Dan Wang

My Research

My research focuses on child and family health and well-being. Specifically, my research aims to understand how multiple contexts shape child and family outcomes and how scholars and practitioners can promote health and well-being among vulnerable populations. I have three related research lines in vulnerable families, culture, and program evaluation. I engage in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research to examine individual, relational, and cultural influences on human development. I have published research in Child Abuse & Neglect, Journal of Adolescence, Journal of Affective Disorders, Journal of Family Issues, and more.

Vulnerable Families

Vulnerable families are my primary research focus to understand how the nested micro- and macro-contexts influence socioeconomically disadvantaged children and families through statistical modeling. My research reveals that neighborhood conditions, including neighborhood physical disorders and closeness, have both direct and indirect effects on children’s later health, social, and emotional outcomes. Family processes, such as parenting stress, parenting quality, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), are the keys to transmit the indirect effects. Positive childhood experiences (PCEs), such as parental warmth in families, positive peer relationships in schools, and supportive neighborhoods protected vulnerable adolescents against depression and anxiety. 

  • Wang, D., *Frost, A. M. H., & Jiang, Q. (2025). Family relationships mediate the association between material hardship and adolescent mental health. Journal of Family Psychology. Online First. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001406
  • Wang, D., & *Frost, A. M. H. (2025). Neighborhood collective efficacy reduces child maltreatment through decreasing parenting stress: A longitudinal path model. Child Abuse & Neglect. 161. 107247. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107247
Cultural Parenting

Culture is an important component of my research to understand children and families within their cultural context. As an international researcher, I have engaged in several research projects on immigrant families and Chinese families. My findings highlight the dynamic nature of parenting in the shifting contexts. In the Chinese cultural context, maternal and paternal autonomy granting have different effects on adolescent social initiative. Adolescent interdependent self-construal carries the indirect effect of parental autonomy granting on adolescent social initiative. Contemporary Chinese fathers are increasingly engaged in parenting and influence young children’s behavioral outcomes.

  • Wang, D., *Wang Y., & Xia, Y. (2025). Parental autonomy granting, self-construal, and social initiatives among Chinese adolescents. Marriage & Family Review. 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2025.2496396
  • Wang, D., Tu, X., de Guzman, M. R. T., & Xia, Y. (2023). Parenting beliefs and practices of immigrant Chinese in the Midwest area: A qualitative study. Journal of Family Issues. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X231209045
Program Evaluation

Evaluative research is another line of my scholarship that bridges research and practice. I have significant program evaluation and dissemination experiences. I have evaluated Preschool Development Grant Birth to Age 5, Health Rocks!, Poverty Simulation, Coparenting for Successful Kids, and Nebraska Resource Project for Vulnerable Young Children. I have competencies in designing evaluation tools and templates, developing evaluation models, using longitudinal and experimental designs, conducting program evaluations, and disseminating findings to researchers and practitioners. 

  • Wang, D., Beisly, A. H., Connelly, S., Dewhirst, C. B., & White, L. (2026). The subsidy squeeze: How child care providers experience benefits, barriers, and the eligibility cliff in categorical programs. Early Childhood Education Journal, 1-11.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-026-02275-9
  • Wang, D., *Wang, Y., de Guzman, M. R. T., Xia, Y., Do, K. A., & *Yang, Z. (2024). An evaluation of Health Rocks! with a control group. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. 12(3), 4. https://doi.org/10.55533/2325-5226.1485
Publications
Research with Students

I enjoy working with students and provide a wide range of opportunities for research engagement and collaboration.

Junior Graduate Students

  • Junior graduate students new to research are invited to join my projects, where they can gain research experience as contributing authors. I assign manageable tasks that match their comfort level and provide timely feedback to support their growth. This involvement also helps junior students build their academic vitae early with national conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

Senior Graduate Students

  • For senior graduate students seeking first-authored publications and research team experience, I encourage them to lead their own projects and connect them with potential collaborators from my network.

Undergraduate Students

  • Undergraduate students interested in research are included in ongoing projects, given detailed instructions, and encouraged to practice presenting their findings at local and national conferences.

High School Students

  • For high school students, I help design feasible mini projects to spark their interest in research.

Through these tailored opportunities, I support students in their academic and professional development at every stage. Since I arrived at OU, all students working with me have had peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, or both. 

If you are interested in working on research projects, please email to Dr. Wang (dan.wang@ou.edu):

  1. A brief description of your interest
  2. Your resume/CV
  3. A sample of your writing (can be a class paper)