Greg Fosco
PRC Associate Director; Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
306 BBH Building
814-865-5622
gmf19@psu.edu
Pronouns: he/him
Introduction & Projects
As associate director of the Prevention Research Center, Greg Fosco guides the scientific vision and direction of the Center. As the head of the Family PrOcess and Well-being Enrichment Research (POWER)
Lab, he works with colleagues and students to investigate
the family as a context of adolescent development with the ultimate goal
of informing interventions to better serve families and youth. His
research, and that of the Family POWER Lab, follows two inter-related
lines of inquiry.
The first line focuses on understanding the family system and its influence on
adolescent development. He has conducted research on adolescent
social/emotional outcomes (e.g., romantic relationship competence,
self-regulation), psychopathology and substance use risk, and positive
well-being (e.g., subjective well-being, purpose in life). He has
conducted work examining interparental conflict and relationships,
family-level cohesion and conflict, and parent-child relationship
quality as key facets of the family system.
The second line of research has focused on family-based prevention programs, such as the Family Check-Up, on adolescent substance use, problem behaviors, and emotional distress. He is particularly interested in examining the change processes during interventions (e.g., skill acquisition, mechanisms of change) so that we can better understand how interventions work and direct future work toward optimization of programs to be more effective and efficient.
All of his work is grounded in a family systems framework, which calls
for a more complex understanding of how family relationships impact
adolescent development by considering a broader range of family
functioning (i.e., multiple family relationships), the
interconnectedness of these family processes, and the reciprocal
influence processes that unfold within families over time. For more
information about the Family POWER Lab, family systems theory, current
research projects, or lab activities, please visit his lab website: www.gregfosco.weebly.com
For more information on Dr. Fosco, please click here.
Prevention-related Projects
Recent Publications
Feinberg, M. E., Fang, S., Fosco G. M., Sloan, C. J., Mogle, J., & Spoth, R. L. (2022). Long-term effects of adolescent substance use prevention on participants, partners, and their children: Resiliency and outcomes 15 years later during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prevention Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-022-01384-2
Profiles of future expectations among urban adolescents in Cambodia
Knapp, K. S., Chimed-Ochir, U., Apsley, H. B., Eng, S., Fosco, G. M., & Cleveland, H. H. (2022). Profiles of future expectations among urban adolescents in Cambodia. Developmental Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001374
Fosco, G. M., LoBraico, E. J., Sloan, C. J., Fang, S., & Feinberg, M. E. (2021). Family vulnerability, disruption, and chaos predict parent and child COVID-19 health-protective behavior adherence. Families, systems & health: The Journal of Collaborative Family Healthcare. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000649
Triadic family structures and their day-to-day dynamics: A multilevel latent profile analysis
Xia, M., Bray, B.C., & Fosco, G.M. (In Press). Capturing triadic family structures and their day-to-day dynamics: A multilevel latent profile analysis. Family Process. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/famp.12722
MacNeill, L.A. & Fosco, G.M. (2021). Intraindividual differences in adolescent threat appraisals and anxiety associated with interparental conflict. Journal of Marriage and Family, 84, 583-601. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12795
Fosco, G.M., Sloan, C. J., Fang, S., & Feinberg M.E. (2021). Family vulnerability and disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic: Prospective pathways to child maladjustment. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13458
Predictors of attendance patterns in a universal family-based preventive intervention program
LoBraico, E.J., Fosco, G.M., Feinberg, M.E., Spoth, R. Redmond, C. & Bray, B.C. (In Press). Predictors of Attendance Patterns in a Universal Family-Based Preventive Intervention Program. Journal of Primary Prevention.
Fosco, G.M, McCauley, D.M., Sloan, C.J. (2021). Distal and proximal family contextual effects on adolescents’ interparental conflict appraisals: A daily diary study. Journal of Family Psychology, 35, 927-938. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000703
Hochgraf, A. K., Fosco, G. M., Lanza, S. T., & McHale, S. (2021). Developmental timing of parent-youth intimacy as a protective factor for adolescent adjustment problems. Journal of Family Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000864
New conceptualizations and directions in the study of family context
Teti, D.M. & Fosco, G.M. (2021). New conceptualizations and directions in the study of family context. Journal of Family Psychology, 35(2), 123–127. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000816
Shewark, E.A., Ramos, A.M., Liu, C., Ganiban, J.M., Fosco, G.M., Shaw, D.S., Reiss, D., Natsuaki, M.N., Leve, L.D., & Neiderhiser, J.M. The role of child negative emotionality in parenting and child adjustment: Gene-environment interplay. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13420
LoBraico, E.J., Bray, B.C., Feinberg, M.E., & Fosco, G.M. (2020). Constellations of Family Risk for Long-Term Adolescent Antisocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 34, 587-597.
