Profile

Laura Baker

Professor of Psychology

Contact Information
E-mail: lbaker@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-2261
Office: SGM 623

LINKS
Curriculum Vitae
Personal Website
Laura Baker - USC Neuroscience

Education

B.A. Psychology, University of Kansas, 1978
M.A. Psychology, University of Colorado, 1982
Ph.D. Psychology, University of Colorado, 1983

Academic Appointment, Affiliation, and Employment History

Professor, University of Southern California, 01/2009-
Associate Professor, University of Southern California, 09/01/1990-02/01/2009
Assistant Professor, University of Southern California, 01/01/1984-08/31/1990

Description of Research

Summary Statement of Research Interests

Professor Baker studies how heredity and the environment affect individual differences in human behavior, including cognitive abilities, personality, and psychopathology. Baker is particularly interested in the roots of aggression and antisocial behavior and their underlying social and biological risk factors. She is Director of the USC Twin Project, which investigates the genetic bases of reading disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and conduct behavior problems in childhood and adolescence. She is currently elected President of the Behavior Genetic Association (2006-2007).

Research Specialties

Behavioral genetics; development of conduct problems in youth.

Affiliations with Research Centers, Labs, and Other Institutions

Southern California Twin Project,http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~lbaker/twins.html

Publications

Book Chapter

Raine, A., Baker, L. A., Liu, J. (2006). Biological risk factors for antisocial and criminal behavior. pp. 83-108. New York: Crime and schizophrenia: Causes and cures./Nova Science Publishers.
Baker, L. A. (2006). Methods for understanding genetic and environmental influences in normal and abnormal personality. pp. p 257-282. Differentiating Normal and Abnormal Personality—Second Edition./Springer New York.

Journal Article

Tuvblad, C., Raine, A., Zheng, M., Baker, L. A. (2009). Genetic and environmental stability differs in reactive and proactive aggression. Aggressive Behavior. Vol. 35 (6), pp. 437-452. PubMed Web Address
Gao, Y., Tuvblad, C., Raine, A., Lozano, D. I., Baker, L. A. (2009). Genetic and environmental influences on frontal EEG asymmetry and alpha power in 9-10 year old twins. Psychophysiology. Vol. 46 (4), pp. 787-796. PubMed Web Address
Tuvblad, C., Zheng, M., Raine, A., Baker, L. A. (2009). A common genetic factor explains the covariation among ADHD ODD and CD symptoms in 9-10 year old boys and girls. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. Vol. 37 (2), pp. 153-167. PubMed Web Address
Isen, J. D., Baker, L. A., Raine, A., Bezdjian, S. (2009). Genetic and environmental influences on the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory in a preadolescent twin sample. Behavior Genetics. Vol. 39 (1), pp. 36-47. PubMed Web Address
Baker, L. A., Tuvblad, C., Reynolds, C., Zheng, M., Raine, A. (2009). Resting heart rate and the development of antisocial behavior from age 9-14: Genes and environment. Development & Psychopathology. Vol. 21, pp. 939-960. PubMed Web Address
Baker, L. A., Raine, A., Liu, J. H., Jacobson, K. C. (2008). Genetic and environmental influences in reactive and proactive aggreesison in children. Journal of Child Abnormal Psychology. Vol. 36, pp. 1265–1278.
Fowler, J., Baker, L. A., Dawes, C. (2008). The genetic basis of political cooperation. American Political Science Review. Vol. 102 (2), pp. 233–234.
Baker, L. A., Jacobson, K., Raine, A., Bezdjian, S., Lozano, D. I. (2007). Genetic and environmental bases of antisocial behavior in children: A multi-rater twin study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. Vol. 116 (2), pp. 219-235.
Baker, L. A. (2007). The biology of family relationships: What behavior genetic studies tell us about interactions within families. DePaul Law Review/Darby. Vol. 56, pp. 857-866.
Zumberge, A., Baker, L. A., Manis, F. R. (2007). Focus on words: Genetic and environmental influences in reading and inattention. Behavior Genetics/Kluwer Academic Press. Vol. 37, pp. 284-293.
Baker, L. A., Barton, M., Fowler, J., Raine, A. (2006). The Southern California Twin Register at the University of Southern California: II. Twin Research and Human Genetics/International Society for Twin Studies. Vol. 9 (6), pp. 933-940.
Baker, L. A., Bezdjian, S., Raine, A. (2006). Behavioral Genetics and Crime: The Science of Antisocial Behavior. Journal of Law and Contemporary Problems/Duke University Press. Vol. Volume 69 (1-2), pp. pp 7-46.
Baker, L. A., Vernon, P. A., Ho, H. (1991). The genetic correlation between intelligence and speed of information processing. Behavior Genetics. Vol. 21, pp. 351-367.

Proceedings

Villatoro, A. P., Baker, L. A. (2004). The questionable truth of childhood aggression: Effects of parental monitoring and child IQ on interrater agreement. Proceedings of the 19th Annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research/University of North Carolina Press.

Honors and Awards

Past President, Behavior Genetics Association, 2007-2008
President, Behavior Genetics Association, 2006-2007
President-Elect, Behavior Genetics Association, 2005-2006
Elected Treasurer, Behavior Genetics Association, 1990-1993
Helen Putnam Invited Scholar, Radcliffe, 1990-1991
Society for Multivariate Research, Elected member, 1988

Service to the Profession

Editorships and Editorial Boards

Editorial board, Behavior Genetics, 1995-2010
Associate Editor, Encyclopedia of Violence in America, 1996-1999
Guest editor, Journal of Counseling and Development, 1990
Consulting Editor, Behavioral Neuroscience, 1987-1989

Professional Offices

Past President, Behavior Genetics Association, 2007-2008
President, Behavior Genetics Association, 2006-2007
President-Elect, Behavior Genetics Association, 2005-2006

Professional Memberships

Society for Psychophysiological Research, 2002-
American Society of Human Genetics, 1998-
American Psychological Society, 1990-
Society for Multivariate Experimental Psychology, 1988-
American Psychological Association, 1984-
Behavior Genetics Association, 1981-