Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Neural Roots Of Mathematical Expertise, Daniel Ansari

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

No abstract provided.

Challenges In Mathematical Cognition: A Collaboratively-Derived Research Agenda, Lara Alcock, Daniel Ansari, Sophie Batchelor, Marie-Josee Bisson, Bert De Smedt, Camilla Gilmore, Silke M. Gobel, Minna Hannula-Sormunen, Jeremy Hodgen, Matthew Inglis, Ian Jones, Michele Mazzocco, Nicole Mcneil, Michael Schneider, Victoria Simms, Keith Weber

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

This paper reports on a collaborative exercise designed to generate a coherent agenda for research on mathematical cognition. Following an established method, the exercise brought together 16 mathematical cognition researchers from across the fields of mathematics education, psychology and neuroscience. These participants engaged in a process in which they generated an initial list of research questions with the potential to significantly advance understanding of mathematical cognition, winnowed this list to a smaller set of priority questions, and refined the eventual questions to meet criteria related to clarity, specificity and practicability. The resulting list comprises 26 questions divided into six broad …

Enriching Or Discouraging? Competing Pictures Of Aging And Paid Work In Later Life, Rebecca Casey, Ellie Berger

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

The picture and experience of work and retirement are continuously changing in Canada and will likely continue to change into the future with the aging of the population. There are two pictures of work in older age presented in the literature: a positive and enriching picture and a picture that highlights the challenges facing some older workers. The positive and enriching picture focuses on the experiences of older individuals who are able to continue working if they want to work and are able to work; those who continue working because they are motivated by work rather than pay or new …

Canadians Keep Asking Questions About Saudi Arms Deal, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

No abstract provided.

Functional Plasticity In Somatosensory Cortex Supports Motor Learning By Observing., Heather R Mcgregor, Joshua G A Cashaback, Paul L Gribble

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

An influential idea in neuroscience is that the sensory-motor system is activated when observing the actions of others [1, 2]. This idea has recently been extended to motor learning, in which observation results in sensory-motor plasticity and behavioral changes in both motor and somatosensory domains [3-9]. However, it is unclear how the brain maps visual information onto motor circuits for learning. Here we test the idea that the somatosensory system, and specifically primary somatosensory cortex (S1), plays a role in motor learning by observing. In experiment 1, we applied stimulation to the median nerve to occupy the somatosensory system with …

Data And Maps In Reference And Reflections On Working In Public And Technical Services, Lindsay Bontje

Western Libraries Presentations

This presentation explores Western Libraries' new LibGuide for data and statistics and outlines some resources that may be useful in reference work. It details and explores how to discover various cartographic resources available in the Map and Data Centre including maps, air photos, atlases and fire insurance plans. The presentation discusses the integration of new print maps into the collection and clearing a large cataloging backlog. Finally, this presentation explores thoughts and reflections on working in both public and technical services simultaneously.

The Relationship Between Nature Relatedness, Trait Emotional Intelligence And Well-Being, Priscilla R. Gerofsky

Undergraduate Honors Posters

Prior research has shown that nature relatedness (NR) and trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) are both associated with various well-being measures (Bhullar, Schutte, & Malouff, 2013; Furnham & Petrides, 2003; Nisbet, Zelenski, & Murphy, 2011; Zelenski & Nisbet, 2014); however, no prior research has examined the relationship between NR and trait EI. The current study was undertaken to determine which well-being measures are associated with NR and trait EI, and to determine if there is any association between NR and trait EI. Participants were 315 adults from 54 countries, who completed online questionnaires. Questionnaires included the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire …

Demographic Faultlines And Team Cohesion On Team Performance, Maya S. Budovitch

Undergraduate Honors Posters

This research examines team faultlines and their potential impact on team performance. Faultlines are defined as hypothetical dividing lines that split a group or team into two or more subgroups based on one or more individual attributes (e.g., gender and ethnicity). Investigations explored the possibility that team cohesion (i.e., team members’ attraction and commitment to their team) would moderate the relationship between faultlines and team performance. Participants (n = 867) completed The Task and Social Cohesion Questionnaire during one of two academic years (2013-14; 2014-15). Faultline strength was calculated for each team using two approaches, Thatcher’s Fau and Meyer’s Average …

Propofol-Induced Frontal Cortex Disconnection: A Study Of Resting-State Networks, Total Brain Connectivity, And Mean Bold Signal Oscillation Frequencies., Pieter Guldenmund, Ithabi S Gantner, Katherine Baquero, Tushar Das, Athena Demertzi, Pierre Boveroux, Vincent Bonhomme, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Marie-Aurélie Bruno, Olivia Gosseries, Quentin Noirhomme, Muriëlle Kirsch, Mélanie Boly, Adrian M Owen, Steven Laureys, Francisco Gómez, Andrea Soddu

