Assistant Professor of Family Studies
(PhD, Kent State University)

Research Interests

Aging families, marriage and health, health behaviors and chronic illness management

Contact Information

Fowler House, Room 202
Purdue University
1200 W. State Street
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2055

Phone: (765) 494-2942
Fax: (765) 494-0503

E-mail: mmfranks@purdue.edu

Biography
Recent Publications
Education
Courses Recently Taught
Honors
External Grants
Professional Service

Biography

I joined the Family Studies faculty in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies at Purdue University in the fall of 2007. My program of research focuses on marital processes in the management of chronic illness. In this work, my colleagues and I investigate health lifestyles and marital interactions and their association with the physical health and psychological well-being of both marital partners. Our current work is funded by the National Institute on Aging.

I am a social psychologist, and I received my doctoral degree from Kent State University. My dissertation research ignited my continuing interest in marital processes in the context of illness. Together with my graduate mentor, Mary Ann Stephens, I investigated the social support that husbands provide to their wives who are caring for an aging parent. This work on family caregiving led me to pursue postdoctoral training in gerontology. I received an NIA postdoctoral fellowship through the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Michigan. My postdoctoral training with Dr. A. Regula Herzog focused on productive aging and on self-making among older adults. Following my postdoctoral training, I joined the faculty at Wayne State University where I began my research on the management of chronic illness in married couples. I later returned to the University of Michigan to continue my research in the Institute for Research on Women and Gender.

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Recent Publications

Refereed Journals
Note: Doctoral students

Penner, L.A., Orom, H., Albrecht, T.L., Franks, M.M., Foster, T.S., & Ruckdeschel,

   J.C. (2007). Camera-related behaviors during video recorded medical interactions.

   Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 31, 99-117.

Franks, M.M., Stephens, M.A.P., Rook, K.S., Franklin, B.A., Keteyian, S.J., & Artinian,
   N.T. (2006). Spouses’ provision of health-related support and control to patients
   participating in cardiac rehabilitation. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 311-318.

Bookwala, J., & Franks, M.M. (2005). The role of marital quality in older adults’
   depressed affect: Beyond the ‘main effects’ model. Journal of Gerontology:

   Psychological Sciences, 60B, 338-341.

Hong, T.B., Franks, M.M., Gonzalez, R., Keteyian, S.J., Franklin, B.A., & Artinian, N.T.

   (2005). A dyadic investigation of exercise support between cardiac patients and

   spouses. Health Psychology, 24, 430-434.

Albrecht, T.L., Franks, M. M., & Ruckdeschel, J.C. (2005). Communication and

   informed consent. Current Opinion in Oncology, 17, 336-339.

Franks, M. M., Wendorf, C.A., Gonzalez, R., & Ketterer, M.W. (2004). Aid and

   influence: Health promoting exchanges of older married partners. Journal of Social

   and Personal Relationships, 21, 431-445.

Franks, M. M., Herzog, A.R., Holmberg, D., & Markus, H.R. (2003). Self-complexity:

   Linking age and education with self-rated health and depression. Hallym

   International Journal of Aging, 5, 91-110.

Cremeans-Smith, J.K., Stephens, M.A.P., Franks, M.M., Druley, J.A., Martire, L.M.,

   & Wojno, W.C. (2003). Dyadic agreement between role partners’ perceptions of

   pain severity: The relationship between agreement status and patient well-being.

   Pain, 106, 27-34.

Franks, M.M., Pierce, L.S., & Dwyer, J.W. (2003). Expected parent-care involvement

   of adult children. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 22, 104-117.

Franks, M.M., Lichtenberg, P.A., MacNeill, S.E., & Bank, A. (2003). Activity limitation

   and depression: Perspectives of older African American women and their close

   companion. Rehabilitation Psychology, 48, 50-55.

Franks, M.M., Hong, T.B., Pierce, L.S., & Ketterer, M.W. (2002). The association of

   patients’ psychosocial well-being with self and spouse ratings of patient health.

   Family Relations, 51, 22-27.

Franks, M.M., Pienta, A.M., & Wray, L.A. (2002). It takes two: Marriage and smoking

   cessation in the middle years. Journal of Aging and Health, 14, 336-354.

Stephens, M.A.P., & Franks, M.M. (1999). Parent care in the context of women’s

   multiple roles. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8, 149-152.

Herzog, A.R., Franks, M.M., Holmberg, D., & Markus, H.R. (1998). Activities and

   well-being in older age: Effects of self-concept and educational attainment.

   Psychology and Aging, 13, 179-185.

Stephens, M.A.P., Franks, M.M., & Atienza, A.A. (1997). Where two roles intersect:

   Spillover between parent care and employment. Psychology and Aging, 12, 30-37.

Martire, L.M., Stephens, M.A.P., & Franks, M.M. (1997). Multiple roles of women

   caregivers: Feelings of mastery and self-esteem as predictors of psychosocial well-

   being. Journal of Women and Aging, 9, 117-132.

