Making Waves Online

Previous research has shown that the early years of childhood are especially crucial for development of narrative ability. Also known as storytelling, narrative ability has been linked to success in school, better episodic memory, and theory of mind development. Research has also established that parental interaction has an impact on narrative development in young children. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between narrative development and three facets of parental interaction: question elaborations, statement elaborations, and elaborative reminiscing and determine whether there was a connection between these variables. 35 children (Mage = 3;9) produced narratives based on a wordless picture book, and these narratives were scored on Benson’s (1993) stages of the primary narrative. The children then completed a parent-child interaction task where parents were scored on the amount that they produced elaborative strategies to their children in informal speech. Findings showed that there was a significant association between statement elaborations and narrative ability, but no significant association was found for question elaborations or elaborative reminiscing when controlling for amount of parental speech.

Previous cross-sectional research suggests that age-related decreases in REM sleep may contribute to poorer cognitive functioning (CF); however, few studies have examined the relationship at the intraindividual level by measuring habitual sleep over multiple days. The current study examines the dynamic relationship between REM sleep and CF in older adults in conjunction with the iLifespan Laboratory and Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health. Applying a daily diary design, 69 healthy older adults (Mage=70.8 years, SD=3.37; 73.9% female; 66.6% completed at least an undergraduate degree) used a smartphone and Fitbit device over 14 days. The Fitbit provided actigraphy indices of REM sleep (minutes and percentage of total sleep time), while CF was measured four times daily on the smartphone via ambulatory cognitive tests. My research aims to address the following question: Do individual differences between quantity of REM impact CF at the between-person level? At the within-person level, are fluctuations in quantity of REM sleep associated with fluctuations in next day cognitive measures across days? Based on previous interindividual literature, I predict that older adults who experience higher REM sleep on average will exhibit higher mean CF, and that amount of REM sleep will fluctuate with CF across days at the intraindividual level. A series of multilevel models will be fit to examine the extent to which each index of sleep accounts for daily fluctuations in mean performance on next day ambulatory cognitive tests. Research in this area may allow for targeted interventions for earlier treatment of sleep-related cognitive impairment.

Forecasted growth in air travel is incompatible with global emissions reduction targets, therefore research is needed to examine air travel attitude and behaviour change. The present study explored endorsement of ecological worldview and environmental pessimism as potential predictors of attitudes toward discretionary air travel (DAT). Ecological worldview refers to a worldview that values the global sum of natural systems and recognizes humans can disrupt nature. Environmental pessimism refers to one’s negative evaluation of the environmental future. This study extends the existing literature on air travel attitudes by applying these specific predictors to the context of air travel by choice. Participants (n = 188, M age = 33, 59% male) completed an online survey that consisted of questions about their past DAT behaviour (in 2019), the New Ecological Paradigm scale, the Environmental Futures Scale, and a newly created measure of attitudes toward DAT. We hypothesized that ecological worldview would predict attitudes in that those who endorse a more ecological worldview will report a less favourable view of DAT. Also, we hypothesized environmental pessimism would predict attitudes in that participants who report a more pessimistic view of the environmental future will report a less favourable view of DAT. A hierarchical regression was performed. Neither a demographic model (age, gender, and subjective income as predictors) nor the model of interest (ecological worldview and environmental pessimism as added predictors) were significant. These results suggest that individuals’ favourable attitudes toward DAT exist despite concern for the environmental future. Further implications of these results are discussed.

Cognitive fatigue – a state in which the brain is “tired” – is a growing concern for students at Universities as it is clear that this mental state impacts academic performance (Sievertsen, Gino, & Piovesan, 2016). Indeed, fatigue affects mental performance, but it can also lead to a state of burnout which may increase the risk of more serious psychological implications such as depression or anxiety (de Vries, van Hooff, Geurts, & Kompier, 2016; Law, 2007; Shankland et al., 2019).
In the present study we tracked changes in cognitive fatigue in undergraduate students over the course of an academic semester. To accomplish this, undergraduate students at the University of Victoria were run through a battery of cognitive tasks while wearing a portable electroencephalographic system to measure their brain function and thus cognitive fatigue. All participants took part in four scheduled testing sessions equally spaced over the course of a whole semester.
Analysis of our EEG data showed a decrease in amplitude of the N200 ERP component – an evoked neural response associated with cognitive control and error evaluation - over the four testing sessions.
Accordingly, the general decrease in the N200 ERP component displays evidence confirming our hypothesis that there is an accumulation of fatigue within students. With this research in mind, we can hopefully apply it to personal health and wellness education as evidence behind the importance of proper recovery for the average undergraduate student.

How does the way we perceive ourselves affect how we see others? Research suggests that individuals diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) might process faces more analytically (by first identifying the parts of a face), then the ‘typical’ holistic approach (first identifying a face as a whole). In this study, we investigated whether a person's Body Image Concern (BIC) (feeling that their perceived self does not match their ideal self) has a measurable effect on participants’ ability to recognize themselves, a familiar friend, or a stranger. Participants were asked to complete a BIC and social media questionnaire. Next, photographs of participants were taken displaying 3 face expressions (Neutral, Happy, Surprised) and 3 body poses (Jump, Tree, Warrior) taken from 3 viewing angles (Left 45°, Forward, Right 45°). In a followup session, participants were then shown image trials containing randomized face-only/body-only stimuli and respond to a forced-choice alternative task and asked to identify whether an image shown was their own, friend, or stranger. Participants were scored on their overall reaction time and accuracy. We predicted that those who score high on the BIC scale will be equally as accurate when identifying inverted images across all conditions due to the bias of analytic processing. This research contributes to our knowledge of own face/body recognition and has potential treatment implications for individuals with BIC.

Purpose: As the global prevalence of dementia increases, the disease burden of dementia is straining not only healthcare systems but also families caring for their loved ones at home. An estimated 564,000 Canadians are currently living with dementia, and this number will rise to 937,000 by 2031. The present investigation assesses the impact of participation in a dementia choir on affects of family caregivers, and explores the relationship between affects and caregiver distress. 

Methods: A convenience sample of 32 family caregivers of community-dwelling older adults with dementia participated in a community-based choir with their family member with dementia between 2018 and 2019. The mean age is 68 (range 49-89) with 18.8% male (6 participants) and 81.3% (26 participants). Data were collected in a longitudinal intensive repeated measure design, with assessments conducted up to 4 times during each 12-week choir season spanning a 1.5-year period. At each time point, measures of affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)) and caregiver distress (Zarit Burden Interview 12 items) were indexed. All caregivers completing the initial baseline assessment were included in the analyses.

Analyses: The hypothesis is that participation in an intergenerational community-based dementia choir will have influences on the changes of affects and the decreasing of caregiver distress across time. Initial analyses use linear mixed models to explore change in caregiver affect over time, as well as the change in caregiver distress as a function of their time of participation in the choir.

