Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Neural Responses To Magnetic Orientation Information In Songbirds, Madeleine Ir Brodbeck

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Effective navigation and orientation is essential for animals to survive. The study of migratory birds provides insights into these processes, particularly through mechanisms like the geomagnetic compass, which uses Earth's magnetic field for directional information. A brain region in songbirds relevant to this is cluster N, known for its potential role in processing geomagnetic information. Notably, cluster N appears exclusive to nocturnally migratory birds, being active solely at night, and lesion studies reveal that an intact cluster N is necessary for geomagnetic compass orientation. However, given the scarcity of empirical data concerning cluster N, substantial questions persist regarding its function. …

Smartphones For Smart Eating: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Smartphone Applications On Improving Adolescent Food Knowledge, Heather A. Jantzi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Many Canadian adolescents have unhealthy eating habits which are risk factors for developing chronic diseases later in life. Food literacy plays a role in healthy eating habits but teens in Ontario currently lack sufficient nutrition education learning opportunities in home and school environments. Across health research, smartphones have been utilized as a novel medium to promote learning and alter behaviour. This thesis seeks to understand the effectiveness of smartphone applications at improving food knowledge in adolescents through (i) a systematic review of published interventions, and (ii) by investigating the efficacy of a novel location-based smartphone application. Findings from this thesis …

White Matter Connectome Associations With Reading Functions In Children, Chenglin Lou

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis investigated associations between the white matter connectome and reading in children with a wide range of reading abilities. It is well established that the connectome supports the interplay among brain regions and connections within an integrated system. In this dissertation, I examine the hypothesis that it could therefore represent multiple mapping processes among reading components and further explain variations in reading performance. Such associations between the organization of the connectome and reading skills have not been well explored. This thesis aimed to address this issue by considering both the relationship between connectome measures and standardized reading performance out …

The Role Of Serotonin In The Estradiol-Dependent Selectivity Of Auditory Regions In Songbirds, Calista J. Henry

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Breeding-typical levels of estradiol in songbirds has been shown to lead to selective auditory processing and induce a release of serotonin in auditory regions of the forebrain. These findings triggered the question of whether auditory discrimination is driven by estradiol directly, or by the associated release of serotonin. I treated non-breeding female white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) with either blank implants, 17β-estradiol, serotonin enhancer and blank implants, or serotonin antagonist and 17β-estradiol implants. Birds then heard male conspecific songs or control tones, and ZENK-immunoreactivity was quantified in the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) and caudomedial mesopallium (CMM). While I did not …

Fraction Magnitude Understanding Across Learning Formats: An Fmri Study, Chloe A. Henry

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Knowledge of fraction magnitudes are an important, but notoriously difficult mathematical concept to master. Behavioural work has begun to explore and compare the instructional tools used for fraction learning. However, how fraction instructional tools are processed in the brain remains an underexplored question. Therefore, in the present thesis, we used functional brain MRI methodology to examine the neural activity of adult participants while completing a fraction verification task using the number line and area model, two common methods of fraction learning. We found that both models commonly recruited fronto-parietal activity, the neural regions typically implicated in number processing. However, we …

Investigating The Roles Of The Dorsal And Ventral Striatum In Humor Comprehension And Appreciation Throughout Health, Aging, And Parkinson’S Disease, Maggie Prenger

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Humor processing is thought to involve two distinct components. The first, humor comprehension, involves detecting and resolving incongruities that are present within a humorous stimulus. This is related to cognitive processes such as ambiguity resolution, response inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, functions that are mediated in part by the dorsal portion of the striatum (DS). Humor appreciation, on the other hand, refers to the subjective amusement and mirth that one experiences in response to a joke. This is related to reward processing, which implicates the ventral portion of the striatum (VS). Across three separate studies, we investigated the involvement …

“Return To Play”: The Impact Of, And Changes To, Ontario Children’S Physical Activity During Covid-19, Monika B. Szpunar Ms.

