Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Mouse Performance On A Novel Touchscreen Continuous Performance Task Is Dependent On Signaling In The Prelimbic Cortex, Tyler D. Dexter, Daniel Palmer, Amy C. Reichelt, Anita Taksokhan, Lisa M. Saksida, Tim J. Bussey

Western Research Forum

Attention is the cognitive processing that facilitates the ability to target and attend to relevant environmental stimuli, while filtering out irrelevant or distracting stimuli. Control over selective attention is theorized to be dependent on organized neural communication that stems from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). To evaluate selective and sustained attention, mice were trained on the novel touchscreen rodent continuous performance task (rCPT), a task designed to emulate the human CPT. In the rodent version, images are continuously presented on a touchscreen, where mice have been trained to selectively respond to one image type while suppressing responses to all others. …

Cycle Of Suffering: Exploring The Final Thoughts Of Creative Minds Who Died By Suicide, Carolina Patryluk, Paul F. Tremblay

Western Research Forum

It is difficult to study the final thoughts of people who die by suicide. To compensate for this gap in knowledge, this study explored the life stories found in the suicide notes of well-known creative individuals. A 6-phase thematic analysis was used to explore the phenomenon of final thoughts. This study presents the narrative trends across entries, which consisted primarily of the artists communicating their suffering and expressing their coping strategies. The artists circled back to the same themes of suffering, mainly the negative view of themselves, the striving to be better, and the paradox of choice. This cycle of …

The Effects Of Acute Aerobic Exercise And Caffeine On Working Memory And Caffeine Withdrawal, Anisa Morava

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Caffeine is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances worldwide. Although caffeine elicits cognitive benefits, there are concerns regarding caffeine’s effects on certain health domains. Acute, aerobic exercise has been shown to improve cognition. The effects of aerobic exercise in comparison to caffeine on working memory (WM) in non-caffeine and caffeine consumers remains unknown. Furthermore, the effects of aerobic exercise in reducing caffeine withdrawal symptoms has yet to be examined. In Phase I, twenty-nine non-caffeine and thirty caffeine consumers completed a WM assessment, followed by aerobic exercise and caffeine administration (counterbalanced). In Phase II, twenty-five caffeine consumers underwent a …

The Origins And Development Of Visual Categorization, Laura Cabral

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Forming categories is a core part of human cognition, allowing us to make quickly make inferences about our environment. This thesis investigated some of the major theoretical interpretations surrounding the neural basis of visual category development. In adults, there are category-selective regions (e.g. in ventral temporal cortex) and networks (which include regions outside traditional visual regions—e.g. the amygdala) that support visual categorization. While there has been extensive behavioural work investigating visual categorization in infants, the neural sequence of development remains poorly understood. Based on behavioral experiments, one view holds that infants are initially using subcortical structures to recognize faces. Indeed, …

The Transformation Of A Newspaper Negative Archive, Tom Belton

Western Libraries Presentations

No abstract provided.

Hiv Vulnerabilities Among Heterosexual African, Caribbean And Other Black Men In London, Ontario, Irenius Konkor

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Heterosexual African Caribbean and Black (ACB) men are overwhelmed with HIV infections in Canada relative to other racial groups. Epidemiological evidence suggests that heterosexual contact is the most common route of HIV transmission among ACB populations. Despite their heightened HIV vulnerabilities, evidence from community consultation and local research shows that heterosexual ACB men tend to face challenges accessing HIV related services. Moreover, there is a dearth of literature on how ACB men build resilience against their HIV vulnerabilities in the Canadian context. This dissertation is part of an Ontario wide HIV study across four cities—Windsor, Ottawa, Toronto and London in …

Creating Sustainable Support Systems For The Cultural Integration Of International Students At A Medium Size Ontario University, Muzi Li

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This OIP investigates the lack of cultural integration and support for international students at Medium-Size Ontario University (MSOU). The support for cultural integration of the international students at MSOU is inadequate and international students are facing social, emotional and academic challenges as they are not provided with the needed assistance to acclimatize to Western culture. Three potential solutions to address the PoP are demonstrated and evaluated. The chosen solution of implementing extended orientation and workshops is inspected in detail. Transformational Leadership and Confucianism are examined to ensure their relevancy and appropriateness to address this PoP and OIP and connected to …

