Rate My Professor Nicole Martin

In her teaching role, Dr. Martin instructs several key undergraduate courses in psychology, including PSYC 2103 Human Development, PSYC 3205 Child Development, PSYC 3315 Infant Development, PSYC 3365 Human Sexuality, PSYC 4460 Child Psychopathology, and PSYC 4499 Senior Capstone in Psychology. She also serves as a faculty advisor for the undergraduate Psychology Club alongside Dr. Tim Martin.

Dr. Martin’s research expertise lies in developmental psychology, with particular emphasis on infant emotional development, the ontogeny of social referencing in infancy, post-adoption depression experienced by mothers adopting children internationally, and gender and sexual development in children. Her work incorporates cross-cultural and family systems perspectives. As the director of the Developmental Research Collective (DRC) and an infant studies laboratory at KSU, she investigates social and cognitive development across childhood and adolescence. The DRC explores how early childhood experiences shape development, the factors that foster moral reasoning and ethical decision-making skills in children, the processes by which children internalize social norms and rules, and the influence of adoption on child development and family dynamics. Current research projects include analyses of financial decision-making in adoption, children’s perceptions and rationalizations of lies—particularly from authority figures—and the decision-making processes families undertake when choosing adoption amid infertility treatments. Through these initiatives, Dr. Martin provides undergraduate students with valuable hands-on research opportunities and has mentored projects presented at symposia, including those receiving Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) funding, such as “Choices for Family Growth: Infertility to Adoption.”