Sibling Models Can Test Causal Claims without Experiments: Applications for Psychology.

Randomized experiments are the "gold standard" for inferring causation and are designed to collect covariate information. Yet, many questions cannot be answered with experiments practically or ethically. Often, potential confounds are controlled statistically as covariates in quasi-experimental designs.

Exploring the relationship between depression and delinquency: a sibling comparison design using the NLSY.

Relative to the general population, adolescents with psychiatric disorders such as major depression disorder are incarcerated (and reincarcerated) at higher rates. Current research is mixed on whether this association is a cause, consequence, or the product of selection. For example, aggression can lead to more depressive symptoms, yet depression is associated with antisocial behaviors (e.

BGmisc: An R Package for Extended Behavior Genetics Analysis.

Behavior genetics is a field that studies how our genes and environment contribute to differences in behavior and traits among individuals. Traditionally, twin studies have long been a cornerstone of this field, helping researchers understand how genetics influence behavior. Recently, the focus has expanded to include studies with more complex family structures, e.

Valence-partitioned learning signals drive choice behavior and phenomenal subjective experience in humans.

How the human brain generates conscious phenomenal experience is a fundamental problem. In particular, it is unknown how variable and dynamic changes in subjective affect are driven by interactions with objective phenomena. We hypothesize a neurocomputational mechanism that generates valence-specific learning signals associated with 'what it is like' to be rewarded or punished.