I study adult learning, motivation, and development related to workers and their careers. As 21st century changes in technologies, demographics, and the global economy continue, their impacts are increasingly felt on what people do at work, their career paths, and shifting employment trends. My research team conducts investigations in four areas that bring together different topics in psychology and related disciplines to address these challenges: (1) adult learning and resource management across the lifespan, (2) self-management processes in job search and career crafting, (3) motivational dynamics in the context of achievement and in teams, and (4) the psychology of the built environment on career development and worker well-being.
Our research frequently uses a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative and quantitative techniques in experimental studies and large-scale field research.
For additional information about my research activities and our team, please also see: https://kanfer-ackerman.gatech.edu/research

Ph.D. (1981) Psychology Arizona State University
- L. Finkelstein, L., D. Truxillo, F. Fraccaroli, & R. Kanfer. (2021). Ageless Talent: Maximizing Talent in an Age-Diverse Workforce. NY: Psychology Press.
- Ackerman, P. L., & Kanfer, R. (2020). Work in the 21st Century: New directions for aging and adult development. American Psychologist, 75, 486-498. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/amp0000615
- van Hooft, E. A. J., Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D., Wanberg, C. R., Kanfer, R., & Basburg, G. (2020). Job search and employment success: A quantitative review and future research agenda. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106, 674-713. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/apl0000675
- Kanfer, R., & Fletcher, K. A. (2019). Work motivation and employment goals in later adulthood. In S. J. Czaja, J. Sharit, & J. James (Eds.), Current and Emerging Trends in Aging and Work (pp. 219-242). Springer: New York, NY
- Kooij, D. T. A. M., Kanfer, R., Betts, M., & Rudolph, C. (2018). Future time perspective: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology,103, 867-893.
- Kanfer, R., Frese, M. F., & Johnson, R. E. (2017). Motivation related to work: A century of progress. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102, 338-355.
- 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.