Education

Ph.D. (1981) Psychology Arizona State University

Research Interests

My research examines the role of motivation and self-regulation in work and achievement settings.  Past projects include work on how goals affect resource allocation during learning and performance and the role of self-regulation in job search and reemployment following job loss. Recent projects focus on three topics: motivational dynamics over time, the influence of adult development and change on motivation and self-regulation, and motivation in and of teams.  As co-director of the GT PARK Lab, we conduct longitudinal and large-scale laboratory and field projects that examine personality, intellectual, and affective determinants of learning and performance to address use-inspired issues in personnel selection, training, work performance,and worker well-being. 

Awards

Dr. Kanfer is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Management (AoM), the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association for Psychological Sciences (APS), and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), and has received scientific awards for her work from SIOP (William R. Owens Scholarly Achievement Award; Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award) and the AoM (Outstanding Publication of the Year in Organizational Behavior Award, 2004; 2008). Her research has been supported by federal agencies, national foundations, and private organizations, and she has served on journal editorial boards, scientific advisory boards, as the AoM Organizational Behavior Division Chair, and as representative on the AoM Board of Governors. She is a member of the Sloan Research Network on Aging and Work Steering Committee, and recently served on the National Academy of Sciences Science and Practice of Learning Committee that produced How People Learn II (2019).

Selected Publications

• Beier, M. E., LoPilato, A. C., & Kanfer, R. (2018).  Successful motivational aging at work:  Antecedents and retirement-related outcomes. Work, Aging, and Retirement.  doi:10.1093/workar/wax034
• Kooij, D. T. A. M., Kanfer, R., Betts, M., & Rudolph, C. (2018, In Press).  Future time perspective: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology.
• Heckhausen, J., Shane, J., & Kanfer, R. (2017).  Competence and motivation at work throughout adulthood:  Making the most of changing capacities and opportunities.  In A. Elliot, C. S. Dweck, & D. Yeager (Eds.), Handbook of Competence and Motivation: Theory and Application (2nd Edition; pp. 449-470).  NY: Guilford Press.
• Wanberg, C. R., Kanfer, R., Hamann, D. J., & Zhang, Z. (2015).  Age and reemployment success after job loss:  An integrative model and meta-analysis.  Psychological Bulletin. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000019.
• Kanfer, R. (2015).  Employment Transitions in Late Adulthood.  In L. Finkelstein, D. Truxillo, F. Fraccaroli, & R. Kanfer (Eds.), (2015).  Facing the Challenges of a Multi-Age Workforce. A Use-Inspired Approach. NY:  Psychology Press.
• Kooij, D., Bal, P. M., & Kanfer, R. (2014).  Future time perspective and promotion focus as determinants of intra-individual change in work motivation. Psychology and Aging, 29, 319-328.

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