Thomas Kirchner
Thomas Kirchner
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Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Professional overview
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Dr. Thomas Kirchner is a clinical-health psychologist and methodologist interested in the analysis and graphical representation of longitudinal and geographic data, including methodologies that link individual behavior to the real-time context in which it occurs. Dr. Kirchner’s research targets momentary influences on the maintenance of health-related behavior utilizing both field-based (ecological momentary assessment) and laboratory-based paradigms. These geographic information systems and analytical methods can then inform public health, research, and policy.
As the Director and Principal Investigator of the mHealth (mobile health) Lab, Dr. Kirchner uses GIS to understand health-related behavior and decision-making in real time (e.g., how people make decisions about what they eat and drink, the places they go to exercise in their neighborhoods, the amount of time they spend outdoors, and whether they smoke cigarettes and/or marijuana). In the Lab, students apply mHealth tools to explore geospatial systems, technology, research, and community advocacy. Students learn how to leverage the power of their cell phones to collect data about neighborhoods and experiences.
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Education
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MS, Clinical and Biological/Health Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PAPhD, Clinical and Biological/Health Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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Areas of research and study
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Behavioral Determinants of HealthGeographic Information Science (GIS)Geographically-explicit EMALongitudinal Data AnalysisSocial BehaviorsUrban InformaticsUrban Science
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Publications
Publications
Patterns of intermittent smoking: An analysis using Ecological Momentary Assessment
AbstractShiffman, S., Kirchner, T. R., Ferguson, S. G., & Scharf, D. M. (n.d.).Publication year
2009Journal title
Addictive BehaviorsVolume
34Issue
6Page(s)
514-519AbstractNon-daily smokers comprise a substantial proportion of US smokers, but there has been little study of their patterns of smoking, which are often assumed to reflect "social smoking." We used Ecological Momentary Assessment methods to study smoking patterns in 27 non-daily smoking adults who recorded each cigarette smoked over three weeks by leaving a voice mail message indicating their circumstances at the time of smoking. All told, 689 cigarettes were recorded over 589 person-days of observation. On average, participants smoked on 67% of days, averaging 2.1 (SD = 0.91) cigarettes per day on days they smoked; 22% of all cigarettes were smoked in bouts (within an hour of another cigarette). Altogether, 19% of cigarettes were smoked when drinking alcohol and 29% when participants were socializing. Smoking patterns varied widely across participants. A pair of hierarchical cluster analyses distinguished three groups: Those who smoked primarily (81% of cigarettes) in the daytime (Early smokers; n = 15, 58% of total sample), those who smoked primarily (75% of cigarettes) at night (Late smokers; n = 7, 27%), and a distinct, classic "Social smoking" group (n = 4, 15% of total sample), who smoked mostly at night but also primarily when socializing or drinking (86% of their cigarettes), in the evening (71% of their cigarettes), on weekends (65% of their cigarettes), and in bouts (71% of their cigarettes). Overall, results suggest that non-daily smoking patterns are quite heterogeneous, and that many non-daily smokers may not be primarily social smokers.Effects of smoking abstinence and alcohol consumption on smoking-related outcome expectancies in heavy smokers and tobacco chippers
AbstractKirchner, T. R., & Sayette, M. A. (n.d.).Publication year
2007Journal title
Nicotine and Tobacco ResearchVolume
9Issue
3Page(s)
365-376AbstractSmoking cessation interventions often target expectancies about the consequences of smoking. Yet little is known about the way smoking-related expectancies vary across different contexts. Two internal contexts that are often linked with smoking relapse are states associated with smoking abstinence and alcohol consumption. This report presents a secondary analysis of data from two experiments designed to examine the influence of smoking abstinence, and smoking abstinence combined with alcohol consumption, on smoking-related outcome expectancies among heavy smokers and tobacco chippers (smokers who had consistently smoked no more than 5 cigarettes/day for at least 2 years). Across both experiments, smoking abstinence and alcohol consumption increased expectancies of positive reinforcement from smoking. In addition, alcohol consumption increased negative reinforcement expectancies among tobacco chippers, such that the expectancies became more similar to those of heavy smokers as tobacco chippers' level of subjective alcohol intoxication increased. Findings suggest that these altered states influence the way smokers evaluate the consequences of smoking, and provide insight into the link between smoking abstinence, alcohol consumption, and smoking behavior.Predictors of residual invasive disease after core needle biopsy diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ
