Meghan B.

Scrimgeour
Department of Psychology The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802
(908) 268-2062 mbs256@psu.edu
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Psychology
2015
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Area of study: Developmental Psychology
Dissertation title: The role of marital, coparenting, and sibling relationships on the development
of childrens prosocial behaviors in early childhood
Committee: Alysia Y. Blandon (chair), Kristin A. Buss, Ginger A. Moore, Susan M. McHale
M.S. in Psychology
2011
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Area of study: Developmental Psychology
Thesis title: Prosocial behavior: The role of parenting, coparenting, and temperament on the
development of childrens prosocial behavior
B.A. in Psychology and French
2007
Wheaton College, Norton, MA
summa cum laude
Honors Thesis: Empathy and aggression: A study of the interplay between empathy and
aggression in preschoolers
RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS
Framed within family systems theory, my research focuses on multiple aspects of family
subsystems and their impact on childrens social and emotional development. I am particularly
interested in family influences on the development of childrens prosocial behavior and emotions.
I have expertise and experience teaching courses in introductory psychology, research methods,
developmental psychology, social and personality development, prosocial behavior, and family
relationships across the lifespan.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Strumpf Scholar Award, Child Study Center, The Pennsylvania State University, 2012-2013,
($9,000)
Early Childhood & Mental Health Fellowship, The Pennsylvania State University, 2011-2013
Phi Beta Kappa, Wheaton College, 2007
National Undergraduate Honor Society in Psychology, Psi Chi, Wheaton College, 2007
National French Honor Society, Pi Delta Phi, Wheaton College, 2007
Littlefield-Mandell Prize in French Studies, Wheaton College, 2007
Deans List, Wheaton College, 2003 2007
Class of 1950 Award Recipient, Wheaton College, 2004

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RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
The Family and Child Development Lab
2009 - 2015
The Pennsylvania State University
Research Assistant
Advisor: Alysia Y. Blandon, Ph.D.
Developed prosocial and coparenting behavior coding schemes based on established
schemes within the literature
Trained coding teams to code childrens prosocial behaviors during sibling interaction
and helping tasks using INTERACT coding software
Trained coding team to code coparenting behaviors during triadic freeplay, structured
play, and clean-up tasks
Trained and lead respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) data editing team using MindWare
software
Served as primary experimenter during family lab visits collecting cardiac, observational,
and questionnaire data
Navigated the use of and troubleshot problems with cardiac physiology and video
equipment
Created physiology and video data collection protocols and RSA editing manuals
Trained graduate and undergraduate lab members how to use physiology and video
equipment, how to conduct family lab visits, and how to administer standardized
assessment measures such as the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)
Supervised and mentored undergraduate research assistants (~15 each semester)
The Emotion Development Lab
2009 - 2015
The Pennsylvania State University
Research Assistant
Advisor: Kristin A. Buss, Ph.D.
Developed prosocial and emotion socialization strategies coding schemes based on
established schemes within the literature
Trained coding teams to code peers interactions during a freeplay task and prosocial
behaviors during a helping task using INTERACT coding software
Trained coding team to code mothers emotion socialization strategies with their children
during a disappointment task
Worked with respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) editing team to edit cardiac data using
MindWare software
Created RSA editing manual
Served as primary experimenter during kindergarten and peer lab visits collecting cardiac,
observational, and questionnaire data
Trained graduate and undergraduate lab members on how to use physiology and video
equipment and how to administer standardized assessment measures such as the
Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) and Berkeley Puppet Interview (BPI)
Supervised and mentored undergraduate research assistants (~10 each semester)

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The Emotion Development Lab

2012 - 2013
The Pennsylvania State University
Lab Coordinator
Scheduled participants and graduate and undergraduate students for lab visits
Prepared and processed questionnaire packets from lab visits
Set-up stimuli, questionnaires, and experimenter paperwork for lab visits
Maintained lab email and correspondence
Maintained labs online management system, A New Global Environment for Learning
(ANGEL)
Maintained labs electronic participant database using Microsoft Access
Assisted with organization of weekly lab meetings and took meeting minutes that were
distributed to lab members
Supervised undergraduate research assistants (~10 each semester)
The Groden Center, Inc., Providence, RI
2008 - 2009
Center for children with autism, behavioral disorders, and developmental disabilities
Research Coordinator
Assisted in developing, coordinating, and monitoring agency research projects
Assisted in developing and evaluating innovative technologies for behavioral assessment
including telemetric physiological monitors and digital video/facial recognition systems
Served as primary and secondary experimenter collecting observational and questionnaire
data
Served as primary experimenter collecting cardiac data using Vivometrics, Inc. Lifeshirt
Supervised and mentored two research assistants
Reliably trained to administer the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
Provided assistance on statistical analyses of physiological, behavioral, and questionnaire
data using SPSS and Excel
Assisted with writing technical reports and helped prepare peer-review publications
Prepared materials for and gave research presentations to parents, teachers, staff, students,
and potential participants
Provided direct classroom instruction to students
Recorded the progress of assigned students
The Homestead Group, Woonsocket, RI
2008-2009
Agency providing support and services for individuals with developmental disabilities
Home Based Specialized Treatment Professional
Provided direct, in-home behavioral therapy to individuals with developmental
disabilities ages 3-21
Documented progress on required data sheets and progress notes
Corroborated with clinicians and families on implementing person-specific therapeutic
goals
The Groden Center, Inc., Providence, RI
2007 - 2008
Center for children with autism, behavioral disorders, and developmental disabilities
Research Assistant/Treatment Teacher
Assisted in gathering physiological and behavioral data to assess treatment effectiveness

