Issues

Summer 2012

Teen behavior problems linked to early chronic stress
Behavior problems in adolescence such as aggression and delinquency are linked to chronic stress in early childhood, which interferes with children’s development of self-control, says a Cornell study.

Study: Teens’ chronic stress linked to childhood poverty
A new study reports that chronic stress in adolescence is linked to how much childhood time was spent in poverty. Such stress sets the stage for a host of physical and mental problems.

Preschoolers’ language often means misleading testimony
Children often use language differently than adults do when referring to a person or thing, which can result in misleading testimony, according to a new Cornell study.

Study: Negative stereotypes about the poor hurt their health
Adolescents who grow up poor are more likely to report being discriminated against; this perception is related to harmful changes in health, research suggests.

Youths’ well-being linked to how well they conform to gender norms
Regardless of sexual orientation, youths who don’t conform to the norms for their gender are less happy than teens who do, reports a new Cornell study.

Eyes reveal sexual orientation, study shows
A new study finds that sexual orientation can be revealed in a person’s pupil dilation while watching videos of people they found attractive.

MRI scanner to propel cutting-edge research across campus
A powerful magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner has been delivered to Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, giving researchers a new tool to obtain detailed images with rich tissue contrasts noninvasively and

Students in the News

High School students participate in Thinking Like a Scientist
Rachel Sumner, a graduate student in human development, taught the Thinking Like a Scientist to teens as part of the 4H Career Explorations program this summer.

Painful memory? Think about a loved one, study says
Emre Selcuk, a graduate student in human development, participated in research suggesting that thinking about a loved one can make you feel better and reduce your negative thinking.

Resources
Adolescent demographics

National Resource Center for HIV/AIDS Prevention among Adolescents

Risk communication and risky decision making

Spring 2012

	Boys who mature rapidly have more problems with friendships, depression A new study by Jane Mendle and colleagues suggests that boys who reach sexual maturity more rapidly than their peers have more problems getting along with others their age and are at a higher risk for depression.
	Continuum of sexual orientation has ‘in between’ categories Twenty percent of women and 9 percent of men identified themselves as ‘mostly heterosexual,’ in a recent study by Ritch Savin-Williams, a finding that supports using a more nuanced 5-point scale for depicting sexual orientation.
	Study: Effects of loneliness mimic aging process, boost heart disease risk The effects of loneliness produce changes in the body that mimic the aging process and boost the risk of heart disease, reports a new study led by Anthony Ong.
	New book offers a roadmap for translational research Elaine Wethington and Rachel Dunifon have co-edited the new book, ‘Research for the Public Good: Applying the Methods of Translational Research to Improve Human Health and Well-Being.’
	Meet HD’s newest faculty member Nathan Spreng Please welcome our newest faculty member, Nathan Spreng, assistant professor in the department of human development in Cornell’s College of Human Ecology.
	Teens take risks to ‘play the odds’ but can be taught otherwise Sharing the latest evidence on adolescent brain development, Valerie Reyna spoke at an Inside Cornell media event held in March in Manhattan.
	CCE summer internships strengthen communities, inspire students This summer, 22 students will assist faculty members from all five academic departments in the College of Human Ecology through the Cornell Cooperative Extension Summer Internship program.

Students in the News

Students’ research tackles inequities in chronic pain care
Two Cornell undergraduates have been pursuing their respective passions for working with older adults and solving problems in underserved communities by tackling the burden of chronic pain among minorities.

Accessibility advocate chosen for Clinton Global Initiative University
HD major Jaime Freilich ’13 part of prestigious initiative.

Students build science kits
Emily Lopes ’13, Sharjeel Chaudhry ’13, both involved in HD research, noted for their work with PATCH.

