Anton Dinh, MA candidate (Psychology) and recipient of a FOSS Student Research Award, will present the following talk:

Parental Experience Uniquely Affects Cognition and Anxiety-Like Behaviour in Both Sexes of a Biparental Species.

The experience of being a parent leads to various neural, physiological, and behavioural adaptations. In rats, motherhood experience is associated with improved spatial learning after the pups are weaned, while research is equivocal on anxiety. Work in fathers (in biparental rodents) is limited but suggests an enhanced spatial learning. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of parental experience on spatial cognition and anxiety-like behaviour in females and males of the same species. Degus provide biparental care allowing us to examine parental experience in both sexes as well as different types of motherhood experience. Degus were randomly assigned to either: (1) biparental group (breeding pairs), (2) single mother group (breeding with male partner removal) or (3) naïve group (non-breeding animals). After pup weaning, all adult degus were subjected to behavioural tests to measure spatial learning and memory (Barnes maze) and anxiety-like behaviours (elevated plus maze). Preliminary results suggest mothers have enhanced spatial learning while fathers display impaired spatial memory and reduced anxiety-like behaviour compared to naïve controls. Research is ongoing and will assess markers of neuroplasticity and neuroimmune function. The FOSS research award, in part, enabled this project to be presented at the Society for Behavioural Neuroendocrinology.

supervisor: Paula Duarte-Guterman, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Kristin Grant, MA candidate (Applied Disability Studies) and recipient of a FOSS Student Research Award, will present the following talk:

Exploring the Effect of 1:1 Acceptance and Commitment Training Sessions on Staff Engagement in Committed Actions using Ecological Momentary Assessment

Staff supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities within community agencies experience high levels of workplace stress, which can impact the quality of care they provide to their clients. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training (ACT) focuses on helping individuals develop skills to improve well-being, including living according to one’s values and engaging in behaviours related to these values (committed actions; CAs). ACT literature relies on self-report of covert behaviours. Although CA’s are a measurable and objective outcome, they are less often the focus of ACT research. This study is evaluating the impact of a multi-phase intervention for increasing CAs. First, standard self-monitoring procedures (e.g., pen and paper), next, Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)via a smartphone application, and finally, EMA plus three, brief, 1:1 ACT coaching sessions focusing on CAs. EMA is a data collection process that includes prompts to self-monitor behaviour in real time, while being easily accessible through smart-phone technology. If participants demonstrate an increase in engagement in committed actions, this research may inform future training offered to staff working within community agencies to promote well-being and positive work experiences. Participant reports may support EMA as a favourable self-monitoring method, adding to the limited research in this domain.

supervisor: Kendra Thomson, Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Disability Studies

Hannah Marlen Lübker, PhD candidate (Sustainability Science), recipient of a FOSS Student Research Award, will present the following talk:

Social-Ecological Empathy and its Relevance for Sustainability Science

I would like to talk about the first year of my PhD research related to empathy (a concept predominantly studied in psychology, neuroscience, and health sciences) and its potential application in sustainability science. I have just finished my comprehensive examination, in which I re-think how empathy needs to be conceptualized in order to be integrated into the sustainability sciences, with the aim of catalyzing a transformation in human-nature relationships. The resulting novel concept named “social-ecological empathy” describes an empathy that can be extended beyond humans, to animals, plants, and even landscapes. Complementing this theoretical work, I also conducted a scoping study using the photovoice method and interviews, to learn how empathy is experienced, understood, and applied by people who work closely with people and nature. The participants were people working in environmental stewardship organizations in the Wolastoq river basin in New Brunswick. The outcomes of this study will be published in a paper soon, but we also collaboratively created a photo magazine, which includes photos taken as part of the study, as well as interview quotes, which has been shared publicly already. I will keep working on this project for the next three years, so this is just the beginning!

supervisor: Julia Baird, Associate Professor in the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre and the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies

Ann Farrell, Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Studies, will present the following talk:

Understanding Adolescent Bullying

Adolescent bullying is a complex social problem that stems from multiple interacting risk factors. In this presentation, I will discuss the individual, social, and environmental factors that contribute to bullying involvement during adolescence. The implications for effectively mitigating these factors to reduce bullying and improve adolescent well-being will also be discussed.

Danielle Sirianni Molnar, Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Adjustment and Well-Being in Children and Youth and Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Studies, will present the following talk:

Inside the Pressure Cooker: An In-Depth Look at Teen Perfectionism

In this talk, I will explore the complex dynamics of perfectionism among young people from the perspectives of teens, parents, and teachers. Drawing on a multidisciplinary and multi-method approach, the goal is to provide a deeper understanding of how teen perfectionism manifests across different relationships and environments, and its implications for mental health and academic performance.