US women feel guilty about this, but men don't
Opinion by PRI Associate Director Sarah Damaske for CNN
An engaged mother of three, Vanessa worked as a certified nursing assistant, making just above minimum wage. She had no savings when her employer downsized, and she worried about how her job loss would impact her kids and her fiancé. She…
Privilege plays a huge role in getting an ADHD diagnosis
By Jess Joho for Mashable
For more than two decades now, the prevailing cultural narratives around ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) centered on suspicions of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. A significant rise in ADHD diagnoses in the '90s sparked concerns that continue to this day…
Penn State early career scholars selected for postdoctoral fellowships
SSRI cofunded faculty member Ericka Weathers, assistant professor of education (educational theory and policy), and Matthew Gardner Kelly, assistant professor of education (educational leadership) in Penn State’s College of Education have been selected as 2021 National Academy of Education (NAEd)/…
Behavior limits COVID-19 spread between University and community
When universities across the U.S. opted to return students to campus for in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic in the fall of 2020, surrounding communities were understandably concerned that COVID-19 infections rates would significantly increase.
In response, several Penn State…
Ehrenthal named director of Social Science Research Institute
The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research welcomes Deborah Ehrenthal, MD, MPH, as the new Director of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), effective September 1, 2021. Dr. Ehrenthal succeeds Dr. Susan McHale, who is returning to her full‐time faculty position after 14 years as…
Penn State researchers are developing app to promote family well-being
The middle-school years mark a time of rapid change for pre-teens and teens, as well as for their parents. As adolescents seek greater independence, it can be challenging for their parents to connect with and guide them. Penn State researchers, with funding from the Mental Research Institute, are…
Human development and family studies professor joins Recovery Rising initiative
H. Harrington ‘Bo’ Cleveland, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State and SSRI cofunded faculty member, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs’ Recovery Rising initiative.
Recovery Rising works to foster a resilient, diverse and…
Parents may underestimate impact of involving adolescent children in conflicts
When parents who are fighting with each other draw their adolescent children into their conflicts, the children may perceive those conflicts very differently than their parents, according to a new Penn State study.
"Parents may not realize the impact they are having on their children," said Devin…
After School Shootings, Well-Off Families Flee and Enrollment Drops. Low-Income Kids are Left to Confront the Aftermath
For more than a decade after the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School in suburban Denver, Frank DeAngelis held a simple promise: He’d stay on as principal until every student class enrolled in the district during the attack reached the graduation stage.
Despite the community upheaval and…
New book, 'The Tolls of Uncertainty,' examines the US unemployment system
In April 2020, soon after the pandemic forced the U.S. into lockdown, the unemployment rate reached 14.8%, the highest documented since data collection began in 1948. More than a year later, 4.2 million fewer women and 3.5 million fewer men are employed, compared to just before the start of the…
Report highlights economic impact of research at Penn State
Research at Penn State has supported more than 2,500 jobs and generated nearly $200 million in economic impact since 2015, according to a report released in April by The Science Coalition. The report, titled "Sparking Economic Growth," highlights 53 companies from coalition member institutions that…
McHale featured in Best and Worst Places to Raise a Family feature
SSRI Director Susan McHale is featured as an expert in WalletHub's 2021 Best and Worst Places to Raise a Family feature. Read McHale's insight and advice here.
Training scientists in substance use prevention the focus of $3.2 million grant
A $3.2 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will fund the continuation of Penn State's Prevention and Methodology Training (PAMT) program, which focuses on training the next generation of scientists in preventing substance use and addiction.
Effective strategies to prevent…
Child Maltreatment Solutions Network conference registration open
Registration for the 2021 Child Maltreatment Solutions Network Conference, Innovative Methods in Child Maltreatment Research, is now open. The conference will take place September 2 - 3 virtually and in person at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on Penn State’s University Park campus.…
Institute awards 14 computational and data sciences seed grants
From making our roads safer to paving the way to exoplanet discovery, the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) seed grants have funded 14 projects backed by researchers from across the disciplines and around the University. The 2021-22 ICDS seed grant program is designed to help…
Coupled brain activity, cerebrospinal fluid flow could indicate Alzheimer's risk
Penn State researchers may have discovered a potential marker to clinically evaluate patients’ risk for Alzheimer’s disease through non-invasive imaging tests, according to a study published today (June 1) in PLOS Biology. The finding may have implications for diagnosis and treatment of the disease…
The impacts of children's emotions and behavior on parenting
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…
SSRI cofund promotions
Penn State recently announced that seven of SSRI’s cofunded faculty members were promoted and several were granted tenure.
Sarah Font was promoted to associate professor of sociology, Sheridan Miyamoto was promoted to associate professor of nursing, and Hannah Schreier was promoted to…
Reducing missed abusive head trauma in pediatric intensive care units
Abusive head trauma (AHT) is one of the leading causes of traumatic death and disability in infants and young children in the United States. A missed diagnosis can lead to death if the child is mistakenly returned to an abusive situation.
For the first time, Penn State researchers, including lead…
Annual substance-use conference examines cross-systems solutions
The Penn State Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA) hosted its second annual conference, “Addressing Substance Use: Cross-Systems Solutions,” on Monday, May 3.
Held virtually via Zoom and drawing over 120 attendees throughout the day, the conference kicked off with a welcome…
Decreased testing could lead to surge in sexually transmitted infections
Screening and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) decreased by 63% for men and 59% for women during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study led by Penn State and Quest Diagnostics researchers. The researchers said this may be the result of restrictions…
Penn State project enriches the student experience while documenting pandemic
The Data 4 Action (D4A) project is comprised of dozens of Penn State researchers who are documenting the impacts of COVID-19 in Centre County. While the goal of the project is to assess the biological, psychological, and social functioning of Penn State students and community members, the project…
How drunk is 'drunk?' New scale helps predict negative drinking effects
The words young adults use to describe how they feel when they have been drinking alcohol are a key to understanding whether they will engage in risky behaviors such as driving under the influence. A new scale for researchers developed at Penn State has been shown effective in gauging how young…
Studying the effects of food ads on childhood obesity
Food advertisements targeting kids can encourage poor eating habits that contribute to obesity, however not all children are susceptible. Penn State researchers are exploring the factors that protect children from overeating in response to food ads in a $2.3 million NIH National Institute of…
SSRI Annual Report now available
The Social Science Research Institute’s 2019-2021 Annual Report is now available in a new, easy to navigate digital format. It contains an overview the Institute’s research units and activities as well as articles that describe research pertaining to the SSRI’s four strategic areas of emphasis.…