The Curtis Lab was established in 2013 and is supervised by Dr. Drew Curtis. The lab broadly researches clinical science and various aspects of deception. My research has focused on pathological lying, deception in healthcare and other relationships, and aspects of clinical science.

Current Research

  • The psychopathology of deception has received little attention. In 1891, Delbrück referred to pathological lying as pseudologia phantastica. Pathological Lying is not found in major nosologies such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; APA, 2013). Recently, I proposed a theory of pathological lying (Curtis, 2019) by implementing the psychopathology criteria of the four Fs (Curtis & Kelley, 2016).

    My recent work, with Dr. Chris Hart and Dr. Victoria Talwar, has been examining executive function deficits related to etiology. Additionally, I have been investigating differential diagnoses of pathological lying, cross-cultural prevalence, and empirically-supported treatments.

  • Our research examines various aspects of deception: psychotherapy (client and psychotherapist, health care professions, ethical use of deception, intimate relationships, parental relationships, attitudes, beliefs, attributions, motivations, effects of revealing lies, and scale development.

  • Our research examines various aspects of clinical science. Primarily this research examines psychomythology of psychopathology. We have also examined augmentative and alternative communication devices.

Student Researchers

  • Savannah Torres, M.S.

    I am a Counseling Psychology Psy.D. student at Angelo State. I work part-time as an LPC-Associate and currently do my doctoral practicum at Goodfellow Air Force Base, collaborating with licensed psychologists to support service members through assessments, fit-for-duty evaluations, and ongoing counseling. Since the 2023 school, I have been involved in Dr. Curtis’ research on pathological lying, where we’ve been exploring the complexities of lying and deception. Moving forward, we hope to contribute to future literature that could enhance diagnostic and treatment options for those affected by these matters and I look forward to the findings we continue to explore and discover!

  • Landri Luther

    I am currently a junior Psychology major at Angelo State University. After graduating with my undergraduate degree, I plan to pursue a Psy.d degree in Counseling Psychology with a focus on Psychology and Law. After receiving a Psy.d hopefully through the Angelo State program, I plan to become a Forensic Psychologist working in the court or prison system. Angelo State has given me everything I could ever need to reach my goals, and I am so excited to continue that theme through research. I am currently assisting Dr. Curtis with research pertaining to pathological liars and deception on an international scale. I am very excited to learn more about deception and its worldwide existence. 

  • Abigail Ketchum

    Abigail Ketchum is a pre-occupational therapy (OT) psychology major with a double minor in biology and music. Through her shadowing experience, she has observed many Alzheimer’s patients and has become interested in the role of OT in the treatment of this prevalent disease. Abigail is excited to be working with Dr. Curtis on this topic.