Naomi Aldrich

Naomi Aldrich serves as an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at Grand Valley State University, specializing in Developmental Psychology. She teaches core courses including Research Methods (PSY 300) and Child Development (PSY 301), and maintains an active research program centered on children's socio-cognitive development.

Her educational background includes:

• B.A. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee
• M.A. in Experimental Psychology from the City University of New York
• Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the City University of New York

Dr. Aldrich's research examines children's social-cognition through multiple lenses: understanding complex emotions, perspective-taking abilities in narratives, socio-cognitive influences on bullying perceptions, and parent-child discourse impacts on development. She also investigates maternal mind-mindedness, risk factors in social coordination, and power mobility training effects for children with severe disabilities. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges developmental psychology with rehabilitation science and criminology.

Recent publications (2022-2023) demonstrate methodological diversity spanning meta-analyses, behavioral studies, and qualitative investigations. Key themes include self-harm/body modification relationships, human trafficking patterns, and children's social cognition, reflecting collaborations across psychology, physical therapy, and engineering disciplines.

She actively participates in the Grand Valley Power Mobility Project, an interdisciplinary initiative examining maternal perceptions of mobility interventions for children with multiple disabilities through collaborations with Physical Therapy and Engineering departments.