Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploring The Relationships Among Executive Functioning, Behaviour, And Adaptive Skills In Young Children, Melissa Read

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study aimed to investigate the relationships among executive functions (EFs), adaptive skills, and behaviour problems in young children. Participants were divided into four behaviour groups: high internalizing (INT), high externalizing (EXT), combined high internalizing and externalizing (COMB), and within the normal range (NORM). The predictive ability of inhibition, shift, working memory, adaptive skills, age, and gender on group membership was explored using regression analyses. A person-oriented perspective was also explored using cluster analysis. Fifty-five kindergarten and Grade one educators in Ontario, Canada completed the Behaviour Rating Inventory for Executive Functioning (second or preschool edition) and the Behaviour Assessment System …

Cultivating Knowledge: Agrarian Science And Ecological Engagements In Southern Ontario Agriculture, Kelly Linton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Agriculture and climate change are interconnected processes, with agriculture implicated in rising green house gas emissions, deforestation, soil and water pollution, and reductions in biodiversity. Conversely, changes within ecology (including a warming climate), alter growing conditions for farmers. Farmers face changes in both temperature and precipitation, as well as an increase in adverse weather events that significantly threaten productivity and livelihoods.

Based on 40 unstructured interviews as well as informal conversations conducted among farmers in southern Ontario, Canada between the spring of 2014 and the winter of 2017, this dissertation seeks to contribute to a growing body of work that …

Dilemma And Knowledge - Book Review Of Re-Imagining Utopias: Theory And Method For Educational Research In Post-Socialist Contexts, Jessica Zychowicz

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Predictors Of Quality Of Life In Children And Adolescents Receiving Mental Health Services, Angela Maria Louisa Celebre

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Children with mental health problems have a significantly worse quality of life (QoL) in comparison to typically developing children, or those with physical health conditions. However, research identifying factors associated with QoL in this vulnerable population is quite scarce. To address this gap in the literature, 347 clinically referred children and youth (ages 7-18 years old) were assessed using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Assessment (ChYMH) and Self-report Quality of Life- Child and Youth Mental Health (SQoL-ChYMH). Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses revealed that after controlling for age, gender, and patient status, children and adolescents with higher depressive …

Investigating The Effects Of Parent Dispositional Mindfulness, Parent-Child Conflict And Stress On Children's Self-Regulation, Cassandra Trevisani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A mixed-methods research design was employed to explore (a) how parent-child conflict, parent dispositional mindfulness and child sex were related to parental stress and children’s self-regulation and, (b) how parents at different levels of dispositional mindfulness describe their children’s strengths and challenges. Data were gathered from 106 Canadian parents (n = 97 mothers, Mean age = 36.24, SD = 3.95) who provided reports of their parent-child conflict, dispositional mindfulness, stress, their child’s self-regulation and children’s strengths and challenges at home (N = 106 children, boys = 50, Mean age = 5.95, SD = 0.48). Path analysis demonstrated that …

Appropriating Play: Examining Twitch.Tv As A Commercial Platform, Charlotte Panneton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis critically analyzes Twitch.tv, a gaming-oriented, online live-streaming site. Viewing the site as a ‘lean platform’ (Srnicek, 2017), it analyzes many aspects of Twitch’s business operations, including ownership structure, video game industry affiliations, use of data, and the monetization of user activity. This analysis then identifies three major areas of concern arising from these operations: the tendency toward monopolization in the gaming industry and its peripheral activities; the intensification of audience commodification; and, the tendency to turn professional streamers into precarious creative labourers. All of these implications point to a growing need for concerted labour organization. The goal of …

Rudeness Is In The Eye Of The Beholder: How Gender Impacts Reactions To Incivility At Work, Sarah Carver

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although incivility is a widely studied topic in IO Psychology, little is known about how gender influences observer reactions to incivility. Using experimental vignettes, we examined how gender of the observer, instigator, and target influenced observer reactions to identical uncivil behaviours. Women observers reported stronger negative reactions to incivility than men. Additionally, results revealed that uncivil behaviour between a man instigator and man target provoked fewer negative reactions compared to women engaging in the same behaviour. Thus, men engaging in incivility against other men may be disregarded as just ‘boys being boys’, whereas women engaging in the same behaviour may …

