DUDePaul University · Psychology
Mikels Decision Lab
Joseph A Mikels · Chicago, Illinois
Research Focus
Joseph Mikels' research lab studies how emotions and social influences affect decision-making, especially as people age. The lab looks into how positive feelings can motivate older adults to make healthier choices, like exercising, and how these decisions differ from those made by younger adults. By understanding these dynamics, the research aims to develop better health interventions and recommendations for various age groups.
agingdecision makingemotionhealth behaviorexercise motivationsocial influencepositive affectdementia riskpublic health
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate how social and emotional processes influence health-related decision making across different ages.
AIM 02Examine the impact of emotional factors on exercise engagement and adherence in older adults.
AIM 03Explore the effects of shared positive affect and genetic risk on the health benefits of exercise for older individuals.
Skills the Lab Values
experimental designstatistical analysisfield studieslaboratory experimentssurvey designintervention studiesdata collectioncoding for data analysispsychological assessment
Output against the department
Publications96bottom 24% of dept.224th of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.3ktop 43% of dept.127th of 296
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.