Latest News
Dawn Witherspoon was the discussant for Carolina Seminars - The Double Whammy: The Disproportionate Impact of Systemic Racism and COVID on Children of Color held April 30
The Carolina Seminar Series aims to increase awareness about the impact of disparities that contribute to children’s ability to keep pace, which have broad dire effects on the neurodevelopmental trajectories of children growing up in disadvantaged households and communities.
Elizabeth (Miller) McGuier, graduate of the clinical psychology doctoral program at Penn State, joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Dr. McGuier earned her PhD in clinical psychology from Penn State University, and completed her psychology internship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Congratulations to Dr. Adriene Beltz on receiving the 2021 Wilbert McKeachie Award for Excellence in Lecture-Based Teaching from the Department of Psychology, University of Michigan
Dr. Beltz is a graduate of Penn State's Developmental Psychology doctoral program and a CSC Strumpf Scholar Award recipient.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have had a sizeable negative impact on parent and child well-being, according to research by Mark Feinberg and colleagues
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, many families found themselves suddenly isolated together at home. A year later, new research has linked this period with a variety of large, detrimental effects on individuals’ and families’ well-being and functioning.
Dr. Suzy Scherf and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Giorgia Picci were featured in an article on the front page of Spectrum News discussing puberty and autism
Researchers are just beginning to learn what happens in the brains of autistic children during adolescence to explain their unique social, cognitive and emotional challenges.
Doug Teti and Greg Fosco edit special section of the Journal of Family Psychology advocating for the study of family contexts to become its own field of study
Teti and Fosco conclude that “approaching context and fit from a systems perspective will advance developmental and family science in exciting new directions.”
Congratulations to Koraly Pérez-Edgar for receiving the 2021 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award
Koraly Pérez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of Child Studies and professor of psychology in the College of the Liberal Arts, has received Penn State's 2021 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award.
Congratulations to Pamela Cole on receiving a 2021 Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement
Six Penn State faculty members have received 2021 Faculty Scholar Medals for Outstanding Achievement.
Congratulations to Kristin Buss on being recognized with the 2021 President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Integration
Kristin Buss, Tracy Winfree and Ted H. McCourtney Professor in Children, Work, and Families, Professor of Psychology; professor of human development and family studies; and head of the psychology department in Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts; has been awarded Penn State's 2021 President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Integration.
Research by Paul Morgan highlighted by CNN
Specific groups of kindergartners in the US are more likely to be frequent users of social networking, online gaming or messaging by the end of fifth grade, according to our new study in the journal Child Development.
2021 Irene E. Harms Graduate Scholarship Award Recipient Announced
We are pleased to announce the 2021 Irene E. Harms Graduate Scholarship Award recipient: Anna Zhou, a Developmental Psychology graduate student.
2021 Strumpf Scholar Award Recipients Announced
We are pleased to announce the 2021 Strumpf Scholars: Yiming Qian, a Developmental Psychology graduate student, Esha Viad, a Child Clinical Psychology graduate student, and Elizabeth Youatt, a Developmental Psychology graduate student.
Janet Welsh talks about the importance of prevention
Research Professor Janet Welsh has worked in the college’s Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center since 1994 and has dedicated her career to prevention.
CSC representation at the SRCD 2021 Biennial Meeting
The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) 2021 Biennial Meeting took place virtually April 7-9.
Research from Yolanda E. Murphy, et al., on how parenting in infancy predicts children’s emotional trajectories across childhood was recently published by the Infant Mental Health Journal
This study assessed whether sensitive parenting in the first four years of life predicted child internalizing emotional symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depression) from kindergarten to fifth grade and whether early child executive functioning mediated this relationship.
Karen Bierman spoke with AJP Audio about her recent article on reducing adolescent psychopathology in socioeconomically disadvantaged children with a preschool intervention
Each episode of AJP Audio brings you an in-depth look at one of the articles featured in that month’s issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry, the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association. Wide-ranging interviews with article authors cover the background, rationale, main findings, and future implications of the research.
