Marcel van Aken

Prof. dr. Marcel van Aken is Full Professor of Developmental Psychology at Utrecht University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty (2017-2023). His research examines personality development from childhood through young adulthood, focusing on transactional relationships between personality characteristics and social relationships with parents/peers.

Van Aken investigates how these interactions lead to competence, maladaptation, or personality pathology. His work employs longitudinal methodologies, including the LOGIC study on individual competencies. He has published extensively on social and personality development across international journals.

His recent publications explore borderline personality features in youth, personality assessment models, and developmental psychopathology. Research consistently addresses the interface between adaptive and maladaptive development during critical life stages.

Awards:

• ISSBD Award for Distinguished Contributions (2018)

Roles: Associated researcher at Institute for European Studies (ULB). Former editor of International Journal of Behavioral Development and president of European Association for Developmental Psychology (2019-2021).