Digital Commons Network^™

Narcissistic Intolerance: Verbal Hostility And Dismissiveness In Response To Subjective Disagreement, Wan Wang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

We examine the novel proposition that disagreement on matters of opinion may threaten narcissists’ self-esteem and cause them to express dismissiveness of differing opinions and hostility toward the dissenter, a phenomenon we refer to as narcissistic intolerance. In three studies, participants ostensibly read about an earlier participant’s opinion on a painting (Studies 1 & 2, MTurk samples) or TV show (Study 3, undergraduate sample) that agreed or disagreed with the participant’s own opinion. Participants then wrote a response to the opinion, as though they were responding on an anonymous Internet message board. We coded participants’ responses, finding that participants higher …

Growth Dynamics Of Black Spruce (Picea Mariana) Across Northwestern North America, Anastasia E. Sniderhan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The impacts of climate change have been widely documented around the world. One of the most rapidly changing areas is the boreal forest of North America. The extent of change has been such that there have been shifts in long-standing climate-growth relationships in many boreal tree species; while the growth of many of these high-latitude forests were formerly limited by temperature, warming has increased the evapotranspirative demands such that there is widespread drought stress limiting productivity in the boreal forest. With the importance of the boreal forest as a global carbon sink, it is imperative to understand the extent of …

Social Anxiety And Interpersonal Interactions: Investigating The Impact Of Anxiety On Interpersonal Behaviours, Perceptions, And Processes, Kelly Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Interpersonal theory suggests that the most important variations in people’s interpersonal behaviours can be captured by just two major constructs, dominance and affiliation. Despite the admirable parsimony of interpersonal theory, in the current thesis, we argue that a key influencing variable has been absent from discussions of interpersonal behaviour and dynamics. People’s levels of social anxiety during interactions has been acknowledged as an influencing factor within the interpersonal space, yet a systematic investigation of its impact on behaviours and interpersonal processes has been sparse. Thus, in the current work we consider the impact of people’s social anxiety levels during an …

Molecular Characterization Of The Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus) Ovarian Steroidogenic Pathway And Implications For Exogenous Estrogen Effects During Follicular Development, Thiviya Kanagasabesan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study investigated ovarian development in Fundulus heteroclitus (mummichog), through molecular characterization of key mediators in the ovarian steroidogenic pathway; these included ovarian StAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein), cytochrome P450 enzymes, estrogen receptors (ERα, ERβ1 and ERβ2), and gonadotropin receptors (FSHr and LHr); additionally, hepatic vitellogenin (VTG1) and ERs, and brain P450 aromatase (P450arom; CYP19b) were studied. Fish were staged into cortical alveolus, vitellogenic, early mature, late mature, and ovulating stages of maturation; blood (plasma), ovary (tissue and isolated ovarian follicles per stage), liver, and brains were collected. Testosterone (T), 17β-estradiol (E₂) and maturation inducing steroid (MIS), measured …

Nonlinear Coupled Effects In Nanomaterials, Sia Bhowmick

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Materials at the nanoscale have different chemical, structural, and optoelectrical properties compared to their bulk counterparts. As a result, such materials, called nanomaterials, exhibit observable differences in certain physical phenomena. One such resulting phenomenon called the piezoelectric effect has played a crucial role in miniature self-powering electronic devices called nanogenerators which are fabricated by using nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanorods, and nanofilms. These devices are capable of harvesting electrical energy by inducing mechanical strain on the individual nanostructures. Electrical energy created in this manner does not have environmental limitations. In this thesis, important coupled effects, such as the nonlinear piezoelectric …

Spatial And Temporal Variability Of The Snow Environment In The Western Canadian Arctic, Philip Mann

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Snow cover in the Western Canadian Arctic is a significant input to the hydrological mass balance, it produces shelter and habitat for animals and humans, and supports interactions with vegetation and climate. The Arctic-tundra snow cover is greatly impacted by wind erosion, redistribution and deposition of snow during high wind events over the winter months. As a result, the end of winter snow cover is characterised by significant small-scale (on the order of a few meters) spatial variations in snow cover depth, density, and thus snow water equivalent (SWE), and runoff. Future climate related changes to snow cover depth and …

