Montana State professor to discuss research on family dynamics at Oct. 15 provost’s lecture

BOZEMAN - When J. Mitchell Vaterlaus worked as a marriage and family therapist, he noticed that many of his clients lacked basic relational skills, including skills in communication, setting boundaries, and combining and establishing familial traditions.

"It made me really interested in thinking about how to do more prevention science," Vaterlaus said. "How do we prevent these problems so that they don't need to see a therapist?"

The observation led him to a doctoral program in family and human development and a career in teaching and research. As a professor in Montana State University's Department of Human Development and Community Health in the College of Education, Health and Human Development, he now teaches courses in family sciences and developmental sciences and researches the influence of technology on human development and family relationships.

Vaterlaus, who came to MSU in 2014, will share highlights of his career and discuss his research on family dynamics in a lecture, "'All in the Family': The Scientific Study of Families and Relationships," on Tuesday, Oct. 15, as part of MSU's annual Provost's Distinguished Lecturer Series. The event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Museum of the Rockies' Hager Auditorium and be followed by a reception. It is free and open to the public.

Vaterlaus said that families possess unique strengths and face various challenges as they develop and adapt to changing environments. His lecture, which is designed for both members of the public and those in academia, will include information about his research on family dynamics and particularly how media, technology, the COVID-19 pandemic and inherent family strengths shape relationships within the family unit.

Vaterlaus also plans to highlight the resilience and adaptability of families, emphasizing the importance of interventions at the family level to support and strengthen their relationships during times of change.

Vaterlaus, who is originally from Boise, Idaho, came to MSU in 2014 after being on the faculty of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He has a doctorate in family and human development, a master's degree in family, consumer and human development, and a bachelor's degree in psychology, all from Utah State University. He is also a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified family life educator.

At MSU, Vaterlaus teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on family and interpersonal relationships, family law and public policy, life-span human development and diversity. He has published more than 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has been recognized for his exemplary teaching and research with multiple awards, including MSU's James and Mary Ross Provost's Award for Excellence and the MSU Excellence in Online Teaching Award.

His research focuses on three main areas: the influence of technology on human development and family relationships, applied family science, and health and context. Vaterlaus said that when he considers research questions to pursue, he looks for lines of research that are relationship-focused, evidence-based, preventive, strengths-focused or applied - or a combination of two or more of those areas.

His research focused on technology generates especially strong interest, he said.

"People want to know about technology, and people also have questions about how to regulate it," he said, adding that he enjoys research in this area because it can be applied and it is novel.

"I think we should focus on healthy technology use instead of problems," he said. "How do we support healthy use? Sometimes we can focus more on strengths and how people are using it well. If we can build on positive use, then maybe we can have more healthy relationships with technologies."

One study by Vaterlaus and co-authors Emily V. Patten, Cesia Roche and Jimmy A. Young examined the perceived influence of social media on young adult health behaviors. The research, which was published in 2015 in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, has been cited more than 500 times.

For parents and guardians who are considering how to help their youth develop a healthy relationship with technology and media, Vaterlaus has a few tips: to use the same technologies their youth are using, agree on a family media plan together, set time limits and model healthy use.

"Technology is not something to be afraid of," he said. "Sometimes we only look at deficits, but we can't ignore the fact that all of us use (technology and media). There are strengths in technology, too."

The full schedule for the Provost's Distinguished Lecturer Series can be found at www.montana.edu/provost.