Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

There Is A Secret Heart, Dru Farro

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

late 14c., originally in grammar (in reference to certain nouns that do not name concrete things), from Latin abstractus "drawn away," past participle of abstrahere "to drag away, detach, pull away, divert;" also figuratively, from assimilated form of ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + trahere "to draw," from PIE root *tragh- "to draw, drag, move."

“To drag away” I find particularly evocative.

“The candidate must ensure that the abstract refers to all the elements that would make the thesis worth consulting.”

I find this, of course, to be a paralyzing requirement. This thesis is not worth …

Help Wanted: Investigating Help-Seeking Behaviour Among Post-Secondary Students In Relation To Their Mental Health And Well-Being, Stephanie Karam

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Research has been done on the importance of addressing mental health concerns while obtaining an undergraduate degree. Despite this, some students do not seek help and their mental health needs are unmet. The objective of the current study was to gain a holistic understanding of the barriers and facilitators affecting the help-seeking behaviour of undergraduate students, as told through the student perspective. Data was collected through an online consultation survey, which asked students for their perspectives of mental health supports on campus.A thematic analysis revealed a lack of promotion of mental health services, lack of academic time off, stigma, and …

Valuation And Risk Management Of Some Longevity And P&C Insurance Products, Yixing Zhao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Numerous insurance products linked to risky assets have emerged rapidly in the last couple of decades. These products have option-embedded features and typically involve at least two risk factors, namely interest and mortality risks. The need for models to capture risk factors' behaviours accurately is enormous and critical for insurance companies. The primary objective of this thesis is to develop pricing and hedging frameworks for option-embedded longevity products addressing correlated risk factors. Various methods are employed to facilitate the computation of prices and risk measures of longevity products including those with maturity benefits. Furthermore, in order to be prepared for …

A Social Skills Support Program For Children With Down Syndrome And Their Typically Developing Siblings: Effect On Sibling Relationship, Jill Y. Miko

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Children with Down syndrome (DS) demonstrate deficits in social and communication skills resulting in atypical relationships with others, including siblings. Typically-developing (TD) siblings face their own social and emotional adjustment needs that impact the sibling relationship. The current study examined the effects of a 10-week social skills support program on the sibling relationship between children with DS and their TD siblings. Two sibling dyads completed the program consisting of skills instruction for children with DS, a support group for TD siblings, and cooperative recreation activities for all children together. The sibling relationship was measured through self-report questionnaires and direct observations …

Communities Based On “Sweaty Infestations Of Joy”: A Look At The Temporary Moral Communities Formed Through International Volunteering Trips., Sarah A. Knowles

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Voluntourism is a phenomenon that is both widely popular and greatly criticized. Voluntourists judge their volunteering based on the relationships formed during the experience. While critics tend to judge voluntourism in terms of long term economic and well-being indicators and statistics. To understand why volunteers judge their own actions as positive in the moment and can change their opinions after the fact, this study will look at overseas volunteer trips as forming temporary moral communities. The lifecycle of voluntourism temporary moral communities is broken down into five periods: 1) Pre-Departure; 2) Arrival; 3) Everyday; 4) De-Orientation; and 5) Return. Using …

Community Based Support Group For Siblings Of Children With Down Syndrome: A Pilot Study, Ashley R. Amicarelli

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The developmental delays associated with Down syndrome (DS) have been shown to affect the well-being of all family members. Research has shown that typically developing (TD) siblings experience increased maladjustment such as internalizing difficulties, behavioural problems and increased stress, however there has been limited research focusing on interventions for this population. Two sibling dyads participated in this pilot study examining the effects of a social support group for TD siblings overall adjustment. Although the was a lack of strong empirical evidence supporting the intervention, five qualitative themes emerged outlining their coping, emotions, experiences and sibling relationships. This research can help …

Assessment Of Mglur5 Ko Mice Under Conditions Of Low Stress Using A Rodent Touchscreen Apparatus Reveals Impaired Behavioural Flexibility Driven By Perseverative Responses, Jisoo Lim, Eosu Kim, Hyun Jong Noh, Shinwon Kang, Benjamin U. Phillips, Dong Goo Kim, Timothy J. Bussey, Lisa Saksida, Christopher J. Heath, Chul Hoon Kim

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2019 The Author(s). Genetic and pharmacological manipulations targeting metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) affect performance in behavioural paradigms that depend on cognitive flexibility. Many of these studies involved exposing mice to highly stressful conditions including electric foot shocks or water immersion and forced swimming. Because mGluR5 is also implicated in resilience and stress responses, however, apparent impairments in inhibitory learning may have been an artifact of manipulation-induced changes in affective state. To address this, we present here a characterization of cognitive flexibility in mGluR5 knockout (KO) mice conducted with a rodent touchscreen cognitive assessment apparatus in which the animals …

