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A wide variety of timely and interesting research was highlighted during the Grenfell Campus’s annual Psychology Student Research Conference.

The conference represents the pinnacle of a psychology degree at Grenfell, where students and supporters gather every April to celebrate the research accomplishments of graduating students. The conference consists of oral presentations of thesis research by psychology honours students and poster presentations by psychology students completing their independent research project.

“Our students completing the independent research project course worked with their professor to choose a topic, spent the winter term researching and critically analyzing that topic, and then wrote a final paper and present the results succinctly in poster presentations,” said psychology chair Dr. Jennifer Buckle, who invited guests to view the posters and talk with each student. “Our honours students, start in September and work with a faculty supervisor over the fall and winter terms to conduct an original research study from beginning to end. We're always very excited to hear the results of our students’ research.”

HONOURS ORAL PRESENTATIONS:

Jenna Boardman: The Rx for Connection: Social Prescribing is a Remedy for Loneliness

Kaeleigh Baird: Connection Falls Short: Testing Perceived Connectedness as a Mediator Between Attachment and Well Being

Kimberly Brownlee: The Future Called, it Wants your Opinion

Krista T. Gardner: Comparing the Impacts of Yin-inspired Restorative and Hatha Yogas on Perceived Stress, Sleep Quality, and Cognitive Function

Mellow Hickman: Self-Comforting and Emotion Regulation in Adults

Sarah Janes: Home Sweet Home: Life Transitions and Housing Decisions

Morgan O. Lawlor: Let’s Tok ������Ƶ It: TikTok’s Emotional Impact on Decision-making

 

Here are descriptions from few students of their independent project poster presentations.

Jacob Therrien:  Life Script Myths: Making Meaning and Finding Identity

“My research is on life scripts - the cultural idea that we need to do particular things in order to live a good life. What happens when we break that script? The whole idea is that when you fall behind on timelines, you feel like you haven’t done the things that matter in your culture. There are the psychological impacts like isolation, depression, and anxiety around things that you may or may not have done. It is about rewriting the script, reframing life events in a positive way, developing new different definitions of success and finding ways to make meaning out of the choices you have.”

Christina Sah: How Culture Shapes Attitudes Toward Mental Health

“My research explores how culture acts towards mental health, comparing Western culture to non-Western culture. In Western culture, mental health is given more emphasis, and people are more comfortable talking about it openly. There are also supports. For example, in schools, there are psychologists who can help students. In Non-Western cultures, people would not say they are stressed, saying things like they are just tired and rely solely on their family support.“

Tyson Meade: Virtual Reality: The Capabilities of VR to Benefit Mental Health

“Virtual reality (VR) has been around since the 1980s and is widely known as an entertainment device, but it has also been used by architects and the military. I wondered what about the impacts and its benefits to mental health. I found that there were therapeutic and social benefits including helping to deal with chronic and acute pain, as it was used as a distraction technique for many. It's also been used for exposure therapy. There were social benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, and isolation discomfort was reduced. Gaming increased enjoyment, but there are also side effects, like cyber sickness and addiction.”

INDEPENDENT PROJECT POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Bailey Anderson: The Psychology of Horror as Entertainment   

Ella Browne: Beyond Blood Sugar: Psychological Impacts of Type One Diabetes Management               

Daniel Bungay: Microtransactions in Video Games: Loot Box and Gacha Usage Leads to Risk of Problem Gambling                                 

Kiri Bungay: The Influence of Music Therapy on Mother-Infant Relationships and Infant Emotional Development                                 

Beckett Churchill: Art Therapy as an Addition, Not an Alternative to Traditional Therapy for Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disorders               

Samantha Flynn: Loneliness in the Transition to University During COVID-19                

Jesse Fost: Psychological Effects of Relocation to Nursing Homes for Older Adults: Emotional and Cognitive Outcomes

Klaudia George: The Influence of Perceived Authority on Memory Suggestibility and Reconstruction

Julia House:  Parenting Styles and How They Affect Childhood Development                               

Emma Elizabeth Jesso: Physical Activity and Depression: Increasing Movement and Decreasing Symptoms                

Stacy King: Funny Business: Exploring the Positive Impacts of Humour at Work                                                          

Jenna Oldford: Understanding Eye Movements in Individuals with Dyslexia and their Relationship to Reading Abilities and Intervention Outcomes                                 

Chloe Patey: Be Thinner, Look Better: Beauty Standards on Social Media Platforms Impact Mental Health                  

Claire Quinton: Guilty Until Proven Innocent: The Psychological and Social Impacts of False Accusations                              

Sitwat Faiz Sayeedi:  Fitspiration or Frustration: The Simultaneous Benefits and Harm of Fitness Content on Consumers

Leah Scott: Careers and Dementia: Does Your Career Affect Your Dementia Risk?

Wanderline Sejour: Effects of Learned Helplessness in Minority Students With Learning Disabilities

Jassimer Singh: A Learning Perspective on Gambling Addiction: Reinforcement Schedules and Persistence in Modern Online Gambling

Savanna Tiller: Why do 2SLGBTQIA+ Young People Use Online Communities?