Susan Turk Charles

My research examines emotional processes across the adult life span. I am interested in how affective experience varies across the life course, and how differences in affective experience may be related to differences in cognitive and health-related processes. I am also interested in the interplay between health and emotion, including the relationship between physical health factors (both health behavior and health status) and emotional processes, and how these relationships may vary as a function of age.

Web Links of Research Sites

• The Emotion Research Lab
• Research Opportunities (Undergraduate)

Selected Publications

• Charles, S.T. (2010). Strength and Vulnerability Integration (SAVI): A Model of Emotional Well-Being in Later Adulthood. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 1068-1091.

•    Mallers, M. H., Charles, S.T., Neupert, S., & Almeida, D.M. (2010). Perceptions of childhood relationships with mother and father: Daily emotional and stressor experiences in adulthood. Developmental Psychology.
• Charles, S. T., Luong, G., Almeida, D. M., Ryff, C., Sturm, M., & Love, G. (2010). Fewer ups and downs: Daily stressors mediate age differences in negative affect. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 65, 279-86.
•  Charles, S.T., & Carstensen, L.L. (2010). Social and emotional aspects of aging. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 383-409.
• Charles, S.T., Piazza, J., Luong, G., & Almeida, D.M. (2009). Now You See it, Now You Don't: Age Differences in Affective Reactivity to Social Tensions. Psychology & Aging, 24, 645-653.
• Charles S.T, & Piazza J.R. (2009). Age differences in affective well-being: Context matters. Social & Personality Psychology Compass, 3, 1-14.
• Charles, S.T., & Carstensen, L.L. (2008). Unpleasant situations elicit different emotional responses in younger and older adults. Psychology & Aging, 23, 495-504.
• Charles, S.T., Gatz, M., Kato, K., & Pedersen, N.L. (2008). Physical Health Twenty-Five Years Later: The Predictive Ability of Neuroticism. Health Psychology, 27, 369-378.
•  Piazza, J. R., Charles, S. T., & Almeida, D. M. (2007). Living with chronic health conditions: Age differences in affective well-being. Journal of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, 62,313-321.
• Charles, S.T., & Almeida, D.M. (2007). Genetic and environmental effects on daily life stressors: More evidence for greater variation in later life. Psychology and Aging, 22, 231-240.
• Charles, S. T. & Piazza, J. R. (2007). Memories of social interactions: Age differences in emotional intensity. Psychology and Aging, 22, 300-309.