Professor Emeritus of Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Research Professor Emeritus, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research
Biography
Dr. Morrison is currently Professor of Psychology, Professor in the Combined Program in Education and Psychology and Research Professor in the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. In recent years, his research has focused on understanding the nature and sources of children’s cognitive, literacy and social development over the school transition period. The work ranges from conducting basic research studies utilizing natural experiments and large-scale longitudinal descriptive studies of children’s developmental trajectories to developing, implementing and evaluating two major school-based interventions aimed at improving children’s learning during the preschool and early school years. Recently, he has been exploring schooling effects on brain and behavioral measures of children’s self-regulation. He has been recognized for his contributions to development and education, being awarded the Dina Feitelson award for the second time, for the best research article published in 2005 and 2015. He has been continuously funded by federal grating agencies for 25 years. Over that period, he has served on national review panels at NICHD, NSF and IES. He has mentored approximately 50 graduate student and 8 post-doctoral fellows.
Funded Research
Publications
- Frederick J Morrison, Jennie Grammer, William J. Gehring, Lindsay Bell Weixler, Matthew H. Kim. 2023. Role of self-regulation in the transition to school. Global Variation in Literacy Development :316-332.
- María F. Montoya, María Inés Susperreguy, Frederick J Morrison. 2022. Self-Regulation Scaffolding Behaviors of Teachers in Chilean Preschool Classrooms. Early Education and Development
- Waters,Nicholas, Ahmed,Sammy F, Tang,Sandra, Frederick J Morrison, Pamela Davis-Kean. 2021. Pathways from socioeconomic status to early academic achievement: The role of specific executive functions. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 54:321-331.
- Frederick J Morrison, Woods, Adrienne D, Ahmed, Sammy F, Katz, Benjamin D. 2020. How Stable is Early Academic Performance? Using Cluster Analysis to Classify Low Achievement and EF. Journal of Learning Disabilities 53(1):19-35.
- Frederick J Morrison, Connor, Carol M, Woods, Adrienne D, Marks, Rebecca . 2019. Language and Literacy in the USA. The SAGE Handbook of Developmental Psychology and Early Childhood Education
- Frederick J Morrison, Kim, Matthew H, Connor, Carol M, Grammer, Jennie K. 2019. The Causal Impact of Schooling on Children's Development: Lessons for Developmental Science. Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Frederick J Morrison, Moffett, Lillie . 2019. Off-task behavior in kindergarten: Relations to executive function and academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology
- Frederick J Morrison, Skibbe, Lori E, Montroy, Janelle J, Bowles, Ryan P. 2019. Self-regulation and the development of literacy and language achievement from preschool through second grade. Early Childhood Research Quarterly
- Frederick J Morrison, Montoya, Maria Fernanda, Susperreguy, Maria Ines, Dinarte, Lelys , San MartÌn, Ernesto , Rojas-Barahona, Cristian A, Fˆrster, Carla E. 2019. Executive function in Chilean preschool children: Do short-term memory, working memory, and response inhibition contribute differentially to early academic skills?. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 46:187-200.
- Frederick J Morrison, Connor, Carol McDonald, Mazzocco, MichËle M. M., Kurz, Terri , Crowe, Elizabeth C, Tighe, Elizabeth L, Wood, Taffeta S. 2018. Using assessment to individualize early mathematics instruction. Journal of School Psychology 66:97-113.
- Frederick J Morrison, Lord, Catherine, Kim, So Hyun, Grammer, Jennie , Benrey, Nurit . 2018. Stimulus processing and error monitoring in more-able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorder: a short review and a preliminary Event-Related Potentials study. European Journal of Neuroscience 47(6):556-567.
- Frederick J Morrison, Kim, Matthew H. 2018. Schooling Effects on Literacy Skills During the Transition to School. AERA Open 4(3)
- Frederick J Morrison, Grammer, Jennie K, Gehring, William J. 2018. Associations between developmental changes in error-related brain activity and executive functions in early childhood. Psychophysiology 55(3):e13040.
- Frederick J Morrison, McClelland, Megan , Geldhof, John , GestsdÛttir, Steinunn , Cameron, Claire , Bowers, Ed , Duckworth, Angela , Little, Todd , Grammer, Jennie . 2018. Self-Regulation. Handbook of Life Course Health Development :275-298.
