Ann Sanson, PhD.

Ann Sanson is an associate professor in the School of Behavioural Science at the University of Melbourne in Australia.  She is a developmental psychologist whose central research interests revolve around the social and emotional development of children in their family and community contexts. She has played a central role in the Australian Temperament Project, a large-scale 22-year longitudinal study of development from infancy to young adulthood, and is the Project Director for Growing Up in Australia (the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children), a nationally significant study of 10,000 Australian children. She has also taught and conducted research in the area of conflict resolution, particularly among children.

In Professor Sanson's Social Development Lab, detailed observation and questionnaire data have been collected on the roles of child temperament, parenting and social context, and their interactions, in the development of internalising and externalising problems in early childhood.

Professor Sanson was seconded to the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) from 2000 to mid-2004, where she had various roles including Principal Research Fellow, Deputy Director and Acting Director.

Research Interests:

• The role of parenting in early childhood
• Temperament: stability and change, and impact on socio-emotional development
• Psychophysiological markers of temperament
• The development of internalising and externalising behaviour in childhood
• The Australian Temperament Project . This project, which is linked to the lab, is a large-scale ongoing 21-year longitudinal study. Current research is examining precursors of adolescent anxiety, heavy alcohol use, risky driving, and antisocial behaviour; family problem-solving; and positive youth development.
• Growing Up in Australia (the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children). Ann Sanson is Project Director for this major national study which is following representative samples of 5000 infants and 5000 4 year olds forward for at least 6 years. Data will be available for analysis in April 2005.

Most cited article (102):

Sanson, A., Oberklaid, F., Pedlow, R., & Prior, M.  (1991).  Risk Indicators: Assessment of Infancy Predictors of Pre-School Behavioural Maladjustment.  Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines, 32(4), 609-626. 

Recent Publications:

Ruschena, E., Prior, M., Sanson, A., & Smart, D.  (2005).  A longitudinal study of adolescent adjustment following family transitions.  Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines, 46(4), 353-363.

Smart, D. & Sanson, A.  (2005).  What is life like for young Australians today, and how well are they faring?  Family Matters, 70, 46-53.

Pedlow, R., Sanson, A., & Wales, R.  (2004).  Children's production and comprehension of politeness in requests: Relationships to behavioural adjustment, temperament and empathy.  First Language, 24(72/3), 347-367.

Contact Information:

email: annvs AT unimelb.edu.au
telephone: +61 3 9345 4517