Mayfield, K. & Fosco, G.M. (2021). Links between School and Home: Associations between Adolescent School Day Experiences and Maternal Perceptions of Family Relations. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30, 121-133.
Developmental timing of parent-youth intimacy as a protective factor for adolescent adjustment problems
Hochgraf, A.K., Lanza, S.T., Fosco, G.M., & McHale, S.M. (In Press). Developmental Timing of Parent-Youth Intimacy as a Protective Factor for Adolescent Adjustment Problems. Journal of Family Psychology
McCauley, D. M., Sloan, C. J., Xia, M., & Fosco, G. M. (2021). Same family, divergent realities: How triangulation preserves parents’ illusory harmony while adolescents navigate interparental conflicts. Journal of Family Psychology, 35(2), 128–137. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000785
Sloan, C. J., Fosco, G. M., & Ram, N. (2021). Sensitization in situ: Identifying interindividual differences in adolescents’ intraindividual responsiveness to interparental conflict. Family Relations, 22, 583-601. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12604
Mak, H. W., Fosco, G.M., & Lanza, S. T. (2021). Dynamic Associations of Parent-Adolescent Closeness and Friend Support with Adolescent Depressive Symptoms Across Ages 12-19. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 31, 299-316.
When do adolescents feel loved? A daily within-person study of parent-adolescent relations
Coffey, J., Xia, M. & Fosco, G.M. (In Press). When do Adolescents Feel Loved? A Daily Within-Person Study of Parent-Adolescent Relations. Emotion. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32658506/
Fosco, G.M., Brinberg, M. & Ram, N. (2021). Day-to-day changes in parent-adolescent connectedness: Relations with daily subjective well-being and eudaimonia differ for parents and adolescents. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5, 640-650. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1791945
Lippold, M.A., Hussong, A., Fosco, G.M., & Ram, N. (2021). Youth Internalizing Problems and Changes in Parent-Child Relationships Across Adolescence: Lability and Developmental Trends. Journal of Early Adolescence, 41, 472-497.
Zhang, X., Gatzke-Kopp, L.M., Fosco, G.M., & Bierman, K.L. (2020). Parental Support of Self-Regulation among Children at Risk for Externalizing Symptoms: Developmental Trajectories of Physiological Regulation and Behavioral Adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 56, 528-540.
Mak, H. W., Russell, M. A., Lanza, S. T., Feinberg, M. E., & Fosco, G. M. (2019). Age-varying associations of parental knowledge and antisocial peer behavior with adolescent substance use. Developmental Psychology. Advance online publication. doi:10.1037/dev0000866 PMCID: PMC7195894
LoBraico, E.J., Bray, B.C., Feinberg, M.E., & Fosco, G.M. (2020). Constellations of Family Risk for Long-Term Adolescent Antisocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 34, 587-597.
Constellations of family risk for long-term adolescent antisocial behavior
LoBraico, E., Bray, B., Feinberg, M., & Fosco, G. (2020). Constellations of family risk for adolescent antisocial behavior. Journal of Family Psychology, 34(5), 587-597. (e-pub ahead of publication). https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/fam0000640
Elaborating on premature adolescent autonomy: Linking daily family processes to developmental risk
Fosco, G.M. & LoBraico, E. (2019). Elaborating on premature adolescent autonomy: Linking daily family processes to developmental risk. Development and Psychopathology, 31, 1741-1755. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579419001032
Xia, M., Weymouth, B., Bray, B.C., Lippold, M. A., Feinberg, M.E., & Fosco, G.M. (2020). Exploring Influence of Triadic Family Relationship Profiles on Adolescents’ Early Substance Initiation. Prevention Science, 21, 519-529.
Fosco, G.M. & Lydon-Staley, D.M. (2020). Implications of Family Cohesion and Conflict for Adolescent Mood and Well-Being: Examining Within- and Between-Family Processes on a Daily Timescale. Family Process, 59, 1672-1689.
LoBraico, E. J., Brinberg, M., Ram, N., & Fosco, G.M. (2020). Exploring Processes in Day-to-Day Parent-Adolescent Conflict and Angry Mood: Evidence for Circular Causality. Family Process, 59, 1706-1721.
Fosco, G.M. & Lydon-Staley, D.M. (2019). A within-family examination of interparental conflict, cognitive appraisals, and adolescent mood and well-being. Child Development, 90, e421-e436. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12997
Fosco, G.M., Mak H.W., Ramos, A. LoBraico, E.J., & Lippold, M.A. (2019). Exploring the promise of assessing dynamic characteristics of the family for predicting adolescent risk outcomes. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 60, 848-856. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13052
Adolescent emotion network dynamics in daily life and implications for depression
Lydon-Staley, D.M., Xia, M., Mak, H.W., & Fosco, G.M. (2019). Adolescent emotion network dynamics in daily life and implications for depression. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 47, 717-729. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-018-0474-y
Glatz, T., Lippold, M.A., Jensen, T.M., Fosco, G.M., & Feinberg, M.E. (2020). Hostile interactions in the family: What are the patterns and how are they linked to youth externalizing problems? Journal of Early Adolescence, 40, 58-82.
