Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Beginning Teachers’ Development Of Inclusive Practices: A Longitudinal Multiple-Case Study Approach, Tsz-Wing Zita Lau

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Classroom teachers are expected to have the competencies to teach in inclusive classrooms, with the goal of providing diverse learners the support and opportunities they deserve to learn at their best. However, teachers worldwide have reported their teacher education program was inadequate in preparing them to teach in inclusive classrooms. To address this, Sharma (2018) proposed the 3H framework – the three apprenticeships that preservice teachers should be prepared with to become effective inclusive educators: the heart (attitudes and beliefs of inclusive teachers), the head (knowledge and self-efficacy to teach diverse learners), and the hands (inclusive instructional practices). The goal …

Examining Mobile Health App Engagement In A North American Employee Population: A One-Year Longitudinal Observational Study, Nabil Ratanshi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) apps may help promote physical activity and other health behaviours among office-based workers. Low app engagement, however, leading to little or no effect is typical. OBJECTIVE: To examine engagement with a rewards-based mHealth app and identify factors influencing engagement. METHODS: A one-year observational study was conducted with Canadian and U.S. users of the Sprout at Work app (N=2253; Female: 35.7%; Age: 39.3 years). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to examine engagement patterns from a ‘multiple-lives’ perspective (i.e., time to first disengagement, re-engagement, second disengagement). Regression models were used to identify factors influencing engagement. RESULTS: After one …

The Coding Flexibility Of Radical Position In Chinese, Zian Chi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although there are theories of word recognition/reading predicting a transposed letter (TL)-type effect in Chinese character recognition, specifically, a transposed radical (TR) effect, no empirical demonstrations of TR effects have been reported to this point. As a result, instead of adopting a position-general assumption of radical processing, a position-specific assumption of radical processing has been adopted in most Chinese character recognition models. In the present Experiment 1, computational models were created in order to determine whether models that do not make the position-general assumption can account for any TR effect if one were to be found. In Experiment 2, 3, …

The Social Context Of Nonverbal Behaviour, Alexa S. Clerke

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although nonverbal behaviour has long been a topic of research, it is often studied in isolation from social partners and the social environment. This work presents three empirical chapters that reintroduce the social environment to the investigation of nonverbal cue exchange, focusing on the value of social rewards and the perceptive and affiliative functions of nonverbal communication. Findings reported in Chapter 2 indicate that the subjective value of social rewards changes as a function of social media use saliency. Specifically, thinking about a recent social media post, but not a synchronous conversation, increases the value of social rewards, such that …

The Developmental Importance Of Napping In Preschool Children, Adam T. Newton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Most children cease napping between 2- and 5-years-old. Little is known about the predictors or outcomes related to this cessation, or the interrelation of different components of nap behavior. Four empirical studies were conducted to investigate the developmental importance of napping among preschool children.

Studies 1 and 2 used a large, longitudinal sample of Canadian children to investigate the predictors (Study 1) and outcomes (Study 2) related to early nap cessation. Early nap cessation was defined as stopping daytime sleep before three years old. In Study 1, parents reported on their own, child, and family functioning at two timepoints (0-1 …

Understanding Transitional Mental Health And Interpersonal Needs Of Newcomer Youth During Resettlement: Seeking Guidance To Strengthen Mental Health Programming, Anjali Ruparelia

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigated the supports that newcomer youth may need to promote positive well-being and foster healthy relationships during early resettlement. This study employed qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews with four newcomer youth between the ages of 14 and 21 years old who have been in Canada for at least two years. Interview data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA). The results indicated that newcomer youth experience significant resettlement challenges and barriers including language barriers, culture shock, and feeling lonely and isolated within their new environments. However, newcomer youth participants also reported that they found various strengths and resources …

The Psychotherapeutic Effects Of Consumer-Grade Eeg Neurofeedback On Mental Health And Well-Being, Madeline Slack

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current study assessed whether pairing mindfulness meditation with consumer-grade neurofeedback (using Muse) would be a feasible and satisfying (i.e., fulfillment and pleasure) intervention for mental health and well-being. This was assessed via a four-day mindfulness program where participants (N=34) were assigned to mindfulness with neurofeedback (n=17) or guided meditation (control; n=17) group. On each day of the program, participants engaged in two mindful sessions (five minutes each) in the morning and afternoon. Participants were administered a series of affective measures before and after the program, as well as throughout. Upon completion, participants were asked to rate …

Long Term Outcomes After Norse: Treatment With Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Poul H. Espino, Jorge G. Burneo, Gaby Moscol, Teneille Gofton, Keith Macdougall, Ana Suller-Marti

