Lab Projects

The VISTA lab values teamwork and collaboration. While individual lab members pursue research endeavors in their particular area of interest, they also contribute their knowledge and expertise to other lab projects. This allows the VISTA lab to explore diverse research areas relating to various aspects of trauma, violence, and abuse. Below is a sample of the research projects currently being conducted by the VISTA lab members and faculty collaborators. Dr. DiLillo serves as a supervisor/collaborator on the following ongoing projects (student names and other collaborators listed in parentheses).  

Evaluation of RISE at Nebraska State Penitentiary (Church, DiLillo): This project is a collaboration with RISE, a local non-profit focused on providing services to those impacted by incarceration. This longitudinal study is evaluating their 6-month, in-prison program aimed at promoting post-release success among incarcerated individuals and whether posttraumatic symptomology impacts program responsiveness.

PTSD Symptom Measurement in Interpersonal Violence (Simpson, Whitlock, Soetjoadi, DiLillo)This systematic review seeks to characterize how PTSD symptoms are typically measured in interpersonal violence research (child maltreatment, sexual violence, intimate partner violence). Specifically, whether or not participants are asked to report symptoms linked to a specific traumatic event and if so, what kind of event (e.g., most recent, most severe).

Investigating the Beer Goggles Effect (Bogen, Simpson, Edwards, Gervais, DiLillo): This project is a collaboration with the Objectification of Women Lab (OWL) and tests a moderation model examining the interaction effect of attraction and intoxication on reported desire to have sex among young adult men and women. 

The Unique Health Effects of Stealthing (Bogen, Jones, Brockdorf, Church, Edwards, Lorenz): This project is a collaboration with the Women, Immunity, and Sexual Health (WISH) Lab. We are examining the mental, physical, sexual, and behavioral health outcomes of non-consensual condom removal ("stealthing") when controlling for other forms of unwanted sexual contact.

Cumulative Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) & Emotion Dysregulation (Simpson, Kumar, Brockdorf, Brock, Messman, Gratz, DiLillo): This project employs a longitudinal design and multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) techniques to examine the cumulative impact of recurrent experiences of IPV on emotion dysregulation among young adult women over 28 months.  

Bystander Education, Alcohol and Behaviors: A Qualitative Analysis of Bystander Decision Making in Response to Sexual Risk (Edwards, Haikalis, Holland, Gervais, DiLillo): In order to examine how men’s perceived barriers and facilitators to intervening in in response to an analog sexual risk situation. This project uses qualitative content analysis (QCA) to analyze men’s responses to open-ended questions regarding the pros & cons to intervening to stop another man from perpetrating sexual harm towards a woman participant.

The Process of Alcohol-Involved Sexual Violence Disclosure: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Examining Disclosure Content (Edwards): This project utilizes a mixed-methods design to analyze quantitative survey data and qualitative interview responses to understand women’s experiences of disclosing alcohol-involved sexual violence. This goal of this project is to examine the ways in which women share unwanted sexual experiences in order to better educate supports on how to respond to disclosures.  

Resilience to Adult Revictimization Among Survivors of Child and Adolescent Sexual Assault (Kumar): The primary purpose of this three-wave longitudinal study is to investigate the role of social support and psychological strengths, such as gratitude, self-compassion, and optimism, in promoting wellbeing and reducing the risk of revictimization among survivors of child and adolescent sexual assault.

Daily Predictors of Alcohol Use among Sexual Violence Survivors (Brockdorf): This intensive longitudinal study is evaluating whether daily changes in sleep quantity and PTSD symptoms exacerbate trauma-related drinking to cope among women who have experienced sexual violence. 

Review of Alcohol Administration Procedures (Brockdorf, Baildon, Gervais): This systematic review seeks to describe and evaluate past and current laboratory alcohol administration techniques that have been used to study aggression. This project is being conducted in collaboration with Dr. Sarah Gervais' lab.

Longitudinal Assessment of Interpersonal Victimization in Undergraduates (Jaffe, Kumar): This longitudinal study is designed to examine the nature of sexual assault and dating violence victimization in college men and women. Risk factors for revictimization and PTSD (e.g., alcohol use, posttraumatic cognitions, social support) will be examined.