Penn State Shenango Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies Lauren Altenburger stands with outgoing co-chair of the Men in Families Focus Group (MFFG) Dr. Matthew Rodriguez from the University of California Cooperative Extension at the 2023 National Council on Family Relations Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
SHARON, Pa. — Penn State Shenango Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies Lauren Altenburger recently attended the 2023 National Council on Family Relations Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. At the meeting, Altenburger presented her latest research, co-chaired the Men in Families Focus Group, and also participated in a symposium focused on father involvement across the lifespan.
Altenburger’s research began in Feb. 2023, and included a workshop at Columbia University in June where she was able to analyze information from the data set “Future of Families and Child Well-Being (FFCW).”
“This was a great experience,” Altenburger said. “I learned a lot about the data structure and had a chance to meet social scientists from across the country.”
This research experience culminated in Altenburger’s presentation at the NCFR Conference titled, “Longitudinal Associations Between Parents' Self-Control and Supportive Coparenting: The Mediating Role of Romantic Relationship Quality,” which examines whether a parents’ ability to suppress an impulse and appropriately react to the demands of a situation predicted how well parents work together in child-rearing.
Additionally, Altenburger sees her work with the Men in Families Focus Group as vitally important as social scientists discuss how to push the field forward.
“A much larger body of research has considered mothers’ experiences and mother-child relationships,” said Altenburger. “Comparatively, we know much less about fathers, especially fathers’ mental health.”
Now that this phase of the research is complete, Altenburger hopes to have the results published, and to see her findings be used in future parenting programs.
“This conference attracts policymakers, researchers and practitioners from across the country. We have conversations that start to bridge gaps and break down barriers," said Altenburger.