Berenice Anaya, Alicia Vallorani & Koraly Pérez-Edgar have studied for the first time the association between delta-beta coupling and childhood risk for anxiety
Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University have studied for the first time, the association between delta–beta coupling and childhood risk for anxiety, considering both inter- individual (between-person) and intra-individual (within-person) delta–beta coupling.
Research by Leigha MacNeill, Elizabeth Shewark, Koraly Pérez-Edgar & Alysia Blandon on sharing in the family system recently published by Parenting
The current study examines whether associations between mothers’ and fathers’ emotional expressiveness and children’s observed sharing behavior differ for two young children in the same family and whether children’s baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) moderates relations between emotional expressiveness and sharing.
Mark Feinberg and collaborators are evaluating the impacts of the pandemic on family life and well-being
To help understand the family factors that sustain—or undermine—social distancing and other protective health behaviors, Mark Feinberg, research professor of health and human development and the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center (PRC), and his collaborators are evaluating the impacts of the pandemic on family life and well-being.
Congratulations to Dr. Dawn Witherspoon on being elected as Co-Chair to the Publications Committee of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
The Publication Committee is tasked to review the health of existing publications, including their attention to diversity and inclusion of marginalized groups; evaluate proposals for major modifications in publications and for establishing new publications; and make appropriate recommendations to Governing Council including those concerning new editors as terms of editors expire and new strategies for maintaining the health and status of SRCD's publication enterprise while advancing equity in the field.
Christian Connell and the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network examine pandemic stressors and their impact on vulnerable children and families
Among the innumerable effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on family services, many states have reported a dramatic decrease, some up to 30-40%, in the number of reports to child protective services. Unfortunately, this decrease does not mean that fewer children are vulnerable, but that social agencies may be unable to reach those who are in need.
Preschool curricula commentary by Dr. Karen Bierman featured on the latest Monograph Matters of the SRCD
When the first publicly funded U.S. preschool program (Head Start) was initiated in 1965, preschool designs were informed primarily by developmental-constructivist models (Mills, 2007).
Mark Feinberg discusses stressors families may face as a result of the pandemic and the potential long-term benefit of the Family Foundations program
From stay-at-home orders that were issued in the early spring, to the recognition that their children will be educated at least partially through remote learning, many families have been spending an unprecedented amount of time with each other. While this has some benefits, it can also aggravate existing strains and create new ones.
Rob Turrisi and colleagues discuss the need for research on single-parent families and adolescent alcohol interventions
Research has shown that parent-based interventions (PBIs) have a potentially powerful role to play in reducing the scope of the adolescent drinking problem.
Penn State Psychology is #2 nationally in latest NSF ranking
Psychology is #2 nationally in latest NSF ranking of Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) research expenditures.
New research by grad student Anna Zhou and Dr. Kristin Buss examines child physiology and trajectories of child internalizing symptoms
Research has shown that children's internalizing symptom development during early childhood are shaped by biopsychosocial processes including physiology and parental symptoms. However, associations between maternal internalizing symptoms, child physiology and trajectories of child internalizing symptoms are not well understood.
Carlomagno Panlilio, CSC faculty affiliate, recently contributed to an article for The Hill that discussed COVID-related education inequities
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently announced strategies for reopening schools during the ongoing pandemic. Although hand-washing, physical distancing, mask-wearing and in-person schooling are important, these strategies alone will not ensure that children are healthy and learning.
Robert Nix's Recipe 4 Success program, focusing on toddlers' self-regulation skills and healthy eating habits, is discussed in American Academy of Pediatrics podcast
In this episode Susan Walley, MD, FAAP, chair of the AAP Section on Tobacco Control, highlights the new clinical report about health disparities in tobacco use and exposure. Hosts David Hill, MD, FAAP, and Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP, also talk to Robert Nix, PhD, about his research on toddler eating and self-regulation, published in the peer-reviewed journal Pediatrics.
