Journal of psychopathology and clinical science最新文献

{"title":"Using behavioral economics to understand reinforcement mechanisms of loss-of-control eating: An ecological momentary assessment approach.","authors":"Emily K Burr,Lidia Z Meshesha,Robert D Dvorak,Quinn Allen,Tatiana Magri,Callie L Wang,Emma R Hayden,Nadia E Rodriguez,Angelina V Leary,Madison Maynard,Stephen A Wonderlich,Glen Forester,Lauren M Schaefer","doi":"10.1037/abn0000996","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000996","url":null,"abstract":"Loss-of-control eating (LOCE) is the subjective inability to stop eating once one has started or to refrain from food consumption. State-level affect, food craving, and reward dysfunction have all been implicated as vulnerabilities to recurrent LOCE, mostly studied in the context of binge eating (i.e., LOCE with objective overeating). Hypothetical purchase tasks are a behavioral economic approach to assessing the reward value of a given behavior or commodity, which have typically been used in substance use literature. The current study tested a momentary mediation model in which positive and negative affect at Time 1 was hypothesized to predict Time 2 food demand (assessed using three variables from an ambulatory food purchase task), in turn leading to LOCE at Time 3 by way of Time 2 craving (affect → food demand → craving → LOCE). This model was assessed using a 10-day ecological momentary assessment protocol in 78 community adults with recurrent LOCE (87% female, 71% White). At the within-subjects (i.e., momentary) level, LOCE was predicted by prior food craving. Food reward value metrics additionally mediated the LOCE antecedent of negative affect, but not positive affect. Interestingly, between subjects, the relationship between craving and LOCE was unexpectedly negative, and only negative affect was associated with subsequent LOCE, by way of time two craving but not time two food reward value. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).","PeriodicalId":73914,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychopathology and clinical science","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143822780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Past suicide attempt is associated with a weaker decision-making bias to actively escape from suicide-related stimuli.","authors":"Adam C Jaroszewski,Alexander J Millner,Samuel J Gershman,Peter J Franz,Kate H Bentley,Evan M Kleiman,Matthew K Nock","doi":"10.1037/abn0000989","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000989","url":null,"abstract":"Theory and evidence suggest that people attempt suicide to escape acute distress. However, little is known about why people select suicide instead of other ways to escape (e.g., alcohol/drug use). One possibility is that suicide-related stimuli in one's environment (e.g., suicide methods) bias this decision, particularly when such stimuli elicit little aversion. We tested whether suicide-related stimuli bias decisions to escape acute distress. We recruited 360 adults with past 3-month active suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB; n = 120), elevated psychiatric symptoms without STB (n = 152), or no symptoms/STB (n = 88). Participants explicitly rated personalized suicide pictures (e.g., pointing a gun up at oneself) and positive contrasts and completed a behavioral task, where they made decisions to escape an acutely distressing noise in relation to these stimuli. We used a computational model of task performance to capture latent biases hypothetically influencing decision making. We assessed STB 3 months later. Results indicated that people with a past suicide attempt exhibited much lower suicide aversion than others. In the behavioral task, the suicidal group made more impulsive escape decisions in relation to suicide versus positive stimuli. The computational model helped explain this effect, capturing a latent bias driven by the suicide stimuli. Within the suicidal group, weaker biases mediated the association between lower suicide aversion and higher odds of past suicide attempt. These results provide evidence of novel, specific, incrementally valid, and objectively assessed suicide-attempt correlate and suggest that decision science is useful for understanding mechanisms increasing risk for suicide and other escape-related phenomena involving stimulus-driven processes (e.g., substance misuse, and anxiety). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).","PeriodicalId":73914,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychopathology and clinical science","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143822486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What's strength centrality got to do with it? Examining the stability of central symptoms across symptom ensembles and time in idiographic networks.","authors":"Claire E Cusack,Luis E Sandoval-Araujo,Juan C Hernández,Jamie-Lee Pennesi,Gal Lazarus,Cheri A Levinson,Aaron J Fisher","doi":"10.1037/abn0001005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0001005","url":null,"abstract":"Network analysis is a popular method researchers use to characterize the structure of psychopathology and inform personalized treatments. Typically, applied researchers, based on network theory, interpret symptoms with the highest strength centrality as most important to network structure and represent amenable treatment targets. This study examines the stability of strength centrality in idiographic networks in a sample of participants with eating disorders (N = 26, 90-day assessment, M = 356.00 observations per person) and a second sample of participants with social anxiety disorder (N = 42, 30-day assessment, M = 201.90 observations per person). We estimated idiographic networks using three different item-inclusion approaches and accounted for time using a \"sliding window\" method (e.g., Window 1 = data from Days 1-15, Window 2 = data from Days 2-16). Items included in networks were selected in three ways: default networks (six items with the highest means at Window 1), changing means networks (six items with the highest means at each respective Window), and random ensembles (random combinations of any six items across all sliding