Psychology Commons^™

The When (And How) Of Intergroup Competition And Discrimination: Distinguishing The Contributions Of Competitive Perceptions And Motivations, Matthew A. Maxwell-Smith

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A new framework is proposed to examine the effects of intergroup competition on discrimination by assessing the influence of participants’ subjective construal of potentially competitive events. It posits that competitive intergroup perceptions (CIP; the perception that one’s ingroup and another group(s) are attempting to gain a reward or desired outcome at the expense of each other) and competitive intergroup motivations (CIM; the desire for one’s ingroup to acquire more of a reward than the other group(s)) are related but distinct constructs. This distinction implies that CIP and CIM should be strongly related, but not to the point of suggesting they …

Ascertaining The Impact Of Relativism On Moral Reasoning, Claire B. Henderson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research project is part on an ongoing effort in the social sciences to expand the understanding of those factors that may influence and promote moral development. Based on Lawrence Kohlberg’s developmental theory of moral reasoning, the main focus of the current study concerns the exploration of the relationship between moral reasoning and relativistic attitudes.

B-type moral reasoning is a more mature and developed form of reasoning at each of Kohlberg’s Stages 2 through 5. Hypotheses regarding the positive associations between the frequency of its use and scores on measures of relativism, equity, empathy, and open-mindedness were generated. Of the …

Toward A Dialogical Hermeneutic Of A Hindu-Christian: A Socio-Scientific Study Of Nepali Immigrants In Toronto, Surya Prasad Acharya

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In search of a hermeneutic that is dialogical, transcending one’s own realm of understanding to give enough space to the other, the theory of dialogical self provides a framework which is not only able to engage mutually incompatible traditions but inculcates a whole new insight into considering that the other is not completely external to the self. One of the most significant features of theory of dialogical self is that it is devised in the conviction that insight into the workings of the human self requires cross-fertilization between different fields. The thesis therefore employs social-psychology, religious studies, inter-cultural studies, theology …

The Role Of The Resiliency Process In Skilled Immigrants' Job Search, Kelly Kisinger

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

For many skilled immigrants settling in Canada, the obtainment of employment is a difficult and lengthy process. The current study seeks to examine how skilled immigrants deal with the adversity of the job search by applying a process model of resiliency (King & Rothstein, 2010) to the job search of skilled immigrants. The study examined the interplay between individuals’ psychological characteristics, knowledge, and environment and their self-regulatory processes, and how those processes influenced the job search individuals performed and subsequent job search outcomes. Using a cross sectional design, 94 immigrants throughout Canada completed an online survey. The findings showed individuals’ …

Fmri Reveals The Neural Correlates Of Real And Pantomimed Tool Use In Humans, Joseph Umberto Paciocco

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be used to study the neural mechanisms underlying greatly expanded cognitive functions in humans like tool use, surprisingly little fMRI research has been done on actual tool use. In fact, due to technical constraints, most fMRI studies have used pantomimed actions as a proxy for real use. However, human neuropsychology patients who are impaired at pantomiming often improve when handling a tool suggesting potential neural differences. We used fMRI to record brain activation while 13 right-handed participants performed one of two tasks, real or pantomime tool use with one of two tools, a …

Distinct Visual Coding Strategies Mediate Grasping And Pantomime-Grasping Of 2d And 3d Objects., Scott A. Holmes

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An issue of current debate in the visuomotor control literature surrounds whether 2D and 3D objects rely on similar or dissociable visual information in supporting goal-directed grasping. Accordingly, in Experiment One I had participants grasp 2D and 3D objects wherein just-noticeable-difference (JND) scores for aperture shaping were computed to determine the extent to which such actions adhere to the psychophysical principles of Weber’s law. Results demonstrated that JNDs scaled in accordance with Weber’s law in a time-independent and time-dependent manner for 2D and 3D grasping, respectively. In Experiment Two, I sought to further explore the cognitive demands of grasping by …

