Dr. Leonard J. Simms
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Iowa
Office: 218 Park Hall
Phone: (716) 645-3650 x.218
E-mail (will open in a new window)

Summary of Research Interests:

My personal research program has evolved to encompass an overarching interest in measurement of and theory related to personality and psychopathology. More specifically, I am interested in applied and basic psychological assessment, dimensional models of personality and psychopathology, item response theory applications to personality measurement, and computerized adaptive testing.  Most recently, I have been involved in the development and validation of a trait measure of personality pathology and in studying structural relationships among dimensions underlying depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Representative Publications:

• Simms, L. J., Casillas, A., Clark, L. A., Watson, D., & Doebbeling, B. N. (2005). Psychometric evaluation of the restructured clinical scales of the MMPI-2. Psychological Assessment.
• Simms, L. J., & Clark, L. A. (2005). Validation of a computerized adaptive version of the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality. Psychological Assessment, 17, 28-43.
• Watson, D., Gamez, W., & Simms, L. J. (2005). Basic dimensions of temperament and their relation to anxiety and depression: A symptom-based perspective. Journal of Research in Personality, 39, 46-66.
• Simms, L. J. (in press). The Big Seven Model of Personality and its Relevance to Personality Pathology. Journal of Personality.
• Simms, L. J. (in press). Bridging the Divide: Comments on the Restructured Clinical Scales of the MMPI-2. Journal of Personality Assessment.
• Simms, L. J., & Clark, L. A. (in press). The Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP): A dimensional measure of traits relevant to personality and personality pathology. In S. Strack (Ed.), Differentiating Normal and Abnormal Personality (2nd ed.). New York: Springer.
• Simms, L. J., & Watson, D. (in press). The construct validation approach to personality scale construction. In R. Robins, C. Fraley, & R. Krueger (Eds.), Handbook of Research Methods in Personality Psychology. Guilford Press.
• Clark, L. A., Simms, L. J., Wu, K. D., & Casillas, A. (in press). Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (2nd ed.): Manual for administration, scoring, and interpretation.
• Simms, L. J., Watson, D., & Doebbeling, B. N. (2002). Confirmatory factor analyses of posttraumatic stress symptoms in deployed and non-deployed veterans of the Gulf War. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 637-647.
• Simms, L. J. (2002). The application of attachment theory to individual behavior and functioning in close relationships: Theory, research, and practical applications. In J. H. Harvey & A. Wenzel (Eds.), Maintenance and enhancement of close relationships: Vol. 2. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
• Simms, L. J., & Clark, L. A. (2001). Detection of deception on the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality: Validation of the validity scales. Assessment, 8, 251-266.
• Simms, L. J., & Clark, L. A. (2000). Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality [test review]. In J. Maltby, C. A. Lewis, & A. P. Hill (Eds.), Commissioned Reviews of 250 Psychological Tests (Vol. 1), pp. 397-402. Lampeter, Wales, UK: Edwin Mellen Press.