Current UNR Labbies

The current members of the ACT/RFT Lab at UNR include:

Post-Doctoral Fellows:

• Jason Lillis

• Matthieu Villatte

• Chelsea MacLane

Graduate Students:

• Kara Bunting (on internship)

• Lindsay Fletcher (matched for internship)

• Merry Sylvester (matched for internship)

• Jennifer Plumb

• Jennifer Boulanger

• Mikaela Hildebrandt

• Roger Vilardaga

• Michael Levin

• Jamie Yadaivia

• Tami Jeffcoat (formerly Lazzarone)

• Doug Long

Research Assistants

Former RA's who have gone on to graduate school in psychology

• Lindsay Martin (Towson University)

• Kate Morrison (Utah State University)

• Dahlia Mukherjee (University of Pennsylvania)

Labbie Fellow Travelers (primary advisor not Steve):

• Tom Waltz (matched for internship)

• Claudia Drossel (matched for internship)

UNR Dissertation List

Here are the dissertations that have come from the lab over the years (including those from UNC Greensboro, prior to UNR):

COGNITIVE THERAPY OF DEPRESSION: A CONCEPTUAL AND EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF COMPONENT AND PROCESS ISSUES
by ZETTLE, ROBERT DOUGLAS, PhD
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO, 1984, 560 pages

STIMULUS EQUIVALENCE AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN (RETARDATION)
by DEVANY, JEANNE MARIE, PhD
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO, 1985, 82 pages

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO CLASSES OF MEASURES EXAMINED IDIOTHETICALLY AND NOMOTHETICALLY
by TURNER, ARLINZA EARL, PhD
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO, 1986, 332 pages

THE USE OF THERAPIST RULES, SELF-RULES, AND CONTINGENCY-SHAPED FEEDBACK IN THE TREATMENT OF SOCIAL SKILLS DEFICITS IN ADULTS
by ROSENFARB, IRWIN SHIMON, PhD
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO, 1986, 258 pages

HIGHER-ORDER CONTROL OVER EQUIVALENCE CLASSES AND RESPONSE SEQUENCES: AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALOGUE OF SIMPLE SYNTACTICAL RELATIONS
by WULFERT, EDELGARD, PhD
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO, 1987, 131 pages

CONDITIONAL CONTROL OF EQUIVALENCE AND THE RELATIONS DIFFERENT AND OPPOSITE: A BEHAVIOR ANALYTIC MODEL OF COMPLEX VERBAL BEHAVIOR
by STEELE, DAVID LEE, PhD
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO, 1987, 136 pages

The effects of verbal consequences for rule-following on sensitivity to programmed contingencies of reinforcement
by Haas, Joseph Raymond, PhD
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO, 1991, 209 pages

Client metaphor use in a contextual form of therapy
by McCurry, Susan Melancon, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1991, 262 pages

An analysis of the process of client change in a contextual approach to therapy
by Khorakiwala, Durriyah, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1991, 240 pages

A behavior analysis of complex human functioning: Analogical reasoning
by Lipkens, Regina, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1992, 214 pages

The evaluation, and remediation of obstacles to Japanese/European-American intercultural communication from a behavior analytic perspective
by Leonhard, Christoph Harald, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1994, 180 pages

Transfer of function through equivalence: Modification effects based upon nodality and contextual control
by Kohlenberg, Barbara Saree, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1994, 117 pages

Examining the differential effects of feedback in ply-form and track-form on staff training of consumers in a sheltered workshop
by Huntley, Kenneth Robert, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1995, 104 pages

A study of paradoxical cognitive responding in thought suppression
by Afari, Niloofar, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1996, 148 pages

Acceptance, suppression, and monitoring of personally-relevant unwanted thoughts in women diagnosed with borderline personality disorder
by Pistorello, Jacqueline, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1998, 240 pages

The effects of suppression and acceptance on thought and emotion
by Walser, Robyn Darleen, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1998, 189 pages

Relational acquisition of stimulus function in substance dependence: A preliminary examination of drug versus nondrug related equivalence classes
by Wilson, Kelly Gene, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1998, 104 pages

An experimental analysis of the effects of an intrusive academic advising package on academic performance, satisfaction, and retention
by Sayrs, David Michael, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 1999, 101 pages

Acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of symptoms of psychosis
by Bach, Patricia Ann, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2000, 87 pages

Dismantling instruction to distract from a painful stimulus: Approach/avoidance functions of distracting instructions
by Grundt, Adam Matthew, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2000, 155 pages

Toward an empirical analysis of verbal motivation: A possible preparation for distinguishing discriminative and motivational functions of verbal stimuli
by Ju, Winifred Chin-Teh, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2000, 255 pages

Processes of change: Acceptance versus 12-step in polysubstance-abusing methadone clients
by Bissett, Richard Thorman, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2001, 351 pages

Culture and acceptance and control-based strategies: Predictors of psychological adjustment among Asian Americans and Caucasian Americans
by Cook, Dosheen, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2003, 99 pages

