Welcome to the BAT Lab

The focus of the Behavior, Affect, & Thinking (BAT) lab at Oklahoma State University is the investigation of factors that are related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). Some broad questions the lab is interested in answering are:

• How does suicidal thinking influence other suicide-relevant cognitive processes (e.g., attention, self-referential judgments)?

• Can we use suicide-relevant cognitive processes to improve the detection or prediction of STB?

• Can we leverage benign cognitive biases to increase the use of STB prevention strategies like the suicide lifeline and firearm safe storage practices?

• How can we help firearm owners reduce suicide risk through responsible safe storage and means safety?

• How can screening for suicide be improved?

• What is the relationship between social media use, mood, and STB?