Caroline Fitzpatrick
Chair Holder of the Canada Research Chair in Digital Media Use by Children and Its Implications for Promoting Togetherness: An Ecosystemic Approach and Associate professor, département d'enseignement préscolaire et primaire, Université de Sherbrooke
Regular member
Training
- (2012) Doctorate (Ph.D). Université de Montréal.
- (2007) Master's Thesis (Master of Arts). Concordia University.
- (2004) Bachelor's (Bachelor's of Arts). McGill University.
Bio
In my university psychology courses I learned that social and health inequalities can often be traced back to childhood. My interest in better understanding the origins of these inequalities guides my current research work. Influenced by ecosystemic and positive youth development theories, my work focuses on the importance of kindergarten to prepare children for academic success and psychosocial adjustment in elementary school. I am also interested in the effect of school environments on children’s health and well-being. Finally, since children’s and adolescents’ use of screens now represents an influential and modifiable factor of life, my research addresses the consequences of this use on physical, cognitive, and social development. As a result of my interdisciplinary training and collaborations, I integrate methodological approaches from psychology, education and epidemiology. Consequently, my work aims to identify risk and protective factors using longitudinal estimates. The ultimate goal of my research is to improve children’s and adolescents’ well-being and health and to prevent adjustment difficulties by contributing to social policy renewal. In this sense, my work falls mainly within the scope of Axis 1.