- Frederick J Morrison, Woods, Adrienne D, Palincsar, Annemarie S. 2018. Perceptions of Communication Practices Among Stakeholders in Special Education. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 26(4):209-224.
- Frederick J Morrison, Kim, Matthew H, Marulis, Loren M, Grammer, Jennie K, Gehring, William J. 2017. Motivational processes from expectancyñvalue theory are associated with variability in the error positivity in young children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 155(Supplement C):32-47.
- Frederick J Morrison, Connor, Carol McDonald. 2017. Child characteristics by instruction interactions, literacy, and implications for theory and practice. Theories of Reading Development :507-524.
- Frederick J Morrison, Montroy, Janelle J, Bowles, Ryan P, Skibbe, Lori E, McClelland, Megan M. 2016. The development of self-regulation across early childhood. Developmental psychology 52(11):1744-1762.
- Frederick J Morrison, Kim, Matthew H, Grammer, Jennie K, Marulis, Loren M, Carrasco, Melisa , Gehring, William J. 2016. Early math and reading achievement are associated with the error positivity. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience 22(Supplement C):18-26.
- Frederick J Morrison. 2015. The growth of self-regulation in the transition to school. Advances in reading intervention: research to practice to research :25-36.
- Frederick J Morrison, Connor, Carol McDonald, Radach, Ralph , Vorstius, Christian , Day, Stephanie L, McLean, Leigh . 2015. Individual Differences in Fifth Gradersà Literacy and Academic Language Predict Comprehension Monitoring Development: An Eye-Movement Study. Scientific Studies of Reading 19(2):114-134.
- Frederick J Morrison, Guo, Ying , Sun, Shuyan , Breit-Smith, Allison , Connor, Carol McDonald. 2015. Behavioral engagement and reading achievement in elementary-school-age children: A longitudinal cross-lagged analysis. Journal of educational psychology 107(2):332-347.
- Frederick J Morrison. 2015. Understanding Growth in Self-Regulation: International Contributions. Early Education and Development 26(5-6):893-897.
- Frederick J Morrison, Bindman, Samantha W, Skibbe, Lori E, Hindman, Annemarie H, Aram, Dorit . 2014. Parental writing support and preschoolersà early literacy, language, and fine motor skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 29(4):614-624.
- Frederick J Morrison, Connor, Carol McDonald, Spencer, Mercedes , Day, Stephanie L, Giuliani, Sarah , Ingebrand, Sarah W, McLean, Leigh . 2014. Capturing the complexity: Content, type, and amount of instruction and quality of the classroom learning environment synergistically predict third graders' vocabulary and reading comprehension outcomes. Journal of educational psychology 106(3):762-778.
- Frederick J Morrison, Grammer, Jennie K, Carrasco, Melisa , Gehring, William J. 2014. Age-related changes in error processing in young children: A school-based investigation. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience 9(Supplement C):93-105.
- Falk,Emily, Luke Williamson Hyde, Colter Mitchell, Jessica Danielle Faul, Gonzalez,Richard D, Daniel P Keating, Kenneth M Langa, Frederick J Morrison, Megan E Patrick, Fabian T Pfeffer, Patricia A Reuter-Lorenz, Pamela Davis-Kean, Christopher Stephen Monk, John E Schulenberg, Heitzeg, M M, Martz, M E, Maslowsky, J , Noll, D C, Thomason, M E. 2013. What is a representative brain? Neuroscience meets population science. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 110(44):17615-17622.
- Frederick J Morrison, Wanless, Shannon B, McClelland, Megan M, Lan, Xuezhao , Son, Seung-Hee , Cameron, Claire E, Chen, Fu-Mei , Chen, Jo-Lin , Li, Su , Lee, Kangyi , Sung, Miyoung . 2013. Gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: The United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 28(3):621-633.
- Frederick J Morrison, Grammer, Jennie K, Coffman, Jennifer L, Ornstein, Peter A. 2013. Change Over Time: Conducting Longitudinal Studies of Children's Cognitive Development. Journal of Cognition and Development 14(4):515-528.
- Frederick J Morrison, Hindman, Annemarie H, Skibbe, Lori E. 2013. Teacher Outreach to Families Across the Transition to School: An Examination of Teachers' Practices and their Unique Contributions to Children's Early Academic Outcomes. Early Childhood Education Journal 41(5):391-399.
