a Developmental Psychologist with special expertise in the social-emotional development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. She is a Developmental Psychologist, with additional training in epidemiology and public health, as well as early childhood mental health. Her early childhood research centers on enhancing our understanding of the nature of mental health problems in young children, identifying risk factors, and pinpointing underlying genetic, stress-response, and neurocognitive factors involved in these processes.

Education

Degree	Institution	Major
Ph.D.	Yale University	Developmental Psychology
M.Phil.	Yale University	Developmental Psychology
M.S.	Yale University	Developmental Psychology
A.B.	Brown University	Psychology

Post-Graduate Training

Training	Institution	Specialty
Fellowship	NIMH	Post-Doctoral Fellow, Mental Health Services Research

Awards

Name of Award/Honor	Awarding Organization
Jane C. Bourns Award for Excellence, recognizing significant contributions to the field of infant/early childhood mental health.	Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health
Solnit Fellowship Award, Leadership Development Initiative	ZERO TO THREE

Much of Dr. Briggs-Gowan's research has focused on improving how we understand and identify social-emotional and behavioral problems in young children. She is co-author, with Alice S. Carter, Ph.D., of the Infant-Toddler Social & Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) and Brief-ITSEA (BITSEA), nationally normed tools for assessing social-emotional/behavioral problems and delays in competencies in infants and toddlers. Dr. Briggs-Gowan also studies how environmental factors, such as stress, violence, and exposure to traumatic events, affect the development and well-being of young children. She is currently Principal Investigator of an NIMH-funded study of the roles of stress and conflict on preschool children's development (in collaboration with Dr. Lauren Wakschlag at Northwestern University in Chicago). This study will provide important new insights into how exposure to stress and conflict in early life may influence children's development both in terms of their ability to identify different emotions and how their brain's respond to emotional stimuli. She also collaborates with Dr. Wakschlag on research focused on disruptive behavior in preschool children, including a recent paper that shed light on the nature of temper tantrums in 3- to 5-year-olds. Locally, Dr. Briggs-Gowan leads the research team of Child FIRST, a comprehensive, home-based intervention for high risk families with young children, developed by Darcy Lowell, M.D. This evidence-based intervention model is being dissemintated at a number of sites throughout Connecticut.

There may be volunteer opportunities available. Interested individuals may contact Dr. Briggs-Gowan by email.

