Jen Peterson, Ph.D.
Department Chair
Term Associate Professor of Psychology
jrpeterson4@alaska.edu
Remote
Fall 2025 Office Hours
Coming Soon
Please email Dr. Peterson to set up an appointment.
Research Interests:
Age-related Changes in the Flexibility of Cognition & Behavior
As everyone knows, our way of thinking changes as we age and changes in cognition occur throughout the lifespan. My research investigates age-related changes in the flexibility of our cognition and behavior. Understanding our ability (and inability) to think and behave in flexible ways helps us understand the broader picture of healthy aging.
My second related area of research incorporates my interest in flexible cognition with my love of nature. Spending time in nature has been shown to improve overall mental and physical health as well as providing other positive benefits such as improved attention and creativity. The Nature Lab was created as a collaboration with Dr. Dani Sheppard to investigate several connections between nature and health. We currently have several studies underway. Please contact me for more information on the Nature Lab.
My educational background includes an MS from Emporia State University in experimental psychology and an MS and PhD from Texas Christian University in Experimental Psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral Neuroscience. Before moving to Fairbanks in 2015, I spent two years at Kansas State University as a postdoctoral research studying decision making processes.
FlexCog Lab
The FlexCog Lab (Flexible Cognition) Lab studies healthy aging and age-related changes in thought and behavior. We are especially interested in local residents and the opportunities and challenges faced by those in Interior Alaska.
Nature Lab
The Nature Lab was established to further study the relationship between people and their environment. We focus on issues of special interest to interior Alaska such as how the dynamic light cycle affects the health and well-being of local residents.
