2020 ISSBD Awardee’s Spotlight: Interview with Barry Schneider

Since 2004, ISSBD has recognized excellence in behavioural development, presenting awards at Biennial Meetings. In this spotlight, we highlight Barry Schneider, recipient of the 2020 ISSBD Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Research and Theory in Behavioral Development.

Please briefly introduce yourself and share your current position and affiliation.

After 43 years of full-time teaching at the University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, and Boston College, I am now a semi-retired freelancer. In 2024, I am teaching online courses for Boston College, the University of Ottawa and the Lifelong Learning program of Carleton University. 

How did receiving the ISSBD Award (YSA, etc) impact your career and research in Behavioral Development?

The award motivated me to continue and even expand my research in the final stages of my career. It proved to me that a researcher trained as a clinician far from the circuit of large, well-funded research teams can still make an important contribution to science. 

Please highlight one or two key contributions from your research program that led to the award recognition.

I believe that my important research contributions are observational studies of the interactions between people who display various forms of atypical behaviour and their friends. Other important contributions include the exploration of the long-term outcomes for at-risk children who attend Reggio-inspired preschools and studies of suicidal ideation among Cuban children and adolescents. 

Could you elaborate on one of your observational studies of interactions among individuals displaying atypical behaviour and their friends? What were some unexpected findings or challenges encountered during this research?

I have done several different studies that way, and one of them is in interactions between shy, withdrawn kids. Kids who are considered shy by their classmates in school, as they are talking and playing with their friends. The purpose of that was to see whether shyness will recur even when they are alone with a close friend or whether there is something about the classroom, the playground, or the presence of many children that causes them to be shy and to find out if they are not shy with their friends.

You can see the difference between shy kids when they play with their friends and kids who are not shy when they play with their friends. But it’s not a big difference if you watch them on school grounds.

We have also done that with children with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their friends. All these observational studies use the same tasks. The children with ADHD, when they play with their friends, argue more and don’t listen to what their friends want. They ignore what their friends say and keep insisting that the two of them should play what they like with no intention of doing what their friend does. The two studies major that way, which I think is very original, and I think they are very important.

The few studies that used observations could show the difference between the social behaviour of those kids and their friends. There are many other studies using questionnaires, but I am not sure that children who show these signs of ADHD are aware of their problems so that they can report them on the questionnaire, and sometimes if they are aware, they do not want to show you. It’s a lot of work to do observational research, which is very rewarding. I am very happy that I did all the work. It’s much easier just to distribute a questionnaire.

In what ways have your theoretical contributions generated further research in the field? 

The theoretical contribution that has generated the most further research is my reflections on the nature of social competence, especially concerning children who display maladaptive patterns of aggression. 

Have you observed any specific developments or changes in the field influenced by your research?

Probably the most important development emerging from my early research is newer studies on social skills training undertaken with more reasonable expectations than earlier research and a greater understanding of the complexity of the skills and of the challenges in achieving generalization and maintenance. 

How have you influenced students and others in the same field of study?

Six of my doctoral students have become university professors who continue to do good research. My other doctoral students have become clinical psychologists whose work is informed by an empirical perspective.

Can you share any experiences or successes of your former graduate students and post-doctoral fellows?

Many of my students are successful in their careers. Probably the most innovative and energetic is Professor Sebastien Normand, whose thesis and continuing pioneering research have greatly enhanced research on the interactions between children with ADHD and their real-life friends. 

For potential nominees, what advice would you give regarding the nomination process and building a successful career in Behavioral Development? 

Okay, people are nominated for awards because of things that they achieve in the behavioural sciences. Making that kind of achievement is not easy. Everyone has to overcome obstacles. And the psychologists who are very critical of each other’s work can be very difficult. So, the advice that I would have is not to let criticism of having an article rejected or not getting a particular grant demotivate you. Take it as a challenge of everyday life that you don’t always get what you want and that in psychology, in particular, any scholar can get some very unpleasant criticism. Learn what you can from it, but don’t let it affect you personally. Don’t let that change your career path.

Can you share a memorable experience or connection made through ISSBD that has been significant for you?

My parents worked as international textile designers and importers.  Unlike many other members, most of my international research contacts were already present and didn’t develop through ISSBD. My major projects, such as the observational studies with Italy, the social SMS messaging by shy children, and others, were developed outside ISSBD. I do have two very valuable contacts, though, that I made through ISSBD. One is Silvia Koller, who worked with me and Yuri Sanz, a researcher from Cuba, on the study of suicidal ideation by adolescents in Cuba.  Silvia remains a very valued colleague and friend. The other is Marta Fulop, with whom I’ve written several theoretical pieces about competition and child adjustment. A lot of people say any competition is unhealthy. I don’t always agree with that. I think there’s also a certain type of friendly cooperation that helps children play better, learn better, and become better friends.  I do not deny that nasty, underhanded competition exists as well.

How do you typically unwind or relax after a busy day or week of work?

I go to the gym, and that helps. But my major outside interest is cinema, and I teach a course on the portrayal of mental health in film. So, I go to films that I enjoy, but I also make a point of seeing every film that I can find in which there is a character who has some form of mental illness.