Developmental Differences In The Learning And Consolidation Of Linguistic Regularities, Sarah Berger

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Relative to adults, children have a well-known advantage for learning linguistic regularities, which could be partially driven by their deeper sleep. To examine the relationship between consolidation and language learning across development, children and adults learned a novel article system with an implicit grammatical rule. Participants performed a judgment task on phrases containing the novel articles before and after a night of EEG-monitored sleep. We found that rule sensitivity emerged rapidly in children, whereas it did not emerge until the second session in adults. Children demonstrated better generalization of the rule than adults. Consolidation effects showed a developmental double dissociation, …

Of Mice And Mummies: Experimental Mummification And Radiological Examination Of Neoplastic Disease And Cancer In Mummified Remains From Ancient Egypt And Peru, Jennifer L. Willoughby

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide today, which has generated much debate in clinical and archaeological literature about the history of neoplastic disease. While some researchers posit that cancer (malignant neoplastic disease) is largely a disease of modern society, increasing evidence from archaeological sources demonstrates the presence of neoplastic disease (benign and malignant) in ancient cultures all over the world.

Mummified human remains have the potential to preserve evidence of both skeletal and soft tissue disease, but previous paleo-oncological research has focused largely on individual case studies and skeletal remains. This doctoral research demonstrates how the radiological examination …

Working Towards More Effective Sexual Violence Prevention Programming For Young Men In Canada, Aadhiya Vasudeva

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although extant literature underscores the importance of addressing men’s risk for sexual violence perpetration, there is limited research examining sexual violence prevention programs for young men in Canada. Using community-based, mixed-method research and a clinical logic model, this study involved the development and application of an evaluation mechanism for a sexual violence prevention program for young men, Man|Made. Triangulation of survey data (n = 43 pre-program and n = 21 post-program) and qualitative interviews of program participants (n = 5) and facilitators (n = 6) highlighted some promising findings related to changes in men’s consent knowledge, acknowledgement of past harm, …

Improving Sexual Violence Reporting In Higher Education Institutions, Karen D. Kennedy Ms

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Abstract

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) addresses the lack of sexual violence (SV) reporting at an undergraduate university (Coastal U; a pseudonym) where values of equity, diversity, and inclusion are espoused. Nonetheless, students from diverse cultures at Coastal U report a lack of visibility, unclear pathways for reporting, poor student and staff education, and numerous reporting fears, culminating in a lack of SV reporting. A critical and intersectional feminist lens frames this issue as one of social injustice, wherein inequity and lack of inclusion are problematic. Institutional context, capacity, and readiness, together with consideration of external factors, led to three …

Transforming The Dead: The Taphonomy And Ritual Economy Of Funerary Bundles On The Pre-Hispanic Central Coast Of Peru (1000-1532 Ce), Joanna Motley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Death is not only the cessation of life; it is a social transformation. This dissertation investigates funerary practices that facilitated that transformation on the pre-Hispanic central coast of Peru from ca. 1000 - 1532 CE, a time of local consolidation of power after the dissolution of the Wari Empire (600-1100 CE), through to the expansion of the Inca Empire (1450 – 1532 CE). This work focuses on the practices of two archaeological cultures on the central coast of Peru: the Ychsma and the Chancay. Ritual economy, with its integration of agency and political economy, is used as a theoretical framework …

Land, Wind, And Power In M’Chigeeng First Nation: Perceptions Of Indigenous-Owned Community Energy In The Canadian Context Of Low-Carbon Transition And Reconciliation, Carelle P. Mang-Benza

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The unique histories of Indigenous communities are routinely overlooked in the social acceptance and energy transition literatures, but attention is warranted in settler countries like Canada seeking to improve relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous citizens. Parallel to this journey called reconciliation, Canada embarked on an energy transition with Indigenous communities taking a leading role. Prompted by the example of M’Chigeeng First Nation, sole owner, and operator of two 2 MW-wind turbines selling energy in Ontario since 2012, this thesis weaves qualitative and quantitative methods through three intersecting studies to investigate how the 2400-member community perceives their turbines. Studies 1 and …

