Robert Turrisi
Professor of Biobehavioral Health and Prevention Research
210 Biobehavioral Health Building
814-865-7808
rturrisi@psu.edu
Introduction & Projects
"I try to make the world a better place by helping individuals achieve positive goals, whether those be health oriented, family oriented, educational, professional, or helping others."
Rob Turrisi has been engaged in research on prevention science topics for more than 35 years. His initial work looked at methods for reducing drunk driving — a subject on which he is passionate and continues to engage both with graduate fellows and his research team. His research also includes externally funded studies on brief parent interventions, substance abuse prevention, and skin cancer prevention.
The contributions of this work have been acknowledged by several organizations and national publications, including the most recent Surgeon General’s Report. Rob has also been the recipient of the Prevention Research Award from the Society for Prevention Research, the Faculty Scholar Medal from Penn State, and the Ralph Hingson Prevention Scientist Researcher of the Year Award. He serves on the Child Endangerment Expert Panel for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Rob is an active mentor and reviewer. All of his doctoral students since his joining the Penn State faculty in 2004 have received NIH F31 training fellowships. Rob has been a standing member or an ad-hoc member of NIH grant review study sections since 1988 and he regularly evaluates articles submitted to scientific journals, including Contemporary Psychology, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, and the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, among others. As an active researcher in drunk driving and substance abuse prevention topics, he has been interviewed on NBC Dateline, Good Morning America, and CBS Health Watch, and featured in USA Today.
Rob is also a lifetime member of Trout Unlimited and can be found fly-fishing when not in his lab or office.
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Prevention-related Projects
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An In-Depth Examination of Protective Behavioral Strategies to Reduce Alcohol-Related Consequences
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Examining an Intervention to Reduce Underage DUI and Riding with Impaired Drivers
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A Cognitive Analysis of Riding with Drinking Drivers in Emerging Adults
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Informing a Cultural Adaptation of a Parent-Based Intervention for African-American Youth
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Comparison of Interventions to Teach Melanoma Patients’ Skin Self–Examination
Recent Publications
What predicts willingness to experience negative consequences in college student drinkers?
Mallett, K. A., Turrisi, R., Reavy, R., Sell, N., Waldron, K. A., Scaglione, N., & Ackerman, S.D. (2022). Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 83(5), 704-711.
Waldron, K. A., Wolfe, E., Plisiewicz, A., Turrisi, Robert J., & Romano, E. (2022). Long-term impact of familismo and ethnic identity on Latinx college student drinking and high-risk consequences. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2022.2082618
Glenn, S. D., Turrisi, R., Waldron, K. A., Mallett, K. A., Russell, M., & Reavy, R. R. (2022). Addictive Behaviors, 132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107357
Myrick, J. G., Waldron, K. A., Cohen, O., DiRusso, C., Shao, R., Cho, E., Willoughby, J. F., & Turrisi, R. (2022). The effects of embedded skin cancer Interventions on sun-safety attitudes and attention paid to tan women on Instagram. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.838297
Hultgren, B. A., Waldron, K. A., Mallett, K. A., & Turrisi, R. (2021). Alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine use as predictors of impaired driving and riding with an impaired driver among college students who engage in polysubstance use. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2021.106341
Waldron, K.A., Turrisi, R.J., Mallett, K.A., Romano, E. (in press). Examining parental permissiveness toward drinking and perceived ethnic discrimination as risk factors for drinking outcomes among Latinx college students. Addictive Behaviors.
Linden-Carmichael, A. N., Mallett, K. A., Sell, N., & Turrisi, R. (2019). Are co-users of alcohol and marijuana more willing to experience consequences from drinking? A longitudinal examination among first-year college students. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 43, 1567-1574. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Facer.14075
Mallett, K. A., Turrisi, R., Trager, B., Sell, N., & Linden-Carmichael, A. N. (2019). An examination of consequences among college student drinkers on occasions involving alcohol-only, marijuana-only, or combined alcohol and marijuana use. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 33(3), 331-336. doi: 10.1037/adb0000458
Evaluation of a brief dermatologist-delivered Intervention vs usual care on sun protection behavior
Mallett, K. A., Turrisi, R., Billingsley, E., Trager, B., Ackerman, S., Reavy, R., Robinson, J. K. (2018). Evaluation of a brief dermatologist-delivered Intervention vs usual care on sun protection behavior. (2018). JAMA Dermatology, 154(9), 1010-1016.
