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Washington State University
College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology

G. Leonard Burns

Professor

Ph.D. University of Connecticut, 1985

Contact Information

Email: glburns@wsu.edu
Office: Johnson Tower 212
Phone: (509) 335-8229

Classes Taught

  • Psychology 514: Psychometrics (Measurement Theory and Applied Confirmatory Factor Analysis)
  • Psychology 516: Applied Structural Equation Modeling

Professional Associations

Fellow, Association for Psychological Science

Fellow, American Psychological Association (Divisions 5, 12, and 53)

Research Interests

My research uses latent variable models to study child and adolescent psychopathology. A particular focus is on the development and validation of measurement procedures to better understand the occurrence of child and adolescent psychopathology within and across settings/cultures.

Current Research

My current research focuses mostly on cognitive disengagement syndrome.

Publications

Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome

  1. Başay, O., Çiftçi, E., Becker, S. P., & Burns, L. (2021). Validity of sluggish cognitive tempo in Turkish children and adolescents. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 52, 191-199.
  2. Becker, S. P., Epstein, J. N., Burns, G. L., Fershtman, C. E. M., Mossing, K. W., Schmitt, A. P., Vaughn, A. J., Zoromski, A. K., Peugh, J. L., Simon, J. O., & Tamm, L. (2022). Academic functioning in children with and without sluggish cognitive tempo. Journal of School Psychology, 95, 105-120.
  3. Becker, S. P., Mossing, K. W., Zoromski, A. K., Vaughn, A. J., Epstein, J. N., Tamm, L., & Burns, G. L.(2020). Assessing sluggish cognitive tempo and ADHD inattention in elementary students: Empirical differentiation, invariance across sex and grade, and measurement precision. Psychological Assessment, 32, 1047–1056.
  4. Becker, S. P., Willcutt, E. G., Leopold, D. R., Fredrick, J. W., Smith, Z. R., Jacobson, L. A., Burns, G. L., Mayes, S. D., Waschbusch, D. A., Froehlich, T. E., McBurnett, K., Servera, M., & Barkley, R. A. (2023). Report of a work group on sluggish cognitive tempo: Key research directions and a consensus change in terminology to cognitive disengagement syndrome.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 62, 629-645. 
  5. Burns, G. L., Becker, S. P., Geiser, C., Leopold, D. R., & Willcutt, E. G. (2020). Are sluggish cognitive tempo, ADHD, and oppositional defiant disorder trait or state-like constructs from pre-kindergarten to fourth grade?  Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 49, 460-468.
  6. Burns, G. L., Becker, S. P., Servera, M., Bernad, M., M., & García-Banda, G. (2017). Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and ADHD Inattention in the Home and School Contexts: Parent and Teacher Invariance and Cross-Setting Validity.  Psychological Assessment, 29, 209-220.
  7. Burns, G. L. & Becker, S. P. (2021). Sluggish cognitive tempo and ADHD in nationally representative U.S. children: Empirical and clinical differentiation using categorical and dimensional approaches.  Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 50, 267-280.
  8. Burns, G. L., Preszler, J., Ahnach, A., Servera, M., & Becker, S. P. (2022). Multisource network and latent variable models of sluggish cognitive tempo, ADHD-inattentive, and depressive symptoms with Spanish Children: Equivalent findings and recommendations.  Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 50, 881-894.
  9. Fredrick, J. W., Burns, G. L., Langberg, J. M., Becker, S. P. (2022). Examining the structural and external validity of the Adult Concentration Inventory for assessing sluggish cognitive tempo in adults. Assessment, 29, 1742-1755.
  10. Jung, S., Lee, S., Burns, G. L., & Becker, S. P. (2021). Internal and external validity of self-report and parent-report measures of sluggish cognitive tempo in South Korean adolescents, Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 43, 355-366.
  11. Preszler, J., Burns, G. L., Litson, K., Geiser, C., Servera, M., & Becker, S. P. (2019). How consistent is sluggish cognitive tempo across occasions, sources, and settings? Evidence from latent state-trait modeling. Assessment, 29, 99-110.
  12. Sáez, B., Servera, M., Becker, S. P. & Burns, G. L. (2019). Optimal Items for Assessing Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Children across Mother, Father, and Teacher Ratings. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 48, 825-839.
  13. Sáez, , Servera, M., Burns, G. L., & Becker, S. P. (2019). Advancing the multi-informant assessment of sluggish cognitive tempo: Child self-report in relation to parent and teacher ratings of sluggish cognitive tempo and impairment.  Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 47, 35-46.
  14. Servera, M.,Sáez, B., Burns, G. L., & Becker, S. P. (2018). Clinical differentiation of sluggish cognitive tempo and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 127, 818-829. 

Test Development Research on Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory Publications

  1. Burns, G. L., Geiser, C., Servera, M., & Becker, S. P. (2023). Consistency and source specificity of symptom ratings for Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory Scales with mother, father, and teacher ratings of Spanish children. Psychological Assessment, 34, 827-837.
  2. Burns, G. L., Preszler, J., & Becker, S. P. (2021). Psychometric and normative information on the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory in a nationally representative sample of United States children. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
  3. Burns, G. L., Servera, M., & Becker, S. P. (2021). Psychometric properties and initial normative information on the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory with mother, father, and teacher ratings of Spanish Children.  Psicothema, 33, 139-145.
  4. Burns, G. L., & Becker, S. P. (2021). Convergent and discriminant validity of the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory Scale scores with well-established psychopathology and achievement measures in adolescents with ADHD.

