He’s the author of numerous articles on the development of social competence in children and adolescents with a particular focus on how children’s friendships form and how they contribute to children’s adjustment. His most recent research focuses on children’s jealousy and envy surrounding their friendships and the role that these insecurities play in children’s aggression, gossip, and social exclusion. He is a past recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contributions to Psychology from the American Psychological Association and the Boyd McCandless Young Scientist Award from Division 7 (Developmental) of the American Psychological Association.