Appendix C
FACULTY RESEARCH INTERESTS AND THESIS TOPICS
Anne ARCHER (on leave 2009-10)
I have four areas of research all related to the broader theme of education, language, and cognition in
exceptional children. 1) The development of a criterion-referenced assessment measure for children with Down
syndrome. A criterion-referenced measure would help teachers develop effective educational program plans for
students with Down syndrome who are enrolled in inclusive and/or segregated classrooms. 2) The relationship
between language and cognition in children with language and cognitive delays. In particular, I am interested in the
impact of a language delay or disorder on other people’s perceptions of the child’s cognitive abilities. Conversely, I am
also interested in the impact of a cognitive disorder on other people’s perceptions of a child’s language abilities and his
or her treatment plan. My subject pool typically focuses on children with Down syndrome. 3) The coping styles of
parents with children with Down syndrome. Some families appear to be more resilient and resourceful than others.
These differences may result in different program placements and opportunities for their children. 4) Further, related to
family resourcefulness, I am interested in the family dynamics associated with children who are adopted internationally
and the developmental milestones achieved by adopted children.
Relevant References:
Brown, L.. (1995). Inclusion in education and community life. In L. Nadel & D. Rosenthal (Eds.), Down syndrome:
Living and learning in the community (pp. 138-146). New York: Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Buckley, S. (1995). Teaching children with Down syndrome to read and write. In L. Nadel & D. Rosenthal (Eds.), Down
syndrome: Living and learning in the community (pp. 158-169). New York: Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Fein, G.G. (1979). Echoes from the nursery: Piaget, Vygotsky, and the relationship between language and play. New
Directions for Child Development 6, 1-14.
Lincoln, A.J., Courchesne, E., Kilman, B.A., & Galambos, R. (1895). Neuropsychological correlates of informationprocessing by children with Down syndrome. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 89 (4), 403-414.
Lister, C.M., Leach, C., & O’Neill, J. (1989). Similarity and difference in the cognitive development of Down’s
syndrome, other retarded, and non-retarded children. Early Child Development and Care, 41, 49-63.
Pepler, D.J. (1987). Play in schools and schooled in play: A psychological perspective. In J.R. Block & N.R. King
(Eds.), School play - A source book (pp. 75-99). New York: Garland.
Snyder-McLean, L.K., Solomonson, B., McLean, J.F., & Sack, S. (1984). Structuring joint action routines: A strategy
for facilitating communication and language development in the classroom. Seminars in Speech and Language,
5, 213-228.
1
Jocelyn B. AUBREY (EC 204; 748-1011, x-6080)
I have two areas of research focus. 1) I collaborate with Professors C.T. Smith and K.R.Peters on investigations
of the relationship between sleep and memory. We are specifically interested in procedural memory. 2) Investigations of
orientation in large-scale space (way-finding ability). My research with You-Are-Here (YAH) maps allows me to make
inferences about the cognitive processing requirements of wayfinding. Observing how easily people can get lost in Trent
University buildings is part of the research process! Not only is this research important for understanding spatial
cognition, it has very relevant implications for the design and use of YAH maps in the real world.
Relevant References:
Smith, C.T., Aubrey, J.B., and Peters, K.R. (2004). Different roles for REM and stage 2 sleep in motor learning:
A proposed model. Psychologica Belgica, 44, 81-104.
Aubrey, J. B., Li, K. Z. H., & Dobbs, A. R. (1994). Age differences in the interpretation of misaligned 'You-Are-Here'
maps. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 49, P29-P31.
Possible Thesis Topics:
Does the pattern of how Stage 2 sleep influences consolidation of procedural memory hold for several different
procedural tasks?
How do individual differences in strategies impact on wayfinding success? (Some people use a spatial mental
representation; others develop a verbal route plan.)
Students should have taken PSYC 225H; sleep research requires PSYC 372H.
2
Ben BAUER (OSHAWA)
My research interests fall under the rubric of Human Vision Science and its Applications. At the basic level, I study
human vision and attention. The goal of this area of research is to identify properties of visual objects that allow them
to be found efficiently (accurately and rapidly) in cluttered visual scenes. Using these properties I am validating a
simple decision-rule model for visual detection. Practical applications of the model are location and tracking of
symbology on visual displays, conspicuousness and camouflage for objects in various environments and image
compression.
The second area of work is the application of Human Factors principles to specification and design of
telecommunication networks and devices. The goal here is to provide clear human-factors-based targets to designers
so that the user-visible impacts of chaotic packet networks are minimized. The first task is to create a common
language and understanding of the problem and the opportunities, followed by empirically validated guidelines.
Students should have taken PSYC 225H and 366H. Suggested course for Human Factors focus: (Computer
Science/Studies) COST 396.
Relevant References:
Bauer, B., & Patrick, A.S. (2004). A Human Factors Extension to the Seven-Layer OSI Reference Model.
http://www.andrewpatrick.ca/OSI/10layer.html
Bauer, B., Jolicoeur, P., & Cowan, Wm. (1999). A test of the convex hull hypothesis in visual search for colour targets.
Vision Research, 39, 2681-2695.
Bauer, B., Jolicoeur, P., & Cowan, Wm. (1998). The linear separability effect in colour visual search:
Ruling out the additive-colour hypothesis. Perception & Psychophysics, 60, 1083-1093.
Bauer, B., & McFadden, S. (1997). Linear separability and redundant colour coding in visual search displays.
Displays, 18, 21-28.
Possible Thesis Topics:
Adaptive colour/spatial coding for visual displays.
Thresholds of acceptability for network based application components.
Visual properties supporting rapid detection and location.
Attentional modulation of cognition.
