Research Interests:

My primary research interests lie in examining the motivational and emotional substrates of psychopathology in children. I am particularly interested in the contributions of specific neural systems to behavioral approach, avoidance, and self-regulation, and how individual differences in the functioning of these neural systems give rise to behavior problems, including ADHD, conduct disorder, substance abuse, anxiety, and depression. To assess the neural substrates of impulsivity and self regulation, we collect psychophysiological and neuroimaging data from children while they play both rewarding and frustrating games, and while they watch provocative social stimuli. These studies reveal how children’s central and autonomic nervous systems respond to incentive, mild punishment, and social threat.

I am also interested in the development of central and autonomic nervous system functioning in impulsive children and adolescents, and in how environmental influences affect impulse control and self regulation. My interests focus on the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine systems, which have been tied to impulsive and aggressive behavior, and which are exquisitely sensitive to environmental effects. I am concerned with family interactional patterns that potentiate heritable risk for impulsive behavior, and with the role that these patterns play in children's social and emotional development. I see childhood as a particularly important period during which developing neural systems that contribute to self control may be vulnerable to potential long-term changes in functioning.

In addition, I am interested in the development of advanced clinical research methods, including taxometric algorithms for identifying discrete behavioral traits. I have conducted a number of Monte Carlo investigations examining the operating characteristics of taxometric methods, and have written theoretical papers about their use.

Selected Publications:

Gatzke-Kopp, L. M., Beauchaine, T. P., Shannon, K. E., Chipman-Chacon, J., Fleming, A. P., Crowell, S. E., Liang, O., Johnson, C., & Aylward, E. (in press). Neurological correlates of reward responding in adolescents with and without externalizing behavior disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology.

Crowell, S. E., Beauchaine, T. P., & Linehan, M. (in press). The development of borderline personality: Extending Linehan’s theory.

Munson, J., Dawson, G., Sterling, L., Beauchaine, T., Zhou, A., Koehler, E., Lord, C., Rogers, S., Sigman, M., Estes, A., & Abbott, R. (in press). Evidence for latent classes of IQ in young children with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal on Mental Retardation.

Beauchaine, T. P. (in press). Taxometric methods. In I. Weiner and E. Craighead (Eds.), Encyclopedia of psychology (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Beauchaine, T. P., Neuhaus, E., Brenner, S. L., & Gatzke-Kopp, L. (2008). Ten good reasons to consider biological variables in prevention and intervention research. Development and Psychopathology, 20, 745-774.

Beauchaine, T. P., Hong, J., & Marsh, P. (2008). Sex differences in autonomic correlates of conduct problems and aggression. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47, 788-796.

Beauchaine, T. P., Lenzenweger, M. F., & Waller, N. (2008). Schizotypy, taxometrics, and disconfirming theories in soft science. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 1652-1662.

Crowell, S. E., Beauchaine, T. P., McCauley, M., Smith, C. J., Vasilev, C. A., & Stevens, A. L. (2008). Parent-child interactions, peripheral serotonin, and self-inflicted injury in adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76, 15-21.

Beauchaine, T. P., & Hinshaw, S. (Eds.). (2008). Child psychopathology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Beauchaine, T. P., Hinshaw, S. P., & Gatzke-Kopp, L. (2008). Genetic and environmental influences on behavior. In T. P. Beauchaine & S. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child psychopathology (pp. 58-90). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Beauchaine, T. P., & Neuhaus, E. (2008). Impulsivity and vulnerability to psychopathology. In T. P. Beauchaine & S. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child psychopathology (pp. 129-156). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Crowell, S. E., Beauchaine, T. P., & Lenzenweger, M. (2008). The development of borderline personality and self-injurious behavior. In T. P. Beauchaine & S. Hinshaw (Eds.), Child psychopathology (pp. 510-539). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Marsh, P., & Beauchaine, T. P., & Williams, B. (2008). Dissociation of sad facial expressions and autonomic nervous system responding in boys with disruptive behavior disorders. Psychophysiology, 45, 100-110.

Balsam, K. F., Beauchaine, T. P., Rothblum, E. D., & Solomon, S. E. (2008). Three-year follow-up of same-sex couples who had civil unions in Vermont, same-sex couples not in civil unions, and heterosexual married couples. Developmental Psychology, 44, 102-116.

Beauchaine, T. P. (2007). A brief taxometrics primer. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 654-676.

Shannon, K. E., Beauchaine, T. P., Brenner, S. L., Neuhaus, E., & Gatzke-Kopp, L. (2007). Familial and temperamental predictors of resilience in children at risk for conduct disorder and depression. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 701-727.

Gatzke-Kopp, L., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2007). Prenatal nicotine exposure and the development of conduct disorder: Direct and passive effects. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 38, 255-269.

Kopp, L., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2007). Patterns of psychopathology in the families of children with conduct problems, depression, and both psychiatric conditions. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 301-312.

Gatzke-Kopp, L., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2007). Central nervous system substrates of impulsivity: Implications for the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder. In D. Coch, G. Dawson, & K. Fischer (Eds.), Human Behavior, Learning, and the Developing Brain: Atypical Development (pp. 239-263). New York: Guilford Press.

Beauchaine, T. P., Gatzke-Kopp, L., & Mead, H. (2007). Polyvagal Theory and developmental psychopathology: Emotion dysregulation and conduct problems from preschool to adolescence. Biological Psychology, 74, 174-184.