The Hold Me Tight Program For Couples Becoming Parents: A Mixed Methods Study, Debbie Wang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

Attachment theory has made substantial contributions to the understanding of close relationships. The purpose of this study was to inquire whether an attachment-informed psychoeducational program is a feasible and effective intervention for couples expecting their first child. The overarching question was: Is an attachment-informed relationship enhancement program, such as Hold Me Tight^® (HMT), helpful to couples in strengthening their relationship and increasing their confidence in becoming first-time parents? The research question was addressed using a mixed-methods approach.

In the first phase, the Hold Me Tight^® program developed by Dr. Sue Johnson was modified for use with couples …

"A Meruelous Thinge!": Elizabeth Of Spalbeek, Christina The Astonishing, And Performative Self-Abjection In Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ms Douce 114, Murrielle Michaud

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Contributing to the spirited discussion regarding feminist and pro-feminine readings of Middle English hagiography, this dissertation challenges the tradition of grouping accounts of medieval holy women into a single genre that relies on stereotypes of meekness and obedience. I argue that fifteenth-century England saw a pro-feminine literary movement extolling the virtues of women who engaged in what I term “performative self-abjection,” a form of vicious self-renunciation and grotesque asceticism based on Julia Kristeva's model of the abject. The corollary of women's performative self-abjection is ex-gratia spiritual authority, public recognition, and independence, emphasized in the English corpus of fifteenth-century women’s hagiography. …

It Takes A Village-Schooling Out Of Place: School Experiences Of Black African Youth In Waterloo Region, Olufunke Oba 5726040

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation examined experiences of alienation among Black African youth in Waterloo region schools. This study is timely and relevant considering the rapid influx of Black Africans into the region in response to government initiatives to redirect immigrants to smaller communities. The research addressed the dearth of scholarship on experiences of Black Africans outside the major metropolitan areas by employing Afrocentric and critical race theories to explore relationships between race and youth experiences of alienation. The dissertation study utilized elder facilitated youth dialogue forum (adaptation of focus group) and in-depth storytelling (which honours African orality) to access the meanings seventeen …

Shame In The Presence Or Absence Of God In Stephen Ministry, Richard Tamas

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This hermeneutical phenomenological study explores the lived experience of shame in relation to the presence or absence of God in the caregiving process of Stephen Ministry. Stephen Ministers are trained Christian caregivers who walk side-by-side with those who are struggling in a congregation. Stephen Ministers are trained by Stephen Leaders who have completed the Stephen Ministry Leadership training program. A concern for an assurance of quality of care led to the research question: what is the lived experience of unacknowledged or unprocessed shame in the presence or absence of God experienced by Stephen Ministers who offer Christian care? The foundations …

Abelian Subalgebras Of Maximal Dimension In Euclidean Lie Algebras, Mark Curro

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this paper we define, discuss and prove the uniqueness of the abelian subalgebra of maximal dimension of the Euclidean Lie algebra. We also construct a family of maximal abelian subalgebras and prove that they are maximal.

Testing The Network Reset Hypothesis: Noradrenergic Modulation Of Hippocampal Representations, Stephanie L. Grella

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The locus coeruleus (LC) responds to salience cues, including novelty, and sends a major noradrenergic projection to the hippocampal formation (HF). Novelty-associated LC activation may help to sculpt contextual representations in the HF, but modulatory influence of norepinephrine (NE) over HF representations remains poorly understood. One possible mechanism is that NE provides a “reset” signal causing the HF to recruit distinct neural populations, thereby providing a molecular switch to dictate if hippocampal circuits should generate new representations or update existing ones to incorporate novel information. This hypothesis suggests that NE release should cause the HF to recruit a unique population …

Situating Community Resilience Within The Political Landscape: An Investigation Of Rural Livelihoods And Agency In Chile's Bíobío And Araucanía Regions, Julia Ercolani

