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Research

Current Finn Lab Research

Broadly speaking, we are interested in understanding the self-regulatory problems associated with Alcohol Use Disorder and Substance use disorders, as well as externalizing psychopathology and behavioral disinhibition in general. Alcohol use disorder essentially reflects substantial problems regulating alcohol use such that one sees excessive binge-like drinking patterns, patterns of out of control drinking once one starts drinking (drinking far more than planned), drinking at times when it will interfere with responsibilities, put one at risk for interpersonal or legal consequences, and drinking so much that one experiences numerous health consequences.

Fisher, L., Bailey, A., Mayer, H., & Finn, P.R. (in press). Slower rates of learning to inhibit behavior in Alcohol Use Disorder. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

Howe, L.K., Fisher, L., Atkinson, E., Finn, P.R. (in press). Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Borderline Personality in Alcohol Use Disorder with and without comorbid Substance Use Disorder. Alcohol.

Howe, L. K., & Finn, P. R. (2020). The influence of harm avoidance and impulsivity on delay discounting rates. Personality and Individual Differences, 152, 109564.

Finn, P.R., Fisher, L., Mayer, H., Ingram, P.F., Howe, L.K., Atkinson, E. (2020). Disinhbited personality, incentives, disincentives, and drinking-related decisions. Alcohol. (PDF)

Nikoulina, A.I., Arcurio, A.R., Finn, P.R., James, T.W. (2020). Risky drinking decisions: The influence of party music and alcohol abuse in young adult women. Alcohol. (PDF)

Lake, A.J., Finn P.R., James T.W. (2020). Neural Modulation in Approach-Avoidance Conflicts in Externalizing Psychopathology. Brain Imaging and Behavior. (PDF)

Bailey, A.J., Farmer, E.J., Finn, P.R. (2019). Patterns of polysubstance use and simultaneous co-use in high risk young adults. Drug and Alcohol Dependence.(PDF)

Ingram, P.F., Finn P.R. (2019). The effects of a working memory load on drinking-related decisions: The role of incentives, disincentives, and lifetime alcohol problems. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. (PDF)

Bailey, A.J., & Finn, P.R. (2019). Borderline Personality Disorder: Relationship to the internalizing-externalizing structure of common mental disorders. Journal of Personality Disorders.(PDF)

Atkinson, E., Finn, P.R. (2019) Sex Differences in the Association Between Trait Anxiety and Alcohol Problems in Emerging Adults: The Influence of Symptoms of Depression and Borderline Personality. Journal of Substance Use.(PDF)

Gunn, R.L., Gerst, K.R., Weimers, E.A., Redick, T.S., & Finn, P.R. (2018). Predictors of effective working memory training in individuals with Alcohol Use Disorders. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. (PDF)

Cheng, H., Kellar, D., Lake, A., Finn, P., Rebec, G., Dharmadhikari, S., Dydak, U., & Newman, S. (2018). The effects of alcohol cues on MRS glutamate levels in the anterior cingulate. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 53(3):209-215. PMCID PMC5913680 (PDF)

Bailey, A.J., Gerst, K, & Finn, P.R. (2018) Delay discounting of losses and rewards in Alcohol Use Disorder: The effect of working memory load. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. NIHMS925653 (PDF)

Resnik, D.B, & Finn, P.R. (2018). Ethics and Phishing Experiments. Science and Engineering Ethics. 24, 1241 – 1252 (PDF)

Macapagal, K.R., Janssen, E., Mattson, M., Finn, P.R., & Heiman, J.R. (2017) The impact of message framing on young adults’ sexual decision making: An experimental study Health Psychology, 46, 385-394. 10.1007/s10508-015-0679-x (PDF)

Finn, P.R., Gerst, K., Lake, A.J., & Bogg T. (2017). Decisions to Attend and Drink at Party Events: The effects of Incentives and Disincentives and Lifetime Alcohol and Antisocial Problems. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 41, 1622-1629 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13443 PMCID: PMC 5581249 (PDF)

