Janet van Hell named Penn State distinguished professor
May 18, 2023
Janet van Hell, a longtime faculty member in the College of the Liberal Arts’ Department of Psychology and director of the Center for Language Science, has been promoted to the rank of distinguished professor of psychology and linguistics by Penn State. Seven University faculty members were…
It’s not just the shy kids who get nervous in front a crowd, study shows
Apr 25, 2023
SSRI cofund and Associate Director Koraly Pérez-Edgar was quoted in this CNN article. Is shy something you feel or something you are? According to a new study, it could be either. Whether shyness is part of your child’s personality or just something they feel when they are in front of a group of…
New interactive game will explore attitudes toward endangered species
Mar 30, 2023
There are more than 28,000 wildlife species on the brink of extinction, each with varying levels of protection and support from the global community. In a new project, Penn State researchers will develop an interactive game that, for the first time, will measure people’s individual responses to…
Podcast explores the genetics of personality through the lens of adoption
Feb 21, 2023
Social scientists have long sought to better understand how and why different behavioral traits develop in different individuals. The question of “nature vs. nurture,” often cited in society's popular lexicon, reflects a collective interest in sorting out which aspects of people's personalities can…News Topics: PsychologyGenetics
PACT resumes in-person research, outreach efforts in Harrisburg area
Dec 12, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted countless facets of everyday life during the past three years — including the invaluable work being done by faculty and staff members affiliated with Penn State’s Parents And Children Together (PACT) initiative. However, after pivoting during the pandemic to a…News Topics: PACTPsychology
Backlash to racial justice movements may boost risk of high BMI, obesity
Nov 2, 2022
Since its inception in 2013, the Black Lives Matter movement has helped raise awareness and mobilize efforts against racial inequality. It also has spurred controversy, and new research found that experiencing backlash to the movement may have negative health consequences for Black Americans. The…
Beaty recipient of early career professorship award
Oct 25, 2022
Roger Beaty, assistant professor of psychology, was recently named recipient of the Dr. Frances Keesler Graham Early Career Professorship by the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State. Beaty was awarded the professorship to continue his work studying the psychology and neuroscience…
Buss one of five named 2022 Big Ten Academic Alliance Department Executive Officer Fellows
Jun 30, 2022
The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Department Executive Officers (DEO) program has gained five additional fellows from the Penn State ranks. The BTAA is the academic consortium of the Big Ten universities and the United States’ preeminent model for effective collaboration among research…News Topics: SSRI cofundsPsychology
Depression in fathers and children linked, regardless of genetic relatedness
Jun 27, 2022
Adolescent depression and behavior problems are on the rise due to many factors, but parental depression is contributing to the increase in their children regardless of whether they are genetically related, say researchers from Penn State and Michigan State. The work appears in the Cambridge…
Penn State social sciences research expenditures receive top ranking
Jan 24, 2022
Penn State social sciences are among the top universities in the nation in research expenditures, according to the latest National Science Foundation rankings of Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) research expenditures, released in January 2022. The rankings, for the 2020 fiscal…News Topics: Social SciencePsychology
Using game technology to help adolescents on the autism spectrum
Oct 26, 2021
People on the autism spectrum often struggle to interpret facial cues, partially because they are unable to recognize how eye gaze direction is used to predict the actions and intentions of others. This can have huge implications for understanding behavior, language learning, and social interaction…
Penn State receives a five-year, nearly $6 million grant to study factors promoting early childhood development
Oct 18, 2021
The effects of genetics, home environment, and prenatal substance use on child health and brain development are largely unknown, even though pregnancy and early childhood are incredibly important periods of growth. To address this knowledge gap, Penn State was recently awarded a five-year, $5.8…
Pérez-Edgar named editor-in-chief of psychology journal
Sep 23, 2021
Koraly Pérez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of Child Studies, professor of psychology, and associate director of the Social Science Research Institute, was recently named editor-in-chief of Developmental Psychology, one of the flagship journals of the American Psychological Association. Her new role…News Topics: PsychologyCollege of Liberal Arts
Increasing linguistic diversity to advance human-technology interaction
Sep 22, 2021
People are becoming increasingly dependent on human technologies such as smart voice assistants and computer-based tutoring for access to governmental, community, health, and educational services. However, the technology is largely based on standard American English and conflicts with the diversity…
People often avoid feeling compassion for others, feel it's a lot of effort
Sep 1, 2021
Compassion helps us relate to and feel sympathy for others as they experience hardships, but a new study suggests some people may actively avoid feeling compassion when given the choice. In a series of studies, the researchers found that when given the option, people often chose to avoid feeling…
The impacts of children's emotions and behavior on parenting
Jun 2, 2021
While both inherited traits and environmental influences affect parent-child interactions, not much is known about how child behavior impacts parenting and, in turn, later child outcomes. Elizabeth Shewark, a former Penn State doctoral student in developmental psychology and current postdoctoral…
Pérez-Edgar named recipient of 2021 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award
Apr 23, 2021
SSRI Associate Director and cofunded faculty member 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. The award, established in 1992 by The Graduate School, is…
Buss recognized with 2021 President's Award for academic integration
Apr 22, 2021
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…
Penn State faculty offer tips on avoiding burnout amid pandemic
Apr 7, 2021
As employees and students of Penn State face the uncertain circumstances of the pandemic, University faculty offer advice on how to avoid burnout or, if you are already feeling sapped of energy and interest -- how to recover. According to the World Health Organization, burnout is an occupational…
Graduate student overcomes barriers to receive NIH award
Jan 15, 2021
Most people may not think it takes resilience to become a scientist, but a graduate student at Penn State says otherwise. Despite various barriers, Berenice Anaya, a psychology doctoral student at Penn State, has been awarded the F99/K00 - NIH Blueprint D-SPAN Award, an NIH blueprint specialized…News Topics: Psychology
Impacts of the pandemic teen anxiety
Jan 3, 2021
The anxiety, isolation, and uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented emotional challenge. Adolescence is a period of drastic emotional, social, and cognitive development, making this age group particularly vulnerable to the short- and long-term impact of the…News Topics: COVID-19Psychology
Preschool program linked with better social and emotional skills years later
Dec 11, 2020
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. The researchers found that students attending Head Start preschools that implemented the Research-…News Topics: PsychologyREDI Program
Parental stress biology and mental health symptoms affect young children
Dec 8, 2020
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…
COVID-19 and the potential costs of social isolation
Nov 17, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic continues across the globe and in the United States. Currently, science and medicine offer clear methods on how to reduce the risk of transmission — including social distancing. Yet this behavior comes with a potential cost of reduced social connections and research has shown…News Topics: COVID-19Psychology
Berenbaum receives Pavouček Shields Faculty Award
Nov 10, 2020
Sheri Berenbaum, SSRI associate director and professor of psychology and pediatrics, is the recipient of the 2020 Pavouček Shields Faculty Award. This award recognizes tenured faculty who have undertaken professionally oriented service and mentoring on behalf of women at the university. Dr.…News Topics: Psychology