My research focuses on the intersection of social and developmental psychology. More specifically, I have followed three lines of related research in the area of intra- and intergroup relations. The first deals with the interpersonal and social antecedents of authoritarian attitudes. In a second line of research I have looked at the evolution and stability of cross-ethnic friendships using a longitudinal framework. Lately, I have become involved in a Inter-European research project on civic participation and democratic ownership of adolescents and young adults comparing host society members and migrants. In the future, I would like to investigate the developmental foundations of social competence, which may be a prerequisite for navigating successfully within an increasingly multicultural environment.