Curious about what the fourth year Psychology Independent Study students have been researching? Come and view the posters at your convenience in the library

Featured Research Projects
 

Jocelyn Wynnychuk (Supervisor Dr. Anomi Bearden)
Investigating the Impact of MindfulU on Student Well-Being

In recent years, post-secondary students have been in the midst of a growing mental health crisis. High levels of stress and loneliness have meant that an increasing number of students are seeking support, leading to campus counselling services becoming overtaxed. This issue has highlighted the need for additional resources being available on campuses, both to support students, and to reduce the strain on these services. MindfulU is a student-led campus mental health initiative that seeks to support student well-being by fostering community and connection amongst peers. This study seeks to determine the impact that MindfulU has had on RDP students. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to determine if there are differences between students who have and who have not accessed MindfulU, specifically in terms of their mindfulness, perceived stress, loneliness, sense of connection, and their levels of flourishing and thriving. All RDP students were eligible to participate. The results of this study will be used to better understand the current needs of students and how MindfulU is being perceived, which will in turn inform how MindfulU moves forward. Preliminary results will be discussed.
 

Hannah Antonishyn (Supervisor Shannah Engert PhD Candidate)
Being Kind to Yourself: Investigating the Role of Self-Compassion on Self-Oriented Perfectionism in Post-Secondary Students

Perfectionism is prevalent among post-secondary students and is often associated with psychological distress, reduced self-efficacy, and diminished well-being. Previous self-compassion interventions have demonstrated that self-compassion may buffer against perfectionistic behaviors and promote various aspects of well-being. Self-compassion interventions typically require significant commitment from participants. When considering the busy lives of post-secondary students, dedicating time to being self-compassionate may not be feasible. The current project aimed to investigate the effects of a condensed self-compassion practice on perfectionism, academic self-efficacy, and psychological well-being among post-secondary students. A sample of RDP students (N ≈ 100) were recruited to partake in a self-compassion intervention. Participants included in the intervention (n ≈ 60) were instructed to complete a 5-minute self-guided audio practice multiple times a week over a 5-week period. It was hypothesized that the brief self-compassion practices will result in significant decreases in self-oriented perfectionism and increases in self-compassion in the sample. Additional hypotheses suggested that participants with high scores of perfectionism will benefit the most from the self-compassion practices, resulting in the greatest decrease in self-oriented perfectionism after the intervention. Preliminary results of this study will be discussed.

Sam Darby (Supervisor Dr. Stephen Brown)
The effect of Stoicism on mental wellbeing in students

Stoicism has been becoming more and more popular as a philosophy by which one can live their life. There have been thousands of research articles, literature, and other works proving and reiterating the positive effects of stoicism. This previous research has mainly been qualitative in nature, which has been invaluable to furthering the understanding of how stoicism specifically improves lives, yet amidst all of that, there is very little research supporting the neuroscientific effects of living a stoic life. In this study, we incorporate the Muse 2 EEG headband to measure differences in brain waves between those who live a stoic life, those who journal, and those who do neither, and also before and after each respective group completes their intervention. The Muse 2 EEG headband is used primarily due to the technology available to us, but also because the implementation of a portable, cheap, and easy to use EEG device has promise to be the future of EEG studies. As of now, there are no findings to report.

Ashley Mast (Supervisor Dr. Greg Wells)
Exploring the use of co-design processes in the creation of a sensory stimulation assistive technology

The Covid-19 pandemic made apparent systemic challenges within Canada’s long-term care system. With an aging population and dramatic increases in demand for long-term care straining the system, Assistive Technology is viewed as a vital potential means for enhancing care, reducing workplace stress, and improving organizational efficiency. For such benefits to be realized, however, it is essential that technological innovations are designed and implemented in accordance with needs, perspectives and insights of those impacted. Through enhancing understanding of the co-design process as a multi-stakeholder undertaking this project will provide information and direction that should increase the likelihood that the potential benefits of assistive technology in this environment will be realized. A key outcome of this research is to further the development of this form of AT, using input from those most impacted by its development. Further this study will:

•  Explore the perspectives of varied stakeholder groups on the potential and challenges of AT in LTC
• Explore the early stage (proof-of-concept) co-design process with respect to the development of this technology based on input from key stakeholders and end users
• Further the iterative process that is co-design, allowing progress toward the development and implementation of a field-ready prototype of this AT

Jude Danyau + Nicole Schmid (Supervisors Dr. Anomi Bearden and Dr. Stephen Brown)
Effects of HeartMath Lock-In Practice on RCMP Officers’ Heart Rate Variability and Emotional Well-Being
 

Fourth year Psychology student researchers Jude Danyau and Nicole Schmid, are working with principal investigator Dr. Anomi Bearden, and research team Dr. Stephen Brown, Becky Wylie-Jardine, and Lisa Armstrong in collaboration with the Red Deer Royal Canadian mounted police on a project investigating the impact of 8 weeks of HeartMath Heart Lock-In practice on RCMP officers' well-being.

HeartMath practices, which combine biofeedback and specific breathing techniques, are designed to reduce stress and improve emotional resilience. The primary focus of this study is to train the officers in HeartMath, have them practice for 5 minutes daily and assess the impact of one of these techniques (the Heart Lock-In) on key physiological and psychological outcomes, specifically resting heart rate variability (HRV), overall perceived stress, work-related stress, burnout, emotion regulation, and resilience.

This study involves a group of RCMP officers who will be trained in HeartMath techniques and provided instructions and guidance for practice over a period of 8 weeks. Pre-, mid and post-intervention assessments will be conducted to measure changes in HRV, which is considered an important indicator of psychophysiological resilience, stress and emotional regulation. In addition to the physiological measures, officers will complete self-report questionnaires to evaluate changes in their perceived stress levels, work-related stress, burnout, emotion regulation, and resilience. Open-ended questions will also be included in the survey to gather feedback from officers on their experiences practicing HeartMath and any benefits they perceive.

By examining both physiological and self-report data, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how HeartMath techniques can benefit RCMP officers. This research is important because law enforcement professionals face significant stressors and mental health challenges, which can affect their well-being and job performance. The findings could inform future training initiatives, offering evidence-based strategies to improve the emotional and psychological health of officers, enhance their workplace satisfaction, and reduce burnout.