3
Fraser A. BLEASDALE (OC 232; 748-1011, x-7614)
My main research interests are in the area of cognition, and concern word and sentence
comprehension, as well as recognition, memory and comprehension processes in both uni- and
bilinguals. This research most often involves computer-based studies using lexical decision, naming, free association
and free recall tasks. A second area of interest is in the interplay of cognition and emotion, including the appraisal,
identification, and expression of emotion and its relationship to variables such as music training and bilingualism.
Typically this work involves the administration of a battery of tests, followed by multivariate analyses.
Relevant References:
Bleasdale, F. A. (1987). Concreteness-dependent associative priming: Separate lexical organization for concrete and
abstract words. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 13, 582-594.
Levy-Drori, S., & Henik, A. (2006). Concreteness and context availability in lexical decision tasks. American Journal of
Psychology, 119 (1), 45-65.
Resnicow, J. E., Salovey, P., & Repp, B. H. (2004). Is recognition of emotion in music performance an aspect of
emotional intelligence? Music Perception, 22 (1), 145-158.
Possible Thesis Topics:
The recognition and mental representation of concrete and abstract words and sentences. (Pre- or Co-requisite: PSYC
315; Relevant courses: PSYC 202H, 225H, Psyc 307H, 352H, 376H)
Music training and emotional traits. (Pre- or Co-requisite: PSYC 315; Relevant courses: PSYC 240H, 303H, 337H,
341H)
Bilingualism and emotional traits. (Pre- or Co-requisite: PSYC 315; Relevant courses: PSYC 240H, 303H, 337H, 341H)
4
Liana E. BROWN (OC 146; 748-1011 x-7238)
Many everyday activities require that we interact skillfully with the environment. My research is focused on
discovering how sensation, perception and movement performance work together as we perform simple,
everyday tasks. I focus on three major issues: 1) how hand position influences the assignment of attention to
and perception of nearby space and objects, 2) how proprioception and vision are used to guide reaching
movements, and 3) if and how learned information is shared by the motor and sensory systems. The goal of
this research program is to understand both what and how information is exchanged between the motor and
sensory systems, and the neural bases of this exchange.
Relevant References:
Brown, L. E., Wilson, E. T., & Gribble, P. L. (2009). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the
primary motor cortex interferes with motor learning by observing. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.
Brown, L. E., Kroliczak, G., Demonet, J.-P., Goodale, M. A. (2008). A hand in sight: Hand placement near
target improves size perception in blind visual field. Neuropsychologia, 46, 786-802.
Brown, L. E., & Goodale, M. A. (2008). Koniocellular projections and hand-assisted blindsight.
Neuropsychologia, 46, 3241-3242.
Maravita, A. & Iriki, A. (2004). Tools for the body (schema). Trends in Cognitive Science, 8, 79-86.
Possible Thesis Topics (Additional Prerequisites: Psyc 222H; Psyc 366H)
Hand placement and vision.
Spatial adaptation following motor learning.
Motor learning by observing (visual observation or hand-over-hand training).
Proprioception and reaching.
5
Michael CHAN-REYNOLDS (OC 151; 748- 1011 x-7534)
Generally speaking, I am interested in how people utilize information in their environment during everyday situations. I
examine this issue using three complementary approaches; (1) standard laboratory tasks and (2) observing and
describing behaviours during everyday tasks for data collection and (3) computational modeling as a form of theory
construction. I am presently conducting research in two different areas (1) how people read and (2) how things in our
environment capture (or fail to capture) our attention.
Relevant References:
Reynolds, M. G., & Besner, D. (2008). Contextual effects on reading aloud: Evidence for pathway control. Journal of
Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 34, 50 – 64.
Malcolmson, K. A., Reynolds, M. G., & Smilek., D. (2007). Collaboration during visual search. Psychonomic Bulletin &
Review, 14, 704 -709.
Reynolds, M, & Besner, D. (2006b). Reading aloud is not automatic: Phonological recoding and lexical activation
use central processing capacity. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance,
32, 799 - 810.
Possible Thesis topics include:
Individual differences and reading performance.
The relationship between attention and reading.
Individual differences in organization, attention, and searching for missing objects.
6
Rory COUGHLAN (OC 228; 748-1011, x-7779)
My approach to social and health psychology is multi-disciplinary. As such I support social scientific attempts to
preserve the inter-relationship of individual subjectivity with social processes and culture. In this endeavour I prefer to
use investigative methodology that is capable of assessing individual experiences as inter-penetrated by interaction,
ideology and contextualized by societal institutions. Typically this requires the utilization of qualitative research methods
including interviews, observation, institutional ethnography, grounded theory, thematic analysis among others. I have
three areas of interest. My main area of specialty is the investigation of health experiences of individuals, the
interactional processes that mediate such individual patient or clinician perceptions within certain sub-cultures of health
delivery systems and the development of health policy. In addition I am interested in understanding how individuals
perceive “personal agency” and the social and cultural factors that contribute to negotiations in everyday situations. I
am also interested in how power relations develop in social settings with a special interest in issues of bullying in
institutional settings.
Relevant References
Coughlan, R. (2006). The social psychology of health care: Consumerism, technology and public good.
McMaster University Medical Journal (In press)
Coughlan, R. & Jung, K.E. (2006). New mothers’ experiences of agency during prenatal and delivery care: Clinical
practice, communication & embodiment. Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology & Health (In press).
Coughlan, R. & Ward, L. (2006). Experiences of recently relocated residents of a long-term care facility in Ontario:
Assessing quality qualitatively. International Journal of Nursing Studies (In press).
