Clinical Psychology

Robert F. Simons

		Professor Associate Chair Ph.D., University of Wisconsin Research Interests Recent Publications Representative Publications Web site Vita -MS Word file rsimons@udel.edu Office: 215 Wolf Hall (302) 831-2389 (302) 831-3645 -fax Lab: 117 McKinly Hall (302) 831-1041 Preferred contact method - email Research Opportunities Graduate         Undergraduate

Research Interests

Clinical Psychophysiology

Research Summary:

Psychophysiological approaches to human emotion and cognition. Currentstudies utilize event-related brain potential (ERP) components to study cognitive characteristics of patients with anxiety disorders such as OCD and social phobia.  Specifically, we use error-related negativity (ERN) to study response and error monitoring in adult and pediatric OCD patients and the P300 to study attribution biases in social phobia.  In our newest set of experiments, we are exploring the utility of late positive potentials (LPP) and more traditional autonomic nervous system measures to study self-regulation of positive and negative emotional reactions to emotion-provoking pictures.  Much or our work with anxiety patients is done in collaboration with Edna Foa at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania.

Recent Publications

Hajcak, G., Franklin, M.E., Foa, E.B., & Simons, R.F. (2008).  Increased error-related brain activity in pediatric OCD before and after treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 116-123.

Krompinger, J.W., Moser, J.S., & Simons, R.F. (2008). Modulations of the Electrophysiological Response to Pleasant Stimuli by Cognitive Reappraisal. Emotion, 8. 132-137.

Moser, J.S., Huppert, J.D., Duval, E. & Simons, R.F. (2008).  The dynamics of information processing biases in social anxiety: An electrophysiological study. Biological Psychology.

Hajcak, G., & Simons, R.F. (2008).  Oops, I did it again:  An ERP investigation of double-errors and action monitoring. Brain and Cognition.

Moser, J.S., Hajcak, G., Simons, R.F., & Foa, E.B.  (2007).  PTSD symptoms in trauma-exposed college students:  The role of negative cognitions, trauma type, and anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 21, 1039-1049.

Moser, J.S., Hajcak, G., & Simons, R.F.  (2006).  An event-related brain
potential study of symptom provocation in spider phobic undergraduates. Biological Psychology, 71, 148-154.

Hajcak, G., Moser, J.S., Yeung, N., & Simons, R.F.  (2005).  On the ERN and the significance of errors.  Psychophysiology, 42, 151-160.

Moser, J.S., Hajcak, G., & Simons, R.F.  (2005). The effects of fear on performance monitoring and attentional allocation.  Psychophysiology, 42, 261-268.

Hajcak, G., Holroyd, C.B., Moser, J.S., & Simons, R.F.  (2005).  Brain potentials
associated with expected and unexpected good and bad outcomes.  Psychophysiology, 42, 161-170.

Hajcak, G., Ridderinkhof, K.R., Nieuwenhuis, S., & Simons, R.F.  (2005). 
Error-proceeding brain activity: Robustness, temporal dynamics and boundary conditions.  Biological Psychology,70, 67-78.

Ellis, R.J. & Simons, R.F. (2005).  The  impact of music on subjective and physiolgical measures of emotion while viewing films.  Psychomusicology, 19, 15-40.

Representative Publications

Hajcak, G., Franklin, M.E., Foa, E.B., & Simons, R.F. (2008).  Increased error-related brain activity in pediatric OCD before and after treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 116-123.

Hajcak, G., McDonald, N. & Simons, R.F. (2003).  To err is autonomic: Error-related brain potentials, ANS activity, and post-error slowing.  Psychophysiology.

Simons, R.F., Graham, F.K., Miles, M.A. & Chen, X.  (2001).  On the identity of P3a and the Novels-P3.  Biological Psychology, 56, 207-218.

Simons, R.F., Detenber, B.H., Roedema, T.R. & Reiss, J.E.  (1999).  Emotion processing in three systems: The medium and the message.  Psychophysiology, 36, 619-627.

Perlstein, W., Fiorito, E., Graham, F. K., and Simons, R. F. (1993).  Lead stimulation effects on reflex blink, exogenous brain potentials, and loudness judgments. Psychophysioloqy, 30, 347-358.

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