Brinberg, M., Fosco, G.M., & Ram, N. (2017). Examining inter-family differences in intra-family (parent-adolescent) dynamics using grid-sequence analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 31, 994-1004. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000371
Dynamical systems modeling of couple interaction: A new method for assessing intervention impact across the transition to parenthood
Feinberg, M. E., Xia, M., Fosco, G. M., Heyman, R. E., & Chow, S.-M. (2017). Dynamical systems modeling of couple interaction: A new method for assessing intervention impact across the transition to parenthood. Prevention Science, 18(8), 887–898. PMID:28597177
Nurturant-involved parenting and adolescent substance use: Examining an internalizing pathway through adolescent social anxiety symptoms and substance refusal efficacy
Weymouth, B. B., Fosco, G. M., & Feinberg, M. E. (2017). Nurturant-involved parenting and adolescent substance use: Examining an internalizing pathway through adolescent social anxiety symptoms and substance refusal efficacy. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 1–14. PMID:29212564
Trajectories of adolescent hostile-aggressive behavior and family climate: Longitudinal implications for young adult romantic relationship competence
Fosco, G.M., Van Ryzin, M., Xia, M., & Feinberg, M.E. (2016). Trajectories of adolescent hostile-aggressive behavior and family climate: Longitudinal implications for young adult romantic relationship competence. Developmental Psychology, 52(7), 1139-1150.
Preventing adolescent depression with the Family Check-Up: Examining family conflict as a mechanism of change
Fosco, G. M., Van Ryzin, M. J., Arin, C. M., & Stormshak, E. A. (2016). Preventing adolescent depression with the Family Check-Up: Examining family conflict as a mechanism of change. Journal of Family Psychology, 30, 82-92.
Triangulation and parent-adolescent relationships: Implications for adolescent dating competence and abuse
Fosco, G. M., Xia, M., Lynn, M. G., & Grych, J. H. (2016). Triangulation and parent-adolescent relationships: Implications for adolescent dating competence and abuse. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 26, 1179-1202.
Seven reasons to invest in well-being
Howell, K. H., Coffey, J. K., Fosco, G. M., Kracke, K., Nelson, S. K., Rothman, E. F., & Grych, J. H. (2016). Seven reasons to invest in well-being. Psychology of Violence, 6, 814.
Knowledge lability: Within-person changes in parental knowledge and their associations with adolescent problem behavior
Lippold, M. A., Fosco, G. M., Ram, N., & Feinberg, M. E. (2016). Knowledge lability: Within-person changes in parental knowledge and their associations with adolescent problem behavior. Prevention Science, 17, 274-283.
The Circle of Care: Extending beyond the nuclear family to examine the role of collaborative caretaking in adolescent development
Margolis, K., Fosco, G. M., & Stormshak, E. A. (2016). The Circle of Care: Extending beyond the nuclear family to examine the role of collaborative caretaking in adolescent development. Journal of Family Issues, 37, 1179-1202.
A component-centered meta-analysis of family-based prevention programs for adolescent substance use
Van Ryzin, M. J., Roseth, C., Fosco, G. M., Lee, Y.-K., & Chen, I.-C. (2016). A component-centered meta-analysis of family-based prevention programs for adolescent substance use. Clinical Psychology Review, 45, 72-80.
Examining reciprocal influences among family climate, school attachment, and academic self-regulation: Implications for school success
Xia, M., Fosco, G. M., & Feinberg, M. E. (2016). Examining reciprocal influences among family climate, school attachment, and academic self-regulation: Implications for school success. Journal of Family Psychology, 26, 442-452.
Van Ryzin, M.J., Kumpfer, K.L, Fosco, G.M., & Greenberg, M.F. (Eds.) (2015). Family-based prevention programs for children and adolescents: Theory, research, and large-scale dissemination. Psychology Press. https://www.routledge.com/Family-Based-Prevention-Programs-for-Children-and-Adolescents-Theory-Research/Ryzin-Kumpfer-Fosco-Greenberg/p/book/9781848724853
The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Short Form (DERSSF)
Kaufman, E. A., Xia, M., Fosco, G. M., Yaptangco, M., Skidmore, C. R., & Crowell, S. E. (2016). The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Short Form (DERSSF): Validation and replication in adolescent and adult samples. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 38, 443-455.
Profiles of adolescents
Fosco, G. M., & Bray, B. C. (2016). Profiles of adolescents triangulation and appraisals of interparental conflict: Implications for adjustment. Journal of Family Psychology, 30, 533-542.
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