Temperament And Individual Differences In Category Learning, Tianshu Zhu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Objectives. Individuals can differ in their strategic approach in learning the same categorization task, researchers have sought to study what specific stable individual differences traits can help explain these differences. This dissertation first surveyed extant literature on the impact of trait differences on category learning then examined the effect of temperament traits on these dependent variables. Chapter 2 (scoping review): This scoping review synthesized the past literature that examined the relationship between sources of stable individual differences and category learning performance and strategy use outcomes. Five database platforms were searched to identify relevant articles, cross-referencing was also performed. Sixty-nine studies …

The Role Of Autonomic Arousal In Curiosity Sparked By Unsuccessful Memory Recall, Sundari Chatterton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

States of curiosity, which reflect temporary motivational tendencies to seek out information, play a critical role in learning and memory. Recent work from our lab suggests that metacognitive retrieval experiences related to unsuccessful memory recall can spark curiosity; we have found that feeling-of-knowing (FOK) experiences predict to what extent participants will subsequently seek information they cannot recall. Here, we asked whether autonomic arousal plays a role in the generation of this retrieval-induced curiosity. Further, we asked if subsequent access to the information that cannot be recalled is rewarding and whether autonomic arousal plays a role in the anticipation of reward. …

Acting Out Gender: Embodied Criticality And Performance-Based Pedagogies, Danielle K. Carr

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Using an adapted Theatre of the Oppressed workshop titled Acting Out Gender, this study explored the use of embodied, performance-based pedagogies to examine gender identity and performance with undergraduate and teacher education students. Attending to feminist and queer epistemological questions of embodiment and gender, this qualitative, arts-based study used observation and interviews to explore participants’ understanding and experience of gender and to experiment with performance-based pedagogies for exploring embodiment and embodied rituals. This study highlighted the usefulness of Acting Out Gender in supporting students’ interrogation of embodied gender subjectivity in their own lives and illuminated how performance-based pedagogies function in …

Partners In Education: Leveraging School Social Workers To Support Transformative Equity And Well-Being Work In An Ontario K-12 Public School Board, Stefani F. Burosch

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

School social workers (SSWs) have been an integral part of Ontario’s K-12 public education system for over one hundred years. Their unique training, skill set, and practice perspectives enables provision of comprehensive services benefitting the whole school community. The social work profession is grounded in a code of ethics committed to the advancement of social justice for all and draws from a rich history of critical theorizing and evidence-based practice to further this goal. These features of the profession ideally position SSWs to serve as leaders and partners in the school mission, particularly at a time when the need for …

How Narcissism Relates To Social Rank Dynamics In Teams, Tianyue Xu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Team performance can be impaired when two team members both believe they outrank one another in status (upward-status disagreement; USD; Kilduff et al., 2016). Drawing from the narcissistic admiration and rivalry concept (Back et al., 2013), the current study examined how two forms of narcissism distinctively relate to USDs across a team’s lifecycle. Gathering data at four time points, I studied over 126 small task teams from inception to dissolution. The results indicate that narcissistic admiration did not predict one’s status perception tendency or absolute status. However, narcissistic admiration predicted the number of USDs one experiences during team formation and …

Intake Of Fruits, Vegetables, And Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Among A Sample Of Children In Rural Northern Ontario, Canada, Brenton L.G. Button, Louise W. Mceachern, Gina Martin, Jason A. Gilliland

Geography & Environment Publications

There is evidence to suggest that dietary intake of children differs by rural/urban place of residence: rural children may have a higher intake of foods high in fat and sugar than those living in urban environments. The aim of this study was to examine the intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) and the frequency of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, among a sample of rural children in Northern Ontario, Canada, in two different seasons. Sociodemographic factors and children’s FV and SSB intake were measured using two repeated cross-sectional surveys, and seasonal information was based on the month of data collection. Logistic …

The Enactment Of Quality Assurance Policies In Ecuadorian Higher Education: A Case Study In The Public Universities In The Province Of Manabí, Diego R. Sornoza Parrales