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation explored parents’ and their children’s perspectives of returning to play/sport during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada, and assessed how children’s physical activity levels changed during COVID-19. To understand the initial impact of the pandemic, Study 1 (August 2020) explored the influence of family sociodemographic factors (e.g., housing type) and risk tolerance (using the validated Tolerance of Risk in Play Scale) on parents’ return to play/sport attitudes. Via interviews with parents (n = 9) and children (n = 12), Study 2 (December 2020 – January 2021) gathered participants’ experiences of getting active …

From Micro To Macro: Examining Potential Microbiome Mediated Influences On Human Growth And Health Outcomes Through Breastfeeding And Antibiotic Exposures, Nicole K. Phillips

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Human microbiome research has rapidly developed over the past two decades yet absent from most research is the composition and dynamics of microbiomes within human populations. Given the limitations in longitudinal studies which requires decades of repeated microbe taxonomic testing of a population sample, an alternative option is to examine microbiomes and their influences via proxies using pre-existing health datasets. This research demonstrates preliminary associations between presumed disrupted and supportive microbiomes dynamics proxied by antibiotic and breastmilk exposure respectively. Using health record data across the life span from approximately 500,000 U.K. participants, this research demonstrates variable altered growth and health …

Perceptual Benefits From Long-Term Exposure To Naturalistic Sound Patterns, Bruno A. Mesquita

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Our brains are proficient in learning recurring structures in the environment, in order to optimize perceptual inferences based on relevant information in a stochastic input. Sensory information is multi-dimensional, and the relationship between sound dimensions may be, in itself, a source of information. Many sounds in our environment covary dynamically, and these covariances may be learned, and therefore shape our perception, through exposure to them in our natural environment. In the present study we investigate how natural (long term), and experimental (short term), learning of statistical regularities in sounds may shape our ability to categorize them (Experiment 1) and to …

The Effect Of Propionic Acid On The Habituation To Social And Non-Social Odour Cues In Adult Male Rats, Cashmeira-Dove P. Tyson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The enteric bacterial metabolite, propionic acid (PPA), elicits physiological and behavioural changes in rodents reminiscent of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This includes abnormal sensory processing and social behaviour. ASD may contribute to social deficits through impaired habituation; therefore, the present study examined the effects of intraperitoneal PPA on the habituation to social and non-social odours. Adult male rats were injected daily with PPA or the vehicle control, and for 3 days, habituated to a conspecific odour or vanilla extract for 10 minutes. On day 4, rats were exposed to a novel conspecific odour or almond extract for 10 minutes to …

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 …

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 …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Safe Exercise Training Workshop On Knowledge And Self-Efficacy To Manage Dysfunctional Exercise Among Eating Disorders Clinicians At Alsana Eating Disorders Center, Danika A. Quesnel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Engaging in dysfunctional exercise (DEX) is detrimental to eating disorders (EDs) prognosis, although common amongst clients. Though nutritionally supported exercise can improve ED treatment outcomes, without negatively impacting weight restoration, clinicians remain hesitant to address DEX, perhaps due to a lack of information and training. The current study examined the effects of a Safe Exercise at Every Stage (SEES) training on clinician knowledge and self-efficacy in managing DEX in ED treatment. Eating disorders clinicians completed measures before (n = 96) and after (n = 44) SEES training to assess their knowledge and self-efficacy around treating DEX, with a …

Examining The Impact Of Financial Incentive Removal On Physical Activity: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of 584,760 Mobile Health Application Users, Sean Kevin Spilsbury

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

BACKGROUND: Government interest in using financial incentives (FIs) to stimulate physical activity (PA) is increasing. The cost of longer-term incentive interventions may be prohibitive, however. PURPOSE: To examine the impact of FI withdrawal on PA. METHODS: A 25-week retrospective pre-post quasi-experimental study was conducted with users of a FI-based mHealth app. Users from three Canadian provinces were included. Daily FI were removed in Ontario (ON; intervention) but not British Columbia (BC) and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL; control). Simple linear regression models were used to examine weekly mean daily step count after FI withdrawal. RESULTS: The total sample included 584,760 users …

The Impact Of Energetic Trade-Offs On The Developmental Trajectory And Life History Strategy Of Homo Sapiens: The Modern Human Female Phenotype, Laura Ann Hope Atkinson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study interrogates the relationship between early life environmental variability (measured through birth weight and age at menarche), and adult phenotypic outcomes in female athletes and non-athletes from the United Kingdom. Using anthropometric, and 3D body surface scan analysis, patterns of phenotypic variation were interpreted in a life history context. Significant correlations between birth weight, stature, and bi-iliac breadth were observed. Age at menarche had significant correlations with linear growth and body composition measures in both Pearson and Canonical Correlation analyses. Crural index was found to be negatively correlated with limb segment SA:Vol in opposition to the expectations of Allen’s …

The Genetics Of Pain: An Exploration Of Gene-By-Environment Interactions And Their Effects On Pain, Mohamad F. Fakhereddin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The findings presented in this dissertation are part of the bigger SYMBIOME project which aims to use the biopsychosocial model of pain to develop a prognostic clinical phenotype for people that experience musculoskeletal (MSK) trauma. Chapter 2 presents an exploratory analysis to assess the relationships between genetic polymorphisms and pain severity and interference. Early childhood trauma was also explored as a moderator between genetic polymorphisms and pain outcomes. For pain severity, major allele carriers (A/A and G/A) of FKBP5 rs9394314 reported significantly higher scores than minor allele carriers (G/G). Further, major allele carriers who had at least one adverse childhood …