Introduction: Intraindividual variability is a behavioural indicator of cognitive health (MacDonald & Stawski, 2015), normative aging (Bielak et al., 2014), and pathological aging including incident Dementia (Kochan et al., 2016; Haynes et al., 2017). Voices in Motion (VIM) is a lifestyle intervention for Persons with Dementia (PwD) and their Caregivers. Research Questions: Can patterns of within-person variability for PwD be modulated as a function of engaging in a lifestyle intervention? If variability is modifiable, can we predict patterns of individual differences in change by examining markers of psychological, physiological, or cognitive health?

Methods: PwD (n = 27) averaged 77.4 (SD=10.5) years of age, with 75% female and 98.6% Caucasian. VIM consists of weekly, two-hour sessions to sing songs explicitly chosen to provoke positive emotions in PwD. Data were collected before choir participation and then every 4-6 weeks, spanning a 1.5-year period, as part of an intensive repeated measures design (Stawski, MacDonald, & Sliwinski, 2015). CogState’s Simple-RT, Choice-RT, and 1-Back tasks were used to index intraindividual variability (IIV) and central tendency in cognitive function. Psychological, cognitive, and physiological health were indexed using measures of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire; PHQ-9), processing speed (Trails A), and physiological function (Gait, BMI), respectively.

Proposed Analysis: IIV will be parameterized as residualized intraindividual standard deviations (ISDs) in order to partial out confounds (e.g., fatigue, learning; Stawski et al., 2019). Multilevel modeling (MLM) will be employed to initially index change in mean and IIV for the CogState measures across the 1.5-year period of the lifestyle intervention. Subsequent models will explore time-varying predictors of coupled change (e.g., on occasions when depressive affect is lower, is IIV also lower)?

Women are underrepresented in the traditionally male-dominated work environment of the Canadian Armed (CAF). The CAF is trying to recruit more women and is using female empowerment messaging (FEM) to do so. FEM is characterized by messages that favour individual action rather than collective movement or change, that are positively and optimistically focused on women’s future actions rather than past actions, and that prioritize individual agency. Unfortunately, while FEM increases perceptions that women are empowered to overcome gender discrimination in the workplace, FEM also leads people to conclude that women are responsible for causing and addressing gender inequality in the workplace. These perceptions blame individual women for systemic oppression. Military women who feel responsible to solve gender inequality in the CAF may deem this a barrier to their career. This may contribute to the attrition of women from the CAF, thereby perpetuating the underrepresentation of women. We examined whether FEM in military recruitment videos would also cause women from the general Canadian population to blame military women for gender inequality in the CAF. Participants read a backgrounder detailing gender inequality in the military and watched either a FEM military recruitment video (n = 79), a neutral military recruitment video (n = 80), or no video (n = 81). Then the participants reported their perceptions of women’s empowerment to resolve gender inequality in the military, perceptions of women’s responsibility for resolving gender inequality in the military, and perceptions of women’s responsibility for causing gender inequality in the military (adapted from Kim, Fitzsimons, & Kay, 2018). No effects emerged for perceptions of women’s responsibility for causing gender inequality in the military. However, as predicted, compared to the neutral and no video conditions, the FEM recruitment video caused participants to perceive that women were more empowered to overcome gender inequality in the military, which in turn led them to conclude that women are more responsible for resolving gender inequality in the Canadian military. These findings contribute to the literature of research on gender inequality in the workplace and in the context of the Canadian military. Furthermore, these findings suggest that while FEM does empower women, FEM may also harm women by burdening them with the responsibility for reducing gender inequality in the military.

Mindfulness meditation is a popular therapy technique that includes the benefit of improving working memory capacity. Improved working memory capacity amidst university students is valuable for enhancing their examination abilities. However, recent research has only focused on long-term mindfulness meditation programs. Long-term mindfulness meditation studies are difficult to complete and suffer from participant attrition. To account for this shortcoming, the aim of this study is to examine the impact of short-term mindfulness meditation techniques on the working memory capacity of university students. Increased working memory capacity is beneficial for university students because it raises test performance. The primary investigator will be using two videos, a mindfulness meditation video and a podcast, to simulate a mindfulness meditation program. A self-report inventory and a working memory capacity task will be used to assess the effect of these videos. This inventory and working memory task will be completed prior to as well as after the stimulus in order to determine a change in working memory capacity scores. We predict that those participants exposed to the mindfulness meditation video will demonstrate improvements in working memory capacity scores. This research will illuminate the shortest time period required for mindfulness meditation to be of benefit for university students. Through successful demonstration of this phenomenon future research will be able to focus on others benefits produced from the psychological area of short-term mindfulness meditation.

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Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the world, and in Canada, cannabis use among youth is amongst the highest in the world (UNICEF, 2013; Winstock et al., 2018). A recent summary of cannabis use in Canada found 41% of cannabis users also consume edibles (Government of Canada, 2017). Given recent legalization of edibles for recreational purposes in Canada, it is important to understand the factors that put youth at risk for use in order to prevent harmful consequences and inform policy. Research has found one of the greatest predictors of youth substance use is peer influence, with a meta-analysis finding the relationship between substance use and association with substance using peers to range from .40 to .60 (Marschall-Levesque, 2010). Another factor predicting substance use outcomes is motivation to use and not use drugs (Phillips et al., 2017). One theoretical framework of motivation used to study substance use outcomes is Self Determination Theory (Phillips et al., 2017; Ryan & Deci, 2000). Motivation from this perspective is conceptualized as a continuum ranging from controlled, where behavior is dictated by external and internal pressures, to autonomous, where behavior is felt to be self-endorsed and agentic (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Individuals with a more controlled orientation are less able to regulate their substance use behavior, resulting in more use, while those with more of an autonomous orientation can better regulate their drug use, as has been found with research on alcohol and cigarette use (Benka et al, 2017; Curry et al., 1997). Although much research on alcohol and cigarette use has been done from an SDT perspective, very little has been done on cannabis, and even less on edibles. Our study plans to explore the effect peer influence and motivation has on frequency of edibles use in an undergraduate population (n = 150). To do this, we will be conducting a correlational study and testing interaction effects. We hypothesize that peer influence as self-reported will be positively associated with self-reported last month edible use, and that this relationship will be moderated by motivation to use edibles, such that the relationship will be weaker for individuals with a more autonomous orientation.