AbstractRutstein, L. A., Johnson, R. R., Poller, W. R., Dabbs, D., Groblewski, J., Rakitt, T., Tsung, A., Kirchner, T., Sumkin, J., Keenan, D., Soran, A., Ahrendt, G., & Falk, J. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2007Journal title
Breast JournalVolume
13Issue
3Page(s)
251-257AbstractCore needle biopsy (CNB) is used to sample both mammographically and ultrasound detected breast lesions. A diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) by CNB does not ensure the absence of invasive cancer upon surgical excision and as a result an upstaged patient may need to undergo additional surgery for axillary nodal evaluation. This study evaluates the accuracy of CNB in excluding invasive disease and the preoperative features that predict upstaging of DCIS to invasive breast cancer. Two hundred fifty-four patients over an 8-year period from 1994 to 2002 with a diagnosis of DCIS alone by CNB were retrospectively reviewed. Underestimation of invasive cancer by CNB was determined. Radiographic, pathologic, and surgical features of the cohort were compared using univariate and multivariate analysis. The mean age was 55 years (range 27-84) and mean follow-up was 25 months with one patient unavailable for follow-up. There were a total of six patient deaths, all of which were not disease-specific. A total of 21 out of 254 patients (8%) with DCIS by CNB were upstaged to invasive cancer following surgical excision. There was a significant inverse relationship between the number of core biopsies and the incidence of upstaging (p < 0.006) in that patients with fewer core samples were more likely to be upstaged at surgical pathology. No relationship was noted between the size of the core samples and the likelihood of upstaging (p > 0.4). Of 21 patients with invasion, all but two had comedonecrosis by CNB. Comedonecrosis by CNB significantly increased the likelihood of upstaging (p < 0.001). Of the 21 patients who were upstaged, 12 required subsequent surgery for nodal evaluation while nine had sentinel node biopsy at initial operation. Finally, upstaged patients were significantly more likely to have a positive margin (p < 0.008). Ductal carcinoma in situ with comedonecrosis on CNB can help to predict the possibility of invasion. Increasing the number of core biopsies reduced the likelihood of sampling error.Trajectories of Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Maternal Sensitivity, and Children's Functioning at School Entry
AbstractCampbell, S. B., Matestic, P., Von Stauffenberg, C., Mohan, R., & Kirchner, T. (n.d.).Publication year
2007Journal title
Developmental psychologyVolume
43Issue
5Page(s)
1202-1215AbstractUsing data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the authors modeled trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms from infant age 1 month to 7 years. The authors identified 6 trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms: high-chronic, moderate-increasing, high-decreasing, intermittent, moderate-stable, and low-stable. Women on these depression trajectories varied in sociodemographic risk and in changes in observed maternal sensitivity over time. Maternal sensitivity was generally higher and increased when depressive symptoms were low; sensitivity was lower and decreased when depressive symptoms were either high or increasing. Child outcomes at 1st grade were examined by trajectory group. The authors discuss the complexity of disentangling maternal symptoms from maternal sensitivity and sociodemographic risk when predicting children's functioning.Effects of alcohol on group formation among male social drinkers
AbstractKirchner, T. R., Sayette, M. A., Cohn, J. F., Moreland, R. L., & Levine, J. M. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Journal of Studies on AlcoholVolume
67Issue
5Page(s)
785-793AbstractObjective: Social factors affect alcohol use and misuse, yet researchers rarely study the acute effects of alcohol in groups. This study used systematic observation techniques to measure the effects of alcohol on behavioral responses during an initial group interaction. Method: Fifty-four male social drinkers were assembled into three-person groups of strangers, and all members of each group were administered either a 0.82 g/kg dose of alcohol or a placebo to be consumed during a 30-minute period. This social interaction was video recorded, and the duration and sequence of selected smiling and speech behaviors were coded on a 1-second time base. Results: Alcohol consumption increased individual- and group-level coordination of smiling and speech behaviors over time and improved self-reported bonding. Conclusions: These data suggest that alcohol may facilitate social bonding during initial group formation. Measuring behavioral responses in a social context provides new directions for studying the acute effects of alcohol.Effects of smoking urge on temporal cognition
