Research Overview

My research focuses on maladaptive family processes and children’s social information processing (SIP). I am particularly interested in understanding the interpersonal, emotional, and cognitive correlates, antecedents, and sequelae of children’s SIP dimensions.

Selected Publications

• Colton, K. C., Godleski, S. A., Baschnagel, J. S., Houston, R. J., & DeHarder, S. (2023). Alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic: Gender, parenthood, intimate partner violence, and stress. Aims Public Health, 10(2), 360–377. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2023027
• Colton, K. C., Godleski, S. A., & Crane, C. A. (2023). Applying a bifactor model to the functions of relational aggression: Associations with hostile attribution biases and difficulties with emotion regulation. Aggressive Behavior, 49, 58– 67. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.22053

Presentations

• Colton, K. C., Davies, P. T., & El-Sheikh, M. M. (March 2023). Interactive risk of sympathovagal balance and interparental conflict for poor emotion understanding in early childhood. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. Salt Lake City, UT.
• Colton, K. C., Godleski, S. A., & Crane, C. A. (May 2021). Applying a bifactor model to the functions of relational aggression: Influence of hostile attribution biases and emotion regulation skills. Flash talk presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Sciences.
• Colton, K. C., Godleski, S. A., & Kothari, A. (April 2021). The influence of social media use on emotional stability and social support in adolescence. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development.
• Godleski, S. A., Baschnagel, J. S., Houston, R. J., Colton, K. C., & Alicea, R. (April 2021). The cascading impact of COVID-19 on parent drinking. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development.
• Colton, K. C., Godleski, S. A., & Crane, C. A. (March 2020). Hearing status and emotion regulation strategies as predictors of physical aggression in late adolescence. Poster accepted to the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence. San Diego, CA. (Conference cancelled)
• Colton, K.C. & Verno, K. S. (May 2019). Exposure to deprivation and threat in childhood and college student adjustment. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Sciences. Washington, DC.

Teaching

• Teaching Assistant: Introduction to Psychology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Fall 2019 – Fall 2020
• Teaching Assistant: Abnormal Psychology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Fall 2020

Honors

• 2021, Outstanding Student in Experimental Psychology, Rochester Institute of Technology
• 2017 – 2018, President’s List, Mansfield University
• 2018 – Present, Psi Chi

Additional Information

MS Experimental Psychology, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2021

BS Psychology, Mansfield University, 2018