A developmental psychologist and former faculty member at UNL, Dr. Thompson studies early parent-child relationships, the development of emotion understanding and emotion regulation, conscience development, and the growth of self-understanding in young children. He also works on the applications of developmental research to public policy concerns, including school readiness and its development, early childhood investments, and early mental health. He is a founding member of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and was a member of the Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development of the National Academy of Sciences.