Research Interests
I study the conceptualization, measure, and development of social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills and self-regulatory actions. I am a life-span developmental psychologist, and much of my work focuses on adolescents and young adults in settings across the globe.
Education
Child Development, PhD, Tufts University
Additional Campus Affiliations
Associate Professor, Educational Psychology
Affiliate, Center for Social & Behavioral Science
Recent Publications
Muradoglu, M., Lassetter, B., Sewell, M. N., Ontai, L., Napolitano, C. M., Dweck, C., Trzesniewski, K., & Cimpian, A. (2025). The Structure and Motivational Significance of Early Beliefs About Ability. Developmental psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001910
Ratner, K., Budesheim, E. F., Alexander, C. S., Klein, R. C., Leinenweber, S., Zhang, L., Zhao, T. Y., Garcia Romero, O., & Napolitano, C. M. (2025). Hurry up and wait: Developmental anxiety during the transition to adulthood. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 17(3), 483-505. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12621
Sewell, M. N., Yoon, H. J., Lechner, C. M., Napolitano, C. M., Rammstedt, B., Roberts, B. W., & Soto, C. J. (2025). Assessing Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Skills in Just a Few Minutes: 96-, 45-, and 20-Item Short Forms of the BESSI. Assessment, 32(4), 501-520. https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911241256434
Feraco, T., Casali, N., Pellegrino, G., Soto, C. J., Napolitano, C. M., Carretti, B., & Meneghetti, C. (2024). The Italian Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory (BESSI-I). Journal of Personality Assessment, 106(6), 750-764. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2024.2335912
Hoff, B. F., & Napolitano, C. M. (2024). Can investing in backup plans harm adolescents’ goal performance? Initial evidence from a quasi-experimental study. Current Psychology, 43(8), 7451-7460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04905-6