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Since the establishment of Pinochet’s dictatorship and its neoliberal experiment in 1973, Chile has experienced unprecedented growth in an increasingly resource-extractive economy, often through the expropriation and exploitation of the traditional territories of peasant farmers and the Indigenous Mapuche people. Through a lens of resilience, this study explores how the political and economic landscape of the country shapes rural livelihoods in six communities across two regions, as well as its implications for resilience at the community level. At the same time, it seeks to uncover how rural peoples actively respond to these threats and foster resilience within their households and …

Navigating Risks Across Borders: The Lived Experiences Of Central American Women Migrants, Carla Angulo-Pasel

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The journey for ‘unauthorized’ migrant women from the Northern Triangle of Central America (NTCA) through Mexico dangerous and violent. In hopes of achieving safe passage to the United States (U.S.), women migrants will have to navigate borders. In this dissertation, I use the concept of borders to reveal the gendered experiences of (im)mobility. I argue that navigating borders throughout the migratory journey is not simply about experiencing the risks and vulnerabilities associated with restrictive border enforcement policies and practices implemented by the nation-state. (Im)mobility for women migrants is equally about the boundaries and/or barriers that are created by oppressive systems …

Permafrost Thaw-Induced Forest To Wetland Conversion: Potential Impacts On Snowmelt And Basin Runoff In Northwestern Canada, Emily Haughton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In the discontinuous permafrost zone of northwestern Canada, snow covers the ground surface for over half the year, thus snowmelt constitutes a primary source of ecosystem moisture supply and strongly influences stream hydrographs. The peat landscapes along the southern limit of discontinuous permafrost are dominated by forested permafrost plateaus (“forest”), and treeless, permafrost-free wetlands (“wetland”). Permafrost-thaw induced transformation of this landscape has changed water flow and storage processes and therefore introduced new uncertainties on the region’s water futures. Here, I a) characterize forest and wetland water storage and flow from snowmelt, and b) evaluate how permafrost thaw-induced wetland expansion at …

Professional Relationships: Bifurcations, Threshold Concepts, And Msw Student Voices., Todd Adamowich

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This qualitative study explored MSW student perceptions of the concept of professional relationships. The research question was: “What does the concept of professional relationships mean to MSW students?” The study was epistemologically rooted in social constructionism and Foucauldian theories, which inform how meaning is created and the notion of “professionalism” is deconstructed, while two-person psychologies were utilized to conceptualize the worker/client relationship to which I refer. Utilizing a constructivist grounded theory modality, 15 participants were recruited from the student body at Wilfrid Laurier University in Kitchener, ON. Through the analysis of individual interview data, two overarching categories emerged: (a) the …

Evidence For Extra-Gastric Expression Of The Proton Pump H+/K+ -Atpase In The Gills And Kidney Of The Teleost Oreochromis Niloticus, Ebtesam Barnawi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

It is well known that stomach acid secretion by oxynticopeptic cells of the gastric mucosa is accomplished by the H⁺/ K⁺-ATPase (HKA), which is comprised of the HKα1 (gene: atp4a) and HKβ (gene: atp4b) subunits. However, the role of the HKA in extra-gastric organs such as the gill and kidney is less clear especially in fishes. This pump may contribute to active ion and/or acid-base regulation either through direct ion transport or through secondary transport proteins against unfavorable concentration gradients via the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis. In the present work I have demonstrated …

Drivers Of Post-Fire Vascular Plant Regeneration In The Conifer-Dominated Boreal Forest Of Southern Northwest Territories, Alison White

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In recent years, climate warming has led to an increase in the severity and frequency of naturally occurring fires in boreal ecosystems globally. In 2014, an unprecedented 3.4 million hectares of boreal forest burned in the Northwest Territories (NWT). While much research has focused on post-fire succession of serotinous tree species such as Picea mariana (black spruce) and Pinus banksiana (jack pine), the understory community of vascular plants play an important role in ecosystem functioning but less is known about the response of this component of the system to changing fire regimes. Regeneration strategies such as the ability to resprout …