Congratulations to Shannon Ranio, CSC Program Manager and Grants Specialist, on receiving the 2021 College of the Liberal Arts Staff Excellence Award!
The College of the Liberal Arts Staff Excellence Award provides recognition to employees who consistently demonstrate a high level of dedication and commitment to the unit and College. The employee has a positive and influential impact on the work environment, displays professionalism and initiative, and fosters cooperation and collaboration among peers and supervisors while carrying out their daily job responsibilities.
Research by Lisa Gatzke-Kopp and team links infant second-hand smoke exposure with behavior problems later in life
This association remained significant, even after controlling for family poverty level; parental education; parental history of depression, hostility or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; caregiver IQ; complications during pregnancy; and other factors.
Congratulations to Catherine Diercks for receiving the Superior Teaching and Research (STAR) Award from the College of the Liberal Arts
The STAR award is a scholarship award given to a graduate student in the College of the Liberal Arts who has demonstrated all-around excellence in teaching, research, and service.
U.S. News ranks Penn State #1 in online Bachelor’s in Psychology Program
Pennsylvania State University--World Campus, a public institution, has been offering online bachelor's degree programs since 2000-2001.
CSC faculty affiliate Orfeu Buxton named inaugural holder of the Elizabeth Fenton Susman Professorship in Biobehavioral Health in the College of Health and Human Development
The Susmans have made philanthropy to Penn State a priority for many decades.
Congratulations to former grad student Dr. Kristine Marceau of Purdue University for receiving a 2021 Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences Early Career Impact Award for the Behavior Genetics Association
This award is presented to early career scientists of FABBS member societies during the first 10 years post-PhD and recognizes scientists who have made major contributions to the sciences of mind, brain, and behavior.
Recently published research by Paul Morgan discusses how some kindergartners in the U.S. are more likely to be frequent users of online technologies
Specific groups of kindergartners in the U.S. are more likely to be frequent users of social networking, online gaming or messaging by the end of fifth grade, according to our new study in the journal Child Development.
Sibling rivalry research by Mark Feinberg highlighted in New York Times article
“Conflict does decrease into adolescence; it sort of levels off,” said Mark Ethan Feinberg, a research professor of health and human development at Pennsylvania State University.
Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Berenice Anaya (mentor: Koraly Pérez-Edgar) on receiving a NIH Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award
This two-phase award will facilitate completion of the doctoral dissertation and transition of talented graduate students (F99 phase) to strong neuroscience research postdoctoral positions (K00 phase), and will provide career development opportunities relevant to their long-term career goal of becoming independent neuroscience researchers.
Penn State alumnus Donn Rappaport and his wife, Susan, provide financial gift to create the Donn and Susan Rappaport Child Study Center Fund
Moved by their concern for victims of child sexual abuse and their hope to prevent it in the future, Penn State alumnus Donn Rappaport and his wife, Susan, have made a $100,000 commitment to create the Donn and Susan Rappaport Child Study Center Fund.
Paul Morgan and Adrienne Woods recently discussed the impacts of the pandemic on special education service delivery
The Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative Podcast is offering a new series called The Pandemic Perspective, where we examine how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and various aspects of our society, institutions, and other systems have collided, changed, and even collapsed in the last nine months.
CSC faculty affiliate Jennifer Frank part of research team teaching adolescents how to manage stress with mindfulness
The teenage years are often a time when anxiety and stress are heightened, causing individuals to deal with problems in self-defeating ways. New research led by a Penn State College of Education faculty member suggests that practicing mindfulness exercises, particularly mindful breathing, could enable adolescents to more effectively manage the stress in their lives.
Research findings by Karen Bierman and colleagues show that preschool enrichment programs like Research-based, Developmentally Informed (REDI) can have long-lasting, positive effects for children
A preschool enrichment program developed at Penn State helps boost social and emotional skills that still have positive effects years later during middle and high school, according to a new study.
