Educational Psychology

B. Bradford Brown

Professor, Human Development Area

bbbrown@wisc.edu


880A Educational Sciences

1025 West Johnson Street

Madison, WI 53706-1796

Brown, B

Download CV   Peer Relationships Study Group  

Since joining the faculty in 1979, Bradford Brown has become one of the nation’s leading authorities on adolescent peer relations, particularly the formation and functioning of adolescent peer groups. He has nearly 100 publications in scholarly books, edited volumes, academic journals, and practitioner journals. His current research focuses on social media use among adolescents transitioning into middle school or high school and on racial/ethnic identity, sense of belonging, and the formation of friendships and support systems among older adolescents transitioning into college. Dr. Brown is past Editor of the Journal of Research on Adolescence, former member of the Executive Council of the Society for Research on Adolescence, and co-organizer of the 1999 SRCD Peer Relations Preconference. His energetic teaching has won him recognition as one of the University’s best instructors from several campus organizations. For his contributions in teaching, research, and service he received the UW School of Education Distinguished Achievement Award.

Select Publications

  • Anistranski, J., & Brown, B. B. (In Press). A little help from their friends? How social factors relate to students' sense of belonging at a large public university. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice.
  • Liu, D., Chen, D., & Brown, B. B. (2020). Do parenting practices and child disclosure predict parental knowledge? A meta-analysis. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 49(1), 1-16.
  • Yang, C., & Brown, B. B. (2016). Online self-presentation on Facebook and self development during the college transition. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45, 402-416.
  • Brown, B. B., & Lawrence, S. M. (2016). Strange bedfellows? How the school and peer systems coexist to affect learning and adjustment: A commentary on six chapters. In K. Wentzel & G. Ramani (Eds.), Social influences on social-emotional, motivation, and cognitive outcomes in school contexts (pp. 113-124). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Publishing.
  • Chan, H., Brown, B. B., & Von Bank, H. (2015). Adolescent disclosure of information about peers: The mediating role of perceptions of parents' right to know. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44, 1048-1065.
  • Yang, C., Brown, B. B., & Braun, M. T. (2014). From Facebook to cell calls: Layers of electronic intimacy in college students’ interpersonal relationships. New Media and Society, 16, 5-23.
  • Brown, B. B., & Prinstein, M. L. (2011). Encyclopedia of Adolescence (Vols. 1-3)., 1-3 London: Academic Press.
  • Nguyen, J., & Brown, B. B. (2010). Making meanings, meaning identity: Hmong adolescent perceptions and use of social and cultural identity symbols. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 20, 849-868.
  • Brown, B. B., Herman, M., Hamm, J. V., & Heck, D. (2008). Ethnicity and image: Correlates of minority adolescents' affiliation with individual-based versus ethnically defined peer crowds. Child Development, 79, 529-546.
  • Brown, B. B., Von Bank, H., & Steinberg, L. (2008). Smoke in the looking glass: Effects of discordance between self- and peer rated crowd affiliation on adolescent anxiety, depression and self-feeling. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37, 1163-1177.

Select Presentations

  • Niu, Y., Fan, T., & Brown, B. B. (2021, April). Colleges students' social media use and mental wellbeing during COVID-19 outbreak. Paper presented at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development, virtual conference.
  • Ho, P., & Brown, B. B. (2020, August). Ethnic and racial identity development in college: Making meaning at PWIs. Poster presented at the annual meetings of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
  • Olson, C., Brown, B. B., & Toma, C. (2020, March). Exploring college freshmen's use of "Finsta" and "Rinsta" accounts on Instagram. Poster presented at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Diego, CA.
  • Calvin, A., & Brown, B. B. (2020, March). Parental mediation of adolescents’ social media use in middle school and high school. Symposium presented at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Diego, CA.
  • Niu, Y., & Brown, B. B. (2020, March). Who Would Be a Better College Roommate: an old pal, a random stranger or a match located via Facebook App RoomSync. Poster presented at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Diego, CA.
  • Brown, B. B., Calvin, A., Prudhom, A., & Yeo, G. H. (2019, March). Proceed with caution: Tweens’ self-protective strategies when initiating social media use. Symposium presented at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, MD.
  • Sarmiento, I. G., Olson, C., Yeo, G. H., Toma, C. L., Brown, B. B., Bellmore, A. D., & Mares, M. L. (2018, April). Does social media improve or worsen adolescents’ internalizing behaviors? Conclusions from a systematic narrative review. Paper presented at the American Psychological Association Conference on Technology, Mind, and Society, Washington, DC.
  • Brown, B. B., & Calvin, A. (2017, April). Cheerleaders, guides, and judges: Peers’ roles in early adolescents’ entry into social media interactions. Symposium presented at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development, Austin, TX.

Select Awards and Honors

  • Honored Instructor Award, Division of University Housing, U.W.-Madison, 2013
  • Inductee, U.W.-Madison Teaching Academy, 2012
  • Outstanding Reviewer Award, American Educational Research Association, 2012
  • Distinguished Service Award, School of Education, U.W.-Madison, 2010
  • Honored Instructor Award, Division of University Housing, U.W.-Madison, 2010
  • Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award, School of Education, U.W.-Madison, 2007
  • Outstanding Book on Social Policy, Society for Research on Adolescence, 2004
  • Honored Instructor Award, Division of University Housing, U.W.-Madison, 2000