Jake Kraft

Jake Kraft is an Assistant Professor within the clinical program of the Department of Psychology at the University of South Dakota. He holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Oklahoma State University (2022) and is a Licensed Psychologist with the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists.

• Ph D, Clinical Psychology, Oklahoma State University, 2022
• MS, Clinical Psychology, Oklahoma State University, 2019
• BA, Psychology, Augsburg University, 2016

Dr. Kraft's research program focuses on documenting cognitive and physiological processes within anxiety and related disorders to better inform treatment. At the PAWS Lab (Psychophysiology of Anxiety, Worry, and Stress Lab), he employs techniques including event-related potentials, time-frequency analyses, skin conductance, electrocardiography, and heart-rate variability to capture cognitive impairments such as executive function and attention deficits. His long-term goal involves using noninvasive brain stimulation techniques like tACS to target disease-specific and transdiagnostic physiological and cognitive processes.

His publication record shows a strong emphasis on anxiety disorders, particularly weather anxiety and social anxiety, with recent work examining attentional biases, emotional processing, and the influence of self-focused attention. His research integrates clinical psychology with affective neuroscience, creating a bridge between basic science and clinical applications.

Dr. Kraft teaches undergraduate courses including General Psychology, Psychopathology, Research Methods, and Biological Psychology, and graduate courses such as Cognitive and Personality Assessment and Psychopathology. He also serves as a clinical supervisor for the Psychological Service Center.

As director of the PAWS Lab, Dr. Kraft leads research examining the cognitive and physiological underpinnings of anxiety and stress disorders, with particular focus on how these mechanisms maintain symptoms and how they might be targeted for treatment improvement.