Marita Rohr Inglehart is a psychologist, academic, and author. She is a Professor at the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine at the School of Dentistry, an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Psychology at the College of Literature, Arts and Sciences at the University of Michigan. Additionally, she also holds the position of Inaugural University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor at the University of Michigan.
Inglehart is most known for her work on dental education and behavioral sciences research in dentistry, primarily focusing on gaining a better understanding how psychosocial factors, especially diversity, equity and inclusion related factors affect oral health and oral health care. She has authored numerous books, including Reactions to Critical Life Events. A Social Psychological Analysis and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life, and over 150 peer-reviewed articles. In 2022, her interview was featured as a book chapter in Contemporary Pioneers in Human Learning and Development, written by H. Bembenutty.
Education
Inglehart obtained a Vordiplom in Psychology in 1972 followed by a Diploma in Psychology in 1975 from the University of Mannheim. Later, she completed her Ph.D. in Psychology in 1978 and then her habilitation (Dr. phil. habil.) in 1983 from the same institution.
Career
Inglehart began her academic career in 1975 at the University of Mannheim, West Germany, where she held multiple appointments including Assistant Professor from 1975 to 1979, Research Scientist at the Center for Research on Decision Making (SFB24) and Adjunct Assistant Professor from 1979 to 1983 in the Faculty of Social Sciences, and Privatdozent in the Department of Psychology until 1989. In 1984, she joined the University of Michigan as a Visiting assistant professor, and served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology from 1986 to 1993, while also working as a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. Following that, she held an appointment as an associate professor in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine between 1993 and 2008, while concurrently serving as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology from 1993 to 2004. Between 2008 and 2013, she was appointed as an associate professor at the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine. As of 2013, she holds the position of Professor at the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine and serves as an adjunct professor at the Department of Psychology. Additionally, she has been an Adjunct faculty member of the Gender and Feminist Psychology Section within the Department of Psychology since 2018, and was appointed as an Inaugural University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor at the University of Michigan since 2019.
Research
Inglehart introduced the Awareness-Skill-Knowledge (A-S-K) Humanistic Model of Professional Education. This model postulates that raising awareness (A), providing skills (S) training and a solid knowledge (K) base will shape healthcare providers’ professional attitudes and behavior. Specifically, this model explains that the combination of raised awareness and skills results in a solid commitment, the combination of skills and knowledge creates true expertise and the combined awareness and knowledge will create true understanding. Her work in behavioral dentistry has focused on oral health-related quality of life contributions and oral health care for patients from underserved backgrounds such as patients from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, patients with ability differences and patients from LGBTQ+ backgrounds. She developed the Motivational Communication Approach to patient education. She has authored numerous publications in the areas of dental education, preventive dentistry, and behavioral dentistry, spanning books, book chapters and over 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals.