Berner-Hanley Professor in Gerontology,

Developmental and Family Studies
(PhD, MA, University of Michigan)

Research Interests

Relationships between adults and parents, families in adulthood, ambivalent relationships, emotional development, adult development and aging

Contact Information

Fowler House, Room 223
Purdue University
1200 W. State Street
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2055

Phone: (765) 496-6378
Fax: (765) 494-0503

E-mail: karenf@purdue.edu

Web site: Adult Family Research

Biography
Recent Publications
Education
Courses Recently Taught
Honors
External Grants
Professional Service

Biography

I grew up in the Midwest, but my education and professional appointments have taken me around the world. After high school, I lived in Switzerland for a year as a foreign exchange student where I developed a passion for chocolate. I attended college in Boston at Harvard University and then spent a year in Kenya. After that, I settled into five years of a PhD program at the University of Michigan where I learned all the words to the UM fight song (hail to the victors!). I then managed to make it all the way to the other side of the country, the San Francisco Bay Area, where I spent a year as a post doctoral fellow at Stanford Medical School. My first teaching appointment was as an assistant professor at the University of San Francisco. After that, I spent eight years in the mountainous regions of Pennsylvania on the faculty at Pennsylvania State University. I moved to Purdue University in 2003.

My research focuses on social relationships, emotions, and aging. I examine emotions adults of different ages experience in their relationships and the behaviors they use to communicate their feelings. I am particularly interested in relationships between adults and their parents. My research has been funded by the Brookdale Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The National Institute on Aging and the MacArthur Network on Transitions to Adulthood are currently funding a study I am conducting examining middle aged adults, their young adult children, and their aging parents.

I received the Margret Baltes Award for Early Career Achievement in Social and Behavioral Gerontology and the Springer Award for Early Career Achievement from the American Psychological Association. I have been elected fellows of the Association for Psychological Science and the Gerontological Society of America. I currently serve on the editorial boards of the Journal of Marriage and Family, International Journal for Aging and Human Development, and Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Science.

top of page

Recent Publications

* student author

Fingerman, K. L., Pitzer, L.*, Lefkowitz. E. S., Birditt, K. S., & Mroczek, D. (in press).

   Ambivalent relationship qualities between adults and their parents: Implications for

   both parties’ well-being. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.

Davey, A., Tucker, C. J., Fingerman, K. L., & Savla, J. (in press). Variability in

   representations of past relationships with parents. Journals of Gerontology: Social

   Sciences.

Cichy, K. E.*, Lefkowitz, E. S., & Fingerman, K. L. (in press). Generational differences

   in gender attitudes between parents and grown offspring. Sex Roles.

Fingerman, K. L., Miller, L.*, & Seidel, A. J.* (in press). Functions families serve in old

   age. In S. Qualls & S. Zarit (Eds.), Aging families and caregiving: A clinician’s guide

   to research, practice, and technology. New York: Wiley.

Fingerman, K. L., Whiteman, S. D., & Dotterer, A. M. (in press). Mother-child

   relationships in adolescence and old age. In H. T. Reis & S. K. Sprecher (Eds.),

   Encyclopedia of human relationships. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Fingerman, K. L., Buckser, A., & Turiano, N. A.* (in press). Holidays and relationships.

   In H. T. Reis & S. K. Sprecher (Eds.), Encyclopedia of human relationships. Thousand

   Oaks, CA: Sage.

Fingerman, K. L. (in press). Weak ties. In H. T. Reis & S. K. Sprecher (Eds.),

   Encyclopedia of human relationships. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Mroczek, D. K., Pitzer, L.*, & Miller, L. M.*, Fingerman, K. L. (in press). The use of

   archival data in adult development and aging research. In K. H. Trzesniewski, M. B.

   Donnellan, & R.E. Lucas (Eds.), Analyzing archival data: Methods and illustrations.

   Washington, DC: APA Books.

Birditt, K. S., Fingerman, K. L., Kamp Dush, C. M.*, & Lefkowitz, E. S. (2008). Parents

   as peers: Development of a filial maturity scale. Journal of Adult Development, 15,

   1-12.

Fingerman, K. L., Miller, L.*, & Charles, S. T. (2008). Saving the best for last: How

   adults treat social partners of different ages. Psychology and Aging, 23, 399-409.

Hay, E. L., Fingerman, K. L., & Lefkowitz, E. S. (2008). The worries adult children and

   their parents experience for one another. International Journal of Aging and Human

   Development, 67, 101-127.

