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Jessica Blaxton

  • Associate Professor
  • PhD, Developmental and Adolescent Psychology
    University of Notre Dame
  • M.A., Developmental and Adolescent Psychology
    University of Notre Dame
  • B.A., Developmental and Adolescent Psychology
    University of Dallas

Recent and upcoming courses

Summer 2026

Fall 2026

Jessica Blaxton's research interests lie in life-span development with a focus on stress, coping, and resiliency. Specifically, she is interested in exploring the factors that both protect and exacerbate the relationship between stress and emotional and physical well-being. In addition, she is interested in understanding how these factors relate to each other, how these factors change over time, and how the daily relationships between these factors predict global trajectories of health and well-being.

Publications

  • Blaxton, J. M., Bergeman, C. S., & Nelson, N. A. (2025). “Thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow:” Daily anticipation, positive affect, and stressor related negative affect. Affective Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-025-00338-5
  • Blaxton, J. M., Bergeman, C. S., & Nelson, N. A. (2024). Age differences among within-person indicators of stress and depressive affect. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/00914150241268034
  • Blaxton, J. M., & *Dobrzynski, S. (2024). Race differences in stressor related negative affect and daily rumination. The Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.jn29.3.227
  • Blaxton, J. M., Whitehead, B. R., & Bergeman, C. S. (2022). Age differences among different sources of stressor related negative affect. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/00914150221112282
  • Stefaniak, A., Blaxton, J. M., & Bergeman, C. S. (2021). Age differences in types and perceptions of daily stress. The International Journal of Aging and and Human Development.
  • Blaxton, J. M., Nelson N., & Bergeman, C. S. (2021). The positive and negative affect relation in the context of stress and age. Emotion.
  • Whitehead, B. R., & Blaxton, J. M. (2020). Daily associations among aging perceptions, perceived health, and perceived stress in older adults. Aging and Mental Health. doi: 10. 1080/13607863.2020.1855625
  • Bergeman, C. S., Blaxton, J. M., & Joiner, R. (2020). Dynamic systems, contextual influences and multiple time-scales: Emotion regulation as a resilience resource. The Gerontologist. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaa046
  • Blaxton, J. M., Bergeman, C. S., Wang, L. (2018). Daily stress reactivity across the lifespan: Longitudinal and cross-sectional effects of age. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. doi:10.1093/geronb/gby046
  • Bergeman, C. S., Joiner, R., & Blaxton, J. (2018). Behavioral Genetics. In Borstein, M (ed.), The Sage Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Whitehead, B. R., & Blaxton, J. M. (2017). Daily well-being benefits of exercise and activity in older adults: Does time spent matter? The Gerontologist, 57(6), 1062–1071. doi:10.1093/geront/gnw250
  • Blaxton, J. M., & Bergeman, C. S. (2017). A process-oriented perspective examining the relationships among daily coping, stress, and affect. The Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, 104, 357–361. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2016.08.041
  • Blaxton, J. M., Bergeman, C. S., Whitehead, B. R., Braun, M. E., Payne, J. D. (2015). Relationships among nightly sleep quality, daily stress, and daily affect. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, gbv060. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbv060

Presentations

  • *Henkleman, J., & Blaxton, J. M., Bergeman, C.S. (April, 2026). The Dynamic Relationship Between Day-to-Day Satisfaction and Stress Reactivity. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.
  • *Henkleman, J., & Blaxton, J. M. (April, 2025). Gratitude as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Perceived Stress Reactivity and Satisfaction With Life. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.
  • Nelson, N. A., Blaxton, J. M., & Bergeman, C. S. (November, 2024). Stress Reactivity Across a Pandemic: The Effects of Positive Affect, Age, and Context. Poster presented at the Gerontological Society of America Conference, Seattle, WA.
  • Blaxton, J. M. & Bergeman, C. S. (November, 2023). Age differences among within-person indicators of stress and depression. Paper presented at the Gerontological Society of America Conference, Tampa, FL.
  • *Dobrzynski, S. & Blaxton, J. M. (April, 2023). Exploring race differences in stressor related negative affect and daily rumination. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.
  • Blaxton, J. M., Nelson, N., & Bergeman, C.S. (November, 2021). The positive and negative affect relation in the context of stress and age. Poster presented at the Gerontological Society of America Conference, Virtually.
  • Blaxton, J. M., Whitehead, B.R., & Bergeman, C.S. (April, 2021). Age differences among different sources of stressor related negative affect. Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Virtually.
  • *Ebert, J. & Blaxton, J. M. (April, 2021). The relationships among childhood sleep, bedtime routines, and executive function. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Virtually.
  • *Nehmer, G., & Blaxton, J. M. (April, 2020). Stress, positive emotions, parental status, and negative affect. Poster presented at the Mid-America Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference, Virtually.
  • Blaxton, J. M., Bergeman, C.S., & Wang, L. (November, 2019). Age differences and change in the relationship between daily stress and affect. Paper presented at the Gerontological Society of America Conference, Austin, TX.
  • Blaxton, J. M., Nelson, N., Bergeman, C.S. (April, 2019). Situating emotional complexity in a context of stress and age. Paper presented at the MidWestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.
  • Blaxton, J. M., (Fall Semester, 2018). Achieving healthy well-being and preventing stress from getting under the skin. Oral presentation. Fontbonne University’s Janus Seminar, Saint Louis, MO.
  • Stefaniak, A., Blaxton, J. M., Bergeman, C. S. (May, 2017). Age differences in stress examined through sources and perceptions of daily stress. Poster presented at Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Blaxton, J. M., Bergeman, C. S. (November, 2016). Daily stress and negative affect: Age-related interindividual differences and intraindividual change. Paper presented at the Gerontological Society of America Conference, New Orleans, LA.
  • Blaxton, J. M., & Bergeman, C. S. (October, 2016). A process-oriented approach on dispositional resilience, daily stress, and daily negative affect. Paper presented at the AWIS: Women in Science Conference, Notre Dame, IN.
  • Blaxton, J. M., & Bergeman, C. S. (November, 2015). A process-oriented perspective examining the relationships between daily coping, stress, and affect. Paper presented at the Gerontological Society of America Conference, Orlando, FL.
  • Blaxton, J. M., Bergeman, C. S., Whitehead, B. R., Braun, M., Payne, J. (November, 2014). Relationships between nightly sleep quality, daily stress, and affect. Poster presented at the Gerontological Society of America Conference, Washington D. C.
  • Blaxton, J. M., Bergeman, C. S., Whitehead, B. (November, 2013). The role of aging on coping, stress, and depression. Poster presented at the Gerontological Society of America Conference, New Orleans, LA.

*indicates student under my supervision

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