Landscape Scale Spectral-Temporal Modelling Of Bamboo-Dominated Forest Succession Within The Atlantic Forest Of Southern Brazil, Clara Greig

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Tropical and subtropical ecosystems have become vulnerable to biological invasion (i.e., bamboo) due to human induced forest fragmentation. Bamboo ecological processes have been found to impede forest development, resulting in a state of arrested succession, which has been found to significantly reduce biodiversity, thus contributing to biotic homogenization. In this study we use a semi-empirical approach to develop a community-level spatially explicit ecological process model (hybrid model) using a time-series of Landsat imagery to describe single-landscape scale ecological processes of a pervasive bamboo species (Merostachys skvortzovii) found throughout the Araucaria forest, a critically threatened subtype of Atlantic forest …

A Phenomenological, Arts-Based Study Of Art Therapists’ Self-Reflective Practice, Laurie Ponsford-Hill

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This phenomenological, arts-based study examined the experiences of 15 art therapists using five-minute, full-bodied self-portraiture with 55 minutes of self-reflective journaling once a week for four weeks at the end of each work week. The therapists determined the location for this practice. Subsequently, the four artworks, as a serial, were explored with each participant in a one-hour telephone or Skype interview to understand their lived experience through art, and its signs, and symbols. This process enabled the therapists to act as witness to their respective self/selves, deepening their insights and connections about self. The transcribed audio-taped interviews were manually coded …

Stories As Sites Of Resistance: Reclaiming Men’S Narratives Of Concurrent Substance Use And Intimate Partner Violence, Stephanie Baker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examines men’s experiences and perceptions of concurrent substance use and intimate partner violence using qualitative methodology. Previous research on the relationship between these concerns has been primarily quantitative in nature and situated within two dominant perspectives (the medical model and feminism). The aim of this study was to explore men’s stories within social constructionist and postmodern frameworks to develop a more comprehensive understanding of their lived experiences with concurrent substance use and intimate partner violence.

Narrative methods were employed to collect and analyze the data. Purposive sampling located twelve men living in the Niagara Region, St. Mary’s, and …

Capitals, Climate Change And Food Security: Building Sustainable Food Systems In Northern Canadian Indigenous Communities, Andrew Spring

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

For many Indigenous communities in Canada’s northern boreal forest, the impacts of climate change are directly affecting their ability to access the land they rely on for traditional foods to support their food systems and livelihoods. However, climate change is merely one stressor for communities that have undergone dramatic social, cultural and political changes during the past decades. This research examines case studies in the communities of Délı̨nę and Kakisa, Northwest Territories (NWT), and identifies community-based solutions to build more sustainable food systems with a focus on food security and climate change. Using participatory action research methods to ensure the …

Moving Forward With Self-Compassion: An Examination Of Self-Compassion, Social Anxiety, And Post-Event Processing, Rebecca A. Blackie

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Post-event processing (PEP) refers to a negative and prolonged rumination following anxiety-inducing social situations and is posited to maintain social anxiety. Because PEP is characterized by thoughts that are judgmental, recurring, and preoccupying, those who engage in PEP appear to lack self-compassion. Self-compassion can be conceptualized as a supportive and open attitude toward negative experiences, with the recognition that these experiences are universal. The purpose of the present research was to examine self-compassion in the context of PEP. In the first manuscript, we found support across two, separate samples (N = 156 undergraduates; N = 150 individuals from the …

Examining Parental Scaffolding In Computer Based Contexts As A Function Of Task Difficulty And Mobility Of Computer Device, Domenica De Pasquale

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Technology is part of everyday life for most adults and children. Digital technologies allow children to engage with technology and the digital world earlier in their development than previously experienced (Orlando, 2011; Plowman, Stevenson, Stephen, & McPake, 2012). Two studies were conducted to explore joint media-based interactions of parents and their children. Parental views, age, gender, experience and familiarity with technology were considered in conjunction with parent-child interactions when engaged with stationary and mobile computers and when engaged with easy and difficult to navigate software. Study 1 employed self-report measures consistent with the wider body of literature available regarding early …