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Propofol is one of the most commonly used anesthetics in the world, but much remains unknown about the mechanisms by which it induces loss of consciousness. In this resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined qualitative and quantitative changes of resting-state networks (RSNs), total brain connectivity, and mean oscillation frequencies of the regional blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal, associated with propofol-induced mild sedation and loss of responsiveness in healthy subjects. We found that detectability of RSNs diminished significantly with loss of responsiveness, and total brain connectivity decreased strongly in the frontal cortex, which was associated with increased mean oscillation …

Revising The Bis/Bas Scale To Study Development: Measurement Invariance And Normative Effects Of Age And Sex From Childhood Through Adulthood., David Pagliaccio, Katherine R Luking, Andrey P Anokhin, Ian H Gotlib, Elizabeth P Hayden, Thomas M Olino, Chun-Zi Peng, Greg Hajcak, Deanna M Barch

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Carver and White's (1994) Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) Scales have been useful tools for studying individual differences in reward-punishment sensitivity; however, their factor structure and invariance across development have not been well tested. In the current study, we examined the factor structure of the BIS/BAS Scales across 5 age groups: 6- to 10-year-old children (N = 229), 11- to 13-year-old early adolescents (N = 311), 14- to 16-year-old late adolescents (N = 353), 18- to 22-year-old young adults (N = 844), and 30- to 45-year-old adults (N = 471). Given poor fit of the standard 4-factor model (BIS, …

It’S A Matter Of Time: Reframing The Development Of Cognitive Control As A Modification Of The Brain’S Temporal Dynamics, R. Matthew Hutchison, J. Bruce Morton

Psychology Publications

Cognitive control is a process that unfolds over time and regulates thought and action in the service of achieving goals and managing unanticipated challenges. Prevailing accounts attribute the protracted development of this mental process to incremental changes in the functional organization of a cognitive control network. Here, we challenge the notion that cognitive control is linked to a topologically static network, and argue that the capacity to manage unanticipated challenges and its development should instead be characterized in terms of inter-regional functional coupling dynamics. Ongoing changes in temporal coupling have long represented a fundamental pillar in both empirical and theoretical-based …

Federal Minister Delays Decision On Nuclear Waste Depository, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The federal minister of the environment, Catherine McKenna, has dealt a setback to the proposal put forward by government-owned Ontario Power Generation (OPG), for the underground storage of nuclear waste. The proposed Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) would be located in Kincardine, Ontario, approximately 1.2 kilometres away from the shore of Lake Huron, and constructed underneath the world's largest operating nuclear power plant.

Federal Environment Minister Delays Decision On Nuclear Waste Repository, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

No abstract provided.

Transient Pupil Dilation After Subsaccadic Microstimulation Of Primate Frontal Eye Fields., Sebastian J Lehmann, Brian D Corneil

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

UNLABELLED: Pupillometry provides a simple and noninvasive index for a variety of cognitive processes, including perception, attention, task consolidation, learning, and memory. The neural substrates by which such cognitive processes influence pupil diameter remain somewhat unclear, although cortical inputs to the locus coeruleus mediating arousal are likely involved. Changes in pupil diameter also accompany covert orienting; hence the oculomotor system may provide an alternative substrate for cognitive influences on pupil diameter. Here, we show that low-level electrical microstimulation of the primate frontal eye fields (FEFs), a cortical component of the oculomotor system strongly connected to the intermediate layers of the …

Inégalités En Santé Chez Les Adultes Plus Vieux Dans Les Pays Développés: Réconcilier Théories Et Approches Politiques, Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, Andrea Willson, Sandra Reiter-Campeau

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

Les politiques dont le but est de soutenir les personnes âgées creusent peut-être les inégalités. Des régimes de pensions de plus en plus privatisées et un manque de services de soutien subventionnés profitent de façon disproportionnée à ceux qui ont les moyens sociaux et économiques les plus forts à l’âge avancé. Les gens favorisés sont en meilleure santé que ceux qui sont désavantagés. Le Canada a l’occasion d’éviter un impact si biaisé des programmes pour les aînés, en puisant dans les approches créées par l’Organisation mondiale de la santé, des exemples internationaux et dans la théorie et la recherche sociologique. …

The Identity Capital Model: A Handbook Of Theory, Methods, And Findings, James Côté

Sociology Publications

No abstract provided.

