ABOUT KAYLEE

My background is in Educational Psychology, with a focus on human development and family sciences. I graduated with a B.A. in psychology from Texas Tech University, then completed a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas, where my work focused on early care-giving practices (i.e., breastfeeding, safe sleep with infants), and the impact of trauma on empathy and other prosocial behaviors. I subsequently completed post-doctoral training at the University of Maryland, College Park in the Child Development Lab, directed by Dr. Nathan Fox, where my work centered on developmental trajectories of infant temperament, psychopathology, and executive function.

Currently, my research is interdisciplinary, weaving aspects of political, social, and developmental psychology into a psychobiological framework to understand how adults emotionally respond with (or without) empathy when primed with imagery of political violence and extremism. I use eye-tracking and sympathetic activation (Empatica E4: heartrate variability and skin conductance) to measure physiological responses, in combination with traditional psychological surveys and instruments.

I teach courses related to infant-child and adolescent development, as well as the psychological testing and measurement course with a lab credit where students develop their own surveys, collect data, analyze/interpret, then present their work at the end of each semester. I also teach The Psychology of Extremism as a seminar for psychology seniors.

I also serve as a faculty mentor for TRIO Student Support Services. As a first-generation college student, I aim to guide other first-gen students along their college journey (however that might look), and provide a safe, comfortable, and empathetic space for students to feel supported in order to succeed. 

Additionally, I am a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) through the National Council for Family Relations (NCFR) and holds another certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International (PSI).

 My articles have been published in the Journal of American College Health, Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, Depression and Anxiety, Brain Research, and Development and Psychopathology, among others.

When I’m not teaching or conducting research, I can usually be found watching horror movies at home with my Golden Retriever (Padmé), three cats (Mace, Doctor Mew, and Castiel), and husband, Dr. Tyler Yates.