Contact Information
Research Areas
Biography
I am a PhD Candidate in Developmental Psychology. I received my BA in Psychology and Economics at Nankai University in China and my MS in Economics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a specialization in game theory and behavioral economics. Both Economics and Psychology provide me with perspectives on studying the motivation and behavior of individuals. Now, I am interested in the development of socio-emotional functioning in children and adolescents, hoping to understand how young children maintain their motivation and become a "Homo economicus" (the rational and consistent individual).
Research Interests
My research interests lie in two areas. I am interested in how culture shapes parenting practices that influence children's emotional adjustment and academic achievements during early adolescence. The second one involves longitudinal data analysis and measurement invariance.
Research Description
I have examined parents' peer restriction practices (e.g., limiting children's contact with certain friends) in both the United States and China. Even though the centrality and function of peers may be different in the two countries given the distinct cultural beliefs, parents' peer restrictions seem to undermine early adolescent's emotional and behavioral adjustment similarly over time. I am also working on several projects including exploring within-individual changes over time, validating parent-report measures over time, and investigating the effects of response styles among different countries.
Courses Taught
Psych 363 Developmental Research Method Labs
Recent Publications
Ng, J., Xiong, Y., Qu, Y., Cheung, C, Ng, F. F-Y., Wang, M., & Pomerantz, E. M. (2019). Implications of Chinese and American Mothers' goals for children's emotional distress. Developmental Psychology.
Xiong, Y., Qin, L., Wang, M., & Pomerantz, E. M. (2020). Parents’ peer restriction in the United States and China: A longitudinal study of early adolescents. Developmental Psychology.
Xiong,Y., Qin, L., Wang, Q, & Wang, M., Pomerantz, E. M.,.(2022). Re-examining the Cultural Specificity of Controlling and Autonomy-Supportive Parenting in the United States and China with a Within-individual Analytic Approach. Developmental Psychology
Barger, M., Xiong, Y., & Ferster, A. (2022). Identifying False Growth Mindsets in Adults and Implications for Mathematics Motivation, Contemporary Educational Psychology
Barger, M., Wu,J., Xiong, Y., Dajung Oh, Andrei Cimpian, Eva Pomerantz (2022). Parents’ Responses to Children’s Math Performance: Links with Parents’ Math Beliefs and Children’s Math Adjustment, Child Development