Spontaneous Mimicry Of Emotional Facial Expressions As A Function Of Trait Sadism, Cathleen Fleury, Mary Ritchie, Derek Mitchell

Western Research Forum

Using electromyography (EMG), it has been shown that facial muscles imperceptibly mirror the facial expressions of others, a phenomenon referred to as spontaneous facial mimicry. Facial mimicry may be involved in empathy processing, and is impaired in several empathy deficit disorders. It was previously believed to follow the direct-matching principle, a theory postulating that spontaneous facial mimicry involves the observer mirroring their partner’s expression exactly. However, several recent studies have demonstrated that context and individual differences may be influencing factors of spontaneous facial mimicry. In the present study, we propose to investigate the relationship between facial mimicry and empathy through …

The Combinative Role Of Traits Cheerfulness And Seriousness In Predicting Resiliency And Well-Being: A Moderated Mediation Model, Chloe Lau, Fransceca Chiesi, Lital Yosopov, Don Saklofske

Western Research Forum

Cheerfulness can be defined as the habitual tendency to possess a cheerful composure both alone and in social interactions (Ruch, Köhler, and van Thriel, 1996; 1997). While the construct of cheerfulness has been of significant interest to researchers, little attention has been given to trait seriousness. Both cheerfulness and seriousness have important clinical implications; for instance, depressed patients have reported lower cheerfulness and higher seriousness compared to healthy controls (Falkenberg, Jarmuzel, Bartels, & Wild, 2011). Thus, the present study seeks to address these traits collectively, providing a more comprehensive understanding of their roles in predicting resiliency and well-being. It was …

Essays On Microeconomic Problems In Multilateral Settings, Ke Xian Auyong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis consists of three chapters on microeconomic problems in multilateral settings. In the first chapter, I use a model with two local bidders and a global bidder in a simultaneous ascending auction. I find that the simultaneous ascending auction does not allocate two heterogeneous objects efficiently. This result holds with and without resale and is independent of the resale mechanism. Then I use a fixed resale mechanism with take-it-or-leave-it offers after the auction to study the effects of resale on allocation efficiency. In cases where the two local bidders win the objects inefficiently, no resale occurs. Therefore, whenever the …

Gambling And Physical Activity Among Ontario Adolescents, Maryfrances Carton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Given that physical activity is essential for optimal health, it is important to identify behaviours that may contribute to low levels of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between gambling and physical activity among adolescents in Ontario using data from the 2017 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS). Multivariable generalized ordinal logistic regression models were used to examine the association between past-year gambling (status and modality) and past-week physical activity among a representative sample of Grade 7-12 students, while adjusting for covariates. We also tested for multiplicative effect measure modification by sex. …

Performing Spatial Justice, Ramona A. Radu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In Spatial Justice: Body, Lawscape, Atmosphere, Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos introduces a theory of spatial justice that takes into consideration the agential capabilities of nonhuman legal actors. However, in an effort to decenter the human legal subject, Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos argues that the co-constitutivity of law and space (the lawscape), as the site where (human and nonhuman) legal bodies take shape, cannot be mediated through the political. In response to this claim, I argue that spatial justice is an inherently political project, and I identify the practice of spatial justice (or performing spatial justice) as a means of understanding how to engage the political …

Development And Validation Of A Battery Of Emotionally Evocative Film Clips For Use With Young Children, Lindsay Gabel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Investigating normative and maladaptive emotional development requires the ability to elicit children’s reactivity to a range of affective stimuli. However, the field lacks a validated battery of stimuli tapping a broad range of childhood emotions. We therefore sought to validate a developmentally appropriate battery of emotionally evocative film stimuli, covering a range of affective responses, for use with children. During pilot work, clips were verified as age-appropriate by parents of young children. Next, during a laboratory visit, 39 children (22 girls; M_age = 7.19 years, SD = .76) viewed 20 film clips thought likely to elicit either positive affect, …

Narratives Of Sexuality In The Lives Of Young Women Readers, Davin L. Helkenberg

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years, research on adolescent sexuality in Young Adult (YA) Literature has included a discussion of its potential role in sex education. Based on the extensive yet problematic presentation of sexuality within these texts, it has gained both support and opposition. However, very few empirical studies have been done on how readers say YA Literature has informed their sexual lives.