Using Spatial Methods To Analyse Anthropogenic Predation Risk And Movement Ecology Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus), Rhiannon D. Kirton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Hunting has been used as a central tool by wildlife managers to maintain populations of game species, however, we still lack a good understanding of exactly how hunting influences deer biology. Technological advances in GPS data over the last two decades now enable us to perform more detailed analysis on the effects of human hunters on wildlife populations. This research explores the spatial ecology of hunters and White-tailed deer in the Cross Timbers ecoregion of Oklahoma. Using new statistical methodologies to analyse simultaneous GPS tracking data on deer and hunters to study their spatial interactions. The results show how new …

The Expression Of Guilt, Chloe A. Stewart

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Though aversive, the experience and expression of guilt is important to healthy social functioning. Guilt is often described as visceral, and nonverbal guilt expressions are anecdotally observed, yet much remains unknown about how guilt is expressed. The present work aimed to explore the visceral experience of guilt via the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and the nonverbal display of guilt via facial, gestural, and postural expressions. Using a novel film paradigm, we explored ANS activity during guilt in healthy adults and adults with neurodegenerative disorders (NDs). We further explored the nonverbal behaviours associated with guilt in healthy adults. We hypothesized that, …

Does Aberrant Connectivity Underlie The Experience Of Misophonia?, Kate Raymond

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Misophonia is a condition characterized by an extreme aversion to certain ordinary sounds, such as chewing or breathing. These sounds are typically innocuous but elicit strong feelings of anger, anxiety, and disgust as well as physiological stress in people with misophonia. This misophonic reaction to “trigger” sounds is also marked by increased activity in regions of the brain that process sound, ascribe salience, and regulate emotion (Kumar et al., 2017; Schroder et al., 2019). It has therefore been theorized that aberrant connectivity between these brain regions (particularly the anterior insula, auditory cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus) may underlie the experience of …

Examining The Feasibility Of Delivering A Multi-Component Virtual Lifestyle Medicine Program For Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Madison S. Hiemstra

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

BACKGROUND: The virtual delivery of lifestyle medicine programs (e.g., via web-conferencing platforms) can increase program accessibility for adults living with type 2 diabetes (T2D). PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility of virtually delivering a multi-component group-based lifestyle medicine program that uses wearable technologies and exercise prescriptions in an adult population with T2D. METHODS: This was a six-week, single-cohort feasibility study. The virtual lifestyle medicine program included live-video delivery of group education classes, one-on-one exercise counselling phone calls, flash glucose monitors, wearable activity monitors, and exercise prescriptions. Several feasibility outcomes were assessed including recruitment and retention rates, acceptability (e.g., exit survey), and …

“One Of The Most Elaborate Doping Ploys In Sports History”: The Impact Of The 2016 Russian Doping Scandal On Anti-Doping, Wada And Athletes’ Rights, Mikael J. Gonsalves

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation analyzes the impacts of the 2016 Russian doping scandal from a philosophical and historical perspective. This dissertation’s second chapter, the article entitled (1) “The Brave New World of Athletes’ Rights: A Canadian Perspective on Significant Shifts for the World Anti- Doping Agency” in time for the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 20 th anniversary, puts into words the new investigative reality of contemporary anti-doping. It explains a new attitude of anti-doping authorities in response to the ‘game-changing’ Russian manipulation of samples, what has been described as “one of the most elaborate doping ploys in sports history” 1 (Icarus, 2016) …

Recognizing Parasport Impacts: Ripples, Waves, And Echoes, Adam J. Purdy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Major Games such as the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto (TO2015) generate the potential to bring awareness to sport participation opportunities for people with impairment (Chalip et al, 2017). In the post-games era, it is important to examine the ways in which sport program managers recognize the outcomes of games-related leveraging initiatives. Teleconference interviews were conducted with twelve program managers in the Greater Toronto Area. The study followed an interpretive descriptive methodology and employed a theoretical construct of recognition as a novel approach to assess the legacy and social impacts of hosting parasport games. A form of thematic analysis …

