E-mail to: jriskind@gmu.edu
Office located in David King Hall, Room 2043; Phone: 993-4094

Dr. Riskind has prior faculty appointments at Texas A & M University, and University of Pennsylvania Department of Psychiatry.  Dr. Riskind was Director of Research at the Center for Cognitive Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania (1983-1985).  His teaching and research interests include anxiety and mood disorders, cognitive theories of emotion and emotion disorder, cognitive-behavior therapy, and more general interests in clinical and social psychology.  Dr. Riskind's  current focus is cognitive vulnerability factors in anxiety, and particularly the "looming vulnerability" formulation he has developed.  He is the coauthor of two books with Lauren Alloy, and a forthcoming book with Plenum Press called, Looming and Loss: Cognitive Factors in Emotion Dysfunction.  He is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, the previous editor of  the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, and former Associate Editor of Cognitive Therapy and Research.

His papers have appeared in Behavior Research and Therapy, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Cognitive Therapy and Research, Archives of General Psychiatry, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Social Cognition, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, and others.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Currently the Cognitive Vulnerability to Anxiety (CVA) lab has several projects that focus predominantly on cognition and negative cognitive styles in anxiety syndromes and disorders. Doctoral students are also encouraged to develop their own line of research that can be linked to the general thrust of the CVA. My research reflects my strong background in both social psychology/social cognition and cognitive (with researchers at Yale such as Irving Janis, Judith Rodin) and clinical research (such as with Aaron Beck) at the University of Pennsylvania). Below is a list of some of our current projects and areas of interest.

I. Cognitive Vulnerability to anxiety. We have developed the model of looming vulnerability to address why some people exhibit a greater vulnerability than other people, but don’t necessarily exhibit greater vulnerability to depression. Briefly, the theory extends the usual idea that anxiety is a response to the perception and appraisal of threat (e.g., Aaron Beck, Richard Lazarus). The theory focuses on the dynamic temporal and perceptual aspects. It extends other cognitive frameworks by suggesting that there is a qualitative difference between perceptions of threats as dynamic, approaching, visual, intensifying and rapidly rising in risk, and perceptions that are more static (such as likelihood of harm). We have investigated this formulation of anxiety and negative cognitive style with respect to specific anxiety syndromes and disorders (GAD, worry; social anxiety, fear of negative evaluation; OCD; fears, PTSD), information processing tasks (e.g., implicit and explicit memory), the stress generation process (individuals generating their own stressful life events). One measure we have developed is a self-report measure of the “looming cognitive style (LCS),” which reflects a tendency across both social and physical threat realms to spontaneously generate mental images and scenarios or rapidly increasing threats. We have found evidence that supports that the LCS puts people at risk for anxiety disorders, and differentiates anxiety disorders and anxiety symptoms from depression.

II. Studies of the Stress Generation Effect. A primary focus that we are embarking on right now is on the relation between cognitive vulnerabilities of different kinds and the stress generation process. We’ll be looking at how people who are high in cognitive vulnerability to anxiety (my looming vulnerability construct) or depression (depressive cognitive style)don't just react more strongly to stress as compared to other people, but ironically behave in a way to generate stressful events. For example, they may create their own interpersonal problems or problems at work, which in turn interact synergistically with their cognitive vulnerabilities to create more anxiety and depression.

III. Mechanisms in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD is another recent focus. It was once thought that OCD symptoms were only observed in clinical patients, but it is now known that the majority of the population reports intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors resembling those of clinical patients with OCD. Recent cognitive theories suggest factors that play a role in creating this increased vulnerability. These recent cognitive models assume that individuals develop OCD because of the distorted meanings that they attach to intrusive thoughts. In our lab, we are also examining the role of a number of factors and mechanisms (including looming vulnerability but also others) that might contribute to the prediction of OCD symptoms and understanding how the bona fide clinical disorder can develop. For example, does an LCS influence whether individuals develop more OCD symptoms when they are exposed contamination or even film clips of contamination?

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RECENT AND REPRESENTATIVE ARTICLES

Riskind, J.H., Tzur, D.,Williams, N., Mann, B., & Shahar, G. (2007). Short-term
Predictive Effects of the Looming Cognitive Style on Anxiety Disorder Symptoms under Restrictive Methodological Conditions. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45, 1765-1777.

Riskind, J. H., & Rector, N. A.(2007). Beyond Belief: Incremental prediction of OCD by Looming Vulnerability Illusions, Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 21(3),243-246.