Studying eyewitness lineup memory strategies is important for understanding and preventing eyewitness lineup errors (i.e., false identifications of innocent suspects, failures to identify guilty suspects). The diagnostic feature-detection hypothesis suggests that when eyewitnesses are encouraged to compare lineup members, they are better able to identify and discount shared facial features that are not diagnostic of guilt (e.g., if all the lineup members have black hair and green eyes, these features are not useful in identifying the culprit). In line with this hypothesis, a recent study found that when eyewitnesses rank-ordered lineup members in order of similarity to the culprit, accuracy was increased. This research also found that a rank-order procedure eliminated lineup position effects—edge aversion and top row preference. This suggests that comparative judgment strategies may increase eyewitness accuracy. However, no other studies have examined the robustness of rank-order lineup benefits. In our study, 1,016 undergraduate (n = 453, Age m = 21, 26% male) and online (n = 563, Age m = 31, 57% male) participants watched simulated crime videos and judged culprit-present and culprit-absent lineups. The position of the culprit/innocent suspect was randomized. Participants were assigned to either compare or rank-order lineup members (a “relative” judgment strategy), or to compare each lineup member only to their memory of the culprit (an “absolute” judgment strategy). We predict that the relative rank-order procedure will result in lower rates of false identifications, similar or higher rates of correct identifications, and reduced position effects, relative to a standard “absolute” lineup.

Background: Depression is a well-researched antecedent to dementia, with common pathological

features (e.g., increased inflammation, neurodegeneration, reduction in neuroprotection). Depressive symptoms and signs often appear comorbid with dementia and serve to exacerbate cognitive deficits. Lifestyle interventions (e.g., music) have been successful in mitigating depressive symptoms and improving cognitive functioning in dementia patients; however, neural correlates of these effects are unknown. Using data from Voices in Motion (ViM) and through the application of Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), we investigated select relationships among depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and frontocortical activation in two singing conditions.

Methods: Participants were older individuals with dementia (4 male, 8 female, Mage=78.67 years,

SD=9.67) recruited from the greater ViM sample. Depressive symptoms and signs were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), with cognitive functioning (processing speed) indexed using the Trail Making Test-A (TMT-A). Using a within-subjects design, functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) indexed changes in cortical oxygenation (as a proxy for neural activation) for two singing conditions– singing an over-learned song in a choral group (social condition), as well as singing a medley of over-learned nursery rhymes accompanied only by the choral conductor (solo condition). Analyses: Within-person differences in neural oxygenation between social vs. solo conditions were assessed. Multiple regression and moderation models investigated cortical recruitment indexed by neural oxygenation as a function of PHQ-9 scores. Significant differences between social and solo singing conditions were established, as well as a significant moderating effect of depression, indicating that depressive affect may exacerbate cognitive decline. A posteriori analyses included discriminant function analyses classifying cognitive status of participants. 100% of participants’ cognitive statuses were successfully classified.

The purpose of this study was to replicate and expand on previous research findings that individuals of higher socio-economic status (SES) are worse at identifying the emotions of others, or have lower empathic accuracy, than individuals from lower SES. However, it was previously unexplored if this difference depends on the amount of perceived economic inequality in one’s society. Participants (n = 252) were asked to complete the Reading the Eyes in the Mind of Others, a test designed to measure empathic accuracy. Their perceived socio-economic status and their perceptions of economic inequality were also measured. Individuals of higher SES performed worse on a task of empathic accuracy than individuals of lower SES (β = -1.95, p

Social understanding, or theory of mind, is the process of inferring the mental states of others. There are a variety of tests that have been developed that are intended to measure the function of theory of mind, with one of the most common being the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) developed by Baron-Cohen et al. (2001). During the RMET, participants are shown images of eyes and asked to select from one of four corresponding descriptors. Originally believed to be void of any cognitive abilities, the intention of the RMET was to be a performance-based measure, meaning that performance on the task is not supposed to be correlated with IQ (Ventola & Friedman, 2015). However, some research has called into question the lack of cognitive abilities, particularly verbal abilities, required in the completion of the RMET (Engel et al., 2014; Oakly, et al., 2016; Peterson & Miller, 2012). In this study, we assessed the relationship between verbal abilities and theory of mind by having children, between the ages of 8-12 years old, completed a verbal IQ test as well as the RMET, Reading the Mind in Films (RMF), and a false belief task. We hypothesize that the RMET is more related to verbal IQ than to theory of mind. If our hypothesis is supported, it would call into question the validity of the RMET and potentially our understanding of theory of mind.

According to Milner and Goodale (1992), the human visual system is divided into two streams: a dorsal pathway implicated in action production, and a ventral pathway governing the recognition of objects. The nature of the interaction between these two pathways is of considerable interest. Here, we wish to determine whether dorsally-driven motor representations contribute to the identification of graspable objects. In previous work, the speeded naming of pictures of tools was slower and less accurate when participants held a sequence of two actions in working memory (Bub, Masson & Lin, 2013). More recent evidence, however, found no effect of a single action prepared for immediate execution on the naming of a manipulate object. The present work is directed towards clarifying the reason for these discrepant findings. Participants prepared a grasp action which they executed on a random 20% of trials (cued by a green dot). On remaining trials, the image of a tool was presented either for naming or for the production of the action most typically afforded by the object. The image occurred within a coloured square cuing the participant either to name the depicted object or to produce the action it most typically affords. In Experiment 2, participants prepared two actions and either produced them in the correct order when cued with a green dot or on remaining trials, were required to switch instead to name a pictured object. The results in both experiments did not show any clear influence of prepared actions on naming performance. The implications of this evidence in relation to the positive effects of actions held in working memory on the naming of graspable objects will be discussed.

Over the past 10 years there have been major technological advances in neuroimaging. This has allowed devices, such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), to become both portable and cheap. fNIRS is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that can measure cortical brain tissue concentration of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin following neural activity. When placed over the prefrontal cortex it can measure the hemodynamic response to increasing n-back difficulty. The n-back is a cognitively demanding working memory task that increases in difficulty from the 1-back to the 3-back. In the current study, we validated a new low-cost fNIRS system, the Blueberry, alongside the Artinis, which is a research grade system. Participants performed the 1-back and 3-back while the fNIRS devices were secured over their prefrontal cortex. Oxygenated hemoglobin levels between the two devices and n-back conditions were compared. Our results revealed increased oxygenated hemoglobin concentration during the 3-back compared to the 1-back condition in both devices. These findings suggest that a low-cost neuroimaging device, such as the Blueberry, can be an effective alternative to its expensive research-grade counterpart for detecting hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex.

During healthy aging, individuals experience changes in cognitive functions, including memory. The goal of the project was to review the literature that used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine activation during memory tasks in older compared to younger adults. Findings revealed inconsistencies, some studies found greater and some studies found reduced fMRI activation during memory tasks in older adults. Possible factors that could explain these discrepant findings will be discussed.

