Keith E Whitfield, Professor and Developmental Program Director

Research Summary:
Dr. Whitfield's research on individual differences in minority aging employs a two prong approach that includes studying individual people as well as members of twin pairs. Dr. Whitfield’s research examines the individual variation in health and individual differences in cognition due to health conditions. Dr. Whitfield has worked with researchers from Sweden, Russia, and the United States to examine how social, psychological, and cultural factors of cognition and healthy aging. He has completed a study that involves examining health and psycho-social factors related to health among adult African American twins from North Carolina. His current research project is a longitudinal study of cognition and health among older African Americans.

Specialties:

Developmental Psychology

Representative Publications:   (More Publications)   (search)

1. Whitfield, K.E. & Edwards, C.L. (2011). Mentoring special populations. Educational Gerontology, 37(5), 422-439.
2. Whitfield, K.E., Thorpe, R., Szanton, S. "Health disparities, social class, and aging."  Ed. Warner Schaie and Sherry Willis Elsuvier, 2011: 207-218.
3. Whitfield, Angel, J., & Wong, R. (2011). Biobehavioral aspects of health and aging in people of Mexican Origin. Journal of Health and Aging, 23(7), 1019-1026.
4. Kennedy, S.W., Allaire, J.C., Gamaldo, A.A., & Whitfield, K.E (In Press). Race differences in intellectual control beliefs and cognitive functioning. Experimental Aging Research.
5. Baker, T.A., Buchanan, N.T., Small, B.J., Hines, R.D., & Whitfield, K.E. (In Press). Identifying the relationship between chronic pain, depression, and life satisfaction in older African Americans. Research on Aging.

Postdocs Mentored

• Adrienne Aiken-Morgan (2011-April)  
• Patricia Gregory (2008 - 2010)  
• Regina Sims (2007 - 2009)