Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

The Relation Between Inhibitory Control And Children’S Eyewitness Memory, Kim P. Roberts, Martine B. Powell

Psychology Faculty Publications

The hypothesis that inhibitory control – an aspect of executive functioning – is related to children’s suggestibility was tested. Five- to 7-year-olds (N = 125) participated in a staged event, were suggestively interviewed, and were later given a recognition test. Conflict and interference measures of inhibitory control were taken and compared to children’s ability to identify details from the target event and reject details from non-target sources (i.e., false suggestions, details from prior events). Children with higher than average verbal retroactive inhibition skills were more resistant to suggestions than children with poor inhibitory control. Collectively, age and retroactive inhibition …

Moving Forward: Negotiating Self And External Circumstances In Recovery, Joanna Ochocka, Geoffrey Nelson, Rich Janzen

Psychology Faculty Publications

This article presents a framework for understanding the concept of recovery from serious mental illnesses and other life struggles. The framework is based on findings from a longitudinal, qualitative study that involved in-depth interviews with 28 people who experienced serious mental health challenges. The purpose of this article is to clarify the concept of recovery by presenting a grounded theory analysis of the components of recovery. The framework recognizes the experiences of struggle constructed through the words of study participants and captures four main components of recovery: a) a drive to move forward, b) a spiral of positive and negative …

The Effects Of Meritocracy Beliefs On Women’S Well-Being After First-Time Gender Discrimination, Mindi D. Foster, E. Micha Tsarfati

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examined how meritocracy beliefs may buffer women from the negative psychological effects of an acute situation of gender discrimination. Although some research indirectly suggests that believing the meritocracy exists may increase well-being, group consciousness theories (e.g., Bartky, 1977) suggest that disbelieving the meritocracy exists will enhance psychological adjustment to gender discrimination. Women who reported little past experience with discrimination, and either believed or disbelieved the meritocracy exists were exposed to either a laboratory situation of discrimination or a non-discrimination failure (control) condition. Consistent with group consciousness theories, women experiencing discrimination reported greater well-being if they disbelieved the meritocracy …

Evidence Of Metacognitive Awareness In Young Children Who Have Experienced A Repeated Event, Kim Roberts, Martine B. Powell

Psychology Faculty Publications

Two studies examined children’s confidence judgments in the accuracy of their memories after repeated experience of an event. Children aged 5- to 6-years took part in an event once or four times, were provided with misinformation either shortly after (Study 1) or a while after (Study 2), and interviewed with yes/no recognition questions three months later. Children in the repeated-experience conditions were highly confident of their accurate responses to questions about items that were identical rather than variable across occurrences, and this discrimination was best at the shorter delay. The results show that children were able to metacognitively monitor the …

Multisensory Integration Sites Identified By Perception Of Spatial Wavelet Filtered Visual Speech Gesture Information, Daniel E. Callan, Jeffery A. Jones, Kevin Munhall, Christian Kroos, Akiko M. Callan, Eric Vatikiotis-Bateson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Perception of speech is improved when presentation of the audio signal is accompanied by concordant visual speech gesture information. This enhancement is most prevalent when the audio signal is degraded. One potential means by which the brain affords perceptual enhancement is thought to be through the integration of concordant information from multiple sensory channels in a common site of convergence, multisensory integration (MSI) sites. Some studies have identified potential sites in the superior temporal gyrus/sulcus (STG/S) that are responsive to multisensory information from the auditory speech signal and visual speech movement. One limitation of these studies is that they do …

Minimizing The Pervasiveness Of Women’S Personal Experiences Of Gender Discrimination, Mindi D. Foster, Lydia C. Jackson, Ryan Hartmann, Shannon Woulfe

Psychology Faculty Publications

Given the Rejection-Identification Model (Branscombe, et al., 1999) which shows that perceiving discrimination to be pervasive is a negative experience, it was suggested that there would be conditions under which women would instead minimize the pervasiveness of discrimination. Study 1 (N = 91) showed that when women envisioned themselves in a situation of academic discrimination, they defined it as pervasive but when they experienced a similar laboratory simulation of academic discrimination, its pervasiveness was minimized. Study 2 (N = 159) showed that women who envisioned themselves experiencing discrimination minimized its pervasiveness more so than women reading about discrimination …