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Introduction: The essential role of higher-order cognitive abilities, such as executive functioning and attention, in gait are highlighted by decreased gait performance (e.g., diminished velocity, increased variability) in the dual-task paradigm (Yogev et al., 2008). Recent findings demonstrate that two simultaneously performed tasks compete for cognitive resources, especially in cognitively impaired individuals (Montero-Odasso et al., 2012).
The present study will explore the impact of a lifestyle intervention (social singing) on change in gait trajectories, focusing in particular on whether change in dual-task costs (i.e., difference scores between single- and dual-task gait conditions) diminish pursuant to intervention onset, as well as whether key moderators of change can be identified.
Methods: Community-dwelling older adults with dementia (n=33, Mage=77.4 years; SD=10.5) participated in Voices in Motion (VIM), an intensive repeated-measures choir intervention spanning up to 10 assessments over 18 months. Participants completed single-task (walk only) and dual-task (walk while subtracting 7s) conditions on a GAITRite Computerized Walkway. Cognitive function was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).
Analysis: Several primary research questions will be investigated using multilevel modeling. Dual-task gait costs (normalized velocity, step-time variability) over the course of the study will be modeled, estimating average and individual differences in rates of change. We will also examine moderating influences (e.g., individual differences in cognitive function at baseline) on any observed rates of change in gait. Implications will be discussed with regard to whether lifestyle interventions (and concomitant reductions in dementia-related comorbidities) can successfully mitigate dual-task gait costs.

Research on object perception provides evidence that face objects are processed as “holisitic” perceptual wholes (Taubert et al., 2011). Notably, the parts/whole paradigm (Tanaka and Farah, 1993) demonstrates that identification of individual face features is most accurate when shown in the context of a whole face. While previous neuroimaging and neuropsychological research shows a right hemisphere superiority for configural processing and selectivity for faces (Kampf et al., 2002; Rossion et al., 2000), less is known about the behavioural implications of this hemispheric specialization of holistic face processing on typical population and the temporal dynamics of it. We applied the parts/whole paradigm to investigate the lateralization of holistic perception in timeframes of a single gist fixation of less than 120ms and post-gist exposures of greater than 120ms. Study face images were presented centrally or lateralized to one visual field, followed by a diffeomorphic mask to eliminate processing of low-level properties. In Experiment 1, we showed centralized images for 20, 30, 50, and 100ms, and replicated previous findings from our lab (Liu & Tanaka, 2019) that found 50ms of encoding time was sufficient to produce holistic recognition of facial features. In Experiment 2, study faces were lateralized 4.5 degrees from central fixation, and holistic processing was not present within each visual field for faces shown for 48ms or 100ms. The final experiment tested lateralization in a post-gist timeframe, 250ms. We did not find any hemispheric differences in either the accuracy of face recognition or holistic face processing, which is in contrast to past literature showing a right hemisphere advantage in face processing. Our results indicate that this right hemisphere advantage does not have significant behavioural effects.

This study aims to expand what is known about the effects of self-reflection about past experiences and emotions. This study aims to show the potential benefits of self-reflection as an intentional process, as opposed to prior studies that investigated general tendency to self-reflect, and its relation to well-being. This study also aims to investigate the effect of being exposed to differing outdoor environments on the outcomes of self-reflection. Participants were either exposed to images of urban environments or images of natural outdoor environments at the onset of the study, then half of the participants from each of these groups completed a self-reflection exercise, thus constituting the four groups in the study. All participants then completed standardized scales as measures of subjective-well being. It is anticipated that those exposed to natural environments will show the greatest well-being scores, consistent with prior literature. It is also anticipated that of the participants who complete the self-reflection exercise, those who were exposed to natural outdoor environments will demonstrate the greatest well-being scores, as exposure to natural environments is expected to facilitate the process of self-reflection.

Rejection sensitivity (RS; the tendency to anxiously expect rejection) and emotion regulation (ER) difficulties have a negative impact on well-being and interpersonal functioning and are thus valuable constructs to research. Although past studies have investigated RS and ER in relation to various mental health concerns, few have examined the relationship between RS and facets of ER. To address this knowledge gap, a sample of 627 undergraduate first-year university students completed self-report questionnaires measuring difficulties in ER (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale) and RS (Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire). Then, we ran a correlational analysis to examine the relationship between RS and overall difficulties in ER and performed a regression analysis to examine the association between RS and specific facets of ER (i.e., non-acceptance of emotional responses, difficulties engaging in goal-directed behaviors, impulse control difficulties, lack of emotional awareness, limited emotion regulation strategies, lack of emotional clarity). We anticipated a positive relationship between RS and ER difficulties. Results showed a moderate, positive correlation between ER difficulties and RS (r=.45, p<.001) and the “limited emotion regulation strategies” facet of ER difficulties was shown to have the strongest relationship with RS (=0.208, SE=0.034, p=.001). These results support the notion that there is a relationship between ER and RS, as well as provide preliminary evidence that a lack of emotion regulation strategies is the greatest contributing factor to RS. This knowledge can inform clinical practice and serve to improve well-being and interpersonal functioning in those with high RS.

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the manifestation of and motivation behind mental health stigmatization in various cultures. Stigmatization is reported as one of the leading reasons people with mental health problems are reluctant to seek help. (World Health Organization, 2019). This is an even bigger barrier in collectivistic societies, where mental health resources are seen as ineffective (Shuntaro, Sosei, Aoki & Thornicroft, 2013) or even humiliating and abusive (Hartini, Fardana, Ariana & Wartana, 2018).

This paper looks at three main cultures: North America, Japan and Indonesia. North America, an individualistic society, has been the most successful of the three in building awareness on mental health. Despite this, only a third of people diagnosed with mental disorders seek professional help, and less continue to pursue resources. Additionally, while stigma is less overt, microagressions are still highly prevalent towards those with mental disorders. (Gonzales, Davidoff, Nadal & Yanos, 2015) In Japan, mental health problems are more often attributed to psychological factors (e.g. character weakness) rather than biological factors (e.g. genetic predisposition towards depression), and expectations for recovery are low, with only 5% of people believing full recoveries were possible. Social rejection is commonly seen. Indonesia, like Japan, is a collectivistic society. But despite broad similarities, not all collectivistic societies are equal. Indonesians diagnosed are often shunned, and mental health illnesses are considered taboo. In worst case-scenarios, thousands have been admitted into institutions that still regularly use pasung – shackling and confining patients in the hopes of an eventual recovery or combatting presumed demonic possession. Various movements have been made to outlaw the practice, but have not succeeded as of yet.

This paper aims to examine perceptions of mental health in these cultures to search for commonalities and differences to contribute to combating stigmatization.

