Becca Levy, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology
Social and Behavioral Sciences Program
Professor Levy's research explores psychosocial influences on aging. Her studies focus on how psychological factors, particularly older individuals' perceptions of aging, affect cognition and health in old age. She studies this by examining: 1) how psychosocial factors influence recovery and survival in old age; 2) how the aging process differs in cultures that hold diverse views of aging; and 3) how interventions, designed to trigger either positive or negative age stereotypes, influences a variety of outcomes in older individuals including memory, physical performance and cardiovascular response to stress.
Education
Ph.D. in Psychology, Harvard University, 1995
Awards and Honors
Springer Award for Early Career Achievement in Adult Development and Aging, American Psychological Association
Margret M. Baltes Award for Early Career Contributions in Behavioral and Social Gerontology, Gerontological Society of America
Brookdale National Fellowship for Leadership in Aging
International Mensa Foundation New Investigator Award for Excellence in Research
Fellow, Gerontological Society of America, Behavioral and Social Sciences Section
Fellow, American Psychological Association
Donaghue Investigator Award
Professional Services
Editorial Board, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences
Advisory Board, The Anti-Ageism Task Force, International Longevity Center
Testimony to the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging
Courses Taught
CDE 531 Aging and Health
CDE 576 Social Psychological Theories of Health
Current Research Projects
Psychosocial Determinants of Longevity; Psychosocial Factors that Contribute to Elders’ Successful Cognitive and Physical Functioning; Mechanisms by which Age Stereotypes Influence Older Individuals Health; and Interventions to Improve Aging Health.
Yale Affiliations
Faculty Appointment, Department of Psychology
Executive Committee Member, Yale Program on Aging
Institution for Social and Policy Studies
In the News
Levy Awarded Fellow Status in the American Psychological Association
Levy Receives Donaghue Investigator Award
Elder's Stereotypes Predict Hearing Decline
Chronic Disease Epidemiology Student and Levy Obtain Top Honors at American College of Physicians Connecticut Chapter Annual Scientific Meeting
Watching More TV Increases Seniors’ Negative Views of Aging
Selected Publications
Levy, B. R., Zonderman A. B., Slade M. D. & Ferrucci, L. ,
Age stereotypes held earlier in life predict cardiovascular events in later life. Psychological Science, 20, 296-298, 2009.
Levy, B. R. & Leifheit-Limson, E., The stereotype-matching effect: Greater influence on functioning when age stereotypes correspond to outcomes. Psychology and Aging, 24, 230–233, 2009.
Levy, B.R., Slade, M.D., and Gill, T. Hearing Decline Predicted by Elders’ Age Stereotypes. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 61: 82-87, 2006.
Levy, B. and Schlesinger, M. When Self-interest and Age Stereotypes Collide: Elders’ preferring reduced funds for programs benefiting themselves. Journal of Aging and Social Policy 17: 25-39, 2005.
Levy, B. R. and Myers, L.M. Preventive Health Behaviors Influenced by Self-perceptions of Aging. Preventive Medicine 39: 625-629, 2004.
Levy, B.R. Mind Matters: Cognitive and Physical Effects of Aging Self-Stereotypes. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Science 58: 203-211, 2003.
Levy, B.R., Slade, M.D., Kunkel, S.R., and Kasl, S.V. Longevity Increased by Positive Self-Perceptions of Aging. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 83: 261-270, 2002.
Levy, B.R., Slade, M.D., and Kasl, S.V. Longitudinal Benefit of Positive Self-Perceptions of Aging on Functioning Health. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences 57: 2002.
Levy, B.R., Hausdorff, J., Hencke, R., and Wei, J. Reducing Cardiovascular Stress with Positive Self-Stereotypes of Aging. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences 55: 1-9, 2000.
Levy, B. Improving Memory in Old Age Through Implicit Self-Stereotyping. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 71: 1092-1107, 1996.
For a further list of Dr. Levy’s publications, please see PubMed.
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