When The Advantaged Become Disadvantaged: Men’S And Women’S Actions Against Gender Discrimination, Mindi D. Foster, Stacey Arnt, Jill Honloka

Psychology Faculty Publications

Intergroup theories suggest that different social identities will either discourage or encourage the taking of action against discrimination (Bartky, 1977; Jost & Banaji, 1994). However, research (e.g., Branscombe, 1998) has shown that discrimination is a less negative experience for men than for women. As such, it is possible that men may take greater action than women, regardless of identity. However, men’s responses to their perceived disadvantage has not yet been tested. Among those induced to ascribe to a gendered stereotype identity, men endorsed more action than women did.Among those induced to ascribe to an identity based on a gendered social …

The Role Of Hardiness In Moderating The Relationship Between Global/Specific Attributions And Actions Against Discrimination, Mindi D. Foster, Kenneth L. Dion

Psychology Faculty Publications

In this study, we proposed that individual differences in hardiness may moderate the relationship between global attributions and actions against discrimination. Specifically, global attributions were expected to predict decreased endorsement of actions to combat discrimination among low hardy women. In contrast, global attributions were expected to predict increased endorsement of actions among high hardy women. High and low hardy women were exposed to a laboratory situation of discrimination, and their attributions for, and responses to, discrimination were then assessed. Results showed the expected interaction, but in the opposite direction: among low hardy women, global attributions predicted stronger endorsement of action.Among …

The Effects Of Rapport-Building Style On Children’S Reports Of A Staged Event, Kim P. Roberts, Michael E. Lamb, Kathleen J. Sternberg

Psychology Faculty Publications

Three- to 9-year-old children (N = 144) interacted with a photographer and were interviewed about the event either a week or a month later. The informativeness and accuracy of information provided following either open-ended or direct rapport building were compared. Children in the open-ended rapport-building condition provided more accurate reports than children in the direct rapport-building condition after both short and long delays. Open-ended rapport-building led the 3- to 4-year-olds to report more errors in response to the first recall question about the event, but they went on to provide more accurate reports in the rest of the interview than …

A Comprehensive Evaluation Framework For Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations: Values, Conceptualization, Design, And Action, Geoffrey Nelson, Joanna Ochocka, Rich Janzen, John Trainor, Shawn Lauzon

Psychology Faculty Publications

This article provides a framework for the evaluation of mental health consumer/ survivor organizations that consists of four main components: (a) participatory processes, (b) conceptualization of the activities and outcomes at the individual and systems levels of these organizations, (c) the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods for examining activities and outcomes, and (d) dissemination and action. We assert that these components form a comprehensive and holistic framework for evaluating mental health consumer/survivor organizations; we illustrate how these components can be put into action through a case study of four mental health consumer/survivor organizations in Ontario; and we reflect on …

Current And Preferred Housing Of Psychiatric Consumers/Survivors, Geoffrey Nelson, G. Brent Hall, Cheryl Forchuk

Psychology Faculty Publications

As part of a participatory action research project, we surveyed 300 psychiatric consumers/survivors from southwestern Ontario regarding their housing preferences and housing satisfaction. We found that, while 79% of the sample preferred independent living, 76% were living in some other type of setting (e.g., temporary shelter, supportive housing, sheltered care). Those living in temporary shelters reported the lowest levels of housing satisfaction, and those who were living in the type of housing that they preferred had the highest levels of housing satisfaction. This information is being used by stakeholder groups involved in the project to help build the capacity of …

A Process And Outcome Evaluation Of A Shelter For Homeless Young Women, Theresa Dostaler, Geoffrey Nelson

