Department of Psychology

Dan Strunk

I study the role of cognition in abnormal emotional states. I am particularly interested in the role of cognition in the etiology and treatment of depression. One context for my research is psychotherapy -- particularly cognitive therapy for depression. This treatment purportedly alleviates depressive symptoms through cognitive change. Some of the work I have conducted has sought to more precisely characterize how cognitive therapy for depression achieves its effects. Findings to date suggest that therapists' efforts to address cognition in treatment and clients' mastery of cognitive therapy content appear to play an important role in cognitive therapy's acute and long-term effects.

A related area of interest is the nature of cognitive biases in depression and the role such biases may play in the etiology and treatment of depression. Contrary to assumptions underlying cognitive therapy for depression, some research has been taken to suggest that people with depression tend to have accurate rather than negative views. Some of my work has shown that pessimistic bias does characterize people with the highest levels of depressive symptoms. I plan to further this work in an effort to better elucidate how the biases associated with depression can be corrected and what role such correction may play in the treatment of depression.

Selected Publications

Strunk, D. R., Stewart, M. O., Hollon, S. D., DeRubeis, R. J., Fawcett, J., Amsterdam, J. D., & Shelton, R. C. (in press). Can pharmacotherapists be too supportive? A process study of active medication and placebo in the treatment of depression. Psychological Medicine.

DeMarree, K. G., Petty, R. E., & Strunk, D. R. (in press). Self-esteem accessibility as attitude strength: On the durability and impactfulness of accessible self-esteem. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Adler*, A. D., & Strunk, D. R. (in press). Looming maladaptive style as a moderator of risk factors for anxiety. Cognitive Therapy and Research. Published online Feb. 26, 2009.

Strunk, D. R., & Adler*, A. D. (2009). Cognitive biases in three prediction tasks: A test of the cognitive model of depression. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37, 34-40.

Conklin*, L. R., Strunk, D. R., & Fazio, R. H. (2009). Attitude formation in depression: Evidence for deficits in forming positive attitudes. Journal of Behavior Therapy & Experimental Psychiatry, 40, 120-126.

Andersen, B. L., Beck, S. J., Bornstein, R. A., Emery, C. F., Fristad, M. A., Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Strunk, D. R., Thayer, J. F., Vasey, M. W., & Yeates, K. O. (2008). Problematic methods in the assessment of scholarly productivity in clinical Ph.D. programs. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 15, 102-104.

Huppert, J. H., Strunk, D. R., Ledley, D., Davidson, J.R.T., & Foa, E. B. (2008). Generalized social phobia and avoidant personality disorder: Structural analysis and treatment outcome. Depression and Anxiety, 25, 441-448.

Strunk, D. R., DeRubeis, R. J., Chui*, A., & Alvarez, J. A. (2007). Patients’ competence in and performance of cognitive therapy skills: Relation to the reduction of relapse risk following treatment for depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75, 523-530.

Gelfand, L. A., Strunk, D. R., Tu, X., Noble, R. E. S., & DeRubeis, R. J. (2006). Bias resulting from the use of “assay sensitivity” as an inclusion criterion for meta-analysis. Statistics in Medicine, 25, 943-955.

Hollon, S.D., Stewart, M.O., & Strunk, D. R. (2006). Enduring effects for cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Annual Review of Psychology, 57, 285-315.

Strunk, D. R., Lopez*, H. L., & DeRubeis, R. J. (2006). Depressive symptoms are associated with unrealistic negative predictions of future life events. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 875-896.

Strunk, D. R., & DeRubeis, R. J. (2001). Cognitive therapy for depression: A review of its efficacy. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 15, 289-297.

* student working with Dan Strunk

Department of Psychology

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Assistant Professor, Psychology

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Dan Strunk

Selected Publications