Department of Psychology:
2012-2013
Inside this issue:
Message from the
Chair
1
Welcome and
Congratulations
1-3
Department and
Student
Association
Activities
4
Publications,
Conferences,
Colloquia, and
More
4-6
January 2014
Message from the Chair
Welcome to Winter Semester
2014! I was a bit sad to say
goodbye to 2013 because the
students and faculty of UNBC’s
Department of Psychology had
such a great year. Our students
won a record number of external
awards, and the amount and
quality of research produced by
faculty and students was
impressive. As we turn our minds
to the work of 2014, I will take
this opportunity to draw your
attention to some highlights of the
coming months.
Through Winter Semester 2014,
you will likely be hearing about the
work of students in PSYC498
Applied Health Promotion. This
experiential learning course taught
by Drs. Hardy and Madak is funded
by UNBC’s University Experiential
Service Learning Award. Students
will be working on projects in
partnership with Northern
Health’s Preventive Public Health
Services. The projects will
contribute to the development and
evaluation of public and preventive
health services for northern BC.
The 9th Annual Graduate
Conference – Celebrating the
Successes of UNBC - is set for
Feb. 26 and 27, 2014. This
conference is a great venue to
present your graduate work to a
friendly audience, learn about
graduate research being done at
UNBC, and engage with colleagues
from other disciplines. The call for
submissions is open until Feb. 3,
2014; see http://www.unbc.ca/
graduate-programs/unbc-graduateconference. Please consider
submitting papers and attending
this conference; your participation
will make the conference a
success.
BASICS 2014 (Banff Annual
Seminar in Cognitive Science) is
being held May 2 and 3, with a core
theme of “Numerical cognition and
neuroscience”. For more
information, go to http://
www.psych.ualberta.ca/~pdixon/
BASICS/2014/info/index.html.
Submissions are welcome until
April 2, 2014. If you need a reason
to visit Banff, this might be it.
The Canadian Psychological
Association 74th Annual
Convention is being held in
Vancouver this year on June 13 to
15th. Abstracts have already been
submitted and reviewed, and
program planning is underway. I
hope to see some of you there!
I wish you a great semester and
much success in all your pursuits.
Dr. Cindy Hardy
Welcome and Congratulations!
Welcome New Faculty
Farewell
Dr. Susan Chang Su joined the Department of Psychology for the Fall
2012 term. We enjoyed her contributions for the term and wish her
well for the future.
Dr. Yongchao Shi concluded his
term here at UNBC in the summer
of 2012; we wish him well in his
future endeavours!
Dr. James Climenhage joined our
department for the Fall 2013 term.
We thank him for his commitment
to our students, and wish him all the
best.
Dr. BJ Tippett departed UNBC in
the summer of 2013 after four years
here. Best of luck to him and his
family.
New Teaching
Drs. Hardy and Madak won a University Experiential and Service Learning
Award to offer PSYC498: Applied Health Promotion in Winter Semester
2014. This course is being offered in partnership with Northern Health.
Faculty-student soccer match,
Spring 2013
Page 2
Department of Psychology: 2012-2013
Brian Duffels
Welcome and Congratulations! (cont’d)
Incoming Graduate Student Highlights
Cara Kronisch
Brian Duffels (PhD Student)
(Supervisor: Dr. Paul Siakaluk)
I first moved from Smithers to Prince George in 1999
to get my BSc in psychology. I did an honours thesis
under Ken Prkachin and graduated with a SSHRC.
From there I moved to Edmonton and completed an
MSc by studying the cognitive processes underlying
human reorientation. After graduation, I stayed in
Alberta and taught for several years at local
universities. I have recently moved back to Prince
George to pursue a PhD under Paul Siakaluk.
In Paul's lab I am hoping to examine the time course
and nature of emotional information in concept
representation from an embodied cognition
perspective.
Kimberley Kaseweter
Cara Kronisch (PhD Student)
(Supervisor: Dr. Loraine Lavallee)
I am a globetrotter with most of my schooling from
Europe. After finishing a Master in Risk Psychology,
Environment and Safety at the Norwegian University
of Technology and Science last summer I decided it
was again time to change country and was delighted
to see that UNBC offered a PhD in Environmental
Psychology. Arriving on Canada Day I have loved the
country and Prince George ever since.
