Publication Date
2024
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Orcutt, Holly Kay
Degree Name
M.A. (Master of Arts)
Legacy Department
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Fear-based psychopathology consistently pushes the categorical boundaries established by current diagnostic systems such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition text revision. While classified by their differing phenotypic symptoms, physiological processes such as fear potentiated startle (FPS) and fear load are common, well-established underlying mechanisms of fear-based psychopathology and represent a prominent target for intervention. The shared mechanisms and symptom overlap among fear-based disorders lend evidence to the examination of symptoms based on a dimensional classification system. One such system, the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is a quantitative, bottom-up approach to mental illness classification that groups closely related symptoms together at various dimensional levels. Despite substantial evidence suggesting dimensional assessment represents the true nature of an overwhelming number of psychological constructs, systems such as HiTOP still have limitations that need to be addressed. For example, HiTOP only captures a snapshot of phenotypic symptoms and does not explain etiology. Thus, examination into how HiTOP relates to a biologically based dimensional system such as the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) may be required for a fully functional nosology. The present study will investigate the association between a higher-order latent factor of fear-based psychopathology and underlying mechanisms for fear-based psychopathology found in RDoC’s acute threat subconstruct (i.e., FPS and fear load). A full understanding of this relationship would inform how clinicians would incorporate latent factors of symptom profiles from taxonomies such as HiTOP into the clinical decision-making process.
Recommended Citation
Cole, Travis, "Integrating Higher Order Fear-Based Psychopathology and RDoC’s Acute Threat Subconstruct" (2024). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 8016.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/8016
Extent
88 pages
Language
en
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
