The Berger Institute at Claremont McKenna College provides the intellectual and experiential home for research and programming focused on contemporary social issues. The Berger Institute produces and disseminates high quality research with implications for policy, practical applications, and theory.
The central theme for our research and programming is How We Thrive. Our research focuses on understanding risk and resilience factors, while our programming emphasizes the development and cultivation of skills that are necessary for successful adaptation in a rapidly changing society. We focus on individual and social factors that impact how children develop, how families thrive, and how people navigate major transitions and milestones. Examples of our work include understanding how to nurture the well-being of individuals from a wide range of social-economic and demographic backgrounds (including gender, culture, race, age), the changing nature of gender and family roles, and understanding the demographic, technological, financial, and political changes impacting our society today.
Project STRIVE and Resilience
In a remarkable journey shaped by personal resilience, Director of the Berger Institute Stacey Doan has become a leading researcher on resilience, particularly among youth. Recently awarded prestigious grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and The Robert...
Talking about Open Science with Roman Briker
On February 8, 2022, amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, the Berger Institute invited Dr. Roman Briker to give an Open Science Zoom talk to members of the Claremont community. Dr. Briker is an Assistant Professor in Organizational Behavior & Human Resource...
When Aggression is Protective: The Health Benefits of Destructive Behavior During Adversity
Behaviors such as bullying or stealing are usually considered destructive. Moreover, these types of behaviors are more likely to be seen in children who grow up with more adversity. Once thought as maladaptive, recent research suggests there may be some important...
Resilience and Connections with Sleep and Health
Despite the fact that many children grow up in poverty, many exhibit resilience, or successful adaptation and competence. Recent data, however, has also shown that adaptation in the face of adversity often comes at a health cost. At the same time, there is much we do...