A number of studies suggest that individuals with schizophrenia are significantly impaired in the recognition of facial affect in others. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that the degree of impairment varies as a function of clinical subtype. For instance, paranoid schizophrenia patients have been found to be more accurate than nonparanoid schizophrenia patients in identifying posed and spontaneous facial expressions of emotion. Interestingly, paranoid patients also appear to be more accurate than nonpsychiatric controls in identifying spontaneous expressions of negative affect. This latter finding is worthy of note given that spontaneous expressions of emotion generally seem less intense and more ambiguous than posed expressions of emotion. One explanation for this finding is that cognitive biases associated with psychosis lead paranoid patients to interpret ambiguous expressions of emotion as more negative than others. No studies, however, have attempted to explicate this finding. The main purpose of this study, therefore, is to test the hypothesis that the social cognitive biases observed in paranoid patients explain their heightened sensitivity to spontaneous negative expressions of emotion. Data will be collected from 60 outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls. A structured clinical interview (SADS) will be completed as well as the administration of the following measures: Paranoia & Suspiciousness Scale, Shipley Institute of Living Scale, Benton's Facial Recognition Test, Emotion Perception Test, Emotional Stroop, Internal Personal and Situational Attribution Questionnaire, Jumping to Conclusions Task, and Brüne's Theory of Mind Task. Data collection began in July 2005 and is expected to be complete in April 2007.
 

EDUCATION

Kent State University, Kent, OH
Ph.D. Candidate
Clinical Psychology, Adult psychopathology specialization
Dissertation Chairperson: Nancy M. Docherty, Ph.D.
Expected date of graduation: August 2008

McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Masters of Science in Psychiatry, Dean’s Honour List, October 2002
Thesis Chairperson: Suzanne King, PhD

McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Graduated with great distinction, November 2000

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Student Clinician 9/03 - Present
Kent State University Psychological Clinic, Kent State University, Kent, OH

Psychology Extern 7/05 – 6/06
Department of Psychiatry, SUMMA Health System, Akron, OH

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Volunteer 10/99 – 08/00
Addictions Unit of the Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada

Volunteer 10/99 – 05/00
Compeer Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Psychology of Adjustment Instructor 8/06 – 12/06
Kent State University

General Psychology Instructor 8/04 – 12/04
Kent State University

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Doctoral Dissertation 1/05 - Present
Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH
Title: Explaining discrepancies in how paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenia patients process posed and spontaneous facial expressions of emotion in others
Oral defense of dissertation: January 2006
Advisor: Nancy Docherty, Ph.D.

Graduate Research Assistant 9/02 – 8/04
Kent State University, Kent, OH
Supervisor: Nancy Docherty, Ph.D.

Masters’ Thesis 9/00 – 07/02
McGill University, Montreal, Qc, Canada
Title: Explaining variation in the premorbid adjustment of schizophrenia patients: The role of season of birth and family history.
Advisor: Suzanne King, Ph.D.

Graduate Research Assistant 9/00 – 07/02
McGill University & Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
Supervisor: Suzanne King, Ph.D.

Graduate Research Assistant 9/00 – 07/02
McGill University & Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
Supervisor: Suzanne King, Ph.D, Bruno Debruille, Ph.D., Ursula Hess, Ph.D.

Research Assistant 5/00 – 9/00
McGill University & Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
Supervisor: Tania Lecomte, Ph.D.

Honor’s Thesis 09/99 – 04/00
McGill University, Montreal, Qc, Canada
Title: What is the active ingredient in the season of birth effect in schizophrenia?
Advisor: Suzanne King, Ph.D.

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Docherty, N.M., Strauss, M.E., Dinzeo, T.J., St-Hilaire, A. (In press). The cognitive origins of specific types of schizophrenic speech disturbances. The American Journal of Psychiatry.

St-Hilaire, A. & Docherty, N.M. (2005). Language reactivity and work functioning in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 75, 241-246.

St-Hilaire, A., Holowka, D.W., Cunningham, H., Champagne, F., Pukall, M., King, S. (2005). Explaining variation in the premorbid adjustment of schizophrenia patients: The role of season of birth and family history. Schizophrenia Research, 73, 39-48.

Brunet, A., St-Hilaire, A., Jehel, L., King, S. (2003). Validation of a French Version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 48(1), 56-61.

MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION

St-Hilaire, A., Hill, C.L., Docherty, N.M. (Under review). Coping in Parents of Schizophrenia Patients with Differing Degrees of Familial Exposure to Psychosis.

St-Hilaire, A. & Docherty, N.M. The use of emotion words in the conversational speech of schizophrenia patients.

Hill, C.L., St-Hilaire, A., James, S., Docherty, N.M. Response bias on the COPE scale among patients with positive symptoms.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Leahey, T., Irwin, S.R., Crowther, J.H., St-Hilaire, A. (2006). Development and effectiveness of group therapy for the treatment of disordered eating in the morbidly obese. Presented at Northeast Ohio College of Medicine (NEOUCOM)’s Department of Psychiatry Tenth Annual Research and Scholarly Activities Day in Akron, OH, on June 16.

