Toni L. Bisconti, Ph.D.

Title: Associate Professor
Dept/Program: Adult Development and Aging Psychology
Office: CAS 340C
Phone: 330-972-5852
Email: tb33@uakron.edu
Curriculum Vitae: Download in PDF format

Biography

Dr. Bisconti is an Associate Professor of Psychology at The University of Akron. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Youngstown State University in 1995 and her Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Notre Dame in 1997 and 2001, respectively. She began her teaching career in 2001, receiving several university teaching awards across the last 2 decades, which culminated in being awarded Educator of the Year from the Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education. Currently, she teaches courses on Diversity, Hate, Sexuality, Lifespan Development, and Research Methods in Psychology.

Dr. Bisconti’s research interests include topics such as ageism, minority stress in older adults, experiences of discrimination, and diversity-related education. Collectively, she has been published in these areas over 25 times and has presented her work nationally over 50 times. Her work has appeared in leading journals such as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Psychology and Aging, and the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.

Dr. Bisconti’s work in understanding the impact of violence on marginalized populations has been featured in local and national news outlets from a weekly guest spot on-air at the Rubber City Radio Center in Akron to interviews in the New York Times and USA Today. Her dedication to multicultural competence and initiatives on equity and inclusion has led to professional talks and seminars in religious organizations, educational institutions, health-care industry, legal services, and corporate environments.

When not working, Dr. Bisconti is spending time with her wife, Lindsey, and their friends and family in Akron and Youngstown. They also enjoy traveling, hiking, playing bocce, and checking out local breweries! If left to her own devices, you’ll probably find her playing pickleball or poker!

Publications

Bisconti, T. L., *Vale, M. T., & Trunko, A. (revise and resubmit). Health and well-being in queer older adults: Overcoming a lifetime of stigma.  In M. Lachman, & A. Sprio (Eds.), S. Charles, S. Neupert (Associate Eds), American Psychological Association handbook of adult development and aging. American Psychological Association.

*Frey, K. T., & Bisconti, T. L. (in press). Older, entitled, & extremely out-of-touch: Does “OK, Boomer” signify the emergence of a new older adult stereotype? Journal of Applied Gerontology. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648231154044 

*Sublett, J. F., & Bisconti, T. L. (in press). Metamemory and self-compassion as protective factors in the relationship between benevolent ageism and environmental mastery. Journal of Applied Gerontology. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648231163847 

*Sublett, J.F., *Vale, M. T., & Bisconti, T. L. (2021). Expanding benevolent ageism: Replicating attitudes of overaccommodation to older men. Experimental Aging Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/0361073X.2021.1968666     

*Vale, M. T., & Bisconti T. L. (2021). Minority stress and relationship well–being in sexual minorities: The varying role of outness on relationship and sexual satisfaction. International Journal of Sexual Health. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/19317611.2021.1909684  

*Vale, M. T., & Bisconti T. L. & (2020). Age differences in sexual minority stress and the importance of friendship in later life. Clinical Gerontologist. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2020.1836107 

*Vale, M., Bisconti, T. L., & *Sublett, J. F. (2019). Benevolent ageism: Attitudes of overaccommodative behavior towards older women. Journal of Social Psychology, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2019.1695567 

Bisconti, T. L. (April, 2019). Can you really simulate aging, and more importantly, should you? Teaching Tips from Adult Development and Aging News, American Psychological Association. https://www.apadivisions.org/division-20/publications/newsletters/adult-development/2019/04/empathy-elderly