Taking a stark detour from my research on crime
victims and attitudes towards the social-political
system I am now focusing on the environmental part
of my specialisation. Together with my wonderful
supervisor Loraine Lavallee I (if everything works out
as I hope) will be developing a tool to assess the main
influences on what makes persons decide which
environmental features to include in their housing
choices.
Vivian Houg
Ian Newcombe
Kimberley Kaseweter (MSc Student)
(Supervisor: Dr. Ken Prkachin)
Kimberley is a first year Master's student in the
Psychology Program. She received her undergraduate
degree in psychology from UNBC in 2011. Her
research interests are currently in the area of pain
perception and experience. Her independent study
research with Ken Prkachin examined the
relationship between patient race and pain treatment
decisions among a sample of Canadians. This research
has been recently published in Pain Research and
Management. She is also interested in psychopathy
and the detection of deception. She intends to pursue
a PhD after completing her MSc.
Vivian Houg (MSc Student)
(Supervisor: Dr. Cindy Hardy)
I spent my childhood in Prince George and
consequently fled the province to complete my BA in
psychology after a year at CNC. My degree is
officially from the King's University College in
Edmonton, Alberta, however I have completed
coursework at five post-secondary institutions: The
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, the College of
New Caledonia, Taylor University College, the
University of Alberta, and the King's University
College.
My honours research project examined the
relationship between prayer practices and cognitive
test anxiety and I was accepted as a poster
presentation at the 2010 Connecting Minds
undergraduate research conference in psychology. I
highly recommend this conference to all
undergraduate psychology students! http://
www.connectingminds.wildapricot.org/
I am completing my first year of the MSc Psychology
program at UNBC and plan to access the National
Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth to explore
resilience in children and families for my thesis. I
currently live in Prince George with my husband,
Marc, and our two guinea pigs, Anna and Elmo.
Ian Newcombe (MSc Student)
(Supervisor: Dr. Paul Siakaluk)
Ian is a first year Master’s student in the Psychology
Program. Growing up in Abbotsford B.C., he
attended UNBC in 2008 and quickly developed a
strong interest in psychology. While psychology is a
large field, UNBC gives young students opportunities
to explore the field and provide them with hands on
research experience in specific areas. Through a
research assistant position as an undergraduate in Dr.
Paul Siakaluk’s lab, Ian explored cognitive research
practices and soon settled on the field of cognition to
study further as a graduate student. His current
research interests lie in Embodied Cognition, a
leading theory which emphasizes the role of the body
during conceptual processing. Specifically, Ian is
exploring how emotional experience is used when
processing abstract concepts.
Page 3
Department of Psychology: 2012-2013
Welcome and Congratulations (cont’d)
Student and Alumni Awards,
Scholarships, & Other Successes
Ma. De Jesús Laura Aguilera Rodríguez
defended her doctoral thesis on Dec. 16, 2011
entitled “Spelling: Processes and Strategies in
Print and Computer Formats”. (Supervisor: Dr.
William Owen)
Gabrielle McHugh defended her doctoral
thesis on April 3, 2012, entitled “An
Examination of the Influence of Culture,
Climate, and Leadership as Drivers of a Healthy
Workplace”. (Supervisor: Dr. Stephen
Cronshaw)
Mireille Rizkalla (MSc ’12, PhD candidate)
was awarded the Governor General’s Gold
Medal at the May 2012 Convocation Ceremony.
Cherisse Seaton defended her doctoral thesis
on Feb. 7, 2013, entitled “The Role of Positive
Emotions and Ego-Resilience in Personal
Strivings”. (Supervisor: Dr. Sherry Beaumont)
She has since accepted a full-time position with
UBC, where she will be a research coordinator,
managing research projects conducted in the
north by the Northern Health, BC Cancer
Agency, and Canadian Cancer Society
partnership.
Crystal Rollings defended her master’s thesis
on April 11, 2013, entitled “Heart to Heart:
Connecting Empathy, Attachment, and
Physiology”. (Co-Supervisors: Drs. Cindy Hardy
and Ken Prkachin)
Janice Montbriand defended her doctoral
thesis on May 24, 2013, entitled “Brain Injury in
Seniors in British Columbia: Its Relationship to
Depression and Chronic Pain—Incidence,
Antecedents, and Consequences”. (Supervisor:
Dr. Ken Prkachin)
Dr. Cherisse Seaton (BSc ’06, MSc ’08, PhD
’13) was awarded the Governor General’s Gold
Medal at the May 2013 Convocation Ceremony.
