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Patricia Pendry

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Assistant Professor

Education

• Ph.D. Human Development and Social Policy (2007)
  Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 
• B.Phil. Psychology, Summa cum Laude (2000)
  Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 

Areas of Emphasis

• Human Animal Interaction and Child Development: Effects of Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) on Child Social Competence, HPA Axis Activity and Psychosomatic Health.
• Evaluation of Prevention Programs Targeting Child, Adolescent and Family Functioning and Wellbeing
• Effects of Family Stress on Child Development: Links between Interparental Discord and Child HPA Axis Activity in Naturalistic Settings

 

Current Research Projects- Meet the Pendry Lab

PATH to Success Study

This NIH funded study measures the effects of PATH to Success, a 12-week, equine facilitated learning program (EFL), on the physical and mental health of 5-8th graders. 

 

Pony Club Study

This study examines associations between adolescents’ physiological responses (e.g., cortisol, alpha-amylase) to various human equine interactions in naturalistic settings.

Physiology and Emotion during Human Equine Interaction

This study examines the diurnal and momentary activity of adolescents’ HPA axis and their emotional and behavioral responses to various equine facilitated learning (EFL) program activities.

Therapeutic Interventions and Equine Stress

This study examines associations between various indices of horse stress and relaxation in the context of therapeutic human equine interventions.

Family Life and Stress Study

Funded by the National Center for Marriage Research, the primary goal of this study is to better understand how exposure to interparental conflict in infancy and early childhood is associated with child diurnal and momentary production of cortisol and alpha-amylase.

 

Grants

Role: Primary Investigator
8/01/2010- 8/30/2012
NIH RO3/ Human-Animal Interaction and Child Development:
$100,000.00
Efficacy Trial of Equine Assisted Counseling on Child Competence and Stress

Role: Primary Investigator
8/01/2008- 8/30/2010
National Center of Marriage Research
$20,000
Family Instability, Interparental Conflict and Child Adjustment: Exploring the Role of Children’s Physiological Stress-System Activity and Negative Emotionality

Peer Reviewed Publications

Pendry.P., Carr, A. & Papp, L.M. (Accepted). Parental Use of Psychological Aggression During Couple Conflict: Child Presence and Behavior. Family Relations.

Pendry. P. & Roeter, S.M. (2013). Experimental Trial Demonstrates Positive Effects of Equine Facilitated Learning on Child Social Competence. Human Animal Interaction Bulletin, 1, 1-19 (article)

Pendry, P., Roeter, S.M., Smith, A.N., Jacobson, S., Erdman, P. (2013). Trajectories of Positive and Negative Behavior during Participation in Equine Facilitated Learning Program for Horse-Novice Youth. Journal of Extension, 51(1), 1R1B5 (article)

Pendry, P. & Adam, E.K. (2013). Child-Related Interparental Conflict in Infancy Predicts Child Cognitive Functioning in a Nationally Representative Sample. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22, 502-515. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-012-9603-3 (article)

Pendry, P. (Invited, 2013). EFL Improves Children’s Social Competence. Strides. Bi-monthly publication of the Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship International at http://www.omagdigital.com/display_article.php?id=129149

Papp, L.M., Pendry, P. Adam, E.K., & Simon, C. (2012). Mother-Father Cortisol Linkages: Testing Physiological Synchrony and Moderators in Naturalistic Contexts. Family Process, (10), DOI: 10.1111/j.1545-5300.2012.01413.x (article)

Lisonbee, J.A., Pendry, P., Mize, J., Parrett Gwynn, E., (2010). Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal and Sympathetic Nervous System Activity and Children’s Behavioral Regulation. Mind, Brain, and Education, 4, 171-181(article)

Papp, L.M., Pendry, P. & Adam, E.K. (2009). Mother-Adolescent Physiological Synchrony in Naturalistic Settings: Within-Family Cortisol Associations and Moderators. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(6), 882-94 (article)

Pendry, P. & Adam, E.K. (2007). Associations between Parents’ Marital Functioning, Maternal Parenting Quality, Maternal Emotion and Child Cortisol Levels. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 31 (3), 218–231 (article)

Adam, E.K., Snell, E.K. & Pendry, P. (2007). Children’s Weekday and Weekend Sleep Behaviors: Associations with Child and Family Characteristics, Children’s Schedules, and Parenting. Special Issue on Sleep in the Journal of Family Psychology, 21 (1), 4–19 (article)

Recent Scholarly Presentations

Pendry, P., Carr, A. M., Smith, A. M., & Roeter, S. M.. Associations between momentary emotion, basal cortisol production and reactivity, and observed behavior in a sample of normal and at-risk 5th through 8th grade children during their first mounted equine facilitated learning activity. Paper accepted for the Triennial International Conference of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations, Chicago, Illinois, July, 2013.

Pendry, P., & Carr, A. M. (2013). Cortisol Levels and Momentary Emotion Influence Behavior of Adolescents During Equine Facilitated Learning Program. Paper symposium presented at  the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development, Seattle, Washington, April, 2013.

Pendry P. (2013). Effects of Human Equine Interaction on Human Functioning, Development and Wellbeing Invited Paper Presentation conducted at the National Equine Forum, London, United Kingdom, March 5, 2013.

Pendry P. (2013). Effects of Human Equine Interaction on Human Functioning, Development and Wellbeing.  Invited Paper Presentation conducted at Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, Waltham on the Wolds, Leicestershire, United Kingdom, March 8, 2013.

Pendry. P., Smith, A.N., & Roeter, S.M. (2013). Effects of Equine Facilitated Learning on Diurnal Patterns of Child Cortisol. Poster presented at the 2013 Society for Research on Child Development Biennial Meeting, Seattle, Washington, April, 2013.

Roeter, S., & Pendry. P. (2013). Effects of an 11-week equine facilitated learning program on child engagement coping. Poster presented at the 2013 Society for Research on Child Development Biennial Meeting, Seattle, Washington, April, 2013.