The Role Of Outcome Expectancy In Therapeutic Change Across Psychotherapy Versus Pharmacotherapy For Depression., Thulasi Thiruchselvam, David J A Dozois, R Michael Bagby, Daniela S S Lobo, Lakshmi N Ravindran, Lena C Quilty

Psychology Publications

BACKGROUND: Patient outcome expectancy - the belief that treatment will lead to an improvement in symptoms - is linked to favourable therapeutic outcomes in major depressive disorder (MDD). The present study extends this literature by investigating the temporal dynamics of expectancy, and by exploring whether expectancy during treatment is linked to differential outcomes across treatment modalities, for both optimistic versus pessimistic expectancy.

METHODS: A total of 104 patients with MDD were randomized to receive either cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or pharmacotherapy for 16 weeks. Outcome expectancy was measured throughout treatment using the Depression Change Expectancy Scale (DCES). Depression severity was …

The Role Of Cognitive Distortions In The Longitudinal Relationship Between Problematic Drinking And Depressive Symptoms, Monica F. Tomlinson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation investigated the mechanisms by which problematic drinking contributes to depressive symptoms in two longitudinal, prospective, cohort-design studies. Distorted cognitive processes (dysfunctional attitudes, negatively-biased information processing, and rumination) were proposed as mediators in the relationship between problematic drinking and depressive symptoms over time. Study 1 (N = 1090) assessed participants’ levels of problematic drinking, dysfunctional attitudes, and depressive symptoms at three-month intervals for one year. Findings indicated that the social and occupational consequences of alcohol use (e.g., interpersonal conflict) significantly predicted depressive symptoms. The amount and frequency of alcohol consumption did not. Therefore, impairment, but not level of …

Unwrapping The Toronto Christmas Market: An Examination Of Tradition And Nostalgia In A Socially Constructed Space, Lydia J. Gibson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Little research explores the creation of an outdoor Christmas Market, and the role that tradition and nostalgia theory play in this socially constructed space. This thesis offers an examination of the Toronto Christmas Market, an extravagant Christmas-themed pop-up market in Toronto’s Distillery District neighbourhood, and seeks to understand how the design or execution of the market serves to articulate the tropes of tradition and nostalgia. The market’s sizeable attendance for the 2018 season of an estimated 650,000 people is a sheer testament to the merit it has as a social event in a public space. Through a discourse analysis and …

Glocalization In China: An Analysis Of Coca-Cola’S Brand Co-Creation Process With Consumers In China, Yinuo Shi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In contemporary marketing, corporations often work to induce consumers to participate in co-creating their brand value. Consumers, therefore, can be considered marketers, who are then used by marketing managers to create competitive advantage and market opportunities. Through processes of co-creation, companies also obtain valuable information about consumer preferences and values, which, in turn, can lower production costs. This thesis uses Coca-Cola as a case study to explore the ways international companies work to incorporate elements of Chinese culture and employ Chinese social media platforms in their promotional messages and activities in order to encourage Chinese consumers to co-create their brand …

Frontiers Of Care, Thomas E. Randall

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Care ethics is a feminist normative theory that emphasizes the moral significance of our relational interdependency in the provision and receipt of care. On this view, ethical action is situated and evaluated as it emerges through caring relations. However, an oft-cited criticism of care ethics is that its normative frontiers cannot be extended to the wider concerns of justice that lie beyond our relational limits. In this dissertation, I outline and defend an interpretation of care ethics that shows how the values of care identified within our personal relations can be abstracted to show that we do have certain obligations …

Investigating Grip Range Of Motion And Force Exerted By Individuals With And Without Hand Arthritis During Functional Tasks And While Swinging A Golf Club, Sara Frances Holland