Mireille Rizkalla (MSc ’12, PhD candidate)
received a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
in the fall of 2013.
Dr. William Owen &
Dr. Laura Aguilera,
Convocation 2012
Vivian Houg (MSc candidate), Kimberly
Kaseweter (MSc candidate), Stephen
Bennett (BSc ’13, Med Counselling candidate),
and Ariel Dimler (BSc ’13) have all received
2013 SSHRC Master’s Scholarships.
Michael Moffat (BSc ’13) received an NSERC
Master’s Scholarship in the fall of 2013.
Todd Pryor (BSc ’10, MSc candidate) received
the 2013 Canadian Psychological Association
Teaching Assistant Award.
Dr. Cherisse Seaton (BSc ’06, MSc ’08, PhD
’13), Crystal Rollings (BSc ’09, MSc ’13), and
Michael Moffat (BSc ’13) all received Canadian
Psychological Association Certificates of
Excellence in the fall of 2013.
Nine current students
or recent graduates of
the Department of
Psychology were
honoured with awards
or scholarships in the
fall of 2013!
Candice Manahan (BSc ’01, MSc Community
Health ’09) was named to the Prince George
Chamber of Commerce 2013 Top 40 under 40.
Dr. Cherisse Seaton,
Dr. Cindy Hardy, &
Dr. Janice Montbriand,
Convocation 2013
Page 4
Department of Psychology: 2012-2013
Department & Student Association Activities
Psyc Out
Majors Fair & Academic Exposure
Psyc Out is an annual celebration of student research
in Psychology, organized by Dr. Loraine Lavallee.
The Department of Psychology hosted student
information tables at the Majors Fair on March 21,
2012, and at Academic Exposure on Sept. 4, 2012
and Nov. 13, 2013. Many new and returning
students stopped by to chat with the faculty
members, and to take brochures and bookmarks
for more information. UNBC President Dr.
George Iwama spent a few minutes with us playing
Pac Man and discussing research interests. Senior
Lab Instructor Julie Howard (née Orlando)
organized the department’s participation materials.
Thanks to Drs. BJ Tippett, Bob Tait, Han Li, Cindy
Hardy, and Sherry Beaumont, Psyc Club President
(2012) Lauren Legere, and MSc student Todd
Pryor for giving their time at these years’ events.
On April 4, 2012, five students presented the findings
of their research projects. Jessica Harms-Sratchley,
Hugh Curtis, Cale Campbell, Ian Newcombe, and
Emily Wright all gave oral presentations of their
projects.
On April 2, 2013, eight students gave us their findings
and proposals. Ariel Dimler, Lauren Legere, Michael
Moffat, Erin Browne, Ley Fraser, Nathan Knol, Scot
Ross, and Melissa Simmill all shared their research.
Convocations
On May 25, 2012, the Department of Psychology saw
2 Doctor of Philosophy graduates and 2 Masters of
Science in Psychology graduates cross the
convocation stage, along with 27 Bachelors of Science
in Psychology, 5 of whom were Honours students.
On May 31, 2013, 2 Doctor of Philosophy graduates
and 1 Master of Science graduate celebrated with 31
Bachelors of Science in Psychology graduates. One of
these 31 successful students received a triple major,
one received a double major, and 5 received Honours
degrees.
Student Psychology Association
The SPA hosted a number of student events
throughout the year, including a series of movie
nights, regular study sessions, two Faculty-Student
soccer matches, and a Faculty-Student informal
evening.
Faculty-student soccer
match, Winter 2012
Spanning these two
years, the
Department of
Psychology has
graduated 2 PhD, 3
MSc, and 58 BSc
students!
Publications, Conferences, Colloquia, and More
Publications (Peer-reviewed)
Note: student authors are indicated by *
Allen*, J. & Prkachin, G. C. (2013) Parental
awareness and perception of their children’s body
size. Open Journal of Medical Psychology, 2, 77-80.
Bennett*, S. D. R., Burnett, A. N., Siakaluk, P. D.,
& Pexman, P. M. (2011). Imageability and bodyobject interaction ratings for 599 multisyllabic
nouns. Behavior Research Methods, 43, 1100-1109.
Beaumont, S. L. (2012). Art therapy approaches
for identity problems during adolescence. Canadian
Art Therapy Association Journal, 25(1), 7-14.