Psychology Faculty Publications

To evaluate the processes and outcomes of a short-term shelter, both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered via participant observation, focus group interviews with shelter staff and residents, and individual interviews with a sample of 40 young women who had been homeless prior to using the shelter. The process evaluation showed that the shelter staff strived to utilize an empowerment philosophy in their relationships with residents, but that there were many challenges to implementing this philosophy. The outcome evaluation showed that, at a 3-month follow-up, the participants reported significant improvements in housing, income, independence, and life satisfaction, but most continued …

Dispositional Hardiness And Women’S Well-Being Relating To Gender Discrimination: The Role Of Minimization, Mindi D. Foster, Kenneth L. Dion

Psychology Faculty Publications

Three studies examined whether personality-based hardiness would be associated with mental health benefits in contexts of gender discrimination. Hardy women encountering both a laboratory simulation and a hypothetical scenario of discrimination showed greater self-esteem and less negative affect than low hardy women. However, these benefits were mediated by the use of specific attributions, suggesting that the well-being in hardy women may have been achieved through minimizing the pervasiveness of discrimination. Study three showed this mediation pattern occurred only for participants exposed to higher threat scenarios versus lower threat scenarios of discrimination. Thus, minimizing the pervasiveness of discrimination may have been …

Learning To Produce Speech With An Altered Vocal Tract: The Role Of Auditory Feedback, Jeffery A. Jones, Kevin Munhall

Psychology Faculty Publications

Modifying the vocal tract alters a speaker’s previously learned acoustic–articulatory relationship. This study investigated the contribution of auditory feedback to the process of adapting to vocal-tract modifications. Subjects said the word /tɑs/ while wearing a dental prosthesis that extended the length of their maxillary incisor teeth. The prosthesis affected /s/ productions and the subjects were asked to learn to produce ‘‘normal’’ /s/’s. They alternately received normal auditory feedback and noise that masked their natural feedback during productions. Acoustic analysis of the speakers’ /s/ productions showed that the distribution of energy across the spectra moved toward that of normal, unperturbed production …

Sharing Power And Knowledge: Professional And Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Researchers Working Together In A Participatory Action Research Project, Joanna Ochocka, Rich Janzen, Geoffrey Nelson

Psychology Faculty Publications

In this article we document and reflect on the process and outcomes of consumer/survivor researchers' involvement in a community mental health research project. The study used a participatory action research approach that challenges traditional assumptions of how to conduct research. Research roles and relationships were reexamined by both professional and consumer/survivor researchers. Four values were central to the research process: consumer/survivor empowerment, supportive relationships, learning as an ongoing process, and social justice. The benefits of this value-driven approach were seen in terms of positive impacts on the lives of individual researchers and also in the quality of the research itself. …

The Effect Of Repeated Experience On Children’S Suggestibility Across Two Question Types, Martine B. Powell, Kim P. Roberts

Psychology Faculty Publications

There is a discrepancy in the literature regarding the effect of repeated experience on children’s suggestibility. Some researchers have concluded that repeated experience increases children’s suggestibility for variable details whereas others have reported no detrimental effect. This study demonstrated that the type of question used to test memory (cued-recall vs. yes/no questions) could account for the different reported conclusions. Children aged 5-6 years took part in an event either once or four times. Three or 21 days later, they were given a suggestive interview about the single/final occurrence of the event during which half of the event details were inaccurately …

Children's Ability To Distinguish Between Memories From Multiple Sources: Implications For The Quality And Accuracy Of Eyewitness Statements, Kim P. Roberts

Psychology Faculty Publications

Identifying the sources of memories (e.g., who carried out an action, whether an event happened or was suggested, when an instance of a repeated event occurred) is an important skill in providing accurate accounts of events in forensic investigations. Sensitivity to the nature and development of children’s source-monitoring skills can inform interviewing practices. Five perspectives addressing alternate aspects of the development of children’s source monitoring are outlined (source-monitoring theory, fuzzy-trace theory, schema theory, the person-based perspective, and the mental-state reasoning model). Six main areas of empirical research stemming from these theories are then discussed with emphasis on how the findings …