HD graduate students featured on the BCTR website

Advice from life’s graying edge on finishing with no regrets

From body odor to democracy in Africa, social science research gets funding

Three-year decision-making collaboration results in 85 publications and more

New Resources

Women in science video series and K-12 education modules

Women and Leadership

Book Talk: The Adolescent Brain: Learning, Reasoning and Decision Making

The Developing Brain: What it means for treating adolescents

The Developing Young Brain

Guidelines for Healthy Food and Beverages for Adolescent Health Programs

Disadvantaged Families and Child Outcomes: The importance of Emotial Support for Mothers

Events

Youth Development Research Update, June 5-6, Ithaca

Winter 2012

Caregiver personality traits affect mental, physical health
Taking care of an aging or disabled loved one can be hazardous to your health, but certain personality traits appear to reduce caregivers’ risk for health problems.

Obama’s election changed racial identity of black students
A new Cornell study reports that the 2008 election changed African-American college students’ perceptions of being black.

New approach could more effectively diagnose personality disorders
Personality disorders could be more effectively diagnosed by identifying and targeting the disrupted neurobiological systems where the disorders originate, says Depue.

Kids under chronic stress more likely to become obese
The more ongoing stress children are exposed to, the greater the odds they will become obese by adolescence, reports Evans.

Meet HD’s newest faculty member, Felix Thoemmes
Please welcome our newest faculty member, Felix Thoemmes, assistant professor in the department of human development in Cornell’s College of Human Ecology.

Women leave math-intensive science fields when they decide to have kids
Women with advanced degrees in math-intensive academic fields drop out of fast-track research careers primarily because they want children, report Williams and Ceci.

New Book on teen brains can help improve reasoning, decision making
The book “The Adolescent Brain: Learning, Reasoning and Decision Making,” co-edited by Valerie Reyna, focuses on teen brain development and high cognition, which is critical for good reasoning.

New book shares life lessons from ‘wisest Americans’
Gerontologist Karl Pillemer’s new book, “30 Lessons for Living,” gleans advice on living better and aging well from more than 1,200 older Americans.

Students in the News

Playing with little ones brings child development to life
Big Red Buddies is a new program that places Cornell students at the Cornell Child Care Center to read to and play with the children – and to learn and be inspired.

Kushnir named ISS Fellow

Cornell research cited in report on toxic stress in childhood

Short history of decision making research cites Reyna’s work

Savin-Williams quoted on bullying

Mentoring in 4-H

New Resources

Neuroscience of Risky Decision Making Conference Presentations

An Ecological Approach to Adolescent Obesity

AAP Policy Statement on Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress

AAP Technical Report on The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress

Two Generations of Poverty: Status and Trends among Parents and Children

Events

Youth Development Research Update, June 5-6, Ithaca

Book talk: The Adolescent Brain: Learning, Reasoning, and Decision Making, Thursday, March 1 at 4:00pm, Mann Library, 160

Fall 2011

Experts explore links between risk-taking, brain mechanisms
The Third Biennial Urie Bronfenbrenner Conference, on campus Sept. 22-23, explored the connections between risky decision-making and brain mechanisms.

Study: Mothers can buffer the worst effects of chronic stress on children’s memory
Chronic stress in childhood can damage teen’s working memory, but having a more sensitive, responsive mother provides some protection.

New York’s 4-H program to become more research-based
4-H at Cornell has been relocated to Cornell’s Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research to give the program even stronger connections to research.

Study: Adults can’t tell when children are intentionally lying or misinformed
These findings have implications for physical and sexual abuse investigations, which often rely heavily on children’s eyewitness reports.

Different ages need different risk messages, research finds
From emergency evacuation notices to how many vegetables to eat, people need good information to make good choices.

Cybertools and Sinhala archive will improve analysis of world’s 7,000 languages
A new generation of cybertools and a Sinhala language data archive at Cornell allow researchers to better study language acquisition in children.

Law School and Department of Human Development launch dual degree program
A new program lets students earn law and Ph.D. degrees in six years. A Human Ecology program in psychology and human development complements law studies.

Meet HD’s New Faculty
Please welcome our newest faculty members, Anthony Burrows and Jane Mendle, to the department of human development.

Students in the News

Students head up research and outreach projects across NYS
Four undergraduate students working with faculty in the department of human development spent their summer engaged in everything from teaching teens to playing games with toddlers.

