Renee Thompson

Renee Thompson

​Associate Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences
PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
BS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

contact info:

mailing address:

  • Washington University
    CB 1125
    One Brookings Drive
    St. Louis, MO 63130-4899

​Renee Thompson’s research centers on understanding the everyday emotional experience in individuals diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. She is principal investigator of the Emotion and Mental Health Lab.

Thompson uses multi-method approaches, including ecological momentary assessment, to examine affective instability and other temporal dynamics of emotional experience. She is also interested in how components of emotion regulation (e.g., emotional awareness) and interpersonal factors (e.g., perceived rejection) affect the emotional experience of depressed, anxious, and healthy samples. 

Selected Publications

Eckland, N. S., Leyro, T. M., Mendes, W. B., & Thompson, R. J. (in press). A multi-method Investigation of the association between emotional clarity and empathy. Emotion. 

Liu, D. Y., & Thompson, R. J. (in press). Selection and implementation of emotion regulation strategies in major depressive disorder: An integrative review. Clinical Psychology Review. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.07.004 

Boden, M. T., & Thompson, R. J. (2017). Meta-analysis of the association between emotional clarity and attention to emotions. Emotion Review, 9, 79-85. doi:10.1177/1754073915610640 

Thompson, R. J., Boden, M. T. & Gotlib, I. H. (2017). Emotional variability and clarity in categorical and dimensional assessments of depression and social anxiety. Cognition and Emotion, 31, 98-108. doi:10.1080/02699931.2015.1084908 

*Wu, H., Mata, J., Furman, D. J., Whitmer, A. J., Gotlib, I. H., & Thompson, R. J. (2017). Anticipatory and consummatory pleasure and displeasure in Major Depressive Disorder: An experience sampling study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 126, 149-159. doi: 10.1037/abn0000244 

Thompson, R. J.,  Kircanski, K., & Gotlib, I. H. (2016). The grass is not as green as you think: Affect evaluation in people with internalizing disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 203, 233-240. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2016.06.006