Monica Tsethlikai
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Mail code: 7203Campus: Tempe
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Monica Tsethlikai is a former William T. Grant Scholar, a Native Children's Research Exchange Scholar and the recipient of two Ford Fellowships. She is an enrolled member of the Zuni Tribe. Prior to obtaining her doctorate degree, her on-the-ground involvement in juvenile justice led to her interest in studying children's cognitive development as embedded within their social and cultural contexts. She uses a process model approach to examine how children’s daily activities and stressful life experiences impact executive function development and both directly and indirectly influence well-being. Currently, she is conducting research among urban American Indian youth to examine whether active engagement in American Indian cultural and spiritual activities buffers the known negative effects of toxic stress on the development of executive functions. She is also exploring relations among stressful life experiences, stress physiology (using hair cortisol), and trauma symptoms in this population. She is an associate professor in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics and teaches SOC 390 Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, CDE 232 Human Development, and CDE 531 Theoretical Issues in Child Development.
Monica graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1991 followed by eight years as a youth counselor and juvenile probation officer. She obtained a master's degree in Indigenous Nations studies in 2001 and doctorate in psychology (cognitive and quantitative) in 2005 from the University of Kansas. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Santa Cruz, under the direction of Professor Barbara Rogoff followed by a position at the University of Utah - in psychology.
- Ph.D. Psychology (Cognitive and Quantitative), University of Kansas 2005
- M.A. Indigenous Nations Studies, University of Kansas 2001
- B.A. Psychology (second major: Japanese), University of Notre Dame 1991
My research examines cultural, contextual and cognitive factors that promote positive youth development. Stressful life experiences and stress physiology (cortisol levels in hair) are explored as risk factors that impair the development of executive functions (basic cognitive skills that promote the development of logical thinking, good planning skills, and adaptability) and mental health. I am also interested in how children's daily activities shape cognitive development. Upcoming research explores cultural connection as a protective factor for Indigenous children.
Kim, J., & Tsethlikai, M. (2024). Longitudinal relations of screen time duration and content with executive function difficulties in South Korean children. Journal of Children and Media, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2024.2342344 Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17482798.2024.2342344
Merculief, A., Lipscomb, S., McClelland, M. M., Geldhof, G. J., & Tsethlikai, M. (2023). Nurturing resilience in American Indian/Alaska Native preschool children: The role of cultural socialization, executive function, and neighborhood risk. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1279336. Available online: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1279336/full
Kulis, S. S., Tsethlikai, M., Ayers, S. L., & Gresenz, K. E. (2023). Parenting in 2 worlds: Testing improved parent–adolescent communication about sexuality in urban American Indian families. Journal of Research on Adolescence, https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12900. Available online: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jora.12900
Juyoung Kim, Longfeng Li, Kevin M. Korous, Carlos Valiente & Monica Tsethlikai (2022). Chronic stress predicts post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms via executive function deficits among urban American Indian children, DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.2024164 Available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10253890.2021.2024164
Tsethlikai, M.,Sarche, M., Barnes, J. V., Fitzgerald, H. (2020). Addressing inequities in education: Considerations for American Indian and Alaska Native children and youth in the era of Covid-19. In Tiffany Yip (Ed.), Addressing inequities in education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Society for Research in Child Development. Statement of the Evidence. https://www.srcd.org/research/addressing-inequities-education- considerations-american-indian-and-alaska-native-children
Kulis, S. S., Tsethlikai, M., Harthun, M. L., Hibbeler, P. K., Ayers, S. L., & Deschine Parkhurst, N. (2020). Parenting in 2 worlds: Effects of a culturally grounded parenting intervention for urban American Indians on participant cultural engagement. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 26(4), 437-446. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000315
Sarche, M., Tsethlikai, M., Godoy, L., Emde, R., & Fleming, C. M. (2019). Cultural perspectives for assessing infants and young children. In R. DelCarmen-Wiggins, & A. S. Carter (Eds.), 2nd ed.; the Oxford handbook of infant, toddler, and preschool mental health assessment (2nd ed.) (2nd ed. ed., pp. 9-28, Chapter xiv, 503 Pages) Oxford University Press, New York, NY.
