Stephen Gibson, PhD (he, his, him), is a developmental psychologist whose research examines how structural, cultural, and relational contexts shape the mental health and developmental competencies of Black families. Specifically, his research program focuses on three interconnected areas: 1) how racialized experiences across online and offline ecological settings influence the psychological well-being of Black parents/caregivers and youth; 2) the development and formation of racial identity across developmental stages; and 3) the heterogeneity and trajectories of Black parents/caregivers racial socialization practices, with particular emphasis on the contributions of Black fathers Together, these lines of inquiry advance understanding of how Black families foster resilience and support Black youth’s developmental and mental health competencies. Additionally, Dr. Gibson employs advanced methodological and statistical approaches to capture the complexity of these processes and their implications for the field of developmental science.
Dr. Gibson is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He earned his PhD in Developmental Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth ËÄÉ«AV in 2024, a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from North Carolina State ËÄÉ«AV in 2019, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from North Carolina Central ËÄÉ«AV in 2016.
Dr. Gibson is reviewing applications for students to start in Fall 2026; please email him with inquiries.
Minority Fellowship Program. Funded by the American Psychological Association.
CHIPS (Child Intervention, Prevention, and Services) Research Training Institute. Funded by NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR).
Institute on Mixture Modeling for Equity-Oriented Researchers, Scholars & Educators (IMMERSE). Funded by the Institute of Education Science & U.C. Santa Barbara.
Summer Institute Scholars Fellowship. Funded by the Search Institute.
John P. Hill Award for the Study of Adolescent Development, Virginia Commonwealth ËÄÉ«AV (2022)
Selected Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Gibson S., Knox, J., Arch, D., Cooper, V., Gatlin, D., Burnett, M., & Cooper, S., (2025). Bridging Two Worlds: The Interconnected Nature of Black Fathers’ School and Home Involvement. School Psychology Review.
Gibson, S., Bouldin, B. M., Stokes, M. N., Lozada, F. T., & Hope, E. C. (2021). Cultural racism and depression in black adolescents: Examining racial socialization and racial identity as moderators. Journal of Research on Adolescence. doi:10.1111/jora.12698.
Gibson, S., Cryer-Coupet, Q. R., Knox, J. L., & Field, K. (2020). Father involvement in kinship care: A risk and resilience perspective. Children and Youth Services Review, 119, 105354. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105354
Knox, J., Gibson, S., Gönültaş, S., & Mulvey, K. L. (2020). School Connectedness and Bystander Intervention: The Moderating Role of Perceived Exclusion and Privilege Among African American Students. School Psychology Review, 1-14. doi:10.1080/2372966X.2020.1846459.
Selected Chapters in Edited Collection
Gibson, S. M., Merritt-Johnson A., Bryant S., Ortiz M., & Lozada F.T., (2023). Ethnic-racial identity in neighborhood, community, and schools contexts. In: Halpern-Felsher, Bonnie (eds.) Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Health. vol. 3, pp. 525-536. UK: Elsevier.
Wiseman, A., Cryer-Coupet, Q., Atkinson, A., & Gibson, S., (2020). Family literacy through separation and trauma. Literacy Across the Community: Research, Praxis, and Trends. Book Chapter.
For an up-to-date list of publications, please see my , , or my CV.
Parenting Profiles Among Black Fathers: Implications for Black Adolescents’ Depression Symptomatology, Principal Investigator, National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD). Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (Parent F32).
Online Racism and Mental Health Symptomatology Among Black Adolescents: A Longitudinal Examination, Principal Investigator, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral (Parent F31).
The Experiences of African American STEM majors at HBCUs: The Role of Belonging, Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation (NSF). Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).
Please see my CV for an up-to-date list of funding.
EDHD 413: Adolescent Development