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigates how the administrators in the research and quality assurance offices in the regional universities in Ecuador enact the national research quality assurance policy. The massification and diversification of higher education and the internationalization, as well as globalization of higher education institutions create an increasingly competitive environment. Given this competition, resources are scarce, resulting in more frequent and more aggressive budgetary constraints. Government and national funding agencies are including the notion of “quality” in their policies to measure the performance and efficiency of universities and determine budget allocation, demanding universities to “prove their value” to remain operational. In …

Early Childhood Impulsivity And Parenting Predict Trajectories Of Externalizing Psychopathology, Emma Stewart

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Parenting is a consistent predictor of child externalizing symptoms; however, the role of caregiving variability (i.e., variation in a caregiver’s parenting behaviour) is poorly understood. We examined whether characteristic parenting style and parenting variability predicted externalizing symptoms in 409 children (M_age = 3.43 at baseline, 208 girls). We assessed parent positive affectivity (PPA), hostility, and parenting structure at child age three using three behavioural tasks designed to vary in context, examining variability by modeling a latent difference score reflecting the range for each dimension. We assessed children’s symptoms at ages three, five, eight, and 11. Lower hostility predicted fewer …

Essays On Industrial Organization And Health Economics, Cecilia S. Diaz Campo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

My thesis consists of three chapters studying the impact of health insurance design and public health policy on consumers’ health and health care utilization, welfare, and costs.

Chapter 2 studies an overlooked dynamic incentive that encourages health care utilization, which I term \textit{dynamic moral hazard}. Typical health plans feature high deductibles and caps on consumers' out-of-pocket spending, which generate nonlinear pricing. These nonlinearities, coupled with the uncertainty intrinsic to future health care demand, encourage consumers to increase spending since current utilization lowers future expected prices. Standard models study health care utilization decisions through the lens of annual models, which abstract …

Nato’S New World Order Relies On Multilateralism To Strengthen Its Nuclear Defense Posture, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The recent NATO Summit in Madrid focused on countering Russia's threats involving weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) like nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, as well as cyber attacks. NATO reaffirmed its role as a nuclear alliance and emphasized a strategy combining nuclear, conventional, and missile defense capabilities, along with space and cyber defenses.

NATO aims to prevent nuclear use and enhance readiness against chemical and biological threats while supporting efforts for global nuclear disarmament under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. International efforts through NATO, the EU, and the UN are addressing nuclear proliferation and strengthening arms control agreements.

With over 12,700 …

The Impact Of An Online Self-Compassion Intervention On Thwarted Belongingness And Perceived Burdensomeness, Genevieve M. Bianchini

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Interventions that target thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB) may reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviours (Joiner, 2005). Self-compassion describes being open and kind towards oneself (Neff, 2003a) and is negatively associated with TB, PB, and suicidality. The current research examined the impact of a brief, virtual, self-compassion intervention on TB and PB in a young adult sample. Study 1 included an open trial to examine initial effectiveness and acceptability of the intervention. Self-compassion significantly increased over time; however, there were no changes in TB or PB. Study 2 included a randomized controlled trial comparing two control conditions to the …

Hostile, Benevolent, Implicit: How Different Shades Of Sexism Impact Gendered Policy Attitudes, Claire Gothreau, Kevin Arceneaux, Amanda Friesen

Political Science Publications

Advances in gender equality and progressive policies are often stymied by cultural sexist systems and individual-level sexist attitudes. These attitudes are pervasive but vary in type—from benevolent to hostile and implicit to explicit. Understanding the types of sexism and their foundations are important for identifying connections to specific social and political attitudes and behaviors. The current study examines the impact of various manifestations of sexism on attitudes regarding policies and public opinion issues that involve gender equality or have gendered implications. More specifically, we look at attitudes on reproductive rights, support for the #MeToo Movement, equal pay, and paid leave …

Revealed Preference Analysis: Theory And Applications, Charles Gauthier

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation consists of three chapters studying revealed preference theory and its applications to testing and inference. The first chapter develops a semiparametric revealed preference methodology to analyze the effects of price search on prices paid across income groups. The second chapter derives a novel representation of the exponential discounting model to make inference on the discount factor. The third chapter derives an axiomatization of the exponential discounting model and uses it to propose a nonparametric test of dynamic discrete random utility models.

