About

Sharon Christ is an Associate Professor of Statistics and an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University. Her research interests include adolescent development, healthy aging, work life and health, modeling and model selection, sampling and analysis of complex sample data, structural equation modeling with latent variables, mixed-effect (multilevel) models, longitudinal modeling, and survival analysis. She holds a B.A. in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Minnesota, an M.A. and M.S. in Sociology and Statistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Christ has been recognized with the Center for Aging and the Life Course Outstanding Professor Award for Exceptional Teaching and Mentoring of Emerging Scholars in Aging in 2014. She is involved in mentoring Ph.D. students from other departments and universities and actively contributes to research in her areas of expertise.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Environmental health
• Gerontology
• Internal medicine
• Demography
• Pediatrics
• Psychiatry
• Developmental psychology
• Audiology
• Linguistics
• Psychology

Selected publications

• Relation of Teacher Instruction and Classroom Literacy Environment to Letter Knowledge of Children Who Are At-Risk for Reading Difficulties

  Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences · 2026-03-01

  articleSenior author

  While children's letter knowledge strongly predicts later reading ability, research on the impact of teachers' letter instruction and classroom literacy environment is limited. This study of Head Start classrooms examined (a) the amount of letter instruction across different activities and the physical literacy environment; (b) children's letter knowledge growth in relation to instruction and the literacy environment; and (c) the contributions of instruction and the literacy environment to letter knowledge growth. Findings suggest that letter instruction and the literacy environment generally compensated for each other. Children with lower teacher instruction showed improvements in a higher physical literacy environment, and vice versa. However, higher levels of both were not superior to higher instruction with a lower physical literacy environment. Teacher instruction had a stronger impact on letter knowledge than the physical literacy environment, likely due to its direct engagement with children. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

  PublisherDOI

• Lexical leveraging across the vocabulary spectrum: Different semantic properties support delayed and advanced learners

  Underline Science Inc. · 2025-06-18

  otherOpen access

  Toddlers better retain novel object-label mappings for items from taxonomic categories they have more knowledge in. Separately, words for concepts with more perceptual features are learned earlier than words for concepts with fewer perceptual features. Because these factors have only been examined separately, it is unclear whether effects of taxonomic density stem from differences in structured taxonomic knowledge or simply reflect lower-level differences in perceptual similarity among concepts. In the current study, we asked how taxonomic knowledge and perceptual information jointly contribute to word learning in a group of 24-month-olds with a wide range of vocabulary skill. We found that taxonomic knowledge facilitated word learning. We also found that the availability of perceptual cues to meaning was used as an additional support for word learning by children with smaller expressive vocabularies. Together these findings suggest that taxonomic knowledge is a better predictor of word learn-ing compared to lower-level perceptual features at 24 months old. However, perceptual cues to meaning may provide additional support for vocabulary growth for learners with smaller vocabularies and/or late-talkers.

  PublisherDOI

• Lexical Leveraging in Novel Word Learning: Different Semantic Properties Support Learners at Different Stages of Development

  Developmental Science · 2025-11-04

  articleOpen access

  Toddlers better retain novel object-label mappings from taxonomic categories they have more knowledge of. Separately, words for concepts with more perceptual features are learned earlier than words for concepts with fewer perceptual features. Because these factors have only been examined separately, it is unclear whether the effects of taxonomic density stem from differences in structured taxonomic knowledge or simply reflect lower-level differences in perceptual similarity among concepts. We asked how taxonomic structure and perceptual information jointly contribute to word learning at 24 months old in an ostensive word learning task. We found that semantic category knowledge facilitated word learning. We also found that the availability of perceptual features served as additional supports for word learning by children with smaller expressive vocabularies. This indicates that structured taxonomic knowledge is a better predictor of word learning compared to lower-level perceptual features at 24 months old. However, perceptual cues may provide additional support for vocabulary growth at the start of development. SUMMARY: We explore how semantic category knowledge and perceptual features jointly influence novel word learning at 24 months old in an ostensive word learning context. Novel word learning was facilitated within semantic categories the toddlers knew more about, when controlling for the availability of perceptual information. Toddlers with smaller productive vocabularies used perceptual features as additional supports for word learning, but those with larger vocabularies did not. These findings show that structured taxonomic knowledge is a better predictor of word learning at 24 months old compared to lower-level perceptual information.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Structural Priming for Sentence Production in Aphasia: What Does Oral Repetition Do?

  Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research · 2025-02-18 · 2 citations

  article

  PURPOSE: Structural priming-speakers' unconscious tendency to reuse previously encountered sentence structures (primes) in future production-facilitates access and learning of grammatical representations in persons with aphasia (PWAs). However, it remains unclear which components of structural priming tasks are essential to consistent and lasting effects, a discovery critical for cost-effective clinical translation of research. We examined the effects of orally repeating versus listening to primes on immediate and lasting sentence production in PWAs and controls. METHOD: In a collaborative priming task, participants took turns with the experimenter, describing transitive and dative event pictures. One group of PWAs and controls listened to the experimenter's descriptions (primes) before they described their own picture, whereas the other group orally repeated their interlocutor's prime sentences before the target picture descriptions. In Experiment 1, the target picture description was elicited immediately after the prime (0-lag, immediate priming). In Experiment 2, two filler trials (2-lag) intervened between prime and target, examining longer term priming. RESULTS: At both immediate and longer term priming, significant priming effects were observed in both groups, as indicated by increased productions of passives following passive versus active primes and increased productions of double-object dative sentences following double-object than prepositional object dative prime sentences. However, orally repeating prime sentences did not reliably and consistently enhance the magnitude of priming effects across lags and groups. Additionally, PWAs' repetition abilities did not result in higher degrees of priming effects. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that opportunities for processing syntactic representations that shared between prior (prime) and current (target) utterances is a rather essential ingredient for positive structural priming in PWAs, while repeating prime sentences is an optional ingredient that can be removed or modified. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28291949.

  PublisherDOI

• Impact of maternal internalizing symptoms, responsiveness, and youth ego-resiliency on rural Latine adolescent depression.

  Rural Mental Health · 2025-07-24

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Audiovisual speech perception deficits in unaffected siblings of children with developmental language disorder

  Brain and Language · 2025-02-14

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Word Learning in Children With Developmental Language Disorder: The Use of Retrieval Practice During Shared Book Reading

  Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research · 2025-06-17 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  PURPOSE: Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) benefit from the inclusion of retrieval practice during word learning. However, most studies reporting this positive effect have been conducted in controlled laboratory conditions. In this study, we take a step toward real-world application by matching the design details of a previous laboratory study and inserting them in a shared book reading activity. METHOD: = 57.07 months) learned eight novel words presented in two illustrated children's books. Half of the novel words appeared in a repeated spaced retrieval (RSR) condition, and half appeared in a repeated study (RS) condition. The children learned both the novel word forms (e.g., /bog/) and their arbitrarily assigned "meanings" (e.g., "likes rain") in two learning sessions. Five minutes after the second learning session and 1 week later, the children's ability to learn the novel words was assessed. RESULTS: Both groups of children showed better recall of the novel words in the RSR condition than in the RS condition. This was true for both the novel word forms and their meanings. Scores on a recognition test did not show a difference between the two conditions. The children with TD performed at a higher level than the children with DLD on the word form recall and recognition tests. Both groups showed only a slight decline in word form recall after 1 week. There were no interactions. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that incorporation of retrieval practice into shared book reading activities can produce benefits to children's word learning. These findings should encourage future retrieval practice studies with ever closer approximations to the everyday shared book reading experiences of children.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms by military affiliation

