Linda Halgunseth

Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies and Chicano/Latino Studies Michigan State University

  • East Lansing MI

Linda Halgunseth's research focuses on parenting and children’s health and well-being in African, European, and Latin American families.

Contact

Michigan State University

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Biography

Linda C. Halgunseth is an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on parenting and children’s health and well-being in African, European, and Latin American families. Dr. Halgunseth is Past Chair of the Latinx Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). She received the Early Career Award in Teaching Excellence from AAUP and the Early Career Award in Research from the SRCD Latinx Caucus. She earned a BA in psychology and Spanish at the University of Texas at Austin, and a MS and PhD in human development and family studies from the University of Missouri.

Industry Expertise

Education/Learning

Areas of Expertise

Minority Health and Well-Being
Children of Immigrants
Mexican/American and African American Parenting
Cultural Influences on Parent-Child Relationships and Parenting
Culturally-Appropriate Measurement Development

Accomplishments

Academic Advisory Board Member for NSF Early Career Award

2023

UConn Inclusive Excellence/Spirit Award Finalist

2020, 2022

UConn CETL Teaching Fellow Award, Department Nominations

2020, 2021

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Education

University of Missouri

Ph.D.

Human Development and Family Studies

2007

University of Missouri

M.A.

Human Development and Family Studies

The University of Texas at Austin

B.A.

Psychology and Spanish

1997

Affiliations

  • International Society for Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection (ISIPAR)
  • National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
  • National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI)
  • National Council for Family Relations (NCFR)
  • National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI)
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News

Child’s Second Language: Advantage or Distraction?

About Islam  online

2022-05-24

Linda C. Halgunseth, Coordinator of the Office of Applied Research at the National Association for the Education of Young Children in the United States says that children under the age of three who are exposed to two languages together are called Simultaneous learners.(“How Children Learn a Second Language”).

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Boosting the role of parents of English learners in preschools

EdSource  online

2016-01-14

Linda Halgunseth, a professor at the University of Connecticut who contributed to the report, said that if a parent can develop a strong relationship with their child’s preschool program, it will give them “the confidence and skills” to be involved in their child’s education throughout their school careers.

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Event Appearances

Early sexual and romantic behaviors in Latine adolescents: Differences by national origin

(2023) Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence  San Diego, CA

Examining the association between acculturation and parental psychological control in Chinese immigrant mothers

(2023) Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development  Salt Lake City, UT

Investigating the association between sources of parental knowledge and Mexican adolescents’ psychological adjustment

(2023) Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development  Salt Lake City, UT

Journal Articles

Parent-Child Grief Interactions: A Qualitative Analysis and Conceptual Framework of the Lived Experiences of Young Widowed Parents

OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying

2023

A young parent’s death is an unexpected event that incurs family stress and grief for the surviving parent and young children. However, few studies have examined widowed parents’ grief experiences and parent-child interactions following a co-parent’s death. Guided by phenomenology, this qualitative study examined the lived experiences of (N = 12) surviving parents grieving the loss of their co-parent. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using an inductive analytic procedure.

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Resilience and Well-Being of Korean Unwed Mothers: A Moderated Mediation Model

Journal of Child and Family Studies

2022

Even in the face of social stigma and discrimination, the number of unwed mothers in Korea who are choosing to raise their children as single parents, instead of placing them up for adoption, is increasing. However, less is known on the well-being of these mothers and their resilience as they begin to advocate for their rights as mothers and seek to change public perceptions of and cultural assumptions about unwed mothers in Korea. The purpose of this research was to explore the pathways of resilience on the well-being of Korean unwed mothers. Participants included 255 Korean unwed mothers who completed measures that assessed their resilience, perceived discrimination, adverse childhood experiences, identity, and well-being.

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Parental reasons for engaging in or avoiding weight talk with children

Childhood Obesity

2022

Parental weight talk with children can have negative consequences; yet, it is not well understood why parents engage in it and if demographic differences exist. Utilizing the extant qualitative literature, we developed two scales to quantitatively examine parental reasons for engaging in and avoiding weight talk. An Internet sample of 408 US parents (64% mothers; 34% White, 33% Black, and 32% Hispanic/Latinx) completed the scales. Parents cited concern for their child's health as a primary reason for weight talk, whereas avoidance stemmed from not wanting their child to be weight-obsessed. White and Hispanic vs. Black parents, and parents with experienced weight stigma, were more likely to cite personal struggles with body weight as reasons to both engage in and avoid weight talk.

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