Department of Counseling and Human Development

University of Haifa

maya.bw@edu.haifa.ac.il

Research interests

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.


Selected Publications

Benish‐Weisman, M. (in press). What can we learn about aggression from what adolescents consider important in life? The contribution of values theory to aggression research. Child Development Perspectives.

Daniel, E., Benish-Weisman, M., Sneddon, J., & Lee, J. (in press). Value profilesduring middle childhood: Developmental processes and social behavior. Child Development.

Benish‐Weisman, M., Daniel, E., & McDonald, K. L. (2019). Values and adolescent self‐esteem: The role of value content and congruence with classmates. European Journal of Social Psychology.

Shtapura-Ifrah, M., & Benish-Weisman, M. (2019). Seeking the help of school counselors: Cross-cultural differences in mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and help-seeking behavior. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 69, 110-119.‏


Daniel, E., Benish-Weisman, M. (2019).Value development during adolescence: Dimension of change and stability. Journal of Personality. 87(3), 620-632.

Sher-Censor, E., Benish-Weisman, M., Gal, L., & Karni, S. (2018). The associations between national identity and adjustment: What can we learn from autobiographical narratives?. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 67, 12-24.

Ungvary, S., McDonald K. L. & Benish-Weisman, M. (2018). Identifying and distinguishing value profiles in American and Israeli adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence. 28, 294-309

Benish-Weisman, M ., (2016). Ethnic identity and aggression in adolescence: A longitudinal study. Journal of Adolescence, 47, 131-134.

Benish-Weisman, M ., Kerem, E., Knafo-Noam, A., & Belsky, J. (2015). The moderating role of genetics: the effect of length of hospitalization on children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Frontiers in Psychiatry , 6, 1-7.

Benish- Weisman, M., Daniel, E., Knafo, A., Schiefer, D. & Möllering, A. (2015). Multiple social role identifications and adolescents’ well being: A cross-cultural comparison. Journal of Adolescence, 44, 21-31.

Benish-Weisman, M. (2015).The interplay between values and aggression: longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology, 51, 677-687.

Benish-Weisman, M., & McDonald., K. (2015). Private self-consciousness and gender moderate how adolescents' values relate to aggression. Social Development, 26, 766-781.

Hasenfratz, L., Benish-Weisman, M., Steinberg, T., & Knafo-Noam, A. (2015). Temperament and peer problems from early to middle childhood: Gene–environment correlations with negative emotionality and sociability. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 1089-1109.

McDonald, K. L., Benish-Weisman, M., O’Brien, C. T., & Ungvary, S. (2015). The social values of aggressive-prosocial youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44, 2245-2256.

Benish- Weisman . M., Levy, S., & Knafo, A. (2013). Parents differentiate between their personal values and their socialization values: The role of adolescents' values. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 23,614–620.

Daniel, E., Schiefer, D., Möllering, A., Benish-Weisman, M ., Bohenke, K., & Knafo, A. (2012). Value differentiation in adolescence: The role of age and cultural complexity. Child Development, 83, 322-336.

Benish-Weisman, M., & Shye, S. (2011). Life quality of Russian immigrants to Israel: Narratives of Success and Failure- the facet perspective. Social Indicators Research, 101, 461-479.

Benish-Weisman, M., & Horenczyk, G. (2010). Cultural identity and perceived success among Israeli immigrants: An emic approach. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34, 516-526.

Schiefer, D., Möllering, A., Daniel, E., & Benish-Weisman, M. & Boehnke K .(2010). Cultural values and outgroup negativity:A cross-cultural analysis of early and late adolescents. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 635-651.

Benish-Weisman, M. (2009). Between trauma and redemption: Story form differences in immigrant narratives of successful and non-successful immigration. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 40, 953-968.