Girard | Faculty Fellow Pilot Project

Project Title

Computational Assessment of Communicative Behaviors in Posttraumatic Stress

Project Leader

Jeffrey Girard, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology; Program Director, Brain, Behavior & Quantitative Science Program; M. Erik Wright Scholar; Co-Director of the Kansas Data Science Consortium

Project Summary

This research proposal aims to develop a novel, scalable model for assessing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using automated analysis of patients’ behavioral reaction to trauma-related tasks. The team will use computational techniques, such as natural language processing and audiovisual analysis, to evaluate facial expressions, gestures, voice patterns, and language use. The project builds on pilot studies that have demonstrated the feasibility of these methods and aims to improve PTSD diagnosis by addressing the limitations of self-report questionnaires and clinical interviews. By refining these tools and exploring gender differences in expressive behavior, the team hopes to create a more accessible and accurate means of identifying PTSD, leading to better patient outcomes and informing future large-scale studies.