People often avoid feeling compassion for others, feel it's a lot of effort
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…
Report finds lack of teacher diversity in Pennsylvania
Research on racial desegregation and inequality in K-12 schools has consistently demonstrated the benefits of school integration for students but according to Penn State College of Education researchers, teacher diversity is also important for providing students with a well-rounded educational…
EIC Podcast Episode 14: Navigating PA’s Child Welfare System and Issues of Child Maltreatment
On the latest Evidence-to-Impact Podcast, we explored Pennsylvania’s child welfare system and issues of child maltreatment through the lens of an existing partnership between Penn State and government partners. We spoke to Jennie Noll, Ph.D., professor of human development and family studies and…
Registration is open for 'Uncover the Power of Observational Studies'
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute will present "Uncover the Power of Observational Studies" at its next Research Methods Seminar Series from 4 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 14. This seminar series is held virtually.
The Research Methods Seminar Series features statisticians and…
Data4Action Project Update - August 2021
The initial survey of the Data4Action (D4A) project was completed by more than 10,000 respondents and included questions about the economic, employment, and health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 2,000 respondents also participated in biological testing, with the fourth wave of…
2021 Family symposium to focus on environmental impact to relationships and well-being
Penn State’s 29th annual Symposium on Family Issues will examine the role of the physical environment in family relationships, behaviors, and well-being, with a focus on disasters, climate change, and the built environment.
“Environmental Impacts on Families: Change, Challenge, and Adaptation” will…
Moral Agency Workshop
The Moral Agency Workshop is an interdisciplinary group of faculty and students who do work broadly related to ethical and moral decision-making. The workshop is one of the central features of the Moral Agency and Moral Development initiative in the Rock Ethics Institute.
The group convenes once a…
Astrophysicists, social scientists to probe the universe's deepest mysteries
The LSST Corporation (LSSTC), a nonprofit consortium of approximately 30 research Institutions including Penn State, has received $7 million to establish the LSSTC Catalyst Fellowship funded by the John Templeton Foundation. The fellowships will support early-career researchers in astrophysics and…
Helping special education teachers under stress
Special education teachers are at heightened risk for stress and burnout, which negatively impacts their effectiveness and well-being. With a new five-year, $4 million grant from the Institute of Educational Sciences, Penn State and Georgia State University (GSU) researchers are teaming up with…
16th Annual De Jong Lecture in Social Demography taking place on Oct. 1
“Surviving Two Epidemics: Resilience and Health in the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health 1998-2021” will be presented by Hans-Peter Kohler at Penn State's 16th annual De Jong Lecture in Social Demography Oct. 1, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. in The Living Center, Henderson Building, and virtually…
Life Unites Us' campaign receives grant from PA Department of Drug and Alcohol
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol (DDAP) recently awarded multiple faculty members, staff and units from Penn State Harrisburg, Penn State College of Medicine's Project ECHO and Addiction Center for Translation, and additional Penn State campuses a $…
Authenticity in the USA: How Springsteen's music stayed true through the years
Bruce Springsteen has made a long career singing about his blue-collar, working class roots. But despite reaching super stardom since releasing his first album in the 1970s, a recent analysis found that Springsteen’s music has stayed “authentic” over time.
The study’s researchers examined the…
Counting pandemic behavior to inform public health decisions
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many significant changes to our lives, but one of the most visible signals of this has been the proliferation of masks and other face-coverings in public spaces. In a recent study published in the Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal, Penn State…
World-renowned data science experts to discuss the future of digital fairness
The ever-growing power of data requires an ever-deepening responsibility on the part of data scientists to use that power fairly and equitably. Recognizing this, Penn State’s Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) will host a symposium this fall aimed at fostering digital fairness.…
Consortium on Addiction and Substance Use changes name
The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse has changed its name to the Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA).
Approved earlier this year and informally announced during CSUA’s annual conference in May, the name change better reflects the…
OSVPR FAQs for Research
With Penn State's new masking requirements, we have updated our FAQs for Research. Highlights include:
· All individuals inside university buildings, including labs, must wear masks, even if everyone in the lab is vaccinated.
· If people are traveling in a car together for university business…
Closeness with dads may play special role in how kids weather adolescence
Adolescence can be an emotionally turbulent time, but new research at Penn State found that close, supportive relationships with parents — especially dads — at key points during adolescence can help stave off certain adjustment problems.
The researchers examined how emotionally close and supportive…
Survey Research Center names Miranda Kaye as new director
Miranda Kaye has been appointed as the new director at the Survey Research Center at Penn State. She will begin on Sept. 1, succeeding Diana Crom, who is retiring from Penn State after many years of service.
Kaye completed her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies at Cornell University, her…
Professor shares tips on managing stress and building resilience
Heidemarie Laurent, who became Penn State's second Bennett Pierce Professor of Caring and Compassion in July, conducts cutting-edge research on how interpersonal relationships — starting with experiences in the womb and continuing to develop throughout life — shape people’s ability to handle stress…
How behaviors can inform COVID-19 health campaigns
As the pandemic continues, implementing effective public health campaigns to improve vaccination rates and encourage personal behaviors to control the spread of the virus may be necessary.
Penn State researchers are exploring behaviors for slowing and stopping the spread of COVID-19, such as…
Crom set to retire
After years of strong leadership, Director of Operations Diana Crom is retiring from the Survey Research Center (SRC) at the end of August. SSRI and the SRC have greatly benefited from her dedication to providing outstanding customer service and working collaboratively with PIs and their research…
Why Social Science? - Because It Can Help Employers Compassionately Plan for Returning to the Office
By Sunita Sah, PhD, KPMG Professor of Management Studies, University of Cambridge
After a year of social distancing, mask wearing and – for millions – working from home, many employers are eager to bring their staff back to the office. But for many, the prospect of readjusting to in-…
Four themes identified as contributors to diseases of despair in Pennsylvania
Financial instability, lack of infrastructure, a deteriorating sense of community and family fragmentation are key contributors to diseases of despair in Pennsylvania communities, according to Penn State College of Medicine and Highmark Health researchers. The researchers conducted four…
Townhall for Postdoctoral Scholars and Fellows
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) is organizing a town hall meeting for all postdoctoral scholars and fellows on July 27, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. to noon. The goal of the town hall is to discuss the impact of the pandemic on postdoctoral training and career development. We understand that in…
Solutions Network Conference to focus on innovative research methods
The 2021 Child Maltreatment Solutions Network Conference, “Innovative Methods in Child Maltreatment Research,” will focus on the latest science surrounding the research of child maltreatment.
The conference will be held in person at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center Sept. 2-3. Before…