Childhood temperament provides us with a set of descriptors to understand how children react to and interact with their environment. This is a crucial tool for caregivers and clinicians to interact with children in a variety of settings. The current care-giver report measures used to assess temperament are susceptible to biases, and more direct observation methods that consider emotional and behavioural aspects of temperament need to be explored. This study investigates how dimensions of temperament such as surgency, negative affect, and effortful control can be observed with the use of play themes; the grouping of play actions and themes to describe emotional and behavioural content. This study uses data from the Short From Child Behaviour Questionnaire (SF-CBQ) to assess a current temperament based on three main dimensions of surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. A newly developed coding system, Play Themes of Temperament (PTT), was developed to assess temperament from a Parent Child Interaction (PCI) using play themes relevant to the three dimensions assessed by the SF-CBQ. This study hypothesizes that the play themes children exhibit will correlate with their temperament. Specifically, surgency/extraversion as assessed by the SF-CBQ will be correlated with play themes of positive connection, joke-telling, laughing, happy characters, enjoyment of pretend characters, physical play, roughhousing, competition, and exploration during the PCI as assessed by the PTT coding system. Negative affectivity scores from the SF-CBQ will be correlated with themes of burying/drowning,devouring, burning, good guy vs. bad guy, death, sadness, general aggression, anger, separation, broken play, constancy play, and containing play during a PCI as assessed by the PTT. Effortful control, as rated by the SF-CBQ, will be correlated with rule based play, turn taking/sharing, boundary violations, collaboration /cooperation, delinquent acts, and rule breaking play themes as assessed by the PTT in the PCI. A correlation analysis was implemented to assess significance of the correlation between PTT aggregate scores and scores on the three temperament dimensions of the SF-CBQ. No significant results were found to indicate the PTT as a useful tool for temperament assessment. Limitations of this study are described, and indicate that future research on these two topics should be done with a more diverse setting to determine if this line of research is effective.

Research on criminal justice education and effectiveness is limited, specifically, education on the effect intoxication has on the assessment of the offender. Expanding research on how intoxication of the offender alters one's assessment of assault will allow us to better understand how criminal justice professionals assess intimate partner violence. Previous literature has focused on how third parties view sexual assault with intoxication however, research on how third parties view intimate partner violence with intoxication is limited. This study investigates how undergraduate students going into the field of criminal justice assess intimate partner violence when the aggressor is intoxicated. Participants were upper-level undergraduate university students going into the field of criminal justice. Students were asked to read and answer questions that correspond with two short vignettes describing a scenario of intimate partner violence with the level of intoxication of the aggressor varying. To assess personal factors that contribute to the student's assessment of intimate partner violence, they were asked to complete an Adverse Childhood Experience questionnaire as well as the Rosenberg Self-Esteem questionnaire. We predict that intoxication of the perpetrator will alter the assessment made by the participants going into the field of criminal justice and their childhood experience and self-esteem will influence their assessment of intimate partner violence. This research will contribute to the current research on intimate partner violence and may help recognize an education gap in the criminal justice system.

This study investigates the differential predictive abilities of concurrent measures of parental mental state language (MST) and mind-mindedness (MM) on children’s theory of mind (ToM) development. MM is measured using both observational and representational measures at two time points (T1=4 years; T2=5 years). This presents a novel approach to assessing MM that challenges the notion of a critical period for the influence of parental language on ToM development suggested by previous research. Instead, we suggest that observational MM, traditionally assessed in parents of infants, allows for a more accurate evaluation of MM. We therefore predict that MM assessed through observation in parents of preschoolers will yield a similar relationship between MM and preschoolers’ ToM performance as has been found for MM and infants’ ToM performance. Similarly, we predict observational MM will best predict preschoolers’ ToM performance, compared to either representational MM or MST. ToM performance is assessed using measures of false belief understanding. While previous research has examined concurrent measures of representational MM and MST, to our knowledge, no study has yet investigated all three constructs concurrently. This study adds to the emerging body of research on the influence of parental language on children’s social understanding through the use of scaffolding.

Objective:
Although the mechanisms underlying mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) remain uncertain, increased inflammation shares a documented link with disease risk and cognitive impairment. “Inflammaging” reflects an increase in chronic, low-grade inflammation -- an underlying process thought to facilitate the pathogenesis of various age-related diseases (Franceschi & Campisi, 2014). Similarly, increased intraindividual variability (IIV) in cognition is postulated to index central nervous system integrity and is linked to increased MCI and AD risk, with key biomarkers (dopamine neuromodulation, white matter integrity) known to mediate this association. The present study will examine whether select inflammatory biomarkers mediate the association between IIV in lexical decision time and cognitive status.
Participants and Methods:
Participants were community-dwelling older adults (n=52; M age =74.29; SD=6.20) recruited for the PREVENT study, a cross-sectional, multi-factorial investigation of key risk indicators for MCI and AD. Using an extensive neuropsychological assessment and clinical interviews,
participants were classified into 3 cognitive status groups (healthy controls, MCI, AD). IIV was estimated by computing intraindividual SDs across response time trials of the lexical decision task, a cognitive measure requiring participants to quickly ascertain whether letter groups presented on a computer screen were words vs. non-words. Inflammation was indexed by serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), monokine induced-by gamma interferon (MIG), and macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) proteins.
Results:
Path analyses will be utilized to model the direct effect of IIV on cognitive status, as well as the indirect effect pathways mediated by four separate inflammatory biomarkers. It is expected that the indirect effect pathway of IIV through inflammation to cognitive status will be significant, and that the magnitude of the direct IIV-cognitive status pathway will be attenuated. Implications of these findings will be discussed in relation to models of inflammaging and corresponding impacts on AD risk (Franceschi et al, 2018).

Biological sensitivity to context theory states that highly emotionally reactive (“sensitive”) individuals are likely to experience above-average outcomes in ideal contexts and below-average outcomes in non-ideal contexts, whereas less emotionally reactive (“resilient”) individuals are likely to experience mostly average outcomes independent of context.  This model implies that being highly emotionally reactive is not necessarily associated with poor outcomes and can be beneficial in optimal environments. Prior results have found that the developmental outcome of executive functioning (EF) is predicted by this model in young children, but no prior studies have extended this theory to the executive functioning of emerging adults.

In the current study, we found that heart rate variability was negatively correlated with self-reported emotion reactivity, that the EF of highly reactive participants was significantly more likely to be in either the bottom or top quartiles, and that the EF of less reactive participants was more likely to be in the middle quartiles. These results indicate that low heart rate variability may be a biomarker for high emotion reactivity, that EF fits a biological sensitivity to context model in emerging adults, and that the quality of EF in highly emotionally reactive individuals may be more sensitive to contextual factors

Healthy cognitive aging is associated with declines in cognitive functioning and parallel grey matter atrophy. However, there are inconsistencies in the literature as to which specific regions of grey matter show atrophy over time, with some reporting atrophy across the whole brain and others reporting more focal atrophy. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the pattern of grey matter atrophy in a sample of healthy older adults longitudinally. We expected to find a specific decline in grey matter volume in the hippocampi and more general decline in the frontal lobes; as these reflect memory problems and executive dysfunction, respectively. Three-tesla structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were obtained from 16 healthy older adults from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database at two points and the difference in brain volume was compared. Results indicated that after four years both right and left hippocampi showed atrophy. More atrophy was present in the right hemisphere, specifically in the temporal lobe. These findings support existing evidence of memory difficulties in older age and provide a neural basis for some of the cognitive deficits encountered in healthy aging.

