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Students face traumatic transition from middle school into high school

10/23/18

Transitioning from middle school to high school can cause a loss of friends, leading to lower grades and more personal struggles, according to researchers. They add that parents and educators should be aware of these traumatic transitions to help students navigate through this uncertain time.

mic and crowd

Does putting the brakes on outrage bottle up social change?

10/23/18

People often look at outrage as a negative emotion that has unproductive results. But, researchers are suggesting that two fields of psychology — moral psychology and intergroup psychology — may be combined to re-frame how outrage can have beneficial outcomes. Moral outrage, for example, may lead to increased voter registration and other forms of collective action.

hands and building blocks

Bringing Americans together on the issue of affordable housing

10/19/18

A lack of affordable housing is linked with many health problems, including asthma, stress and alcoholism. Penn State researchers found that while some Americans may be less aware of this link, there may be ways to communicate this connection in a way that resonates with those groups.

Modified amino acid in metal-free enzyme

Pathogens may evade immune response with metal-free enzyme

10/18/18

New study shows that some bacterial pathogens, including those that cause strep throat and pneumonia, are able to create the components necessary to replicate their DNA using a ribonucleotide reductase enzyme that does not require a metal ion cofactor.

Food study team

Study of Northeast food system advances understanding of regional potential

10/18/18

After seven years of analyzing a number of consumption, distribution, production, and other aspects of the Northeast U.S. food system, researchers from Penn State and 10 other universities and organizations have made significant gains in understanding the extent to which the region can increase production of certain foods, and potentially better meet the food needs of low-income populations in the locations they studied.

Brooke Doerfler undergraduate exhibition

Psychology professor maps the country's mental health

10/17/18

Penn State Beaver psychology professor Kevin Bennett has gathered disparate data and research to create a comprehensive map of psychological issues in the United States. Among his findings: neuroticism is higher in the Northeast and the West Coast is more open to experimentation.

Mom kissing sleeping child

Kids' sleep may suffer from moms' tight work schedules

10/16/18

It may be tough for working moms to get a good night’s sleep, but working tight hours may affect their children’s sleep, too. Researchers found that when mothers reported less flexibility in their work schedules, their children got less sleep.

Word Cloud September 2018 McCourtney Institute Mood of the Nation Poll

Mood of the Nation Poll finds one person's anger is another's pride

10/12/18

Responses to the September McCourtney Institute Mood the Nation Poll reveal partisan differences concerning President Donald Trump, but also football player and activist Colin Kaepernick, Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

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