Professional and Biographical Information

Degrees

Ph.D., Yale University (2018)
M.Phil., Yale University (2016)
M.S., Yale University (2015)
A.B., Amherst College (2010)

Research Interests

My research program systematically investigates how psychological factors influence emotion regulation and mental health. Much of my work to date has focused on emotion malleability beliefs, the beliefs that individuals hold about the degree to which emotions are changeable and under their control. My research has clarified the link between emotion malleability beliefs, emotion regulation, and negative affect in healthy individuals, at-risk individuals, and individuals with moderate levels of depressive symptoms. More recently, I have extended this work to examine emotional vulnerabilities in adults with substance-use disorders. My research utilizes a variety of methodologies (e.g., longitudinal, experience sampling, experimental study designs) and a range of study populations (college students, community members, individuals with depression, patients engaged in intensive substance use disorder treatment). As part of this research, I have developed a brief intervention to change emotion malleability beliefs to promote effective emotion regulation and enhance resilience. I use multiple methodological approaches in different study populations to understand and alleviate anxiety, depression, and addiction.

Teaching Interests

The courses I teach cover topics related to psychological research, psychopathology, and the treatment of mental illness. In Abnormal Psychology, students learn about the etiology of psychiatric disorders, the symptoms of these disorders, and current psychiatric and psychological treatments.  I also teach Psychotherapy: Theory and Practice, which is an advanced, in-depth seminar. This course focuses on major theories of psychotherapy, with an emphasis on how each theory conceptualizes mental illness and the treatment of mental illness. We also evaluate research on the efficacy of a range of psychotherapeutic approaches. In Research Methods, I provide students with a hands-on foundation for conducting psychological research. In Introduction to Psychology, my goal is to provide students with an overview of psychological science. The overarching goals for my classes are for students to learn critical thinking skills and to think like scientists. I focus my teaching on stimulating students’ curiosity about psychological science and on engaging them in active discussions about how to evaluate and present information responsibly. My teaching philosophy is guided by the principles of working collaboratively, learning through participating, and accessibility.

Selected Publications

  • Kneeland, E. T., Goodman, F., & Dovidio, J. F. (2019). “Emotion Beliefs, Emotion Regulation, and Emotional Experiences in Daily Life.” Behavior Therapy.
  • Kneeland, E. T., Griffin, M. L., Taghian, N., Weiss, R. D., & McHugh, R. K. (2019). “Associations between pain catastrophizing and clinical characteristics in adults with substance use disorders and co-occurring chronic pain.” The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 45(5), 488-494.
  • Kneeland, E. T., & Dovidio, J. F. (2019). “Emotion malleability beliefs and coping with the college transition.” Emotion, 1-10.
  • Kneeland, E. T., Dovidio, J. F., Joormann, J., & Clark, M. S. (2016). “Emotion malleability beliefs, emotion regulation, and psychopathology: Integrating affective and clinical science.” Clinical Psychology Review, 45, 81-88.
  • Kneeland, E. T., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Dovidio, J. F., & Gruber, J. (2016). “Emotion malleability beliefs influence the spontaneous regulation of social anxiety.” Cognitive Therapy and Research, 40(4), 496-509.

Google Scholar link:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rQ2QbwQAAAAJ&hl=en

 

Link to Lab Website: 

https://sites.google.com/amherst.edu/wellbeing-emotion-change-lab/