Coughlan, R. (2004). The peculiar category of placebo: The socio-psychological affects of personal agency. British
Medical Journal, 329, 947 http://bmj.bmjjournals,com/cgi/eletters/329/7472/944#80842
Coughlan, R. (2004). Stigma, shame and blame experiences by patients with lung cancer: Health promotion and
support groups have a role. British Medical Journal, 329, 402-3
Coughlan, R. (2004). Some possible downsides to over-reliance on pedagogical technology. British Medical Journal
Online. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/329/7466/606
Stephenson, P.H., Wolfe, N.K., Coughlan, R. & Koehn, S. (1999) A methodological discourse on gender, independence
and frailty: Applied dimensions of identity construction in old age. Aging and Society , 13, 4, 1-11
Mullett, J., & Coughlan, R. (1998) Clinicians’ and seniors’ views of reference based pricing: Two sides of a coin. Journal
of Applied Gerontology, 17, 3.
Tolman, C. W., Coughlan, R., & Robinson, C. N. B. (1996). The postmodernist appropriation of Vygotsky. In J.
Lompscher (Ed.), Lernen und Entwicklung aus kulturhistorischer Sicht: Was sagt uns Wygotski heute?
[Learning and Development From the Cultural-Historical Point of View] (Bd. 1, S. 117-129). Marburg: BdWiVerlag.
Brunt, J. H., Hopkinson, J., Chappell, N., Maclure, M., Mullett, J., McCormack, J., Rango, R., Thompson, M.&
Coughlan, R. (1996) Seniors Drug Focus Project: Report of findings from cycle one. School of Nursing/Centre
on Aging, University of Victoria, B. C. Canada
Possible Thesis Topics:
Patient experiences with clinical practices
Cross-cultural negotiations of patient agency during pregnancy
Experiences of parents concerning bullying in the public school system
Differing models of interaction in institutional settings
Relevant courses for these thesis topics include PSYC 272H; 343H; 308H; 304H; Anth 348; 309; Soci 220; 345; 363
7
Teresa L. DeCICCO (OSHAWA)
My research interests are in the areas of personality, abnormal psychology and health. My research falls into the
following categories: 1) Personality, self-construal (identity) and adaptive coping. 2) The relationship between trait
measures of anxiety and adaptive coping. 3) Identity (self-construal) and health (physical and emotional). 4) Dreams
and health
Relevant References:
Arnocky, S. Stroink, M.L. & DeCicco, T.L. (2007). Self-construal predicts environmental concerns, cooperation and
conservation. Journal of Environmental Psychology. Vol 27, 255-264.
DeCicco, T.L. (2008). Pondering the consequences of uninterpreted dreams. Dreamtime. Winter,
p.12-13.
DeCicco, T, L. (2007). What is the story telling? Examining discovery with The Storytelling Method (TSM) and testing
with a control group. Dreaming. Vol 17, p.227-237.
DeCicco, T.L. (2007). Finding your "Self" in psychology, religion and spirituality.
Academy of Science. In Press, December.
Psychology: The Russian
DeCicco, T.L. (2007). Dreams of female university students: Content analysis and relationship to
the Ullman method. Dreaming. Vol 17. No. 2. 98-112.
DeCicco, T.L. & Stroink, M.L. (2007). A third model and measure of self-construal: The
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies. In Press.
discovery via
Metapersonal Self.
King, D.B. & DeCicco, T.L. (2007). The relationship among dream content, physical health, mood and self-construal.
Dreaming. Vol 17 No.3, 127-139.
Kohn, P. M., Kantor, L. N., DeCicco, T.L., & Beck, A. T. (Aug 2007). The Beck Anxiety Inventory-Trait (BAI-T). A
measure of dispositional anxiety not confounded by dispositional depression. Journal of Personality
Assessement. In Press.
Kohn, P.M., O'Brien-Wood, C., Pickering, D.I., & DeCicco, T.L. (2003). The Personal Functioning Inventory: A reliable
and valid measure of adaptive coping. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, Vol 35: 2, 111-123.
Markus, H.R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the Self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation.
Psychological Review, 98, Vol. 2, 224-253.
CD-Published
DeCicco, T. L. (2001). Metta-Morphosis: Stress Reduction with Teresa DeCicco, Applied Behavioural Medicine.
Instructional Health Psychology CD. Toronto, Ontario: Neoplanta Sound Productions,
Possible Thesis Topics:
Investigating the relationship between identity (self-construal) and emotional well-being.
Personality and adaptive coping in university students.
Dreams as indicators of health and healing.
8
Terry P. HUMPHREYS (OC 141; 748-1011, x-7773)
My research interests intersect human sexuality and social psychology. More specifically, three main areas
dominate my current research: (1) attitudes and beliefs about sexual consent and their influence on the
negotiation of consent in sexual interactions. This area of research includes elements of sexual
(mis)communication and sexual coercion; (2) how beliefs about first sexual experiences influence sexual
behaviour and; (3) sexuality information and the use of the Internet (i.e., health, education, and
entertainment). How do individuals assess information quality? Does personality influence information
seeking behaviours? How is the information used in sexual interactions?
Relevant References:
Kennett, D., Humphreys, T.P., & Patchell, M. (in press). The role of learned resourcefulness in helping
female undergraduates deal with unwanted sexual activity. Sex Education.
Humphreys, T.P., & Newby, J. (2007). Initiation of new sexual behaviours in heterosexual relationships.
Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 16, 77-88.
Humphreys, T.P. (2007). Perceptions of sexual consent: The impact of relationship history and gender. The
Journal of Sex Research, 44, 1-9.
Humphreys, T.P., & Herold, E. (2007) Sexual consent in heterosexual dating relationships: Attitudes and
behaviours of university students. Sex Roles, 57, 305-315.
