Dean of the College and Psychology Program Present
Dual Processes in Self-Destructive Behaviors:
Substance Misuse, OCD, and the SCAR Model of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Preston Theater
4:45 pm EST/GMT-5
4:45 pm EST/GMT-5
Kenneth Allen Harvard University
We all occasionally engage in self-defeating behaviors: choosing instant gratification at the expense of long-term goals, engaging in risky activities to pursue excitement, or delaying unpleasant experiences to temporarily quell anxiety. In contrast, self-destructive behaviors are habitual, impulsive/compulsive, and carry significant potential consequences, including serious intentional or indirect self-harm. My research examines two major processes, affect regulation and reinforcement, in their etiology, maintenance, and treatment. I approach these topics at the level of self-reported personality traits, neurocognitive task performance, and biological markers. First, I will focus on the interaction between affect regulation difficulties and individual differences in drug reinforcement to predict substance misuse, the most common self-destructive behavior. I will then discuss how these processes contribute to the prediction of treatment outcomes in severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. The majority of this talk will reflect my main research focus, nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI): direct, deliberate self-harm without lethal intent. I will review my work exploring the neurocognitive underpinnings of affect regulation deficits in NSSI, and present evidence that these deficits arise from impairment in a specific cognitive process. My colleagues and I have also conducted several studies linking NSSI reinforcement with a negative self-concept. I unite these lines of research to propose a theoretical framework for NSSI: the Self-Criticism/Affect-Regulation (SCAR) model. Finally, I will describe future directions that seek to 1) elucidate the neurobiological bases of affect regulation and reinforcement; 2) identify specific markers associated with these processes in various self-destructive behaviors; and 3) provide further empirical support for the SCAR model.For more information, call 845-758-7621, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 4:45 pm EST/GMT-5
Location: Preston Theater