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David A. F. Haaga Professor Psychology

Degrees
AB, Psychology and Social Relations, Harvard College
MA, Psychology (Clinical) University of Southern California
PhD, Psychology (Clinical) University of Southern California

Bio
Dave Haaga is a Professor of Psychology and has been a faculty member at American University since 1989. Dr. Haaga received his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Southern California and completed postdoctoral training in cognitive therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. He has completed research on cigarette smoking and smoking cessation among depression-vulnerable smokers, with funding from the Office of Naval Research, the National Cancer Institute, and private foundations. His current research on stepped care in treating trichotillomania is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Haaga reviewed smoking cessation methods for the APA’s task force on empirically supported treatments, and he served as Editor of Behavior Therapy from 2002-2005.
See Also
Psychology Department
Gray Pscyhotherapy Training Clinic
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Teaching

Fall 2024

  • PSYC-633 Psychological Assessment I

  • PSYC-898 Doctoral Continuing Enrollment

Spring 2025

  • PSYC-630 Psychotherapy Theory,Res,Prac

Partnerships & Affiliations

  • Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
    Current Member, Editorial Board

  • Addictive Behaviors
    Current Member, Editorial Board

  • Clinical Psychology Review
    Current Member, Editorial Board

  • The Open Addiction Journal
    Current Member, Editorial Board

  • Cognitive Therapy and Research
    Associate Editor

  • Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
    Fellow

  • TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
    Scientific Advisory Board Member

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Selected Publications

  • Haaga, D. A. F., Dyck, M. J., & Ernst, D. (1991).  Empirical status of cognitive theory of depression.  Psychological Bulletin, 110, 215-236.
  • Haaga, D. A. F., & Stewart, B. L. (1992).  Self-efficacy for recovery from a lapse after smoking cessation.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 24-28. 
  • Haaga, D. A. F., & Beck, A. T. (1995).  Perspectives on depressive realism: Implications for cognitive theory of depression.  Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 41-48. 
  • Rabois, D., & Haaga, D. A. F. (1997).  Cognitive coping, history of depression, and cigarette smoking.   Annual Review of Addictions Treatment and Research [a special issue of Addictive Behaviors, 22, 789-796]. 
  • Compas, B. E., Haaga, D. A. F., Keefe, F. J., Leitenberg, H., & Williams, D. A. (1998).  Sampling of empirically supported psychological treatments from health psychology: Smoking, chronic pain, cancer, and bulimia nervosa.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 89-112. 
  • Haaga, D. A. F., Thorndike, F. P., Friedman-Wheeler, D. G., Pearlman, M. Y., & Wernicke, R. A. (2004).  Cognitive coping skills and depression vulnerability among cigarette smokers.  Addictive Behaviors, 29, 1109-1122.
  • Haaga, D. A. F., Hall, S. M., & Haas, A. (2006).  Participant factors in treating substance use disorders.  In L. G. Castonguay & L. E. Beutler (Eds.), Principles of therapeutic change that work (pp. 275-292).  Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Kapson, H. S., & Haaga, D. A. F. (2010).  Depression vulnerability moderates the effects of cognitive behavior therapy in a randomized controlled trial for smoking cessation.  Behavior Therapy, 41, 447-460.
  • Greenfield, M. F., Gunthert, K. C., & Haaga, D. A. F. (2011).  Sudden gains vs. gradual gains in a psychotherapy training clinic.  Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67, 17-30.  

  • Rogers, K., Banis, M., Falkenstein, M. J., Malloy, E. J., McDonough, L., Nelson, S. O., Rusch, N., & Haaga, D. A. F. (2014).  Stepped care in the treatment of trichotillomania. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 82, 361-367. 

  • Nelson, S. O., Rogers, K., Rusch, N., McDonough, L., Malloy, E. J., Falkenstein, M. J., Banis, M., & Haaga, D. A. F. (2014).  Validating indicators of treatment response: Application to trichotillomania.  Psychological Assessment, 26, 857-864.

  • Falkenstein, M. J., Conelea, C. A., Garner, L., & Haaga, D. A. F. (2018). Sensory over-responsivity in trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder).  Psychiatry Research, 260, 207-218.

  • McDonald, D., Kaufmann, A., & Haaga, D. A. F. (2018).  Development and validation of the Cigarette Smoking Consequences Looming Scale.  Addictive Behaviors, 87, 238-243.