The Effects Of Food Restriction On Wheel Running In Rats, Vanessa M. Lopak

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The impact of food restriction and refeeding on wheel running was examined in 3 groups of rats: 55 day old male rats in Experiment 1; 140 day old male rats in Experiment 2; and 180 day old female rats in Experiment 3. After a baseline period of 24 to 40 days wheel experience with ad lib food access half of the animals were food restricted for 16 days by being given a limited amount of food daily to reduce (and maintain) their body weight at 85% of their baseline weight. After food restriction the rats were returned to ad lib …

The Motivational Quality Of Global Attributions In Hypothetical And Experienced Situations Of Gender Discrimination, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Traditionally, global attributions have been thought to reduce instrumental behavior aimed at resolving negative events. However, the present research shows global attributions for gender discrimination are related to taking action against unfair treatment. In Study 1, women ( N = 157) completed a questionnaire assessing attributions for hypothetical scenarios of discrimination and collective responses to discrimination. In Study 2, women ( N = 79) were placed into a laboratory situation of discrimination and asked to indicate their attributions for and responses to their unfair treatment. In both studies, hierarchical regression analyses showed that global attributions were related to both individual …

Describing Individual Incidents Of Sexual Abuse: A Review Of Research On The Effects Of Multiple Sources Of Information On Children’S Reports, Kim P. Roberts, Martine B. Powell

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective. For successful prosecution of child sexual abuse, children are often required to provide reports about individual, alleged incidents. Although verbally or mentally rehearsing memory of an incident can strengthen memories, children’s report of individual incidents can also be contaminated when they experience other events related to the individual incidents (e.g., informal interviews, dreams of the incident) and/or when they have similar, repeated experiences of an incident as in cases of multiple abuse.

Method. Research is reviewed on the positive and negative effects of these related experiences on the length, accuracy, and structure of children’s reports of a particular incident. …

Transition From Moderate To Excessive Wheel Running In Rats: A Function Of Access Length?, Sara B. Lattanzio

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In rats, long daily wheel access produces an escalation to excessive levels of running while short daily access results in low stable levels of running. paralleling patterns of cocaine- taking (Lattanzio et al., 2000). Experiment I explored the effects of previous running experience (Phase l) on fixture running and feeding (Phase ll). Rats with 24 h daily access in Phase I escalated wheel running to a plateau of about 7000 wheel turns per day, while rats with 2 h daily access ran at low levels (about I000 wheel turns over the final 8 days of Phase l). The 2 h …

Perceptual Calibration Of F0 Production: Evidence From Feedback Perturbation, Jeffery A. Jones, Kevin Munhall

Psychology Faculty Publications

Hearing one’s own speech is important for language learning and maintenance of accurate articulation. For example, people with postlinguistically acquired deafness often show a gradual deterioration of many aspects of speech production. In this manuscript, data are presented that address the role played by acoustic feedback in the control of voice fundamental frequency (F0). Eighteen subjects produced vowels under a control ~normal F0 feedback! and two experimental conditions: F0 shifted up and F0 shifted down. In each experimental condition subjects produced vowels during a training period in which their F0 was slowly shifted without …

Utilization Of Global Attributions In Recognizing And Responding To Gender Discrimination Among College Women, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although learned helplessness theories suggest that global attributions for gender discrimination may serve to promote feelings of helplessness about responding to discrimination, group consciousness theories suggest they may instead be a precursor to enhancing collective actions against discrimination.

To examine this theoretical discrepancy, college women completed measures of attributions for gender discrimination, political consciousness (as measured by common fate), participation in collective action, and helplessness behavior among college women. To examine the unique role of global attributions, participants were included if they made external and unstable attributions for discrimination (N = 231). Structural equation modeling showed hat recognizing discrimination occurs …

Positive And Negative Responses To Personal Discrimination: Does Coping Make A Difference?, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although psychological research has found that perceiving personal discrimination is associated with negative psychological symptoms, group consciousness theories suggest that perceiving personal discrimination can be empowering. To attempt to reconcile these presumably opposing findings, the present study suggested that how one copes with perceiving personal discrimination may better predict whether the outcomes are negative or positive than the perception of personal discrimination alone. American female university students ( N = 262) completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of personal discrimination, psychological symptoms and psychosocial behaviors. A series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that coping mechanisms predicted psychosocial behaviors over and …

