Kari Adamsons


Kari Adamsons is an associate professor of human development and family studies at University of Connecticut. She is a nationally recognized expert on fathers, including father-child relationships, co-parenting, shared parenting and couple relationships. Adamsons is a co-author of Family Theories: An Introduction, a widely used university textbook.

Early life and education

As an undergraduate, Adamsons studied psychology, graduating in 1996 with a B.A. from College of William and Mary. Subsequently, she enrolled at the human development and family studies program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, obtaining first a master's degree in 2002 followed by a doctoral degree in 2006. After one year as a postdoctoral fellow she became a faculty member at the University of Connecticut in 2007.

Scientific work

Dr. Adamsons is most known for her work on fathers and father-child relationships, especially during transition to fatherhood and during and after divorce or separation. She has shown that quality time with their non-custodial fathers is very important for the well-being of children whose parents have divorced. She has further concluded that it is not only the quality but also the quantity of time that matters.
Adamsons other important research areas include family theory, identity theory, bioecological theory and couple relationships.

Selected publications

Books