Lab Personnel

Douglas Behrend, Ph.D.

Doug Behrend received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1986 and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Michigan. He has been with the University of Arkansas since 1989 and is currently celebrating his 30th year in the department. He is head of the WordPlay lab and teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in developmental psychology and related issues. Dr. Behrend has been conducting research in child development for over 20 years. His research interests have long included children’s word learning, and more recently children’s selective trust in speakers, children’s learning and sharing of privileged information, and children’s accent preferences.

Graduate Students 

I’m Christina Barnes and I’m a graduate research assistant for the WordPlay Lab. I received my B.S in Psychology from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA in May of 2019 and decided I wanted to pursue research here at the University of Arkansas. I’m interested in cognitive development in children because I’ve seen firsthand how important formative years can be and I want to know more. I’m excited to be a part of the WordPlay team and I look forward to discovering new information as I continue my education here!

Undergraduate Student Assistants

Hi, I’m Mackenzie Arnold. I am a senior majoring in Public Health with a minor in Medical Humanities. I am planning on applying to medical school next May, in hopes of becoming a Pediatrician. This is my second semester in Dr. Behrend’s lab and I have loved getting to work with the children in the NWA community hands on as we learn more about the different ways children think!

I’m Jackson Daniel. I’m a  Psychology Major and have been in the lab 2 semesters working through my 3rd. I love that we mostly focus on social and developmental areas of psych (especially with young children like privileged information and conspiracy theories). My future goals are to go to graduate school and to either become a licensed counselor or a social worker!

I am Bayley Raymond. I am a junior undergraduate student working towards my degree in psychology. After undergrad, I plan to attend graduate school and go into clinical psychology. The goal is to become a therapist for children in adverse circumstances. I am very interested in cognitive development and learning in children. This is my first semester in the WordPlay lab, and I am so excited to be part of this research team. 

Greetings! My name is Naya Turner and I’m a senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Human Development and Family Sciences. Currently, I’m in the process of applying to graduate master’s programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Psychological Sciences. In the future, I aspire to become a behavioral therapist who works specifically with children and adolescents. In research, I’m particularly interested in understanding how cognitive processes influence a child’s behavior. This is my first semester in the WordPlay Lab and I’m eager to contribute to research that is aligned with my interests. In my free time I love to read and crochet, and I’m a huge Harry Potter fan.

My name is Remi Whitehead and I am an honors junior majoring in Psychology on the Pre-Occupational Therapy track. My future goals include going to graduate school to earn a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. I hope eventually to work in pediactrics! This is my first semester in the WordPlay Lab, and I am excited to learn about cognitive development!