Emotion Development Lab at Penn State

01/28/2026

Alyssa Swift, our second-year PhD student, was featured in a student spotlight at her alma mater, discussing how it prepared her to pursue her PhD at Penn State. Learn more here:

WKU ('23) alum Alyssa Swift credits early research, honors, and mentorship for preparing her for a Ph.D. at Penn State—shaping her work in developmental psychology, teaching, and student mentorship.

07/07/2025

Dr. Sarah Myruski was featured on the Children and Screens "Screen Deep" podcast!

Kris Perry talks with Dr. Myruski about recent neuroimaging findings that indicate an important role for emotion regulation skills in the association between anxiety and social media use.

To learn more, click below and listen on your preferred streaming platform.

Date June 2025 Episode 016 Guest Sarah Myruski, PhD Topics Social Media | Brain and Cognition | Mental Health | Parenting The relationship between social media use and adolescent mental health issues like anxiety is complex, and researchers continue to probe the mechanisms and causalities that may b...

06/24/2025

Missed our most recent PACT webinar on Understanding and Managing Anxiety in Childhood and Adolescence?

It featured insightful discussions and valuable takeaways from speakers Dr. Kristin Buss, Dr. Sarah Myruski, and second-year graduate student, Leah Gowatch.

The full recording is now available to watch online:

06/05/2025

Mark your calendars for the upcoming PACT Webinar!

Understanding and Managing Anxiety in Childhood and Adolescence. Tuesday, June 10th, 6-7pm EST.

Scan the QR code, or register here: https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XA6IOxR6Tf6ze9Ya8y3BTQ #/registration

11/20/2024

New blog alert! Bridget Cahill and Stacey LeVan discuss First-generation college student (FGCS) barriers-- including family dynamics and support structures.

Many colleges and universities are recognizing the importance of supporting first-generation college students to succeed. What support is needed, and how much is enough?

10/08/2024

Third-year graduate student Maddie Politte-Corn, M.Ed., discusses a critical topic in our most recent blog post: 'Can research change the world?'

Many psychology researchers share the overarching goal of having a positive impact on children’s lives. But how exactly do we achieve this?

08/29/2024

Our incredible postdoc Michelle Ramos, PhD discusses how patterns of symptoms shape teens' social skills and problem behaviors in our new blog post: "Teens' Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors and Their Effect" on Psychology Today

Distinct symptom patterns affect teens' social skills, problem behavior, and emotion regulation.

07/31/2024

What matters most in the study of emotion? Principal investigator and lab director, Dr. Kristin Buss, discusses our favorite research findings in the latest blog post!

Understanding physiology helps us identify the children at the highest risk for anxiety and depression and identify targets for intervention.

06/27/2024

Youth Anxiety, Depression, and Digital Media: What parents and educators need to know about media use and youth suffering from anxiety and depression. Read more below:

Date May 2024 Ages & Stages (6-10 yrs) Elementary School (11-13 yrs) Middle School (14-18 yrs) High Schoolers Topics Mental Health | LGBTQIA+ | Parenting | Race and Ethnicity | Social Media Share Options Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Linkedin Increased rates of anxiety and depression i...

06/27/2024

New publication alert! "Digital Media Use Preference Indirectly Relates to Adolescent Social Anxiety Symptoms Through Delta-Beta Coupling" has been published online in Affective Science!

Adolescence is a period of profound biological and social-emotional development during which social anxiety symptoms commonly emerge. Over the past several decades, the social world of teens has been transformed by pervasive digital media use (e.g., social media, messaging apps), highlighting the ur...

06/27/2024

Amazing work by Dr. Sarah Myruski and Dr. Bill Doan--Drawing and mental health research project receives award in field of neuroarts.

Penn State School of Theatre faculty member Bill Doan’s collaborative research project examining how drawing can be a tool for managing mental health is among the first recipients of the Renée Fleming NeuroArts Investigator Awards.

06/27/2024

We are looking for adults 18-25 years old to participate in a project about mindfulness. Participation involves completing 2 in-person visits at the Penn State University Park campus Moore building. Participants brain and heart rate activity will be monitored while completing mindfulness activities, separated by 4 weeks of at-home activities with online questionnaires.

If you are interested in being a participant, please complete the interest form: https://tinyurl.com/mindstudypsu