Overview
Professor Evans is an environmental and developmental psychologist interested in how the physical environment affects human health and well being among children. His specific areas of expertise include the environment of childhood poverty, children's environments (housing, schools, playgrounds, toys), cumulative risk and child development, environmental stressors, and the development of children's environmental attitudes and behaviors.
Research Focus
Gary Evans is the author of over 350 scholarly articles and book chapters plus five books. Current research is focused on children's environments (e.g. schools, housing), and the environment of childhood poverty. He is also doing work on the development of environmental attitudes and behaviors in children. Professor Evans' work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Mac Arthur Foundation, the W. T. Grant Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Swedish Work Environment Fund.
Publications
- Evans, G.W. (2019). Projected Behavioral Impacts of Global Climate Change. "Annual Review of Psychology, 70", 1, 449-474.
- Evans, G.W., Otto, S. & Kaiser, F.G. (2018). Childhood origins of young adult environmental behavior. "Psychological Science, 29", 679-687.
- Evans, G.W. (2017). Childhood poverty and adult psychological well-being. "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113", 14949-14952.
- Kim, P., Evans, G.W., Angstadt, M., Ho, S., Sripada, C.S., Swain, J.E., Liberzon, I., & Phan, K.L. (2013). Effects of childhood poverty and chronic stress on emotional regulatory brain function in adulthood. "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110," 18442-18447.
- Crook, S.R., & Evans, G.W. (2014). The role of planning skills in the income-achievement gap. "Child Development, 85," 405-411.
- Evans, G.W., Li, D., & Whipple, S.S. (2013). Cumulative risk and child development. "Psychological Bulletin, 139", 1342-1396.
- Evans, G.W., & Kim, P. (2012). Childhood poverty and young adult allostatic load: The mediating role of childhood cumulative risk exposure. "Psychological Science, 23," 979-983.
- Evans, G.W., Chen, E., Miller, G.E., & Seeman, T.E. (2012). How poverty gets under the skin: A lifecourse perspective. In V. Maholmes & R. King (Eds.), "The Oxford handbook of poverty and child development" (pp. 13-36). New York: Oxford University Press.
- Evans, G.W., & Kutcher, R. (2011). Loosening the link between childhood poverty and adolescent smoking and obesity: The protective effects of social capital. "Psychological Science, 22", 3-7.
- Evans, G.W. & Wachs, T.D. (Eds.). (2010). "Chaos and its influence on children's development: An ecological perspective. "Washington, DC: American Psychological Association".
- Evans, G.W. & Schamberg, M.A. (2009). Childhood poverty, chronic stress, and adult working memory. "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106," 6545-6549.
- Evans, G.W. (2006). Child development and the physical environment. "Annual Review of Psychology, 57," 423-451.
- Evans, G.W., et. al. (2005). The role of chaos in poverty and children's socioemotional adjustment. "Psychological Science, 16," 560-565.
- Evans, G.W. (2004). The environment of childhood poverty. "American Psychologist, 59," 77-92.