Beck, A. T., Wenzel, A. Riskind, J. H., Brown, G. & Steer, R. A. (2006). Specificity of Hopelessness about Resolving Life Problems: Another Test of the Cognitive Model of Depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 30, 773-781.

Levin, T. Li, Y., & Riskind, J. H. (2007) Looming threat-processing style in a cancer cohort. GeneralHospital Psychiatry, 29, 32-38.

Riskind, J. H., & Alloy, L. B. (2006). Cognitive Vulnerability to Psychological Disorders: Theory, Design, and Methods. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 25. 705-725.

Riskind, J. H., & Williams, N. L., & Joiner, T. E., jr. (2006), The looming cognitive style: A cognitive vulnerability for anxiety disorders. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 25, 2006.

Riskind, J.H. (2005). Cognitive Mechanisms in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A second generation of theoretical perspectives. Cognitive Therapy and Research,29, 2-6.

Riskind, J.H., & Williams, N.L. (2005). The looming maladaptive style in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Distinct Danger Schema and Phenomenology. Cognitive Therapy and Research,29, 7-27

Riskind, J. H., & Alloy, L. B. (2006). Cognitive Vulnerability to Emotional Disorders:
Theory and Research Design/Methodology. In L. B. Alloy and J. H. Riskind (Eds.),
Cognitive Vulnerability to Emotional Disorders. Erlbaum.

Riskind, J. H., & Williams, N.L. (2006). A Unique Vulnerability Common to All Anxiety Disorders: The Looming Maladaptive Style. In L. B. Alloy and J. H. Riskind (Eds.), Cognitive Vulnerability to Emotional Disorders. Erlbaum, pp 175- 206.

Rachman, S., Shafran, R., & Riskind, J.H. (2006). Cognitive vulnerability to obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). In L. B. Alloy and J. H. Riskind (Eds.), Cognitive Vulnerability to Emotional Disorders. Erlbaum.

Riskind, J.H., Long, D., Duckworth, R., & Gessner, T. (2005). Clinical Case Study: Clinical Use of the Looming Vulnerability Construct for Social Performance Anxiety in a Dance Recital. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 18, 361-366.

Williams, N.L., Shahar, G., Riskind, J.H., & Joiner, T.E. (2005). The looming maladaptive style predicts shared variance in anxiety disorder symptoms: Further support for a cognitive model of vulnerability to anxiety, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 19, 157-175.

Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group (OCCWG). (2005). Psychometric validation of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire and the Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory- Part 2: Factor analyses and testing of a brief version. Behavior Research and Therapy, 43, 1527-1542.

Riskind, J.H., Williams, N.L., Altman, M.D., Black, D.O., Balaban, M.S., & Gessner, T.L. (2004). Developmental antecedents of the looming maladaptive style: Parental bonding and parental attachment insecurity. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 18, 43-52.

Riskind, J. H., Williams, N.L., & Kyrios (2002). Experimental Methods for Studying Cognition. In R. O. Frost and G. Steketee (Eds.), Cognitive Approaches to obsessions and compulsions: Theory, assessment, and treatment. Oxford: Elsevier Press.

Frost, R.O. Meager, B., & Riskind, J.H. (2001 ). Obsessive-Compulsive Features in Pathological Lottery and Scratch Ticket Gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 17, 5-19.

Riskind, J. H., Williams, N.L., Gessner, T., Chrosniak, L.D., & Cortina, J. (2000). The looming maladaptive style: Anxiety, danger, and schematic processing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 837-852.

Riskind, J. H., Long, D. G., & Williams, N. L., & White, J. (2000). Desperate acts for desperate times: Looming vulnerability and suicide. In T. Joiner (Ed.), Suicide Science. New York: Plenum Press.

Riskind, J. H. (1997). Looming vulnerability to threat: A cognitive paradigm for anxiety, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 685-702..

Riskind, J. H., Abreu, K., Strauss, M., & Holt, R. (1997). Looming vulnerability to spreading contamination in subclinical OCD. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 405-414.

Riskind, J. H., Wheeler, D. J., & Picerno, M. R. (1997). Using mental imagery with subclinical OCD to “freeze” contamination in its place: Evidence for looming vulnerability theory. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 757-768.

Riskind, J. H., Moore, R., & Bowley, L. (1995). The looming of spiders: The fearful perceptual distortion of movement and menace. Behavior Research and Therapy, 33, 171-178.

Riskind, J.H. (1995). The status of cognitive change in cognitive therapy and other therapies. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly.