Cleveland, M.J., Turrisi, R. Reavy, R., Ackerman, S., & Buxton, O. M. (2018). Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 62(2), 64-89.
A longitudinal examination of decisions to ride and decline rides with drinking drivers
Hultgren, B. A., Turrisi, R., Mallett, K. A, Ackerman, S., Larimer, M. E., McCarthy, D., & Romano, E. (2018). Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research, 42(9), 1748-1755.
Geisner, I. M., Mallett, K., Varvil-Weld, L., Ackerman, S., Trager, M., & Turrisi, R. (2018). Addictive Behaviors, 78, 22-29.
When alcohol is only part of the problem: An event-level analysis of negative consequences related to alcohol and other substance use
Mallett, K. A., Turrisi, R. J., Hultgren, B. A., Sell, N., Reavy, R., & Cleveland, M. J. (2017). When alcohol is only part of the problem: An event-level analysis of negative consequences related to alcohol and other substance use. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 31(3), 307–314 PMCID: PMC5422123
A different view on parenting: Automatic and explicit parenting processes in adolescents’ drinking behavior.
Koning, I. M., Spruyt, A., Doornwaard, S. M., Turrisi, R. J., Heider, N., & De Houwer, J. (2017). A different view on parenting: Automatic and explicit parenting processes in adolescents' drinking behavior. Journal of Substance Use, 22(1), 96–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/14659891.2016.1217088
Self-confidence and embarrassment about partner-assisted skin self-examination for melanoma
Robinson, J. K., Hultgren, B., Mallett, K. A., & Turrisi, R. J. (2017). Self-confidence and embarrassment about partner-assisted skin self-examination for melanoma. JAMA Dermatology,153(3), 342–344. PMCID: PMC5500009
Hillhouse, J., Turrisi, R. J., Scaglione, N. M., Baker, K., Cleveland, M. J., Baker, K., & Florence, L. C. (2017). A web-based intervention to reduce indoor tanning motivations in adolescents: A randomized controlled trial. Prevention Science, 18(2), 131–140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-016-0698-4
Sun protection read-along books: Assessing the feasibility of delivering the intervention in pediatrician's offices
Robinson, J. K., Andrade, A. C., Onate, A., Reidy, K., Angst, D. B., Hultgren, B. A., & Turrisi, R. J. (2017). Sun protection read-along books: Assessing the feasibility of delivering the intervention in pediatrician's offices. Pediatrics & Health Research, 2 (1–2). https://doi:10/2574-2817.100006
Enhancing the relevance of skin self-examination for Latinos
Robinson, J. K., Nodal, M., Chavez, L., Ali, Y., Mallett, K. A., & Turrisi, R. J. (2017). Enhancing the relevance of skin self-examination for Latinos. JAMA Dermatology, 153(7), 717–718. PMCID: PMC5509464.
First- and second-hand consequences of alcohol in college: Differential associations with later alcohol use
Abar, C. C., Mallett, K. A., Turrisi, R. J., & Abar, B. (2016). First- and second-hand consequences of alcohol in college: Differential associations with later alcohol use. Journal of Substance Use, 21(1), 107-111.
Drinking norms, readiness to change, and gender as moderators of a combined alcohol intervention for first-year college students
Grossbard, J. R., Mastroleo, N. R., Geisner, I. M., Atkins, D., Ray, A. E., Kilmer, J. R., Mallett, K. A., Larimer, M. E., & Turrisi, R. J. (2016). Drinking norms, readiness to change, and gender as moderators of a combined alcohol intervention for first-year college students. Addictive Behaviors, 52, 75-82.
