My name is Shelbie Turner, and I am a PhD candidate in Human Development and Family Studies at Oregon State University.
Broadly, my research questions focus on how people think about, anticipate, and plan for their future older adulthood. My thought is that people who interact closely with older adults, such as through caregiving, have unique windows into the possible realities of old age that could shape both how they think of their own future older selves and what they do (or don’t do) to either achieve who they hope to be in older adulthood or avoid who they fear becoming. I recently received an R36 Dissertation Award to Increase Diversity from The National Institute on Aging (NIA) to analyze these motivational mechanisms as they pertain to health behavior amongst caregivers. The study, titled the ACHIEVE Study, examines how middle-aged women caring for a parent with dementia pursue their own physical activity goals in light of changing views about their own later life.
I am relatively new to Div. 20 and have only attended two conventions thus far. Yet, having opportunities to learn from and connect with Division 20 scholars at APA conventions has already been invaluable to the unfolding of my own early career trajectory. During my first APA convention, I presented a poster on some of my very first scholarship on health goal pursuit in later life. I had several thoughts on how that work may expand into a manuscript, but I was still wondering what exact next steps I should take. I received feedback during the poster session from leaders in the field, colleagues, and peers, all of which was pivotal to expanding the research into a study that was publishable. Ultimately, the research findings in that now-published manuscript helped guide the development of my R36 grant proposal. I am so appreciative of the collegiality amongst Div. 20 that led to the strengthening of a single study and, eventually, the strengthening of my early career trajectory.
I look forward to continued involvement with Div. 20 in the years to come