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Hand arthritis is the leading cause of disability in individuals over the age of 50; resulting in dysfunction and pain, making activities of daily living and recreational activities such as golf difficult. Few studies have been conducted on the biomechanical response of individuals with hand arthritis when performing functional activities. This research quantified hand grip movements and strength differences seen in individuals with hand arthritis. Using a video-based motion capture system (Dartfish), a grip limitation of 17.2% (maximum flexion), and 12.7% (maximum extension) was discovered. A wireless finger force measurement system (FingerTPS), was used to show that larger diameter, softer …

Prevalence Of Moral Injury In Canadian Forces Members Deployed To Afghanistan, Kevin T. Hansen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Moral injury is a relatively new area of study within military mental health care, as such, prevalence estimates for both moral injury and exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIE; a moral injury precursor) are unknown for many of the world’s militaries. PMIE is commonly defined as the perpetrating, failing to prevent, witnessing, or learning about acts or events that transgress an individual’s deeply held moral belief(s). The primary purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of PMIE in a population of Canadian Armed Forces (CF) members who served in support of the recent mission to Afghanistan. How …

Neural Network Models For Stock Selection Based On Fundamental Analysis, Yuxuan Huang, Luiz Fernando Capretz, Danny Ho

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

Application of neural network architectures for financial prediction has been actively studied in recent years. This paper presents a comparative study that investigates and compares feed-forward neural network (FNN) and adaptive neural fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) on stock prediction using fundamental financial ratios. The study is designed to evaluate the performance of each architecture based on the relative return of the selected portfolios with respect to the benchmark stock index. The results show that both architectures possess the ability to separate winners and losers from a sample universe of stocks, and the selected portfolios outperform the benchmark. Our study argues …

(In)Visible: An Examination Of Eating Disorder Detection In Marginalized Women As A Function Of Weight Status And Ethnic Group Membership, Margaret Head

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Women with eating disorders (EDs) from marginalized groups (e.g., higher weight women; Women of Colour) are under-treated compared to non-marginalized women. A reason for these disparities may be that women from marginalized groups do not fit the stereotype of a person with an ED (e.g., thin, White), and therefore ED symptoms are not recognized. The present study tested the impact of weight status and ethnic group on layperson detection of ED symptomology. Undergraduate students (N = 194) read a personal disclosure from a female target describing eating pathology. The target was described as “underweight”, “average weight” or “overweight” and …

Simple Random-Interval Generation Reveals The Irresistibly Periodic Structure Of Perceived Time, Jessica A. Grahn, J. Eric Taylor

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Whole-integer ratios in musical rhythm are culturally universal. The reliable periodicity of rhythm inspired us to determine whether time perception, which is foundational to and inherently less structured than rhythm, is subject to similar biases. We created a random-interval generation task that exploits the nonrandom tendencies in perception and action in order to uncover the structural biases underlying temporal duration perception. Participants listened to and watched an audiovisual suprasecond temporal cue and were asked to subdivide it as randomly as possible in a prescribed number of responses. The results showed that the subdivision probability distributions were distinctly nonrandom, and closely …

Language Imperialism In Post-Colonial Ghana: Linguistic Recovery And Change, Rikki Bergen

SASAH 4th Year Capstone and Other Projects: Publications

In this paper, Bergen explores the affects of colonialism on language rights in Ghana. With approximately eighty languages spoken, Ghana is a linguistically rich and diverse country with a colonially-imposed language as the only state-sponsored language. By examining the linguistic, political, economic, educational, and cultural context of what was once the Gold Coast the paper discusses the factors that keep a system of linguistic imperialism in place. Secondary research is used to provide an introduction to the genealogical language families present in post-colonial Ghana and the customs and laws that govern their usage. By identifying the nuances that keep this …

Comparing Spirituality And Religiosity On Subjective Well-Being, Katelyn Mcbane

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

This study investigated the effects of spirituality and religiosity on subjective well-being. Religiosity was measured as intrinsic and extrinsic orientations using the Revised Religious Life Inventory (RLI-R) and spirituality was measured using the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS). Fifty-four participants were recruited from an all-female undergraduate population. Participants completed the RLI-R and STS followed by measures of subjective well-being including life satisfaction, self-esteem, positive and negative affect, and perceived stress. Participants were separated into groups using a median split based on their scores on the subscales of the RLI-R and combined STS scores. The results of the MANOVA indicated that low …