- Frederick J Morrison, Connor, Carol McDonald, Fishman, Barry , Crowe, Elizabeth C, Al Otaiba, Stephanie , Schatschneider, Christopher . 2013. A Longitudinal Cluster-Randomized Controlled Study on the Accumulating Effects of Individualized Literacy Instruction on Studentsà Reading From First Through Third Grade. Psychol Sci 24(8):1408-1419.
- Frederick J Morrison, Skibbe, Lori E, Bindman, Samantha W, Hindman, Annemarie H, Aram, Dorit . 2013. Longitudinal Relations Between Parental Writing Support and Preschoolers' Language and Literacy Skills. Reading Research Quarterly 48(4):387-401.
- Frederick J Morrison, Skibbe, Lori E, Hindman, Annemarie H, Connor, Carol M, Housey, Michelle . 2013. Relative Contributions of Prekindergarten and Kindergarten to Children's Literacy and Mathematics Skills. Early Education and Development 24(5):687-703.
- Carol McDonald Connor, Barry Fishman, Elizabeth Crowe, Phyllis Underwood, Christopher Schatschneider, Frederick J Morrison. 2013. Teachers’ Use of Assessment to Instruction (A2i) Software and Third Graders’ Reading Comprehension Gains. Technology as a Support for Literacy Achievements for Children at Risk :123-139.
- Frederick J Morrison, Skibbe, Lori E, Grimm, Kevin J, Bowles, Ryan P. 2012. Literacy Growth in the Academic Year Versus Summer From Preschool Through Second Grade: Differential Effects of Schooling Across Four Skills. Scientific Studies of Reading 16(2):141-165.
- Frederick J Morrison, Guo, Ying , Connor, Carol McDonald, Yang, Yanyun , Roehrig, Alysia D. 2012. The Effects of Teacher Qualification, Teacher Self-Efficacy, and Classroom Practices on Fifth Graders' Literacy Outcomes. The Elementary School Journal 113(1):3-24.
- Frederick J Morrison, Cameron, Claire E, Brock, Laura L, Murrah, William M, Bell, Lindsay H, Worzalla, Samantha L, Grissmer, David . 2012. Fine Motor Skills and Executive Function Both Contribute to Kindergarten Achievement. Child development 83(4):1229-1244.
- Frederick J Morrison, Hindman, Annemarie H. 2012. Differential Contributions of Three Parenting Dimensions to Preschool Literacy and Social Skills in a Middle-Income Sample. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 58(2):191-223.
- Frederick J Morrison, Skibbe, Lori E, Connor, Carol McDonald, Jewkes, Abigail M. 2011. Schooling effects on preschoolers' self-regulation, early literacy, and language growth. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 26(1):42-49.
- Frederick J Morrison, Wanless, Shannon B, McClelland, Megan M, Acock, Alan C, Ponitz, Claire C, Son, Seung-Hee , Lan, Xuezhao , Chen, Jo-Lin , Chen, Fu-Mei , Lee, Kangyi , Sung, Miyoung , Li, Su . 2011. Measuring behavioral regulation in four societies. Psychological assessment 23(2):364-378.
- Frederick J Morrison, Guo, Ying , Connor, Carol McDonald, Tompkins, Virginia . 2011. Classroom Quality and Student Engagement: Contributions to Third-Grade Reading Skills. Frontiers in Psychology 2:157.
- Frederick J Morrison, Connor, Carol McDonald, Schatschneider, Christopher , Toste, Jessica R, Lundblom, Erin , Crowe, Elizabeth C, Fishman, Barry . 2011. Effective Classroom Instruction: Implications of Child Characteristics by Reading Instruction Interactions on First Graders' Word Reading Achievement. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness 4(3):173-207.
- Frederick J Morrison, Lan, Xuezhao , Legare, Cristine H, Ponitz, Claire Cameron, Li, Su . 2011. Investigating the links between the subcomponents of executive function and academic achievement: A cross-cultural analysis of Chinese and American preschoolers. Journal of experimental child psychology 108(3):677-692.
- Frederick J Morrison, Cameron, Claire E. 2011. Teacher Activity Orienting Predicts Preschoolers' Academic and Self-Regulatory Skills. Early Education and Development 22(4):620-648.
- Frederick J Morrison, Hindman, Annemarie H. 2011. Family Involvement and Educator Outreach in Head Start: Nature, Extent, and Contributions to Early Literacy Skills. The Elementary School Journal 111(3):359-386.