windows). In both samples, we found that the most central symptom in the default network was central in less than half of idiographic changing means networks (maximum = 29.41% of networks). Our results show that node strength centrality estimates are sensitive to item ensemble and temporal effects. We discuss implications concerning inferences assigned to strength centrality given the frequency at which strength centrality changes and future efforts developing network-informed personalized treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).","PeriodicalId":73914,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychopathology and clinical science","volume":"108 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143822488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Semantic signals in self-reference: The detection and prediction of depressive symptoms from the daily diary entries of a sample with major depressive disorder.","authors":"Amanda C Collins,Damien Lekkas,Matthew D Nemesure,Tess Z Griffin,George D Price,Arvind Pillai,Subigya Nepal,Michael V Heinz,Andrew T Campbell,Nicholas C Jacobson","doi":"10.1037/abn0001003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0001003","url":null,"abstract":"Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) experience fewer positive and more negative emotions and use fewer positive words to describe themselves. Natural language processing techniques have been used to predict depression, with pronoun and emotion usage being identified as important features. However, it is unclear how depressed individuals use positive and negative words when writing about themselves. Individuals with MDD (N = 258) completed ecological momentary assessments three times a day (including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9] and a free-text diary entry) and weekly ecological momentary assessments (including a free-text response to a life events prompt) over a 90-day study period. Using natural language processing techniques, we generated 20 model features to detect and predict averages of and changes in weekly depression from diary entries. Four regression models detected and predicted total PHQ-9 and changes in PHQ-9, and two classification models detected and predicted moderate to severe depression. The models classified current (area under the receiver operating curve [AUC] = 0.68) and future depression (AUC = 0.63), and suggest that lower valence increased usage of \"I\"/\"me\"/\"my,\" and lower valence of passages with \"I\"/\"me\" as the subject, influenced model predictions toward more severe depression, supporting prior research. These findings highlight that depressed individuals use less positive and more negative words when referring to themselves. Treatments targeting positive affect and digital interventions with written components may be beneficial for targeting MDD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).","PeriodicalId":73914,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychopathology and clinical science","volume":"117 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143822784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pathways to alcohol use and problems in adulthood for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): The role of common impairments above and beyond ADHD symptom persistence.","authors":"Brooke S G Molina,Christine A P Walther,Frances L Wang,Traci M Kennedy,Patrick J Curran,Elizabeth M Gnagy,Sarah L Pedersen","doi":"10.1037/abn0000986","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000986","url":null,"abstract":"Childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a known risk factor for later alcohol-related outcomes, such as drinking at young ages or developing alcohol use disorder by adulthood. However, research has yet to determine whether common ADHD-related impairments (e.g., lower educational attainment) in early adulthood play a role in this outcome above and beyond ADHD symptom persistence. Individuals with (n = 316) and without (n = 223) ADHD in childhood participated in a longitudinal study (Mage = 29). Childhood diagnoses were based on comprehensive, standardized assessments, and follow-up data were self-report and parent report. Mediating pathways through key impairments and ADHD symptom persistence in early adulthood were simultaneously tested, from childhood ADHD (absent/present) to later adulthood (Mage = 29) alcohol outcomes (alcohol-related problems and heavy drinking frequency), using Mplus 8.2. Support was found for the mediating roles of greater social impairment, lower educational attainment, and ADHD symptom persistence in the association between childhood ADHD and alcohol-related problems. Mediation by early adulthood delinquency for alcohol problems was not supported. No mediating pathways to heavy drinking frequency were supported. These findings illustrate the importance of social and academic functioning, in addition to ADHD symptom persistence, in risk for alcohol-related problems as individuals with a history of ADHD in childhood enter a phase of life requiring substantial adulthood responsibility. These results suggest the critical importance of focusing prevention and treatment efforts on major domains of functioning in addition to ADHD symptom reduction for prevention and treatment of harmful alcohol use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).","PeriodicalId":73914,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychopathology and clinical science","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143822773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional correlates of atypical visuoperceptual organization in a multisite clinical high-risk sample.","authors":"Victor Pokorny, Tanya Tran, Trevor F Williams, Joshua Kenney, Steven M Silverstein, James M Gold, James A Waltz, Jason Schiffman, Lauren M Ellman, Gregory P Strauss, Elaine F Walker, Scott W Woods, Albert R Powers, Philip R Corlett, Vijay A Mittal","doi":"10.1037/abn0000992","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000992","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for developing psychotic disorders are thought to exhibit atypical visuoperceptual organization. Furthermore, CHR