This thesis investigates how narratives of sexuality found within YA Literature may inform the sexual lives of young women readers by examining both readers’ experiences and YA texts. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 female participants (aged 18 …

A Treaty Under A Cloud: Diplomats And National Leaders Are Failing The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The article discusses contemporary challenges and debates surrounding nuclear weapons, focusing on the actions and doctrines of the P5 countries (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States). It critiques the P5's role in nuclear proliferation through modernization efforts and their impact on international disarmament efforts, particularly in the context of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The article highlights tensions and geopolitical maneuvers involving nuclear arsenals, such as NATO's responses to Russian assertiveness and U.S. policy shifts under President Trump. It calls for renewed efforts in arms control and disarmament, urging reflection on the effectiveness and ethical implications of nuclear deterrence …

A Geology Of The General Intellect, Dillon Douglas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We can no longer be certain whether the central terms and conceptual matrix that the Italian Autonomist Marxist tradition richly develops and draws on--the common, the general intellect, immaterial labour, psychopolitics, cognitariat--are able to survive unscathed the theoretical problems that the epoch of the Anthropocene poses. In an attempt to push this conceptual matrix to its political and ontological limits, I expose a series of “ecological deficits” at the core of Autonomist thought and make the argument that semiocapitalism is a geological operator just as much it is a cognitive, financial or linguistic one. …

Presentation Of C-Dem Launch In Montreal September 16, 2019, Consortium On Electoral Democracy

Meeting Notes

No abstract provided.

C-Dem Researcher Meeting June 6, 2019, Consortium On Electoral Democracy

Meeting Notes

No abstract provided.

Peering Inside The ‘Black Box’: The Impact Of Management-Side Representatives On The Industrial Relations Climate Of Organizations, Shelagh Campbell, Johanna Weststar

Management and Organizational Studies Publications

The labor climate of an organization can have a great impact on productivity and efficiency. Managing this climate is often left to union stewards and management-side labor relations representatives. While there is a large literature on the role of union stewards, little is written about the role that management-side labor relations representatives play in establishing or maintaining positive labor-management relations. Building from a series of interviews with labor relations representatives in Canada and a nationwide pilot study of frontline industrial relations workers, we model the role of the labor relations representatives and their specific job actions in the established model …

Resonate: Reflections And Recommendations On Implicit Biases Within The Ismrm, Esther A.H. Warnert, Krishna Nayak, Ravi Menon, Curt Rice, John Port, Elizabeth A. Morris, Daniel K. Sodickson, Pia Sundgren, Karla L. Miller, Udunna C. Anazodo

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

No abstract provided.

"Challenge Accepted": Exploring Predictors Of Risky Online Behaviour In Emerging Adults, Shannon Ward

Undergraduate Honours Theses

The aim of this study was to explore the predictors of emerging adults’ engagement in risky online challenges. Social-related constructs including need to belong (NB), need for popularity (NP) and perceived peer engagement (PPE) in risky online challenges were the main predictor variables of interest. Further, because past research identifies fear of missing out (FoMO) as a key explanatory variable in the link between social motives and online behaviour, I examined it as a mediator in my analyses. In the present study, emerging adults (N = 332; 56.33% women) aged 18 to 26 years (Mage = 21.36) completed an online …

Influences On Early Creativity: Examining The Role Of Affect, Movement And Autonomy During Play On Divergent Thinking Skills Of Preschool Children, Taylor S. Boyd

Undergraduate Honours Theses

Play provides children an opportunity to practice cognitive and affective processes which are important in creativity. Studies have found that during play, children who display positive emotions, are physically active and play by themselves tend to demonstrate higher creativity. In the present study, the researcher observed fifteen preschool children to record their independence, affect and physical movement during free play. In addition, one adult from each classroom rated of each child’s general affect. Next, participants completed two versions of an Alternate Uses Task assessing divergent thinking skills: one standard version in which participants verbally indicated multiple uses for an object …

A Safe Place For Morally Corrupt Judgements: The Effect Of Trust On Moral Decision Making, Robin C. Doyle

Undergraduate Honours Theses

While there is an increasing body of work on social perceptions of people who make moral decisions, there is limited work on how feelings of trust affect moral dilemma judgements. This exploratory study sought to examine how hypothetical third-party observers affect moral dilemma judgments and perceptions of forgiveness, punishment, and personality traits. A total of 335 participants read a variation of the “car crash” dilemma (Conway et al., 2013), either alone or in the hypothetical presence of a stranger or trusted friend. Individuals were asked to give ratings on various dimension scales from either their own perspective, or from the …

