a Speaker Series
Friday, 01/31/2025 to 01/31/2025, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. ARCHIVED EVENT
Presenter: Karen Fingerman
In person in RLP 1.302 E
And via Zoom https://utexas.zoom.us/j/92920894372
Abstract:
Large national studies have documented links between social engagement a better physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being in late life. Yet, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain poorly understood. This talk will describe findings from an in-depth study that tracked older adults with a variety of sensor devices in naturalistic settings as they went about their day. The study focused on the full range of ties older adults encountered in daily life, going beyond close ties to understand whether and how interactions with acquaintances and strangers might enhance the benefits older adults derive from the social world. This talk explores the impact of encounters with close and weak ties and the different functions the two types of ties serve.
Bio:
Dr. Karen Fingerman is the Wilson Regents Professor of Human Ecology, Director of the Texas Aging & Longevity Consortium, and Director of Research for the UT Austin Center on Aging and Population Sciences. She has nearly 200 publications addressing social and emotional aging, including older adults’ intergenerational family ties, ties, the broader social networks, and physical and cognitive functioning across adulthood. She uses a variety of sensors and tracking methods to examine older adults’ activities, sleep, and well-being in a naturalistic setting. She received the Distinguished Mentor in Gerontology Award from the BSS section of GSA in 2020, the Baltes Distinguished Research Award in Psychology of Aging from the American Psychological Association in 2022, and took second place in the Great Blanton Bakeoff in 2024.