Research
The BAT lab investigates multiple factors related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). These factors include attention to emotional information, self-referential judgments, cognitive biases, social media use, and firearm safe storage. We use multiple methods to investigate these factors including remote eye tracking, ecological momentary assessment, and behavioral tasks.
Current Projects in the Lab
Tasks Assessing Concealed Thinking - we are examining whether suicide-relevant cognitive processes can help identify concealed STB
Fictional Media and Suicide - we are investigating the relationship between depictions of suicide in fictional media (e.g., 13 Reasons Why), attitudes toward suicide, and STB
Perceptions of Suicide Crisis Lines - we investigate how perceptions of crisis lines affect willingness to save a crisis line number in one's phone
Suicide Screening Pooled Analysis - we are conducting a meta-analysis of the accuracy of suicide screening in predicting suicide attempts and/or deaths
Representative Publications
Bauer, B.W., Karnick, A., Wells, T.T., Tucker, R.P., & Capron, D.W. (2021). Altering preferences for mental health resources using the decoy nudge: Evidence of context-dependent effects in suicide prevention decision making. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 89(1), 11-20. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000617
Wells, T.T., Tucker, R.P., Kraines, M.A., Smith, L.A., & Unruh-Dawes, E. (2020). Implicit bias for suicide persists after ideation resolves. Psychiatry Research, 285, 112784. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112784
Wells, T.T., Tucker, R.P., & Kraines, M.A. (2020). Extending a rejection sensitivity model to suicidal thoughts and behaviors in sexual minority groups and to transgender mental health. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(7), 2291-2294. doi: 10.1007/s10508-019-1428-3
Tucker, R.P., Wingate, L.R., Burkley, M., & Wells, T.T. (2018). Implicit association with suicide as measured by the Suicide Affect Misattribution Procedure (S-AMP) predicts suicide ideation. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 48, 720-731. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12392
Kelberer, L.J.A., Kraines, M.A., & Wells, T.T. (2018). Optimism, hope, and attention to emotional stimuli. Personality and Individual Differences, 124, 84-90. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.12.003
Kraines, M.A., Kelberer, L.J.A., & Wells, T.T. (2018). Rejection sensitivity, interpersonal rejection, and attention for emotional facial expressions. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 59, 31-39. doi: 10.1016/j.btep.2017.11.004
Kraines, M.A., Kelberer, L.J.A., & Wells, T.T. (2017). Sex differences in attention to disgust facial expressions. Cognition & Emotion, 31, 1692-1697. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2016.1244044
Clerkin, E.M., Magee, J.C., Wells, T.T., Beard, C., & Barnett, N.P. (2016). Randomized controlled trial of attention bias modification in a racially diverse, socially anxious, alcohol dependent sample. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 87, 58-69. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2016.08.010
Wells, T. T., Clerkin, E. M., Ellis, A. J., & Beevers, C. G. (2014). Effect of antidepressant medication use on emotional information processing in major depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171, 195-200. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.12091243