Janis Paterson

Janis Eileen Paterson (née McLachlan; 4 October 1945 – 10 May 2024) was a New Zealand psychologist and academic who was a professor at the Auckland University of Technology.^[1]

Janis Paterson
Born	Janis Eileen McLachlan (1945-10-04)4 October 1945
Died	10 May 2024(2024-05-10) (aged 78)
Alma mater	University of Auckland
Known for	Pacific Islands Families longitudinal study
Scientific career
Fields	Developmental psychology
Institutions	Auckland University of Technology
Thesis	Adolescent perceptions of attachment: parents, friends, and impact on self esteem  (1993)

After a 1993 PhD titled Adolescent perceptions of attachment: parents, friends, and impact on self esteem at the University of Auckland,^[2] Paterson moved to Auckland University of Technology, where she worked for more than 20 years.

Paterson was a founder of the Pacific Islands Families study, a longitudinal study following 1000 children born in South Auckland in 2000 to families of Pacific Island descent. The study aims to collect data on the health and socio-economic well-being of the children and their families as they grow through the key developmental stages. Paterson and Collin Tukuitonga were the study's founding directors.^[3][4][5]

Paterson died on 10 May 2024, at the age of 78.^[6]

Selected works

• Paterson, Janis, Jan Pryor, and Jeff Field. "Adolescent attachment to parents and friends in relation to aspects of self-esteem." Journal of Youth and Adolescence 24, no. 3 (1995): 365–376.
• Paterson, Janis E., Jeff Field, and Jan Pryor. "Adolescents' perceptions of their attachment relationships with their mothers, fathers, and friends." Journal of Youth and Adolescence 23, no. 5 (1994): 579–600.
• Paterson, Janis, Colin Tukuitonga, Max Abbott, Michael Feehan, Phil Silva, Teuila Percival, Sarnia Carter et al. "Pacific Islands Families: First two years of life study--design and methodology." New Zealand Medical Journal 119, no. 1228 (2006).
• Butler, Sarnia, Maynard Williams, Colin Tukuitonga, and Janis Paterson. "Problems with damp and cold housing among Pacific families in New Zealand." New Zealand Medical Journal 116, no. 1177 (2003).
• Paterson, Janis, Teuila Percival, Philip Schluter, Gerhard Sundborn, Max Abbott, Sarnia Carter, Esther Cowley-Malcolm, Jim Borrows, Wanzhen Gao, and PIF Study Group. "Cohort profile: The Pacific Islands Families (PIF) Study." International Journal of Epidemiology 37, no. 2 (2007): 273–279.