Abigail Helm

Alumni
PhD, 2021, University of Massachusetts Amherst
MS, 2018, University of Massachusetts Amherst
BA, 2015, Colby College
4133132806
she/her/hers
Advisor:
Jennifer McDermott PhD
Laboratory Website:
Research Area(s):
Developmental Science
Center and Institute Affilitation:
Healthy Development Initiative at Springfield
Dissertation:
Mental Fatigue: Examining Cognitive Performance and Driving Behavior in Young Adults
Masters Thesis:
Children's Self-Regulation during Reward Delay
Research
Graduate Research Assistant, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences: Learning Lab
Lab Director: Jennifer Martin McDermott, Ph.D.
Early Academic Development Lab
Lab Director: David Arnold, Ph.D.
Individual Differences in Development Lab
Lab Director: Kirby Deater-Deckard, Ph.D.
Cognition and Action Lab
Lab Director: Rebecca Spencer, Ph.D.
Teaching
Graduate Teaching Assistant: Introductory Psychology
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Psychology:
Supervising Professor: Tamara Rahhal, Ph.D.
Graduate Teaching Assistant: Methods of Inquiry in Psychology
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Psychology:
Supervising Professor: Matt Davidson, Ph.D.
Graduate Teaching Assistant: Developmental Psychology
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Psychology:
Supervising Professor: Erik Cheries, Ph.D.
Publications
Helm, A. F., & McDermott, J.M. Short-term cognitive impacts of technology use in young children.
Manuscript under review.
Arnold, D. H., Chary, M., Gair, S., Helm, A. F., Herman, R., Kang, S., & Lokhandwala, S. Fostering
preliteracy skills in low-SES preschool children with an educational app: A randomized controlled
trial. Manuscript under review.
Helm, A. F., McCormick, S. A., Deater-Deckard, K., Smith, C. L., Calkins, S. D., & Bell, M. (2020). Parenting
and children’s executive function stability across the transition to school. Infant and Child
Development.
Helm, A. F., Spencer, R. M. C. (2019). Television use and its effects on sleep in early childhood. Sleep Health.
Presentations
Helm, A. F., & McDermott, J. M. (2020). Temperament and the short-term effects of tablet use in young children. 23rd Occasional Temperament Conference, Blacksburg, VA.
Helm, A. F., & McDermott, J. M. (2019). The short-term cognitive impacts of technology use in young children. Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, MD.