Moral Perceptions In The Workplace, Leonid V. Beletski

Undergraduate Honours Theses

Substantial prior research has investigated various aspects of interpersonal perceptions, such as the dimensions of warmth and competence. Researchers have suggested that morality as a human trait is a salient basis for forming perceptions of people, including how warm and competent they are perceived. The present study was designed to examine how people’s moral decisions affect warmth, competence, and morality perceptions in the workplace, how attractive these decisions make an individual for prospective project cooperation, as well as the perceived tendencies of individuals’ workplace decisions. The present study confirmed previous findings in the moral psychology literature, and also begins to …

The Role Of Extraversion, Sensitivity To Music Reward, And Music Tempo On Word Recall, Mingyang Xu

Undergraduate Honours Theses

The Mozart Effect refers to the theory that exposure to classical music will make people more intelligent. The study explored whether the benefits of classic music extended to memory processes such as immediate word recall, while considering individual differences in extroversion and sensitivity to music reward. To test this, 56 first-year psychology students completed Eysenck’s Personality Inventory, the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire and a music experience questionnaire. Participants then were exposed to a three-minute Mozart excerpt that was either slow, regular or fast tempo, then completed an immediate recall task. A 2X2X3 ANOVA was conducted, a significant interaction effect was …

A Dyadic Partner-Schema Model Of Relationship Distress And Depression: Conceptual Integration Of Interpersonal Theory And Cognitive-Behavioral Models., Jesse Lee Wilde, David J. A. Dozois

Psychology Publications

Difficulties in romantic relationships are a prominent part of the disorder for many individuals with depression. Researchers have called for an integration of interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral theories to better understand the role of relational difficulties in depression. In this article, a novel theoretical framework (the dyadic partner-schema model) is presented. This model illustrates a potential pathway from underlying "partner-schema" structures to romantic relationship distress and depressive affect. This framework integrates cognitive-behavioral mechanisms in depression with research on dyadic processes in romantic partners. A brief clinical case example is presented to illustrate the utility of the dyadic partner-schema model in conceptualizing …

The Neural Association Between Arithmetic And Basic Numerical Processing Depends On Arithmetic Problem Size And Not Chronological Age, Anna A. Matejko, Daniel Ansari

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2019 The Authors The intraparietal sulcus (IPS) is thought to be an important region for basic number processing (e.g. symbol-quantity associations) and arithmetic (e.g. addition). Evidence for shared circuitry within the IPS is largely based on comparisons across studies, and little research has investigated number processing and arithmetic in the same individuals. It is also unclear how the neural overlap between number processing and arithmetic is influenced by age and arithmetic problem difficulty. This study investigated these unresolved questions by examining basic number processing (symbol-quantity matching) and arithmetic (addition) networks in 26 adults and 42 children. Number processing and …

Conceptions Of Research Among Academic Librarians And Archivists, Lise Doucette, Kristin Hoffmann

Western Libraries Publications

Academic librarians and archivists occupy a unique role as researchers and as practitioners who support faculty and student researchers. However, the ways in which librarians and archivists think about research is largely unexamined, while faculty conceptions of research have been studied extensively. In this study, we analyzed drawings and interviews of 25 Canadian academic librarians and archivists and identified six conceptions of research: research is a shared, community experience; research leads to learning and growth; research is influenced by personal and professional experience; research is a process involving interrelated components; research involves refining and answering a question; research by librarians …

Building Momentum For Collectivity In The Digital Games Community, Johanna Weststar, Marie-Josee Legault

Management and Organizational Studies Publications

Studies of digital game labor have tended to document problems in the working lives of developers while devoting relatively limited attention to solutions, or to collective representation as a step toward solutions. An increasing number of game developers are dissatisfied with their working conditions, and dissatisfaction is a necessary condition for workers to engage in collective action to gain the representational power needed to achieve change in the workplace. Noting that the landscape of collective mobilization in the game industry has not yet been systematically mapped, this article documents collective actions over the past five decades, and asks, “Are the …

C-Dem Partners Meeting Minutes May 29, 2019, Consortium On Electoral Democracy

Meeting Notes

No abstract provided.