Townsend, A.L., & Franks, M.M. (1997). Quality of the relationship between elderly

   spouses: Influence on spouse caregivers’ subjective effectiveness. Family Relations,

   46, 33-39.

Franks, M.M., & Stephens, M.A.P. (1996). Social support in the context of caregiving:

   Husbands' provision of support to wives involved in parent care. Journal of

   Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 51B, 43-52.

Franks, M.M., & Herzog, A.R. (1995). Age and gender differences in productive

   activities: Revisited. Statistical Journal of the United Nations ECE, 12, 147-155.

Townsend, A.L., & Franks, M.M. (1995). Binding ties: Closeness and conflict in adult

   children’s caregiving relationships. Psychology and Aging, 10, 343-351.

Kinney, J.M., Stephens, M.A.P., Franks, M.M., & Norris, V.K. (1995). Stresses and

   satisfactions of family caregivers to older stroke patients. Journal of Applied

   Gerontology, 14, 3-21.

Stephens, M.A.P., & Franks, M.M. (1995). Spillover between daughters' roles as

   caregiver and wife: Interference or enhancement. Journal of Gerontology:

   Psychological Sciences, 50B, 9-17.

Stephens, M.A.P., Franks, M.M., & Townsend, A.L. (1994). Stress and rewards in

   women's multiple roles: The case of women in the middle. Psychology and Aging,

   9, 45-52.

Franks, M.M., & Stephens, M.A.P. (1992). Multiple roles of middle generation

   caregivers: Contextual effects and psychological mechanisms. Journal of

   Gerontology: Social Sciences, 47, S123-129.

Pierce, L.S., Hong, T.B., Franks, M.M., & Ketterer, M.W. (2002). Health-related

    interactions and the self in marriage. Journal of Women & Aging, 14, 149-164.

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Education

• Ph.D., 1993, Kent State University,
  (Social/Health Psychology; Mentor: M.A.P. Stephens)
• M.A., 1990, Kent State University,
  (Social/Health Psychology; Mentor: M.A.P. Stephens)
• B.S., 1988 , Northern Kentucky University,
  (Psychology with honors; Mentor: G.D. Goedel)

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Courses Recently Taught

CDFS 434: Aging and Family
CDFS 602: Advanced Family Studies

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Honors

2002, funding to attend the Summer Workshop on Bereavement and Aging, utilizing the Changing Lives of Older Couples (CLOC) data, University of Michigan.

2002, invited to participate in Research Retreat on Health Dynamics in Old Age, Spring, sponsored by University of Michigan’s Claude Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC), Geriatric Center, Health and Retirement Survey, and Michigan Center of the Demography of Aging.

2000, selected to attend the Spring 2000 conference on the Future of Health Psychology, APA Division 38.

1996, Summer Institute on Aging Research, National Institute on Aging/Brookdale Foundation.

1995, Summer Training Institute, The Self and Society in Aging Processes, National Institute on Aging/Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

1994, Dissertation Award, Behavioral and Social Sciences Section of The Gerontological Society of America.

1993, The 1993-94 Student Award for Graduate/Postdoctoral Completed Research, Division 20 of the American Psychological Association and the Retirement Research Foundation.

1993, The David B. Smith Fellowship for Outstanding Scholarship and Research Potential, Kent State University.

1992, The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Grants-in-Aid Award.

1992, Dissertation Research Award, American Psychological Association.

1992, Student Travel Award, American Psychological Association.

1992, Student Research Award for Outstanding Masters-Level Research, Kent State University Chapter of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.

1992, Graduate Research Fellowship, Applied Psychology Center, Kent State University.

1992, Summer Fellowship for Post-Candidacy Doctoral Students, Kent State University.

1991, University Fellowship (Academic Year 1991-1992), Kent State University.

1991, Applied Psychology Center Research Award, Applied Psychology Center, Kent State University

1990, Graduate Student Senate Thesis Award, Kent State University.

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External Grants

Co-Investigator, “Mind-Body Interactions in Management of Type 2 Diabetes.” National Institute on Aging (R01 AG024833-01). Mary Ann Parris Stephens (PI), Karen S. Rook and James Salem (Co-I). Period (09/30/04–07/31/09). Total: $1,659,121.

Co- Investigator, “A Dyad Intervention for Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients (R01).” National Institutes of Health Centers for Population Health and Health Disparities. Nancy Artinian (PI). Funded with Center for African American Urban Health (P50 ES012395-01). Center PI: John Flack, M.D. Total (for the Center): $5,946,924. Period (9/18/03–9/17/08).

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Professional Service

Journal Review
1996-2000, Editorial Board, Family Relations
2003, Consulting Editor, Psychology and Aging

Ad-hoc Reviewer
Psychology and Aging
Journal of Family Psychology
Journal of Women’s Health

Grant Review
2000, Initial Review Board of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, Alzheimer’s Association
2003-2005, Initial Review Board of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, Alzheimer’s Association
2004-2005, National Cancer Institute, Small Grants for Behavioral Research in Cancer Control
2004, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Career Awards Competition
2004, Anthony Marchionne Foundation Small Grants Program
2007, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

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