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Faculty


Preston A. Britner

Associate Professor & Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies

Department of Human Development & Family Studies
University of Connecticut
348 Mansfield Road, Unit 2058
Storrs, Connecticut 06269-2058

Phone: (860) 486-3765
Fax: (860) 486-3452
E-Mail: preston.britner@uconn.edu


Curriculum Vitae


Educational Background:

Ph.D., Developmental Psychology & Community Psychology, University of Virginia, 1996
M.A., Developmental Psychology, University of Virginia, 1993
B.A., Developmental Psychology, University of Miami, 1990


Professional Interests:

  • Primary prevention
  • Child-Parent Attachment/Caregiving Interactions, Especially in Preschool Years
  • Child Maltreatment and Foster Care Correlates and Issues
  • Social Policy and Law Affecting Children and Families
Selected Professional Accomplishments:

  • Editor Emeritus, The Journal of Primary Prevention
  • Editorial Boards, Child Abuse & Neglect and the Journal of Child and Family Studies
  • 2006-2010 Co-Chair, Families with Service Needs Advisory Board, State of Connecticut
  • 2008-present, Co-Chair, Public Engagement Forum, University of Connecticut
  • 2007-2009, Member-at-Large & Executive Committee member, American Psychological Association, Division 37, Section 1 (Child Maltreatment)
  • 2009, Co-Chair, University Metanoia Planning Committee, “Preventing Violence against Women,” University of Connecticut
  • 2008 Co-Chair, Campus Climate/Addressing Violence against Women on Campus Task Force
  • 2007 Fellow, American Psychological Association (APA)
  • 2005-2006 Chair, Social Policy Committee, Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA; APA Division 27: Community Psychology)
  • 2003-2004 University of Connecticut Teaching Fellow Award, Institute for Teaching and Learning

Selected Publications:

  • Marvin, R. S., & Britner, P. A. (2008). Normative development: The ontogeny of attachment. In J. Cassidy & P. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment theory and research (2nd ed.) (pp.269-294). New York: The Guilford Press.
  • Russell, B. S., Britner, P. A., & Woolard, J. L. (2007). The promise of primary prevention home visiting programs: A review of potential outcomes. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 34, 129-147.
  • Britner, P. A., Balcazar, F. E., Blechman, E. A., Blinn-Pike, L., & Larose, S. (2006).  Mentoring special youth populations.  Special issue on mentoring.  Journal of Community Psychology, 34(6), 747-763.
  • Britner, P. A., & Alpert, L. T. (2005).  Writing amicus curiae and policy briefs: A pedagogical approach to teaching family law and policy.  Special issue: Teaching family law and family policy.  Marriage and Family Review, 38(2), 5-21.
  • Britner, P. A., Marvin, R. S., & Pianta, R. C. (2005). Development and preliminary validation of the caregiving behavior system: Association with child attachment classification in the preschool Strange Situation. Attachment & Human Development, 7(1), 83-102.
  • Britner, P. A., & Mossler, D. (2002).  Professionals’ decision-making about out-of-home placements following instances of child abuse.  Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal, 26 (4), 317-332.

Selected Presentations:

  • Britner, P. A. (2008, June). Removal, placement, and permanency: Bringing attachment theory, research, and practice to decisions about children's best interests. Invited talk delivered as a Master Class to the New York City Family Court Judges' Association, New York, NY.
  • Mossler, D., Eigsti, I-M., Britner, P. A., Joseph, T., & Weitzman, C. C. (2008, May). Severity of deprivation predicts developmental outcomes in internationally adopted children. Paper presented at the annual meetings of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
  • Britner, P. A. (2007, June). Youth mentoring as prevention: Populations, processes (and a few outcomes), and policies in Connecticut. Invited colloquium delivered at the Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
  • Britner, P. A. (2005, October). Parent education and home visitation: Policies and practices for child maltreatment prevention. Invited address delivered as part of the Social Policy Lecture Series at the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
  • Boultwood, B., Britner, P. A. (2004, January). Attachment-caregiving relationships in preschool child-mother dyads exposed to domestic violence. Paper presented at the World Association for Infant Mental Health’s 9th World Congress, Melbourne.