CURRENT RESEARCH AREAS
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND MECHANISMS OF DECISION-MAKING
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The CADS Lab is currently conducting research on the effects of emotion on decision-making strategies and outcomes, identifying mechanisms of cognitive and physical effort-based decision-making, investigating the effect of physiological stress on uncertainty tolerance during reward-based decision-making, and determining how performance pressure influences inhibitory control. In terms of individual differences, the lab also has projects examining how factors, such as gender, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and impulsivity influence risk-taking and reward motivation.
SUBSTANCE USE AND REWARD PROCESSING
Our lab has several ongoing studies that investigate how substance use affects reward processing and alters goal-directed decision-making. We have several projects that investigate how recreational substance use influences prediction errors during decision-making, inhibitory control, and exploration decision strategies. Our goal is to understand how early substance abuse influences cognition and leads individuals toward more advanced drug use trajectories. The lab is currently working with the Prisma Health System to assess the effectiveness of recovery coaching on addiction recovery outcomes.
COGNITIVE AGING​
How does decision-making and reward motivation change across the lifespan? One goal of our aging research is to identify mechanisms of cognitive aging and work to develop effective interventions to maintain healthy cognitive functioning as one ages. We also investigate differences in technology use across the lifespan.
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The lab also examines how aging affects health-related and financial decisions strategies, cognitive biases, susceptibility to misinformation, and responsivity to feedback.
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The CADS Lab is currently running study that examines digital privacy decisions across the lifespan.
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