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Aided in statistical analysis of data using SPSS and Excel

Prepared tables and charts for statistical reports
Conducted library and Web-based literature searches
Provided direct classroom instruction to students
Recorded the progress of assigned students

PUBLICATIONS
Blandon, A. Y., & Scrimgeour, M. B. (2015). Child, parenting, and situation characteristics
associated with toddlers prosocial behavior. Infant and Child Development. doi:
10.1002/icd.1910
Blandon, A. Y., Scrimgeour, M. B., Stifter, C. A., & Buss, K.A. (2014). Within-and betweenfamily differences in cooperative and competitive coparenting. Journal of Family
Psychology, 28(1),106-111. doi: 10.1037/a0035266
Scrimgeour, M. B., Blandon, A. Y., Stifter, C. A., & Buss, K. A. (2013). Cooperative
coparenting moderates the association between parenting practices and childrens
prosocial behavior. Journal of Family Psychology, 27(3), 506-511. doi:
10.1037/a0032893
Scrimgeour, M. B., Davis, E. L., & Buss, K. A. (2015). You get what you get and you dont
throw a fit!: Emotion socialization and child physiology jointly predict early prosocial
development. Developmental Psychology. doi: 10.1037/dev0000071
Woodard, C. R., Goodwin, M. S., Zelazo, P. R., Aube, D., Scrimgeour, M., Ostholthoff, T., &
Brickley, M. (2012). A comparison of autonomic, behavioral, and parent-report measures
of sensory sensitivity in young children with autism. Research in Autism Spectrum
Disorders, 6, 1234-1246. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2012.03.012

MANUSCRIPTS UNDER REVIEW

(*indicates undergraduate student co-author)

Scrimgeour, M. B., *Mariotti, E. C., & Blandon, A. Y. (revise and resubmit, under review).
Childrens physiological regulation and sibling relationships as correlates of childrens
conscience development.

MANUSCRIPTS IN PROGRESS
Davis, E. L., Scrimgeour, M. B., & Buss, K. A. (in preparation). Non-supportive maternal
emotion socialization mediates prosocial development for girls but not boys.

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PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
(*indicates undergraduate student co-author)

Scrimgeour, M. B., Davis, E. L., & Buss, K. A. (2014, September). You get what you get and
you dont throw a fit!: Maternal emotion socialization and child physiology jointly
predict early prosocial development. Paper symposium presented at the 54th annual
meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, Atlanta, Georgia.
Davis, E. L., Cho, S., Philbrook, L., Scrimgeour, M. B., & Buss, K. A. (2013, April).
Cardiac physiology in the context of parenting: Childrens RSA and maternal
emotionality. Paper symposium presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for
Research in Child Development, Seattle, Washington.
Scrimgeour, M. B., *Danchak, K. R., & Blandon, A. Y. (2013, April). Prosocial behavior in
early childhood: Contributions of the marital, coparenting, and sibling relationships.
Poster session presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child
Development, Seattle, Washington.
Scrimgeour, M. B., Davis, E. L., & Buss, K. (2013, April). RSA as a marker of physiological
recovery from affective challenge: Relations with emotion socialization and prosocial
behavior. Poster session presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for
Research in Child Development, Seattle, Washington.
Scrimgeour, M. B., Davis, E. L., Blandon, A. Y., Stifter, C.A., & Buss, K. (2012, September).
Independent contributions of emotion regulation to prosocial development in early
childhood: General skill and RSA suppression. Poster session presented at the 52nd
annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Scrimgeour, M. B., Davis, E. L., & Buss, K. (2011, September). The interplay of RSA
suppression and emotion socialization in toddlers prosocial development. Poster session
presented at the 51st annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological
Research, Boston, Massachusetts.
Scrimgeour, M. B., Davis, E. L., & Buss, K. (2011, May). Non-supportive maternal emotion
socialization explains decreases in prosocial behavior for girls (but not boys). Poster
session presented at the 23rd annual convention of the Association for Psychological
Science, Washington, D. C.
Scrimgeour, M. B., & Blandon, A. Y. (2011, March). Marital relationship quality, parenting,
and temperament as predictors of preschoolers prosocial behavior. Poster session
presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development,
Montreal, Canada.
Scrimgeour, M., Goodwin, M. S., Intille, S. S., Albinali, F., Velicer, W., & Groden, J. (2008,
October). Video analysis of stereotypical motor movements in persons with Autism
Spectrum Disorder. Poster session presented at the 29th annual conference of the
Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Amherst, Massachusetts.

