Renee DeBoard, B.S.

2nd Year

B.S., American University

My research interests focus on the impact of domestic violence on children’s adjustment.  I am specifically interested in learning more about children who do well despite their exposure to violence.  Most research has focused on the problems children develop following violence exposure, but very little has investigated what may contribute to children demonstrating positive adjustment.  I hope to expand on previous research by studying why some children who are exposed to domestic violence have good adjustment.

While I am at the beginning of my clinical training and am still developing my interests, my general interest is in working with children.  I am interested in working with children in any clinical setting, in particular those who have experienced traumas or stressors.

Fosco, G.M., DeBoard, R.L., Baskerville, A.M., & Grych, J.H. (April, 2005). Family systems influences on the relationship between interparental conflict and           children’s adjustment. Poster presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Atlanta, GA.

DeBoard, R., & Grych, J.H. (2005, May). Positive peer relationships as protective factors against family stress. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.

DeBoard, R., & Ahrens, A.H. (2004, May).  Thought acceptance and its influence on thought suppression: Can body-scan mindfulness decrease the enhancement effect?  Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

DeBoard, R., Orbach, Y., Mendoza, M., Jensen, S., Pipe, M., & Lamb, M. (2004, March).  An analysis of interviews in which children did not make allegations of suspected sexual abuse.  Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society, Scottsdale, AZ.

Ahrens, A.H., Sexton, J., Armellino, V., Kane, J.Q., & DeBoard, R.L. (2003, March). The relation of fear of emotion to self-concordance.  Poster presented at the annual meeting of the 2003 Eastern Psychological Association, Baltimore, MD.

DeBoard, R. (2002, April). Thought acceptance and its influence on thought suppression: Can body-scan mindfulness decrease the enhancement effect?  Paper presented at the 4th Annual Honors Capstone Conference, American University, Washington, DC.