Paula Yust

In my research program, I am interested in the many facets of friendship, including how friendships develop early in preschool, how thoughts and beliefs about friendship affect friendship behaviors across development, and how people’s friendship profiles—the combination of close friendships a person has and the quality of each—influence aspects of well-being including loneliness, belonging, and engagement in school. My experience as a teacher has also led to a focus on the role of friendships in the classroom.