Richard Yi, Ph.D.

Richard Yi, Ph.D. photo
  • Professor, Department of Psychology
  • Director, Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment
  • **Accepting graduate student applications for the 2027-28 academic year**

Contact Info

Dole Human Development Center, Room #3062
1000 Sunnyside Ave
Lawrence, KS 66045

Personal Links

Biography —

Richard Yi is Professor in the Department of Psychology, and Director of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment.

Education —

Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, Stony Brook University (NY)
M.A. in Psychology, Stony Brook University (NY)
B.A. in Psychology & English, Lafayette College (PA)

Research —

Richard Yi employs behavioral economic approaches to examine basic decision and behavioral processes associated with health, with focus on valuation of delayed outcomes (delay discounting) and dynamic inconsistency as principal factors in addiction and relapse. His research also explores approaches to remediate accelerated delay discounting associated with health-compromising behaviors. He is broadly interested in the intersection of intertemporal and interpersonal decision-making.

Selected Publications —

Foxx, R. K., Taylor, H., Castro, Smith, A. P., Yurasek, A. M., & Yi, R. (2022). Single- and cross-commodity delay discounting of cannabis. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 84(1), 58-66. doi: 10.15288/jsad.21-00321

Taylor, H., Smith, A. P., & Yi, R. (2023). The future value of alcohol in cross-commodity delay discounting is associated with alcohol use and consequences. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 37, 166-176. doi: 10.1037/adb0000863

Hudson, J. E., Grunevski, S., Sebelius. J., & Yi, R. (2024). Art-delivered episodic future thinking reduces delay discounting: A proof-of-concept trial. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 158, 209255. doi: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209255

Kurnellas, R., Sutton, C., Gelino, B., *Taylor, H., Smith, A. P., Reed, D., & Yi, R. (2025). Projected alcohol demand in college students with heavy drinking. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 123(3), 389-399. doi: 10.1002/jeab.70006

Kurnellas, R., Sutton, C., Jun, D., Taylor, H., Smith, A. P., Foxx, R., Yurasek, A., & Yi, R. (2025). Current and projected cannabis demand predict future consumption in young adults who use cannabis. Cannabis. 8(3), 56–71 doi: 10.26828/cannabis/2025/000324

Kim, E., Kurnellas, R., Grunevski, S., Felton, J. W., & Yi, R. (in press). A novel method to assess delay discounting indicates greater ambivalence for delayed rewards. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Selected Presentations —

Is addiction rational? University of Vermont Annual T32 Retreat. Vergennes, VT. August 2023.

Valuation of delayed alcohol and hyper-palatable food: caveats to Reinforcer Pathology Model? University of Florida Center for Behavioral Economic Health Research (CBEHR), Virtual. February 2025.

Environmental contexts that impact intertemporal decision making and substance misuse. University of Nebraska Rural Drug Addiction Research Center (RDAR). Lincoln, NE. April 2025.

Of past and future desserts. Celebrating Warren Bickel's impact on behavior analysis (and vice versa). Symposium presentation at the annual meeting of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, Washington DC. May 2025

Awards & Honors —

Fellow, American Psychological Association Division 28 2021
Finalist, KU Honor for the Outstanding Progressive Educator (H.O.P.E.) Award 2021

Grants & Other Funded Activity —

Improving Decision Making to Prevent Substance Misuse among Adolescents from Traditionally Underserved Communities (NIH/NIDA R34 DA056732-01)
Role: Co-Principal Investigator (PI: Julia Felton)
Status: active on NCE

An Examination of the Joint Contributions of Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Genetics, and COVID-19 on the Development of Delay Discounting and Substance Use across Adolescence (NIH/NIDA R01 DA057552-01)
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Jill Rabinowitz)
Status: active

Novel Intervention Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Need to Reduce Barriers to Exercise and Increase Adherence to Achieve Optimal Health Benefits (NIH/NIA R61/R33 AG078087-01)
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Laura Martin)
Status: active

Service —

  • Member, KU University Committee on Promotion & Tenure 2021-2023
  • Awards Chair, APA Division 28 2019-2024
  • Standing Member, IPTA study section, NIH 2021-2025

Memberships —

  • American Psychological Association (APA): Division 25, 28, 50
  • Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)
  • College on Problem of Drug Dependence (CPDD)
  • Society for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior (SQAB)