Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10294/8364

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Open Access
Adapting a mindfulness-based intervention for depression and anxiety for use with indigenous university students
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2021-04) Desjarlais, Sharon M.
Indigenous university students experience high rates of anxiety and depression, due primarily to the pernicious and persistent effects of colonialism, racism, and discrimination. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are promising for depression and anxiety; however, they require adaptation to make them more culturally relevant for diverse populations, specifically Indigenous peoples. The purpose of this study was to adapt an MBI for anxiety and depression to make it culturally relevant for Indigenous university students, thereby ensuring a culturally sensitive and congruent intervention approach with this particular population. To achieve this, goal, 14 (female = 86%, male = 14%; Mage = 28.92) Indigenous university students from the University of Regina and First Nations University were invited to provide input for adapting a mindfulness-based intervention protocol. The three-part study employed a mixed method design along with Indigenous research methods (e.g., talking circle) to elicit feedback from the students regarding their perceptions of the acceptability and cultural relevance of MBIs, and ways to make them consistent with Indigenous cultures and student lifestyle. In Part 1 and Part 3, participants (n = 14 and n = 9, respectively) completed an online survey consisting of Likert scale and open-ended qualitative questions. In Part 2, these participants (n=6) also engaged in a talking circle in which open-ended qualitative questions elicited more in-depth feedback. Thematic analysis was used to analyze survey and talking circle data. Students emphasized the need for incorporation of a) traditional Indigenous practices (e.g., sweats and smudging) into the MBI; and b) an Indigenous intervention facilitator. The emergent themes were used in the adaptation of an MBI description. The adapted MBI, titled Miyowâyâwin Mindful Wellbeing Program, received favorable evaluations by students for cultural consistency (M = 5.00, 6 being highest). Indigenous cultures are heterogenous, and so could not be represented in their fullness in the adaptation process. The small sample size may limit the generalizability of the results. This study paves the way for the latter steps of the design and subsequent evaluation of the Miyowâyâwin Mindful Wellbeing Program among Indigenous students.
Open Access
Adults’ perceptions of child eyewitness credibility: multiple independent lineups
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2024-04) Engel, Katherine M.
Eyewitness testimony is a powerful piece of evidence in criminal cases (O’Neill et al., 2011; Neal et al., 2012), but this can be problematic as eyewitness testimony is a leading cause of wrongful convictions (Innocence Project, 2023). Mistaken eyewitness testimony is prominent in children, as children identify innocent suspects more frequently than adults (Fitzgerald & Price, 2015). Age-appropriate lineup techniques have been explored to reflect child eyewitness accuracy, such as the multiple independent lineups technique (MIL; Carr & Bruer, 2023). Although Carr & Bruer (2023) found promising results using the MIL technique with children, how adults perceive child eyewitness credibility through MIL was unstudied. This study aimed to fill this gap in how adults perceive child eyewitness credibility on the MIL. To do so, juryeligible participants (N =176. 73% female, 24% male, 3% identified as other [i.e., nonbinary], Mage = 23.26, SD = 7.85) read a mock trial transcript where the child eyewitness made their identification(s) of the suspect through the traditional lineup or the MIL technique. Perceived credibility for the participants was measured through several different dimensions (i.e., identification, overall credibility, honesty, and cognitive ability). Largely, the results did not indicate any significant differences across lineup techniques (traditional lineup or MIL), nor the age of the child eyewitnesses (younger or older). This indicates that adults perceive child eyewitness credibility similarly regardless of technique used and age of the child eyewitness. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Open Access
Adults’ perceptions of children who disclose a transgression to peers or adults
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2017-04) Harvey, Madison B.
Children who witness or experience a transgression often do not disclose the event to anyone. There are a variety of reasons why a child may not disclose this event, such as being asked to keep it a secret, fear that they will not be believed, or concerns about their safety. When children do disclose, it may be to an adult or another child. Yet, it has not been established how these peer- to-peer disclosures are perceived by adults. The present study examined adult perceptions of children who disclose (or not) to a peer and children who disclose (or not) to an adult. Participants rated children on measures of credibility, honesty, and accuracy after hearing a recorded conversation of a child discussing an event to either a peer or an adult. Results indicate that children who disclosed a transgression were perceived as less credible, less honest, and less accurate when talking to another child. This has significant implications for the justice system, as it demonstrates that children who disclose a transgression may be seen as less credible witnesses.
Open Access
Ambivalent attitudes inform peer perceptions of pregnant and parenting students
(Faculty of Science, University of Regina, 2023-04) Kirby, Kayla M.