Research by Amanda Skoranski and Erika Lunkenheimer suggests regulatory difficulties may transfer from parents to children in the preschool years
Parental depression and anxiety can have profound effects on children. For the first time, Penn State researchers demonstrated that stress biology relates to depressive and anxiety symptoms differently for mothers versus fathers, and that parents’ profiles of stress biology and symptoms can predict their preschoolers’ emotional and behavioral problems.
Congratulations to Megan R. Gunnar, BJ Casey, and Dante Cicchetti, all former CSC Lois Bloom Lecture speakers, who received Association for Psychological Science 2021 Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Association for Psychological Science announces its lifetime achievement award recipients for 2021.
Robert Turrisi receives 5-year, $3.6 million grant to study risky drinking by college students
Is there a simple way for parents to reduce the chance of their college-age children having problems resulting from drinking alcohol?
Sarah Myruski and Kristin Buss offer Insights from Experts on Teens and Anxiety during COVID-19
The difficulty and necessity of emotion regulation.
CSC faculty affiliates Christian Connell and Jennie Noll part of research team to successfully improve a parent-education program to further prevent child sexual abuse
Researchers at Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network are using a novel approach to further prevent child sexual abuse.
Penn State's 28th annual National Symposium on Family Issues focused on the causes and consequences of parent-child separations
For the first time ever, the event was held virtually, but that didn’t deter experts around the nation from participating and offering their diverse research on the subject.
CSC faculty affiliates Christian Connell and Jennie Noll part of research team to successfully improve a parent-education program to further prevent child sexual abuse
Researchers at Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network are using a novel approach to further prevent child sexual abuse.
Congratulations to Sheri Berenbaum, Pamela Cole, Junqiang “Jacob” Dai, and Emily May, who received College of the Liberal Arts Spring 2020 Awards
The College of the Liberal Arts has announced their 2020 Spring Awards.
Recent analyses of 40 years of autism data by Jason Griffin and Dr. Suzy Scherf may have major implications for autism spectrum disorder
The ability to recognize faces varies greatly, but individuals with autism spectrum disorders can especially struggle, having huge implications for social interaction. Penn State researchers, for the first time, recently analyzed 40 years of autism data to determine deficits in face recognition.
Jennie Noll, director of Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network and CSC faculty affiliate, was recently awarded fellow status in the American Psychological Association
Jennie Noll, director of Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network and professor of human development and family studies, was recently awarded fellow status in the American Psychological Association (APA), Division 37, the Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice, for her outstanding contributions in research, professional service, and practice.
Congratulations to Carmen Henry-Harris, PACT Community engagement Coordinator and Liaison, for receiving a Penn State Liberal Arts Staff Advisory Committee You Rock! Award!
The You Rock! Award was created as a way to recognize and honor unusual dedication and outstanding contributions by College of the Liberal Arts staff members.
The PROSPER program, proven to reduce youth substance use, works with schools and community leaders by offering in-school and after-school programs for middle school students and their families
A new website, located at prosper.psu.edu, will aid in recruiting Pennsylvania communities and families to participate in PROSPER, or PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience, a program proven to reduce use throughout entire communities by working with middle school students and their parents.
Meg Small, PRC Director of Social Innovation and Assistant Research Professor of HHD, consults for the Nittany AI Associates program and TEAMology on a project to improve resiliency competencies and SEL skills in the COVID-19 school environment
Penn State students involved in the Nittany AI Associates program, working alongside TEAMology — a startup exploring emotional health as a way to enhance a child’s ability to succeed in school — explored best pathways in the use of artificial intelligence to test resilience in students learning remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rick Gilmore, Pamela Cole, and an international team of developmental psychologists publish paper on the need for and challenges associated with greater data openness and sharing
Researchers in developmental psychology face a perplexing challenge: They know that collecting and sharing data about children can lead to real benefits for kids and their families, but they also recognize that some kinds of data like video or audio recordings risk violating the privacy of these vulnerable populations if not carefully protected.