Prause, N., Janssen, E., Georgiatis, J., Finn, P., & Pfaus, J. (2017). Data do not support sex as addictive. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(12), 899 (PDF)

Forster, S.E., Finn, P.R., & Brown, J.W. (2017). Neural responses to negative outcomes predict success in community-based substance use treatment. Addiction. (PDF)

Hulvershorn, L.A.; Hummer, T Wu, Y-C., Tarter, R Rea, P., Anand, A., Chambers, R.A., Finn,P.R. Finn (2017). Global white matter microstructural abnormalities associated with addiction liability score in drug naïve youth. Brain Imaging and Behavior. (PDF)

Lake, A. J., Finn, P. R., & James, T. W. (2017). Neural correlates of emotion reappraisal in individuals with externalizing psychopathology. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 11, 76-85. PMCID: PMC4959999 (PDF)

Forster, S.E., Finn, P.R., & Brown, J.W. (2016). A preliminary study of longitudinal neuroadaptation associated with recovery from addiction Drug and Alcohol Dependence (PDF)

Gerst, K., Gunn, R.L., & Finn, P.R. (2017). Delay discounting of losses in Alcohol Use Disorders and Antisocial Psychopathology: Effects of a working memory load. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 41, 1768-1774 DOI: 10.1111/acer.1347 PMCID: PMC5626637 (PDF)

Gunn, R.L., Gerst, K.R., Lake, A.J. & Finn, P.R. (2017). The Effects of Working Memory Load and Attention Refocusing on Delay Discounting Rates in Alcohol Dependence with Comorbid Antisocial Personality Disorder. Alcohol, 66, 9-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.07.009 NIHMS 908272 (PDF)

Dai, J., Gunn, R.L., Gerst, K..R., Busemeyer, J Finn, P.R. (2016) A random utility model of delay discounting and its application to people with externalizing psychopathology. Psychological Assessment.28, 1196-1206 (PDF)

Lake, A.J., Finn, P.R., & James, T.W. (2016) Neural Correlates of Emotion Reappraisal in Individuals with Externalizing Psychopathology. Brain Imaging and Behavior (PDF)

Endres, M.J., Houpt J., Donkin, C. & Finn, P.R. (2015) Working Memory Capacity and Redundant Information Processing Efficiency. Frontiers in Psychology, Quantitative Psychology and Measurement, 6: 594 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00594 (PDF)

Gunn, R.L. & Finn, P.R. (2015). Applying a dual process model of self-regulation: The association between executive working memory capacity, negative urgency, and negative mood induction on pre-potent response inhibition. Personality and Individual Differences (PDF)

Hulvershorn, L.A., Hummer^, T.A., Fukunaga, R., Leibenluft^, E., Finn, P.R., Cyders, M.,Anand,A.,Overhage, L., Dir, A., & Brown, J. (2015). Neural activation during risky decision-making in youth at high risk for substance use disorders Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 233, 102-111. (PDF)

Alexander,W.H., Fukunaga, R., Finn^, P., Brown, J.W. (2015) Reward salience and risk aversion underlies differential ACC activity in substance dependence. NeuroImage: Clinical, pp. 59-71 DOI:10.1016/j.nicl.2015.02.025 NIHMS 678251 (PDF)

Finn, P.R., Gunn, R.L., & Gerst, K. (2015) The effects of a working memory load on delay discounting in those with externalizing psychopathology. Clinical Psychological Science (PDF)

Endres, M., Donkin, C., Finn, P.R. (2014) An information processing / associative learning account of behavioral disinhibition in externalizing psychopathology.Experimental Clinical Psychopharmacology, 22, 122-132 PMC3981894 (PDF)

Arcurio, L.R., Finn, P.R., & James, T. W (2013) Neural mechanisms of high-risk decisions-to-drink in alcohol dependent women. Addiction Biology (PDF)

Fridberg, D., Gerst, K., & Finn, P.R. (2013) Effects of working memory load, a history of conduct disorder, and sex on decision making in substance dependent individuals. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 133, 654-660 (PDF)

