Scott Hofer

Professor, Harald Mohr, M.D. and Wilhelma Mohr, M.D. Research Chair in Adult Development and Aging
Ph.D. 1994 (USC)
joined Department in 2009

My research is on the identification and explanation of individual differences in developmental and aging-related processes and involves analysis of existing longitudinal studies, new data collection efforts using intensive measurement designs, and developments in research methodology focused on measurement and analysis of change. A major aim of using intensive measurement designs is to identify critical changes in cognitive performance that are distinct from retest effects, leading to improved and earlier diagnosis of cognitive impairment. Analysis of existing longitudinal data is being advanced through our international network for the Integrative Analysis of Longitudinal Studies on Aging (IALSA), with emphasis on understanding within-person changes in cognition and personality in the context of health and population mortality. This network for the collaborative, coordinated analysis of longitudinal studies provides a broad foundation for cumulating scientific knowledge from longitudinal research by facilitating efficient examination of multiple studies in ways that maximize comparability of results.

Interests

Lifespan development and aging
Longitudinal studies
Developmental research methods

Program affiliations

Lifespan development

Publications

Shanahan, M. J., & Hofer, S. M. (2011). Molecular genetics, aging, and well-being: Sensitive period, accumulation, and pathway models. In R. H. Binstock & L. K. George (Eds.), Handbook of Aging and Social Sciences (7th Edition; pp. 135-147). New York: Elsevier.

Hofer, S. M., & Piccinin, A. M. (2010). Toward an integrative science of lifespan development and aging. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 65B, 269-278.

Sliwinski, M. J., Hoffman, L., & Hofer, S. M. (2010). Evaluating convergence of within-person change and between-person age differences in age-heterogeneous longitudinal studies. Research in Human Development, 7, 45-60.

Hofer, S. M., Gray, K. M., Piccinin, A. M., Mackinnon, A. J., Bontempo, D. E., Einfeld, S. L., Hoffman, L., Parmenter, T., & Tonge, B. J. (2009). Correlated and coupled within-person change in emotional and behavior disturbance in individuals with intellectual disability. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 5, 307-321.

Hofer, S. M., & Piccinin, A. M. (2009) Integrative data analysis through coordination of measurement and analysis protocol across independent longitudinal studies. Psychological Methods, 14, 150-164.

Hofer, S. M., & Alwin, D. F. (Eds., 2008). The Handbook of Cognitive Aging: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Thorvaldsson, V., Hofer, S. M., Berg, S., Skoog, I., Sacuiu, S., & Johansson, B. (2008). Onset of terminal decline in cognitive abilities in individuals without dementia. Neurology, 71, 882-887.

Hofer, S. M., Flaherty, B. P., & Hoffman, L. (2006). Cross-sectional analysis of time-dependent data: Problems of mean-induced association in age-heterogeneous samples and an alternative method based on sequential narrow age-cohorts. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 41, 165-187.

Shanahan, M. J., & Hofer, S. M. (2005). Social context in gene-environment interactions: Retrospect and prospect. Journal of Gerontology: Behavioral and Social Sciences, 60B (Special Issue I), 65-76.