Moras, K., Borkovec, T.D., DiNardo, P.A., Rapee, R., Riskind, J.H., Barlow, J.H. (1996). Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Integrative review for DSM-IV Sourcebook. In T. Widiger, A. Frances, H.A. Pincus, R. Ross, M. B. First, and W. W. Davis (Eds.), DSM-IV Sourcebook, Vol. 2. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Riskind, J. H., & Maddux, J. E. (1994). The loomingness of danger and the fear of AIDS: Perceptions of motion and menace. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 24(5), 432-442.

Riskind, J. H. (1994). The evolutionary descent of man--into depression. Review of P. Gilbert's, Depression: The evolution of powerlessness. Contemporary Psychology.

Riskind, J. H., & Mercier, M. A. (1994). Phobias. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Riskind, J. H., & Maddux, J. E. (1993). Loomingness, helplessness, and fearfulness: An integration of harm-looming and self-efficacy models of fear and anxiety. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 12, 73-89.

Riskind, J. H., & Wahl, O. (1992). Moving makes it worse: The role of rapid movement in fear of psychiatric patients. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

Riskind, J., Kelly, K., Harman, W., Moore, R., & Gaines, H. (1992). The loomingness of danger: Does it discriminate focal fear and general anxiety from depression? Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 603-622.
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PRESENTATIONS

Selected Symposia and Invited Addresses

Riskind, J. H., & Rector, A. (2007). Looming vulnerability targeted cognitive therapy. Presented in symposium, Innovative directions in treatment of anxiety, Robert Leahy, Chair, World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, Barcelona, July.

Riskind, J.H., & Rector, N.A. (2006). Assessment of the looming maladaptive style in distinct OCD subtypes. Presented in symptoms, J.E. Calarmi, & Neil A. Rector, Chairs, New Research in understanding OCD cognition: What else besides dysfunction? Annual meeting of the Association for Behavior and Cognitive therapy, Chicago, November

Riskind, J. H. (2006). Looming Vulnerability Theory: Applications to Anxiety, Stress, and Health. Grand Rounds given at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Institute, New York, March.

Riskind, J.H., & Rector, N. R. (2006). Maladaptive Looming Styles and Their Cognitive Correlates In Distinct Symptom Subtypes of OCD. European Association of Behavior and Cognitive Therapy.

Riskind, J.H., & Mann, B. (2006). Links between Looming Cognitive Style, Emotion Dysregulation, and Anxiety. Presented at annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Miami, March.

Riskind, J.H (2005). The looming vulnerability model: New directions in understanding anxiety. Invited Address. International Congress of Cognitive Psychotherapy, Goteborg, Sweden, June.

Riskind, J.H (2005). Looming Vulnerability Model: New Directions in Understanding Anxiety. Symposium Chair, Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New Orleans, November, 2004.

Riskind, J.H. Looming Cognitive Style: Incremental Power and Prediction of Future Anxiety Syndromes. In symposium, The Looming Vulnerability Model: New Directions in Understanding Anxiety. Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New Orleans, November. 2004

Riskind, J.H. and Williams, N.L. (2001). Cognitive Vulnerability to Anxiety, Presented at symposium, Cognitive vulnerability to emotional disorders, John Riskind (Chair). World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Vancouver, CA, July.

Riskind, J.H. (2001). Beyond Belief: Integrative Cognitive Psychotherapy. World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Vancouver, CA, July.

Williams, N.L., & Riskind, J.H. (2001). "The Cognitive Interactional Model of Appraisal and Coping: Implications for Emotional Disorders." Annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, August.

Williams, N.L., Long, D.G., & Riskind, J.H. (2000). Coping styles, coping flexibility, and implications for cognitive vulnerability. Presented at symposium at annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, in Symposium on “Cognitive Vulnerability to Emotional Disorders.” Washington, D.C., August.

Riskind, J.H. (2000). A looming vulnerability model of generalized anxiety. Symposium presentation at the International Society of Cognitive Psychotherapy, Catania, Sicily, July.

Riskind, J. H., Williams, N. L., Gessner, T. D., & Chrosniak, L. (2000). Cognitive vulnerability to anxiety: The looming maladaptive style. Symposium presentation accepted for the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC., August.

Riskind, J.H. (2000). Integrative Cognitive Therapy. Symposium presentation at the Annual Conference of the Association for Advancement of Behavioral Therapy, New Orleans, LA.

Riskind, J.H. (2000). Discussant for Symposium on Cognitive Processes in Bipolar Disorder. Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC., August.

Williams, N. L., Long, D. G., Riskind, J. H. (2000). Coping flexibility and coping styles: Implications for cognitive vulnerability. Symposium presentation accepted for the Annual Conference of the Association for Advancement of Behavioral Therapy, New Orleans, LA.

Recent Representative Poster Presentations

Scot, M., Cassell, A., Wagner, M., & Riskind, J.H. (2006). Magical thinking about responsibility in Thought-Action fusion. Poster presentation at Annual meeting of the Association for Behavior and Cognitive therapy, Chicago, November.

Riskind, J. H., & Rector, N.A. (2006). Maladaptive looming content in the Anxiety Disorder spectrum. Poster presented at the Annual meeting of the Association for Behavior and Cognitive therapy, Chicago, November.

Khatri,S., Reynolds, J., & Riskind, J.H. (2003). Looming vulnerability to poisonous snakes in Nepal. Poster presented to Annual meeting of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Boston, MA. November.

Riskind, J.H., Shahar, G., Mann, B., Black, D., Williams, N.L., & Joiner, T.E., Jr. (2003). The looming cognitive style predicts shared variance in anxiety disorder symptoms: A longitudinal study. .Poster Presentation to the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, November. Boston, MA.

Riskind, J.H. (2001). Theory and Research on Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Presentation at Festrchrift, for Aaron T. Beck at the 2001 annual meeting of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therarpy, Philadelphia, November.

Riskind, J.H. Williams, N. L., & Black, D. (2001). Beliefs about the Adaptive Functions of intrusive Thoughts. Meeting of the Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions International Workgroup, Whistler, Vancouver, Canada, July.

Riskind, J.H., & Altman, M. (2001). Looming Vulnerability in subclinical eating disorders: A fearful distortion associated with the fear of fat. Poster presentation to the meeting of the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Vancouver, CA, July.

Williams, N.L., & Riskind, J.H. (2001). Coping styles and coping flexibility: implications for emotional disorders. Poster presentation to the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Vancouver, CA, July.

Williams, N. L., & Riskind, J.H. (2001). Half a past, half a future, one half too many: A Meta-Analytic review of the relationship between anxiety and depression as a function of age. Poster presenstation to the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Vancouver, CA, July.

Riskind, J.H.,, Balaban, M.S., & Moore, R. (2001). The specter of movement and menace: looming danger in the fear-relevant covariation bias. Poster presentation to the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Vancouver, CA, July.

Black, D.B., Balaban, M.S., Riskind, J.H., & Long, D. (2001). Ideation, mental imagery, and the time course of social performance anxiety, Poster presentation to the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Vancouver, CA, July.

Joswick, S.M., Balaban, M.S., Chrosniak, L.D., & Riskind, J.H. (2001). Appraisal bias for threatening information: Effects of cognitive vulnerability and commonality ratings: Poster presentation to World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Vancouver, CA, July.

Balaban, M.S., Joswick, S.M., Chrosniak, L.D., & Riskind, J.H. (2001). The effects of cognitive vulnerability to anxiety and meta-worry on memory. Poster presentation to World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Vancouver, CA, July.

Riskind, J.H., Williams, N. L., Gessner, T. L., & Chrosniak, L. D. (2000). Cognitive vulnerability to anxiety: A short-term prospective study. Poster presentation at the Annual Conference of the Association for Advancement of Behavioral Therapy, New Orleans, LA.

Riskind, J. H., Williams, N. L., Chrosniak, L. D., Gessner, T. G., White, J. C., & Long, D. G. (1999). A Picture is worth a thousand worries. Presentation at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Boston, Massachusetts.

Riskind, H. H., Williams, N. L., Long, D. G., & White, J. C. (1999). Investigating the role of looming vulnerability in fears of contamination. Presentation at the Annual Conference of the Association for Advancement of Behavioral Therapy, Toronto, Ontario.

Riskind, H. H., Williams, N. L., Chrosniak, L. D., Long, D. G., & White, J. C. (1999). Visual memory and cognitive vulnerability to anxiety. Presentation at the Annual Conference of the Association for Advancement of Behavioral Therapy, Toronto, Ontario.

Williams, N. L., Long, D. G., & Riskind, J. H. (2000). Differentiating cognitive vulnerabilities, anxiety, and depression: The Coping Styles Questionnaire. Presentation accepted for presentation at the Annual Conference of the Association for Advancement of Behavioral Therapy, New Orleans, LA.