Humphreys, T.P. (2004). Understanding sexual consent: An empirical investigation of the normative script
for young heterosexual adults. In M. Cowling & P. Reynolds (Eds.), Making sense of sexual consent
(pp. 209-225). Aldershot, England: Ashgate.
Possible Thesis Topics:
Factors influencing sexual consent attitudes and behaviours.
Factors impacting first sexual experiences (i.e., personality, safer sex, quality)
Factors affecting the use of the Internet for seeking sexuality information.
Sexuality communication
Perceptions of sexual coercion and violence
9
Nancie IM-BOLTER (OSHAWA)
My research interests focus on language and its relationship with other domains of functioning in both normal
and atypical development. This is a broad research area that includes different types of language (e.g., structural,
pragmatic), cognitive (e.g., working memory, inhibition), and social cognitive (e.g., theory of mind) functions. My
research involves a diverse population of children, including those with normal development as well as children with a
range of disorders, including psychiatric disorders, learning disabilities, and language impairments. I am currently
investigating the cognitive, social cognitive, and social emotional characteristics of children with language impairment in
an attempt to determine the underlying mechanisms of this disorder. A second line of inquiry involves understanding
how language is used as a tool for the representation/internalization of life experiences, and for affect regulation and
adaptive functioning. Although most of my research involves children my interest in the relationship between language
and cognition is across the life span of development.
Relevant References:
Bishop, D. V. M. (1992). The underlying nature of specific language impairment. Journal of Child Psychology
and Psychiatry, 33, 3-66.
Denckla, M. B. (1996). A theory and model of executive function: A neuropsychological perspective. In G. R.
Lyon & N. A. Krasnegor (Eds.), Attention, memory and executive function (pp. 263-275). Baltimore, MD: Paul
H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Cohen, N. J. (2001). Language impairment and psychopathology in infants, children, and adolescents.
Developmental Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry Series, Volume 45. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Cohen, N. J., Vallance, D. D., Barwick, M., Im, N., Menna, R., Horodezky, N., & Isaacson, L. (2000). The
interface between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and language impairment: An examination of
language, achievement, and cognitive processing. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41(3),353-362.
Im-Bolter, N., Johnson, J., & Pascual-Leone, J. (2006) Processing limitations in children with
specific language impairment: The role of executive function. Child Development, 77, 1822-1841.
Vallance, D. D., Im, N., & Cohen, N. J. (1999). Discourse deficits associated with language impairments and
with psychiatric disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40(5), 693-704.
Yaghoub Zadeh, Z., Im-Bolter, N., Cohen, N. J. (2007) Social cognition and externalizing psychopathology:
An investigation of the mediating role of language. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 141152.
10
Deborah J. KENNETT (OC 224; 748-1011, x-7770)
I am interested in health promotion with special emphasis on program development and on the personal and social
factors influencing lifestyle practices. Research I have completed supports the view that variables such as stress
appraisal, motivation, self-efficacy, situational factors, social factors, physiological factors and personal skills play a
complex and interactive role in goal attainment.
Relevant References:
Kennett, D.J., O’Hagan, F. T., & Cezer, D. (2008). Learned resourcefulness and the long-term benefits of a chronic pain
management program. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 2, 317-339.
Chislett, G., & Kennett, D.J. (2007). The effects of the Nobody’s Perfect Program on parenting resourcefulness and
competency. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 16, 473-482.
Kennett, D.J. & Keefer, K. (2006). Impact of learned resourcefulness and theories of intelligence on academic
achievement of university students: an integrated approach. Educational Psychology, 26, 441457.
Kennett, D.J., Morris, E., & Bangs, A. (2006). Learned resourcefulness and smoking cessation revisited. Patient
Education and Counseling, 60, 206-211.
Kennett, D.J. & Pettis, A. (2001). The impact of learned resourcefulness on university adjustment and student drinking
behaviours. In D.J. Kennett & A. Young (Eds.). STATISTICA 5.1/5.5 made easy ÿ an overview of data
management and statistical procedure (pp. 168-198). Peterborough, ON: Trent University.
Kennett, D.J., & van Gulick, C. (2001). Dealing with academic stress and failure: the association between learned
resourcefulness, explanatory style, reported grades and sharing experiences with academic self-control. In
D.J. Kennett & A.M. Young (Eds.), Notes on applied statistical methods in psychology integrating STATISTICA
software (pp. 324-355). Peterborough, ON: Trent University Press.
Kennett, D.J. & Nisbet, C. (1998). The influence of body mass index and learned resourcefulness on body image
andlifestyle practises. Patient Education and Counselling, 33, 112.
Possible Thesis Topics:
Impact of family and personality factors on university adjustment and academic success
Predicting exercise behaviour and the development of an exercise self-control scale
Factors influencing lifestyle changes and their successful implementation
Understanding the acquisition of sexual resourcefulness
Acceptance and coping with chronic pain
11
Leslie KERR (DNA 108.2; 748-1011, x-7435)
My primary research interest examines how psychosocial factors may mediate physiological mechanisms underlying
illness and disease. Specifically, I examine behavioural as well as physiological (e.g. endocrine, immune) and cellular
(e.g. receptor or oncogene expression) mechanisms that may mediate the effects of early social environments and
caregiving experiences on normal and malignant mammary gland growth in mice. In addition to my primary area of
research, a colleague and collaborative partner in the Psychology Department, Dr. Elaine Scharfe, and I are examining
a similar question in a human-based study. In this study, we are indirectly examining, via online questionnaires, the
influences of different care-giving styles and infants’ psychological development and breast cancer risk and treatment
outcomes. This avenue of research will aid in the development of models that identify individuals at risk based on family
history, personality, and related health behaviours and will allow for the development of comprehensive health
promotion practices aimed at increasing the likelihood of cancer prevention and early detection.
