Contributions to Science

Understanding attention, judgment, and memory bias in pathological anxiety. Through the initial mentorship I received from Drs. Andrew Mathews and Edna Foa, I developed expertise in the study of cognitive bias associated with pathological anxiety. This scientific inquiry involved use of cognitive paradigms to understand how emotion impacts information processing, and in turn, how information processing bias furthers psychological distress. While I have studied attention, judgment, and memory bias, my primary interests have concerned appraisal bias. Most recently, my investigations have concerned developing strategies to modify biased appraisal.

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1. Constans, J. I. & Mathews, A. M. (1993). Mood and the subjective risk of future events. Cognition and Emotion, 7(6), 545-560.

2. Constans, J. I., Foa, E. B., Franklin, M. E., & Mathews, A. (1995). Memory for actual and imagined events in OC checkers. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(6), 665-671. 

3. Constans, J. I., Penn, D. L., Ihen, G. H., & Hope, D. A. (1999). Interpretive biases for ambiguous stimuli in social anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37(7), 643-651.

4. Peters, K., Constans, J. I., & Mathews, A. (2011). Experimental modification of attribution processes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120(1), 168-173. 

 

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Cognitive bias and neuropsychological deficits associated with PTSD. The majority of my research over the past 20 years has involved the study of attention, judgment, and memory in PTSD.  While our projects have focused on understanding cognitive and neuropsychological components of PTSD, my research interest has primarily concerned investigating how beliefs and information-processing biases that are present following trauma are associated with the development of trauma-related psychopathology. More recent efforts have concerned development of computer-based, cognitive-bias-modification programs designed to correct biases related to psychopathology.

 

1. Vasterling, J. J., Brailey, K., Constans, J. I., & Sutker, P. B. (1998). Attention and memory dysfunction in posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychology, 12(1), 125-133. 

2. Constans, J. I., McCloskey, M. S., Vasterling, J. J., Brailey, K., & Mathews, A. (2004). Suppression of attentional bias in PTSD. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 113(2), 315-323. 

3. Constans, J. I., Kimbrell, T. A., Nanney, J., Marx, B. P., Jegley, S., & Pyne, J. M. (2014). Over-reporting bias and the modified Stroop effect in Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom Veterans with and without PTSD. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 123(1), 81-90. 

4. Pyne, J. M., Constans, J. I., Nanney, J. T., Wiederhold, M. D., Gibson, D. P., Kimbrell, T., Kramer, T. L., Pitcock, J. A., Han, X., Williams, D. K., Chartrand, D., Gevirtz, R. N., Spira, J., Wiederhold, B. K., McCraty, R., & McCune, T. R. (2019). Heart rate variability and cognitive bias feedback interventions to prevent post-deployment PTSD: Results from a randomized controlled trial. Military Medicine, 184(1-2), e124-e132.

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Preventing violent death including homicide and suicide. My work in a level I trauma center led me to understand that, for many victims of community violence, the most pressing health issue was subsequent violent re-injury or gun violence perpetration, rather than solely development of PTSD. My work at the VA has impressed upon me the role of firearms in suicide deaths as approximately 70% of all Veteran suicides are due to guns. Therefore, for the past few years, I have been developing a treatment framework designed to understand and modify beliefs and behaviors associated with risky firearm behaviors as it relates to suicide and homicide.

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1. Wamser-Nanney, R. A., Nanney, J. T, & Constans, J. I. (2019). PTSD Symptoms and Attitudes Towards Guns. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

2. Wamser-Nanney, R. A., Nanney, J. T., Conrad, E., & Constans, J. I. (2019). Childhood Trauma Exposure Among Victims of Gun Violence. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, and Policy, 11(1), 99-106.

3. Wamser-Nanney, R., Nanney, J. T., & Constans, J. I. (2019). The Gun Behaviors and Beliefs Scale: Development of a new measure of gun behaviors and beliefs. Psychology of Violence, 10(2), 172–181.

4. Wamser-Nanney, R.A., Nanney, J.T, & Constans, J.I. Trauma Exposure and Attitudes Towards Guns. Psychology of Violence. Manuscript submitted for publication.

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