What PETAL Means to us
Experimental Psychopathology:
At the heart of our work is the use of laboratory-based methods to model the central features of anxiety and trauma-related disorders. For example, voluntary hyperventilation and carbon-dioxide enriched air breathing challenges induce bodily arousal; the hallmark of panic disorder. We can then examine factors that predict response to these paradigms, such as participant sex, smoking status, and sleep quality. We can also experimentally manipulate variables, like parental information transmission about threat, to evaluate effects on challenge response.
Learning:
Behavioral theory is an important lens through which we view the world. The fundamentals of operant and classical conditioning are regularly rehearsed in the lab. We also use our understanding of associative learning processes to reach our personal and professional goals, as well as to promote ongoing research activities. We also conduct research in these domains, including vicarious conditioning of escape behavior in the context of bodily arousal and acquisition/extinction of conditioned responses to disgust- and anxiety-eliciting cues.
PETAL
Emotion:
In addition to studying disorder-specific vulnerability, we conduct basic work on emotion and emotion regulation processes. This includes using stimuli like dirty-looking bedpans (potting soil goes a long way here!) to investigate disgust and how people regulate that emotion, or audio scripts of unwanted sexual advances to examine shame.
Adolescents and Young Adults:
Our work centers around the developmental periods of adolescence and young adulthood. Both of these phases involve significant transition and increased risk for developing anxiety and trauma-related problems. This includes traversing puberty, meaningfully renegotiating relationships with parents, and learning to live independently. Team members are immersed in the developmental science regarding the biological, psychological, and social changes of adolescence and young adulthood so they are prepared to teach as well as conduct developmentally-grounded research.
Teaching:
Psychologists need to be able to think critically and communicate effectively. For graduate students, that includes building a program of published research. State-of-the-art training in these skills is therefore a key focus of our lab. One way this is accomplished is via “mentored mentoring.” For example, each graduate student is paired with an undergraduate honors student. We work together on the honors thesis project, from the literature review to submission of findings to a conference or scholarly journal. This way, graduate students can see this developmental process unfold and to receive feedback on, for instance, teaching young students how to write scientific papers.
Community Outreach and Culture
The UA PETAL Lab is a joyful community. We work to maintain a positive mental attitude and support one another in our professional pursuits. In addition to an ethos of kindness and mutual regard for each other, we also integrate activities outside of the traditional academic context. The goal is to promote innovative thinking by removing ourselves from the typical day-to-day of the academic life and foster continually improving relationships with the local community. Examples include participating in holiday food drives, a semesterly birthday potluck, and an annual graduate students campfire. If you join the UA PETAL team, you can expect a warm and supportive atmosphere characterized by an uncompromising dedication to helping students achieve their professional goals and excel upon commencement of their careers.
Volunteering at the food bank as a way to give back to our community.