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

New-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) is associated with high mortality, therapy resistant epilepsy (TRE) and poor cognitive and functional outcomes. Some patients develop multifocal TRE, for whom surgery with a curative intention, is not an option. In these patients, Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) is performed as a palliative treatment. We report the long-term outcomes regarding seizure frequency, functional and cognitive outcome, and effectiveness of VNS in two patients with TRE as a consequence of NORSE. In the first patient with cryptogenic NORSE, VNS implantation occurred during the acute stage, probably contributing to the cessation of her status epilepticus. However, in …

No Statistical Learning Advantage In Children Over Adults: Evidence From Behaviour And Neural Entrainment., Christine N Moreau, Marc F. Joanisse, Jerrica Mulgrew, Laura J. Batterink

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Explicit recognition measures of statistical learning (SL) suggest that children and adults have similar linguistic SL abilities. However, explicit tasks recruit additional cognitive processes that are not directly relevant for SL and may thus underestimate children's true SL capacities. In contrast, implicit tasks and neural measures of SL should be less influenced by explicit, higher-level cognitive abilities and thus may be better suited to capturing developmental differences in SL. Here, we assessed SL to six minutes of an artificial language in English-speaking children (n = 56, 24 females, M = 9.98 years) and adults (n = 44; 31 females, M …

The Relationship Between The Big-Five Personality Traits And Depressive Symptoms: A Meta-Analysis, Parisa Chavoshi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders worldwide. While multiple etiological factors contribute to depressive symptoms, personality traits have been hypothesized to play a crucial role. To determine the strengths of this association and provide a new approach compared to prior meta-analyses, we conducted a set of meta-analyses to examine the association of the Big-Five personality traits as the most widely accepted personality model and depressive symptoms. We also examined the effects of the facets of each personality dimension in addition to the effects of the moderating variables, including the proportion of females and the type of depression …

Individual Differences In Categorization, Urooj Anees

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The appearance of individual differences used to be regarded as noise in psychological experiments, but is slowly becoming a tool used to enhance and solidify findings in various fields of cognitive psychology. This presentation aims to very briefly discuss individual differences and categorization and what questions future research could aim to answer.

Development And Validation Of The Fat Microaggressions Scale, Megan Lindloff

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Much of the discrimination that higher-weight people face takes the form of microaggressions, which have yet to be quantitatively measured. Across five studies, I describe the development and validation of the Fat Microaggressions Scale (FMS). In Study 1, I created the initial item pool through examining previously published measures of experienced weight stigma, qualitative studies, and tweets using the #FatMicroaggressions hashtag. In Study 2, I conducted a Delphi review with fat activists and scholars to receive feedback on the scale. In Study 3, I provided initial evidence for a four-factor structure of the FMS through an exploratory factor analysis. In …

A Demonstration Of The Utility Of Formalizing Theory: Mapping, Evaluating, And Testing The Theory Of Devaluation Of Alternatives, Rebecca Koessler

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Devaluation of alternatives is often identified as a key relationship maintenance strategy that is used to combat the threat of attractive alternatives. However, since the theory was proposed by Johnson and Rusbult (1989), few efforts have been dedicated to evaluating the progression of the theory and assessing the quantity and quality of the existing evidence that claims to corroborate it. The present research fulfilled this need by formalizing the theory of devaluation of alternatives using a metatheoretical approach that involved categorization, deconstruction, reconstruction via theory mapping, and evaluation (Chapter 2). P-curve meta-analyses were used to determine whether p-hacking …

Listening Effort: Separating The Subjective From The Objective, Joseph E. Rovetti

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Challenges such as background noise may increase “listening effort.” This construct has been operationalized as the recruitment of cognitive resources during listening (objective effort) or as the self-reported feeling of effort (subjective effort). In the current study, I compared these two dimensions of listening effort directly. Normal-hearing adults listened to highly intelligible passages across several signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), with reaction time on a secondary task (objective effort) and effort ratings (subjective effort) measured in separate blocks. As the SNR became less favourable, subjective effort appeared to increase continuously, while objective effort only began to increase at a much less favourable …