School Success After Trauma: Examining The Parallels Among Trauma, Bullying, And School Disengagement, Mikayla Jeffery

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Research examining the relationships between trauma, bullying, and the combined effect of these experiences on school disengagement is scarce. Due to the plethora of negative outcomes that may result from trauma, bullying, and school disengagement, understanding these relationships is important in supporting children/youth with these histories. To address this gap in the literature, 8589 children/youth (aged 4-18 years) were assessed using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Assessment. A multinomial logistic regression revealed that children/youth who reported interpersonal and non-interpersonal traumas were more likely to be bully-victims. Moreover, the likelihood of being a victim of bullying nearly doubled for …

A Consensus Guide To Capturing The Ability To Inhibit Actions And Impulsive Behaviors In The Stop-Signal Task., Frederick Verbruggen, Adam R Aron, Guido Ph Band, Christian Beste, Patrick G Bissett, Adam T Brockett, Joshua W Brown, Samuel R Chamberlain, Christopher D Chambers, Hans Colonius, Lorenza S Colzato, Brian D Corneil, James P Coxon, Annie Dupuis, Dawn M Eagle, Hugh Garavan, Ian Greenhouse, Andrew Heathcote, René J Huster, Sara Jahfari, J Leon Kenemans, Inge Leunissen, Chiang-Shan R Li, Gordon D Logan, Dora Matzke, Sharon Morein-Zamir, Aditya Murthy, Martin Paré, Russell A Poldrack, K Richard Ridderinkhof, Trevor W Robbins, Matthew Roesch, Katya Rubia, Russell J Schachar, Jeffrey D Schall, Ann-Kathrin Stock, Nicole C Swann, Katharine N Thakkar, Maurits W Van Der Molen, Luc Vermeylen, Matthijs Vink, Jan R Wessel, Robert Whelan, Bram B Zandbelt, C Nico Boehler

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Response inhibition is essential for navigating everyday life. Its derailment is considered integral to numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders, and more generally, to a wide range of behavioral and health problems. Response-inhibition efficiency furthermore correlates with treatment outcome in some of these conditions. The stop-signal task is an essential tool to determine how quickly response inhibition is implemented. Despite its apparent simplicity, there are many features (ranging from task design to data analysis) that vary across studies in ways that can easily compromise the validity of the obtained results. Our goal is to facilitate a more accurate use of the …

Blind Devotion To Nuclear Deterrence: Our Ancestors Left A Legacy Of Magnificent Cathedrals While We’Ll Leave Behind Nuclear Weapons, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The article critiques the global obsession with nuclear deterrence, contrasting it sharply with the legacy of cultural and humanitarian achievements like the rebuilding of Notre Dame Cathedral. She highlights staggering global expenditures on nuclear weapons, emphasizing their astronomical costs and the inherent risks they pose to global security and environmental stability. Simpson argues against the rationale that nuclear weapons prevent conventional wars, suggesting instead that they endanger humanity through their potential for catastrophic misuse or accidental deployment. She questions the wisdom of placing nuclear authority solely in the hands of leaders like Trump, Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong-Un, emphasizing …

Postcolonial Trauma In The Mediterranean: The Italian-Libyan Transnational Community, Rosario Pollicino

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study aims to recuperate the Italian collective remembering originating from the colonial offense in Libya. Focusing on works of testimony in different genres of contemporary literature written by the Italian former settlers in Libya, I analyze how these former settlers who moved to Libya have been subjected to different kinds of traumas by the Fascist government. I focus on how these traumas, individual and collective, are documented through these works and discuss how they continue to be relevant today. Drawing on sociology, anthropology, history, literary and trauma studies I argue that these cultural representations prove the existence of a …

Perceptions Of Settlement Workers On The Needs And Challenges Of Female Syrian Refugees, Sheffy Bhayee