New Resources

Understanding self-injury

The Teen Brain: still under construction

Steven Penrod: Pretrial publicity and jury decision making

J. Michael Bailey: research on sexual orientation

Stephen Suomi: Risk, resilience, and gene-environment interplay in primates

Kim Kopko: Evidence-based programs

Summer 2011

Researchers connect gene to precondition for Alzheimer’s
New research identifies a genetic marker that has the potential to identify Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Study: Older adults more willing to wait for financial gain
A new study shows that, compared with younger adults, older adults report better mental health, which allows them to forego immediate financial gain for bigger gains in the future.

Bilingualism appears to boost young children’s mental abilities, study reports
When young children learn a second language, it strengthens their ability to pay attention to the right stuff, reports a new Cornell study.

Decision-making expert blames ‘good stories’ for anti-vaccination movement
Despite decades of success, vaccinations have come under attack. Human Ecology’s Valerie Reyna asks why.

Study: Health information technology poses no harm to nursing home residents
Cornell gerontologists have published the first study to examine how nursing home residents perceive electronic health information technology. The study shows that the technology poses no harm to the residents.

Cornell wins $660,000 grant for youth development program
Cornell has received a $660,000 grant to develop CITIZEN U, a program to help at-risk youths get more involved as citizens and to help them graduate from high school and go to college.

Cut the electronic umbilical cord, Cornell lecturer says in guide for parents of college students
A new book gives parents advice on loosening the so-called electronic umbilical cord to their college-age children, along with tips for common challenges.

Students in the News

Teaching scientific inquiry to teens
HD graduate student Rachel Sumner worked with teens at this year’s 4-H Career Explorations conference.

Helping teens make better decisions
Anna Zhu '14 taught at the 4-H Career Explorations conference as part of her summer extension internship.

Valerie Adams is N.Y.’s new 4-H youth development leader and CCE assistant director

Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research: forging closer links among research, practice, and policy

Tipping the scales

Halfway out: Why many stay closeted in the workplace

New Resources

Charles Brainerd Interview on false memory

Karl Pillemer Interview on maternal favoritism

Stephen Hamilton: Linking Research and Practice in Youth Development

Janis Whitlock: Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents and Young Adults - Emotional Health Trends

Monica Hargraves: Making Youth Development Evaluations Work and Workable: Insights 4-H

The Condition of Education 2011

America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well Being 2011

Spring 2011

False memories lack sensory and other details, study finds
Memory is notoriously fickle. Now researchers have found a way to distinguish true and false memories using methods which may ultimately help in the courtroom.

Drop in positive emotions – rather than jump in negative – linked to poorer health in widowhood
When a spouse or life partner dies, the survivor experiences more health issues.A new study points to the steep drop in positive emotions as the culprit.

Data archive on child abuse renewed with $3.6 million
The National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect received renewed funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in recognition for its role in combatting child maltreatment.

Course trains practitioners and fosters service learning for CU students
A new workshop series for local daycare programs teaches state-of-the-art theory and methods and gives back to community partners who provide Cornell undergraduates with experiential learning opportunities.

Spoken language declines may be early marker for Alzheimer’s disease, pilot study finds
A pilot study suggests that older adults with early Alzheimer’s disease may be especially prone to difficulty constructing complex sentences as well as finding words.

Gut instinct: We can identify criminals on sight, study finds
Three Cornell researchers to reopen a “long and sordid” history of research and debate about whether we can determine who is a criminal by looking at his face. Their finding: We can.

Collision of climate change and aging populations needs serious study
Cornell researchers are calling on their colleagues around the world to focus on how aging global populations will intersect with climate change and calls for environmental sustainability.

More Stories

What is translational research?

New York continues PROSPER Partnership to prevent substance abuse

Women in science research receives media attention

NY Farm Bureau, CCE celebrate centenniel

Gay or straight, youths aren’t so different

Students in the News

Research-extension project teaches CU students and teens
The project is proving rewarding, not only for the youth who are taking the classes, but for the Cornell students involved in the research and teaching.

