Research Interests
- Bipolar Disorder
- Ambulatory Assessment
- Affective Science
- Emotion Dynamics
- Emotion-based Impulsivity
Research Description
My research broadly examines bipolar spectrum disorders from behavioral, cognitive, and physiological perspectives. More specifically, I am interested in emotion dynamics, impulsivity, and reward sensitivity and how these factors influence risk for the development of and outcomes related to bipolar psychopathology. I primarily use experience sampling methodology and ambulatory assessments to examine these constructs in daily life.
Education
- Tufts University, B.S.
- University of North Carolina Greensboro, M.A.
Grants
- APF/COGDOP Graduate Research Scholarship
- APAGS Junior Scientist Fellowship
Awards and Honors
- Nancy Hirschberg Memorial Research Award
- Ed Scheiderer Memorial Research Award
- Frederick & Ruby Kanfer Award
Courses Taught
Psychopathology and Problems in Living (PSY 238)
Additional Campus Affiliations
Psychology Writing Support Center Fellow
Personal Website: https://sarahhsperry.weebly.com
Highlighted Publications
- Sperry, S.H., Walsh, M.A., & Kwapil, T.R. (2019) Emotion dynamics concurrently and prospectively predict mood psychopathology. Journal of Affective Disorders, 261, 67-75.
- Sperry, S.H., & Kwapil, T.R. (2019). Affective dynamics in bipolar spectrum psychopathology: Modeling variability, reactivity, instability, and inertia in daily life. Journal of Affective Disorders, 251, 195-204.
- Sperry, S.H., Kwapil, T.R., Eddington, K.M., & Silvia, P.J. (2018). Psychopathology, everyday behaviors, and autonomic activity in daily life: An ambulatory impedance cardiography study of depression, anxiety, and hypomanic traits. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 129, 67-75.
- Harper, K.L., Silvia, P.J., Eddington, K.M., Sperry, S.H., Kwapil, T.R. (2018). Conscientiousness and effort-related cardiac activity in response to piece-rate cash incentives. Motivation and Emotion.
- Sperry, S.H., Barrantes-Vidal, N., & Kwapil, T.R. (2018) The association of affective temperaments and bipolar spectrum psychopathology: An experience sampling study. Motivation and Emotion, 42(1), 126-136.
- Sperry, S.H., Lynam, D.P, & Kwapil, T.R. (2018). The convergence and divergence of impulsivity facets in daily life. The Journal of Personality, 86 (5), 841-852.
- Lewandowski, K.E., Sperry, S.H., Cohen, B.M., Norris, L.A., Fitzmaurice, G.M., Öngür, D., Keshavan, M.S. (2017). Treatment to Enhance Cognition in Bipolar Disorder (TREC-BD): Efficacy of a randomized controlled trial of cognitive remediation. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 78(9), e1242-e1249.
- Sperry, S.H. & Kwapil, T.R. (2017). What can daily life assessment tell us about the bipolar spectrum? Psychiatry Research, 252, 51-56.
- Silvia, P.J., Mironovová, Z., McHone, A.N., Sperry, S.H., Harper, K.L., Kwapil, T.R., & Eddington, K.M. (2016). Do depressive symptoms blunt effort? An analysis of cardiac engagement and withdrawal for an increasingly difficult task. Biological Psychology, 118, 52-60.
- Lewandowski, K.E., Sperry, S.H., Öngür, D., Cohen, B.M., Norris, L.A., & Keshavan, M.S. (2016). Cognitive remediation versus active computer control in bipolar disorder with psychosis: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial, Trials, 17(1), 136.
- Sperry, S.H., Lynam, D.R., Walsh, M.A., Horton, L.E. & Kwapil, T.R. (2016). Examining the multidimensional structure of impulsivity in daily life. Personality and Individual Differences, 94, 153-158.
- Sperry, S.H., O’Connor, L.K., Öngür, D., Cohen, B.M., Keshavan, M.S., & Lewandowski, K.E. (2015). Measuring cognition in bipolar disorder with psychosis using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery. The Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 21(6), 468-472.
- Sperry, S.H., Walsh, M.A., & Kwapil, T.R. (2015). Measuring the validity and psychometric properties of a short form of the Hypomanic Personality Scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 82, 52-57.
- Lewandowski, K.E., Öngür, D., Sperry, S.H., Cohen, B.M., Sehovic, S.M., Goldbach, J., & Du, F. (2014). Myelin versus axon abnormalities in white matter in bipolar disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology, 40, 1243-1249.
- Lewandowski, K.E., Sperry, S.H., Cohen, B.M., & Öngür, D. (2014). Cognitive variability in psychotic disorders: an exploratory cross-diagnostic cluster analysis. Psychological Medicine, 44 (15), 3239-48.
- Lewandowski, K.E., Sperry, S.H., Malloy, M.C., & Forester, B.P. (2013) Age as a predictor of cognitive decline in bipolar disorder. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 12, 1462-1468.
- Lewandowski, K.E., Cohen, B.M., Keshavan, M.S., Sperry, S.H., & Öngür, D. (2013) Neuropsychological functioning predicts community outcomes in affective and non-affective psychoses: a 6-month follow-up. Schizophrenia Research, 148, 34-37.