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Syrians account for a large proportion of recent refugee migrants to Canada. Settlement workers are the main point of contact for refugees; they remain with these individuals from the day of arrival until they have successfully settled. They are not only providers of information and assistance to meet basic needs but carry the responsibility of ensuring cultural integration. For this, it is crucial to understand the intersectional identities of the incoming migrant; coupled with traumatic experiences of fleeing from war, carrying cultured gender roles, and dealing with the anxiety and stress of relocation. The current study describes the settlement experiences …

Reflections Of Mentoring For Indigenous Youth In The Fourth R, Elisa Trovarello

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the reflections of peer mentors and mentees over time who have participated in the Fourth R: Uniting Our Nations Peer Mentoring Program. Data was collected from five youth mentors, four of whom also participated as mentees, via interviews utilizing a narrative based methodology in which story-telling and meaning-making was encouraged through the interview guide and procedure. Thematic content analysis of the data was conducted manually and revealed five key themes: 1) Cultural Connection, increases in 2) Intrapersonal Skills, 3) Interpersonal skills, 4) Social support, and 5) Education and Career Benefits. The …

International Students’ Earnings In London, Ontario, Amna Wasty

MA Research Paper

While there is an abundance of literature on the labour outcomes of immigrants, there is limited research on the earnings of former international students. This study uses the 2016 census to compare the earnings of new labour market entrants who were international students, and are now permanent residents, to those of domestic students and foreign-educated immigrants in London, Ontario. The results found that former international students had slightly lower earnings than domestic students, despite being more likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree, have studied a STEM field, and be working in a NOC skill level A occupation. Former international …

The Effects Of Linguistic Labels On Object Categorization And Perception, Xuan Pan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The linguistic relativity hypothesis (Whorf, 1956) claims that speakers of different languages perceive and conceptualize the world differently. Language-thought interaction is likely to be more complex in bilinguals because they have two languages that could influence their cognitive and perceptual processes.Lupyan’s (2012) Label-feedback Hypothesis proposes a mechanism underpinning language-thought interactions, arguingthat linguistic labels affect our conceptual and perceptual representations through top-down feedback.This thesis tested the Label-feedback Hypothesis by capitalizing on an interesting feature of Chinese. In English, most nouns do not provide linguistic clues to their categories (an exception issunflower), whereas in Chinese, some nouns provide explicit category …

Weathering Storms And Flooded Waters: Anthropological Perspectives Of Policy And Risk In Toronto, Ontario, Jennifer Spinney

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation examines how the interactive processes of policy construct social relationships, influence expert and lay perceptions of risk, and contribute to practices of risk management and decision making. In the context of weather and flooding in Toronto, Ontario, I first show how meteorologists at Environment and Climate Change Canada enact their roles as experts and attain operational success while adhering to policy constraints during ‘non-severe’ weather perceived as risky. Then, through an analysis of face and drawing on the concept of Goffman’s interaction ritual and Collins’s interaction ritual chain, I illustrate the role that ambiguous river flood situations play …

Limit Pricing Oligopoly Market Evidence From Tamilnadu Politics, Pazhani Samy

Economics Publications

Limit pricing oligopoly market is a hypothetical market explained with various hypotheses in the literature which has limited scope for the real world economic evidence and its application which leads the impact of the operation of such market is mostly unknown among the policymakers and academics. The available literature evidences are mostly neglected to explore the scope of such markets conditions and failed to direct appropriate policies.

In India among most of the national level parties and in the states levels there are two only have been surviving over the long periods. This trigger the intuition to inquire into answer …

The Information Practices Of New Kadampa Buddhists: From "Dharma Of Scripture" To "Dharma Of Insight", Roger Chabot

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The research examining spiritual information behaviours has been largely dominated by studies of Christian clergy using information in work tasks to fulfill work roles. Missing are studies of everyday individuals and the spiritual information practices they engage in as part of their everyday lives. Also lacking are studies which feature non-Western religious traditions. This dissertation fills this gap with a study of the everyday life information practices of western Buddhists from the New Kadampa Tradition. The study aimed to inventory their spiritual information practices, examine existential information needs, understand Buddhist spiritual realizations as an outcome of information use, and explore …