How Do Individuals In Intercultural Romantic Relationships Use Communication Strategies To Maintain Their Relationship? A Qualitative Analysis., Adira Daniel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Intercultural relationships—romantic relationships where one partner is outside the other’s racial, ethnic, religious, and/or language group—are a growing sociodemographic group. Individuals in such relationships must navigate their cultural differences to mitigate the negative effects of the challenges they face and ameliorate the benefits of their relationship. Culture can impact preferences in communicating about these differences and consequently relationship maintenance. Yet little is known about how intercultural couples communicate about their cultural differences to effectively maintain their relationship. To address this gap, I conducted semi-structured, virtual, interviews with 23 intercultural couples and found that intercultural couples’ overall preference and efficacy …

Gbsv Resource Guide And Review For The University Of Western Ontario And Surrounding Area, Alyssa J. Madhani

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

During the 2021-2022 academic year, gender-based violence and sexual assault became a major topic of discussion due to a number of troubling incidents throughout the year. One of the largest calls to action by the student body was for more resources and trainings. This paper compiles the resources and trainings that can be found on campus of the University of Western Ontario and in the surrounding areas into a cohesive list of major relevant sources. The goal of this paper is to amplify the many different programs already in place that can be added to the training cohorts or made …

Examining The Relationships Between Socio-Cognitive Factors And Neural Synchrony During Movie Watching Across Development, Kathleen M. Lyons

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

While different cognitive abilities mature, the conscious experiences of children likely become richer and more elaborate. A challenge in investigating relationships between cognitive development and real-world experiences is having measures that assess naturalistic processing. Movie watching offers a solution, since following the plot of a film requires cognitive processes that are similar to real-world experiences. When different adults watch the same film, their brain activity begins to align (known as neural synchrony). The strength of this alignment has been shown to reflect the degree to which different individuals are having a similar experience of the movie. While this phenomenon has …

The Initial Development, Factor Structure, And Psychometric Validation Of The Impostor Phenomenon Assessment (Ipa): A Novel Assessment Of Impostor Phenomenon, Deanna L. Walker

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Despite growing attention surrounding impostor phenomenon (also known as “imposter syndrome”), recent reviews have suggested that current measures may be inadequate in capturing the complex and multifaceted nature of this construct (i.e., thoughts, feelings, and behaviours). The objective of my dissertation research program was to clarify the theoretical conceptualization of impostor phenomenon based on experiences in an achievement-oriented setting, and to develop a novel and psychometrically valid method of measuring this construct. I began by conducting an extensive review of the literature and developing an item pool for a novel impostor phenomenon assessment. I then conducted exploratory factor …

Role Of The Default-Mode Network During Narrative Integration In Major Depressive Disorder, Darren Ri-Sheng Liang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

How brain activity is synchronized across individuals during narrative comprehension has previously been characterized by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy and patient populations. To our knowledge, there has been limited investigation as to how it is affected by major depressive disorder (MDD). We addressed this issue with fMRI through examination of inter-subject synchronization in the default mode network (DMN), brain structures which have previously been implicated in MDD pathology. Twenty-two patients with MDD and 20 matched control participants listened to Intact versus Scrambled versions of an auditory narrative; these experimental conditions differed in the degree of temporal integration …

Virtual Reality, Mindfulness And Their Associations To Personality Traits, Somer Schaffer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mindfulness, conceptualized as actively noticing and engaging with oneself and one’s surroundings with a nonjudgmental mind, is associated with many positive outcomes such as healthy relationships, stress reduction, performance engagement, and increased well-being. Virtual reality (VR) technologies offer people immersive experiences to engage with novel environments for entertaining and therapeutic purposes. While in any VR environment, participants may perceive themselves as if they are in the scenes, that is, they experience moment-to-moment awareness and immersion in these virtual environments. Thus, practicing mindfulness meditation with technologies like smartphones and VR has become increasingly popular over the past decade. However, little research …

Endorsement (And Rejection) Of Normative Fitness Culture: Qualitative Evidence For A Novel Construct, Sara M. Stanley, Eva Pila, Katarina Huellemann

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

“Normative fitness culture” is a phenomenon within the disordered eating literature that comprises the endorsement of sociocultural fitness norms (e.g., “no pain, no gain” rhetoric). Endorsement of normative fitness culture is hypothesized to contribute to maladaptive body, eating, and exercise attitudes and behaviours, though it has never been formally operationalized and examined in the psychological literature. Qualitative explorations of how women endorse (and reject) normative fitness culture may inform how these norms are promoted and maintained, and their impact on individual psychosocial experiences. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to explore and characterize the endorsement and rejection of …

Humor Styles And Job Interests, Trinity Ho

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The goal of this study was to investigate the possible relationships between humor styles and vocational interests by using the correlations between the two variables. Previous research suggests that humor in general plays an important role regarding work/job satisfaction individual and job performance (de Sousa et al., 2017), or the atmosphere at work place in general (Romero & Cruthirds, 2007).

