Linda Nielsen 
Professor of Adolescent and Educational Psychology | Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC, UNITED STATES
Nielsen’s special interest is helping divorced and estranged dads and daughters reunite or strengthen their bonds.
Spotlight
Biography
Linda Nielsen is a nationally renowned expert on father-daughter relationships, having researched and written about the topic since 1970. For more than 25 years, she has taught the only known college class in the U.S. devoted exclusively to father-daughter relationships.
Her latest book, Father-Daughter Relationships: Contemporary Research and Issues, examines what improves or weakens these relationships and their impact on society. Written to aid social workers, family counselors, mental health practitioners and educators, Nielsen’s special interest is helping divorced and estranged dads and daughters reunite or strengthen their bonds.
In addition to having written five related books and numerous articles for scholarly journals such as the Harvard Educational Review, her analyses of shared residential parenting after divorce have been pivotal in legislative debates about custody law revisions. Linda is a nationally recognized expert on the research on shared physical custody and shared parenting after parents separate.
Nielsen’s research and advice have appeared in national news outlets such as NPR, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Seventeen, Woman’s Day and in a PBS documentary. Her work is also featured on many national organizations’ web sites, including Stepfamily Association of America, National Center for Fathering, and the Center for Successful Fathering. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, National Council on Family Relationships, Council on Contemporary Families and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.
Areas of Expertise (9)
Media
Publications:
Documents:
Videos:
Audio:
Accomplishments (2)
Outstanding Article Award (professional)
1980-01-01
Awarded by the U.S. Center for Women Scholars
Postdoctoral Fellowship (professional)
Awarded by the American Association of University Women
Education (3)
University of Tennessee: Ed.D., Educational Psychology
University of Tennessee: M.Ed., Educational Psychology
University of Tennessee: B.S., Teacher Education
Affiliations (4)
- American Psychological Association : Member
- National Council on Family Relationships : Member
- Council on Contemporary Families : Member
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts : Member
Media Appearances (8)
How a Wake Forest professor's research motivated a new Barbie ad campaign
Triad Business Journal
2017-01-24
The research of a Wake Forest University professor is playing a role in a national advertising campaign involving Barbie, one of the world’s most iconic dolls. Dr. Linda Nielsen has for more than 25 years taught a class at Wake Forest on the dynamics between fathers and their daughters. Mattel Inc.is crediting Nielsen as one of the motivating forces behind the company’s new “You Can Be Anything” campaign.
Dads play Barbie with their daughters in the doll’s latest charming effort to modernize
Adweek
2017-01-23
Barbie cites research by Dr. Linda Nielsen of Wake Forest University showing that girls who have loving, communicative, supportive relationships with their fathers from early childhood are less likely to suffer from a lack of self-confidence and self-reliance as they grow up.
WFU research inspires Pantene commercial
Time Warner Cable News
2016-02-04
Research from Wake Forest University helped inspire a unique commercial just before Super Bowl 50.
Pantene released a series of digital spots this week that involves New Orleans Saints’ Benjamin Watson, Pittsburgh Steelers’ DeAngelo Williams and Dallas Cowboys’ Jason Witten styling their little girls hair.
The hair care brand showcases the importance of father-daughter relationships with a message that it builds strong women. Pantene used Dr. Linda Nielsen’s research for the ads.
Research supports Massachusetts shared parenting legislation: Guest viewpoint
Mass Live
2015-10-07
Are parents putting their own selfish needs ahead of their children's best interests when they share the physical custody of their children? Are custody laws that encourage parenting plans where the children live at least 35% of the time with each parent putting parents' rights ahead of the children's well-being?...
The difficulty in telling dad ‘I love you’
Fox 13 Salt Lake City
2015-06-19
These lingering effects are still felt by children who struggle to share their feelings with their fathers the way they do with their mothers. Research shows that children are more likely to say “I love you” to their mom than their dad, said Dr. Linda Nielsen, professor of educational and adolescent psychology at Wake Forest University...
Will I turn into my parents? 3 ways our fathers may influence who we become more than our mothers
Bustle
2015-05-28
Fortunately, he has never pushed me into a specific track, but according to an article on The Institute for Family Studies blog written by Linda Nielsen, professor of educational and adolescent psychology at Wake Forest University and author of Father-Daughter Relationships: Contemporary Research & Issues (2013) and Between Fathers & Daughters: Enriching and Rebuilding Your Adult Relationship (2012), he could have...
Big shift pushed in custody disputes
The Wall Street Journal
2015-04-16
“If dad is subject to the typical ‘Wednesday dinner and every other weekend’ arrangement, he’s not doing the kind of parenting that benefits kids, making sure the homework is done, getting them up for school,” said Linda Nielsen, a psychology professor at Wake Forest University. In such situations, a father “is basically reduced to an uncle.”...
Column: Shared parenting: preventative medicine for kids
Journal Star
2015-02-23
Columnist and family psychologist John Rosemond recently wrote that when deciding contested custody cases, judges should avoid equal parenting outcomes and instead give one parent primary custody with the other parent receiving limited parenting time...
Articles (5)
One of the most complex and compelling issues confronting policymakers, parents, and the family court system is what type of parenting plan is most beneficial for children after their parents' divorce. How much time should children live with each parent? An increasing ...
The author reviews the most recent literature on the differences between white and black females in regard to eating disorders, dieting, and physical self-confidence. The racial differences and similarities from a questionnaire given to almost 400 female ...
Recent psychological and sociological literature is reviewed in answering two questions: What factors generally affect how much stress women encounter as stepmothers? Why do stepmothers often experience more stress than stepfathers? The answers seem to ...
The most recent research demonstrates that too many fathers are demeaned, demoralized and disenfranchised after divorce in ways that make it difficult for them to maintain close relationships with their own children. Divorced fathers' relationships are ...
In 1989 Denmark took the innovative step of introducing a special legal regime, the 'registered partnership', of which only couples of the same sex, whether or not they are living together, may, if they choose, take advantage. The regime is closely modelled on ...