My research focuses on the integrative dynamic between cognitive and physiological self-regulatory processes in early childhood. In particular, I explore how contextual factors contribute to meaningful differences in how children regulate across everyday settings that vary in structure, expectations, and social dynamics. Better understanding how multiple developmental systems coalesce with proximal and distal ecologies is a central component of my work.

Outside of research, I enjoy keeping my plants alive, reading novels, and experimenting with crafting projects. 

Education

M.S. in Child Development – 2024
University of California, Davis

B.A. in Psychology and Cognitive Science, Minor in Education – 2022
University of California, Davis

A.A. in Psychology and Social Sciences – 2019
American River College, Sacramento, California
 

Fellowships

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2024-2027) 

Provost’s First Year Fellowships in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (2022-2023)
 

Publications

Golden, A. B., Choe, D. E., Hibel, L. C., Olwert, M. R. (2025). Child effortful control moderates the link between parenting stress and child parasympathetic regulation: Interactions across contexts and measures. Developmental Psychobiology, 67(4), e70059. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.70059 

Gilliland, P., Keeton, V., Haynes, S., Castro-Alvarez, S., Golden, A.B., Simmons, L.A. (2025) The influence of mental health, confidence, and acculturation on breastfeeding in Hispanic people. American Journal of Health Promotion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171251336899 

Choe, D. E., Golden, A. B., & Olwert, M. R. (2025). Advancing research on mobile screen media and young children's cognitive skills. Academic Pediatrics, 25(1), 102531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2024.06.018 

Choe, D. E., Olwert, M. R., & Golden, A. B. (2023). Cognitive and psychophysiological predictors of inductive and physical discipline among parents of preschool-aged children. Journal of Family Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001140

Conference Presentations

Golden, A. B., Olwert, M. R., Choe, D. E. (May 2025) Parenting stress and parents’ sympathetic dominance interact to predict preschoolers’ parasympathetic self-regulation during dyadic tasks. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Golden, A.B., Olwert, M.R., & Choe, D.E. (May 2024). Preschoolers’ effortful control moderates the effects of parenting stress on parasympathetic activity. Poster presented at the Association for Psychological Science's 2024 Annual Convention, San Francisco, California, USA. 

Golden, A. B., Olwert, M.R., & Choe, D.E. (2023). Child respiratory sinus arrhythmia as a mechanism between parenting stress and child effortful control: Does context matter? Poster presented at the 24th Occasional Temperament Conference, Orford, Quebec, Canada.