We examined predictor variables of hypersomnia in a sample of patients at the Burnaby Center for Mental Health and Addiction, a facility treating patients with complex concurrent disorders. Participants wore accelerometers to assess 24-hour sleep-wake activity. Actigraphy measurements of sleep duration, wake after sleep onset, and sleep latency were analyzed for the first week of study participation. Information on demographics, medical history, and medication use was collected from medical charts of participants. The majority of participants were found to be experiencing disruptions to their daily sleep-wake cycles, including excessive or fragmented sleep and wakefulness at night. A multiple regression was calculated using diagnoses, substance use disorders, and medications as independent variables and sleep duration as a dependent variable. The model was not found to be statistically significant. Independent samples t-tests were calculated to compare subgroups; some significant results were found for sleep duration and sleep latency with regards to specific diagnoses and medications, however limitations due to sample size limit the inferences that can be made from these findings. This study had several limitations, including: lack of experimental manipulation, variable coding, uncontrolled variables, and the context in which the study took place. Future directions include investigating daytime napping, differences between self-reported and objective measures of sleep, and using measures collected over a longer period of time. Patients with concurrent disorders remain an understudied population, and these findings provide relevant information about sleep issues commonly experienced in this context.

Creativity may not be a fixed trait: one study showed some evidence that presenting participants with images composed of related objects like a pencil, eraser, and pen led to greater flexibility in thinking. According to the dual pathway to creativity model, flexibility is one pathway to creativity and the other is persistence. The purpose of the current study is to replicate and extend the previous study to see if creativity can be increased through the pathways. Participants will be presented with images consisting of related or unrelated objects and will then be asked to generate uses for an object such as a shoe. Images composed of related objects like a pencil, eraser and a pen will induce the persistence pathway and original ideas will be reached because of a more in-depth exploration of a category and the generation of a greater number of ideas from that category. Images composed of unrelated objects like a headband, a pencil, and a notebook will induce the flexibility pathway, and original ideas will be reached because of the consideration of categories that are not frequently considered. These results would support the claim that creativity can be improved, at least over a short term.

Executive functions (EF) refer to constructs required for the management of thought, emotions, and action. Pragmatic skills (PS) refer to the ability to utilize strategies for effective communication. There is a substantial amount of literature on the developmental trajectories of EF and PS, demonstrating rapid development in both areas during the preschool period (ages 3-5). However, little is known on how EF and PS relate and influence each other over time. A better understanding of the relation between EF and PS will facilitate early intervention for children with a deficit in either of these areas. This study investigated the relation between EF and PS in preschool children (3-4 years), using a longitudinal design with two assessment points that were 12 months apart. Three tasks were used to measure children’s EF. Turn-taking was used to measure children’s PS. Specifically, we coded frequency of topic maintenance during a parent-child interaction.

The intermingling of cultures is becoming increasingly more common and as such the effects of cultural identity on individuals psychological health are beginning to be better understood. This study seeks to understand the relationship of cultural identity as a general concept and two specific aspects of well being, life satisfaction and stress resilience. Emerging adults are in a very interesting phase of their identity development where they are still exploring possible identities in some areas but are also solidifying and committing to their identities in others. The theoretical frameworks used in this study also suggests that cultural identity strength comes from a combination of both exploration (seeking out teachings, history, and rituals of their culture), and commitment (a sense of belonging to their cultural community, and identification with their cultural group). Past research has suggested that individuals who have well integrated their culture into their sense of self identity, tend to have teachings and communities that they can draw on to navigate a variety of stress and to help guide their sense of meaning in life. We predict that individuals who do feel strongly connected to their cultural identity will also report being more satisfied with life and be more resilient to daily stressors.

Background: The link between cannabis and violence is controversial. Cannabis consumption has been associated with a series of negative outcomes (e.g. risk of psychosis, lung cancer, or traffic-related injury.) However, research that investigates the risk for nontraffic injuries is lacking. This study measured the risk for intentional and unintentional injury associated with acute exposure to cannabis.
Methods: This case-control study used a probability sample collected from three hospitals in British Columbia, Canada (Two in Vancouver, one in Victoria). Participants completed a structured interview that surveyed substance use six hours prior to injury, characteristics of the injury, and demographic variables. Substance use was classified into a dichotomous variable (i.e. consumed cannabis or did not consume cannabis). Injury outcome was classified into three categories: not injured, injured intentionally (reported intent to harm in action that caused injury) and injured unintentionally (reported no intention to harm). Multivariate multinomial logistic regression was used to model the data and estimate the adjusted odds ratio for intentional and unintentional injury, controlling for confounds.
Results: The relationship between cannabis consumption and unintentional injury was statistically significant. The relationship between cannabis consumption and intentional injury was not statistically significant. Contextual and individual factors significantly influenced the relationship between cannabis consumption and injury in general.
Conclusion: The link between cannabis and injury is influenced by the categorization of outcomes, and is influenced heavily by contextual factors. Future studies need to investigate potential mechanisms that explain the relationship between cannabis and injury in general.

According to the National Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance System (2018), 1 in 66 Canadian children and youth are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), making it one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in Canada. ASD encompasses lifelong learning and behavioural difficulties that place substantial burden on individuals, families, and society (Kerns, Macoun, MacSween, Pei & Hutchison, 2017). Since the rates of ASD are increasing exponentially (NASS, 2018), so too is the urgency to meet the needs of children and adults on the autism spectrum. Research in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders is not only vital to understanding the causes and effects of ASD, but also to making sure that all individuals affected by the disorder receive the best possible support. 

This thesis investigates the efficacy of a game-based process-specific intervention for improving attention and working memory in children with ASD. The Caribbean Quest (CQ) is a ‘serious game’ that was piloted in 2014 by the Child Development Lab at the University of Victoria. The tablet-based CQ intervention was delivered by trained research assistants to 18 school-aged children with ASD in 20-24 sessions that were 30 minutes long. This study used a waitlist-control design and analyzed all participants before and after the intervention on a variety of quantitative and qualitative measures. Measures of attention and working memory were used to assess near-transfer effects (KiTAP, WISC-IV). Far-transfer effects were assessed on behavioural rating scales (SRSS, BRIEF, GARS-2, BERS-2, Conners-3), academic achievement measures (ORF, WJMF), as well as parent and teacher exit interviews.  

