School of Psychology

Research Summary

I am a biological psychologist interested in developmental psychopathology. I am particularly interested in antisocial behaviour and study risk mechanisms underlying antisocial development from infancy onward. An important goal of my research is to better understand the mechanisms that are involved in the development of persistent antisocial behaviour so that we can ultimately develop more effective prevention and treatment programmes. There is a growing consensus that both child-specific factors (i.e., genetic, temperamental) and social factors (e.g., early social adversity) contribute to the development and maintenance of antisocial behaviour. My research focuses on those individual factors that explain or accentuate (mediate and/or moderate) risk to those who live with early social adversity. To that end I use an interdisciplinary research strategy that combines observational, cognitive-experimental, neuroendocrinological, psychophysiological, and fMRI/MRI methods.

Teaching Summary

I teach Abnormal Psychology on the Level 2 (2^nd year) Health in Society module for Medical students. I also teach on the Level 3 (3^rd year) modules Forensic Psychology (PS3500) and Developmental Psychopathology in Childhood and Adolescence (PS3414).

Selected Publications (2008 onwards)

Fairchild, G., Stobbe, Y., van Goozen, S.H.M., Calder, A.J., & Goodyer, I.M. (in press). Facial expression recognition, fear conditioning and startle modulation in females with Conduct Disorder. Biological Psychiatry. [pdf]

Fairchild, G., van Goozen, S.H.M., Stollery, S., Aitken, M.R.F., Savage, J.C., Moore, S.C., & Goodyer, I.M. (2009). Decision-making and executive function in male adolescents with early-onset or adolescence-onset Conduct Disorder and control subjects. Biological Psychiatry, 66, 162-168. [pdf]

Fairchild, G., van Goozen, S.H.M., Calder, A.J., Stollery, S., & Goodyer, I.M. (2009). Deficits in facial expression recognition in male adolescents with early-onset or adolescence-onset Conduct Disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 50, 627-636. [pdf]

Moore, S.C., Carter, L.M., & van Goozen, S.H.M. (2009). Confectionery consumption in childhood and adult violence. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 195, 366-367. [pdf]

Syngelaki, E.M., Moore, S. C., Savage, J. C., Fairchild, G., & Van Goozen, S. H. M. (2009), Executive functioning and risky decision making in young male offenders. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36, 1203-1217. [pdf]

Van de Beek, C., Van Goozen, S.H.M., Buitelaar, J.K., & Cohen-Kettenis, P.T. (2009). Prenatal sex hormones (maternal and amniotic fluid) and gender-related play behavior in 13-month-old infants. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38, 6-15. [pdf]

Van Goozen, S.H.M., & Fairchild, G. (2009). The Neuroendocrinology of Antisocial Behaviour. In S. Hodgins, E. Viding, & A. Plodowski (Eds.), The Neurobiological Basis of Violence: Science and rehabilitation (pp. 201-221). Oxford University Press.

Van Goozen, S.H.M., & Hay, D. (2009). Antisocial behaviour. In D. Sander, & K.R. Scherer (Eds.), The Oxford Companion to Emotion and the Affective Sciences (pp. 39-42). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [pdf]

Fairchild, G., van Goozen, S. H. M., Stollery, S., Brown, J., Day, J., Herbert, J., & Goodyer, I. M. (2008). Cortisol diurnal rhythm and reactivity during psychosocial stress in male adolescents with early-onset or adolescence-onset Conduct Disorder and control participants. Biological Psychiatry, 64, 599-606. [pdf]

Fairchild, G., Van Goozen, S.H.M., Stollery, S.J., & Goodyer, I.M. (2008). Fear conditioning and affective modulation of the startle reflex in male adolescents with early- or adolescence-onset Conduct Disorder and healthy controls. Biological Psychiatry, 63, 279-285. [pdf]

Van Goozen, S.H.M. & Fairchild, G. (2008). How can the study of biological processes help design new interventions for children with severe antisocial behaviour? Development & Psychopathology, 20, 941–973. [pdf]

Van Goozen, S.H.M., Fairchild, G., & Harold, G.T. (2008). The role of neurobiological deficits in childhood antisocial behavior. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17, 224-228. [pdf]