New Resources

The psychology of poverty

Examining racial diversity

Improving impact in youth development programs

New ACT for Youth website

Fact Sheet: What works for acting out

Fact sheet: What works for promoting and enhancing positive social skills

Events

Youth Development Research Update: June 1-2

The Neuroscience of Risky Decision Making – 3rd Biennial Bronfenbrenner Conference, September 22-23, 2011

Advancing Youth Development Training

Winter 2011

	Positive outlook can ease chronic pain, widowhood A study shows how a positive outlook can reduce the suffering of chronic pain; another how it eases the potentially devastating effects of being widowed.
	Study: Community ties protect teens from smoking, obesity Growing up poor increases a person's chances of health problems as an adult, but a new Cornell study shows that being raised in a tight-knit community can help offset this disadvantage of poverty.
	Chronic stress seems linked to achievement gap Stress from crowding and family conflict is another reason why low-income children don’t fare as well as their middle-income counterparts.
	Supporting the transition to adulthood of Latin American youth In a global economy, young people increasingly need educational credentials to get good jobs. Impoverished youth often lack access to such education and the jobs necessary to get established.
	Choices – not discrimination – determine women scientists’ success Research debunks the belief that women are under-represented in science, math and engineering fields because they face sex discrimination.

More Stories

The paradox of aging

Soothing the strains in nursing homes

Helping seniors cope with climate change

CU recognized as ‘institution of community engagement’

Students in the News

	Summer internship explored translational research HD major Helena Herman ’11, examined the links between translational research and extension in the US.
	Assessing Alzheimer’s through speech Jordan Whitlock ’11 is working on a research project exploring whether language deterioration can be an indicator of the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
	Good schools can increase the social cost of academic achievement Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell ’10, led study on how school demographics affect the social cost of achievement for minority students.

Resources

Parenting Teens – what is the latest research?

The Teen Years Explained: A guide to healthy adolescent development

School-Based Prevention: Current Status and Future Challenges

Events

First Annual Youth Development Research Update, June 1 & 2, LaTourelle, Ithaca, NY

Advancing Youth Development Training

Fall 2010

New Integrated Model of How Stress Affects the Brain and Body
Stressors are a common occurrence for most people…but how much is too much? How does the stress process work and why are so many illnesses linked to stress? A new model helps explain the links.

Where Learning Occurs Matters: Aging Schools Linked to Poorer Student Outcomes
Low building quality and high student mobility negatively affect student achievement; both conditions are more often found in low-income districts.

Learning About How Young Children Learn. “Babies and children are like little scientists. They gather evidence by observing and experiencing the world,” says Tamar Kushnir. Her research sheds light on how young children learn about cause and effect through everyday experiences

Explaining the complicated women + math formula

For older adults, there’s no place like home

Savin-Williams sets media straight about today’s gay youth

Decisions, decisions: Theme project scholars collaborate on judgment, decision making, social behavior

CITY Project is featured on federal youth website

Start-up PROSPER Grant to help New Yorkers reduce risky teen behaviors

Students in the News

HD Major and Other Students Volunteer with Elderly Alli Bosserman ’11, HD major and gerontology minor, visits Yvonne Smith nearly every week.

NYC 4H Student Selected to Attend World Food Prize Symposium Lazarus Lynch, a 4H student in New York City, was selected as one of four exceptional student finalists in the World Food PrizeInstitute.