The first chapter develops a novel semiparametric approach to estimate the impacts of price search on prices …

Predicting Education-Job Mismatch And Its Consequences For A Cohort Of American Workers, Emily J. Orr

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This paper considers the income and health consequences of education-job mismatch for a cohort of workers. Education-job mismatch is common, but there is little research on how it is related to outcomes for workers. This study uses longitudinal data from the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) to examine education-job mismatch over a significant portion of the work life course – early career, between ages 25 and 35, and mid-career. Findings suggest that gender, race/ethnicity, and occupational sector are important predictors of experiencing education-job mismatch. Men, African Americans, and workers in office-administrative occupations were more likely to experience mismatch. …

Characterizing And Predicting Canadian Adolescents’ Internalizing Symptoms In The First Year Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Haley Elizabeth Green

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Most studies of adolescents’ internalizing symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic have included few data waves, limiting long-term conclusions about adolescents’ mental health during the pandemic. Collecting only a few waves of data precludes examination of intraindividual symptom variability, which may have implications for adjustment beyond mean symptoms. We characterized mean n = 192 adolescents’ internalizing symptoms from March 2020-April 2021 and used mixed effect location scale models to examine established risk factors as predictors of mean trends and intraindividual variability in adolescents’ internalizing symptoms. Adolescents’ symptoms were relatively stable and low over the first year of the pandemic; severity peaked …

Interpersonal Problems And Suicidal Ideation In Daily Life: Examining The Moderating Role Of Social Problem-Solving, Brianna M. Meddaoui

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with significant impairment in interpersonal functioning and risk of suicidal ideation (SI). One mechanism underlying interpersonal problems in BPD is deficits in social problem-solving. Using ecological momentary assessment, this study investigated how acute interpersonal problems (conflict, social isolation, lack of support, and rejection) were associated with daily SI in adolescents presenting with BPD features. Perceived rejection (β = 0.05, SE = 0.02, p = .03), support (β = 0.09, SE = 0.02, p < .001), and conflict (β = 6.07, SE = 1.30, p < .001) were associated with SI concurrently. Those with weaker social problem-solving abilities were more likely to experience SI in response to perceived rejection (β = -0.3, SE = 0.01, p = .04). This study contributes …

Opening A Crack To Let The Light In: An Exploration Of An Online Group Adolescent Compassion Focussed Therapy Intervention, Euan Pb Fraser Tait

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current study’s goal is to expand the adolescent compassion focused therapy (CFT) literature by exploring participant experiences of a novel CFT protocol which was delivered in an online group therapy format. This study is a mixed methods approach using surveys, open-ended questionnaires, and interviews to explore participants’ experience and expression of feelings of inadequacy (FOI) and self-compassion. Thematic analysis findings revealed that participants struggled primarily with FOI relating to evaluative contexts such as school and sports and that these FOI also carried with them implications of self-worth and perfectionism. Through participating in the program, participants were able to de-shame …

Policy Momentum And Transgender Policy Inclusion: Explaining National Policy Change, Nicole Mcmahon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Western democracies are experiencing a widespread shift towards greater recognition of transgender rights in public policy, yet the timing of policy change differs across states. This dissertation asks: What explains the timing of transgender-inclusive public policy change? To explain this variation, I develop an original theoretical framework called “policy momentum.” Unlike existing work on policy diffusion, which typically emphasizes either domestic or international processes, I theorize how the combined pressure from each level creates the conditions for policy change to occur. Empirically, I contrast two policy areas in Canada and Australia. First, I analyze the creation of national antidiscrimination policies …

Junk Food Accessibility After 10 Years Of A Restrictive Food Environment Zoning Policy Around Schools, Lindsey Soon, Jason Gilliland, Leia M. Minaker

