Heather Sears

Professor

PhD

Psychology

Keirstead Hall 217

Fredericton

hsears@unb.ca
1 506 458 7122



My research focuses on various aspects of adolescents' development. My primary interest is adolescents' help-seeking behavior, particularly how adolescents' gender and individual and relational characteristics combine to predict this behaviour, and how parents, siblings, and peers socialize adolescents to use help seeking to manage problems.

I am also interested in families with adolescents, particularly how parents and youths work through normative events (e.g., talking about sexual health) and non-normative events (e.g., a parent's illness with cancer).

Education

  • BSc (Hons), Acadia University;
  • MA & PhD, University of Victoria;
  • Licensed Psychologist, New Brunswick

Selected publications

Byers, E.S., El-Khoury, A., & Sears, H.A. (2024). How do mothers prepare for sexual health discussions with their young adolescents? Sex Education, 24(1), 45-60.

Sears, H.A., & MacIntyre, L.J. (2023). Adolescents’ individual characteristics and intentions to seek help from types of peers and parents. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40(7), 2227-2251.

Sears, H.A. (2020). Adolescents’ first choice for help: Distinguishing characteristics of youth who select a friend, a parent, or no one. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 49(8), 1731-1746.

Sears, H.A., Robinson, B.S., & Byers, E.S. (2020). Young adolescents’ responsiveness to sexual communication with their mother: Distinguishing diverse intentions. Journal of Adolescence, 80, 136-144.

Presentations

Sears, H.A. (2024, June). Adolescents seeking help from a female friend and a male friend: Is a positive relationship or positive past help-seeking experience more important? Annual Meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa, ON.

Sears, H.A. (2024, June). Are adolescents’ intentions to seek help from their mother and their father related to perceived autonomy, self-reliance beliefs, or both? Annual Meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa, ON.

Bockaj, A., Byers, E.S., & Sears, H.A. (2023, June). Understanding discrepancies in mothers’ and adolescents’ reports of the extent of sexual communication. Annual Meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Toronto, ON.

Sears, H.A. (2023, June). How female friends and male friends socialize adolescents’ help-seeking intentions. Annual Meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Toronto, ON.

Sears, H.A. (2023, June). Which gender norms predict adolescents’ help-seeking intentions for types of professionals? Annual Meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Toronto, ON.

Teaching

  • Undergraduate courses:
    • Adolescent Development
    • Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
    • Social Development
  • Graduate courses:
    • Lifespan Psychopathology
    • Child and Adolescent Development

Professional awards

2023 UNB Arts Faculty Teaching Award