status is associated with reduced cognitive, social, and role functioning. We hypothesize that atypical visuoperceptual organization may lead to downstream impairments in cognitive, social, and role functioning. However, the degree to which visuoperceptual organization can explain such functioning is unclear. Our sample consisted of four groups: a CHR group (<i>n</i> = 339), a mild psychotic-like experiences group (<i>n</i> = 162), a nonpsychotic clinical group (<i>n</i> = 111), and a healthy control group (<i>n</i> = 199). We measured perceptual organization via Ebbinghaus and Mooney Faces tasks. In the Ebbinghaus task, participants judged the size of target circles in the presence of surrounding circles. In the Mooney Faces task, participants reported whether they detected faces in two-tone images. Ebbinghaus context sensitivity correlated with measures of cognitive ability such as symbol coding, <i>r</i>(572) = .13, <i>p</i>_fdr = .007, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.05, 0.21], verbal learning, <i>r</i>(608) = .1, <i>p</i>_fdr = .016, 95% CI [0.02, 0.18], and reading ability, <i>r</i>(550) = .09, <i>p</i>_fdr = .038, 95% CI [0.01, 0.17]. In contrast, Mooney inverted face detection correlated with social functioning, <i>r</i>(636) = -.09, <i>p</i>_fdr = .025, 95% CI [-0.17, -0.01], role functioning, <i>r</i>(638) = -.16, <i>p</i>_fdr < .001, 95% CI [-0.23, -0.08], and social phobia severity, <i>r</i>(616) = .14, <i>p</i>_fdr = .001, 95% CI [0.06, 0.22]. Increased inverted face detection in CHR may reflect overweighting of perceptual priors, which has downstream effects on functioning in school and workplace settings. Contrary to our expectations, Ebbinghaus context sensitivity did not differ between groups but did relate to general cognitive functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":73914,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychopathology and clinical science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143805002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comprehensive analysis of craving in smoking cue-exposure research: Differential associations across racial identity and sex.","authors":"Eliza L Marsh, Michael A Sayette, Scott H Fraundorf, Sarah L Pedersen, Kasey G Creswell, Madeline E Goodwin","doi":"10.1037/abn0000990","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000990","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Smoking cue-exposure research provides a powerful experimental method to investigate craving, test new treatments, and identify individuals and groups who may be at heightened risk for relapse. Exposure to smoking cues consistently increases craving levels, and research indicates that these peak cravings reliably predict a range of clinically meaningful outcomes. To date, studies have been underpowered, however, to evaluate sociodemographic differences in lab-based cravings. This is unfortunate, as differences across racial identities and sex exist in smoking trends and health-related consequences of smoking. The present cue-exposure study leveraged a large sample size and a multifaceted statistical approach, using both means-based and person-centered analyses, to examine craving dynamics among Black and White and male and female smokers. We conducted preregistered analyses of 617 nicotine-deprived individuals who smoke daily (pooled from seven studies) reporting levels of urge before and during smoking cue exposure (i.e., holding a lit cigarette). The results indicated that Black female and male participants exhibited heightened urge ratings at the outset of the study and were more prone to experiencing maximal peak-provoked craving during cue exposure compared to White female and male participants. Further, White female participants demonstrated heightened cue reactivity relative to White male participants. Findings provide compelling evidence to support a more comprehensive approach to understanding experimentally induced cigarette craving than is currently employed in the literature and highlight the importance of considering intersecting identity factors when examining craving. Clinically, the results underscore the value of lab-based research to address racial and sex inequities in smoking behavior and health outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":73914,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychopathology and clinical science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143805000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Expanding the scope of the withdrawal syndrome: Anhedonia as a core nicotine withdrawal symptom.","authors":"Jennifer M Betts, Timothy B Baker, Daniel M Bolt, Deejay Zwaga, Megan E Piper, Danielle E McCarthy, Tanya R Schlam, Jesse T Kaye, Adrienne L Johnson, Jessica W Cook","doi":"10.1037/abn0000981","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000981","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Some evidence suggests that anhedonia is a component of nicotine withdrawal, but additional research is needed to support this conclusion and establish its clinical relevance. Secondary analyses were conducted for a comparative effectiveness smoking cessation clinical trial of combination nicotine replacement therapy, nicotine patches, and varenicline (<i>N</i> = 1,084). Self-reported consummatory anhedonia was assessed at multiple time points pretarget quit day (TQD) and post-TQD, and biochemically confirmed 7-day point-prevalence smoking abstinence was assessed at 4, 12, and 26 weeks post-TQD. Data collection occurred from May 2012 to November 2015. Analyses were conducted using hierarchical linear modeling, logistic regression, and general linear models. Anhedonia demonstrated a prototypical inverted-U pattern from pre- to post-TQD consistent with withdrawal, which was not moderated by medication condition (<i>p</i>s > .83). Greater postquit anhedonia was associated with lower odds of biochemically confirmed abstinence at 4 weeks (odds ratio [<i>OR</i>] = 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.94, 0.98], <i>p</i> < .001), 12 weeks (<i>OR</i> = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], <i>p</i> = .001), and 26 weeks (<i>OR</i> = 0.95, 95% CI = [0.93, 