Professor of Psychology and Research Professor, Institute for Social Research
About
My research deals with the heterogeneity of psychological functioning, well-being, and health in midlife and old age. I use experimental and survey methodologies to investigate age-cohort differences and age-related change in cognitive functioning, self-regulation, and well-being. My current research focuses on subjective well-being after age 50, psychological vitality in the oldest-old, early-life and life course predictors of outcomes in later life, self-perceptions of aging, and cognitive aging.
Psychosocial Aging Group: Smith Lab
Representative Publications:
Smith, J., & Ryan, L. H. (2016). Psychological vitality in the oldest old. In K. W. Schaie & S. J. Willis (Eds.) Handbook of the Psychology of Aging (8th Ed. Ch. 16, pp 303-319). Academic press / Elsevier
Smith, J., Ryan, L. H., Queen, T. L., Becker, S., & Gonzalez, R. (2014). Snapshots of Mixtures of Affective Experiences in a Day: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study. Journal of Population Ageing, 7, 55–79.
Kim, E. S., Chopik, W. J., & Smith, J. (2014). Are people healthier if their partners are more optimistic? The dyadic effect of optimism on health among older adults. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 76, 447-453.
Kim, E. S., Moored, K.D., Giasson, H. L., & Smith, J. (2014). Satisfaction with aging and use of preventive health services. Preventive Medicine, 69, 176-180.
Gerstorf, D., Ram, N., Lindenberger, U., & Smith, J. (2013). Age and Time-to-Death Trajectories of Change in Indicators of Cognitive, Sensory, Physical, Health, Social, and Self-Related Functions. Developmental Psychology, 49, 1805-1821.
Fingerman, K. L., Berg, C. A., Smith, J., & Antonucci, T.C. (Eds.) (2011). Handbook of Life-Span Development. New York: Springer
Kotter-Grühn, D., Kleinspehn-Ammerlahn, A., Gerstorf, D., & Smith, J. (2009). Self-perceptions of aging predict mortality and change with approaching death: 16-year longitudinal results from the Berlin Aging Study. Psychology and Aging, 24, 654-667.
Baltes, P. B., & Smith, J. (2008). The fascination of wisdom: Its nature, ontogeny, and function. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3, 56-74
Baltes, P. B., & Smith, J. (2003). New frontiers in the future of aging: From successful aging of the young old to the dilemmas of the Fourth Age. Gerontology: Behavioural Science Section/Review, 49, 123-135.