The Effect Of A Suggestive Interview On Children’S Memory Of A Repeated Event: Does It Matter Whether Suggestions Are Linked To A Particular Incident?, Martine Powell, Kim P. Roberts, Donald M. Thomson

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examined the impact of linking misleading information to a particular occurrence of a repeated event. Children aged 5- to 6-years took part in the same staged event four times and 16 target details varied in each occurrence (e.g., the colour of a cloak varied each time). Three days or three weeks later they were asked questions, some of which included false information, about the final occurrence. The next day, the children were required to recall what happened in the final occurrence. Compared to children whose biasing interview was not focused on any particular occurrence of the repeated event, …

From Housing To Homes: A Review Of The Literature On Housing Approaches For Psychiatric Consumers/Survivors, Shannon Parkinson, Geoffrey Nelson, Salinda Horgan

Psychology Faculty Publications

In this paper, we review the literature on housing for psychiatric consumer/survivors since the publication of the Nelson and Smith Fowler (1987) review more than a decade ago. First, we review research and propose a definition to contrast key features of three approaches to housing: (a) custodial, (b) supportive, and (c) supported. Second, we examine studies of the relationships between the characteristics of housing and adaptational outcomes for residents (e.g., personal empowerment). Third, we review studies which have examined out-comes for residents for these three different housing approaches. We conclude by critically reflecting on the values and research of the …

Perceiving And Responding To The Personal/Group Discrimination Discrepancy, Mindi D. Foster, Kimberley Matheson

Psychology Faculty Publications

To explain why minority group members recognize less personal than group discrimination, research has focused on cognitive processes. While within self-categorization theory it may be argued the discrepancy is a function of a salient social self that perceptually discounts the personal self, it can also be argued that depersonalization allows for the cognitive possibility of perceiving similar amounts of personal and group discrimination. The present study suggested that, consistent with group consciousness theories, the social self may serve to both discount as well as integrate the social self, depending on the way in which the social self is defined. Using …

Acting Out Against Gender Discrimination: The Effects Of Different Social Identities, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Self-categorization theory suggests that when a social identity is salient, group- oriented behavior will ensue. Thus, women should be likely to act out against gender discrimination when their social identity as women is salient. However, self-categorization theory has typically defined a social identity along stereo- types, which may serve instead to maintain the status quo. Two studies therefore examined the effects of two different social identities on taking action against discrimination. Participants were female students (Anglo American (93%), African American (2%), Native American (2%), Hispanic (1%), Asian American (1%) and Other (1%)). Study 1 examined a structural model and Study …

Perceiving And Feeling Personal Discrimination: Motivation Or Inhibition For Collective Action?, Mindi D. Foster, Kimberley Matheson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Relative deprivation and group consciousness theories differ in their predictions of how personal discrimination and personal discontent will be related to taking collective action. According to relative deprivation theory, assessments of personal status should be unrelated to taking collective action.

In contrast, group consciousness theories suggest that while perceiving personal discrimination is necessary for collective action to occur, feelings of personal discontent may inhibit it. Female students completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of, and affective responses to personal discrimination, as well as their participation in collective actions. A hierarchical regression analysis found that personal discrimination and discontent interacted such that …

The Effect On Feeding And Wheel Running Behaviours Of Housing Rats In Pairs, Roison M. O'Connor

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The effects on feeding of moving animals from individual- to pair-housing were explored in the present three experiments. Wheel access is known to result in a temporary suppression of feeding. The move to pair-housing was compared with the effect of wheel access. In Experiment l, a group of rats was moved from individual to pair-housing (IP group) and compared to a group of individually-housed rats (IND group) and a group of chronically pair-housed rats (PAIR group). The animals in the IP group showed a temporary (three days) suppression in feeding (initially 23%). When half of the IND and PAIR group …