Relevant References
Salleh, A., Ralph, T., Trevelyan, T., Francis, L. & Kerr, L.R. (200 8). Neonatal environment, gender, and age at testing
differentially influence depressive-like behaviours in Balb/c mice. (submitted)
Kerr, L.R., Andrews, H.N., Strange, K.S., Emerman, J.T., & Weinberg, J. (2006). Temporal factors alter effects of social
housing conditions on responses to chemotherapy and hormone levels in a Shionogi mammary tumor model..
Psychosomatic Medicine, 68,966-75.
Winocur, G., Vardy,J., Binns, M., Kerr, L. & Tannock, I. (2006). The Effects of the AntiCancer Drugs Methotrexate and
5Fluorouracil on Cognitive Function in Mice. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior. 85, 66-75
HilakiviClarke, L., Cabanes, A., Olivo, S., Kerr, L., Bouker, K.B. & Clarke, R. (2002). Do estrogens always increase
breast cancer risk? Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 80,163-174.
Kerr, L.R., Hundal, R., Silva, W.A., Emerman, J.T. & Weinberg, J. (2001). Effects of social housing condition on
chemotherapeutic efficacy in a Shionogi Carcinoma (SC115) mouse tumor model: influences of temporal
factors, tumor size, and tumor growth rate. Psychosomatic Medicine, 63, 973-984.
Andrews, H.N., Kerr, L.R., Strange, K.S., Weinberg, J. & Emerman, J.T. (2000). Effect of social housing condition on
heat shock protein (HSP) expression in the Shionogi mouse mammary carcinoma (SC115). Breast Cancer
Research and Treatment, 59, 199-209.
Strange, K.S., Kerr, L.R., Andrews, H.N., Emerman, J.T. & Weinberg, J. (2000). Psychosocial stress and mammary
tumor growth: a mouse model. Journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 22: 89-102.
Kerr, L.R., Wilkinson, D.A., Emerman, J.T. & Weinberg, J. (1999). Interactive effects of housing condition, stress and
gender on mouse mammary tumor (SC115V) growth. Physiology and Behavior 66: 277284.
Possible Thesis Topics for 2009-20010
I am currently examining the influences of early -life environments, stress, and coping on anxiety - and depressive-like
behaviours and mammary gland development using both human (via online surveys) and animal models. Thesis
students will collaborate on projects exploring specific psychological or physiological factors that may play a role in
increasing breast cancer risk and/or influencing treatment outcome.
12
Hugo Lehmann (OC 140; 748-1011 x-7236)
The primary focus of my research program is to determine the contributions of different brain structures to
learning, memory, and emotion. Specific aims are to: 1) understand the neural circuits involved in acquiring,
storing, and retrieving memory; 2) delineate the mechanisms involved in long-term consolidation and
temporally graded retrograde amnesia; and 3) determine how deficits in emotion may undermine mnemonic
function. Related research projects normally involve assessing whether surgical lesions and pharmacological
manipulations in rats cause anterograde and/or retrograde amnesia as well as changes in fear and anxiety in
several types of behavioural tests.
A second focus of my research program is to examine the means to reverse or attenuate cognitive deficits,
such as memory loss, by promoting regeneration of damaged brain circuitry. Projects examine the effects of
promoting neurogenesis with different treatments (e.g., growth factor, enriched environment) on recovery of
mnemonic function from a cellular to a behavioural level.
Relevant References:
Sutherland, R.J., O’Brien, J., & Lehmann, H. (2008). Absence of systems consolidation for fear memories
after dorsal, ventral, or complete hippocampal damage. Hippocampus, 18, 710-718.
Lehmann, H., Glenn, M.J., & Mumby, D.G. (2007). Consolidation of object discrimination memory is
independent of the hippocampus in rats. Experimental Brain Research, 180, 755-764.
Lehmann, H., Lacanilao, S., Sutherland, R.J. (2007). Complete or partial hippocampal damage produces
equivalent retrograde amnesia for remote contextual fear memories. European Journal of
Neuroscience, 25, 1278-86.
Melvin, N.R., Spanswick, S.C., Lehmann, H., Sutherland, R.J. (2007). Differential neurogenesis in the adult
rat dentate gyrus: An identifiable zone that consistently lacks neurogenesis. European Journal of
Neuroscience, 25, 1023-1029.
Mumby, D.G., Piterkin, P., Lecluse, V., & Lehmann, H. (2007). Perirhinal cortex damage and anterograde
object-recognition in rats after long retention intervals. Behavioural Brain Research, 185, 82-87.
Sutherland, R.J., Lehmann, H., Spanswick, S.C., Sparks, F.T., & Melvin, N.R. (2006). Growth points in
research on memory and hippocampus. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology , 60, 166174.
Lehmann, H., Lecluse, V., Houle, A., & Mumby, D.G. (2006). Retrograde amnesia for object-fear
conditioning following lesions of the hippocampal formation. Hippocampus, 16, 379-87.
Glenn, M.J., Lehmann, H., Mumby, D.G., Woodside, B. (2005). Differential Fos expression following
aspiration, electrolytic, or excitotoxic lesions of the perirhinal cortex in rats. Behavioral Neuroscience,
119, 806-813.
Lehmann, H., Treit, D., & Parent, M.B. (2003). Spared anterograde memory for shock-probe fear
conditioning after inactivation of the amygdala. Learning & Memory, 10, 261-269.