Phonological Priming In Japanese-English Bilinguals: Evidence From Lexical Decision And Erp, Eriko Ando

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One of the main questions in bilingualism is whether the representations activated from one language influence processing of the other language. The current study investigated this issue by examining masked phonological priming effects in Japanese-English bilinguals when English words (e.g., guy) were primed by phonologically related logographic (Kanji) words (e.g., 害, /gai/, “harm”) and also when English words (e.g., guide) were primed by phonologically similar phonogram (Katakana) words (e.g.,サイド, /saido/,”side”). In Experiment 1, lexical decisions to English words were facilitated when they were preceded by phonologically similar versus dissimilar primes, particularly when the primes were one-Kanji words and when they …

Examining The Relationships Between Imagery, Sport Motivation, And Athletic Identity In Curling, Nicole Westlund

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Imagery use, motivation, and athletic identity all have been investigated in sport; however, a study examining the relationships among these three constructs has yet to be conducted. The participants (N = 213) were club and competitive curlers (M_age = 49.0; SD = 15.39). Results showed that athletic identity was significantly correlated with all five imagery functions and six behavioural regulations (p < .01) except for external regulation and amotivation. Multiple regression analyses predicting imagery use from both the behavioural regulations and athletic identity were conducted for each imagery function in club and competitive curlers. Athletic identity, identified regulation, and integrated regulation emerged as significant predictors of imagery use (p < .05). These findings suggest that there is a link between imagery use, motivation, and athletic identity. Researchers and sport psychologists can use these findings to develop more effective psychological skills training programs to improve the performance of curlers.

All Prejudices Are Not Created Equal: Different Responses To Subtle Versus Blatant Expressions Of Prejudice, Karen R. Dickson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current research examined reactions to subtle versus blatant expressions of prejudice. Across four studies, participants reported their recognition of prejudice, affective responses, and behavioural intentions resulting from expressions of subtle and blatant sexism and racism. In the first three studies, participants were presented with prototypical expressions of subtle and blatant prejudice that were not given any context. They were then asked to provide their reactions to these statements. Patterns of differential responding to subtle and blatant prejudice were observed, such that subtle prejudice was recognized as prejudice less than blatant prejudice, evoked less negative affect and less concern over …

The Relationship Between Culture And Counterproductive Workplace Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis, Olusore Anita Taylor

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In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) – behaviors that are deemed harmful to organizations and their employees (Bennett & Robinson, 2000). Unfortunately, little knowledge exists on the universality of well-established theories on CWBs across different cultures. Most theories have been developed using studies conducted in the United States and Canada, limiting our ability to confidently extrapolate these theories to other cultures.

In this study, I examine the relationship between culture and CWBs. Specifically, two questions are addressed. First, does culture have a direct relationship with CWBs? Using GLOBE’s cultural dimensions, …

Social Episodic-Like Memory In The Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile Atricapillus), Alisha A. Wiechers

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Episodic memory is the ability to remember previously experienced past events (Tulving, 1992). An important component of episodic memory is autonoetic consciousness. Autonoetic consciousness is self-awareness that you personally experienced an event (Tulving, 1995). Historically, episodic memory was thought to be a purely human ability but recently episodic memory has been tested in animals by using what-where-when paradigms. Since autonoetic consciousness is not examined in animals, it is referred to as episodic-like memory.

The social component of episodic-like memory has not previously been examined in animals. The current study modified the what-where-when paradigm to test who and when components of …

Effect Of Menstrual Cycle Related Estrogen Fluctuations On Working Memory, Mia Segal

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Working memory (WM) is a dynamic brain system which allows for the on-line moment-to-moment maintenance, processing and monitoring of information involved in human cognition. Behavioural and neuroimaging studies have shown that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an essential role in WM. Data suggest the PFC may be susceptible to modulation by estrogen. Behavioural studies examining whether PFC-dependent WM tasks exhibit estrogen sensitivity in postmenopausal women have shown a benefit of estrogen. The present study used hormone changes associated with the menstrual cycle to examine whether estrogen has a beneficial effect on WM function in reproductively aged women. Thirty-six women completed …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Self-Construal, Self-Monitoring, And Susceptibility To Emotional Contagion On Negative Mood Contagion, Helen H. Lee