Children improved significantly on behavioural rating scales and academic fluency measures, yet no significant results were obtained on the cognitive measures of attention and working memory. However, qualitative data from parent and teacher exit interviews indicated significand improvements in attention, EF, emotion-regulation, flexibility, communication and social skills. The hypotheses were partially supported by the results, with significant increases in performance evident on some, but not all, outcome measures. Far-transfer effects were demonstrated on academic fluency measures and behaviour rating scales, highlighting the necessity for metacognitive supports. 

Depression is a major public health issue that affects individuals across the globe. Consequently, pinpointing components that underly the etiology of depression is crucial in supporting treatment and prevention. One of those mechanisms is stress. To further understand the pathophysiology of depression, stressful life events during puberty will be examined in this study. The literature indicates that experiencing stress during puberty via adversity and trauma alters brain development and increases stress reactivity and the likelihood of depression in mice and human adolescents. However, there is considerably less research looking at the long-term impacts of pubertal stress. Young adults will be recruited to this study. They will complete various questionnaires (demographics, Stressful Life Events Index (SLEI), & the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS)). Stress will be induced by the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The hypothesis of this honours thesis is 1) Experiencing stressful life event(s) during puberty is positively correlated with depressive-symptoms in response to stressors in young adulthood. The knowledge gained from this project could have implications for better understanding the role of stress in depression. Specifically, by exploring the possibility that high stress in parallel to increased sex hormones and neural plasticity during puberty impacts well-being later in adulthood.

Prevalence estimates suggest that anywhere between 10-40% have engaged in some kind of disordered eating (DE) behaviour, suggesting the transition from high school to university may represent a period of heightened risk for engagement in DE. DE behaviours include binge eating, restrictive eating, and extreme compensatory behaviours such as self-induced vomiting, laxative use, diuretic use, or excessive exercising for the purpose of losing weight. These behaviours are associated with a host a negative outcomes related to a decreased sense of well being. Research suggests that difficulties regulating one’s emotions and a tendency to engage in impulsive behaviour while experiencing negative emotions (ie., negative urgency) are positively associated with engagement in DE behaviours. Less research has examined the role of these variables, however, in the initial onset of their occurrence. The current study aims to address this gap by conducting cox proportional hazard regression to test whether baseline difficulties in emotion regulation and greater negative urgency scores increase the risk of sooner onset of binge eating and fasting among first year undergraduates with no prior history of binge eating or fasting. Participants completed baseline assessments in September of their first year of University, and subsequent assessments once every month for the remainder of their first academic year of study. Results and implications will be presented and discussed.

The Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model provides interdisciplinary care to adults with severe mental illness (SMI). In some communities, police officers are integrated in this care, which is generally associated with less criminal justice involvement. However, little is known about the specific experiences of perceived ethnic minorities on ACT teams. A history of systemic racism within the criminal justice system can manifest in the racial profiling of visible minorities, possibly causing those with SMI to be more likely to be involved with the criminal justice system than to receive mental health care. The current study examines if officer involvement is beneficial for ethnic minority ACT clients. Specifically, we evaluate whether police-perceived visible minority ACT clients experience a reduction in recidivism at the same rate as white clients. We also test the hypothesis that ethnic minority ACT clients will show a bigger reduction in criminal justice involvement compared to white clients given that racial profiling will be lessened due to more interactions with known officers. We obtained data on 96 ACT clients (48 police-perceived ethnic minority clients and 48 matched white clients) from the Victoria Police Department database. A mixed two-way ANOVA analysis examined client ethnicity (minority vs. white) and ACT involvement (pre vs. post) as predictors of criminal justice reports per month, with age and sex as covariates. We found a significant main effect for minority status such that police-perceived ethnic minorities experienced more police contact both before and after ACT involvement, a significant reduction in criminal justice contacts for all clients after admission to the ACT program, but no significant interaction between being in ACT and minority status; so being in ACT reduced recidivism for all clients. These findings will provide valuable information to improve mental health and social service models for ethnic minority clients.

The present study observes the effects of provoking a neutral and positive mood on the perception of faces in a sample of university students (N = 18, ages 19-21 years of age). This was based upon the broad-to-differentiated hypothesis to see if alterations could be made to the initial categorization of faces and by doing so change the perceptions in a more positive manner if a positive mood was evoked. Participants were shown the neutral stimuli first and then asked to rate the next faces. Then they were shown the positive stimuli and asked to rate the faces after it. The participants rated the faces on a Likert scale of five options. The results show a difference between the score of the neutral stimuli and positive stimuli with the positive stimuli having a higher score. The results indicate that there is a potential relationship between the mood and emotion recognition in facial expressions.

Second generation South Asian Canadian young adults typically report a more conservative sexuality than their peers of other ethnic backgrounds. However, we have a limited understanding of what factors influence this and the impact on this populations' sexual health. The current study measured sexual subjectivity and sexual communication self-efficacy as markers of psychosocial sexual health. We investigated the role of the sexual double standard and of rape myths in the relationship between cultural values and psychosocial sexual health. The sexual double standard and rape myths are both cross-cultural phenomena that have been linked to risky sexual behaviours and conservative sexual beliefs. Participants were 18-29 year old (M = 23.60, SD = 2.89), second generation South Asian Canadians, sexually active, males (n = 22) and females (n = 85) from across Canada. Data analysis was conducted in RStudio. Gender differences emerged across most variables. Findings suggest that the sexual double standard may be a promising area to target in future sexual health promotion efforts. In addition to contributing to health promotion efforts, this research assists in deepening our understanding of this growing young adult population.

Objective: Intergenerational Choirs have been shown to improve psychological and cognitive health for individuals with dementia as well as their caregivers (Tamburri et al., 2019). Additional research demonstrates that caregivers and care receivers exhibit a strong, interdependent influence on one another’s quality of life (Lazzarotto et al., 2019; Li et al., 2018). This study will examine the dyadic interdependence of select caregiver characteristics (e.g., level of caregiver distress) on the cognitive function and psychological wellbeing of individuals with dementia.

Methods: Participants consisted of Persons with Dementia (PwD) (n=33; mean age = 77.4 years (SD= 10.5); 75% female) and their caregivers (n=34; mean age = 67.1 years (SD=9.10); 69% female). All participants engaged in a lifestyle intervention by attending a weekly intergenerational choir, with performance on various cognitive and psychosocial tasks sampled using an intensive repeated measures longitudinal design. Repeated assessments were scheduled at roughly one-month retest intervals for each 3.5 month choir term, with the study consisting of three terms spanning 1.5 years (Tamburri et al., 2019). Among the numerous measures of cognitive, psychosocial, and physiological function sampled, this study will focus on caregiver distress, mood, depressive symptoms and signs, as well as several measures of cognitive function and response latency from the CogState computerized battery.

