Current and Past Projects

Providing Relief for Misophonia: Developing Brief Interventions

Aim: The purpose of this study is to development evaluate a single-session online intervention for individuals with misophonia.
Status: Ongoing
Funding Agency: Misophonia Research Fund
PI: Allie Freshley

Identifying Modifiable Individual-Level Barriers To Medications For Opioid Use Disorder

Aim: Purpose of this study is to evaluate individual-level factors impacting Medications for Opioid Use Disorder engagement that can then lead to improved treatment protocols and future research goals through a scoping review.
Status: Ongoing
PI: Laura Dixon

Personality and Predictors of Health Behaviors

Aim: This purpose of this research is to explore individual differences in emotions and self-concept, and their associations with mental health symptoms and health behaviors.
Status: Ongoing
PI: Carey Sevier, Dissertation Project

The UM Sound Project

Advancing the Characterization and Assessment of Misophonia
Background & Aims: Misophonia is characterized by intense negative affective and autonomic arousal in response to particular sounds (e.g., chewing, slurping); yet, little is known about factors contributing to misophonia distress and disability. Although clinical misophonia is thought to affect 20% of college students, there is a lack of research examining the impact and prevalence of misophonia in the general population. Unfortunately, this research is further limited by the lack of validated diagnostic tools. Taken together, these significant gaps in the literature impede understanding and treatment of misophonia. To this end, this project seeks to advance misophonia research by using a translational approach to 1) establish validated diagnostic tools, 2) comprehensively examine characteristics of misophonia, and 3) investigate the epidemiology of misophonia through laboratory and population-based research.

Status: Completed, Manuscript Preparation Ongoing
Funding Agency: Misophonia Research Fund
PI: Laura Dixon

Emotional Vulnerability Factors and Emotional Expression in Misophonia
Aim: The current study aims to evaluate the moderating role of emotional vulnerability factors (anxiety sensitivity, disgust sensitivity, trait anger) in the relationship between misophonia severity and emotional facial reactivity (fear, disgust, anger) using automated facial coding software and perceived emotional intensity to a personalized misophonia trigger video.
Status: Ongoing
PI: Blaine Peters, Master's Thesis

Thoughts and Emotions on Game Performance

Aim: The purpose of this study is to examine thought processes and emotional experiences in the context of decision-making.
Status: Completed
PI: Heather Clark, Dissertation Project

Investigation of Emotion Regulation in an Uncertain Context

Aim: This study empirically tests how those with and without Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms emotionally respond to behavior in an uncertain context, and how they attempt to regulate those emotions and experiences.
Status: Completed
PI: Molly Schadegg, Dissertation Project

Positive Health Behaviors and Anxiety

Aim: This study empirically investigates how individuals both with and without anxiety symptoms engage in health behaviors over the course of a two week period.
Status: Completed
PI: Molly Schadegg; Co-PI: Sara Witcraft

Examination of Social Anxiety Symptoms and Externalizing Behaviors

Aim: This is a multi-method lab study that examines psychological and physiological mechanisms associated with social anxiety, decision making, and behavior.
Status: Completed
PI: Laura Dixon

Emotional Processing and Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Aim: This study empirically investigates how individuals with functional gastrointestinal symptoms experience emotions, and whether their emotional experience differs from those without such problems.
Status: Completed
PI: Sara Witcraft, Dissertation Project

An Exploration of Factors that Facilitate Treatment for Anxiety Sensitivity

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of specific intervention methods that help people manage their discomfort with anxiety-related body sensations.
Status: Completed
PI: Gina Boullion, Dissertation Project

Understanding Social Anxiety Symptoms through Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Strategies

Aim: The purpose of the current study was to examine interpersonal ER difficulties, as defined by excessive reassurance seeking and venting, in relation to social anxiety symptoms among socially anxious college students.
Status: Completed
PI: Megan Perry, Master’s Thesis Project

Examining Stress, Social Media, and Social Interaction

Aim: This study aims to increase our understanding of the influences that peer relationships can have on (1) loneliness, (2) social media use, and (3) social anxiety symptoms.
Status: Completed; Honor’s thesis defended on 4/29/2020
PI: Lindsay Sappington, Honors Thesis Project

Eating, Digestion, and Wellbeing

Aim: To better understand the relation between mental (including anxiety and depression) and physical health symptoms (including digestion).
Status: Completed
PI: Sara Witcraft

Responses to Interpersonal and Personal Stress

Aim: To better understand the stressors that are faced by college students and how students commonly respond to stressors.
Status: Completed
PI: Laura Dixon

Examination of Psychological Factors Association with Dental Fear and Anxiety

Aim: To examine correlates of dental fear and anxiety, such as sex, history of traumatic dental experiences, pain sensitivity, disgust sensitivity, and anxiety sensitivity.
Status: Completed.

This project was initially developed as part of Sydney Olson’s honors thesis, which resulted in additional follow up data collection yielding a presentation and publication.

Assessment of Anxiety and Related Vulnerability Factors

Aim: To better understand certain vulnerability factors that contribute to the exacerbation and maintenance of anxiety and prescription drug abuse.
Status: Completed; Master’s thesis defended by Sara Witcraft on 9/14/2018
PI: Sara Witcraft, master’s thesis project

Online Assessment of Mental Health Symptoms and Dermatology (Skin) Conditions

Aim: To assess the prevalence rates and severity of a variety of mental health symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, among individuals with different types of dermatological conditions.
Status: Completed; see Dixon, Witcraft, McCowan, & Brodell, 2018; Dixon, Witcraft, & Perry, 2019
PI: Laura Dixon