Modernizing Midwifery: Managing Childbirth In Ontario And The British Isles, 1900–1950, Gwenith Cross

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation considers the differences, as well as the similarities, between midwifery and childbirth practices in Ontario and in Britain in the first half of the twentieth century. Addressing the modernization of medical practices on either side of the Atlantic, the periodization of this project reflects the increasing concerns about maternal and infant morbidity and mortality alongside medical and political attempts to ensure the involvement of trained medical professionals during pregnancy and childbirth. In Britain, the establishment of the 1902 Midwives Act regulated midwifery so that only midwives approved by the Central Midwives’ Board were allowed to practice. British midwives …

For Better Or For Worse? Investigating The Meaning Of Change, Jaslyn English, Anne Wilson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

For most, change makes a regular appearance in everyday life and has the capacity to usher in excitement, growth, and chaos. Due to the variable nature of change, people may hold subjective definitions of what “change” typically means. Across four studies, we examine the possibility that there are meaningful individual differences in the dominant subjective definitions people hold about the nature of change. Study 1 and 2 investigated the spontaneous associations participants make when asked to think about change, and found that holding a positive or negative general view about change (as measured by the Nature of Change scale, developed …

Relationships Between Factors Influencing Biofilm Formation And Pathogen Retention In Complex Rhizosphere Microbial Communities, Aaron Coristine

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Riparian wetlands are unique habitats facilitating all forms of life. The riverbanks of these environments provide ideal conditions for bacteria, plants, and higher organisms. Of particular interest to this research was the variation in microbial community structure at high, intermediate and poor water quality impacted areas. Assessing the capabilities of plants to retain microbial pathogens was identified. Root systems and corresponding soil are ideal locations for bacterial deposition, resulting in attachment at these areas. Biofilm production in these regions is important for long-term establishment, leading to persistence and potential naturalization. Opportunistic pathogens originating from mammalian fecal matter are introduced into …

Factors Limiting Sand Dune Restoration In Northwest Beach, Point Pelee National Park, Canada, Pritichhanda Nayak, Pritichhanda Mohanty Nayak

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Known as home to rare species of flora and fauna, and their critical habitats, Northwest beach of Point Pelee National Park has undergone significant ecological and infrastructural changes in the past decades. A number of important management challenges have emerged, including conservation of endangered Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) which inhabit the extensive dune system within the park. This research investigates key factors for sand dune ecosystem restoration in Northwest beach of Point Pelee with particular attention to the conservation of Skink habitat. Random stratified sampling method was used to collect sand and vegetation samples from the disturbed and …

Spatial Modelling And Wildlife Health Surveillance: A Case Study Of White Nose Syndrome In Ontario, Lauren Yee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Wildlife data is often limited by survey effort, small sample sizes, and spatial biases associated with collection and missing data. These factors can create unique challenges from a surveillance perspective when trying to extract spatial patterns of habitat suitability and disease distributions for conservation and management purposes. This thesis examined data quality from a wildlife health database in the context of spatial analysis of wildlife disease. Spatial analysis of the data to predict habitat suitability of bats and white nose syndrome afflicted bats was examined by using the MaxEnt modelling method. Methods to reduce spatial bias were examined and specific …

Comparison Of The Sensitivity Of Yes/No And Forced Choice Associative Recognition, Garrett Schliewinsky

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Yes-no (YN) and forced choice (FC) associative recognition tasks were compared across three experiments to test the varying effects of familiarity. Schliewinsky and Hockley (2016) previously found a discrimination advantage for FC tasks over YN tasks when word pairs were familiarized. The present research is a continuation to further explore the effects of increased familiarity. Experiment 1 manipulated the familiarity of individual items in the word pairs. No discrimination advantage for the FC condition over the YN condition was found when only item familiarity was increased, emphasizing the importance of associative information for accurate associative recognition. There was, though, a …