The Social Development Lab (SDL) is headed by Dr. Amanda Harrist and, at various times, involves doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students. Research conducted in the SDL explores the development of children’s social competence, withdrawal, and aggression exhibited in preschool and the early years of school. We are particularly interested in family relationships (parent-child, marital, and sibling) as antecedents, and social-cognition (social information processing; emotion understanding) as mediating between the family and peer group (see model, below). Within the peer group, we have focused on peer rejection and social inclusion/acceptance as important social outcomes as well as contributing to positive or negative trajectories of the child’s continued social development.