My research interests focus on children's   understanding of mental processes and metaphor, and on parent-child   relationships. This has led me in a variety of directions. Currently I   am investigating an observational measure of attachment style in   school-aged children. Other projects include (1) examining how young   children cope with exposure to parental discord, and how this   contributes to psychopathology, studying the efficacy of psychotherapy   for children diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder, and developing   a measure of parental disciplinary competence. My applied interests   include child and family psychotherapy, psychotherapy for attachment   disorders, and parenting plan and parental competence evaluations. I am   also interested in nonhuman primates' understanding of mind, and have   written occasionally on that topic.

Cook, W.J., Painter, L.T., & Silverman, P. (2004). The application of therapeutic storytelling techniques with preadolescent children: a clinical description with illustrative case study. Psychotherapy and Private Practice, 11, 243-248.

Painter, L.,Cook, W.J., & Silverman, P.S. (1999). The effects of therapeutic storytelling and behavioral parent training on noncompliant behavior in young boys. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 21, 47-66.

Silverman, P,1997, A pragmatic approach to the inference of animal mind In R. W. Mitchell, N. S. Thompson, & H. L. Miles (Eds.) Anthropomorphism, Anecdotes and Animals: The Emperor's New Clothes. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press

Silverman, P., & Retzlaff, P., 1986, Cognitive state regression through hypnosis: Are earlier cognitive states retrievable? International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 34, 192-204

Silverman, P., 1986, Can a pigtail macaque learn to manipulate a thief? In R. W. Mitchell & N. S. Thompson (Eds.) Deception: Perspectives on human and nonhuman deceit. NY: Suny Press.

Silverman, P. 1983 Attributing mind to animals: The role of intuition Journal of Social and Biological Structures, 6, 231-247

Recent Presentations:

Simon-Thomas, J., Kamman, T.J., Silverman, P. & Rothman, W.M.. (2001), Child coping moderates the effects of interparental conflict on child adjustment. Poster presented at Society for Research in Child Development, Minneapolis, MN.

Simon-Thomas, J., Pray, N., Silverman, P., & Fiore, C. (2000). Flagship Evaluation Report. (Presented to the Montana Interagency Coordinating Council), Helena, MT.

Byrne, C., & Silverman, P. (1999). Examination of a humanistic immersion intervention with an autistic child. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association.

Rothman, W., Kamman, T., Simon-Thomas, J., McLean, D., Meyers, V., Planalp, C., Pyfer, L., & Silverman, P. (1999). The relationship between regulation of emotional complexity and the use of denial as a coping strategy in children. Poster presented at the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, Fort Collins, CO.

Silverman, P., Kamman, T., & Terwilliger, L. (1999). Effects of emotional understanding and parental discord on children psychological adjustment. Poster presented at Society for Research in Child Development.

Simon-Thomas, J., Kamman, T., Terwilliger, L., McLean, D., & Silverman, P. (1999). Young children’s coping responses to fictitious and recalled parental conflict as predictors of behavioral adjustment. Poster presented at Rocky Mountain Psychological Association.

Langley, R., Henrie, D., Slut ky, K., Ziegler, S., Kamman, T., & Silverman, P. Children's understanding of emotion: an ongoing study. Montana Psychological Association, May 2, 1998. Painter, L., Silverman, P., & Cook, W. Effects of therapeutic storytelling and parent training on childhood psychopathology. Poster presentation at the Joint RegionalConference, WPA-RMPA, Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 16-19, 1998.

Silverman, P., Magnuson, L., & Reams, R. Psychotherapy outcomes among severely disturbed foster children. Poster presentation at the Joint Regional Conference WPA-RMPA,Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 16-19, 1998.
 

Cognitive-emotional interaction in children,   cognitive development, developmental psychopathology (esp.   attachment and attachment disorders, parent-child relationships)