Beaumont, S. L. (2013). Art therapy for
complicated grief: A focus on meaning-making
approaches. Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal,
25(2), 1-7.
Beaumont, S. L. (2012). Art therapy for gendervariant individuals: A compassion-oriented
approach. Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal, 25
(2), 1-6.
Beaumont, S. L., & Scammell*, J. (2012). Patterns
of spirituality and meaning in life related to identity.
Identity: An International Journal of Theory and
Research, 12(4), 345-367.
Convocation 2013
Page 5
Department of Psychology: 2012-2013
Publications, Conferences, Colloquia, and More (cont’d)
Clark*, E., George, A., Hardy, C., Hall, W.,
MacMillan, P., Wakabayashi, S., & Hughes, K.
(Accepted June 14, 2013) Exploratory study of the
effectiveness of a professional development program
on the academic achievement and classroom
behaviour of students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder in British Columbia, Canada. International
Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research.
Dyck, K. & Hardy, C. (2013). Enhancing access to
psychologically informed mental health services in
rural and northern communities. Canadian Psychology,
54(1), 30-37. doi: 10.1037/a0031280
Hansen*, D., Siakaluk, P. D., & Pexman, P. M.
(2012). The influence of print exposure on the bodyobject interaction effect in visual word recognition.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6(113), 1-12. doi:
10.3389/fnhum.2012.00113
Hargreaves, I. S., Leonard, G. A., Pexman, P. M.,
Pittman, D. J., Siakaluk, P. D., & Goodyear, B. G.,
(2012). The neural correlates of the body-object
interaction effect in semantic processing. Frontiers in
Human Neuroscience, 6(22), 1-8. doi: 10.3389/
fnhum.2012.00022
Kaseweter*, K. A., Drwecki, B. B., & Prkachin, K.
M. (2012) Racial differences in pain treatment and
empathy in a Canadian sample. Pain Research and
Management, 17(6), 381-384.
Kunz, M. M., Prkachin, K. M & Lautenbacher, S.
(2013). Smiling in pain: explorations of its social
motives. Pain Research and Treatment.
doi:10.11555/2013/128093
Levesque*, A., Li, H. Z, Bohemier, M.. (2013).
Cultural Variations in health conceptions: A
qualitative approach. Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Indigenous
and Aboriginal Community Health, 11(2), 215-229.
Levesque*, A., Li, H. Z., & Pahal*, J. (2012). Factors
related to patients’ adherence to medication and
lifestyle change recommendations: Data from Canada.
International Journal of Psychological Studies, 4(2), 42-55.
Li, H. Z., Zhang, Y., MacDonell, K., Li, X. P., Chen,
X. (2012). Counseling Chinese patients about
cigarette smoking: The role of nurses. Health
Education: An International Journal, 112(4), 350-364.
Newcombe*, P. I., Campbell*, C., Siakaluk, P. D., &
Pexman, P. M. (2012). Effects of emotional and
sensorimotor knowledge in semantic processing of
concrete and abstract nouns. Frontiers in Human
Neuroscience, 6(275). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2012.00275
Convocation 2012
Newcombe*, P. I., Campbell*, C., Siakaluk, P. D., &
Pexman, P. M. (2012). Effects of emotional and
sensorimotor knowledge in semantic processing of
concrete and abstract nouns. Frontiers in Human
Neuroscience. 6:275. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00275
Rash*, J. A. & Prkachin, K. M. (2013). Cardiac vagal
reactivity during relived sadness is predicted by affect
intensity and emotional intelligence. Biological
Psychology, 92, 106-113.
Schultz, I. Z., Crook, J. M., Berkowitz, J., Meloche, G.
R., Prkachin, K. M. & Chlebak, K. M. (2013). Early
intervention with compensated lower back-injured
workers at risk for work disability: fixed vs. flexible
approach. Psychological Injury and the Law, 6, 258276. DOI: 10.1007/s12207-013-9165-8
The Department of
Psychology currently
has 14 students
registered in MSc and
PhD programs.
Siakaluk, P. D., Knol*, N., & Pexman, P. M. (in
press). Effects of emotional experience for abstract
words in the Stroop task. Cognitive Science.
Seaton*, C. L., & Beaumont, S. L. (2013, June 3).
Exploring the links between identity styles and
forgiveness in university students. Canadian Journal of
Behavioural Science, Advance online publication.
