Wendy Heller
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View article: The Future of Women in Psychological Science
The Future of Women in Psychological Science Open
There has been extensive discussion about gender gaps in representation and career advancement in the sciences. However, psychological science itself has yet to be the focus of discussion or systematic review, despite our field's investmen…
View article: Reconceptualizing the Relationship between Anxiety, Mindfulness, and Cognitive Control
Reconceptualizing the Relationship between Anxiety, Mindfulness, and Cognitive Control Open
Prior research has provided initial support for the claim that cognitive control mediates the relationship between anxiety and mindfulness; however, findings are often inconsistent. In this review, we argue that the inconsistency may be du…
View article: Reconceptualizing the Relationship between Anxiety, Mindfulness, and Cognitive Control
Reconceptualizing the Relationship between Anxiety, Mindfulness, and Cognitive Control Open
Prior research has provided initial support for the claim that cognitive control mediates the relationship between anxiety and mindfulness; however, findings are often inconsistent. In this review, we argue that the inconsistency may be du…
View article: Cultivating emotional resilience in adolescent girls: Effects of a growth emotion mindset lesson
Cultivating emotional resilience in adolescent girls: Effects of a growth emotion mindset lesson Open
To address the widespread mental health crisis facing adolescent girls, this study examined whether a growth emotion mindset lesson can enhance emotional competence. During 2018–2022, adolescent girls ( M age = 15.68 years; 66.3% White) we…
View article: Theories of psychopathology: Potential to promote clinical science, empowerment, and justice.
Theories of psychopathology: Potential to promote clinical science, empowerment, and justice. Open
This invited commentary evaluates eight target articles that offer ambitious theoretical frameworks intended to advance psychopathology research. We discuss their consideration of the perspectives and priorities of treatment-seekers, inclu…
View article: Daily exposure to virtual nature reduces symptoms of anxiety in college students
Daily exposure to virtual nature reduces symptoms of anxiety in college students Open
Exposure to natural environments offers an array of mental health benefits. Virtual reality provides simulated experiences of being in nature when outdoor access is limited. Previous studies on virtual nature have focused mainly on single …
View article: The Dimensional Structure of Internalizing Psychopathology: Relation to Diagnostic Categories
The Dimensional Structure of Internalizing Psychopathology: Relation to Diagnostic Categories Open
Recent approaches have aimed to represent the dimensional structure of psychopathology, but relatively little research has rigorously tested subdimensions within internalizing psychopathology. Using adult samples harmonized across three si…
View article: Threat Effects on Attention Networks in Individuals with a History of Externalizing Behaviors
Threat Effects on Attention Networks in Individuals with a History of Externalizing Behaviors Open
Research identifying the biobehavioral processes that link threat exposure to cognitive alterations can inform treatments designed to reduce perpetration of stress-induced aggression. The present study attempted to specify the effects of r…
View article: Mothers’ neural response to valenced infant interactions predicts postpartum depression and anxiety
Mothers’ neural response to valenced infant interactions predicts postpartum depression and anxiety Open
It is currently unknown whether differences in neural responsiveness to infant cues observed in postpartum affective disturbance are specific to depression/anxiety or are better attributed to a common component of internalizing distress. I…
View article: Can a Theater Acting Intervention Enhance Inhibitory Control in Older Adults? A Brain-Behavior Investigation
Can a Theater Acting Intervention Enhance Inhibitory Control in Older Adults? A Brain-Behavior Investigation Open
Purpose: Studies of reactive and proactive modes of inhibitory control tend to show age-related declines and are accompanied by abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex. We explored which mode of inhibitory control would be more amenable to …
View article: Cumulative Childhood Maltreatment and Executive Functioning in Adulthood
Cumulative Childhood Maltreatment and Executive Functioning in Adulthood Open
Maltreatment during childhood has detrimental consequences for survivors. Among children, maltreatment predicts deficits in cognition and impairment in academic and emotional functioning. Although studied extensively in children, the exten…
View article: The Future of Women in Psychological Science
The Future of Women in Psychological Science Open
There has been extensive discussion about gender gaps in representation and career advancement in the sciences. However, psychological science itself has yet to be the focus of discussion or systematic review, despite our field’s investmen…
View article: Childhood abuse history and attention bias in adults
Childhood abuse history and attention bias in adults Open
Attention biases toward unpleasant information are evident among children and adults with a history of abuse and have been identified as a potential pathway through which abused children develop psychopathology. Identifying whether a histo…
View article: Regulating positive emotions: Implications for promoting well-being in individuals with depression.
