Joelle Ruthig

Psyc 303 - Research Methods in Psychology

Psych 335 - Health Psychology

Psyc 361 - Social Psychology

Psyc 560 - Advanced Social Psychology

My research focuses on social psychological processes within the areas of health and intergroup perceptions.

Health:

• Health perceptions and help-seeking behaviors
• Health behaviors and beliefs about health risks
• The roles of social comparison, optimism, and perceived control in physical health, psychological well-being, and survival outcomes

Intergroup perceptions:

• Zero-sum beliefs (win-lose competitive views of outgroups or their individual members) 
• Social comparison
• Comparative optimism 

PhD in Social Psychology, University of Manitoba (2005)

Select Publications (Health):

Ruthig, J. C., Bjerke, E. Van Bree, J., Adrian, M, Stornelli, L., & Hoffman, W. (in press). Barriers to symptom disclosure and healthcare seeking among civilian aviation pilot trainees. Journal of Health Psychology.

Stewart, T. L., Schumann, M. E., & Ruthig, J. C. (2025). Development and validation of a scale to assess the belief that “age causes illness”. Psychology and Health, 40, 1143-1155.

Kroke, A. M., & Ruthig, J. C. (2024). Conspiracy beliefs predicting health behaviors: An integration of the theory of planned behavior and health belief model. Current Psychology, 43, 7959-7973.

Kroke, A. M., & Ruthig, J. C. (2022). Conspiracy beliefs and the impact on health behaviors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 14, 311-328.

Jonsdottir, H., & Ruthig, J. C. (2021). A longitudinal study of the negative impact of falling on health, well-being, and survival in later life: The protective role of perceived control. Aging and Mental Health, 24, 742-748.

Haverstock, N., Ruthig, J. C., & Chipperfield, J. G. (2020). Primary and secondary control strategies and psychological well-being among familial caregivers of older adults with dementia. The Journal of Social Psychology, 160, 61-74.

Ruthig, J. C., Poltavski, D., & Petros, T. (2019). Examining positivity effect and working memory in young-old and very old adults using EEG-derived cognitive state metrics. Research on Aging, 41, 1014-1035.

Chipperfield, J. G., Hamm, J. M., Perry, R. P., Parker, P., Ruthig, J. C., & Lang, F. (2019). A healthy dose of realism: The role of optimistic and pessimistic expectations when facing a downward spiral in health. Social Science & Medicine, 232, 444-452.

Vanderzanden, K., & Ruthig, J. C.  (2018). Comparative optimism in older adults’ future health expectations. British Journal of Health Psychology, 23, 758-774.

Ruthig, J. C. (2016). Applying Protection Motivation Theory to examine health risk perceptions and exercise in later life. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 35, 939-959.

Ruthig, J. C. & Holfeld, B. (2016). Positive thinking and social perceptions of a female vs. male peer’s cancer experience. Journal of Social Psychology, 156, 154-167.

Ruthig, J. C., Trisko J., & Chipperfield, J. G. (2014). Shifting positivity ratios: Emotions and psychological health in later life. Aging and Mental Health, 18, 547-553.

Stewart, T. L., Chipperfield, J. G., Ruthig, J. C., & Heckhausen, J. (2013). Downward social comparison and subjective well-being in late life: The moderating role of perceived control. Aging & Mental Health, 17, 375-385.

Chipperfield, J. G., Newall, N., Perry, R. P., Stewart, T. L., Bailis, D. S., & Ruthig, J. C. (2012). Retaining a sense of control in late life: Health and survival implications. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 1081-1092.

Ruthig, J. C., Hanson, B. L., Pedersen, H., Weber, A., & Chipperfield, J. G. (2011). Later life health optimism, pessimism, and realism: Psychosocial contributors and health correlates. Psychology & Health, 26, 835-853.

Ruthig, J. C., Hanson, B. L., Ludtke, R., & McDonald, L. R. (2009). Perceived barriers to health care, health behaviors, and self-rated health among Native American elders. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 14, 190-200.

Ruthig, J. C., Chipperfield, J. G., Bailis, D. S., & Perry, R. P. (2008). Perceived control and risk characteristics as predictors of older adults’ health risk estimates. Journal of Social Psychology, 148, 667-688.     

Ruthig, J. C., & Chipperfield, J. G. (2007). Health incongruence in later life: A longitudinal analysis of well-being and health care. Health Psychology, 26, 753-761.        

Ruthig, J. C., Chipperfield, J. G., Perry, R. P., Newall, N. E., & Swift, A. (2007). Comparative risk and perceived control: Implications for psychological and physical well-being among older adults. Journal of Social Psychology, 147, 345-369.

Ruthig, J. C., Chipperfield, J. G., Newall, N. E., Perry, R. P., & Hall, N. C. (2007). Detrimental effects of falling on health and well-being in later life: The mediating roles of perceived control and optimism. Journal of Health Psychology, 12, 231-248.

Select Publications (Intergroup Perceptions):

Ruthig, J. C., Kehn, A., Fisher, W. N., & Carsten Namie, E. M. (2021). Consequences of a zero-sum perspective of gender status: Predicting later discrimination against men and women in collaborative and leadership roles. Sex Roles, 85, 13-24.

Ruthig, J. C., Gamblin, B., Jones, K., Vanderzanden, K., & Kehn, A. (2017). Concurrently examining unrealistic absolute and comparative optimism: Temporal shifts, individual-difference and event-specific correlates, and behavioral outcomes. British Journal of Psychology, 108, 107-126.

Ruthig, J. C., Kehn, A., Gamblin, B., Vanderzanden, K., & Jones, K. (2017). When women’s gains equal men’s losses: Predicting a zero-sum perspective of gender status. Sex Roles, 76, 17-26.

Kehn, A., & Ruthig, J. C. (2013). Perceptions of gender discrimination across six decades: The moderating roles of gender and age. Sex Roles, 69, 289-296.

Ruthig, J. C., Hanson, B. L., & Marino, J. (2009). A three-phase examination of academic comparative optimism and perceived academic control. Learning and Individual Differences, 19, 435-439.                                                                       

Ruthig, J. C., Haynes, T. L., Perry, R. P., & Chipperfield, J. G. (2007). Academic optimistic bias: Implications for college student performance and well-being. Social Psychology of Education, 10, 115-137.