Resources

A Look at the Lives of Gay Teens – Interview with Ritch Savin-Williams

Early Life Stress and Development: Studies of Children Adopted Internationally from Orphanages

Risk and Financial Decision Making

Envy Up, Scorn Down: How Status Divides Us

Learning About How Young Children Learn

School Protocol for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Strengthening Families Statewide Outcomes

What's New: Parenting and Adolescent Development

Aging Website: Brave Old World

Events

Advancing Youth Development (AYD) Training

Summer 2010

	Researchers and Extension Educators Collaborate on Reducing the Risk in Adolescence. This summer a high energy team of Extension Educators and student researchers touched the lives of nearly 100 high school students in New York City and Ithaca.
	Preschoolers Use Statistics to Understand Others. By the time they're in preschool, children understand a lot about other people's inner mental lives -- their desires, preferences, beliefs and emotions. A new study by Tamar Kushnir shows they gain this understanding in part by using statistics.
	Try it out! Technology Project Enhances Memory and the Law Course. Last semester a team of instructional designers worked with Dr. Charles Brainerd to enrich his current course "Memory and the Law" with interactive content designed for students in the classroom and distance learners. You can try out one of the interactives here.
	CITY Project Pilots Social Capital Mapping Technique. The CITY Project is looking at the ways in which 4-H participation contributes to the development of social capital. This multistate research project focuses on how community improvement projects conducted by youth-adult partners contribute to the well-being of young people.
	The CITY Project’s Urban Farm Project Kicks Off with Visit from U.S. Senator. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan helped kick off the summer youth employment component of the Community Improvement Through Youth (CITY) Project in Broome County.

More Stories

Would you really be OK with a gay kid?

Environmental volunteering linked to retirees’ improved mental and physical health

Moms’ favoritism tied to depression in adulthood

The Gender Equation: Zeroing in on why women avoid math-intensive fields

CITY Project Teen Leaders host multicultural “Haitian Appreciation” in Binghamton

Professor-edited journal rated among tops in its field

Negative emotions trigger false memories in adults more often than in children

New endowment will benefit the study of early childhood development

Study uncovers why jurors reward the good-looking, penalize the unbeautiful

Expert urges doctors to regularly screen for self-injury

Cooperative Extension’s CITY Project in Binghamton holds Haiti fundraiser

Students in the News

	HD graduate earns first HEAA Outstanding Senior Award. Eric Zember ’10, was recognized for exemplifying the College’s mission.
	HD Major Wins Congressional Award. Human Development major Gabrielle Tan ’12 received a Congressional Award Gold Medal in June.

Resources

	Affective and Deliberative Processes in Risky Choice in Children, Adolescents, and Adults
	Translational Research: Where do Cornell's current outreach and extension efforts fit into the models?
	Youth and Consequences: New research-based blog on adolescence
	Research Brief: Child Care Center Quality and Child Development
	Parent Page: Choosing a Child Care Center
	Bronfenbrenner Conference on Translating Research into Policy and Practice
	The Cutting Edge: Non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence

Events

Advancing Youth Development (AYD) Training

Spring 2010

	Center Aims to Cut Obesity in Black, Latino New Yorkers. Elaine Wethington is the Ithaca-based principal investigator for a joint research program between Cornell in Ithaca, Weill Cornell Medical College,and healthcare providers. The study aims to encourage weight loss in minority populations through mindful eating techniques.
	Environmental Volunteering Linked to Improved Health in Retirees. Karl Pillemer’s research provides evidence that volunteering in environmental organizations in midlife is associated with greater physical activity and improved mental and physical health over a 20-year period.

Jurors More Likely to Convict Unattractive People

Partnership with Weill Cornell Pivotal to Research on Cognitive Impairment

New Evidence-Based Living Blog Applies Research to Daily Life

Resources

	Beyond Trauma and Resilience: Mapping the Heterogeneity of Reactions to Highly Aversive Life Events
	The Laws of Cultural Cognition, and the Cultural Cognition of Law
	Coming Out to Parents, Interview with Ritch Savin-Williams
	Parenting a Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Youth, Ritch Savin-Williams
	Exploring a Biopsychosocial Model of Cumulative Risk, Fourth Annual Bronfenbrenner Lecture
	New Website for New York State Youth from the ACT for Youth Network
	New Fact Sheets and Resources on Self-Injurious Behaviors in Adolescents and Young Adults

Events

Advancing Youth Development (AYD) Training

HD TODAY e-NEWS: Insights from Human Development's Research & Outreach

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Summer 2011

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