Journal Articles

Title or Abstract	Type	Sponsor/Event	Date/Year	Location
Preventing Kindergarten Externalizing Behaviors: Examining Opportunities for Intervention with Families of Toddlers	Lecture	Society for Research in Child Development	2013	Seattle, Washington
It Takes a Village: The Protective Role of Social Support in the Relation Between Parent Emotional Distress and Parenting Behavior	Lecture	Society for Research in Child Development	2013	Seattle, Washington
Developmental Components of Low Concern as Facets of Preschool Disruptive Behavior: Disregard for Others’ Distress and Resistance to Discipline	Lecture	Society for Research in Child Development	2013	Seattle, Washington
The Reciprocal Influences of Maternal Distress and Children’s Externalizing Behavior Across Infancy and Toddlerhood	Talk	Society for Research in Child Development	2013	Seattle, Washington
Temper Loss and Aggression Vary by Children's Poverty Status in Early Childhood	Poster	Midwestern Psychological Association	2013	Chicago, Illinois
Early Trauma Exposure and Stress Sensitization in Young Children	Lecture	International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies	2012	Los Angeles, California
Preschool Psychopathology: Exploring the Roles of Violence-Exposure and Emotion-Processing	Talk	Anxiety Disorders Association of America	2012	Crystal Park, Virginia
Preschool Psychopathology: Exploring the Roles of Violence-Exposure and Emotion-Processing	Talk	Child Study Center, Yale University	2012	New Haven, Connecticut
Violence Exposure and Associated Temper Loss in a Diverse Sample of Preschool Children	Poster	American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting	2012	San Francisco, California
Parent Language Quality and Amount Predict Adaptive Social Behavior in Early School Age Children	Poster	American Psychological Association	2012	Orlando, Florida
Family Violence Effects in Early Childhood: Early-Emerging Sex Differences in Conduct and Anxiety Symptoms	Talk	Society for Research in Child Development	2011	Quebec, Canada
Family Violence Effects in Early Childhood: Early-Emerging Sex Differences in Anxiety	Talk	Anxiety Disorders Association of America	2011	New Orleans, Louisiana
The Effects of Different Types of Trauma Exposure on Cognitive and Language Functioning in Toddlers	Poster	American Psychological Association	2011	Washington D.C.
The Nature of Maternal Worry About Child Development and its Relation to Behavior Problems	Poster	Society for Research in Child Development	2011	Quebec, Canada
Temper Tantrum Frequency and Associated Problems in a Diverse Sample of Preschool Children	Poster	American and Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2011	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The Relationships Between Anxiety Symptoms, Parenting Stress, and Family Impairment in Young Children	Poster	Anxiety Disorders Association of America	2011	New Orleans, Louisiana
New Support for the Validity of the BITSEA and Practical Guidance for Practitioners	Lecture	ZEROTOHTREE National Training Institute	2010
Using the Brief-ITSEA (BITSEA) in Primary Care	Lecture	National Training Institute, Zerotothree	2010	Phoenix, Arizona
Trajectories of Externalizing Behavior in Early Childhood: Relation to Second Grade Reading	Talk	the International Society for Infancy Studies	2010	Baltimore, Maryland
CHILD FIRST: A Comprehensive Home-Based Intervention for Vulnerable Young Children and Families	Lecture	ZEROTOHTREE National Training Institute	2010
Violence Exposure in Early Childhood: Clinical Patterns and Affective Processing	Lecture	Clinical Psychology Lunch Series, University of Connecticut	2010	Storrs, Connecticut
Early Adverse Experiences: Parsing the Effects of Family Violence	Talk	National Institute of Mental Health	2010	Washington D.C.
The Effects of Trauma on Young Children: A Webinar Facilitating Awareness of Young Children’s Mental Health	Talk	Pearson Assessments	2010	San Antonio, Texas
Potential Targets for Promoting Resilience in Young Children of HIV-Infected Mothers: The Power of Positive Parenting	Poster	American Psychological Association	2010	San Diego, California
Worry About Language and Behavior from Early Childhood to Elementary School	Poster	Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics	2010
When Will Boys be Boys and Girls be Girls?: Observed Variations in Disruptive Behavior Across Interactional Contexts	Poster	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2010	New York, New York
Early Signs of Continuity of Disruptive Behavior and Anxiety in Children from aAges 3 to School-Age	Poster	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2010	Boston, Massachusetts
Factor Structure of the Family Life Impairment Scale	Poster	World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies	2010	Boston, Massachusetts