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mood contagion occurs when mood ‘spreads’ from one individual to another. This study investigated the effects of situational self-construal, chronic self-construal, susceptibility to emotional contagion and self-monitoring on participants’ change in mood after interacting with a confederate who displayed either a neutral or negative mood. Negative mood contagion was operationalized as the increase in negative mood following an interaction with a confederate displaying negative mood. Contrary to predictions, those who scored low on independence and high on self-monitoring tended to report increased negative mood with a neutral actor and decreased negative mood with a negative actor. Those who scored high …

On The One Hand And On The Other: The Effect Of Embodying Balance And Uncertainty Orientation On The Confirmation Bias, Jeffrey Rotman

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The moderating effects of embodied cognition and uncertainty orientation were examined in relation to the confirmation bias. Specifically, the alternate movement of both hands palms up, which often accompanies the expression “on the one hand, and on the other” relating to the weighing of an argument, was manipulated. Uncertainty orientation distinguishes between people who are uncertainty-oriented (UOs), that confront uncertainty with the intention of resolving it; and people who are oriented toward certainty (COs), in that they attempt to maintain certainty, by creating a predictable environment. Significant interactions were found between uncertainty orientation and the embodiment manipulations for selective exposure, …

Rule-Based Category Learning In Children: The Role Of Inhibitory Control, Rahel R. Rabi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present study examined category learning in relation to inhibitory control and working memory in children and adults. Results revealed that categorization performance improved with age. Young children struggled with rule learning, many older children were successful at rule learning, and most adults had no difficulty with the task. Model-based analyses suggested that performance differences were due to young children’s inability to inhibit the salient, but irrelevant rule. Interestingly, when the analyses focused only on older children and adults who used the task appropriate strategy, the age-related rule-based deficit disappeared. Also, results revealed that successful performance on the categorization task …

The Effects Of Equity Sensitivity And Teamwork Self-Efficacy On Team Reward Preference, Hayden Jerney Randolph Woodley

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This investigation explored the extent to which individuals’ teamwork self-efficacy moderated the relations between their equity sensitivity orientation and their team reward attitude. Two studies were conducted to examine this relation. The first examined the dimensionality of equity sensitivity, whereas the second examined the relation among the three constructs. Participants (N = 1455) completed a battery of questionnaires through an online testing process that included measures of equity sensitivity, teamwork self-efficacy, and team reward attitudes. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis showed that equity sensitivity is bidimensional, consisting of two factors: input and outcome orientation. Moreover, results showed that teamwork …

Impact Of Goal Compatibility On Self-Care Adherence Among Patients With Congestive Heart Failure, Karen M. Zhang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Increasing adherence to self-care behaviours can optimize the health of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). This study examined whether considering the compatibility of self-care to valued life goals can improve the prediction of self-care adherence, above and beyond knowledge and self-efficacy. Forty CHF patients (22.5% female; mean age = 66.22) identified their goals though a card-sort and rated the compatibility of self-care regimens to these priorities. Aspects of CHF knowledge, self-efficacy and adherence to self-care were also assessed. Results indicated that participants valued CHF management, but its importance did not correlate with adherence. General and applied knowledge was associated …

Taking A Closer Look At Workplace Incivility: Dimensionality And Source Effects, Rima C. Tarraf

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this thesis was twofold. First, it sought to investigate whether taking a multi-foci approach to the study of workplace incivility would result in differential relations with affective commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. In general, the results were supported. When the source of incivility was measured jointly, relations between incivility and organizational outcomes were overestimated. Measuring incivility from a supervisor and a co-worker separately showed that incivility from a supervisor was more strongly associated with job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Co-worker incivility was more strongly associated with affective commitment. Second, this thesis critically assessed the dimensionality of …

