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Daniel Gustavson

Assistant Research Professor

Institute for Behavioral Genetics

Institute for Behavioral Genetics
University of Colorado Boulder
447 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0447

Research Interests:

The interplay between individual differences in executive functions, everyday acts self-regulation (e.g., procrastination), and important mood variables (e.g., trait anxiety)

Active Grants:

NIA R03 AG065643 (Gustavson) 9/1/2020 - 5/31/2023. The Role of Executive Functions in Cognitive Aging and Risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment. Role: Principal Investigator

Publications

Google scholar

Genetic Relations Among Procrastination, Impulsivity, and Goal-Management Ability: Implications for the Evolutionary Origin of Procrastination

CU Boulder Authors: Miyake, Akira; Hewitt, John K; Gustavson, Daniel E; Friedman, Naomi P

All Authors: Gustavson DE; Miyake A; Hewitt JK; Friedman NP

Published in: Psychological Science
Publication Date: 2014-06-01
Type: Journal Article

Recruiting

Dr. Gustavson is recruiting graduate students for fall 2023. Consult the prospective students page, and contact Dr. Gustavson for more information.

Highlighted Publications

How Well Does Subjective Cognitive Decline Correspond to Objectively Measured Cognitive Decline? Assessment of 10–12 Year Change

This study compared participant-rated and informant-rated measures of subjective cognitive decline to participants' actual cognitive changes in episodic memory and executive function across 10-12 years in midlife (mean age 56, 62, and 68). Participant-reported decline was only modestly associated with objective decline for memory (β= –0.23) and executive function (β= –0.19), with ratings more strongly associated with concurrent depression and anxiety symptoms (β= 0.44). Results were similar for informant measures (though their ratings were less associated with participants' mood), suggesting that ratings of subjective cognitive decline capture only a small portion of variance in actual cognitive changes across middle age.

(Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2021)

Genetic-correlation matrix generated by genomic structural equation modeling (SEM) for Aim 2 and Aim 3 analyses involving all study measures.

The Latent Genetic Structure of Impulsivity and Its Relation to Internalizing Psychopathology

Using genomic SEM, we evaluated the genetic factor structure of two impulsivity questionnaires and their associations with internalizing psychopathology and delay discounting based on GWAS summary statistics. A five-factor model of impulsivity best fit the data, with the two urgency subscales most strongly relating to internalizing psychopathology, and all five facets of impulsivity genetically distinct from delay discounting. Findings support impulsivity as a multi-faceted construct with differential relevance to mental health.

(Psychological Science, 2020)

Model of the genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and non-shared environmental influences (E) on internalizing and externalizing psychopathology at age 41

Internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in middle age: genetic and environmental architecture and stability of symptoms over 15 to 20 years

This twin study examined the extent to which internalizing and externalizing factors (based on diagnostic interviews) in midlife (age 41) predicted similar factors (based on self-reported measures) 15 to 21 years later. Internalizing psychopathology at age 41 was correlated with latent factors capturing anxiety, depression, and/or post-traumatic stress symptoms at ages 56 (r = 0.51) and 62 (r = 0.43) while Externalizing psychopathology at age 41 was correlated r = 0.67 with a latent factor capturing aggression, tobacco use, and alcohol use at age 56. Stability of both factors was driven by genetic influences, demonstrating the considerable stability of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology symptoms across middle age.

(Psychological Medicine, 2019)

Stability of genetic and environmental influences on executive functions in midlife.

This twin study investigated the longitudinal stability of genetic and environmental influences on executive function across two waves of the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (mean age 56 and 62). Despite substantial mean-level performance decline in common executive function ability (based on 7 neuropsychological tests at each wave), phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations were nearly 1.0 for both common executive function and working memory-specific latent factors across the two waves. These results suggest that there is substantial decline in executive function abilities across middle age but that individual differences are almost perfectly stable.

(Psychology and Aging, 2018)

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People at IBG

Daniel Gustavson

Research Interests:

Active Grants:

Publications

Google scholar

Genetic Relations Among Procrastination, Impulsivity, and Goal-Management Ability: Implications for the Evolutionary Origin of Procrastination

Pages

Recruiting

Highlighted Publications

How Well Does Subjective Cognitive Decline Correspond to Objectively Measured Cognitive Decline? Assessment of 10–12 Year Change

The Latent Genetic Structure of Impulsivity and Its Relation to Internalizing Psychopathology

Internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in middle age: genetic and environmental architecture and stability of symptoms over 15 to 20 years

Stability of genetic and environmental influences on executive functions in midlife.

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People at IBG

Daniel Gustavson

Research Interests:

Active Grants:

Publications

Google scholar

Genetic Relations Among Procrastination, Impulsivity, and Goal-Management Ability: Implications for the Evolutionary Origin of Procrastination

Pages

Recruiting

Highlighted Publications

How Well Does Subjective Cognitive Decline Correspond to Objectively Measured Cognitive Decline? Assessment of 10–12 Year Change

The Latent Genetic Structure of Impulsivity and Its Relation to Internalizing Psychopathology

Internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in middle age: genetic and environmental architecture and stability of symptoms over 15 to 20 years

Stability of genetic and environmental influences on executive functions in midlife.