Paul J. Frick, Ph.D.
Department Chair
Research Professor
Director, Applied Developmental Program
Research Interests
Dr. Frick's research broadly focuses on understanding the many interacting causal factors that can lead children and adolescents to have serious emotional and behavioral problems, and using this research to a) enhance the assessment and diagnosis of childhood psychopathology and b) design more effective interventions to prevent and treat such problems. A primary focus of Dr. Frick’s research is on understanding the dispositional and contextual factors that can place children and adolescents at risk for developing severe antisocial and violent behavior, leading them to be diagnosed with Conduct Disorder or to be arrested for illegal behavior. His work focuses on uncovering and understanding the many different causal processes that can lead children to display such serious conduct problems, with a special focus on children who show a callous and unemotional interpersonal style (e.g., lacking empathy and guilt). Dr. Frick’s line of research investigates the characteristics of these children at various developmental stages (e.g., preschool, elementary school-age, adolescence) and he attempts to integrate this research with forensic research on the psychopathic personality and developmental research on conscience development to provide a lifespan perspective on antisocial and aggressive behavior. Finally Dr. Frick focuses on using this research to improve assessments and interventions for antisocial and aggressive youth in mental health settings, in schools, and in the juvenile justice system.
For more information about my research, please see my research lab homepage.
Selected Publications (click here for curriculum vita)
Frick, P.J. & White, S.F. (2008). The importance of callous-unemotional traits for the development of aggressive and antisocial behavior. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49, 359-375.
Munoz, L.C., Frick, P.J., Kimonis, E.R., & Aucoin, K.J. (2008). Types of aggression, responsiveness to provocation, and callous-unemotional traits in detained adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 15-28.
Viding, E., Jones, A.P., Frick, P.J., Moffitt, T.E., & Plomin, R. (2008). Heritability of antisocial behaviour at age 9: Do callous-unemotional traits matter? Developmental Science, 11, 17-22
Cornell, A. H. & Frick, P.J. (2007). The contribution of parenting styles and behavioral inhibition to the development of conscience in preschool children. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 305-318.
Kimonis, E.R., Frick, P.J., Munoz, L.C. & Aucoin, K.J. (2007). Can a laboratory measure of emotional processing enhance the statistical prediction of aggression and delinquency in detained adolescents with callous-unemotional traits? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 773-785.
Marsee, M.A., & Frick, P.J. (2007). Exploring the cognitive and emotional correlates to proactive and reactive aggression in a sample of detained girls. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 969-981.
Frick, P.J. & Dickens, C. (2006). Current perspectives on conduct disorder. Current Psychiatry Reports, 8, 59-72.
Kimonis, E.R., Frick, P.J., Fazekas, H., & Loney, B.R. (2006). Psychopathy, aggression, and the processing of emotional stimuli in non-referred boys and girls. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 24, 21-37.
Frick, P.J., Stickle, T.R., Dandreaux, D.M., Farrell, J.M., & Kimonis, E.R. (2005). Callous-unemotional traits in predicting the severity and stability of conduct problems and delinquency. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33, 471-487.
Kruh, I.P., Frick, P.J., & Clements, C.B. (2005). Historical and personality correlates to the violence patterns of juveniles tried as adults. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 32 , 69-96.
Marsee, M.A., Silverthorn, P., & Frick, P.J. (2005). The association of psychopathic traits with aggression and delinquency in non-referred boys and girls. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 23, 803-817.
McMahon, R.J. & Frick, P.J. (2005). Evidence-based assessment of conduct problems in children and adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34, 477-505.
Salekin, R.T. & Frick, P.J. (2005). Psychopathy in children and adolescents: A developmental psychopathology perspective. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33, 403-409.
last modified 07/11/08