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Scrimgeour, M., Goodwin, M. S., Intille, S. S., Albinali, F., Velicer, W., & Groden, J. (2008,
October). Quantitative video analysis of stereotypical motor movements in persons with
Autism Spectrum Disorder. Poster session presented at the 48th annual conference of the
New England Psychological Association, Springfield, Massachusetts.
Scrimgeour, M., & Berg, M. (2008, August). Empathy and aggression: A study of the interplay
between empathy and aggression in preschoolers. Poster session presented at the
annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Boston, Massachusetts.

TEACHING
Instructor
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Department of Psychology
Research Methods (Psych 301W, World Campus)
Summer 2014
o Guided students in process of writing a research proposal (i.e., generating
research project ideas, conducting literature searches, reading and understanding
empirical papers, writing literature reviews, designing experimental or
correlational studies, writing research proposals), graded written assignments and
provided detailed feedback, maintained online grading system using ANGEL,
corresponded with students and answered questions via email and online
discussion boards, crafted weekly organizational correspondence to ensure
students were aware of and following the course schedule

Adolescent Development (Psych 412, World Campus)

Summer 2015
o Guided students in process of writing adolescent interview paper, graded written
assignments and provided detailed feedback, maintained online grading system
using ANGEL, corresponded with students and answered questions via email and
online discussion boards, crafted weekly organizational correspondence to ensure
students were aware of and following the course schedule

Teaching Assistant
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Department of Psychology
Research Methods (Psych 301W, Drs. Josh Wede & Nick Pearson)
Four semesters
o Taught weekly 2 hour laboratory section (~22 students), created PowerPoint
laboratory lecture slides, guided students in process of writing a research
proposal (i.e., generating research project ideas, conducting literature searches,
reading and understanding empirical papers, writing literature reviews,
designing experimental or correlational studies, writing research proposals),
graded writing assignments and provided detailed feedback, maintain online
grading system using ANGEL, corresponded with students and answer
questions via email, met with students during weekly office hours
o Teaching evaluations available upon request

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Developmental Psychology (Psych 212, Dr. Cathleen Hunt)

Fall 2009
o Met with students during weekly office hours, corresponded with students and
answered questions via e-mail, lead exam review sessions, held make-up
exam sessions, maintained online grading system using ANGEL, class size
~400 students

Mentoring
Spring 2014 -2015
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Department of Psychology
Co-mentoring honors student
Honors Thesis: The interactive influence of siblings temperament on childrens
socialization strategies in early childhood
Regularly met with student to guide the development of research questions, helped
structure reading list, assisted with statistical analyses using SPSS, provided detailed
feedback on drafts of thesis, supervised creating poster presentation for undergraduate
researcher exhibition
Guest Lecture
Spring 2011
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Department of Psychology
Prosocial Development (Senior Seminar Psych 490, Mirror Neurons and Empathy)
Tutor
2005 - 2006
Wheaton College, Norton, MA
Department of Psychology
Developmental Psychology (Psy 203)
Introductory Psychology (Psy 101)
Corresponded with students and answered questions via e-mail, lead exam review
sessions, held weekly office hours

ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS

Graduate School Teaching Certificate
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence

In progress

Course in College Teaching

The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence

Fall 2014

Gene-Environment Research Initiative Workshop

March 2013
Integrating Genes into Social Science: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Gene-Environment Research Initiative Workshop
March 2013
Quantitative Behavioral Genetics: What Twins Can Do for Your Research

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The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

MindWare Seminar, Heart Rate Variability
MindWare Technologies LTD, Gahanna, OH

Sept 2010

MindWare Seminar, Impedance Cardiography

MindWare Technologies LTD, Gahanna, OH

June 2010

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Association for Psychological Science
Society for Psychophysiological Research
Society for Research in Child Development