Rita Xiaochen Hu

LIFE Fellow since 2021, University of Michigan

I am a doctoral candidate in the Joint Program in Social Work and Developmental Psychology at the University of Michigan working with Toni Antonucci and Jacqui Smith. I am interested in the development and consequences of ageism across the lifespan. Specifically, (1) the development and internalization of age-related stereotypes through social relationships across the lifespan, and (2) the time-varying nature of age-related stereotypes’ effect on older adults’ psychosocial wellbeing. I am also interested in exploring age-related stereotypes among service providers such as home health aides and the potential effects on older adults’ health and well-being.

Selected Publications

Hu, R. X., Larkina, M., & Smith, J. (2023). The impact of caregiving across life on later-life self-perceptions of aging. Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 78(11), 1805–1812. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbad103

Hu, R. X., & Li, L. W. (2022). Social disconnectedness and loneliness: Do self-perceptions of aging play a role? Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 77(5), 936–945. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac008

Hu, R. X., Luo, M., Zhang, A., & Li, L. W. (2021). Associations of ageism and health: A systematic review of quantitative observational studies. Research on Aging, 43(7–8), 311–322. https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027520980130