St-Hilaire, A., Holowka, D., King, S. (2002). Season of birth and premorbid adjustment in schizophrenia. Presented at McGill University’s Department of Psychiatry Annual Student Research Day in Montreal on June 14.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

St-Hilaire, A., Hill, C.L., Aakre, J., Docherty, N.M. (2006). The use of emotional words in the conversational speech of schizophrenia patients. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology in San Diego, CA, on October 15.

Docherty, N.M., Strauss, M., Dinzeo, T., St-Hilaire, A. (2006). The cognitive origins of specific types of schizophrenic communication failures. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology in San Diego, CA, on October 15.

Seghers, J., Docherty, N.M., Aakre, J., St-Hilaire, A.(2006). Cognitive impairments, emotion, and language in schizophrenia. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology in San Diego, CA, on October 12.

Aakre, J., Seghers, J., St-Hilaire, A., Docherty, N.M. (2006). Attributional style in remitted delusional patients. A comparison of paranoid and non-paranoid subtypes with healthy controls. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology in San Diego, CA, on October 12.

St-Hilaire, A., Hill, C.L., Docherty, N.M. (2004). Familial loading influences the choice of coping strategies among parents of individuals with schizophrenia. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology in St.Louis, MO, on October 10.

Hill, C.L., St-Hilaire, A., James, S., Docherty, N.M. (2004). Response bias on the COPE scale among patients with positive symptoms. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology in St.Louis, MO, on October 7.

St-Hilaire, A., Docherty, N.M. (2003). Language reactivity and work functioning in schizophrenia. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology in Toronto, Canada, on October 16.

St-Hilaire, A., Holowka, D.W., Cunningham, H., Champagne, F., Pukall, M., King, S. (2003). Explaining variation in the premorbid adjustment of schizophrenia patients: The role of season of birth and family history. Poster presented at the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research in Colorado Springs, CO, on March 30. Holowka, D., St-Hilaire, A., King,.S. (2002). Explaining treatment response in schizophrenia: Preliminary findings. Poster presented at McGill University’s Department of Psychiatry Annual Student Research Day in Montreal on June 14.

St-Hilaire, A., King, S., Cunningham, H., Champagne, F., Pukall, M. (2001). Season of birth factors and vigilance in schizophrenia. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology (SRP) in Madison, WI, on November 1.

St-Hilaire, A., King, S., Cunningham, H., Champagne, F., Pukall, M. (2001). Season of birth factors and vigilance in schizophrenia. Poster presented at the Cognition in Schizophrenia satellite conference of the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICORS) in Whistler, B.C., on April 27.

St-Hilaire, A., King, S., Cunningham, H., Champagne, F., Pukall, M. (2000). Season of birth factors and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology (SRP) in Boulder, CO, on December 3.

St-Hilaire, A., King, S., Cunningham, H., Champagne, F., Pukall, M. (2000) What is the active ingredient in the season of birth effect in schizophrenia? Poster presented at the FRSQ’s Mental Health Network’s 6th Research day in Montreal on June 2.

AD HOC REVIEWER

Behavior Therapy, 2006
Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2005

AWARDS AND HONORS

David B. Smith Fellowship, Kent State University
Received: May 2006
Award recognizing Kent State University’s most accomplished graduate student

Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addictions Brain Star
Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Received: January 2006
Award recognizing the excellence of research done in Canada by graduate students

GRANTS AND FUNDING

Student Travel Funding, Kent State University Graduate Student Senate
Received: Fall 2006

Graduate Student Senate (GSS) Research Grant, Kent State University
Received: May 2006

Student Travel Funding, Kent State University Graduate Student Senate
Received: Fall 2005

Applied Psychology Center (APC) Student Research Fellowship, Department of Psychology, Kent State University
Received: December 2004

Student Travel Funding, Kent State University Graduate Student Senate
Received: Fall 2004

Doctoral Training Award, Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ)
Received: May 2004; Fellowship support from June 2004 through May 2007

Student Travel Funding, Kent State University Graduate Student Senate
Received: Fall 2003

Student Travel Funding, Kent State University Graduate Student Senate
Received: Fall 2002

Student Travel Award, Schizophrenia Axis, Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ) Mental Health Network
Received: November 2001

Masters’ Training Award, Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ)
Received: May 2001; Fellowship support from May 2001 through July 2002

Student Travel Award, Schizophrenia Axis, Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ) Mental Health Network
Received: May 2001

PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT

Student Affiliate, American Psychological Association, since 2003
Member, Golden Key International Honour Society, since 1999

DEPARTMENTAL INVOLVEMENT

Student Representative, Psychopathology Job Search Committee, Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Fall 2004

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Risk Management in Professional Practice
Workshop by Eric Harris, Ph.D. on the legal and ethical issues associated with professional practice of psychology. Sponsored by the American Psychological Association Insurance Trust (APAIT) and SUMMA Health System, Akron, OH, April 2006.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for rape victims
Workshop by Patricia Resik, Ph.D. on the theory and application of Cognitive Processing Therapy for rape victims. Sponsored by Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and SUMMA Health System, Akron, OH, October 2005.

Writing to Heal
Workshop by James Pennebaker on the health benefits of writing about one’s deepest feelings about an emotional upheaval. Sponsored by Kent State University, Kent, OH, March 2005.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Workshop by Thomas Borkovec, Ph.D. on the theory, research, and application of CBT with clients who present with a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder. Sponsored by Kent State Unive