Point And Counterpoint, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

No abstract provided.

While We Focus On Nuclear Newcomers Like North Korea, The Real Nuclear Powers Are Making No Progress In Disarmament, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

No abstract provided.

Symbolic Numerical Magnitude Processing Is As Important To Arithmetic As Phonological Awareness Is To Reading, Kiran Vanbinst, Daniel Ansari, Bert De Smedt

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

In this article, we tested, using a 1-year longitudinal design, whether symbolic numerical magnitude processing or children’s numerical representation of Arabic digits, is as important to arithmetic as phonological awareness is to reading. Children completed measures of symbolic comparison, phonological awareness, arithmetic, reading at the start of third grade and the latter two were retested at the start of fourth grade. Cross-sectional and longitudinal correlations indicated that symbolic comparison was a powerful domain-specific predictor of arithmetic and that phonological awareness was a unique predictor of reading. Crucially, the strength of these independent associations was not significantly different. This indicates that …

Structure And Function Of Gene Regulatory Networks Associated With Worker Sterility In Honeybees., Julia A Sobotka, Mark Daley, Sriram Chandrasekaran, Benjamin D Rubin, Graham J Thompson

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

A characteristic of eusocial bees is a reproductive division of labor in which one or a few queens monopolize reproduction, while her worker daughters take on reproductively altruistic roles within the colony. The evolution of worker reproductive altruism involves indirect selection for the coordinated expression of genes that regulate personal reproduction, but evidence for this type of selection remains elusive. In this study, we tested whether genes coexpressed under queen-induced worker sterility show evidence of adaptive organization within a model brain transcriptional regulatory network (TRN). If so, this structured pattern would imply that indirect selection on nonreproductive workers has influenced …

Category Learning In Older Adulthood: A Study Of The Shepard, Hovland, And Jenkins (1961) Tasks., Rahel Rabi, John Paul Minda

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Shepard, Hovland, and Jenkins (1961) examined the categorization abilities of younger adults using tasks involving single-dimensional rule learning, disjunctive rule learning, and family resemblance learning. The current study examined category learning in older adults using this well-known category set. Older adults, like younger adults, found category tasks with a single relevant dimension the easiest to learn. In contrast to younger adults, older adults found complex disjunctive rule-based categories harder to learn than family resemblance based categories. Disjunctive rule-based category learning appeared to be the most difficult for older adults to learn because this category set placed the heaviest demands on …

The Representational-Hierarchical View Of Pattern Separation: Not Just Hippocampus, Not Just Space, Not Just Memory?, B. A. Kent, M. Hvoslef-Eide, L. M. Saksida, T. J. Bussey

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Pattern separation (PS) has been defined as a process of reducing overlap between similar input patterns to minimize interference amongst stored representations. The present article describes this putative PS process from the "representational-hierarchical" perspective (R-H), which uses a hierarchical continuum instead of a cognitive modular processing framework to describe the organization of the ventral visual perirhinal-hippocampal processing stream. Instead of trying to map psychological constructs onto anatomical modules in the brain, the R-H model suggests that the function of brain regions depends upon what representations they contain. We begin by discussing a main principle of the R-H framework, the resolution …

Sustainable Development Goals Worth Sharing, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The international community has agreed upon another set of goals for the next 15 years. On the table are no less than 169 objectives and 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new aspirations are summarized and the merits and demerits of further elaboration and measurement including country-specific deadlines and targets are discussed. The hefty budget to achieve all 17 goals is estimated at more than $4 trillion US a year. North American policy-makers need to be aware of humankind’s shared aspirations as they consider the new and expensive SDGs. Foreign aid is one of the instruments of North American foreign …

Effects Of A Consistent Target Or Masker Voice On Target Speech Intelligibility In Two- And Three-Talker Mixtures., Fabienne Samson, Ingrid S Johnsrude

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

When the spatial location or identity of a sound is held constant, it is not masked as effectively by competing sounds. This suggests that experience with a particular voice over time might facilitate perceptual organization in multitalker environments. The current study examines whether listeners benefit from experience with a voice only when it is the target, or also when it is a masker, using diotic presentation and a closed-set task (coordinate response measure). A reliable interaction was observed such that, in two-talker mixtures, consistency of masker or target voice over 3-7 trials significantly benefited target recognition performance, whereas in three-talker …

Trajectories Of Symbolic And Nonsymbolic Magnitude Processing In The First Year Of Formal Schooling, Anna A. Matejko, Daniel Ansari

