The Experimental Psychopathology Lab investigates human learning and emotion systems underpinning adaptive behaviour. A psychophysiology and cognitive neuroscience perspective is adopted in which the underlying neurobehavioural mechanisms of clinically relevant behaviours are identified. We design tasks to examine learning and generalization of fear and avoidance, amongst other topics, in healthy and patient populations.

Current Research Projects, Collaborators, and Funding

Avoidance learning and extinction

• Symbolic generalization of avoidance (with Dr Mike Schlund, Georgia State University & Dr Bryan Roche, Maynooth University)
• Neural mechanisms of approach-avoidance conflict (with Dr Mike Schlund, Georgia State University)
• Partial reinforcement and avoidance extinction (with Dr Bram Vervliet, KU Leuven, Belgium)
• Conceptual generalization of fear and avoidance (with Dr Lars Marstaller, Swansea University)
• Avoidance and reinstatement (with Dr Daniel Zuj, Swansea University)
• Reducing fear generalization (with Dr Miriam Lommen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands)

Disordered gambling

• Gambling-related harm in Armed Forces veterans (with Dr Neil Kitchiner, Veterans’ NHS Wales, Matt Fossey, Veterans and Families Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, Professor Cherie Armour, Ulster University, Prof. Robert Rogers and Dr Lee Hogan, Bangor University, Justyn Larcombe, Epic Risk Management, and Dr Liv Kosnes, Swansea Centre for Health Economics; funded by Forces in Mind Trust).
• The qualitative and quantitative impact of gambling related problems on the families of Armed Forces veterans (funded by GambleAware).
• The role of symbolic generalization in simulated slot machine gambling (with Dr Alice Hoon, Swansea University Medical School)