Fingerman, K. L., Hay, E. L.*, Kamp Dush, C. M.*, Cichy, K. E.*, & Hosterman, S.*

   (2007). Parents’ and offspring’s perceptions of change and continuity when parents

   experience the transition to old age. Advances in Life Course Research, 12, 275-306.

Hay, E. L.*, Fingerman, K. L., & Lefkowitz, E. S. (2007). The experience of worry in

   parent-adult child relationships. Personal Relationships, 14, 605-622.

Fingerman, K.L., & Pitzer, L.M. (2007). Socialization in old age. In P.D. Hastings & J.E.
   Grusec (Eds.), Handbook of socialization (pp. 232-255). New York: Guilford Press.

Cichy, K.E.*, Fingerman, K.L., & Lefkowitz, E.S. (2007). Causes of interpersonal

   tensions across adulthood. International Journal of Aging and Human Development,

   64, 171-193.

Moorman, S.M., Booth, A., Fingerman, K.L. (2006). Women’s romantic relationships

   after widowhood. Journal of Family Issues, 27, 1281-1304.

Fingerman, K.L., Chen, P.C.*, Hay, E.L.*, Cichy, K.E.*, & Lefkowitz, E.S. (2006).
   Ambivalent reactions in the parent and offspring relationship. Journals of

   Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 61B, 152-160.

Fingerman, K.L., & Dolbin-MacNab, M. (2006). Lessons from the baby boomers and

   their parents: How a cohort shapes an understanding of intergenerational ties. To
   appear in S. Willis & S. K. Whitbourne (Eds.), The baby boomers at midlife:

   Contemporary perspectives on middle age (pp. 237-259). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence

   Erlbaum Associates.

Fingerman, K.L., & Baker, B. (2006). Socio-emotional aspects of aging. To appear

   in J. Wilmouth & K. Ferraro (Eds.), Perspectives in Gerontology (3rd Edition)
   (pp.183-202). New York: Springer.

Birditt, K.S., Fingerman, K.L., & Almeida, D. (2005). Age and gender differences in
   reported reactions to interpersonal tensions: A daily diary study. Psychology &

   Aging, 20, 330-340.

Birditt, K.S., & Fingerman, K.L. (2005). Do we get better at picking our battles? Age
   differences in descriptions of behavioral reactions to interpersonal tensions. Journals
   of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 60B, P121-P128.

Hay, E.L., & Fingerman, K.L. (2005). Perceptions of social control across adulthood.
   International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 60, 53-75.

Cichy, K.E., & Fingerman, K.L. (2005). Families around the world and through the life
   course. [Invited book review Intergenerational relations across time and place].
   Contemporary Gerontology, 11, 173-174.

Fingerman, K.L. (2004). The role of offspring and children-in-law in grandparents'
   relationships with grandchildren. Journal of Family Issues, 25, 1026-1049.

Fingerman, K.L., Hay, E.L., & Birditt, K.S. (2004). The best of ties, the worst of ties:
   Close, problematic, and ambivalent relationships across the lifespan. Journal of
   Marriage and Family, 66, 792-808.

Fingerman, K.L., & Hay, E.L. (2004). Intergenerational ambivalence in the context

   of the larger social network. In K. Luescher & K. Pillemer (Eds.), Intergenerational

   ambivalence. Amsterdam: Elsevier/JAI Press.

Fingerman, K.L., & Lang, F. (2004). Coming together: A lifespan perspective on

   personal relationships. In F. Lang & K.L. Fingerman (Eds.), Growing together:

   Personal relationships across the lifespan (pp. 1-23). New York Cambridge

   University Press.

Fingerman, K.L. (2004). The consequential stranger: Peripheral relationships across

   the lifespan. In F. Lang & K.L. Fingerman (Eds.), Growing together: Personal

   relationships across the lifespan. (pp.183-209). New York Cambridge University

   Press.

Lang, F., & Fingerman, K.L. (Eds.). (2004). Growing together: Personal relationships
   across the life span. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Fingerman, K.L., Nussbaum, J., & Birditt, K.S. (2004). Keeping all five balls in the air:
   Juggling family communication at midlife. In A.L. Vangelisti (Ed.), Handbook of

   family communication (pp. 135-152). Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Lefkowitz, E.S., & Fingerman, K.L. (2003). Positive and negative emotional feelings and
   behaviors in mother-daughter ties in late life. Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 607-
   617.

Birditt, K.S., & Fingerman, K.L. (2003). Age and gender differences in adults'

   emotional reactions to interpersonal tensions. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological

   Sciences, 58B, P237-P245.