This study aims to investigate the possible relationships and fill the gap, between humor styles and vocational interests.

Usri Summer Experience - Psychological Intern, Jessica Ierullo

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

I had the pleasure of working with Colin King under the Mary J. Wright Child and Youth Development Clinic to aid in their new research project. Studying children, the goal for the project is to assess the psychological impacts that long-term, intensive PCCU care has on the youth. Throughout the summer, I worked as an intern, helping to establish a base from which the project can stem from. This short slide show highlights the current progress that has been made towards setting up the study. I am looking forward to inspecting the study results once it is completed.

A Psychological Profile Of The Digitized Economy: Who Buys Cryptocurrencies, Nfts, And Meme-Stocks (And Why)?, Nicole Wolfe

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

As the global digital economy continues to grow in interest and financial worth, it is imperative to harvest data to gain early information on this nuanced economy. Already, we have witnessed billions of dollars in losses and wins at the blink of an eye, encouragement to invest from well-known celebrities and politicians, and high anxiety from the newness, power consumption, and potential outcomes of this nuanced system. Stemming from the lack of solid evidence in this emerging field, we hope to gain more insight on the early players and variation within the digitized economy. Similarly, we hope to identify specific …

Multisensory Integration In Children With Adhd: A Behavioural Investigation, Bernice Leung

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Sensory processing difficulties are often reported in individuals with ADHD. Multisensory integration (MSI) refers to the ability to integrate multiple sensory inputs into a single consistent perceptual experience. The purpose of this project is to investigate whether children and adolescents with ADHD have altered multisensory integration and multisensory temporal processing, as compared to typically developing (TD) youth.

Changes In Audiovisual Integration In Aging, Alyssa S. Lynn

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The proposed study will examine changes in audiovisual integration between younger and older adults. Audiovisual integration enables us to associate and bind related auditory and visual information and experience it as a single percept (Spence, 2007). Being able to properly integrate is crucial in our everyday lives. When perceiving speech, audiovisual integration binds visual information from lip movements with auditory information from the speaker's utterances so that speech can be perceived multimodally. With age, our auditory and visual sensory acuity tends to decline with audiovisual integration being impacted as a result (Brooks et al., 2018; Mahoney et al., 2011). We …

Music And Movement: Techniques And Directions In Parkinson's Research, Verena Rafael

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia. This causes abnormal movements/gait among other symptoms. The basal ganglia is also involved in beat perception; the loss of neurons in this area decreases beat-based rhythm discrimination. This may have implications for walking as impaired beat perception may affect rhythm generation, and walking is a rhythmic movement. Music has the potential to benefit Parkinson’s patients in gait rehabilitation by providing external rhythmic cues. Various aspects of music are currently being investigated to determine which ones most prominently improve gait in Parkinson’s disease. One …

Assessing The Impact Of Lipopolysaccharide On Learning And Memory In Rats, Anahat Luthra

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The immune system and the central nervous system (CNS) have a bi-direction relationship, modulating one another.⁴ Proinflammatory cytokines released from CNS immune cells have an impact on cognitive processes such as learning and memory.¹ Liposaccharide (LPS), a cell wall component of Gram-negative bacteria, which is used to activate proinflammatory cytokine release has been found to impact learning and memory processes, such as in the anticipatory nausea paradigm (ANP).² Anticipatory nausea and vomiting is that which may occur before a chemotherapy treatment session begins in a patient who has had chemotherapy before. It is caused by triggers like …

Finding Meaning In Life, Pedro Baeta

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

This poster describes a review of the Meaning in Life psychological research. The project aimed to find current issues with the field and to provide new directions for it, along with a research proposal to be done in the fall.

The Effects Of The Aromatase Inhibitor, Letrozole, On Lithium Chloride (Licl)-Induced Conditioned Disgust Behaviour (Anticipatory Nausea) In Male Rats, Vangel Matic

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Anticipatory Nausea (AN) is a form of classical conditioning in which the effects of a nausea-inducing toxin become associated with a specific environmental context. AN is often experienced by individuals receiving chemotherapy treatment, whereby the emetic effects of the chemotherapy agents become associated with the treatment context (i.e. hospital, clinic), such that exposure to the context alone can cause an individual to experience nausea and potentially withdraw from treatment. Chemotherapy-associated AN is suggested to have a higher incidence in females compared to males.

AN can be represented in a rodent model (conditioned disgust) through the occurrence of conditioned gaping behaviour …