Possible Thesis Projects:
Memory reactivation and neural distribution of the engram
Resiliency of memory to brain damage
The effects of slow progressive damage to the hippocampus on memory
Memory loss following focal and global cerebral stroke
Strengthening memory with emotion
13
Mowei LIU (OC 148; 748-1011, x-7472)
My general research interests are in social development from a cultural perspective. Specifically, I am
interested in child and adolescent peer relationships, friendship networks, and parental socialization processes (e.g.,
belief systems, disciplinary styles) in children’s social and emotional development. Among various factors that may
contribute to individual social development, I am particularly interested in parenting styles and parental socialization
goal-oriented behaviors and their relations to children’s social, emotional and school adjustment in Chinese and
Canadian children. Both within-culture and cross-culture approaches have been taken in my research to understand
the impact of cultural context on human development.
Relevant References:
Liu, M., Chen, X., & Rubin, K. H. (2005). Autonomy- vs. connectedness-oriented parenting behaviors in Chinese and
Canadian mothers. International Journal of Behavioral Development, Vol 29(6), 489-495.
Liu, M. & Chen, X. (2003). Friendship networks and social, school and psychological adjustment in Chinese junior high
school students. Psychology in the Schools Vol 40, 5-17.
Chen, X., Liu, M., Rubin, K. H., Li, D., Li, Z., Cen, G., & Li, B. (2003). Parental reports of externalizing and internalizing
behaviors in Chinese children: Relevancy to social, emotional and school adjustment. The Journal of
Psychology in Chinese Societies, 3, 233-259.
Chen, X., Liu, M., Rubin, K. H., Cen, G., Gao, X., & Li, D. (2002). Sociability and prosocial orientation as predictors of
youth adjustment: A seven-year longitudinal study in a Chinese sample. International Journal of Behavioral
Development. Vol 26(2), 128-136.
Chen, X., Liu, M. & Li, D. (2000). Parental warmth, control, and indulgence and their relations to adjustment in Chinese
children: A longitudinal study. Journal of Family Psychology, Vol 14(3), 401-419.
Chen, X., Liu, M., Li, B., Cen, G., Chen, H., & Wang, L. (2000). Maternal authoritative and authoritarian attitudes and
mother-child interactions and relationships in urban China. International Journal of Behavioral Development, Vol
24(1), 119-126.
Possible Thesis Topics:
Parental achievement orientation and children’s learning behaviours in Canada and China (relevant courses: PSYC
281H, 323H, 384H)
Acculturation and adaptation (relevant courses: PSYC 281H, 430H)
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Geoffrey S. NAVARA (OC 142; 748-1011, x-7539)
I have two general streams of research: 1) an examination of family dynamics, specifically the parent/child
relationship, through a cultural and cross-cultural lens; and, 2) the psychology of religion – specifically issues of
religious orientation as a predictor of behaviour. Currently, I am working on a project exploring the parent/child dynamic
of Jamaican-Canadian immigrant families living in the Greater Toronto Area, specifically looking at issues of bidirectionality of influence, acculturation, and the transmission of cultural values and beliefs. Another research project is
examining the possible connection between various religious orientations and ethnocentric attitudes, social desirability
and comfort levels when interacting with other cultural groups. In my research, I often utilize a combination of
quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
Relevant References:
Burris, C.T., & Navara, G.S., (2002). Morality play - - or playing morality?: Intrinsic religious orientation and socially
desirable responding. Self and Identity, 1, 67-76.
Kuczynski, L. & Navara, G.S., (2006). Sources of Innovation and Change in Socialization and Internalization. In Killen,
M. & Smetana, J.G., (Eds) Handbook of Moral Development. Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc. New
Jersey.
Navara, G.S., & James, S. (2005). Acculturative stress of missionaries: Does religious orientation affect religious
coping and adjustment? International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29 (1), 39-58.
Navara, G.S., & James, S., (2002). An investigation of missionary adjustment in Nepal. International Journal of
Intercultural Relations, 26(6), 694-708.
Possible Thesis Topics:
Religious orientation as a predictor for various behaviours/attitudes
Parent/child dynamics – specifically looking at bidirectionality in socialization
Transmission of cultural values and beliefs
Prerequisites: PSYC 281H and either PSYC 381H or 384H
15
James D. A. PARKER (on leave 2009-10)
I have been involved in a number of research projects on personality and affect regulation. During the past
decade, research from a variety of fields has generated growing interest in the development of affect
regulation and in the consequences for personality development, psychopathology and achievement when
there are deficits in these abilities. I am particularly interested in studying the relationship between constructs
like alexithymia and emotional intelligence and various outcome variables (particularly mental and physical
health problems and/or academic achievement).
Relevant References:
Austin, E. J., Parker, J. D. A., Petrides, K. V., & Saklofske, D. H. (2008). Emotional intelligence. In G. J.
Boyle, G. Matthews, G., & Saklofske, D. H. (Eds.) The SAGE handbook of personality theory and
assessment (Volume 1, pp 576-596). London: SAGE Publications.
Parker, J. D. A., Austin, E. J., Hogan, M. J., Wood, L. M., & Bond, B. J. (2005). Alexithymia and academic
success: Examining the transition from high school to university. Personality and Individual
Differences, 38, 1257-1267.
Parker, J. D. A., Hogan, M. J., Eastabrook, J. M., Oke, A., & Wood, L. M. (2006). Emotional intelligence and
student retention: Predicting the successful transition from high school to university. Personality and
Individual Differences, 41, 1329-1336.
Parker, J. D. A., Saklofske, D. H., Wood, L. M., Eastabrook, J. M., & Taylor, R. N. (2005). Stability and
change in emotional intelligence: Exploring the transition to young adulthood. Journal of Individual
Differences, 26, 100-106.
