Jay Belsky

(Prof.)

Expertise

My research investigates  whether—and how—early (and later) life developmental experiences (e.g., parenting) and exposures (e.g., father absence) influence psychological/behavioural development and physical health over the short- and longer-term.

My work is informed by attachment theory, life-course thinking and evolutionary biology.

In particular, my research has been important in establishing   the determinants of parenting, the etiology of child maltreatment, the origins of attachment security/insecurity,  the effects of day care, marital change across the transition to parenthood, development of reproductive strategies, and differential susceptibility to environmental influences.