Cynthia A. Stifter, Ph.D.
1987, University of Maryland
Professor of Human Development and Psychology
Research website: Infant Temperament Lab and Emotional Beginnings
105
White
(814) 865-2666
tvr@psu.edu
Education
- University of Maryland, College Park, B.A., 1975, Sociology
- University of Maryland, Baltimore Social Work, M.S.W., 1978, Clinical Social Work
- University of Maryland, College Park, Ph.D., 1987, Human Development
Research and Professional Experience
- 1987-1993: Assistant Professor of Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- 1994-1995: Visiting Scholar, Harvard University School of Public Health
- 1994-1995: Visiting Associate Professor, Harvard University School of Medicine
- 1993-2000: Associate Professor of Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- 2000-Present: Professor of Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Selected Publications (1995-Present)
- Fish, M., & Stifter, C. A. (1995). Patterns of mother-infant interaction and attachment: A cluster-analytic approach. Infant Behavior and Development, 18, 435-446.
- Halberstadt, A., Cassidy, J. Stifter, C., Parke, R., & Fox, N. (1995). Self-expressiveness with the family context: Psychometric support for a new measure. Psychological Assessment, 7, 93-103.
- Stifter, C. A. (1995). Approach/withdrawal processes in infancy: The relationship between parasympathetic tone and infant temperament. In K. Hood, E. Tobach & G. Greenberg (Eds.), Approach/withdrawal theory and behavioral development. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
- Stifter, C. A., & Braungart, J. M. (1995). The regulation of negative reactivity in infancy: Function and development. Developmental Psychology, 31, 448-455.
- Braungart, J. M., & Stifter, C. A. (1996). Infant responses to frustrating events: Continuity and change in reactivity and regulation. Child Development, 67, 1767-1779.
- Stifter, C. A., & Jain, A. (1996). Psychophysiological correlates of infant temperament: Stability of behavior and autonomic patterning for 5 to 18 month olds. Developmental Psychobiology, 29, 379-391.
- Braungart-Reiker, J., Garwood, M., & Stifter, C. (1997). Compliance and noncompliance: The roles of maternal control and child temperament Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 18, 411-428.
- Ponirakis, A., Susman, E., & Stifter, C. A. (1998). Negative emotionality and cortisol during adolescent pregnancy and its effects on infant health and autonomic nervous system reactivity. Developmental Psychobiology, 33, 163-174.
- Stifter, C. A., & Bono, M. (1998). The effect of infant colic on maternal self-perceptions and mother-infant attachment. Child: Care, Health, and Development, 24, 339-351.
- Fish, M., & Stifter, C. A. (1999). Parenting attitudes and behaviors in rural Appalachian mothers: A comparison study. Journal of Rural Community Psychology.
- Porges, S. Doussard-Roosevelt, J., Stifter, C., McClenny, B., & Riniolo, T. (1999). Sleep state and the efficiency of the vagal brake in the regulation of heart rate in the human newborn: An extension of the Polyvagal Theory. Psychophysiology, 36, 14-21.
- Spinrad, T., & Stifter, C. A. (1999). Mothering. In C. Smith (Ed.), The encyclopedia of parenting theory and research (pp. 280-282). Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing.
- Stifter, C. A., & Spinrad, T. (1999). Colic and parents. In C. Smith (Ed.), The encyclopedia of parenting theory and research (pp. 73-74). Greenwood Publishing: Westport, CT.
- Stifter, C. A., Spinrad, T., & Braungart-Rieker, J. (1999). Toward a developmental model of child compliance: The role of emotion regulation in infancy. Child Development, 70, 21-32.
- Stifter, C. A. (2001). "Life" after unexplained crying: Child and parent outcomes. In R. Barry, I. St. James Roberts, & M. Keefe (Eds.), New evidence on unexplained early infant crying: Its origins, nature, and management (pp. 273-288). Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute.
- Stifter, C. & Corey, J. (2001). Vagal regulation and observed social behavior in infancy. Social Development, 10, 189-201.
- Putman, S., Spritz, B., & Stifter, C. (2002). Mother-child co-regulation during delay of gratification at 30 months. Infancy, 3, 209-225.
- Stifter, C. (2002). Individual differences in emotion regulation in infancy: A thematic collection. Infancy, 3, 129-132.
- Stifter, C., & Spinrad, T. (2002). The effect of excessive crying on the development of emotion regulation. Infancy, 3, 133-152.
- Putnam, S., & Stifter, C. (2002). Development of approach and inhibition in the first year: Parallel findings from motor behavior, temperament ratings, and directional cardiac response. Developmental Science, 5, 441-451.
- Spinrad, T., & Stifter, C. A. (2003). Maternal sensitivity and infant emotional reactivity: Concurrent and longitudinal relations. Marriage and Family Review. 34, 243-263.
- Stifter, C. (2003). Child effects on the family: An example of the extreme case and a question of methodology. In A. Booth & A. Crouter (Eds.), Children's influence on family dynamics: The neglected side of family relationships (pp. 79-89). Mahwah, NJ:Erlbaum
- Bono, M. & Stifter, C. (2003). Maternal attention-directing strategies and infant focused attention during problem solving. Infancy, 4, 235-250.
- Stifter, C., Bono, M., & Spinrad, T. (2003). Parent characteristics and conceptualizations associated with the emergence of infant colic. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 21, 309-322.
- Spinrad, T., Stifter, C., Donelan-McCall, N., & Turner, L. (2004). Mothers' regulation strategies in response to toddlers' affect: Links to later emotion self-regulation. Social Development, 13, 40-55.
- Stifter, C. & Wiggins, C. (2004). Assessment of disturbances in emotion regulation and temperament. In R. DelCarmen-Wiggins & A. Carter, (eds.). Handbook of Infant,Toddler, and Preschool Mental Health Assessment (pp. 79-103). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Jahromi, L., Putnam, S., & Stifter, C. (2004). Maternal regulation of infant reactivity from 2 to 6 months. Developmental Psychology, 40, 477-487.
- Putnam, S. & Stifter, C.A. (2005). Behavioral approach-inhibition in toddlers: Prediction from infancy, positive and negative affective components, and relations with behavior problems. Child Development, 76, 212-226.
- Fox, N. A. & Stifter, C.A. (2005). Emotional development. In B. Hopkins (Ed.), Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development (pp. 234-241). Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press.
- Quigley, K. & Stifter, C.A. (2006). A comparative validation of sympathetic reactivity in children and adults. Psychophysiology, 43, 357-365.
- Ahn, H. & Stifter, C.A. (2006). Child care teachers' responses to children's emotional expressions. Early Education and Development, 17, 253-270.
- Jahromi, L. & Stifter, C.A. (in press). Individual differences in the effectiveness of maternal soothing on reducing infant distress response. Infancy.
- Spinrad, T. & Stifter, C. A. (in press). Toddlers' empathy-related responding to distress: Predictions from negative emotionality and maternal behaviors in infancy. Infancy.