Dr. Drislane and current graduate students Brianna Davis, Rebekah Brown-Spivey, and Ky Bray at the 2022 SHSU Fall Social, Huntsville State Park
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Welcome to the Measurement and Etiology of Externalizing Problems Lab!The Measurement and Etiology of Externalizing Problems (MEEP) lab focuses on the development of trait-based models of psychopathology that interface individual difference characteristics at the psychometric, behavioral, environmental, and neurobiological levels. The lab studies impulse-control ("externalizing") problems, with a particular focus on psychopathy, a syndrome entailing aggressive, impulsive behaviors along with a unique set of affective and interpersonal features, such as callousness, manipulativeness, and superficial charm. The lab seeks to identify causal mechanisms contributing to psychopathic dimensions and link conceptions of psychopathy to broader models of personality and psychopathology.
The MEEP Lab is directed by Dr. Laura Drislane, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and faculty member in the Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in Oxford, Mississippi. |
Ky and Rebekah present their talks at the 2023 meetings of the Society for Personality Assessment (SPA) and American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS), respectively
Research Questions that Guide the Lab's Work
Triarchic ModelHow can the triarchic model of psychopathy (Patrick & Drislane, 2015; Patrick et al., 2009) provide a framework for guiding psychopathy research using a common set of constructs? In particular, how can this model be used to understand heterogeneity in how psychopathy presents and resolve long-standing debates in the field?
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AssessmentHow do the constructs of the triarchic model intersect with broader models of personality and psychopathology? Can we measure these constructs in a psychometrically sound way using existing measures (e.g., Drislane et al., 2018, 2019)? If so, how can we best utilize specialized existing datasets to better understand the development, course, prediction, and mechanisms underlying psychopathy and related conditions? How can advanced statistical methods contribute to improved measurement?
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Etiology of Externalizing Problems |
Clinical Utility and Policy |
What are the shared and unique mechanisms contributing to different impulse-control problems (e.g., substance use, antisocial behavior, aggression, inattention)? Can psychophysiology shed light on affective and cognitive processes contributing to these difficulties? How are these deficits displayed behaviorally? How does the environment interact with biological vulnerability to contribute to externalizing problems?
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More recently, the lab has begun to investigate the clinical utility of findings within the empirical literature on psychopathy. To what extent does research on psychopathy have direct utility for enhancing client care? How well do clinicians apply complex research findings to their day-to-day practice? Can we improve communication between researchers and clinicians? How can scientific studies on impulse control problems inform public policy? What is the role of psychologists in advocacy?
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