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Sensitivity to numerical magnitudes is thought to provide a foundation for higher-level mathematical skills such as calculation. It is still unclear how symbolic (e.g. Arabic digits) and nonsymbolic (e.g. Dots) magnitude systems develop and how the two formats relate to one another. Some theories propose that children learn the meaning of symbolic numbers by scaffolding them onto a pre-existing nonsymbolic system (Approximate Number System). Others suggest that symbolic and nonsymbolic magnitudes have distinct and non-overlapping representations. In the present study, we examine the developmental trajectories of symbolic and nonsymbolic magnitude processing skills and how they relate to each other in …

In Vivo Mri Signatures Of Hippocampal Subfield Pathology In Intractable Epilepsy., Maged Goubran, Boris C Bernhardt, Diego Cantor-Rivera, Jonathan C Lau, Charlotte Blinston, Robert R Hammond, Sandrine De Ribaupierre, Jorge G Burneo, Seyed M Mirsattari, David A Steven, Andrew G Parrent, Andrea Bernasconi, Neda Bernasconi, Terry M Peters, Ali R Khan

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

OBJECTIVES: Our aim is to assess the subfield-specific histopathological correlates of hippocampal volume and intensity changes (T1, T2) as well as diff!usion MRI markers in TLE, and investigate the efficacy of quantitative MRI measures in predicting histopathology in vivo.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We correlated in vivo volumetry, T2 signal, quantitative T1 mapping, as well as diffusion MRI parameters with histological features of hippocampal sclerosis in a subfield-specific manner. We made use of on an advanced co-registration pipeline that provided a seamless integration of preoperative 3 T MRI with postoperative histopathological data, on which metrics of cell loss and gliosis were quantitatively …

Remembering Me: Big Data, Individual Identity, And The Psychological Necessity Of Forgetting, Jacquelyn A. Burkell

FIMS Publications

Each of us has a personal narrative: a story that defines us, and one that we tell about ourselves to our inner and outer worlds. A strong sense of identity is rooted in a personal narrative that has coherence and correspondence (Conway, 2005): coherence in the sense that the story we tell is consistent with and supportive of our current version of ‘self’; and correspondence in the sense that the story reflects the contents of autobiographical memory and the meaning of our experiences. These goals are achieved by a reciprocal interaction of autobiographical memory and the self, in which memories …

Differential Effect Of Clomipramine On Habituation And Prepulse Inhibition In Dominant Versus Subordinate Rats., Alvin Yang, Tahira Daya, Karen Carlton, Jin Hui Yan, Susanne Schmid

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Many patients with depression have comorbidities associated with an impairment of sensorimotor gating, such as e.g. schizophrenia, Parkinson Disease, or Alzheimer disease. Anti-depressants like clomipramine that modulate serotonergic or norepinephrinergic neurotransmission have been shown to impact sensorimotor gating, it is therefore important to study potential effects of clomipramine in order to rule out an exacerbation of sensorimotor gating impairment. Prior studies in animals and humans have been inconclusive. Since serotonin and norepinephrine levels are closely related to anxiety and stress levels and therefore to the social status of an animal, we tested the hypothesis that acute and chronic effects of …

Optimizing The Distribution Of Leg Muscles For Vertical Jumping., Jeremy D Wong, Maarten F Bobbert, Arthur J Van Soest, Paul L Gribble, Dinant A Kistemaker

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

A goal of biomechanics and motor control is to understand the design of the human musculoskeletal system. Here we investigated human functional morphology by making predictions about the muscle volume distribution that is optimal for a specific motor task. We examined a well-studied and relatively simple human movement, vertical jumping. We investigated how high a human could jump if muscle volume were optimized for jumping, and determined how the optimal parameters improve performance. We used a four-link inverted pendulum model of human vertical jumping actuated by Hill-type muscles, that well-approximates skilled human performance. We optimized muscle volume by allowing the …

Neurogenesis-Mediated Forgetting Minimizes Proactive Interference., Jonathan R Epp, Rudy Silva Mera, Stefan Köhler, Sheena A Josselyn, Paul W Frankland

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Established memories may interfere with the encoding of new memories, particularly when existing and new memories overlap in content. By manipulating levels of hippocampal neurogenesis, here we show that neurogenesis regulates this form of proactive interference. Increasing hippocampal neurogenesis weakens existing memories and, in doing so, facilitates the encoding of new, conflicting (but not non-conflicting) information in mice. Conversely, decreasing neurogenesis stabilizes existing memories, and impedes the encoding of new, conflicting information. These results suggest that reduced proactive interference is an adaptive benefit of neurogenesis-induced forgetting.