Tara Gruenewald Headshot

Tara Gruenewald, PhD

Tara Gruenewald is an Associate Professor and Chair of Psychology who joined the Chapman faculty in the Fall of 2017. She is a social and health psychologist with additional postdoctoral training in Public Health and Gerontology. Dr. Gruenewald’s research focuses on the social and psychological factors which shape cognitive and physical functioning, physiology, and mental and physical health across the life course. Current foci include: (1) Identification of the psychological, social, behavioral, and biological pathways which underlie socioeconomic gradients in functioning and health, (2) The role of perceptions of generativity in shaping health and functioning in later life, and (3) Examination of health correlates of generative activity and intergenerational civic activity engagement. Her research utilizes a wide array of designs including longitudinal cohort studies, experience sampling investigations, and experiments in the lab and in natural environments, as well as diverse data collection methods.