Sustainability In The Suburbs? Oakville’S Sustainable Development Journey, Kristopher Kowalchuk

2019 Undergraduate Awards

This paper is meant to serve as an entry point into the topic of Canadian suburban sustainability initiatives. The goal is to assess whether Canadian suburbs can strive to be more than just local growth machines set on consuming greenspace for the sake of ever-more development. Oakville, Ontario, a city located within one of the most rapidly expanding suburban populations in North America, is looked at specifically to determine whether city officials can promote economic growth while simultaneously taking into consideration ecological impacts. Oakville’s sustainable development journey is measured and evaluated using Clarence Stone’s regime analysis. This research has found …

The Impact Of Individual Differences On Cross-Language Activation Of Meaning By Phonology, Deanna C. Friessen, Veronica Whitford, Debra Titone, Debra Jared

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

We investigated how individual differences in language proficiency and executive control impact cross-language meaning activation through phonology. Ninety-six university students read English sentences that contained French target words. Target words were high- and lowfrequency French interlingual homophones (i.e., words that share pronunciation, but not meaning across langauges; mot means ‘word’ in French and sounds like ‘mow’ in English) and matched French control words (e.g., mois – ‘month’ in French). Readers could use the homophones’ shared phonology to activate their English meanings and, ultimately, make sense of the sentence (e.g., Tony was too lazy to mot/mois the grass on Sunday). Shorter …

The Influence Of Personality On Organ Donation Attitudes And Behaviours., Shianne Brackenbury

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

This study investigated the influence of personality, specifically conscientiousness, on organ donation attitudes (ODA), organ donor status and future registration intentions in an exclusively female sample. Forty-four female undergraduate students completed five questionnaires which measured the following variables: The Big Five personality dimensions, religiousness, organ donation knowledge, organ donation attitudes, altruism, social desirability, self-reported donor status, and intent to register as an organ donor. The results found no significant effect of personality on donor status or intent. However, ODA and religiousness significantly influence donor status and intent in female university students. Results offer valuable insight for how health professionals and …

Individual Differences In The Formation Of Cognitive Maps Based On Different Environments, Iuliia Kositcina

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Individual differences in the ability to build a mental cognitive map of an unfamiliar environment have been studied using both real-world environments (e.g., Ishikawa & Montello, 2006) and virtual environments (VEs) such as Silcton (Weisberg et al., 2014). The current study investigated whether the accuracy of a person’s cognitive map of their real-world, familiar environment was associated with the cognitive map they formed of an unfamiliar virtual environment in the lab. Forty-nine female undergraduate students provided frequently visited locations in their city of residence and explored the Silcton VE. They then completed direction estimation tasks that assessed the accuracy of …

Influence Of Mood On Language Use In Dyadic Social Interaction, Avery Keith

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

This study investigated how individuals’ mood influences changes in spoken language during dyadic social interaction. Twenty-eight female undergraduate students completed mood assessments, a self-monitoring questionnaire, and viewed a short film clip that induced them into either a positive, negative, or neutral mood. Each dyad engaged in a conversation that was audio-recorded. Participants’ use of affect and positive emotional words was associated with the corresponding usage of their conversational partner, suggesting that speakers mimicked their partners’ language style. Speakers also used higher emotional tone in their first minute of speech after conversing with someone in a positive mood, suggesting participants’ mood …

Perfectionism And Burnout In University Students: The Influence Of Resilience, Laura M. Ulrich

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

This study investigated the relationship between perfectionism, resilience, and risk of burnout among university students. The sample consisted of 55 (53 female and two male) Psychology 1000 students from Brescia University College. Self-report questionnaires assessed perfectionism, academic resilience, risk of academic burnout, and perceived stress. Participants were divided into four perfectionism groups: non-perfectionism, pure personal standards perfectionism, pure evaluative concerns perfectionism, and mixed perfectionism. Participants were also divided into a high and low academic resilience group. Individuals with pure personal standards perfectionism had a significantly lower risk of academic burnout compared to those with non-perfectionism, pure evaluative concerns perfectionism, and …

Offender Characteristics: Influence On Attitudes And Sentencing Patterns Of Female Undergraduates, Madison Mcaskill

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Offender rehabilitation has more positive outcomes, yet the public prefers the punishment of incarceration. Disparity in the punitivity of sentencing has been related to age and gender of offenders, with adult, male offenders receiving more punitive, less rehabilitative sentences than youth, female offenders. The present study examined patterns of sentencing in an all female sample (N=103). After reading a crime story manipulating offender gender and age, participants were asked to “sentence” the offender. Gender of offender did not cause differences in sentences given, however youth offenders were sentenced significantly less. Participants showed no significant attitudinal differences on the Treatment Attitude …