- Frederick J Morrison, Sektnan, Michaella , McClelland, Megan M, Acock, Alan . 2010. Relations between early family risk, children's behavioral regulation, and academic achievement. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 25(4):464-479.
- Frederick J Morrison, Son, Seung-Hee . 2010. The nature and impact of changes in home learning environment on development of language and academic skills in preschool children. Developmental psychology 46(5):1103-1118.
- Frederick J Morrison, Connor, Carol McDonald, Ponitz, Claire Cameron, Phillips, Beth M, Travis, Q MonÈt, Glasney, Stephanie . 2010. First graders' literacy and self-regulation gains: The effect of individualizing student instruction. Journal of School Psychology 48(5):433-455.
- Frederick J Morrison, Daniel P Keating, Crosnoe, Robert , Burchinal, Margaret , Pianta, Robert , Friedman, Sarah L, Clarke-Stewart, K . 2010. Instruction, teacher-student relations, and math achievement trajectories in elementary school. Journal of educational psychology 102(2):407-417.
- Frederick J Morrison. 2009. Parenting and Academic Development. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 55(3):361-372.
- Frederick J Morrison, Piasta, Shayne B, Connor, Carol McDonald, Fishman, Barry J. 2009. Teachers' Knowledge of Literacy Concepts, Classroom Practices, and Student Reading Growth. Scientific Studies of Reading 13(3):224-248.
- Frederick J Morrison, Ponitz, Claire Cameron, McClelland, Megan M, Matthews, J S. 2009. A structured observation of behavioral self-regulation and its contribution to kindergarten outcomes. Developmental psychology 45(3):605-619.
- Frederick J Morrison, Matthews, J S, Ponitz, Claire Cameron. 2009. Early gender differences in self-regulation and academic achievement. Journal of educational psychology 101(3):689-704.
- Frederick J Morrison, McDonald Connor, Carol , Piasta, Shayne B, Fishman, Barry , Glasney, Stephanie , Schatschneider, Christopher , Crowe, Elizabeth , Underwood, Phyllis . 2009. Individualizing Student Instruction Precisely: Effects of Child by Instruction Interactions on First Gradersà Literacy Development. Child development 80(1):77-100.
- Frederick J Morrison, Connor, Carol McDonald, Schatschneider, Christopher , Ponitz, Claire Cameron, Piasta, Shayne B, Fishman, Barry J, Crowe, Elizabeth Coyne, Glasney, Stephanie , Underwood, Phyllis S. 2009. Back to the Future: Contrasting Scientific Styles in Understanding Reading. Educational Researcher 38(7):537-540.
- Frederick J Morrison, Connor, Carol McDonald, Fishman, Barry J, Ponitz, Claire Cameron, Glasney, Stephanie , Underwood, Phyllis S, Piasta, Shayne B, Crowe, Elizabeth Coyne, Schatschneider, Christopher . 2009. The ISI Classroom Observation System: Examining the Literacy Instruction Provided to Individual Students. Educational Researcher 38(2):85-99.
- Frederick J Morrison, Cameron, Claire E, Connor, Carol McDonald, Jewkes, Abigail M. 2008. Effects of classroom organization on letterñword reading in first grade. Journal of School Psychology 46(2):173-192.
- Frederick J Morrison, Hindman, Annemarie H, Connor, Carol M, Jewkes, Abigail M. 2008. Untangling the effects of shared book reading: Multiple factors and their associations with preschool literacy outcomes. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 23(3):330-350.
- Frederick J Morrison, Cameron Ponitz, Claire E, McClelland, Megan M, Jewkes, Abigail M, Connor, Carol McDonald, Farris, Carrie L. 2008. Touch your toes! Developing a direct measure of behavioral regulation in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 23(2):141-158.
- Frederick J Morrison, Burrage, Marie S, Ponitz, Claire Cameron, McCready, Elizabeth A, Sims, Brian C, Jewkes, Abigail M. 2008. Age- and Schooling-Related Effects on Executive Functions in Young Children: A Natural Experiment. Child Neuropsychology 14(6):510-524.
- Frederick J Morrison, Pianta, Robert C, Belsky, Jay , Vandergrift, Nathan , Houts, Renate . 2008. Classroom Effects on Children's Achievement Trajectories in Elementary School. American Educational Research Journal 45(2):365-397.