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)
• Avoidance and extinction (with Dr Daniel Zuj, Swansea University)
• Reducing fear generalization (with Dr Miriam Lommen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands)
• Living in fear

Gambling behaviour and harm

• Gambling Research, Education and Treatment (GREAT) Network Wales.
• The UK Veterans’ Health and Gambling Study (funded by Forces in Mind Trust).
• Wellbeing and Coping in the RAF. Funded by the RAF Benevolent Fund.
• The Contingency Management for Gambling (CONGAM) study is the first ever, UK-based feasibility trial of CM for gambling disorder. It will explore the barriers and facilitators to CONGAM by surveying the views of treatment providers and treatment-seeking gamblers, before conducting a small-scale trial. Funded by GambleAware.
• Computational modelling of live-odds sports betting (funded by ICRG)
• Symbolic generalization in simulated slot machine gambling