Regulating positive emotions: Implications for promoting well-being in individuals with depression. Open
Experiencing positive emotions is paramount to derive vitality from daily lived experiences. Positive emotions are associated with a range of beneficial outcomes, including longevity, reduced incidents of stroke, improved sleep quality, la…
View article: Response interference by central foils is modulated by dimensions of depression and anxiety
Response interference by central foils is modulated by dimensions of depression and anxiety Open
We used a maximum-likelihood-based model selection approach to investigate what aspects of affective traits influence flanker interference in a nonaffective task. A total of 153 undergraduates completed measures of anhedonic depression, an…
View article: Extreme-groups designs in studies of dimensional phenomena: Advantages, caveats, and recommendations.
Extreme-groups designs in studies of dimensional phenomena: Advantages, caveats, and recommendations. Open
Extreme-groups designs (EGDs) are common in psychopathology research, often using diagnostic category as an independent variable. Continuous-variable analysis strategies drawing from a general linear model framework can be applied to such …
View article: Effective Connectivity Between Broca’s Area and Amygdala as a Mechanism of Top-Down Control in Worry
Effective Connectivity Between Broca’s Area and Amygdala as a Mechanism of Top-Down Control in Worry Open
Individuals higher in trait worry exhibit increased activation in Broca’s area during inhibitory processing tasks. To identify whether such activity represents an adaptive mechanism supporting top-down control, we investigated functional a…
View article: Reward anticipation and punishment anticipation are instantiated in the brain via opponent mechanisms
Reward anticipation and punishment anticipation are instantiated in the brain via opponent mechanisms Open
fMRI investigations have examined the extent to which reward and punishment motivation are associated with common or opponent neural systems, but such investigations have been limited by confounding variables and methodological constraints…
View article: Mindfulness training induces structural connectome changes in insula networks
Mindfulness training induces structural connectome changes in insula networks Open
Although mindfulness meditation is known to provide a wealth of psychological benefits, the neural mechanisms involved in these effects remain to be well characterized. A central question is whether the observed benefits of mindfulness tra…
View article: Time Course of Brain Network Reconfiguration Supporting Inhibitory Control
Time Course of Brain Network Reconfiguration Supporting Inhibitory Control Open
Hemodynamic research has recently clarified key nodes and links in brain networks implementing inhibitory control. Although fMRI methods are optimized for identifying the structure of brain networks, the relatively slow temporal course of …
View article: Selective neural sensitivity to familial threat in adolescents with weak family bonds
Selective neural sensitivity to familial threat in adolescents with weak family bonds Open
Familial stressors, such as weak familial connectedness, are associated with the development of maladaptive threat processing, yet little is known regarding how weak familial bonds impinge on biological mechanisms of threat processing. The…
View article: A Bi-Factor Approach to Modeling the Structure of Worry and Rumination
A Bi-Factor Approach to Modeling the Structure of Worry and Rumination Open
It remains unclear whether worry and rumination represent the same functional process, or if they are unique constructs. The current study examined the relationship between worry and rumination, focusing on the potential utility of a bi-fa…
View article: Differential functional connectivity of rostral anterior cingulate cortex during emotional interference
Differential functional connectivity of rostral anterior cingulate cortex during emotional interference Open
The rostral-ventral subdivision of the anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) plays a key role in the regulation of emotional processing. Although rACC has strong anatomical connections with anterior insular cortex (AIC), amygdala, prefrontal co…