Vervoort, T., Trost, Z., Prkachin, K. & Mueller , S.
C. (2013). Attentional processing of other's facial
display of pain: An eye tracking study. Pain, 154, 836844.
Wojakiewicz, A., Januel, D., Braha, S., Prkachin, K.,
Danziger, N., Bouhassira, D. (2013). Alteration of
pain recognition in schizophrenia. European Journal of
Pain, DOI:10.1002/j.1532-2149.2013.00310.x
Ariel Dimler, BSc ‘13,
SSHRC Master’s Scholarship recipient, Psyc Out ‘13
Page 6
Department of Psychology: 2012-2013
Publications, Conferences, Colloquia, and More (cont’d)
Publications (Other)
Research Grant
Editorial Board Reviewed:
Beaumont, S. L. (2012). Identity, Reflective
Wisdom, and Self-Compassion, $6,000, UNBC Seed
Grant.
Li, H. Z. (2012). Guest editorial: What makes a
Chinese smoke and keep smoking? Health Education:
An International Journal, 112(4), 312-318.
Book chapter:
Research Contract
Orlando, J. A., & van der Zwan, R. C. (2012).
Emotional expression in speech, dance, and
instrumental music: Implications for singers. In R. C.
van der Zwan (Ed.), Current trends in experimental and
applied psychology: Vol. 1 (pp. 27-35). Brisbane: The
Primrose Hall Publishing Group.
Hardy, C. Psycho-educational groups for FASD:
Development, evaluation, and dissemination. Funded
by Northern Health ($122,705 over 3 years), April
2013 to March 2016.
Dr. Thomas Hadjistavropoulos
(URegina) and Dr. Ken
Prkachin debrief after a
symposium at the Canadian
Pain Society annual meeting in
Winnipeg.
© www.canadianpainsociety.ca
Colloquia & Sponsored Talks
Conference Presentations
Dr. Gloria Eldridge (UAlaska): Feb. 9, 2012. “Project
START: Psychology, Public Health, Prisons, and HIV”
Beaumont, S. L., & Seaton*, C. L. (2012, March).
Patterns of character strengths associated with
identity during emerging adulthood. Poster presented
at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research
on Adolescence, Vancouver, BC.
Dr. Vivienne Rowan (Winnipeg): Feb. 10, 2012.
“Practical Applications of Cognitive Behaviour
Therapy to PTSD: It’s not in the Book”
Beaumont, S. L., & Pryor*, T. (2013, May). The
role of mindfulness in identity and wisdom among
emerging adults. Poster presented at the First
International Mindfulness Conference, Rome, Italy.
Prkachin, K. M. (2013). Use and misuse of the
concept of pain behaviour. Canadian Pain Society,
Winnipeg.
Prkachin, K. M. (2013). Assessing pain behaviour in
others: Empathy or judgment? Antal’j-the Annual
Meeting of the French Society of Pain Clinicians,
Paris, France.
Pryor*, T., & Beaumont, S. L. (2012, March).
Associations between identity processing styles and
spirituality: A comparison of meditators and nonmeditators. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting
of the Society for Research on Identity Formation,
Vancouver, BC.
Dr. Fred Grouzet (UVic): Feb. 7, 2013. “It’s about
time… to value your humanity: Toward a Dual
Valuing Process Model”
The Department of
Psychology regularly
hosts colloquium talks
from a variety of local
and visiting
professionals.
Dr. Daniel Bernstein (Kwantlen): Mar. 8, 2013. “The
Science and Implications of False Memories”
Dr. Ken Prkachin (UNBC): Oct. 17, 2013. “Can you
smile your way to good health?”
Dr. Michael Sullivan (McGill): Oct. 24, 2013.
“Psychological Risk Factors for Pain and Disability:
Implications for Treatment”
Dr. Russ Callaghan (UNBC): Oct. 31, 2013. “Do
minimum legal drinking age policies really work? A
critical examination in Canada”
Dr. Debra Woods (UNBC): Nov. 7, 2013. “Women’s
Acculturation to Canada: Uncertainty’s Role”
Dr. Michael Sullivan, McGill
Dr. Chris Mushquash (Lakehead): Nov. 15, 2013.
“Culture and Context: Research in Aboriginal Mental University; UNBC colloquium
presenter
Health and Addiction”
© sullivan-painresearch.mcgill.ca