Vanessa LoBue
Research Initiatives
Dr. LoBue studies humans’ behavioral responses to emotionally valenced stimuli—specifically to negative or threatening stimuli—and the mechanisms that guide the development of these behaviors. In one line of work, she studies how humans perceive the presence of threatening stimuli across the lifespan. In a related line of work, she studies the development of children’s avoidance responses to threats, and how they are learned. Her most recent research examines whether early perceptual biases for threat contribute to maladaptive avoidance behaviors, such as those associated with the development of fear and anxiety, and how children learn adaptive avoidance responses, such as avoidance of contagious people or contaminated objects.
Related Websites
Lab website: http://childstudycenter.rutgers.edu
Blog: https://www.thebabyscientist.com/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-baby-scientist