Background

Dr. Nejra Van Zalk is an associate professor and the assistant head of education in psychology. Dr. Van Zalk earned her master’s degree in music in 2004, and her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2005 (both at Örebro University). She defended her doctoral dissertation with the title “At First Blush: The Impact of Shyness on Early Adolescents’ Social Worlds” in the spring of 2009. 

Research

Dr. Van Zalk is currently affiliated with the Center for Developmental Research (www.oru.se/cdr) at Örebro University. Her current main research area includes shyness in early adolescence and the effects it has on youths' social relationships with friends, peers, and parents. Other research interests involve the links between youths' online and offline problem behaviors, as well as adolescent social identity.  

Current research project

Current research projects include “Young Online”, conducted together with Dr. Maarten Van Zalk and professor Margaret Kerr at CDR. The ongoing longitudinal data collection focuses on the role of adolescents’ online and offline friendships in emotional adjustment and problem behaviors.  Another research project is “How Do Wallflowers Grow? Development of Shyness and Social Anxiety in the Adolescent Peer Context” carried out together with professor Margaret Kerr and Dr. Maria Tillfors at CDR. This project utilizes several available databases within the Center, linking together the developmental and the clinical approaches to social anxiety.