In Memoriam: Lillian Robbins

Professor I Emeritus
Ph.D., New York University
Rutgers University, Psychology Department
101 Warren Street
Newark, NJ 07102.
Fax: (973) 353-1171
E-mail: lrobbins at(@) psychology.rutgers.edu

Research interests

My research over the years has dealt with a variety of social issues: drug use and abuse in school populations; parent-child relationships in connection with the New York Longitudinal Study; children of mentally ill mothers and how they fare; follow-ups of patients discharged from mental hospitals; achievement motivation of men and women; educational reform; and sex discrimination in employment.

My current focus is on several of these areas: (1) the development and maintenance of learning communities that transcend institutional boundaries, involving students and faculty from Rutgers, NJIT, Essex County College, Central and Malcolm X Shabazz High Schools; (2) the encouragement of student aspirations and achievement at multiple levels in the Newark school system; and (3) the continued monitoring of discriminatory practices in higher education, within the context of recent attacks on affirmative action. All of these can provide students with valuable experience in qualitative and quantitative assessment of action research.
In addition, I hope to return and expand on the longitudinal data of child development to investigate the role of grandparents and the nature of multi-generational ties, as well as sibling relationships over the lifespan.

Selected publications

Robbins, L. The accuracy of parental recall of aspects of child development and of child- rearing practices. J. Abnormal Social Psychology, 1963, 66, 261-270.

Robbins, E., Robbins, L. et al. College student drug use. American Journal Psychiatric, 1970, 126, 1743-1751.

Robbins,L. Lost in the Maze: Mentally ill mothers and their children. New York: Citizens Committee on Children, 1976.

Kalln,E.D.& Robbins, L. (Issue Editors). Sex discrimination in academe. Journal Social Issues, 1985,41,4.

Robbins, L. Health and Safety Committees as a means of relieving psychological stress. in J. Quick, L. Murphy & J. Hurrell (Eds.) Stress and well-being at work: Assessments and interventions for occupational mental health. Washington,DC: American Psychological Association, 1992. Chap. 13, 193-206.

The current educational reform efforts are described in: McGrath,D. & Van Buskirk, W. Start with the faculty: The Newark Faculty Alliance for Education and Systemic Educational Reform. New York: National Center for Urban Partnerships, Ford Foundation, 1997.