Joshua Grubbs

Associate Professor

Photo: Joshua Grubbs
Email: 
JoshuaGrubbs12@unm.edu
Office: 
Logan Hall, 176
Education: 
Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University
Personal Website
 
Curriculum vitae
 

Research Interests:

  • Behavioral Addiction (e.g., gambling, compulsive sexual behaviors)
  • Intersection of Sports Gambling and Alcohol Use
  • Veterans’ Health
  • Post-Traumatic Stress and Addiction
  • Technologically Mediated Sexual Behaviors

Profile:

Accepting Students?  Dr. Grubbs is interested in accepting a new student for Fall 2026.  Email Dr. Grubbs if you are interested in pursuing graduate studies in Dr. Grubbs lab.

Joshua Grubbs, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico and an investigator at the Center on Alcohol, Substance use, and Addictions, where he studies compulsive sexual behavior disorder, gambling disorder, and personality traits. He is especially interested in the social construction of addiction and understanding what leads people feel out of control in their behavior. More simply, he studies how people come to think of themselves as having a behavioral addiction and why people might arrive at the conclusion that they have a behavioral addiction. Additionally, Dr. Grubbs is especially interested in veteran health and the experiences of U.S. Armed Forces veterans dealing with compulsive, excessive, or out-of-control behaviors.

Beyond Work Activities

Dr. Grubbs is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys all the amazing activities that New Mexico has to offer such as hiking, fishing, mountain biking, and off roading. He is also a self-described barbecue afficionado, and when he’s not working on spending time with his family, you can probably find him smoking a pork shoulder for 22 hours or roasting chiles on his smoker.

Selected Publications

Grubbs, J. B., & Boness, C. L. (2025). Thinking beyond substances: Why behavioral “addiction” research must move past substance use disorder paradigms. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000970

Grubbs, J. B., Connolly, A. J., Floyd, C. G., Kim, H. S., & Kraus, S. W. (2024). Impulsivity and diverse forms of sports wagering in the U.S.: An examination of the UPPS-P model. Addictive Behaviors, 108058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108058

Grubbs, J. B., Connolly, A. J., Graupensperger, S., Kim, H. S., & Kraus, S. W. (2025). Sports Gambling and Drinking Behaviors Over Time. JAMA Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.0024

Grubbs, J. B., & Floyd, C. G. (2025). Moral Incongruence After 10 Years: A Developmental and Narrative Review. Current Addiction Reports, 12(1), 61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-025-00675-2

Grubbs, J. B., & Kraus, S. W. (2024). Binge Drinking Among Sports Gamblers. JAMA Network Open, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.5473

Grubbs, J. B., Tahk, R., Chapman, H., Milner, L. A., & Kraus, S. W. (2024). Substance use disorders among armed forces veterans with gambling disorder: Insights from an inpatient treatment sample. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 177, 82–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.06.044

Courses Taught

  • PSYC 2110 Social Psychology

Lab

Dr. Grubbs directs the Behavioral Addictions And Associated Disorders (BAAAD) Lab.  The BAAAD lab is primarily concerned with understanding the causes and associates of the so-called behavioral “addictions.”  Lab members’ works have focused on harm reduction in gambling, the interaction of social context and individual differences in predicting compulsive behavior, the influence of morality and religious belief on self-perception in addiction, and the experiences of minoritized individuals as they relate to behavioral addictions. Current members of the BAAAD Lab at UNM are:

Alex Connolly

Regina Tahk