Jessica A. Stern, PhD

Psychologist, Author, Researcher

Welcome! So glad you're here.

Dr. Jessie Stern is a developmental psychologist and researcher examining close relationships, parenting, and children's social development. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Maryland and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at Pomona College and Director of the Family, Attachment & eMpathy (FAM) Lab.

She is co-author of the forthcoming book, Beyond Difficult: An attachment-based guide to dealing with challenging people (available June 24, 2025).

Curriculum Vitae

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SPECIAL ISSUE

In 2022, my colleagues and I edited a special issue of the journal, Attachment & Human Development: "Attachment perspectives on race, prejudice, and antiracism."

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IN THE NEWS

Our work has been featured on podcasts, parenting blogs, and international news outlets like CNN and Scientific American. We believe in the value of high-quality science communication about child development.

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NEW
research

How does parenting shape a baby's brain? We address this question in our latest research on infant brain development.

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Blog

The science of human relationships is for everyone — and should be accessible to parents, teachers, and the public. That's why we created a blog for Psychology Today, with >70k readers.

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"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children"

-Nelson Mandela