Jutta Heckhausen, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Psychology & Social Behavior at the University of California - Irvine. Her areas of interest are: life-span developmental psychology, motivational psychology, control behavior, psychological influences on health, and developmental regulation across the life-span. Her ongoing research addresses the role of the individual as an active agent in major life-course transitions and when confronted with challenging life events. Dr. Heckhausen has published articles in The Oxford Handbook of Human Development and Culture, the International Journal of Behavioral Development, Psychology and Health, Ageing and Society, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Psychological Review, and The Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. She is the author of the monograph Developmental Regulation in Adulthood and the editor of several books: Motivation and Self-Regulation Across the Life-Span, Motivational Psychology of Human Development, Motivation and Handeln, and Motivation and Action.