Geography & Environment Publications

Zoning has been proposed as a way of reducing unhealthy food access for youth, but little research has evaluated outcomes of proposed or existing junk food bans, and even less research has considered equity implications of such zoning policies. In this simulation study, set in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario (Canada), we examined how secondary student access to fast food restaurants and convenience stores would change under such a policy over 10 years in a mid-sized Canadian municipality. Outcomes are presented by school-level advantage (derived from the proportion of students in equity-deserving subgroups: low income, students who speak English …

Differentiating Fissure-Fed Lava Flow Types And Facies Using Radar And Lidar: An Example From The 2014–2015 Holuhraun Lava Flow-Field, Gavin Douglas Tolometti, Catherine D. Neish, Christopher W. Hamilton, Gordon R. Osinski, Antero Kukko, Joana R.C. Voigt

Earth Sciences Publications

Distinguishing between lava types and facies using remote sensing data is important for interpreting the emplacement history of lava flow-fields on Earth and other planetary bodies. Lava facies typically include a mixture of lava types and record the collective emplacement history of material preserved at a particular location. We seek to determine if lava facies in the 2014–2015 Holuhraun lava flow-field are discernible using radar roughness analysis. Furthermore, we also seek to distinguish between lava types using high resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. We extracted circular polarization ratios (CPR) from the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar and …

Co-Rumination In Social Networks, Samantha M. Jones

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although co-rumination is associated with positive relationship perceptions, individuals that engage in this behaviour often report fewer friends and peer difficulties. Those with a tendency to co-ruminate also report elevated levels of internalizing symptoms. Thus, the tendency to co-ruminate may put individuals at risk of depressive and anxious symptoms as well as social problems as they make the challenging transition to university and build new social networks. I analyzed social network data from 458 first year undergraduate students during their first university semester. Co-rumination within a particular relationship was associated with greater tie strength and socio-emotional multiplexity. Co-rumination was positively …

Addressing Intimate Partner Violence: Effective Risk Management With Male Perpetrators, Simrat K. Tung

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research aimed to identify the competencies required of intimate partner violence (IPV) specialists to effectively manage risk posed by male perpetrators of violence. Two methods were utilized– a scoping review of existing literature, and semi-structured interviews with 19 experts in the field. Researchers analyzed 140 documents and the transcribed interviews, extracting and compiling excerpts relating to competencies for assessing and managing risk and safety. Reflexive thematic analysis and methodological data triangulation were used to identify and compare competencies derived from literature and practice-based knowledge. Triangulation revealed overlap for themes of knowledge about IPV, promoting safety, assessing risk, collaborating with …

Inuvialuit Living Art: Co-Creating Local Community Archaeology And Cultural Heritage Research, Jason Yf Lau

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis explores Inuvialuit cultural heritage through the lens of Inuvialuit Pitqusiat Inuusimitkun or living art, a term coined by Iñupiaq/Inuvialuk Elder Pauline Saturgina Tardiff and translated to Sallirmiutun by Inuvialuit Elders Albert and Shirley Elias. Using semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and ethnography, it brings together the knowledge of 11 Inuvialuit artists to discuss Inuvialuit living art through: its ability to tell stories through time and space; its role in surviving and thriving on the land; and its connection to inner “heartwork”. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework, it outlines the 2019 Inuvialuit Living History Culture Camp at Ivvavik …

Appearance- Versus Function-Based Verbal Cues During Exercise In Young Non-Exercising Women, Maclean Press

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This experimental study assessed the acute effects of appearance- versus function-based verbal cues during exercise on indices of self-objectification and exercise engagement among young women non-exercisers. Participants were randomized into one of three exercise conditions (appearance, neutral, function), where an instructor delivered verbal cues during a 20-minute treadmill exercise task. Participants completed a baseline assessment of trait self-objectification, and a post-manipulation survey examining psychological states (self-objectification, body shame, social physique anxiety, flow, and interoceptive awareness) and exercise engagement (intent to exercise, exercise enjoyment, exercise motivation). The total sample included 102 women (M_age = 20.2 years, SD_age = …