Department of Human & Community Development, University of Illinois

Laurie Kramer

 

Education

Ph.D. 1989, University of Illinois, Clinical Psychology

M.A. 1979, Long Island University, Psychology

B.A. 1976, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Psychology

Sibling, parent-child, and peer relationships; family resiliency, family stress and coping difficulties in children's sibling relationships are quite common. Sibling conflicts are the most common types of family conflict and can be quite aggressive and even violent. In fact, some investigators refer to sibling relationships as potential "training grounds" for violence. Although programs are available for helping families with these difficulties, they are limited as they lack empirical and theoretical foundations. The objectives of my research program are: (1) to determine the factors that set the stage for prosocial versus conflictual sibling relationships; and (2) to develop effective prevention and intervention programs for enhancing positive sibling relationships.

In trying to understand why some siblings appear to get along well while others do not, I have been interested in what parents do to shape the quality of their children's relationships with one other. In particular, my research has focused on the methods parents use to respond to sibling conflicts and how sibling relationships are affected when parents treat their children very differently from one another.

Another research focus is the longitudinal study of how sibling relationships are initially established and how they change over time. Since 1984, I have been following 30 families from the time they prepared to have a second child (during the last trimester of the mother's pregnancy) to now- when the firstborn children in these families are in college or are living independently and the secondborn children are adolescents. I am currently using interviews, questionnaires, and home observations conducted with these families to better understand the factors that influence the quality of sibling relationships over the course of childhood and adolescence.

Most recently, I am currently offering and evaluating a preventive intervention program called More Fun with Sisters and Brothers that I developed with my students that teaches 4- to 8-year old siblings selected social skills for establishing positive interactions. This program has allowed me to test specific hypotheses about what social processes are most important in helping children to get along—while also helping families.

In general, I am most excited about applied action research that puts me in direct contact with families and community social service agencies. Through the Family Resiliency Center, the Illinois Rural Families Program, and other initiatives, my students and I have been able to partner with local organizations to address a number of issues affecting families, such as divorce, adoption, and trauma. I'd love to work with additional students who are committed to not only studying families, but helping them as well.

Selected Publications

Kowal, A., & Kramer, L. (in press). Shared understanding of parental differential treatment in families. Social Development.

Bank, L., & Kramer, L. (Co-editors, 2005). Sibling Relationship Contributions to Individual and Family Well-being. Special Issue of the Journal of Family Psychology.

Kramer, L., & Kowal, A. (2005). Sibling relationship quality from birth to adolescence: The enduring contributions of friends. Journal of Family Psychology.

Kowal, A., Krull, J., & Kramer, L. (2004). How the differential treatment of siblings is linked with parent-child relationship quality. Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 658-665.

Kramer, L. (2004). Experimental interventions in sibling relations. In R. D. Conger, F. O. Lorenz, & K. A. S. Wickrama (Eds.). Continuity and change in family relations: Theory, methods, and empirical findings (pp. 345-380). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Schmid, K., & Kramer, L. (Co-editors, 2003). The Assessment of Educational Programs. Special issue of the Journal of Teaching Marriage and Family, 3.

Kowal, A., Kramer, L., Krull, J., & Crick, N. (2002). Children's perceptions of the fairness of parental preferential treatment and their socioemotional well-being. Journal of Family Psychology, 16, 297-306.

Kramer, L., & Ramsburg, D. (2002). Advice given to parents on welcoming a second child: A critical review. Family Relations, 51, 2-14.

Awards and Honors

University of Illinois Incomplete List of Excellence in Teaching, 20 semesters

Young Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois, 1994

Academy of Teaching Excellence, College of Agricultural, University of Illinois, 1994-1997

Outstanding Staff Member, Panhellenic Council, University of Illinois, 1995

John Clyde and Henrietta Downey Spitler Teaching Award, College of ACES, University of Illinois, 2001

Included in the Best Ideas for 2002, New York Times Magazine, December 13, 2002

United States Department of Agriculture Food and Agriculture Sciences Excellence in College and University Teaching Award, North Central Region, 2004

Teacher Fellow Award, North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA), 2005

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, State of Illinois

Clinical Member, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

Certified Family Life Educator, National Council of Family Relations

Courses Taught

HDFS 426: Family Conflict Management

HDFS 450: Practicum in Human Development & Family Studies

HDFS 410: Family Interaction