Application of the Bifactor S – 1 Model to Child Psychopathology

  1. Burns, G. L., Geiser, C., Servera, M., Becker, S. P., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2020). Application of the bifactor S – 1 model to multisource ratings of ADHD/ODD symptoms: An appropriate bifactor model for symptom ratings. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 48, 881-894.
  2. Burns, G. L., Geiser, C., Servera, M., Becker, S. P., & Beauchaine, T. D. (2020). Promises and pitfalls of latent variable approaches to understanding psychopathology: Reply to Burke and Johnston, Eid, Junghänel and colleagues, and Willoughby. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 48, 917-922.
  3. Heinrich, M., Geiser, M., Zagorscak, P., Burns, G. L., Bohn, J., Becker, S. P., Eid, M., Beauchaine, T. P., & Knaevelsrud, C. (2021). On the meaning of the “P-Factor” in symmetrical bifactor models of psychopathology: Recommendations for future research from the bifactor-(S−1) perspective. Assessment. Advance online publication.

Application of Latent State-Trait Model to Child Psychopathology

  1. Burns, G. L., Becker, S. P., Geiser, C., Leopold, D. R., & Willcutt, E. G. (2020). Are sluggish cognitive tempo, ADHD, and oppositional defiant disorder trait or state-like constructs from pre-kindergarten to fourth grade?  Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 49, 460-468.
  2. Litson, K., Geiser, C., Burns, G. L., & Servera, M. (2018). Trait and State Variance in Multi-Informant Assessments of ADHD and Academic Impairment in Spanish First-Grade Children.  Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 47, 699-712.
  3. Preszler, J., Burns, G. L., Litson, K., Geiser, C., & Servera, M. (2017). Trait and State Variance in Oppositional Defiant Disorder Symptoms: A Multi-Source Investigation with Spanish Children. Psychological Assessment, 29, 135-147.
  4. Preszler, J., Burns, G. L., Litson, K., Geiser, C., Servera, M., & Becker, S. P. (2019). How consistent is sluggish cognitive tempo across occasions, sources, and settings? Evidence from latent state-trait modeling. Assessment, 29, 99-110.
  5. Seijas, R., Servera, M., Garcia-Banda, G., Burns, G. L., Preszler, J., Barry, C., Litson, K., & Geiser, C. (2019). Consistency of limited prosocial emotions across occasions, sources, and settings: Trait- or state-like construct in a young community sample?  Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 47, 47–58.

Network Models of Child Psychopathology

  1. Burns, G. L., Preszler, J., Ahnach, A., Servera, M., & Becker, S. P. (2022). Multisource Network and Latent Variable Models of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, ADHD-Inattentive, and Depressive Symptoms with Spanish Children: Equivalent Findings and Recommendations.  Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology.
  2. Preszler, J., & Burns, G. L. (2019). Network Analysis of ADHD and ODD Symptoms: Novel insights or redundant findings with the latent variable model? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 47, 1599-1610.
  3. Preszler, J., Burns, G. L., Becker, S. P., & Servera, M. (2022).  Multisource longitudinal network and latent variable model analyses of ADHD symptoms.  Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 51, 211-218.

Limited Prosocial Emotions Specifier

  1. Chrysosferidis, J. R., Burns, G. L., Becker, S. P., Beauchaine, T. P., & Servera, M. (2023). Oppositional Defiant Disorder in the DSM-5: Does the limited prosocial emotions specifier portend a more severe clinical presentation?  Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 51, 1037-1050.
  2. Seijas, R., Servera, M., Garcia-Banda, G., Burns, G. L., Preszler, J., Barry, C., Litson, K., & Geiser, C. (2019). Consistency of limited prosocial emotions across occasions, sources, and settings: Trait- or state-like construct in a young community sample?  Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 47, 47–58.
  3. Seijas, R., Servera, M., Garcia-Banda, G., Barry, C., & Burns, G. L. (2018). Evaluation of a four-item DSM-5 limited prosocial emotions specifier scale within and across settings with Spanish children.  Psychological Assessment, 30, 474-485.
  4. Servera, M. Seijas, R., García-Banda, G., Barry, C. T., Beauchaine, T. P., & Burns, G. L. (2020). Longitudinal associations of callous/unemotional and oppositional defiant behaviors over a three-year interval for Spanish children.  Development and Psychopathology, 32, 481-490.

Quantitative Articles and Chapters

  1. Geiser, C., Hintz, F. A., Burns, G. L., & Servera, M. (2020). Latent variable modeling of person-situation data. In J. F. Rauthmann, R. Sherman, & D. C. Funder (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Psychological Situations (pp. 230-252).  New York: Oxford University Press.
  2. Geiser, C., Hintz, F. A., Burns, G. L., & Servera, M. (2021). Multitrait-multimethod-multioccasion modeling of personality data. In J. F. Rauthmann (Ed.), Handbook of personality dynamics and processes (pp 909-934).  Elsevier.
  3. Geiser, C., Hintz, F. A., Burns, G. L., & Servera, M. (2021). Longitudinal structural equation modeling of personality data. In J. F. Rauthmann (Ed.),Handbook of personality dynamics and processes (pp. 949-984).  Elsevier.
  4. Geiser, C., Hintz, F., Burns, G. L., & Mateu, S. (2019). Structural equation modeling of multiple-indicator multimethod-multioccasion data: A primer.  Personality and Individual Differences, 136, 79-89.
  5. Hintz F. A., Geiser C., Burns G. L., & Servera, M. (2019) Examining quadratic relationships between traits and methods in two multitrait-multimethod models. Frontiers in Psychology. 10:353.
  6. Molina, J., Servera, M., & Burns, G. L. (2020). Structure of ADHD/ODD Symptoms in Spanish Preschool Children: Dangers of confirmatory factor analysis for evaluation of rating scales.  Assessment, 27, 1748-1757.

Leonard Burns