Research Interests
The majority of the research conducted in the lab focuses on the construct of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). (However, note that graduate students in my lab have pursued research far broader than this single disorder.) OCD has been the subject of my major interests since I was a graduate student working with Lee Anna Clark and David Watson at the University of Iowa and has continued since the late 1990s. My study of OCD targets several questions, as there is a great deal more to learn about this complicated condition. Major issues include the measurement and assessment of OCD symptoms in diverse populations; relations between OCD and other phenomena, including other anxiety disorders, mood disorders, pathological hoarding, and personality traits/personality disorders; and cognitive models of the development and maintenance of OCD symptoms. Good ways to introduce yourself to the work being performed in my lab are to examine a few of our recent publications / presentations (below, and within the CV on my profile page linked on the left side of this page) and also see what the current graduate students are studying ("Graduate Students" link at left). I would be happy to send you a copy of any paper you cannot access through your current institution's library; email me at [email protected]. Note that co-authors listed in italics are current or former NIU students. Within the past few years, we have worked hard to learn about and conduct laboratory-based OCD research, targeting behavioral analogues and experimental designs. This work is not strongly reflected in the below publications, but we hope that will change in the near future. This represents a pretty major departure from the psychometrically-focused research that was the mainstay of my graduate training and early career efforts. Both are important, but I wanted to make this shift to experimental work once I earned tenure and the freedom that it allows via "riskier" research.
Recent Publications
Cares, S. R., Younce, J. A., Mangen, K. H., Winder, J. R., Fergus, T. A., & Wu, K. D. (2022). I am worried: Do the PSWQ and PSWQ-R display measurement invariance across four racial groups? Assessment, 29, 1320-1330.
Cares, S. R., Mangen, K. H., & Wu, K. D. (2022). An Examination of the Sentence Task Through In-Person and Online Administrations. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2021.100703
Younce, J. A., & Wu, K. D. (2020). Examining the relationship between religion and thought-action fusion in a protestant sample. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2020.100591
Conley, S. L., Lee, S. R., Martyn, H. F., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Facets of experiential avoidance differentially predict engagement in a contamination-based behavioral approach task. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2019.100453
Lee, S. R., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Feelings of incompleteness explain symptoms of OCD and OCPD beyond harm avoidance. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 21, 151-157.
Conley, S. L., & Wu, K. D. (2018). Experimental modification of dysfunctional interpretations in individuals with contamination concerns. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 59, 56-64.
Conley, S. L., Lee, S. R., Martyn, H. F., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Facets of experiential avoidance differentially predict engagement in a contamination-based behavioral approach task. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 22, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2019.100453
Fergus, T. A., Latendresse, S. J., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Factor Structure and Further Validation of the 20-Item Short Form of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire. Assessment, 26, 984-1000.
Lee, S. R., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Feelings of incompleteness explain symptoms of OCD and OCPD beyond harm avoidance. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 21, 151-157.
Watson, D., Nus, E., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Development and validation of the Faceted Inventory of the Five-Factor Model (FI-FFM). Assessment, 26, 17-44.
Aardema, F. A., Wu, K. D., Moulding, R., Audet, J-S., & Baraby, L-P. (2018). The relationship of inferential confusion and obsessive beliefs with specific obsessive- compulsive symptoms. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 18, 98-105.
Conley, S. L., Faleer, H. E., Raza, G. T., Bailey, B. E., & Wu, K. D. (2018). The moderating effects of rumination facets on the relationship between mindfulness and distress reduction. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 42, 436-446.
Conley, S. L., & Wu, K. D. (2018). Experimental modification of dysfunctional interpretations in individuals with contamination concerns. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 59, 56-64.
Faleer, H. E., Fergus, T. A., Bailey, B. E., & Wu, K. D. (2017). Examination of an experimental manipulation of intolerance of uncertainty on obsessive-compulsive outcomes. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 15, 64-73.
Wu, K. D. (2017). Diagnostic assessment and measures of symptom severity for OCD in adults. In J. S. Abramowitz, D. McKay, & E. A. Storch (Eds.), Handbook of obsessive-compulsive disorders (pp. 75-94). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Recent Publications
Cares, S. R., Younce, J. A., Mangen, K. H., Winder, J. R., Fergus, T. A., & Wu, K. D. (2022). I am worried: Do the PSWQ and PSWQ-R display measurement invariance across four racial groups? Assessment, 29, 1320-1330.
Cares, S. R., Mangen, K. H., & Wu, K. D. (2022). An Examination of the Sentence Task Through In-Person and Online Administrations. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2021.100703
Younce, J. A., & Wu, K. D. (2020). Examining the relationship between religion and thought-action fusion in a protestant sample. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2020.100591
Conley, S. L., Lee, S. R., Martyn, H. F., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Facets of experiential avoidance differentially predict engagement in a contamination-based behavioral approach task. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2019.100453
Lee, S. R., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Feelings of incompleteness explain symptoms of OCD and OCPD beyond harm avoidance. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 21, 151-157.
Conley, S. L., & Wu, K. D. (2018). Experimental modification of dysfunctional interpretations in individuals with contamination concerns. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 59, 56-64.
Conley, S. L., Lee, S. R., Martyn, H. F., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Facets of experiential avoidance differentially predict engagement in a contamination-based behavioral approach task. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 22, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2019.100453
Fergus, T. A., Latendresse, S. J., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Factor Structure and Further Validation of the 20-Item Short Form of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire. Assessment, 26, 984-1000.
Lee, S. R., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Feelings of incompleteness explain symptoms of OCD and OCPD beyond harm avoidance. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 21, 151-157.
Watson, D., Nus, E., & Wu, K. D. (2019). Development and validation of the Faceted Inventory of the Five-Factor Model (FI-FFM). Assessment, 26, 17-44.
Aardema, F. A., Wu, K. D., Moulding, R., Audet, J-S., & Baraby, L-P. (2018). The relationship of inferential confusion and obsessive beliefs with specific obsessive- compulsive symptoms. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 18, 98-105.
Conley, S. L., Faleer, H. E., Raza, G. T., Bailey, B. E., & Wu, K. D. (2018). The moderating effects of rumination facets on the relationship between mindfulness and distress reduction. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 42, 436-446.
Conley, S. L., & Wu, K. D. (2018). Experimental modification of dysfunctional interpretations in individuals with contamination concerns. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 59, 56-64.
Faleer, H. E., Fergus, T. A., Bailey, B. E., & Wu, K. D. (2017). Examination of an experimental manipulation of intolerance of uncertainty on obsessive-compulsive outcomes. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 15, 64-73.
Wu, K. D. (2017). Diagnostic assessment and measures of symptom severity for OCD in adults. In J. S. Abramowitz, D. McKay, & E. A. Storch (Eds.), Handbook of obsessive-compulsive disorders (pp. 75-94). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.