 

Professional Services

       
  • 1994--1995 Associate Editor, Cognitive Therapy and Research
    •    
  • 1999  Program Chair, annual convention of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy.
    •    
  • 1996--2000 Associate Editor, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
    •    
  • 2001-- Member, Scientists group, World Health Organization project on "Adherence to Long-Term Therapies: Toward Policies for Action"
    •    
  • 2002--2005  Editor, Behavior Therapy
    •    
  • 2008-2011 Chair, Awards and Recognition Committee, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
  • 2009-2012 Chair, American University Institutional Review Board
  • 2012-- Associate Editor, Cognitive Therapy and Research

Grants and Sponsored Research

  • 1995-1996 Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy.  "Priming Irrational Beliefs in Recovered Depressed Patients."
  • 8/1/98--7/31/01 National Cancer Institute. "Cognitive Coping and Depression Among Cigarette Smokers" (1 R15 CA77732-01)
  • 5/1/00--4/30/02 Office of Naval Research "Psychological Sequelae of Smoking Cessation among Trauma Survivors" (N00014-00-1-0706)
  • 6/1/02--5/31/04 National Cancer Institute. "Applying Self-Regulatory Focus Theory to Cigarette Smoking Cessation" (1 R21 CA91829-01A1)
  • 9/1/04—8/31/07 NCI "Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Smoking Cessation" 2 R15 CA77732-02-A1.
  • 9/1/05—8/31/06 Maharishi University of Management Research Institute (subcontract on Abramson Family Foundation grant). "A Research and Demonstration Project on Effects of Consciousness Based Education on Neurophysiology, Cognitive Development and Health in College Students"
  • 9/1/06—8/31/07 Maharishi University of Management Research Institute (subcontract on Abramson Family Foundation grant). "Transcendental Meditation for College Students".
  • 4/1/09—6/1/11 R21 grant. "Motivational and Cognitive Intervention for Depressed and Anxious Drinkers" NIAAA. [Consultant] [Giao Tran, Ph.D. PI].
  • 5/1/10—4/30/13 NIMH “Stepped care in the treatment of trichotillomania” [PI].  1 R15MH086852-01A1. 

  • 1/1/13—12/31/14 Trichotillomania Learning Center, Inc.  “Efficacy of the COMB model of Treating Trichotillomania.”.

  • 8/1/15—7/31/19 National Cancer Institute (1R15CA198838-01).  Looming Vulnerability and Smoking Cessation Attempts.

  • 8/1/16—7/31/18 National Cancer Institute (3R15CA198838-01S1).  Supplement to Promote Diversity: Looming Vulnerability and Smoking Cessation Attempts

  • 1/1/18—12/31/19.  TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors. Randomized Controlled Trial of the Comprehensive Behavioral Model (COMB) of Treatment for Trichotillomania.

Professional Certifications

       
  • Licensed Psychologist, Washington DC (#1585)

Honors, Awards, and Fellowships

  • 1992 Faculty Honor Award for graduate teaching and advising. American University Graduate Student Council.
    •  
  • 1992 New Researcher Award. Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy.
  • 2003 Male Open division Runner of the Year, Montgomery County Road Runners Club
  • 2007 American University Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Research, Other Professional Contributions  
  • Honorable Mention, Running Times 2010 rankings of top American 45-49 year old male distance runners.

  • 2015 American University Award for Excellence in Doctoral Student Mentoring

  • 2015 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.  Outstanding Service to ABCT award.

  • 2015 Fellow, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

  • 2015 Fellow, Association for Psychological Science.

  • 2016 Elected to Science Advisory Board, TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors  

 

Professional Presentations

  • Haaga, D. A. F. (1992). Cognitive theory and therapy of depression. Invited colloquium. Millersville, PA.  Millersville University. Feb. 20, 1992. 
  • Haaga, D. A. F. (1997). Positive Aspects of the Task Force Recommendations.  In J. Weinberger (Chair), How Should We See the Task Force on Empirically-Validated Psychological Treatments Symposium presented at the annual convention of the Eastern Psychological Association. April 1997, Washington, DC.
  • Haaga, D. A. F. (1998). Trauma research in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. In E. Newman (Chair), Meet the Editors. Symposium presented at the annual convention of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Washington, DC.
  • Haaga, D. A. F. (2001, February 22). Stepped-Care Models in Psychotherapy. Grand Rounds. Department of Psychiatry. Georgetown University Medical Center.
  • Rohan, K. J., Lippy, R D., Seibert, C., Massac, A. I., Roecklein, K. A., Haaga, D. A. F. (2005, November). Cognitive vulnerability to depression across the seasonality continuum: A prospective, longitudinal study. Paper presented at the 39th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT). Washington, DC.
  • Haaga, D. A. F. (2006, February 17). Cognitive behavior therapy for depression-vulnerable cigarette smokers. Lombardi Cancer Center. Tumor biology speaker series. Georgetown University Medical Center.
  • Haaga, D. A. F. (2009). Anxiety, Depression, and Smoking. Keynote address at 3rd annual MDQUITS conference. University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
  • Haaga, D. A. F., & Falkenstein, M. J. (Co-chairs) (2013, Novmeber).  New developments in trichotillomania treatment research.  Symposium presented at the 47th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.  Nashville, TN
  • Haaga, D. A. F. (2014, November).  Stepped care in the treatment of trichotillomania. Invited keynote address to the Tic and Impulse Control Disorders Special Interest Group at the 48th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.  Philadelphia.  

Research Interests

Dr. Haaga conducts research on cigarette smoking, depression, and trichotillomania.  He is also interested in cognitive and behavioral assessment methods and cognitive behavior therapy processes and outcomes.