Amy Bohnert
	Title:	Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology, Ph.D.
	Office:	Damen Hall 617
	Phone:	773.508.2961
	E-mail:	abohner@luc.edu

Personal Information

Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology (also affiliated with Developmental Psychology Program)

Ph.D., Penn State University

Research Interests:
My program of research is largely focused on how various contexts, especially organized extracurricular activities, might serve a protective role in development. Specifically, my work has focused on not only clarifying links between activity involvement and psychopathology during adolescence, but also delineating the predictive influence of family and individual characteristics on activity involvement, particularly the role of parental psychopathology, family conflict, and adolescent cognitions. Related to these issues, I am interested in whether activity involvement may facilitate better adjustment across important developmental transitions. Finally, an emerging area of interest is examining associations between youth's activity involvement and obesity-related health behaviors, such poor dietary practices and physical inactivity.

I am currently working on several projects related to these interests. Through the efforts of my Activities Matter, I recently collected data as part of a short-term longitudinal study designed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the effects and predictors of organized activity involvement across the transition to college. Specifically, I plan to explore how involvement in activities across the transition to college may facilitate adoption of health-maintaining behaviors as well as adjustment. As part of this project, I developed an interview for assessing self-defining memories associated with activity involvement as well as employment. Interviews from 140 first year students will be transcribed and coded in an effort to better understand: 1) how late adolescents' experiences in organized activities may facilitate participation in activities during college, and 2) how these experiences may influence identity development. In the upcoming year, I will also analyze data that was collected from 200 high-risk preschoolers examining the predictors and outcomes associated with organized activity involvement during grade school. Currently, I am working on a R01 grant application with Dr. Maryse Richards that proposes a longitudinal project that examines and identifies what types of discretionary time use are considered contexts of risk for poor dietary behaviors and physical inactivity, particularly for low-income, urban youth.

My graduate students have diverse and exciting research interests that focus broadly on after-school time use. In addition to working on the projects previously mentioned, my students have collected their own data to answer compelling and innovative questions. For example, one student recently examined whether after-school programs promote ethnic identity and self esteem in Latino youth. Another student plans to examine whether organized activities moderate the relation between obesity and adjustment. I strongly encourage my students to publish and present their research at national conferences.


Classes:
Social Development
Wellness Center Practicum
Child Assessment


Recent Publications:
Bohnert, A., Martin, N. C. & Garber, J. (in press). Predicting adolescents' organized activity involvement: The role of maternal depression history, family relationship quality and adolescent cognitions. Journal of Research on Adolescence.

Bohnert, A., Crnic, K., & Lim, K. (2003). Emotional competence and aggressive behavior in school-age children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 79-91.

Edelbrock, C. & Bohnert, A. (2000). Structured interviews for children. In G. Goldstein & M. Hersen (Eds.), Handbook of Psychological Assessment (3rd Edition) (pp.369-386). New York: Pergamon.

Edelbrock, C., Crnic, K., & Bohnert, A. (1999). Interviewing as communication: An alternative way of administering the NIMH DISC. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology,27, 447-453.