Degree/Date: MA, 2016; PhD, 2020

Institution: Stony Brook University

Specialization: Clinical Psychology

Degree/Date: Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2023

Institution: Columbia University

Specialization: Psychiatric Epidemiology (Public Health) 

Dr. Finsaas is interested in the phenomenon of separation anxiety, particularly as it is experienced by adults. Separation anxiety means impairing anxiety that arises in response to actual or impending separation from another person. It can be experienced by adults in the context of romantic relationships, for example, when a partner goes on a business trip. Sometimes, it shows up in the form of somatic symptoms (a stomachache before a trip), aggression (don't you dare leave me!), or incompetence (I can't do this without you). It is a relatively prevalent clinical problem--epidemiological studies show that about 1 in 15 adults will experience it in their lifetimes--and people who experience it fare more poorly in psychiatric treatments, both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic.

Her work in this area focuses in particular on how the ways in which one represents self versus other in the mind relates to separation difficulties, as well as on the measurement of separation problems. A current project includes developing a new tool to assess common modern ways of relating and regulating distance/closeness in relationships, namely, texting and social media use.

More generally, she works on questions of continuity and comorbidity of psychological disorders across development.

Finally, Dr. Finsaas teaches statistics and conducts research with a group of colleagues on interactions in linear regression. She has created and co-created two Shiny web applications (http://3dinteractions.com/ and https://mfinsaas.shinyapps.io/InteractionPoweR/) for researchers in the community to use.

Baranger, D. A., Finsaas, M., Goldstein, B., Vize, C., Lynam, D., & Olino, T. (in press). Tutorial: Power analyses for interaction effects in cross-sectional regressions. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Sciences.

Finsaas, M. C., & Klein, D. N. (2023). Is adult separation anxiety associated with offspring risk for internalizing psychiatric problems?. Psychological Medicine, 53(7), 3168-3177.

Goldstein, B. L., Finsaas, M. C., Olino, T. M., Kotov, R., Grasso, D. J., & Klein, D. N. (2023). Three-variable systems: An integrative moderation and mediation framework for developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 35(1), 12-23.

Olino, T. M., Finsaas, M. C., Dyson, M. W., Carlson, G. A., & Klein, D. N. (2022). A multimethod, multiinformant study of early childhood temperament and depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescence. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science.

Finsaas, M. C., & Klein, D. N. (2021). Adult separation anxiety: Personality characteristics of a neglected clinical syndrome. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 130(6), 620.

Finsaas, M. C., & Goldstein, B. L. (2021). Do simple slopes follow-up tests lead us astray? Advancements in the visualization and reporting of interactions. Psychological Methods, 26(1), 38.

Finsaas, M. C., Olino, T. M., Hawes, M., Mackin, D. M., & Klein, D. N. (2020). Psychometric analysis of the adult separation anxiety symptom questionnaire: Item functioning and invariance across gender and time. Psychological Assessment, 32(6), 582.

Finsaas, M. C., Kessel, E. M., Dougherty, L. R., Bufferd, S. J., Danzig, A. P., Davila, J., ... & Klein, D. N. (2020). Early childhood psychopathology prospectively predicts social functioning in early adolescence. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 49(3), 353-364.

Finsaas, M. C., Bufferd, S. J., Dougherty, L. R., Carlson, G. A., & Klein, D. N. (2018). Preschool psychiatric disorders: Homotypic and heterotypic continuity through middle childhood and early adolescence. Psychological Medicine, 48(13), 2159-2168.