Beauchaine, T. P., & Mead, H. K. (2006). Some recommendations for testing mediating and moderating effects in treatment-outcome research. International Journal of Psychological Research, 1.

Fossati, A., Beauchaine, T. P., Grazioli, F., Borroni, S., Carretta, I., De Vecchi, C., Cortinovis, F., Danelli, E., & Maffei, C. (2006). Confirmatory factor analyses of DSM-IV Cluster C personality disorder criteria. Journal of Personality Disorders, 20, 186-203.

Beauchaine, T. P., & Beach, S. R. H. (2006). Taxometrics and relational processes: Relevance and challenges for the next nosology of mental disorders. In S. R. H. Beach, M. Z. Wamboldt, N. Kaslow, R. E. Heyman, M. First, L. Underwood, and D. Reiss (Eds.) Relational Processes and DSM-V: Neuroscience, Assessment, Prevention, and Treatment (pp. 123-137). American Psychiatric Press.

Crowell, S., Beauchaine, T. P., Gatzke-Kopp, L., Sylvers, P., Mead, H., & Chipman-Chacon, J. (2006). Autonomic correlates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder in preschool children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115, 174-178.

Beauchaine, T. P., & Marsh, P. (2006). Taxometric methods: Enhancing early detection and prevention of psychopathology by identifying latent vulnerability traits. In D. Cicchetti & D. Cohen (Eds.) Developmental Psychopathology, 2nd Ed. (pp. 931-967). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Drabick, D. A. G., Beauchaine, T. P., Gadow, K. D., Carlson, G. A., & Bromet, E. J. (2006). Risk factors for conduct problems and depressive symptoms in a cohort of Ukrainian children. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35, 244-252.

Crowell, S., Beauchaine, T. P., McCauley, E., Smith, C., Stevens, A. L., & Sylvers, P.  (2005). Psychological, autonomic, and serotonergic correlates of parasuicidal behavior in adolescent girls. Development and Psychopathology, 17, 1105-1127.

Atkins, D. C., Bedics, J., McGlinchey, J. B., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2005). Assessing clinical significance: Does it matter which method we use? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 982-989.

Fossati, A., Beauchaine, T. P., Grazioli, F., Carretta, I., Cortinovis, F., & Maffei, C. (2005). A latent structure analysis of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, narcissistic personality disorder criteria. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 46, 361-367.

Beauchaine, T. P., Webster-Stratton, C., & Reid, M. J. (2005). Mediators, moderators, and predictors of one-year outcomes among children treated for early-onset conduct problems: A latent growth curve analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 371-388.

Balsam, K. F., Beauchaine, T. P., Mickey, R. M., & Rothblum, E. D. (2005). Mental health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults and their heterosexual siblings: Effects of gender, sexual orientation, and family. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 114, 471-476.

Brenner, S. L., Beauchaine, T. P., & Sylvers, P. D. (2005). A comparison of psychophysiological and self-report measures of BAS and BIS activation. Psychophysiology, 42, 108-115.

Balsam, K. F., Rothblum, E. D., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2005). Victimization over the lifespan: A comparison of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults and their heterosexual siblings. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 477-487.

Beauchaine, T. P., & Gartner, J. (2003). A linear growth curve analysis of inpatient treatment response among conduct-disordered, ADHD, and comorbid preadolescents. Aggressive Behavior, 29, 440-456.

Beauchaine, T. P. (2003). Taxometrics and developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 15, 501-527.

Beauchaine, T. P., & Waters, E. (2003). Pseudotaxonicity in MAMBAC and MAXCOV analyses of rating scale data: Turning continua into classes by manipulating observer’s expectations. Psychological Methods, 8, 3-15.

Waters, E., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2003). Are there really patterns of attachment? Comment on Fraley and Spieker (2003). Developmental Psychology, 39, 417-422.

Beauchaine, T. P. (2002). Autonomic substrates of heart rate reactivity in adolescent males with conduct disorder and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In S. P. Shohov (Ed.) Advances in Psychology Research (Vol. 18). New York: Nova Science Publishers.

Beauchaine, T. P., & Beauchaine, R. J. III. (2002). A comparison of maximum covariance and k-means cluster analysis in classifying cases into known taxon groups. Psychological Methods, 7, 245-261.

Beauchaine, T. P., Strassberg, Z., Kees, M. R., & Drabick, D. A. G. (2002). Cognitive response repertoires to child noncompliance by mothers of aggressive boys. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30, 89-101.

Reid, M. J., Webster-Stratton, C., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2001). Parent training
in Head Start: A comparison of program response among African American, Asian American, Caucasian, and Hispanic mothers. Prevention Science, 2, 209-227.

Beauchaine, T. P., Katkin, E. S., Strassberg, Z., & Snarr, J. (2001). Disinhibitory psychopathology in male adolescents: Discriminating conduct disorder from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder through concurrent assessment of multiple autonomic states. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110, 610-624.

Beauchaine, T. P. (2001). Vagal tone, development, and Gray's motivational theory: Toward an integrated model of autonomic nervous system functioning in psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 183-214. 

Beauchaine, T. P., Gartner, J., & Hagen, B. (2000). Comorbid depression and heart rate variability as predictors of aggressive and hyperactive symptom responsiveness during inpatient treatment of conduct-disordered, ADHD boys. Aggressive Behavior, 26, 425-441. 

Beauchaine, T. P. (1999). Definitions and levels of analysis. American Psychologist, 54, 439-440.