Examining The Impact Of Varying The Pace Of Instruction On Skill Acquisition And Off-Task Behaviour In Young Children With Autism And Down Syndrome, Carly A. Esipu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Considerable research has shown significant impairments in how children with developmental disabilities learn. A particular focus for these children has been on improving instruction, so that it maximizes acquisition. Modifying pace is one approach to tailoring intervention to meet the needs of these children. This study examined the effects of varying the pace of instruction during behaviour- analytic intervention while measuring acquisition and off task behaviour in young children with developmental disabilities. Five intervention target skills were randomly assigned to one of five paces of instruction and a single-subject adapted alternating treatments design was used to evaluate skill acquisition. In …

The Impact Of Maltreatment On Children And Youth: Exploring The Potential Mediating Effects Of Resilience To Traumatic Life Events, Rebecca Pschibul

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Abstract

Childhood is an acutely vulnerable period for trauma, as it can significantly influence normative childhood development. Specifically, trauma resulting from maltreatment (i.e., neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and witnessing domestic violence) offers unique challenges, as it often includes violations of boundaries and trust by caretakers. The aim of the present study was to examine child and youth maltreatment, and its impact on internalizing (e.g., mood disturbances) and externalizing behaviours (e.g., behavioural deviance). The sample was comprised of 9,002 participants who were assessed between the years of 2012-2017 on the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health instrument (ChYMH). The ChYMH …

Snc’S Fate Could Affect Nuclear Security, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The fate of SNC-Lavalin, a major player in the nuclear engineering sector, hinges on its bid for a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) amidst allegations of fraud and corruption. Should SNC-Lavalin fail to secure a DPA and face conviction, it risks being barred from Canadian government contracts and jeopardizing ongoing projects with entities like Ontario Power Generation and Bruce Power. This could potentially lead to significant repercussions for the global nuclear industry, particularly in Canada, where nuclear projects such as reactor refurbishments at Bruce Power and Darlington are vital. The situation also highlights broader implications for nuclear security and waste management, …

Nonsuicidal And Suicidal Intent Among Children And Youth With Histories Of Trauma: The Role Of Protective Factors, Rebecca West

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Developmental trauma remains a significant problem as several domains of impairment in children and youth exposed to trauma are affected. The momentum of research is currently focused on the consequences of developmental trauma reflected in disruptions in cognitive, neurological and psychological development which places children and youth at an elevated risk in developing maladaptive coping behaviours. Children and youth who report a history of trauma are typically more likely to engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal self-injury (SSI). This research explores whether social support and cognitive and executive functioning moderate the relationship between developmental trauma history and involvement in …

Female And Male Perpetrators Of Domestic Homicide: A Gendered Phenomenon?, Jackie Salas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Domestic violence is a global issue extending across regional, cultural, and social boundaries. In 2017, 137 women across the world were killed everyday by intimate partners or relatives. By far, women over-represent victims of domestic violence and domestic homicide across time. Although disproportionate, equally concerning is the issue of violence against men. Researchers have started to question whether the risk factors related to male and female’s use of violence is gendered, however no clear consensus has been reached. A retrospective case analysis was completed using domestic homicide cases reviewed by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee based in Ontario, Canada. …

Dating Violence And Homicide With Younger Adults: Are We Taking The Dangers Seriously Enough?, Corinne Qureshi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A significant proportion of domestic violence involves dating partners, however little research has examined domestic homicides in this context. The purpose of the current study was to examine domestic homicides in the context of dating violence in comparison to cohabiting and married couples. The dataset for these comparisons was derived from the Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC). The study hypothesized that dating partners would differ from their cohabiting and married counterparts in several areas due to the unique nature of dating relationships, whereby they are less likely to be characterized by legal, economic, and familial ties to their …

Can I Lend A Hand? Investigating The Promotion Of Student Resiliency In A University Setting, Kevin Spencer Kilarski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The mental health needs among postsecondary students have been observed to be increasing. Fostering resiliency in the campus environment has been identified as central to improving student mental health. The present study investigated student perceptions of how resiliency is supported in a university setting and what gets in the way of supporting student resiliency. Data was collected via campus-wide emails that explored student perceptions of mental health and resiliency at an institutional level. Through a thematic analysis, six main themes were produced that addressed common experiences of mental health support on campus: mental health awareness and education, student wellness resources, …

Annual Research Review: Educational Neuroscience: Progress And Prospects, Michael S.C. Thomas, Daniel Ansari, Victoria C.P. Knowland

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Educational neuroscience is an interdisciplinary research field that seeks to translate research findings on neural mechanisms of learning to educational practice and policy and to understand the effects of education on the brain. Neuroscience and education can interact directly, by virtue of considering the brain as a biological organ that needs to be in the optimal condition to learn (‘brain health’); or indirectly, as neuroscience shapes psychological theory and psychology influences education. In …

Meditating In Virtual Reality: Psychotherapeutic Applications Of Vr Beyond Exposure Therapy, Divya Mistry

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Literature supports the efficacy and acceptability of VR exposure therapy (VRET) for the treatment of phobia and trauma-related disorders, although not all trauma-related mental health problems are of a phobic or avoidant nature, therefore may not be amenable to VRET. The current study intends to transition past the scope of VRET to expand the application of commercially available VR to areas of psychotherapy that are instead associated with increasing positive emotions and wellbeing to target mental illness such as depression, anxiety, and stress.

