Current Research

TARDIS is currently working on several different projects focused on a variety of identity domains including ethnic/racial identity, national identity, and drinking identity:

  • Study on Intergroup Attitudes (SIA): A cross-sectional study focused on understanding individual differences in intergroup attitudes across college-attending emerging adults.
  • Addressing Issues in Measurement of Cultural Identity (AIM-CI): A cross-sectional study focused on exploring the effect of item wording among cultural identity measures and establishing a comprehensive measure of cultural identity development.
  • Drinking Identity Project (DIP): A cross-sectional study focused on developing a comprehensive measure on drinking identity and the process underlying its development.
  • Psychometric on Identity and Cultural Scales (PICS): A cross-sectional study focused on developing and refining measures focused on personal and cultural identity development among Hispanic/Latino college-attending emerging adults.

TARDIS is also involved in several active collaborative project at with faculty ODU:

  • Study of Ethnic/Racial Minority Engineering Students (SEMES): A cross-sectional mixed-methods study focused on understanding how cultural stressors and assets impact engineering identity and persistence and achievement among ethnic/racial minority engineering students (PIs: Drs. Alan Meca & Joanna Garner)
  • Validation of Inventories on Parenting and Parenthood (VIPP): A cross-sectional study focused on validating assessments designed to capture a variety of experiences associated with parenthood and examined the degree to which these measures relate to positive development among parents of various age groups. Study is done in collaboration with Dr. James F. Paulson and the Early Family Lab (here) and Dr. Michelle Kelley (PI: Dr. Alan Meca, Co-I: Drs. James F. Paulson & Michelle Kelley). For more information, click here.
  • Identity and Mental Health (IAM): The IAM is a project done in collaboration with Dr. Judah and the ERP lab (here) focused on how individuals identify with psychopathology (PIs: Drs.  Matt Judah & Alan Meca).
  • Warrior Identity and Reintegration Study (WIR): The WIR is a study on military identity and its role in reintegration among veterans. This project was done in conjuncture with Dr. Kelley and her research lab (PIs: Drs.  Michelle Kelley & Alan Meca).

Finally, drawing a strong collaborative network established by Dr. Meca, TARDIS has joined with faculty throughout the United States on a number of data collection projects:

  • Investigating Racial/Ethnic Identity Shifting (IRIS): A cross-sectional study focused o on identity shifting or code-switching among Ethnic/Racial Minority and determining the effect it has on mental health and academic performance (PIs: Drs. Alan Meca, Aerika Loyd, & Marisha Humphries)
  • College Athletes Risky Drinking Study (CARDS): Large study conducted by the Institute to Promote Athlete Health & Wellness (here) to understand prevalence of substance use and factors that contribute to it among college student athletes from Division I and Division II. (PIs: Dr. David Wyrick & Jeffrey Milroy; Co-PIs: Drs. Byron L. Zamboanga, Alan Meca, Jessica L. Martin, & Janine Olthuis).
  • Acculturation and Substance Use Research Team (ASURT): A cross-sectional study interested in identifying the psychological, social, and cultural characteristics that might influence alcohol use among young adults in the United States (PI: Dr. Byron Zamboanga, Co-PIs: Drs. Alan Meca, Abby Braitman, Heidemarie Blumenthal, Miguel Angel Cano, Alexandra Nicole Davis, Su Yeong Kim, Tim Grigsby, Lindsay S. Ham, P. Priscilla Lui, Jessica L. Martin, Dennis McChargue, Amie R. Newins, Jessica Perrotte,&  Brandy Piña-Watson).