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CURRENT PROJECTS

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Project 01 | Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory & Affective Psychopathology

Individuals differ with regards to their sensitivities to rewarding and punishing stimuli. When pushed to an extreme, these differences make a person more likely to develop an affective disorder.
In this project, the following kinds of questions are considered:
  • How do reward sensitivity and punishment sensitivity moderate each other's effects on mental illness?
  • How are these relationships experienced over time?
  • What cognitive mechanisms may mediate this relationship?

Project 02 | ​Social Reinforcement Sensitivity

Most research on reinforcement sensitivity uses self-report and monetary measures. But in therapy, most clients' complaints tend to be social.
In this project, the following kinds of questions are considered:
  • Does reactivity to social stimuli predict mental disorders beyond nonsocial stimuli?
  • Does a teenager's social environment impact how they choose to socialize later on?
  • How does a person's personality relate to their experiences when socializing online?
Mingling
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Project 03 | ​Social factors in sexual and gender minority (SGM) research

Sexual and gender minorities are an at-risk group for a variety of psychological and behavioral issues, mostly because of how they are treated by their environment.
In this project, the following kinds of questions are considered:
  • How do internalized and experienced homophobia impact a SGM person's social support network?
  • How does the SGM person's legal environment impact their interpersonal decisions?
  • What are the mechanisms through which religious observance shifts from being a resilience factor to being a risk factor for SGM individuals?
To hear more or discuss possible collaboration, let's talk! >>
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