Specifically, the current study compared participant (n=80) affective, satisfaction, and meditative responses to VR guided meditation (VRGM) …

Snc-Lavalin: Follow The (Big) Money, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

In 2011, the Harper government sold Canada's CANDU nuclear reactor division to SNC-Lavalin for $15 million. This transaction and subsequent dealings have sparked controversy and scrutiny, particularly amidst recent allegations of corruption. SNC-Lavalin's lobbying efforts for a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) have raised concerns about potential impacts on major nuclear projects in Canada, including reactor refurbishments and the construction of a Deep Geologic Repository. The company's history of bribery charges, including a notable case involving Libya, and its role in various high-profile corruption scandals have intensified calls for increased transparency and accountability. The situation underscores the need for vigilance in …

Snc Lavalin Nuclear Contracts At Risk If It’S Convicted, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The article explores the potential consequences facing SNC-Lavalin, a major player in Canada's nuclear industry, if it is convicted of fraud and corruption. The company's ability to bid on and fulfill billions of dollars worth of contracts with entities like Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and various power producers hangs in the balance. Simpson highlights the intertwined relationships between SNC-Lavalin, Canadian government officials, and international nuclear projects, emphasizing the critical role of political decisions in shaping the future of nuclear development in Canada. The piece underscores broader implications for Ontario's energy sector and raises questions about the sustainability of …

A Consensus Guide To Capturing The Ability To Inhibit Actions And Impulsive Behaviors In The Stop-Signal Task, Frederick Verbruggen, Adam R. Aron, Guido P.H. 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, Rene´ 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

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© Verbruggen et al. 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 …

Rethinking Interhemispheric Imbalance As A Target For Stroke Neurorehabilitation, Jing Xu, Meret Branscheidt, Heidi Schambra, Levke Steiner, Mario Widmer, Jörn Diedrichsen, Jeff Goldsmith, Martin Lindquist, Tomoko Kitago, Andreas R. Luft, John W. Krakauer, Pablo A. Celnik, Nathan Kim, Michelle D. Harran, Benjamin Hertler, Juan C. Cortes

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2019 American Neurological Association Objective: Patients with chronic stroke have been shown to have failure to release interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) from the intact to the damaged hemisphere before movement execution (premovement IHI). This inhibitory imbalance was found to correlate with poor motor performance in the chronic stage after stroke and has since become a target for therapeutic interventions. The logic of this approach, however, implies that abnormal premovement IHI is causal to poor behavioral outcome and should therefore be present early after stroke when motor impairment is at its worst. To test this idea, in a longitudinal study, we …

Spinal Stretch Reflexes Support Efficient Hand Control, Jeffrey Weiler, Paul L. Gribble, J. Andrew Pruszynski

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2019, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc. Motor behaviour is most efficiently controlled by correcting only disturbances that influence task success. It is currently thought that such control is computed within a transcortical feedback pathway. Here we show that, for postural hand control, even the fastest spinal feedback pathway can produce efficient corrective responses, forcing a re-evaluation of how the nervous system derives the control laws that support motor behavior.

Understanding Trauma Exposure And Adjustment To University: The Role Of Orientation And Transition Programs In Promoting Resilience Among Undergraduate Students, Sarah Major

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

This study investigated undergraduate students at Brescia University College and their degree of involvement in transition programs. Participation in the events during Orientation Week and My First Six Weeks was examined in order to determine whether the programs had an effect on the resilience of individuals who reported exposure to a potentially traumatic event (PTE). The sample consisted of 33 undergraduate psychology students. Participants completed the Life Events Checklist (LEC), which measured their PTE exposure, and the Scale of Protective Factors (SPF-24), which assessed their individual protective factors and overall resilience. 96.97% of the respondents reported a history of trauma. …

Learning The Spatial Layout Of A New Real-World Environment, Delaney Spencer

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Cognitive maps are mental representations of the configuration of landmarks from an environment (Tolman, 1948; O’Keefe & Nadel, 1978). Broad individual differences in the accuracy of cognitive maps exist, however, it is not yet clear what underlies these differences (Weisberg et al., 2013). In the current study, participants first completed a spatial perceptive-taking task called the Spatial Orientation Test (SOT; Hegarty & Waller, 2004). They then were taken on a guided walking tour of an unfamiliar area of campus where they were asked to remember the names and locations of eight target landmarks. Participants’ ability to create a cognitive map …