About The 3PL Lab

The Personality, Psychopathology, & Psychometrics Lab (The 3PL) conducts research related to the classification, description, and measurement of personality and psychopathology.  We study dimensional models of personality and psychopathology, applied and basic psychological assessment, modern psychometric models and methods (e.g., item response theory applications and computerized adaptive testing).  Our primary targets for research include structural models of personality, personality pathology, depression, and anxiety disorders.

We also are interested in the translation of the above models and methods to applied clinical practice, which is an underdeveloped area of the literature.

Recent News

  • HiTOP Measures Development Mini-Conference

    We recently held a virtual mini-conference for the HiTOP Measures Development Workgroup. The agenda and talks were recorderd and can be viewed here.

  • Trevor Williams successfully defends dissertation

    Congratulations are in order for Trevor Williams, who recently defended his dissertation, entitled “Understanding borderline personality disorder through trait models and social cognitive processes.”  Dr. Williams has now moved on to a post-doctoral position at Northwestern University.

  • Welcome to Courtney O’Keefe!

    The lab welcomes Courtney O’Keefe, who comes to us from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, to coordinate our NVS/HiTOP great project!

Recent Projects

Comprehensive Assessment of Traits relevant to Personality Disorder (CAT-PD) Project

An NIMH-funded project to develop an integrative trait model of personality disorder and a suite of efficient measures (self-report and interview) to measure those traits.

Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP)

The 3PL is part of an international consortium of labs and investigators working to develop an evidence-based, dimensional psychopathology classification system.  The lab is particularly involved in efforts to build HiTOP measures and to translate HiTOP into applied clinical practice.

Diagnostic Assessment Practices (DAP) Project

We currently are studying the current assessment and classification practices of mental health practitioners and the impediments to adoption of moderns methods in applied clinical practice.

Structural Studies

Studies of the phenotypic structure of personality, personality disorder, depressive and anxious symptomatology, and posttraumatic stress disorder.