Diana Smart
General Manager - Research

BA(Hons) (Melb), MA (Melb), DipEd (UNSW)

Biography

Diana Smart is a psychologist who joined the Australian Institute of Family Studies in 2000. Diana is a General Manager (Research) at the Institute with responsibility for the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children and the Australian Temperament Project. She joined the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children in 2007 after a long association with the Australian Temperament Project. Prior to this, Diana conducted research for the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’s Education Unit and the Victorian Education Department’s Curriculum and Research Branch, and was a Lecturer in Psychology at Rusden State College (now part of Deakin University). Diana's research interests include child and youth adjustment, developmental transitions and pathways, and the fostering of social competence and social responsibility.

Current research activities

• Childrens development and adjustment
• The role of families, peers and school in childrens lives
• Pathways across time
• Transitions to adulthood

Specialist areas

• Temperament and children's development
• Adolescent and youth development
• Management and analysis of large survey data sets
• Quantitative research methods and analysis

Selected recent publications

• See also Growing Up in Australia: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children publications and Australian Temperament Project publications
• Edwards, B., Baxter, J., Smart, D., Sanson, A., and Hayes, A. (2009). Financial disadvantage and children’s school readiness. Family Matters, 83, 23-31.
• Gray, M., & Smart, D. (2009). The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children: A valuable new data source for economists. Australian Economic Review, 42, 367-376.
• Hawkins, M. T., Letcher, P., Sanson, A. V., Smart, D., & Toumbourou, J. W. (2009). Positive development in emerging adulthood, Australian Journal of Psychology, 61(2), 89-99.
• Letcher, P., Smart, D., Sanson, A. V. & Toumbourou, J. W. (2009). Psychosocial precursors and correlates of differing internalizing trajectories from 3 to 15 years. Social Development, 18(3), 618-646.
• Sanson, A. V., Letcher, P., Smart, D., Prior, M. Toumbourou, J. W., & Oberklaid, F. (2009). Associations between early childhood temperament clusters and later psychosocial adjustment. Merrill Palmer Quarterly, 55(1), 26-54.
• Smart, D., Hayes, A., Sanson, A. V., & Toumbourou, J. T. (2009). Mental health and wellbeing of Australian adolescents. In D. L. Bennett, S. J. Towns, E. J. Elliott, & J. Merrick (Eds.) Challenges in adolescent health. An Australian perspective. (pp.50-62), New York: Nova Sci.
• Vassallo, S., Smart., D., & Price-Robertson, R. (2009). The roles that parents play in the lives of their young adult children. Family Matters, 82, 8-14.
• Sanson, A. V., Letcher, P., & Smart, D. (2008). Temperament in early adolescence. In N. Allen & L. Sheeber (Eds.), Adolescent emotional development and the emergence of depressive disorders (pp 215-237). New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Smart, D. & Sanson A. (2008). Do Australian children have more problems today than twenty years ago? Family Matters, 79, 50-57.
• Smart, D.F., Sanson A.V. & Toumbourou, J.W. (2008). How do parents and teenagers get along together? Views of young people and their parents. Family Matters, 78, 15-27.
• Smart, D. and Vassallo, S. (2008). Pathways to social and emotional wellbeing: Lessons from a 24-year longitudinal study. In Research Conference 2008: Touching the future: Building skills for life and work. Conference proceedings (pp. 54-59). Melbourne, Vic: Australian Council for Educational Research.
• Smart, D. (2008). The views of young people about relationships. Threshold, 93, 24-25.
• Letcher, P., Smart, D., Sanson, A. V. & Toumbourou, J. W. (in press). Psychosocial precursors and correlates of differing internalizing trajectories from 3 to 15 years. Accepted for publication in Social Development.
• Vassallo, S., Smart, D., Sanson, A., Cockfield, S., Harris, A., McIntyre, A., & Harrison, W. (2008). Risky driving among young Australian drivers II: Co-occurrence with other problem behaviours. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 40, 376-386.
• Vassallo, S., Smart, D., Sanson, A., & Toumbourou, J. (2008). Understanding the pathways to harmful alcohol use among young adults: Insights from the Australian Temperament Project. DrugInfo, 6(2), 3-5.
• Smart, D. Hayes, A., Sanson A.V. & Toumbourou, J.W. (2007). Mental health and wellbeing of Australian adolescents: Pathways to vulnerability and resilience. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 19, 263-268.
• Smart, D. (2007). Tailoring parenting to fit the child. (AFRC Briefing paper no.4). Melbourne, Vic: Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Chipman, P., Jorm, A.F., Prior, M., Sanson, A., Smart, D., Tan, X. and Easteal, S. (2007). No interaction between the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and childhood adversity or recent stressful life events on symptoms of depression: Results from two community surveys. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B (Neuropsychiatric Genetics), 1444, 561-565.
• Vassallo, S., Smart, D., Sanson, A., Harrison, W., Harris, A., Cockfield, S. and McIntyre, A. (2007). Risky driving among young Australian drivers: Trends, precursors and correlates. Accident Analysis and Prevention 39: 444-458.
• Smart, D. and Sanson, A. (2006), A comparison of children's temperament and adjustment across 20 years. LSAC 2005-06 Annual Report (pp. 35-37). Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Ruschena, E., Prior, M., Sanson, A., & Smart, D. (2005). A longitudinal study of adolescent adjustment following family transitions. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46(4), 353-363.
• Smart, D., & Sanson, A. (2005). A comparison of children's temperament and adjustment across 20 years. Family Matters, 72, 50-57.
• Smart, D., & Sanson, A. (2005). What is life like for young Australians today, and how well are they faring? Family Matters, 70, 46-53
• Hayes, L., Smart, D., Toumbourou, J., & Sanson, A. (2004). Parenting influences on adolescent alcohol use (Research Report No.10). Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Smart, D., & Vassallo, S. et al. (2004). In the driver's seat: Understanding young adults' driving behaviour (Research Report No.12). Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Smart, D. (2004). Where to now for the ATP Study? Family Matters, 68, 21.

Presentations

• See also Staff papers and presentations
• Smart, D. and Vassallo, S. (2008). Pathways to social and emotional wellbeing: Lessons from a 24-year longitudinal study. Invited paper presented at the Australian Council for Educational Research Conference: Touching the future: Building skills for life and work, Brisbane, 10-12 August. Presentation (PDF 10.5 MB)
• Smart, D. and Sanson, A. (2008). Patterns of risk taking and adjustment problems from the mid-teens to the mid-twenties: Trends from the Australian Temperament Project. Paper presented at the 10th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference: Families through life, Melbourne, 9-11 July. Presentation (PDF 5.0 MB)
• Smart, D. (2008). Do Australian children today have more problems than 20 years ago? Paper presented at the 10th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference: Families through life, Melbourne, 9-11 July. Presentation (PDF 6.4 MB)
• Smart, D. & Sanson, A. (2007). Do today’s Australian children have more problems than they did twenty years ago? Paper presented at the Inaugural Longitudinal Study of Australian Children Conference, Melbourne, 3-4 December. Presentation (PDF 6.7 MB)