Parker, J. D. A., Taylor, R. N., Eastabrook, J. M., Schell, S. L., & Wood, L. M. (2008). Problem gambling in
adolescence: Relationships with internet misuse, gaming abuse and emotional intelligence.
Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 174-180.
Possible Thesis Topics:
Emotional intelligence and barriers to post-secondary education
Emotional intelligence across the life-span.
Relevant courses for these thesis topics include PSYC 236H, PSYC 337H, PSYC240H, or PSYC 341H.
16
Kevin PETERS (OC 149, 748-1011, x-7795)
My current research interests involve three main areas.
1) Sleep states and the consolidation of emotional information (e.g., words, faces, or pictures). I am interested in how
being exposed to emotional stimuli affects subsequent sleep, rapid-eye-movement sleep in particular, and how these
post-acquisition changes may or may not benefit memory consolidation for that information.
2) Sleep states and motor learning. Sleep has been shown to benefit motor learning. However, there is debate
regarding which stages of sleep are the most important for different types of motor learning. My colleagues Drs. Carlyle
Smith and Jocelyn Aubrey and I have developed a model to explain how Stage 2 sleep and REM might be related to
motor learning. Although we do have some preliminary evidence for the model, we are interested in further testing of it.
We are also interested in determining whether the relationship between sleep states and motor learning is different in
young and elderly adults.
3) The effect of sleep deprivation on stereotype accessibility. My colleagues Drs. Geoff Navara, Terry Humphreys, and
Michael Chan-Reynolds are interested in how sleep deprivation and sleep restriction affects an individual’s
performance on various measures of racism, sexism, and ethnocentrism.
Relevant References:
Peters, K.R., Smith, V., & Smith, C.T. (2007). Changes in sleep architecture following motor learning depend on initial
skill level. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 19(5), 817-829.
Smith, C.T., Aubrey, J.B. & Peters, K.R. (2004). Different roles for REM and stage 2 sleep in motor learning: A
proposed model. Psychologica Belgica, 44(1/2), 81104).
Peters, K.R., Ray, L., Smith, V., & Smith, C.T. (in press). Changes in the density of Stage 2 sleep spindles following
motor learning in young and older adults. Manuscript accepted for publication in the Journal of Sleep
Research on December 6, 2007.
Hu, P., Stylos-Allan, M., & Walker, M. P. (2006). Sleep Facilitates Consolidation of Emotional Declarative Memory.
Psychological Science, 17(10), 891-898.
Possible Thesis Topics:
The role of sleep states in procedural motor learning tasks (Prerequisites: PSYC 222H and preferably PSYC 372H).
The role of REM sleep in consolidating memories of emotional information (Prerequisites: PSYC 222H and preferably
PSYC 372 H).
The effect of sleep deprivation and restriction on stereotype accessibility (Prerequisites: PSYC 225H and preferably
PSYC 372H).
17
Elaine SCHARFE (OC 138; 748-1011, x-7354)
Research Interests: Influence of relationships on health, social and emotional development across the lifespan
parent-child relationships family relationships,
John Bowlby (1969/1982) defined attachment as the instinct to form relational bonds with others and the development
of strategies to seek and maintain proximity to these attachment figures when distressed, ill, or afraid. These strategies
are internalized into representations or internal working models that help to guide interpretation of and reactions to
social situations from infancy to old age. Although attachment representations are proposed to be relatively stable, a
key challenge to attachment researchers is to identify conditions under which attachment patterns are likely to change.
I am currently exploring mechanisms of continuity and change of attachment in the context of life transitions (e.g.,
school transitions, transition to parenthood). In addition, I am interested in the influence of attachment behaviours on
ways of coping with stress during transitions, health outcomes during transitions, and cognitive reappraisals of
attachment representations during transitions. My current research focuses on how early caregiving relationships
influence adult mental health, lifestyles choices, and physical health. Recently, attachment researchers have
demonstrated that early parental neglect adversely impacts on individuals' physical and psychological development and
I am studying this effect of attachment relationships in several different samples including families with young children,
university students, children and adolescents with diabetes, and breast cancer survivors.
Relevant References
Scharfe, E. (2007). Cause or consequence?: Exploring causal links between attachment and depression. Journal of
Social and Clinical Psychology, 26, 1050-1066.
Scharfe, E., & Cole, V. (2006). Stability and change of attachment representations during emerging adulthood: An
examination of mediators and moderators of change. Personal Relationships, 13, 363-374.
Scharfe, E. (2003). Stability and change of attachment representations from cradle to grave. In S. M. Johnson & V.
Whiffen, Attachment processes in couple and family therapy. (pp. 64-84). New York, NY: Guilford Publications
Inc.
Scharfe, E. (2002) . Reliability and validity of an interview assessment of attachment representations in a clinical
sample of adolescents, Journal of Adolescent Research, 17, 532-551.
Scharfe, E. & Eldredge, D. (2001). Associations between attachment representations and health behaviors in late
adolescence. Journal of Health Psychology, 6, 287-299.
Scharfe, E. & Bartholomew, K. (1994). Reliability and stability of adult attachment patterns. Personal Relationships, 1,
23-43.
Possible Thesis Topics for 2009-10
(1) Influence of relationships on coping with chronic disease
(2) I am currently collecting data from a large sample of Peterborough families. Thesis students will collaborate on
projects exploring health and wellness in the family using data from this longitudinal sample or collecting new data from
the parents and/or children (who are now 5 or 6 years old). Example topics include (but are not limited to) exploring
fathers’ participation in the family, health and wellness in the family, factors influencing parents' healthy lifestyle
choices, children's understanding of health and wellness.
