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 thePsychology 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.
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.
- Robert Turrisi
Developmental Period(s)
Adolescence, Early Adulthood, Midlife/Aging
Level(s) of Analysis
Individuals, Families
Contact Information
210 Biobehavioral Health Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-7808
rturrisi@psu.edu
Associated Lab(s)
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 thePsychology 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.
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.
- Robert Turrisi
Contact Information
210 Biobehavioral Health Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-7808
rturrisi@psu.edu
Professional Links
Associated Lab(s)
Developmental Period(s) Studied
Adolescence, Early Adulthood, Midlife/Aging
Levels of Analysis
Individuals, Families
Prevention Research to Optimize (PRO) Health Lab 
Examining a Brief Parent Intervention to Reduce College Student Drinking and Consequences 
An In-Depth Examination of Protective Behavioral Strategies to Reduce Alcohol-Related Consequences (F31/Nichole Sell) 
A Cognitive Analysis of Riding with Drinking Drivers in Emerging Adults (F31/Anna Hultgren) 
A Longitudinal and Person-Centered Study of College Alcohol Consequences 
Comparison of Interventions to Teach Melanoma Patients’ Skin Self–Examination 
Efficacy of a Behavioral Intervention to Reduce Skin Cancer Risk Among Patients 
Examining an Intervention to Reduce Underage DUI and Riding with Impaired Drivers 
Informing a Cultural Adaptation of a Parent-Based Intervention for African American Youth
Piazza Center creates national hazing and dangerous drinking prevention study 
Can parents help prevent risky cannabis and alcohol use by college students? 
College students suffer more than 100 alcohol-related consequences, study finds 
Ethnic pride may protect Latino college students from problem drinking 
Skin cancer interventions affect sun-safety attitudes 
Interventions for single-parent families? 
Preventing risky drinking by college students the focus of new Penn State study
- Does it really matter that I do not remember my night? Consequences related to blacking out among college student drinkers
Richards, V. L., Glenn, S. D., Turrisi, R. J., Altstaedter, A., Mallet, K. A., & Russell, M. A. (2023). Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. Advance online publication.
- Alcohol's role in sexual decision making in first-year college women: An event-level assessment
Scaglione, N. M., Ward, R. M., Buben, A., & Turrisi, R. (2023). Psychology of Women Quarterly. Advance online publication.
- Alcohol-induced blackouts among college student drinkers: A multilevel analysis
Richards, V.L., Turrisi, R. J. Glenn, S. D., Waldron, K. A., Rodriguez, G. C., Mallett, K. A., & Russell, M. A. (2023). Addictive Behaviors. Advance online publication.
- 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.
- A comparison of parents’ and students’ reports of general and alcohol-specific parenting behaviors across the four years of college
Trager, B. M, Sell, N. M., Hultgren, B. A., Turrisi, R. Morgan, R. M., & LaBrie, J. W. (2022). Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Advance online publication.
- Long-term impact of familismo and ethnic identity on Latinx college student drinking and high-risk consequences
Waldron, K. A., Wolfe, E., Plisiewicz, A., Turrisi, Robert J., & Romano, E. (2022). Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. Advance online publication.
- Examining the impact of early college experiences on the cumulative number of alcohol-related consequences
Glenn, S. D., Turrisi, R., Waldron, K. A., Mallett, K. A., Russell, M., & Reavy, R. R. (2022). Addictive Behaviors. Preprint.
- The effects of embedded skin cancer Interventions on sun-safety attitudes and attention paid to tan women on Instagram
Myrick, J. G., Waldron, K. A., Cohen, O., DiRusso, C., Shao, R., Cho, E., Willoughby, J. F., & Turrisi, R. (2022). Frontiers in Psychology, 13.
- Alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine use as predictors of impaired driving and riding with an impaired driver among college students who engage in polysubstance use
Hultgren, B. A., Waldron, K. A., Mallett, K. A., & Turrisi, R. (2021). Accident Analysis & Prevention, 160.
- Examining parental permissiveness toward drinking and perceived ethnic discrimination as risk factors for drinking outcomes among Latinx college students
Waldron, K.A., Turrisi, R.J., Mallett, K.A., Romano, E. (in press). Addictive Behaviors.
- Are co-users of alcohol and marijuana more willing to experience consequences from drinking? A longitudinal examination among first-year college students
Linden-Carmichael, A. N., Mallett, K. A., Sell, N., & Turrisi, R. (2019). Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 43, 1567-1574.
- An examination of consequences among college student drinkers on occasions involving alcohol-only, marijuana-only, or combined alcohol and marijuana use
Mallett, K. A., Turrisi, R., Trager, B., Sell, N., & Linden-Carmichael, A. N. (2019). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 33(3), 331-336.
- Examining parent and peer influences of alcohol use: A comparison of first-year community college and baccalaureate students
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.
- An examination of heavy drinking, depressed mood, drinking related constructs, and consequences among high-risk college students using a person-centered approach
Geisner, I. M., Mallett, K., Varvil-Weld, L., Ackerman, S., Trager, M., & Turrisi, R. (2018). Addictive Behaviors, 78, 22-29.
- A web-based intervention to reduce indoor tanning motivations in adolescents: A randomized controlled trial
Hillhouse, J., Turrisi, R. J., Scaglione, N. M., Baker, K., Cleveland, M. J., Baker, K., & Florence, L. C. (2017).Prevention Science, 18(2), 131-140.
- 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). Journal of Substance Use, 22(1), 96-101.
- 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). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 31(3), 307-314 PMCID: PMC5422123
- Self-confidence and embarrassment about partner-assisted skin self-examination for melanoma
Robinson, J. K., Hultgren, B., Mallett, K. A., & Turrisi, R. J. (2017).JAMA Dermatology,153(3), 342-344. PMCID: PMC5500009
- 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). JAMA Dermatology, 153(7), 717718. PMCID: PMC5509464.
- 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). Pediatrics & Health Research, 2 (1-2).
- 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). 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).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). 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).JAMA Pediatrics, 170(4), 334-342.
- Influence of quality of relationship between patient with melanoma and partner on partner-assisted skin examination education: A randomized clinical trial
Hultgren, B. A., Turrisi, R. J., Mallett, K. A., Ackerman, S. D., & Robinson, J. K. (2016). JAMA Dermatology, 152(2), 184-190.
- 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.
- 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). Addictive Behaviors, 54, 40-45.
- 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.
- 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). Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 96(4), 552-553.
- 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). JAMA Dermatology, 152(9), 979-985.
- Are all negative consequences truly negative? Assessing variations among college students' perceptions of alcohol related consequences
Mallett, K. A., Bachrach, R. L., & Turrisi, R. (2008). Addictive Behaviors, 33(10), 1375-1381.