Exercise And Pregnancy: Developing Effective Intervention Strategies And Improving Psychological Well-Being, Anca Gaston

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Research has consistently demonstrated that regular exercise during pregnancy is associated with improved maternal and fetal well-being. However, the majority of pregnant women fail to meet minimum exercise guidelines. The main objective of this dissertation is to contribute to the body of knowledge surrounding the promotion of exercise during pregnancy. First, a review of the existing literature highlighted which individual and social factors are associated with exercise or lack thereof during pregnancy. Using a randomized control trial design, study 1 (chapter 2) demonstrated that information about the role of exercise in preventing maternal-fetal disease grounded in Protection Motivation Theory can …

Reactive And Regulatory Temperament Traits As Predictors Of Depressive Symptoms In Middle Childhood, Yuliya Kotelnikova

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although a large literature has examined temperament in adult and adolescent depression, few studies have investigated temperamental precursors of depressive symptoms in young children over time. I evaluated the role of positive and negative emotionality (PE, NE) and effortful control (EC) in predicting initial levels and change in depressive symptoms in middle childhood. Measures of child temperament (laboratory observations and maternal reports) and depressive symptoms were collected from 205 seven-year-olds who were followed up one and two years later. A steeper increase in self- and mother-reported depressive symptoms was found for children lower in laboratory-assessed EC and higher in laboratory …

The Effects Of Neonatal Immune System Activation With Lipopolysaccharide On Adolescent And Adult Anxiety Behaviours In Male And Female Rats, Alina Zaltzman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present study examined the effects of neonatal (postnatal days 3 and 5) acute immune system activation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on adolescent and adult anxiety behaviours. The major findings suggest that neonatal LPS does not have general long-lasting effects on adolescent anxiety and locomotor behaviours. Rather, early endotoxin treatment has highly specific effects on certain anxiety behaviours that vary depending on the development period. Moreover, neonatal LPS does not seem to influence adult voluntary and non-voluntary locomotor activity or anhedonia, independent of, or in response to, an adult immune challenge. Finally, sex differences were observed in various responses in adulthood, …

Why Wait? The Effects Of Waiting Time On Subsequent Help-Seeking Among Families Looking For Children’S Mental Health Services, Kyleigh E. Schraeder

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The influence of wait-list duration for child and adolescent mental health services on families seeking help elsewhere was examined. Survival analyses, modelling time from being initially placed on a wait-list to when a family contacted a new agency, were conducted separately for families that did not receive help prior to contacting a new agency (n=159) and those that received help (n=114). Survival analyses examined effects of wait-time along with predisposing (e.g.,age), need (e.g.,child psychopathology), and enabling (e.g.,number of agencies) factors on time to contact a new agency. Almost half of families contacted a new agency after having been wait-listed. Of …

Attachment And Information Seeking Strategy Preference In Romantic Relationships, Jennifer C. Pink

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Two studies examined how attachment relates to information seeking strategy preference in established romantic relationships using a hypothetical scenario (Study 1) and an experiment (Study 2). In both studies, we tested hypotheses examining 1) if highly anxious individuals prefer to seek information indirectly (vs. directly) in potentially relationship-threatening situations, and 2) if these individuals tend to associate direct information seeking with negative outcomes. Study 1 revealed that as predicted, highly anxious individuals were more likely to endorse indirect information seeking strategies but less likely to endorse a direct approach. The negative association between attachment anxiety and direct strategy endorsement was …

Interpretive Bias In The Context Of Life Stress And Depression: An Examination Of Stress Generation And Diathesis-Stress Models, Pamela M. Seeds

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Purpose: Researchers have recently demonstrated interest in interpretive bias, the tendency to interpret ambiguous information more negatively and/or less positively. The extent to which interpretive biases influence the occurrence of life stressors and potentially compound the negative effects of life stress in the development of depression is presently unknown. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate interpretive bias for ambiguous social information within the context of stress and depression. This study examined interpretive bias in the context of two theoretically and empirically supported models of depression – stress generation and diathesis-stress – to determine the mechanism through which …

