Joelle Ruthig

Joelle Ruthig is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Dakota, specializing in Social and Health Psychology. Her research focuses on social psychological processes in health and performance domains, including health perceptions, aging, and control strategies. She teaches courses such as Research Methods in Psychology, Health Psychology, and Advanced Social Psychology. Dr. Ruthig holds a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Manitoba (2005).

Research Interests:

• Health: Health behaviors, health risk perceptions, conspiracy beliefs' impact on health, emotions in aging, and the role of perceived control.
• Performance: Unrealistic optimism in performance expectations, primary/secondary control strategies, and feedback-driven adjustments.

Her publications explore topics like conspiracy beliefs influencing health behaviors, the effects of falling on older adults' well-being, and cognitive aging. Notable trends include interdisciplinary approaches to health psychology and longitudinal studies on aging populations. She has contributed to journals such as Psychology and Health and Aging and Mental Health.

Dr. Ruthig currently accepts graduate students and is affiliated with the University of North Dakota's Psychology department. Her work emphasizes bridging psychological theory with practical health interventions.