Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy Lab

Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy Laboratory

Principal Investigator:

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Prof. Chiu Chui-De
Rm 102, Wong Foo Yuan Building, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
3943 3507
cdchiu@psy.cuhk.edu.hk

Much of our human experience is built around relationships and how we process relations with others and the self. Our laboratory is interested in the cognitive basis and social development involved in relational processing. Our investigations span from experimental studies on empathy and shame-proneness, to clinical studies about relational difficulties and self-disturbances, particularly in patients with trauma-related mental disorders including dissociative disorders and borderline personality disorder. We adopt a combination of methods to capture responses at different levels, which includes physiological measures, behavioral tests and observations, and introspective reports.

Mission

Endorsing the value of translational research, we aim to bridge the wisdom between basic studies and clinical practice. While gaining insights from clinical practice about the underlying structure of human functioning, we strive to inform clinical case formulation with knowledge about the pathways underlying their dysfunction. Driven by such value, we not only do studies in the laboratory, but also cooperate with service-providers in the healthcare setting in the hope of improving the existing practice for the clinical populations.

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Representative Publications

Trauma, mental disorders, and physical illness

Siu, H. C., Lee, S.-H., Au, J. S., Lo, A. P.-K., Huang, C.-M., Tsai, Y.-F., Lee, T. M.-C., Lin, C., & Chiu, C.-D. (2022). Loneliness and major depressive disorder in the elderly with a history of suicidal ideation or attempt—A comment on Käll et al. “Therapist-guidmanuscript in print. ed internet-based treatments for oneliness." Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Manuscript in print.

Tseng, H. H., Chiu, C.-D., Chen, K. C., Lee, I. H., Chen, P. S., & Yang, Y. K. (2021). Absence of negative associations of insular and medial frontal gray matter volume with dissociative symptoms in schizophrenia. Journal of psychiatric research, 138, 485–491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.04.017

Chiu, C.-D., Lee, M. H., Chen, W. C., Ho, H. L., & Wu, H. C. (2017). Childhood trauma perpetrated by close others, psychiatric dysfunction, and urological symptoms in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. Journal of psychosomatic research, 93, 90–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.12.014

Chiu, C.-D., Meg Tseng, M. C., Chien, Y. L., Liao, S. C., Liu, C. M., Yeh, Y. Y., Hwu, H. G., & Ross, C. A. (2017). Dissociative disorders in acute psychiatric inpatients in Taiwan. Psychiatry research, 250, 285–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.082

The cognitive underpinnings of trauma-spectrum disorders

Chiu, C.-D., Ho, H. L., & Tollenaar, M. S. (2021). Relational self-evaluations in dissociation: Implicit self-rejection? Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001017

van Schie, C. C., Chiu, C.-D., Rombouts, S., Heiser, W. J., & Elzinga, B. M. (2020). Stuck in a negative me: fMRI study on the role of disturbed self-views in social feedback processing in borderline personality disorder. Psychological medicine, 50(4), 625–635. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291719000448

Chiu, C.-D., Tollenaar, M. S., Yang, C. T., Elzinga, B. M., Zhang, T. Y., & Ho, H. L. (2019). The loss of the self in memory: Self-referential memory, childhood relational trauma, and dissociation. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(2), 265–282. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702618804794

Chiu, C.-D. (2018). Enhanced accessibility of ignored neutral and negative items in nonclinical dissociative individuals. Consciousness and Cognition, 57, 74-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2017.11.009

The cognitive underpinnings of relational processes

Chiu, C.-D., Siu, C. Y., Ng, H. C., & Baldwin, M. W. (2021). Visuospatial perspective shifting and relational self-association in dispositional shame and guilt. Consciousness and Cognition. 92, Article 103140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2021.103140

Yeh, Y.-Y., Wang, C.-C., Cheng, S.-K., & Chiu, C.-D. (2021). Dissociation of posture remapping and cognitive load in level-2 perspective-taking. Cognition, 214, Article 104733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104733

Chiu, C.-D., Ng, H. C., Kwok, W. K., & Tollenaar, M. (2020). Feeling empathically toward other people and the self: The role of perspective shifting in emotion sharing and self-reassurance. Clinical Psychological Science, 8(1), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702619863058

Chiu, C.-D., & Yeh, Y.-Y. (2018). In your shoes or mine? Shifting from other to self perspective is vital for emotional empathy. Emotion, 18(1), 39–45. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000346

Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy Laboratory

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