Associations Between Maternal Personality And Parenting: A Multi-Informant Approach, Brigitte Hanna

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

More is known about contextual factors associated with parenting than associations between intrinsic characteristics of parents, namely personality, and parenting. The current study investigated associations between parent personality and parenting behaviours with known relevance for child outcomes. A community sample of 385 mothers of preschool-aged children completed self-report measures of personality traits. Informant reports and observer ratings of maternal personality were also obtained. Parenting was assessed observationally during a mother-child interaction in the home. Personality traits were associated with both positive and negative parenting. The magnitude of these associations was generally modest, with the strongest effects emerging for the trait …

Are Offence-Focused Correctional Rehabilitation Programs Affecting Inmates' Executive Cognitive Functions?, Erin H. Ross

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

There is a vast amount of data linking antisocial behaviours and deficits in executive cognitive functions (ECFs); however, there is a dearth of empirical research to address whether ECF abilities are being affected by correctional rehabilitation programming. Using a pre/post design, ECF performance of male inmates who completed a violence, family violence, or substance abuse rehabilitation program, was compared to ECFs of controls. Results indicated that across the six measures of ECF, including behavioural and self-report measures, only 2 of 10 variables showed a change across groups over time. Therefore, strong support for the notion that correctional programming is improving …

Individual Differences In Temperament And Cognitive Biases In Middle Childhood: Vulnerability To Internalizing Psychopathology, Patricia L. Jordan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A multi-trait multi-method study was conducted exploring associations between individual differences in child temperament and cognitive vulnerability for depression and anxiety. Two-hundred and five 7-year-old children and their parents participated. Low positive emotionality and high negative emotionality predicted a depressogenic attributional style as well as attentional biases for positive and sad stimuli. Individual differences in child fearfulness were also associated with attentional biases to threat-related information. Associations between child cognitive vulnerability and parental history of depression and anxiety were also explored, as well as associations between child internalizing symptoms and (1) child temperament and (2) cognitive vulnerability. Paternal, but not …

Cognitive, Emotional, And Behavioural Correlates In Children With Psychopathic Traits, Vanessa Leanne Pedden

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Psychopathy is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in emotional, interpersonal, and behavioural domains. Adult psychopaths commit a disproportionate amount of violent crime and are at a heightened risk for recidivism. Research suggests that children with psychopathic traits present with deficits similar to their adult counterparts on measures of passive avoidance learning and emotional processing. There is also evidence to suggest that these children engage in differential forms of aggression. In addition, research suggests that adult psychopathy develops early in life. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine cognitive, emotional and behavioural characteristics in children with psychopathic traits. The …

Self-Presentation And Social Physique Anxiety In Injury Rehabilitation Settings, Molly Driediger

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The objective of this dissertation was to provide an initial description of self-presentation in injury rehabilitation (i.e., physiotherapy). To accomplish this, one qualitative and two quantitative studies were conducted. Study 1 determined whether self-presentational concerns were present in this setting. Female (n = 134) and male (n = 54) undergraduate students with a mean age of 20.64 years (SD = 1.99) completed measures of Social Physique Anxiety (SPA; Hart et al., 1989), self-presentational concerns, and preferences for features of the social and physical physiotherapy environment. An examination of the relationships between these variables revealed that self-presentation exists …

Context Is Everything: Facilitating Fit When New Products Are Ambiguous, Theodore J. Noseworthy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Researchers have long believed that consumers adjust their functional expectations in accordance with a product’s physical appearance. Recently this belief has come under fire. Product categories are converging rapidly. Take modern cell phones; the physical appearance of the iPhone is only tangentially related to the breadth of its functionality. Examples like this have sparked a wealth of interest in exploring how consumers generate inferences for products with functions that span multiple categories. One important finding is that consumers tend to generate functional inferences based mainly on the knowledge of a single category. This suggests that new hybrid products are not …