Teairra Evans, Assistant Professor 

Office: 211 Audubon Hall
Department of Psychology
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Email: tzevans@lsu.edu 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Evans will be accepting students for Fall 2025. 

Decision-making is an essential aspect of our everyday existence, encompassing choices ranging from the mundane to the life-altering. These decisions necessitate the evaluation of numerous factors across a range of options. However, engaging in deliberate cognitive processing imposes a burden on our working memory resources, particularly for older individuals. With a decline in working memory capacity as we age, we become more selective in expending cognitive resources and often rely heavily on shortcuts. The focus of my research lies in exploring the impact of cognitive strategies, such as heuristics, on the effectiveness of decision-making in individuals.

Research Interests

Investigating the influence of comprehensibility on the overall quality of decision-making. 

Examining how credibility shapes the decision-making process and its outcomes. 

Exploring the impact of health disparities, specifically diabetes and hypertension, within the African American community on the decision-making process. 

Education

Ph.D., Psychology, The University of Alabama

M.A., Psychology, The University of Alabama

M.A. Women's Studies, The University of Alabama

B.S., Psychology, The University of Alabama

Representative Publications 

Mumba, M.N., Jaiswal, J., Bui, C., Evans, T.Z., Mainzinger, L., Davis, L., & Mugoya, G.T.(2022).Substance Use Treatment Services for Older Adults in the Deep South: A State-by-State Comparison of Available Treatment Services. Aging and Mental Health. DOI:10.1080/13607863.2022.2098911 

Mumba, M.N., Davis, L., Smith, N.L., Evans, T., Castillo, R. (2022). Effects of Unemployment on Opioid Use Treatment Trajectories: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Addictions Nursing. DOI: 10.1097/JAN.0000000000000480.

Black, S., Wood, M., Choi, J., Jackson, B.S., & Evans, T. (2022). Adult Age Differences in Sensitivity to Semantic Satiation. Experimental Aging Research, 48.

Carroll, E., Lerma, K., McBrayer, A., Evans, T., Nathan, S.& White, K. (2021).Abortion Patient Experiences with Protestors While Accessing Care in Mississippi. Sex Res Soc Policy.19:886–893

White, K., Sierra, G., Evans, T., & Roberts, S. (2021). Abortion at 12 or more weeks’ gestation and travel for later abortion care among Mississippi residents. Contraception. 108: 19-24