Proposed Analyses and Anticipated Results: Initial analyses will employ multilevel modeling (MLM) to examine change in cognitive function and mood for PwD as a function of time engaged in the lifestyle intervention. Having characterized average change and variance in change, the second research objective will explore systematic predictors of individual differences in change for PwD including the modulating influence of relationship length with spouse (a time invariant predictor at baseline) as well as both initial level and time-varying influence of change in caregiver distress across the 1.5 years of the lifestyle intervention. The latter analysis will employ dyadic longitudinal models (Kenny et al., 2006) implemented in MLM to examine within-couple partner effects (e.g., the impact of change in caregiver distress on change in mood and cognitive function for PwD) as well as to characterize between-couples variability.

In an online questionnaire given to undergraduate students at the University of Victoria, we examined the association between marijuana use among intimate partners and conflict communication patterns. Participants reported on their communication styles, their own marijuana use behaviours as well as their perceived partners’ marijuana use behaviours. Three different communication patterns were tested: Self-Demand/Partner Withdraw, Partner Demand/Self-Withdraw and Constructive Communication. It was hypothesized that individuals that use less marijuana will be the demanders, individuals that use more marijuana will be the withdrawers and if both partners use concordant patterns (i.e. high/high or low/low) then constructive communication will either decrease or increase, respectively. The participants’ perceptions of their partner’s marijuana use predicted the Self-Demand/Partner Withdraw pattern. Both the participants’ own use and their perceptions of their partner’s use was associated with the Partner Demand/Self-Withdraw pattern and finally, dyadic marijuana was not associated with constructive communication in any way. This study illustrates that marijuana use in romantic relationships can indeed influence couples’ demand-withdraw patterns in an additive but not cumulative manner.

Depending on the conditions, interoception (i.e., body awareness) can result in either positive (e.g., better emotion regulation) or negative (e.g., greater anxiety) outcomes. It remains to be seen whether interoception can be systematically trained through disciplines that involve systematically attending to one’s body (“body-based practices”), such as dance, yoga, meditation, etc. Body-based practices could promote interoceptive awareness – and associated positive outcomes – in a top-down manner (i.e., decreasing negative body interpretations). Moreover, given that body-based practices often involve physical activity, they could also promote positive effects in a bottom-up manner by enhancing heart-rate variability (HRV), a biomarker of self-regulation.
Objectives.
The current study will investigate whether body-based practice predicts individual differences in interoceptive awareness as well as positive outcomes on variables associated with self-regulation.
Methods.
We collected multi-method data from psychology undergraduate students (N = 48, M age = 21.81, 77% female sex, 75% Caucasian) at the University of Victoria. The sample was split into two groups: those with regular body-based practices and those without.
Planned Analyses.
MANOVA will be conducted to analyze if/how body-based practice predicts interoceptive awareness and anxiety sensitivity (which are expected to be inversely related), as well as HRV.
Anticipated Results.
Better understanding of the relationship between body-based practice and interoceptive awareness could provide insights into the ‘plasticity’ of interoception. This could lead to potential therapeutic uses of body-based practices in individuals with low or maladaptive interoceptive awareness, given that impaired interoception is implicated in various forms of psychopathology.

Purpose: In the absence of a cure for dementia, there is an increasing focus on early-stage intervention and symptom reduction. There remains limited research on whether cognitive function exhibits malleability pursuant to a lifestyle intervention, and the relevant predictors that increase risk of cognitive decline. The present investigation will examine whether a lifestyle intervention such as social singing can modulate patterns of cognitive change in people with dementia. We further aim to identify individual predictors that share stronger associations with this change, thereby informing why some individuals benefit more from the intervention.

Methods: Older participants with dementia (n=33) engaged in a weekly intergenerational choir spanning three 3.5-month seasons over a total of 18 months. This study utilizes a longitudinal intensive repeated measures design where data on various measures of cognitive, psychological and physical health were collected at three to four time points over each season, yielding up to ten assessments per participant.

Analysis: Multilevel modeling will be employed to address the two general research questions. First, MMSE scores across assessments will be modeled continuously to estimate both the average slope of change, and individual differences (i.e., the presence of significant variation) in average rate of change. For significant cross-level interactions, individual differences in MMSE change will be characterized by deriving simple slopes and interpreting the magnitude of change in relation to existing standards of impairment severity. We will also examine moderators of change for select variables (e.g., peak expiratory flow, grip strength, episodic memory, psychosocial health) in order to examine whether change in MMSE scores covary with change in key predictors. Addressing this second primary research objective will entail modeling change in time-varying predictors that share potential associations with MMSE change.

Background: Chronic caregiver distress increases the risk for emotional and physical health problems, including relationship distress, premature death and depression. The stress-buffering hypothesis states that social activities can buffer the harmful effects of chronic stress. While previous studies have found that social activities can moderate the harmful effects of stress for caregivers, there is a need to expand to these findings the context of social interventions.
This project aims to investigate the moderating effects of social activities on caregiver distress within dyads. We will analyze intraindividual change in caregiver distress as a function of care recipient cognition, and quantify the moderating effect of social activities on caregiver distress.
Participants and Methods: 32 dyads, each consisting of a caregiver (CG) and a care recipient (CR), participated in the ViM choir, an intergenerational social intervention. Cognitive and behavioural assessments were administered following a measurement-burst design; assessments occurred on a monthly basis over a each choral season. CGs completed a variety of assessments, including the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-12), and parts of the social activity components from the REACH II protocol. CRs completed a series of tasks that measured cognitive functioning (e.g. MMSE and n-back).
Proposed analysis: Using moderated multilevel modeling, we will quantify change in CG distress within dyads, and identify relevant predictors. We anticipate a significant relationship between CR cognition and CG distress. As well, we expect that increased social activity, engendered by choral participation, will have a moderating effect on the relationship between CR cognition and CG distress.

Acculturation gap research suggests that acculturation gaps between parents and children are detrimental to immigrant family functioning because gaps create barriers to communication and differences in priorities, which can lead to conflict (e.g., Costigan & Dokis, 2006). On the other hand, the small literature on acculturation gaps between spouses suggests that gaps are a resource that reduce stress because the more acculturated spouse can support the less acculturated spouse to adapt into the new country (Spiegler, Leyendecker, & Kohl, 2015). Few studies have examined acculturation gaps between different dyads in the same family. This is important because there may be different implications for the family system. The present study uses polynomial regression with response surface analysis to examine whether differences in acculturation in the area of values of immigrant Chinese marital dyads and parent-child dyads predict acculturation stress. Data were collected in a sample of 181 Chinese immigrant families through self-report on questionnaires that assessed cultural values and acculturations stress. We anticipate that in marital dyads, differences in acculturation will help couples to achieve biculturalism as they compensate for each other; in contrast, in parent-child dyads, value differences are expected to be predictive of greater acculturation stress. These findings will help professionals and organizations working with immigrant families understand how acculturation gaps may differentially influence the family.