Prerequisite: at least one of PSYC 300H, 343H and/or 384H.
18
Brenda SMITH-CHANT (OC 142; 748-1011, x-7780)
I am interested in cognitive development from the perspective that the experiences of children during the
development and acquisition of basic cognitive skills, such as reading and arithmetic, has a fundamental influence on
how information is organized in their memory as adults. Accordingly, my research follows three main streams: 1) How
children acquire basic math and literacy skills, particularly the influence that their preschool learning environment has
on their performance; 2) How the performance of adults reflects strategies developed during the process of learning
basic math and literacy skills in childhood; and 3) Individual differences and atypical development of math and literacy
skills. My main project in this stream is based on a longitudinal study of children with Spina Bifida who are at elevated
risk of developing a specific mathematics learning disability.
Relevant References:
Smith-Chant, B.L. & LeFevre, J.(in press). Doing as they are told and telling it like it is: Participant reactivity to selfreport methodologies. Memory & Cognition.
LeFevre, J., Smith-Chant, B.L., Hiscock, K., Daley, K., & Morris, J. (2002). Young adults' strategic choices in simple
arithmetic: Implications for the development of mathematical representations. In A.J. Baroody & A. Dowker
(Eds.) The development of arithmetic Concepts and skills: Recent research and theory. Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum.
LeFevre, J., Lei, Q., Smith-Chant, B.L., & Mullins, D. (2001). Multiplication by eye and by ear for Chinese-speaking and
English-speaking adults. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 55, 277-284.
Sénéchal, M., LeFevre, J., Smith-Chant, B.L., & Colton, K. (2001). On refining theoretical models of emergent literacy:
The role of empirical evidence. Journal of School Psychology, 39, 439-460.
Possible Thesis Topics:
Parent teaching and it's relation to the development of children's early math skills.
Dyscalculia (a developmentally based deficit in mathematics), or math-based learning disabilities.
The relation between basic arithmetic facts in different operations in memory.
Effect of anxiety (or other individual characteristics) on math performance.
19
Laura SUMMERFELDT
I have several areas of research interest, bridged by the common theme of personality and psychopathology.
These include the following: 1) Personality dimensions and psychopathology in clinical and nonclinical populations, 2)
Points of continuity among clinical and subclinical obsessive-compulsive phenomena and adaptive behaviour, 3)
Models of heterogeneity of obsessive-compulsive disorders, 4) Cognitive characteristics of obsessive-compulsive
disorders, and 5) Diathesis-stress models of clinical and nonclinical anxiety conditions. A specific focus for me in
recent years has been upon a particular feature of obsessive-compulsive experience - the feeling that things are “not
just right”. A program of research examining this phenomenon and its links with other psychological variables (i.e.,
cognition, personality) is currently underway.
Relevant References:
Summerfeldt, L.J., Kloosterman, P.H., Antony, M.M., & Parker, J.D.A. (2006). Social anxiety, emotional intelligence,
and interpersonal adjustment. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 28(1), 57-68.
Summerfeldt, L.J., Kloosterman, P.H., Antony, M.M., Richter, M.A., & Swinson, R.P. (2004). The relationship between
miscellaneous symptoms and major symptom factors in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behaviour Research and
Therapy, 42, 1453-1467.
Summerfeldt, L.J. ( 2004). Understanding and treating incompleteness in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of
Clinical Psychology , 60, 1155-1168.
Summerfeldt, L.J., Richter, M.A., Antony, M.M., & Swinson, R.P. (1999). Symptom structure in obsessive-compulsive
disorder: A confirmatory factor-analytic study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37, 297-311
Possible Thesis Topics:
Capturing “not just right” experiences: The relationship between everyday behaviours and obsessive-compulsive–
related subdimensions.
Social anxiety, social and emotional competencies, and interpersonal behaviour.
Social anxiety, social and emotional competencies, and academic performance.
Information processing correlates of obsessive-compulsive-related subdimensions.
Precursors and vulnerabilities in the development of social anxiety.
Relevant courses for these research topics include PSYC 236H and 337H and PSYC 240H and 341H.
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Appendix D
UNDERGRADUATE THESES REPRESENTATIVE OF HONOURS RESEARCH
IN THE DEPARTMENT
ARMSTRONG, Jennifer (2006)
Trait Incompleteness and the Zeigarnik Effect
CAPPON, Amanda (2006)
An Investigation of Perfectionism in University Students and Community Dwelling
Adults
CATANZARO, Maria (2006)
Variables Contributing to Statistical Anxiety and the Importance of Learned
Resourcefulness in an Advanced Statistics Course
KARTES, Kathleen (2006)
Student Perceptions of Sexual Consent: The Impact of Relationship Length, Sexual
Experience and Gender Role Attitudes
LOBBAN-SHYMKO, Jan (2006)
Sleep Architecture: Linkages between Procedural Learning in Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome
MARCHAND, Kirsten (2006)
Dissociation between horizontal and vertical eye movements in REM sleep following
complex procedural task acquisition
McGILVRAY, Mark (2006)
Does Ethanol Disrupt Sleep and Memory for a Novel Procedural Motor Task?
PEGLAR, Diana (2006)
Assessment of Resilience in Older Adults: Development and Validation of the
Multidimensional Resilience Inventory (MRI)
SCHELL, Stacey (2006)
Affect Regulation and Adolescent Gambling: ADHD as a Risk Factor
SCOTT, Charlotte (2006)
An On-line Study Examining Breast Cancer Survivors’ Attachment and Coping Styles
WHITE, Samantha (2006)
Conceptualizing and Measuring Existential Regret in Older Adults: The Development
and Validation of the Multidimensional Existential Regret Inventory (MERI)
21