Is Motor Excitability Modulated By Isochronous Rhythms?, Syed Z. Raza

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Humans perceive and synchronize to regularity in auditory temporal sequences. Auditory regularity activates motor areas, but how the timing of motor responses relates to the regularity is unclear. Thus, we examined whether motor excitability, an index of motor activity, fluctuated to an isochronous sequence and characterized the timing of these fluctuations. Participants heard isochronous tones followed by a short silence, during which they imagined the tones continuing. Using single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), we indexed excitability throughout the sequence. Cosine models were fit to constructed excitability timecourses to quantify periodicity of the excitability fluctuations. Motor excitability did not fluctuate …

Perspectives Of Canadian University Coaches On Integrating Sport Psychology And Mental Performance Consultants In Varsity Programs, Federico Cisneros Sánchez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Recently, sport psychology has become a more popular resource for athletes and coaches when looking to increase performance. It is unknown how many Canadian universities utilize sport psychology services in their athletic programs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with coaches of Canadian university varsity teams to learn about their opinions on sport psychology and mental performance consultants (MPCs). The research was approached from a pragmatic perspective. Results showed that MPCs are important to enhance performance and provide mental health resources. MPCs provide athletes with personal and leadership development, mental skills training, and mental health support. MPCs can also be a resource …

Feeling-Of-Knowing Experiences Breed Curiosity, Gregory Brooks

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

It is well-established that curiosity has benefits for learning. Less is known about potential links between curiosity and memory retrieval. In theoretical work on metacognition it has been argued that retrieval experiences that occur during memory search can exert control over behaviour. States of curiosity, which can be defined as behavioural tendencies to seek out information, may play a critical role in this control function. We conducted two experiments to address this idea, focusing on links between feeling-of knowing (FOK) experiences, memory-search duration, and subsequent information-seeking behaviour. We administered an episodic FOK paradigm that probed memory for previously studied arbitrary …

Epigenetics A Decolonizing Science, Wade Paul

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Epigenetics is the study of gene expression that does not entail alterations to the actual DNA. Decolonization is a theoretical and political movement that seeks to deconstruct colonial institutions and ideologies and reconstruct new and balanced approaches that accept and respect Indigenous worldviews. This project studies the decolonizing potential of epigenetics. Using genealogy as the method, the study establishes a long history of reductionist and deterministic thought that shaped the study of genetic science. Particular instances like thrift gene theory are explored to highlight how genetic explanations have been detrimental to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people and illustrate …

Understanding The Effects Of Physical Activity On Executive Functioning And Psycho-Emotional Well-Being In Children With Adhd, Hannah B. Bigelow

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A short bout of physical activity has been shown to improve executive functioning in children. However, the implications for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been understudied. We examined the impact of a 10min bout of physical activity on executive functioning and psycho-emotional well-being in children with ADHD. Participants engaged in two lab-based sessions separated by 1-week: a physical activity session and a control session. The physical activity session included a 10min bout of moderate-intensity biking, with a pre-post battery of cognitive and psycho-emotional assessments. The control session consisted of 10mins of silent reading. We used functional imaging …

Investigating Elementary School Food Programs: Impacts On Child Knowledge And Dietary Behaviours, Paige Colley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Good nutrition is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet can promote positive health outcomes, protecting against health problems caused by nutritional deficiencies. Canada has reported poor diet quality and high rates of overweight and obesity among children. Obesity has been linked to several non-communicable diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. Efforts to improve lifelong, healthy eating behaviours must be implemented.

This dissertation investigated the impacts of school food programming on child nutrition. A Centrally Procured School Food Program (CPSFP) was implemented at 30 elementary schools in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. …

Putting 'Dopamine Overdose' To The Test: A Psychopharmacological Investigation In Parkinson's Disease And Healthy Volunteers, Andrew Vo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Dopaminergic therapy prescribed to address motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is done at the expense of some cognition functions. It has been hypothesized that whether a given function is improved or impaired by medication depends on the baseline dopamine levels within underlying brain regions. Areas most affected by PD and severely dopamine depleted are predicted to benefit from dopaminergic therapy. Regions with less dopamine deficiency are predicted to worsen from excessive dopamine stimulation. This theoretical framework is known as the dopamine overdose hypothesis. The central aim of this thesis was to critically test the straightforward predictions put forward by …

Narratives Of Canadian Identity At The Ultimate Fighting Championship, Jared V. Walters

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the use of representations and symbols of Canadian identity within the event coverage produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship Corporation, in the context of its two key events, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Fight Night, produced in Canada. To establish the historical context in which the sport developed in Canada, a narrative historiography of the political and legal struggles that led to the legalization and increasing popularity of Mixed Martial Arts, and the UFCC’s version of the sport, in particular. This first major part of the dissertation is contained in Study 1. The …