2026 James A. Shepperd: Psychology Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Psychology	48	5886	5471	3193	2898	160	10781

Overview

James A. Shepperd is affiliated with the University of Florida in the United States. Their research spans the broader domains of Social Sciences and Psychology, with notable contributions to subfields such as Sociology and Political Science, General Health Professions, Applied Psychology, Education, and Social Psychology.

The main topics covered in Shepperd's research include Health, psychology, and well-being; Behavioral Health and Interventions; Asthma and respiratory diseases; Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life; Optimism, Hope, and Well-being; Health Literacy and Information Accessibility; and Social and Intergroup Psychology.

Several recent papers provide insight into the scope of their work. These include:

Health Information Avoidance, 2020, published in The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology
Self-Esteem in 60 Seconds: The Six-Item State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES-6), 2020, published in Assessment
Situating household management of children's asthma in the context of social, economic, and environmental injustice, 2020, published in Journal of Asthma
How do embodied experiences of asthma influence caregiver conceptual models?, 2022, published in Social Science & Medicine
Avoiding information about one's romantic partner, 2020, published in Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Shepperd frequently publishes in journals such as Psychology and Health, Journal of Asthma, Social Science & Medicine, Journal of Medical Internet Research, and The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology. Their publication record shows multiple contributions: three papers in Psychology and Health, two each in Journal of Asthma, Social Science & Medicine, Journal of Medical Internet Research, and The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology.

Collaborative work is a significant aspect of their research. Frequent co-authors include Erika A. Waters, Jean Hunleth, Gabrielle Pogge, Gregory D. Webster, and David A. Fedele. These collaborations reflect recurring partnerships across multiple publications.

Best Publications

Do Moderators of the Optimistic Bias Affect Personal or Target Risk Estimates? A Review of the Literature

Marie Helweg-Larsen;James A. Shepperd

858
Citations
Productivity loss in performance groups: A motivation analysis.

James A. Shepperd

749
Citations
Information Avoidance: Who, What, When, and Why:

Kate Sweeny;Darya Melnyk;Wendi Miller;James A. Shepperd

720
Citations
Abandoning unrealistic optimism: Performance estimates and the temporal proximity of self-relevant feedback.

James A. Shepperd;Judith A. Ouellette;Julie K. Fernandez

518
Citations
Taking Stock of Unrealistic Optimism

James A. Shepperd;William M. P. Klein;Erika A. Waters;Neil D. Weinstein

403
Citations
Exploring Causes of the Self-serving Bias

James Shepperd;Wendi Malone;Kate Sweeny

388
Citations
Behavioral self-handicaps versus self-reported handicaps: A conceptual note.

Mark R. Leary;James A. Shepperd

331
Citations
Evaluating the Electronic Textbook: Is It Time to Dispense With the Paper Text?

James A. Shepperd;Jodi L. Grace;Erika J. Koch

303
Citations
A Primer on Unrealistic Optimism

James A. Shepperd;Erika A. Waters;Neil D. Weinstein;William M. P. Klein

300
Citations
The Affective Consequences of Expected and Unexpected Outcomes

James A. Shepperd;James K. McNulty

277
Citations
Exploring the causes of comparative optimism.

James A. Shepperd;Patrick Carroll;Jodi Grace;Meredith Terry

269
Citations
Dispositional Optimism as a Predictor of Health Changes among Cardiac Patients

James A. Shepperd;JoAnn J. Maroto;Lori A. Pbert

249
Citations
Is Optimism Always Best? Future Outlooks and Preparedness

Kate Sweeny;Patrick J. Carroll;James A. Shepperd

237
Citations
Attractiveness and Height The Role of Stature in Dating Preference, Frequency of Dating, and Perceptions of Attractiveness

James A. Shepperd;Alan J. Strathman

232
Citations
The relationship of hardiness, gender, and stress to health outcomes in adolescents.

James A. Shepperd;Javad H. Kashani

221
Citations
Bracing for the Worst: Severity, Testing, and Feedback Timing as Moderators of the Optimistic Bias:

Kevin M. Taylor;James A. Shepperd

213
Citations
Is self-complexity linked to better coping? A review of the literature.

Erika J. Koch;James A. Shepperd

188
Citations
Reducing Information Avoidance Through Affirmation

Jennifer L. Howell;James A. Shepperd

185
Citations
Psychopathology and Self-Concept in Asthmatic Children

Javad H. Kashani;Peter König;James A. Shepperd;Denise Wilfley

182
Citations
The Costs of Optimism and the Benefits of Pessimism

Kate Sweeny;James A. Shepperd

175
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

William M. P. Klein National Institutes of Health

Alexander J. Rothman University of Minnesota

Neil D. Weinstein Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Mark R. Leary Duke University

Gregory D. Webster University of Florida

Michael E. McCullough University of California, San Diego

Rex A. Wright University of North Texas

Peter R. Harris University of Sussex

James K. McNulty Florida State University

Leslie G. Biesecker National Institutes of Health

External Links

Personal website of James A. Shepperd

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