Developmental Patterns of Normative Misbehavior in Early Childhood: Implications for Identification of Early Disruptive Behavior	Talk	Society for Research in Child Development	2009
Using Observational Techniques to Study Emotion and Behavior Modulation in Preschoolers at Risk for Bipolar Disorder	Talk	Society for Research in Child Development	2009
Early Identification of Social-Emotional Problems in 1- to 3-year-old Children: Implications for Primary Care	Lecture	Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and Department of Pediatrics	2009
Understanding the Effects of Early Childhood Traumatic Exposure	Poster	Society for Research in Child Development	2009	Denver, Colorado
A Risk Model for Early Childhood Anxiety: A Longitudinal Study	Poster	Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies	2009	New York, New York
Continuity in Psychopathology: Early Childhood to Elementary School	Talk	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting	2008	Chicago, Illinois
Modeling of Internalizing Subdomains From Ages One to Three Years	Lecture	American Psychological Association	2008	San Francisco, California
Modeling of Internalizing Subdomains from Ages 1 to 3 Years	Talk	American Psychological Association	2008	Boston, Massachusetts
Multifaceted Observations of Preschool Disruptive Behavior: Incremental Utility and Individual Differences in Patterns of Prediction	Talk	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting	2008	Chicago, Illinois
Behavioral Health in Primary Care	Lecture	Child Study Center, Yale University	2008	New Haven, Connecticut
Sensory Sensitivities from Early Childhood to School-Age	Talk	Connecticut Association of Infant Mental Health Annual Conference	2008
The Development of Child Symptoms Following Exposure to Trauma May be Moderated by the Quality of the Mother-Child Relationship	Poster	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2008	Chicago, Illinois
Reactivity and Regulation Problems: Associations with Diagnosis in Young Children	Talk	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2007	Boston, Massachusetts
Persistence and Psychiatric Correlates of Sensory Over-Responsivity (sor)	Talk	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2007	Boston, Massachusetts
Children Affected by HIV & AIDS: Contemplations Beyond Individual Resilience	Lecture	PsySSA conference	2007	Durban, South Africa
Subgroups of Peer Rejected Children: Transition from Home to School	Talk	Society for Research in Child Development	2007	Boston, Massachusetts
Differential Prediction of Change in Social-Emotional Competence and Dysregulation in Early Childhood by Parenting Stress and Maternal-Child Interactions	Lecture	Society for Research in Child Development	2007	Boston, Massachusetts
Social-Emotional/Behavioral Problems from Early Childhood to School-Age	Talk	Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut	2007	Storrs, Connecticut
Social-Emotional Screening in Early Childhood	Talk	Connecticut Association of Infant Mental Health	2007	Hartford, Connecticut
A Longitudinal Analysis of Asthma, SES, and Socioemotional Functioning During Early Childhood	Poster	Society for Research in Child Development	2007	Boston, Massachusetts
Traumatic Life Events in a Community Sample of Toddlers	Poster	Society for Research in Child Development	2007	Boston, Massachusetts
Change in Early Childhood Social-Emotional Competence and Dysregulation: Unique Effects of Observed Parenting and Parenting Stress	Poster	Society for Research in Child Development	2007	Boston, Massachusetts
Early Trajectories of Externalizing Behaviors: Poverty and Demographic Context	Talk	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2006	San Diego, California
Social-Emotional Screening Tools	Talk	American Academy of Pediatrics	2006	Waltham, Massachusetts
Early Childhood Behavioral Health Problems: Presence and Meaning in Later Childhood	Talk	Parenting Support Advisory Board, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University	2006	New Haven, Connecticut
Antecedents of Peer Rejected Children	Lecture	Society for Research in Child Development	2005	Atlanta, Georgia
Predictive Validity of the BITSEA Screener: Early Childhood to Kindergarten	Lecture	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2005	Toronto, Canada
ICF and Functioning in Young Children: Applications to Autism & Oppositional Defiant Disorder	Lecture	National Institute of Mental Health Task Force	2005	Washington D.C.
Office-Based Screening for Behavior Problems in Toddlers	Poster	Pediatric Academic Societies Conference	2005	Washington D.C.
One-Year Persistence of Infant-Toddler Social-Emotional and Behavioral Problems	Lecture	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2004	Washington D.C.
Contextual Predictors of Infant-Toddler Social-Emotional and Behavioral Problems	Talk	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2004	Washington D.C.