Theory-driven longitudinal study exploring indoor tanning initiation in teens using a person-centered approach
Hillhouse, J. J., Turrisi, R. J., Cleveland, M. J., Scaglione, N. M., Baker, K., & Florence, L. C. (2016). Theory-driven longitudinal study exploring indoor tanning initiation in teens using a person-centered approach. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 50(1), 48-57.
Effectiveness of a multi-component sun protection program for young children: A randomized clinical trial
Ho, B. K., Reidy, K., Huerta, I., Dilley, K., Crawford, S., Hultgren, B., Mallett, K. A., Turrisi, R. J., & Robinson, J. K. (2016). Effectiveness of a multi-component sun protection program for young children: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Pediatrics, 170(4), 334-342.
Examining the effects of drinking and interpersonal protective behaviors on unwanted sexual experiences in college women
Sell, N. M., Turrisi, R. J., Scaglione, N. M., Hultgren, B. A., & Mallett, K. A. (2016). Examining the effects of drinking and interpersonal protective behaviors on unwanted sexual experiences in college women. Addictive Behaviors, 54, 40-45.
The Behavioral Addiction Indoor Tanning Screener (BAITS): An evaluation of a brief measure of behavioral addictive symptoms
Stapleton, J. L., Hillhouse, J., Turrisi, R. J., Baker, K., Manne, S. L., & Coups, E. J. (2016). The behavioral addiction indoor tanning screener (BAITS): An evaluation of a brief measure of behavioral addictive symptoms. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 96(4), 552-553.
Hultgren, B. A., Turrisi, R. J., Mallett, K. A., Ackerman, S. D., & Robinson, J. K. (2016). JAMA Dermatology, 152(2), 184-190.
Mallett, K. A., Bachrach, R. L., & Turrisi, R. (2008). Are all negative consequences truly negative? Assessing variations among college students' perceptions of alcohol related consequences. Addictive Behaviors, 33(10), 1375-1381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2008.06.014
An examination of the relationship between consequence
Reavy, R., Cleveland, M. J., Mallett, K. A., Scaglione, N. M., Sell, N. M., & Turrisi, R. J. (2016). An examination of the relationship between consequence-specific normative belief patterns and alcohol-related consequences among college students. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 40(12), 2631-2638.
A parent based intervention reduces heavy episodic drinking among first
LaBrie, J. W., Earle, A. M., Boyle, S. C., Hummer, J. F., Montes, K., Turrisi, R. J., & Napper, L. E. (2016, In Press). A parent-based intervention reduces heavy episodic drinking among first year college students. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
Early detection of new melanomas by patients with melanoma and their partners using a structured skin self examination skills
Robinson, J. K., Wayne, J. D., Martini, M. C., Hultgren, B. A., Mallett, K. A., & Turrisi, R. J. (2016). Early detection of new melanomas by patients with melanoma and their partners using a structured skin self examination skills training intervention: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Dermatology, 152(9), 979-985.
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Skin cancer interventions affect sun-safety attitudes
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March 10, 2021
Interventions for single-parent families?
Single-parent households make up approximately 1/3 of U.S. households, and many adolescent children of single parents are at significant risk of engaging in risky drinking behaviors, according to a new article by Racheal Reavy, Rob Turrisi, and Kimberly Mallett in the Journal of Adolescent Health. However, the authors found that while parent-based interventions have a potentially powerful role to play in reducing the scope of the adolescent drinking problem, their content focuses primarily the parenting behavior of two-parent households.
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December 07, 2020
Preventing risky drinking by college students the focus of new Penn State study
University Park, Pa. -- Is there a simple way for parents to reduce the chance of their college-age children having problems resulting from drinking alcohol? Professor of Biobehavioral Health Robert Turrisi was recently awarded a 5-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to determine whether brief interviews with randomly selected parents of incoming Penn State University Park students will result in less risky drinking and associated negative consequences.
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