Lenna Ontai

Associate Specialist in Cooperative Extension

Ph.D., University of Nebraska

At UCD since: 2002

Interests: Social-Emotional, Family, Culture/Neighborhood/Society, Health & Mental Health, Prevention Research

Life Phases: Infancy, Early Childhood

E-mail: lontai@ucdavis.edu

Research Interests:

My research program focuses on understanding early socialization processes between parents and young children to understand factors that affect parents' socialization efforts such as income and cultural background. As a Specialist in Cooperative Extension, I am active in translating and disseminating current research findings in the areas of parenting, early social development and child care.

Recent Publications:

Ontai, L. L. & Thompson, R. A. (In Press). Attachment, parent-child discourse and theory of mind development. Social Development.

Ontai, L., Mastergeorge, A., & Families with Young Children Workgroup (In Press). Culture and Parenting: A Guide for Delivering Parenting Curriculums to Diverse Families. Journal of Extension.

Ontai-Grzebik, L. L., & Raffaelli, M. (2004). Individual and social influences on ethnic identity among Latino young adults. Journal of Adolescent Research, 19 (559-575).

Raffaelli, M. & Ontai, L. L. (2004). Gender socialization in Latino families: Results from two retrospective studies. Sex Roles, 50 (287-299).

Thompson, R. A., Laible, D. J., Ontai, L. L. (2003). Early understandings of emotion, morality, and self: Developing a working model. In: R. Kail (Ed.), Advances in child development and behavior (v. 31) (pp. 137-171). Eselvier.

Related Links:

http://humandevelopment.ucdavis.edu