Acceptance-based treatment of regulatory internal stimuli in nicotine-dependent smokers: A controlled comparison with transdermal nicotine replacement
by Gifford, Elizabeth Ruth van der Veen, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2003, 181 pages

A randomized controlled effectiveness trial comparing patient education with and without acceptance and commitment therapy for type 2 diabetes self-management
by Gregg, Jennifer Ann, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2004, 291 pages

Acceptance and commitment training and stigma toward people with psychological disorders: Developing a new technology
by Masuda, Akihiko, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2006, 117 pages

The impact of training deictic frames on perspective taking with young children: A relational frame theory approach to theory of mind
by Weil, Timothy M., Ph.D.
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2006, 90 pages

Acceptance and commitment therapy for the treatment of obesity-related stigma and weight control
by Lillis, Jason, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2007, 144 pages

The role of acceptance in cognitive behavioral treatment for chronic pain in an HIV-positive community sample
by Pierson, Heather M., PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2008, 206 pages

A randomized clinical trial of acceptance and commitment therapy versus progressive relaxation training in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder
by Twohig, Michael P., PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2007, 181 pages

The effect of acceptance and commitment training on clinician willingness to use empirically-supported pharmacotherapy for drug and alcohol abuse
by Varra, Alethea, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2007, 176 pages

Examining the motivational effects of verbal stimuli: An application of motivative augmentals
by Jackson, Marianne, PhD (primary advisor: Larry Williams)
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2008, 139 pages

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with dually diagnosed individuals
by Pankey, Julieann, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2008, 151 pages

Relational coherence and transformation of function in ambiguous and unambiguous relational networks
by Quinones, Jennifer L., PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2008, 88 pages

In search of operant classes in the real world: A case for synonyms and antonyms
by Berens, Nicholas, PhD
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, 2009, 119 pages

UNR Lab Graduates

This list of lab graduates is in order of first to most recent. Below their names are their first major post-doctoral and / or current positions.

• Robert Douglas "the Z" Zettle
  Wichita State University

• Jeanne M. Devany
  Auburn University
  (now at The Grove Clinic, Asheville, NC)

• Arlinza E. "Sonny" Turner*
  Albert Einstein School of Medicine
  * deceased

• Irwin Rosenfarb
  Auburn University
  (now at Alliant University)

• Edelgard Wulfert
  State University of New York at Albany

• David Steele
  Greensboro Area Health Education Center
  (now at a US military clinic in Germany)

• Joseph Raymond Haas
  Children's Behavioral Services, Reno, NV

• Susan Melancon McCurry
  University of Washington School of Medicine

• Durriyah Khorakiwala
  Keiser Permanente Hospital
  (now in private practice, Pleasanton, CA)

• Regina Lipkens
  University College of North Wales
  (now at Sancta Maria Psychiatric Hospital, Sint-Truiden, Belgium)

• Christoph Leonhard
  Harvard Medical School
  (now at Illinois School of Professional Psychology)

• Barbara S. Kohlenberg
  Veteran's Administration Medical Center, Reno
  (now at the University of Nevada, Reno)

• Niloofar Afari
  University of Washington School of Medicine
  (now at the VA San Diego Healthcare System)

• Jacqueline Pistorello
  University of Nevada, Reno

• Robyn Walser
  Weber State University
  (now at the Palo Alto VA, National Center for PTSD)

• Kelly G. Wilson
  University of Mississippi

• David M. Sayrs
  Pierce College
  (now at the University of Washington)

• Winifred C. T. Ju
  Center for the Disabled, Cohoes, NY
  (now at the West Salem Clinic, Salem, OR)

• Adam M. Grundt
  Dartmouth College
  (now at the Hazelton Institute)

• Patricia Bach
  University of Chicago School of Medicine
  (now at the Illinois Institute of Technology)

• Richard Bissett
  University of Nevada, Reno
  (now at Rural Regional Clinics, Carson City, NV)

• Dosheen Cook
  Rural Regional Clinics, Carson City, NV

• Elizabeth Gifford
  Center for Health Care Evaluation
  Palo Alto Veteran's Administration and Stanford University

• J. T. Blackledge
  University of Wollongong, Australia
  (now at Morehead State University, Morehead, KY)

• Jennifer Gregg
  San Jose State University

• Akihiko Masuda
  University of Texas, Houston Health Sciences Center
  (now at Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA)

• Timothy Weil
  University of South Florida

• Jason Lillis
  Palo Alto Veteran's Administration and Stanford University
  (now at the University of Nevada, Reno)

• Michael Twohig
  Utah State University, Logan, UT

• Alethea Varra
  VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, WA

• Julieann Pankey
  University of Alaska, Fairbanks

• Heather Pierson
  VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle, WA

• Nicholas Berens
  Center for Advanced Learning, Reno, NV

Additional esteemed lab graduates:

Ken Huntley

and

Jennifer Quinones