Jaclyn Maher

Bio & Education

Dr. Maher’s research aims to understand (1) how motivational processes within and outside of our awareness regulate our physical activity and sedentary behavior, (2) how physical activity and sedentary behavior impact psychological health and well-being, and (3) how best to use technology to capture the dynamics of motivation, behavior, evaluations, and feelings as well as to intervene on behavior. The ultimate goal of her research is to develop low burden, just-in-time adaptive interventions that help people to create meaningful behavior change in the context of their everyday lives. Dr. Maher has conducted research in populations across the lifespan ranging from children to older adults. Dr. Maher was a post-doctoral scholar in the Real-Time Eating, Activity, and Children’s Health Lab in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California. She earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Kinesiology (concentration: Psychology of Physical Activity) from the Pennsylvania State University.

Courses Taught

• KIN 644 Psychology of Sport and Exercise
• KIN 388 Psychology of Physical Activity