Gunn, R.L., Finn, P.R., Endres, M.J., Gerst, K., & Spinola, S. (2013). Dimensions of disinhibited personality and their relation with alcohol use and problems. Addictive Behaviors, 38, 2352-2360 (PDF)

Gunn, R., L., & Finn, P.R., (2013). Impulsivity partially mediates the association between reduced working memory capacity and alcohol problems. Alcohol, 47, 3-8 (PDF)

Endres, M., Rickert M.E., Bogg, T., Lucas, J Finn P,R. (2011) Externalizing Psychopathology and Behavioral Disinhibition: Working Memory Mediates Signal Discriminability and Reinforcement Moderates Response Bias in Go/No-Go Performance. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120, 336-351. PMCID PMC3091963 (PDF)

Bogg, T., & Finn, P.R. (2010). A self regulatory model of behavioral disinhibition in late adolescence: Integrating personality traits, externalizing psychopathology, and cognitive capacity. Journal of Personality,78(2) 441-470 PMCID PMC3145208 (PDF)

Bogg, T., & Finn, P.R. (2009). An Ecologically-Based Model of Alcohol Consumption Decision-Making: Evidence for the Discriminative and Predictive Role of Contextual Reward and Punishment Information. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 70, 446-457 (PDF)

Bobova, L., Finn, P.R., Rickert, M.E., & Lucas, J. (2009). Disinhibitory Psychopathology andDelay Discounting in Alcohol Dependence: Personality and Cognitive Correlates. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 17,51-61 (PDF)

Cantrell, E., Finn, P.R., Rickert, M.E, & Lucas J (2008). Decision-Making in Early-OnsetAlcohol Dependence. Insensitivity to Future Consequences and Co-morbid Disinhibitory Psychopathology. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research , 32, 1398-1407 (PDF)

Finn, P.R. (2002). Motivation, Working Memory, and Decision Making: A cognitivemotivational theory of vulnerability to alcoholism. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews, 1, 181-203 (PDF)

Drinking Decisions Study

Through an ecological momentary assessment design, we are examining drinking decisions in real-life contexts to better understand the decision making process, consequences, and personal interpretations of various drinking decisions.

Impulsive Decision Reduction Training (I/R DRT) Study

This study investigates a novel intervention aimed at reducing binge drinking by reducing impulsive/risky drinking decision-making. I/R DRT combines a Smartphone App with a handful of in-person or zoom sessions and some online exercises and targets reductions in binge, and generally excessive, drinking. We are currently collecting pilot data for this study.

Self-Identity and Drinking Habits Study

This study is aimed at developing a more comprehensive measure of drinking/alcohol self-identity and investigating its influence in the development of severe alcohol problems.

Our primary focus has been on investigating the cognitive, motivational, and neural processes associated with impulsive and/or risky decision making in those with alcohol and other substance use disorder and in those with high levels of externalizing psychopathology. High levels of impulsivity and risk taking are hallmarks of substance use disorders and externalizing psychopathology. We have found that lower levels of executive working memory capacity (attention control), intelligence, and general executive cognitive ability are associated impulsive/risky decision making and alcohol / substance use problems and general externalizing behavior problems. We also find that social contexts that vary in party incentives and disincentives are strong predictors of decisions about drinking and that those with problems with alcohol or behavioral problems in general respond somewhat differently to contextualized incentives and disincentives to drink.

Our studies of the neural processes associated with decision making and emotion regulation implicate various brain structures associated with executive function (i.e., frontal areas, anterior cingulate cortex), emotion regulation (e.g., the amygdala), and perception (visual cortex) are implicated in poor decision making and emotion regulation problems in these populations.

Our research also shows that if you compromise attention control (executive working memory) this leads to increased impulsive/risky decisions. Current studies are underway that examine whether we can “train” subjects to increase their capacity to control their attention, possibly leading to improved self-control of behavior and emotional responses and less propensity to engage in risky behavior. Other interests include developing mobile app technologies to sample and investigate drinking decisions in real-life contexts, and developing ways of teaching people

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Research

Current Finn Lab Research

Recent Publications (2002-2020)

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