Ayers, S., Kulis, S., & Tsethlikai, M. (2017). Assessing Urban American Indian’s parenting skills? A confirmatory factor analysis of previously validated measures. Journal of Community Psychology, 45(2), 230-249. doi: 10.1002/jcop.21844.
Kulis, S., & Tsethlikai, M. (2016) Urban American Indian youth spirituality and religion: A latent class analysis. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 55(4), 677-697. doi: 10.1111/jssr.12298.
Morgan, C. Sibthorp, J., & Tsethlikai, M. (2016) Fostering self-regulation skills in youth: Examining the effects of a mentoring curriculum in a summer recreation program. Leisure Sciences, 38(2), 161-178. Doi: 10.1080/01490400.2015.1083496.
Tsethlikai, M. (2015). The cultural patterning of cognitive development: Invited commentary on Allen and Lalonde. Human Development, 58(2), 97-102. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000381652.
Tsethlikai, M. An Examination of Cultural and Cognitive Mechanisms Facilitating Positive Youth Development in American Indian Communities. (7/1/2014 - 6/30/2018).
Courses
2027 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| FAS 592 | Research |
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
| FAS 792 | Research |
| FAS 590 | Reading and Conference |
| CDE 531 | Theoretical Issues Child Devel |
2026 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| FAS 590 | Reading and Conference |
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
| FAS 792 | Research |
| CDE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| FAS 592 | Research |
2025 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CDE 312 | Adolescence |
| SOC 312 | Adolescence |
| CDE 232 | Human Development |
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| FAS 390 | Supervised Research Experience |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SOC 390 | Social Statistics I |
| CDE 531 | Theoretical Issues Child Devel |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
2023 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CDE 312 | Adolescence |
| SOC 312 | Adolescence |
| CDE 531 | Theoretical Issues Child Devel |
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
2023 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CDE 592 | Research |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CDE 592 | Research |
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| FAS 390 | Supervised Research Experience |
| CDE 799 | Dissertation |
| FAS 799 | Dissertation |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SOC 390 | Social Statistics I |
| FAS 390 | Supervised Research Experience |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CDE 232 | Human Development |
| CDE 531 | Theoretical Issues Child Devel |
| FAS 390 | Supervised Research Experience |
- Tsethlikai. M. and Price, T. Partnering with Mesa Public Schools Native American Education Program to improve educational outcomes and the well-being of Native American children and youth. Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center Community Advisory Board Meeting (Dec 2015).
- Tsethlikai, M. Participation in cultural and family activities promotes positive development in American Indian Children. Youth-Nex "Youth of Color Matter" Conference (Oct 2015).
- Tsethlikai, M. Active participation in family and cultural activities promotes positive development in middle childhood. Native Children’s Research Exchange Conference (Sep 2015).
- Tsethlikai, M. Culture, Context, and Cognitive Development. ASU Counseling and Counseling Psychology Brown Bag Talks (Feb 2015).
- Tsethlikai, M. Active engagement in traditional cultural practices and positive development in American Indian Children. Native Children's Research Exchange Conference (Sep 2013).
- Correa-Chavez, M., Tsethlikai, M., & Rogoff, B. Rural and Urban American Indian children’s attention to other’s activities. Society for Research in Child Development Conference (Apr 2013).
- Administration for Children and Families Office of Planning Research and Evaluation, Contributing researcher to The Way Forward I, II, & III: ACF Research with American Indians and Alaska Native (2014 - Present)
- Graduate Committee, committee member (2015 - present)
- US DHHS Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning and Research Evaluation, AIAN FACES workgroup member (2013 - present)
- American Indian College Fund, Consultant (2011 - 2015)