Benish-weisman Maya

Biography

Department of Counseling and Human Development University of Haifa

Research Interest

My academic research focuses on how context affects people, especially children and their development. Specifically, I am interested in the psychological effect of context change including traveling between contexts such as in case of immigration or negotiation between contexts like for minorities. Trained in both quantitative and qualitative methods, I use qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods designs in my studies. My current research interests include three domains:  The relationship between values and social behavior in educational context. This line of research focuses on trajectories of these relations, and on revealing and understanding what are the potential moderators and mediators that could explain these relations. Ethnic identity. My interests centered on developmental aspect of ethnic identity; specifically, I am interested in understating how different aspects of ethnic identity relate to well-being and adjustment. Cross-cultural counseling in educational setting. Using my training as a clinical psychologist I explore the role of culture in attitudes and behaviors toward counseling in the schooling context. It appears school counseling services co-operate less with minorities than others. In my studies I trace the aspects that prevent successful communication between minority group adolescents parents and school staff.