Faculty affiliate Steffany Fredman and colleague co-develop an abbreviated treatment program to treat post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and improve family relationships
Couples that include a partner with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may someday have access to a faster, more efficient therapy that treats the disorder and simultaneously improves their relationships, according to research.
Dr. Sunhye Bai awarded early career professorship
Congratulations to Dr. Sunhye Bai, Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, on being awarded the Karl R. Fink and Diane Wendle Fink Early Career Professorship for the Study of Families.
Addressing inequities in education during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) recently released a new series of briefs entitled Addressing inequities in education during the COVID-19 pandemic: How education policy and schools can support historically and currently marginalized children and youth. The series contains five briefs, each two pages in length.
SSRI's Insights from Experts features Dr. Rina Das Eiden discussing parental substance use during COVID-19
In this post, I will discuss the complex issue of substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic with a specific emphasis on the likely negative impacts on the family unit. I also offer recommendations to help support individuals and families.
Koraly Pérez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of child studies and professor of psychology, named associate director of SSRI
Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) recently named Koraly Pérez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of child studies and professor of psychology, as an associate director of the institute.
Faculty affiliate Gregory Fosco's research indicates the importance of parental warmth when raising teens
While parent-teen conflict is inevitable, parents expressing warmth and support on high-conflict days can bolster how much their teen feels loved, according to a study conducted by Gregory Fosco, Penn State associate professor of human development and family studies and associate director of the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center.
A PACT panel presented, "Maintaining Partnerships to Serve the Community: Increased Importance during Trying Times" as part of a Latino Connection and Penn State Reach webinar series
Discussions centered on the importance of partnerships, particularly among community members, community organizations, and educational institutions, to enhance the lives of diverse children, youth and families.
PACT welcomes new Assistant Director
PACT welcomed Eugenia R. Moten as Assistant Director effective July 1, 2020.
After more than 13 years, Susan McHale plans to step down as director of the Social Science Research Institute
The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research announced on July 24 that Susan McHale will step down as the director of the Social Science Research Institute. She will continue to head the institute while a search for the next director is conducted.
Laura Bray presented, "Partnering with Schools during the Pandemic to Support your Child's Individual Learning Needs: Strategies and Resources for Caregivers of Children with Disabilities"
Dr. Bray's presentation was part of The Road to New American Health webinar series.
Paul Morgan and colleagues receive funding for two new projects examining how students with or at-risk for disabilities can be better served in U.S. schools
Penn State researchers are examining how students with or at-risk for disabilities can be better helped as they attend U.S. schools, through two new projects totaling nearly $1.2 million being funded by the National Center for Special Education Research, U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences.
Rina Das Eiden presented, "COVID-19 and Perinatal Experiences" as part of a Latino Connection & Penn State Reach webinar series
This webinar focused on current knowledge about COVID-19 and pregnancy and the postpartum period. The presentation included online resources especially relevant to pregnant/postpartum women that may help address mental and physical health risks.
Martha Wadsworth and the CaRES Lab presented, "The 5 C's of Positive Youth Development" July 8th as part of The Road to New American Health webinar series
The Road to New American Health is a webinar series powered by Latino Connection and Penn State Reach.
Erika Lunkenheimer presented, "Parenting During a Pandemic" as part of a Latino Connection & Penn State Reach webinar series
Latino Connection, in partnership with various organizations, hosted a webinar series with professionals in health and finance to discuss topics and resources for minority health and wellness.
Rob Turrisi partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to talk about peer pressure, social groups, and teen drinking
Coffee with Rob - Social Groups and Peer Pressure
Congratulations to Janet Welsh on being promoted to Research Professor
Janet Welsh, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Center, College of Health and Human Development, has been working in prevention research since 1994.
Congratulations to Kristin Buss on being named the Tracy Winfree and Ted H. McCourtney Professor in Children, Work, and Families
Kristin Buss, head of the Department of Psychology in the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts, has been named the Tracy Winfree and Ted H. McCourtney Professor in Children, Work, and Families.