Early Social-Emotional and Behavioral Trajectories to Kindergarten Social-Emotional and Academic Skills	Lecture	Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies	2004	Chicago, Illinois
Social-Emotional Development: Assessment Tools & Findings from a Study of Greater New Haven	Talk	Connecticut Department of Public Health	2004	Middletown, Connecticut
Television Viewing Patterns in a Young Community Cohort	Poster	Head Start’s National Research Conference	2004	Washington D.C.
The Impact of Stressful Life Events on the Early Social-Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers	Poster	Conference on Human Development	2004	Washington D.C.
Continuities and Discontinuities in Disruptive Behaviors: Toddlerhood to Kindergarten	Talk	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	2003	Miami, Florida
Continuities and Discontinuities in Early Anxiety: Do Parental Ratings of Infant/Toddler Internalizing and Regulatory Problems Predict Anxiety Disorders in Kindergarten?	Lecture	Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy	2003	Boston, Massachusetts
Assessing Infant and Toddler Development	Lecture	The Division of Prevention and Community Research Conference	2003	New Haven, Connecticut
The Infant-Toddler Social & Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) and Brief Infant-Toddler Social & Emotional Assessment (BITSEA)	Lecture	National Institute of Mental Health	2003	Washington D.C.
Early Language Development and Emotional/Behavior Problems and Competencies: Implications for Reading	Lecture	National Institute of Mental Health	2003	Washington D.C.
Prevalence and Sociodemographic and Social-Emotional Correlates of Asthma in Early Childhood	Poster	Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy	2003	Boston, Massachusetts
Early Parenting and the Development of Aggression, Competence, and Peer Rejection	Poster	Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting	2003	Tampa, Florida
Who Speaks to Pediatricians? Predictors of Parental Initiation of Help-Seeking for Early Child Behavioral/ Emotional Problems	Poster	Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Annual Meeting	2003	Seattle, Washington
Longitudinal Associations of Social-Emotional Competence and Parenting Stress with Language Competence in Infancy and Toddlerhood	Poster	Society for Research in Child Development	2003	Tampa, Florida
Clusters and Trajectories of Early Externalizing Behaviors	Lecture	International Society for Research on Aggression	2002	Montreal, Canada
Do Needs Drive Services or do Services Drive Needs?	Lecture	American Pediatric Association	2002	Baltimore, Maryland
Social-Emotional Problems and Competencies in Young Children in the Greater New Haven Area	Talk	Connecticut Birth to Three System	2002	Farmington, Connecticut
Maternal Risk Factors and Infant Social-Emotional Problems: Common and Unique Pathways	Poster	6th National Health Start Conference	2002	Washington D.C.
The Impact of Poverty on Infant/Toddler Social-Emotional Problems and Competencies: Family Mediators and Developmental Trajectories	Lecture	Society for Research in Child Development	2001	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Concurrent and Longitudinal Associations Between Observed and Self-Rated Parenting Styles with Toddler Competencies and Problem Behaviors	Poster	Society for Research in Child Development	2001	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Development of the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (itsea)	Lecture	American Psychiatric Association	2000	Chicago, Illinois
Developing the BITSEA-Pediatric: A Screener for Social-Emotional and Behavioral Problems	Poster	ZEROTOTHREE National Training Institute Conference	2000	Washington D.C.
The Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (ITSEA)	Poster	Fifth National Head Start Conference	2000	Washington D.C.
The Social-Emotional Development of Late-Talking Toddlers	Poster	Twelfth International Conference on Infancy Studies	2000	Brighton, England
The Impact of Poverty and Ecological Risks on Infant/Toddler Social-Emotional Problems and Delays in the Acquisition of Competencies	Poster	Fifth National Head Start Conference	2000	Washington D.C.
Parent and Childcare Provider Agreement Across Infant Childcare Setting	Poster	Twelfth International Conference on Infancy Studies	2000	Brighton, England
One-Year Course of Reports on the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA)	Poster	National Institute of Mental Health	1999	Clearwater, Florida
Assessing Impairment in Infants and Toddlers	Lecture	American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	1998	Anaheim, California
Development of a Scale to Assess Social and Emotional Functioning in Infants and Toddlers	Talk	National Institutes of Health	1997	Bethesda, Maryland
Prevalence of Psychosocial Problems in New Haven Pediatric Primary Care Practices	Poster	International Conference on Mental Health Problems	1997	Bethesda, Maryland