Biography

I am currently an assistant professor in the APA Accredited Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Bowling Green State University.

My research (and the research of the SPARTA lab) falls primarily into three domains: the scientific study of addiction, personality, and religion (particularly as it relates to addiction and personality).

The largest portion of my current research program is concerned with addiction. I am particularly interested in topics related to behavioral addictions or compulsive behavior patterns. My specific interests in these domains are in the social and structural factors that shape self-perception and how self-reported beliefs about addiction influence presentation of symptoms, which, in turn, influence diagnosis, classification, and treatment of addictive behaviors. In short, I am interested in how society and environment affect self-perception of addictive behaviors and how that self-perception interacts with the addiction. I have past and ongoing projects related to self-reported problematic internet pornography use, hypersexual behavior more broadly, and problematic gambling behaviors.

With regards to personality, I am particularly interested in the role that specific personality traits play in influencing the experience and expression of psychopathology. In this vein, I generally study narcissistic traits such as entitlement, grandiosity, and antagonism.

With regards to religion and spirituality, I have a particular interest in the religious and spiritual struggles, crises of faith, religiously-based moral emotions, feelings of doubt or exit from faith, and the role of personality in shaping religious and spiritual experiences. Specifically, I am interested in what people experience when religion “goes wrong.”

In addition to these domains, I am also interested promoting replicability, reproducibility, and transparency in the scientific process. I strive to conduct my research in accordance with current standards of transparency and openness, and I encourage my students to do the same. You can find more information about my current projects at my Open Science Framework page (link available below profile picture) and a complete list of my publications at my Google Scholar page (link available below profile picture).

The SPARTA lab (Science of Personality, Addiction, and Religion, Throughout Adulthood) at Bowling Green State University is comprised of myself, my current graduate students, and a number of undergraduate students. At this point in time, our research group has several lines of research in various stages of development. Current projects include studies of spirituality and Tantra, examininations of pathological gambling and religious and spiritual wellbeing, examinations of the process and effects of leaving a religious group, studies of sexuality and spiritual functioning, and studies of how self-perception influences one’s interpretation of their own behaviors. Current graduate student members of our lab include Brandon Gordon, Jenny Grant, Joel Engelman, Shanti James, Brinna Lee, and (as of Fall, 2019) Camille Hoagland.

We are hoping to add one additional graduate student lab member for the Fall of 2020. If you are interested in applying to work with us in the SPARTA Lab, information on applying to BGSU’s clinical psychology PhD program is available here: https://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/psychology/graduate-program/prospective-students.html

Please note, the deadline for application is December 1st, 2019.

The SPARTA lab has a number of ongoing projects, many of which have been supported by external funding mechanisms. In addition, we have a number of new funding applications in preparation or under review. Below, you can see summaries of those projects.

The students in the SPARTA lab have a number of research projects going on involving sexuality, behavioral addictions (such as gambling or compulsive sexuality), religious and spiritual struggles, religious disaffiliation, and internet pornography use habits. Please click on any student below to learn more about their research and the research of the SPARTA lab.

Over the years I have written a number of popular media summaries relevant to my research, my experiences as a clinical psychological scientist, and my experiences as a professor. Below, you can find links to these various posts.

• GrubbsJ@BGSU.edu
• 1-419-372-2045
• Office 246, Psychology Building, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43443
• Email for appointment