Fingerman, K.L., & Birditt, K.S. (2003). Do age differences in close and problematic
   family networks reflect the pool of available relatives? Journal of Gerontology:
   Psychological Sciences, 58, P80-P87.

Fingerman, K.L., & Hay, E.L. (2002). Searching under the streetlight?: Age biases

   in the personal and family relationships literature. Personal Relationships, 9,

   415-433.

Fingerman, K.L. (2001). Aging mothers and their adult daughters: A study in mixed
   emotions. New York: Springer Publishers.

Fingerman, K.L. (2001). The paradox of a distant closeness: Intimacy in parent/child
   ties. Generations, 25, 26-33.

Fingerman, K.L. (2000). "We had a nice little chat": Age and generational differences

   in mothers' and daughters' descriptions of enjoyable visits. Journal of Gerontology:
   Psychological Sciences, 55, P95-P106.

Fingerman, K.L., & Bermann, E. (2000). Applications of family systems theory to the
   study of adulthood. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 51,

   5-29.

Fingerman, K.L., & Griffiths, P.C. (1999). Season's greetings: Adults' social contact

   at the holiday season. Psychology and Aging, 14, 192-205.

Fingerman, K.L. (1998). The good, the bad, and the worrisome: Complexities in
   grandparents' relationships with individual grandchildren. Family Relations, 47,

   403-414

Fingerman, K.L. (1998). Tight lips: Aging mothers' and their adult daughters' responses
   to interpersonal tensions in their relationship. Personal Relationships, 5, 121-138.

Fingerman, K.L. (1996). Sources of tension in the aging mother and adult daughter
   relationship. Psychology and Aging, 11, 591-606.

top of page

Education

• Ph.D., 1993, Psychology, University of Michigan.
• MmS., 1990, Arts Psychology, University of Michigan.
• B.A.,1987, Psychology Harvard/Radcliffe College.

top of page

Courses Recently Taught

CDFS 649: Multidisciplinary Gerontology
UHP 199: Aging in the Twenty-first century
CDFS 312: Adult Development and Aging

top of page

Honors

2006 - Star Gerontologist Award, Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University

2003 - present Berner Hanley University Scholar, Purdue University

2005 - Harshman Visiting Lecturer, Guelph, Canada

2005 - Elected Fellow, American Psychological Society

2002 - Elected Fellow, Gerontological Society of America

2000-2002 - Brookdale National Fellow, Brookdale Foundation

1999 - Margret Baltes Award for Early Career Achievement in Social and Behavioral Gerontology, Gerontological Society of America

1998 - Springer Award for Early Career Achievement in Research on Adult Development and Aging, American Psychological Association

top of page

External Grants

2006-2010, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. Principal Investigator, "The Psychology of Intergenerational Transfers," R01AG027769, $1,532,990.

2007-2008, MacArthur Network on Transitions to Adulthood. "Supplement to the Psychology of Intergenerational Transfers to Enhance Study of Young Adult Offspring" (Frank Furstenberg, Network Director), $71,454.

2001-2006, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. Principal Investigator, "Problems Between Parents and Offspring in Adulthood," R01 AG17916, $1,286,694.

2001-2003, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. Training Faculty (Steven Zarit, Principal Investigator), "Interdisciplinary Training Grant in Gerontology". $1,596,310.

2000-2002, Brookdale Foundation. Principal Investigator, "Family Relationships and Sensory Impairments in Late Life," $105,000.

1997-1999, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. Principal Investigator, "Adults' Reasoning About Problems in Social Relationships," R03AG14484A, $66,597.

top of page

Professional Service

2006-2009, Member-at-Large, American Psychological Association Division 20, Adult Development & Aging.
2006-2008, Chair, Distinguished Mentor Committee, Gerontological Society of America.
2007-2008, Elections committee, Division 20, Adult Development & Aging, American Psychological Association.
2003-2005, Member-at-Large, Behavioral & Social Sciences, Gerontological Society of America.
2003, Chair, Distinguished Mentor Committee, Gerontological Society of America.
2003-2005, Member, student awards committee, American Psychological Association.
2003, Member, nominating committee, Gerontological Society of America
2000-2002, Co-chair, Education Committee, Division 20 (Adult Development and Aging), American Psychological Association.
1999, Chair, Theory Construction and Research Methodology Workshop, pre-conference workshop on Intergenerational Obligation, National Council on Family Relations annual conference, Irvine, California.

top of page