Center for Families

Sharon Christ – Siblings of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) often have weaker language skills compared to peers with typical development (TD). However, whether their language-relevant audiovisual skills are also atypical is unknown.

Siblings of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) often have weaker language skills compared to peers with typical development (TD). However, whether their language-relevant audiovisual skills are also atypical is unknown.

Arielle Borovsky – Recent studies suggest that language users generate and maintain multiple predictions in parallel, especially in tasks that explicitly instruct participants to generate predictions. Here, we investigated the possibility of parallel gradedness of linguistic predictions in a simple reading task, using a new measure—imbalance—that captures the probabilistic difference between multiple sentence completions.

Recent studies suggest that language users generate and maintain multiple predictions in parallel, especially in tasks that explicitly instruct participants to generate predictions. Here, we investigated the possibility of parallel gradedness of linguistic predictions in a simple reading task, using...

2025 marks the fifteenth anniversary of The Family Dinner Project, and while we’re celebrating our anniversary, so is one of our community partners! The Purdue Center for Families spent the last year honoring their 30th anniversary with an in-depth, multi-faceted...

Trent Mize – Decades of research shows that holding and maintaining multiple social roles leads to better mental health and well-being overall, but role-accumulation theory has not proposed or considered whether effects vary at different stages in the life course. Rather, the current theory assumes that social roles’ positive influence on mental health should be similar at all ages.

Decades of research shows that holding and maintaining multiple social roles leads to better mental health and well-being overall, but role-accumulation theory has not proposed or considered whether effects vary at different stages in the life course. Rather, the current...

Leanne Nieforth – Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects nearly 23% of veterans who served after 9/11, creating challenges not just for them but for their families too. A recent study explores how psychiatric service dogs help alleviate these issues and foster resilience among military families. Here’s what the research uncovered.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects nearly 23% of veterans who served after 9/11, creating challenges not just for them but for their families too. A recent study explores how psychiatric service dogs help alleviate these issues and foster resilience among...

Sarah Eason – Research shows that parent–child math activities in the home positively relate to children’s math learning.

Research shows that parent–child math activities in the home positively relate to children’s math learning.

David Purpura – The home learning environment (HLE) is an important context for fostering early development. Literature supports four subdomains of the HLE: home literacy, numeracy, executive function, and science environments.

The home learning environment (HLE) is an important context for fostering early development. Literature supports four subdomains of the HLE: home literacy, numeracy, executive function, and science environments.

David Purpura

This award is given by the U.S. government to outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers to select scientists and engineers, highlights the hard work, excellence and exemplary nature of Purdue’s research programs and personnel.

Nancy Edwards

People of all ages rely on their pets for a serotonin boost, whether they’re throwing a ball for their dog, petting their cat or talking to their fish after a long day. Nancy Edwards, professor and head of the Purdue...

Rosie Shrout

Newsweek: A boyfriend is being accused by his dieting girlfriend of being "unsupportive" for what he was going to order for delivery to their home. Rosie Shrout, an assistant professor of human development at Purdue University, raises the health benefits...