0.98], <i>p</i> < .001) post-TQD. These effects remained even after controlling for other withdrawal symptoms and individual characteristics. Gold standard smoking pharmacotherapies had comparable statistical effects on anhedonia's trajectory and association with abstinence during treatment. The results replicate and extend previous research supporting anhedonia as a motivationally significant symptom of nicotine withdrawal. The results suggest anhedonia not only conforms to features of a tobacco withdrawal symptom but is associated with difficulty stopping smoking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":73914,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychopathology and clinical science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143805001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Personality in psychosis decades after onset: Tests of models of the relations between psychopathology and personality.","authors":"Elizabeth A Martin, Jennifer M Blank, Katherine G Jonas, Wenxuan Lian, Roman Kotov","doi":"10.1037/abn0000971","DOIUrl":"10.1037/abn0000971","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Models have been put forth to describe relations between psychopathology and personality. However, the relation in individuals with psychotic disorders is unclear. As a test of models of psychopathology-personality in psychosis, the current study included 239 individuals, each with one of four psychotic disorders-schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder with psychotic features (BPp), major depressive disorder with psychotic features (MDDp), and substance-induced psychosis (SIP)-and compared their personality to a never-psychotic sample (NP; <i>n</i> = 257). In support of the complication + scar model, we found SZ, BPp, MDDp, and SIP were significantly higher on neuroticism and detachment, and most were higher on mistrust and eccentric perceptions than the NP group (average Cohen's <i>d</i> = |0.83| across all personality measures). Also compared to the NP group, SZ was lower on extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness; MDDp was lower on extraversion and conscientiousness; and SIP was lower on agreeableness and conscientiousness (average Cohen's <i>d</i> = |0.77|). Differences were observed among the psychotic disorder groups (SZ, BPp, MDDp, SIP), with effects up to <i>d</i> = 1.38. In support of the complication model, the non-recovered group was significantly higher on mistrust, eccentric perceptions, and detachment but lower on extraversion and conscientiousness than the recovered group (average <i>d</i> = |0.57| across measures). In support of the scar model, individuals who met threshold for recovery continued to manifest personality deviations, although smaller in magnitude (average <i>d</i> = |0.32| across measures) compared to NP. Overall, we found support for the complication and scar models, suggesting that while symptoms are associated with personality differences, psychosis is associated with permanent personality alterations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":73914,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychopathology and clinical science","volume":" ","pages":"251-261"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11949700/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143627045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The utility of high-dosage experiments in everyday life to test theories in clinical science.","authors":"Jesse R Cougle","doi":"10.1037/abn0000956","DOIUrl":"10.1037/abn0000956","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This viewpoint article discusses the utility of high-dosage experiments (HDEs) in everyday life to test theories in clinical science. HDEs involve experimental manipulations and assessments that occur over much longer periods of time than traditional experiments-generally days or even weeks. By nature, they also occur outside the lab, in the everyday environments of participants. Additionally, as with other experiments, the purpose of the study is concealed from participants. Experimental design is one of the most distinguishable characteristics of psychology that separates it from other behavioral sciences. Studies that rely on experiments are essential for theory testing and establishing the potential causal role of mechanisms that underlie psychopathology. Yet despite the value of experimental research, experimental studies are not currently given special prominence in clinical psychological science. For example, in the <i>Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science</i>, of all the empirical studies in the most recent year (2023), only three of 77 incorporated an experimental manipulation. Experimental research appears to be less popular in clinical psychology than in other fields, such as social psychology. What might account for this discrepancy? First, clinical samples are more difficult to recruit. This is important because experimental manipulations may produce small effects that require large samples for detection. Additionally, mechanisms hypothesized to underlie psychopathology are often chronic and intransigent. For example, cognitive factors (e.g., perfectionistic beliefs) could require an especially strong manipulation to modify in isolation. Researchers have argued that psychology has been experiencing a crisis in theory development. Eronen and Bringmann (2021) stated that one major reason for this crisis is the difficulty in establishing causal relationships between psychological constructs. The replication crisis has garnered even more attention (Open Science Collaboration, 2015). HDEs would help address these two crises and provide stronger and more replicable tests of theory. This could allow us to more precisely identify important mechanisms underlying psychopathology, potentially enhancing treatment efficacy, and enabling us to move the field forward. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).</p>","PeriodicalId":73914,"journal":{"name":"Journal of psychopathology and clinical science","volume":" ","pages":"213-214"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142367744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}