Selin Zeytinoglu PhD

Dr. Selin Zeytinoglu is a developmental scientist whose research aims to uncover how we become the unique individuals we are. She investigates how real-world social experiences with caregivers and peers, together with children’s own characteristics (e.g., temperament), dynamically contribute to children’s and adolescents’ social learning and emotional development. Her research investigates questions such as: 1) How do caregiver characteristics and parenting behaviors contribute to children’s ability to regulate their physiology, emotions, and cognition, especially under stress? 2) How and why are emotional strengths and difficulties, such as anxiety, shared or transmitted between family members, particularly in parent-child dyads? 3) How do naturalistic parent-child dynamics, such as verbal communication and attention patterns, contribute to children’s social learning and emotional outcomes? 

Dr. Zeytinoglu draws on developmental psychopathology, social learning, and dynamic systems frameworks to guide her research. She uses diverse data collection methods—including behavioral observation, mobile eye-tracking, and electrophysiological assessments (EEG/ERP, EKG). Her team applies data science and machine learning tools to automate the processing of video, gaze, and verbal communication data, and she employs a range of analytical techniques, such as structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling, and intensive longitudinal methods.

Dr. Zeytinoglu works with students from different backgrounds and disciplines—including psychology, neuroscience, computer science, and data science—reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of her research. 
 

https://www.selinzeytinoglu.com

NoLa SEED (Social Experiences and Emotional Development) Research Center – launching soon.

Dr. Zeytinoglu is accepting graduate students.

Connect with her on LinkedIn or BlueSky.

Zeytinoglu, S., White, L. K, Morales, S., Degnan, K., Henderson, H., Pérez-Edgar, K., Pine, D. S., Fox, N. A. (in press). The roles of parental verbal communication and child characteristics in the transmission and maintenance of social fears. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14169 PDF

Fox, N. A., Zeytinoglu, S., Valadez, E., Buzzell, G., Morales, S., & Henderson, H. (2023). Developmental pathways linking early behavioral inhibition to later anxiety. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 64(4), 537-561. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13702 PDF

Zeytinoglu, S., Tang, A., Zeanah, C. H., Nelson, C., Almas, A. & Fox, N. A. (2023). Effects of institutional rearing and foster care intervention on the reciprocal relations between executive functions and social skills from middle childhood to adolescence. Developmental Science, 26(2), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13309 PDF

Zeytinoglu, S., *Neuman, K. J., Degnan, K. A., Almas, A. N., Henderson, H., Chronis‐Tuscano, A., Pine, D. S., & Fox, N.A. (2022). Pathways from maternal shyness to adolescent social anxiety. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 63(3), 342-349. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13477 PDF

Zeytinoglu, S., Calkins, S. D., & Leerkes, E. M. (2022). Autonomic profiles and self‐regulation outcomes in early childhood. Developmental Science, 25, e13215. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13215 PDF

Zeytinoglu, S., Calkins, S. D., Swingler, M. M., & Leerkes, E. M. (2017). Pathways from maternal effortful control to child self-regulation: The role of maternal emotional support. Journal of Family Psychology, 31, 170-180. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000271 PDF

For a complete list of publications, see Dr. Zeytinoglu’s Google Scholar page.