Research Interests:
Dr. Nelson has two major areas of research interest. First, he studies factors (e.g., parenting, culture, self-perceptions) related to children's social development with an emphasis in shy and withdrawn behaviors in early childhood. Second, his scholarship focuses on the period of life known as emerging adulthood (18-25 years) and the factors that influence the transition to adulthood such as identity, social competence, culture/religion, personal beliefs, and family relationships.