  SSM - Population Health · 2024-11-29

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Using a national sample of Americans, this study estimated and compared patterns of depressive symptom trajectories stratified by military service. This study then examined associations between sociodemographic factors theorized to shape entry into military service and trajectory patterns. Data came from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a nationally representative study that followed participants from adolescence (1994–1995) through midlife (2016–2018). Latent growth mixture modeling was used to estimate depressive symptom trajectories among civilians ( n = 17,644) and participants who served in the military ( n = 1266). Associations between trajectory membership and sociodemographic factors were tested with multinomial regression. Trajectories were best represented by 4-class linear models. “Low” was the largest class, representing 74.4% of civilians and 70.4% of those who served. The second largest class, “low then increasing,” was comprised of 13.6% of civilians and 19.6% of service members. The third smallest class, “high then decreasing” class, included 8.8% of civilians and 4.5% of service members. An “increasing” class emerged with high depressive symptoms by midlife, comprised of 3.2% of civilians and 5.5% of those who served. Gender and family structure had robust associations with trajectory membership. A larger percentage of those who served were in the “increasing” trajectory characterized by concerningly high depressive symptoms by midlife, underscoring the need for continued screening in depressive symptoms throughout the life course. Associations between family structure and gender on depressive symptoms support calls for conceptualizing family structure as a social determinant of health and continued investment in women's health. • Best-fitting models had four trajectories, regardless of military affiliation. • The largest trajectory had low levels of depressive symptoms. • A trajectory characterized by high depressive symptoms emerged. • A larger percent of service members were in the trajectory with elevated symptoms. • Gender and family structure had among the strongest associations with trajectories.

  PublisherDOI

• A latent class analysis of public perceptions about shared mobility barriers and benefits

  Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives · 2024-05-01 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  The United States faces urban issues like congestion and pollution due to heavy car dependency, with over 91% owning cars and 87% driving to work. In response to these challenges, various shared mobility solutions have been integrated into transportation systems, encompassing bike-sharing, e-scooter sharing, and ride-hailing, but have not seen widespread adoption. To this end, this study investigates the perception of these services in the context of benefits and barriers. A survey was conducted in Indianapolis, Indiana and distributed online, gathering 424 responses. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to determine groups of individuals with similar perceptions. The LCA identified three classes regarding perceptions of shared mobility benefits, and three others in relation to barriers. Regarding benefits, the classes include “Casual observers of benefits,” predominantly comprising older, less active females; “Benefits proponents,” featuring a majority of young, well-educated, higher-income males who prioritize health; and “Non-believers in benefits,” primarily consisting of older individuals, often identifying as black, with lower incomes and less active commuting. In terms of barriers, the classes are “Indifferent about barriers,” mainly comprising younger, lower-income individuals; “Shared mobility bystanders,” primarily characterized by older individuals with infrequent work commutes; and “Barrier conscious,” mostly including younger, well-educated, racially diverse individuals with complex commuting patterns. In both the benefits and barriers categories, the largest classes consist of individuals with neutral perspectives on shared mobility, signifying that a substantial portion of the population has not fully embraced these services. The study recommends policies to promote shared mobility to this significant population segment.

  PublisherDOI

• Child Care Providers’ Quality Improvement within QRIS

  Child & Youth Care Forum · 2024-01-28 · 6 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant F32HD059318

  NIH · $29k · 2010

Frequent coauthors

• David Lee

  University of Miami

  292 shared

• Lora E. Fleming

  University of Exeter

  260 shared

• William G. LeBlanc

  University of Colorado Denver

  216 shared

• Alberto J. Caban‐Martinez

  179 shared

• Kristopher L. Arheart

  University of Miami

  153 shared

• Kathryn E. McCollister

  125 shared

• Diana Kachan

  University of Miami

  119 shared

• Evelyn P. Davila

  108 shared

Education

• B.A., Sociology & Political Science

  University of Minnesota

  1994

• M.A., Sociology

  University of North Carolina, Chapel-Hill

  2002

• M.S., Statistics

  University of North Carolina, Chapel-Hill

  2004

• Ph.D., Sociology

  University of North Carolina, Chapel-Hill

  2008

Awards & honors

• Center for Aging and the Life Course Outstanding Professor A…