AbstractSayette, M. A., Loewenstein, G., Kirchner, T. R., & Travis, T. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
Psychology of Addictive BehaviorsVolume
19Issue
1Page(s)
88-93AbstractThe authors examined temporal aspects of smoking urge. In Experiment 1, smokers assigned to high- or low-urge conditions were informed they would be allowed to smoke in 2.5 min. They next completed measures of time perception. High-urge smokers reported 45 s to pass significantly more slowly than did low-urge smokers. In Experiment 2, the high-urge smokers from Experiment 1 anticipated that their urges would climb steadily over the next 45 min if they were not permitted to smoke. Another group of high-urge smokers actually reported their urges over 45 min. These urge ratings did not show the steady rise anticipated by the first group. Results suggest that smoking urge may affect time perception and that craving smokers overpredict the duration and intensity of their own future smoking urges if they abstain.Effects of alcohol on risk-seeking behavior: A group-level analysis
AbstractSayette, M. A., Kirchner, T. R., Moreland, R. L., Levine, J. M., & Travis, T. (n.d.).Publication year
2004Journal title
Psychology of Addictive BehaviorsVolume
18Issue
2Page(s)
190-193AbstractAlthough much drinking occurs in social settings, there has been little testing of alcohol in groups. The authors examined the effects of alcohol on performance on a group decision-making task. Fifty-four unacquainted male social drinkers were randomly assigned to 3-person groups that consumed either alcohol (0.82 g/kg) or a placebo. After drinking, participants decided whether to complete a 30-min questionnaire battery or toss a coin and, pending the outcome of that toss, complete either no questionnaires or a 60-min battery. Alcohol groups were significantly more likely than placebo groups to choose the coin toss. Results highlight the potent effects of alcohol on group decision making and suggest that application of social psychological theory and methods to the study of alcohol is warranted.Effects of alcohol on controlled and automatic memory processes
AbstractKirchner, T. R., & Sayette, M. A. (n.d.).Publication year
2003Journal title
Experimental and Clinical PsychopharmacologyVolume
11Issue
2Page(s)
167-175AbstractThe authors used the process-dissociation procedure (L. L. Jacoby, 1998) to examine the effects of alcohol on controlled and automatic influences on memory performance. Participants studied 1 of 2 word lists and subsequently were cued with word stems to recall the words from both lists. Fifty-four men were administered either a moderate dose of alcohol (0.82 g/kg) or placebo prior to studying the word list. Results indicated that alcohol decreased estimates of controlled contributions to performance on the task. In contrast, alcohol did not appear to affect automatic influences on this task. Integrated with recent findings using a different cognitive task, these data suggest that alcohol impairs performance on implicit, conceptually driven tasks but not on implicit, perceptually driven tasks.Brain vasopressin and sodium appetite
AbstractFlynn, F. W., Kirchner, T. R., & Clinton, M. E. (n.d.).Publication year
2002Journal title
American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative PhysiologyVolume
282Issue
4Page(s)
R1236-44AbstractIntraventricular injections of vasopressin (VP) and antagonists with varying degrees of specificity for the VP receptors were used to identify the action of endogenous brain VP on 0.3 M NaCl intake by sodium-deficient rats. Lateral ventricular injections of 100 ng and 1 microg VP caused barrel rotations and a dramatic decrease in NaCl intake by sodium-deficient rats and suppressed sucrose intake. Intraventricular injection of the V(1)/V(2) receptor antagonist [d(CH(2))(5)(1),O-Et-Tyr(2),Val(4), Arg(8)]VP and the V(1) receptor antagonist [d(CH(2))(5)(1),O-Me-Tyr(2),Arg(8)]VP (MeT-AVP) significantly suppressed NaCl intake by sodium-deficient rats without causing motor disturbances. MeT-AVP had no effect on sucrose intake (0.1 M). In contrast, the selective V(2) receptor antagonist had no significant effect on NaCl intake. Last, injections of 100 ng MeT-AVP decreased mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), whereas 100 ng VP elevated MAP and pretreatment with MeT-AVP blocked the pressor effect of VP. These results indicate that the effects produced by 100 ng MeT-AVP represent receptor antagonistic activity. These findings suggest that the effect of exogenous VP on salt intake is secondary to motor disruptions and that endogenous brain VP neurotransmission acting at V(1) receptors plays a role in the arousal of salt appetite.