Student success in university is influenced by the strength of peer relationships, especially for the growing population of pregnant and parenting (P&P) students. Although the P&P student population now comprises nearly one-quarter of all students, high drop-out rates illustrate the importance of examining the interactions between P&P students and their non- pregnant and non-parenting (non-P&P) counterparts. This study examined non-P&P students’ perceptions and stereotypes about P&P students, their valance and impact on interactions between these student populations, and the values that inform ideas about accommodations for P&P students. Twenty-five undergraduate students participated in semi-structured focus groups of 1-8 participants each. Reflexive thematic analysis generated the core theme of ambivalent attitudes inform ideas about P&P students. This encompassed five secondary themes. The first secondary theme was stereotypes influence the perception of P&P students, and the second was perceptions of P&P students are influenced by an appreciation for the challenges they face. Though P&P students need a supportive environment to succeed, they are rarely noticed in the classroom, and it should remain that way was the third secondary theme. The fourth secondary theme was ambivalent attitudes about campus climate. The final secondary theme was there should be constraints around the resources available to P&P students, which had two subthemes of P&P students should have access to accommodations and other resources and accommodations should only be available for genuine, uncontrollable circumstances. Implications for this research are discussed.
Open Access
Animal companions and speciesism: does pet ownership affect species prejudice?
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2022-04) Ha, Alex
Since humanity's conception, human-animal relations have played an important role in our survival. At the same time, human-animal relations are often described as “speciest” due to the human tendency of applying unequal levels of moral status between different animals. While speciesism has been correlated with traits such as empathy and gender, research looking into the relationship between animal companions and speciesism is lacking. In the present study, I delved into this possible association by investigating how participants evaluated moral scenarios involving different pets. Participants were given a short animal passage and five animal companions. While reading the passage, participants would interchangeably include one of the provided species and rate how morally wrong the passage was. Afterwards, they were provided additional scales that measured empathy, speciesism, and prior contact with pets. Independent t-tests results showed that pet-owners rated moral concerns scenarios as being more morally wrong. However, this effect was only significant for the treatment of dogs and cats. Linear regression data also showcased that prior contact with pets was a significant predictor when it came to the moral concern of pets, while speciesism and empathy were not. Results from the study suggest that rather than empathy or speciesism, it is prior contact with animal companions that seems to play the largest role in determining moral concern for pets, but this largely applies to dogs and cats. Future studies within the realm of speciesism should look further into the strong influence of prior experience as it remains a relatively unexplored topic.
Open Access
Are expectations of obstructed facial features accurate?
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2023-04) Derow, Magdalyn
To fill in missing facial information of partially obstructed, unfamiliar faces, it is believed that people form an accurate holistic expectation. In support of this claim, Winand (2022) demonstrated that participants could correctly match the bottom half of a face to its top half. Yet, the study is limited by the fact that participants may have been able to match the face halves using superficial characteristics such as shading and texture rather than the shapes and sizes of features. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to replicate Winand’s (2022) findings with a task in which such superficial matching strategies cannot be used. This was achieved by morphing images together to blur out such inconsistencies in the stimuli. Undergraduates (N=122) were shown the top and bottom halves of a face that belonged to either a single-identity (two photos of the same identity morphed together) or dual-identity (two different identities morphed together). Participants toggled between two randomly chosen bottom halves that belonged to either the same people shown in the top half or different people, and chose the bottom half that best matched the top half. Overall, accuracy was well above chance, but highest when choosing the best single-identity bottom half for a single-identity top. Thus, although incorporating another identity decreases accuracy, people are generally able to find similarities among the top and bottom half identities without the aid of superficial characteristics. This suggests that people accurately form a holistic expectation based on the available top features.
Open Access
Are snakes remembered better than other animals: an investigation of human recall accuracy for snakes in relation to other living things
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2020-04-14) Trudelle, Avery
It is theorized that primates, including humans, developed an automatic visual processing system to detect snakes. Evidence suggests that primates and humans today are able to detect snake stimuli quicker than most other living stimuli. It is also known that snakes are one of the most common animal phobias in humans. Conversely, there is little evidence to bear on human memory for snakes. In theory, with snakes drawing a lot of attention in various studies they should be remembered exceptionally well. In the present study, 80 participants completed an experiment that tested detection speed for snakes and implemented a second task which examined human recall accuracy for snakes compared to other living stimuli. Results did not provide any evidence for better snake detection, nor any evidence that snakes are remembered any better than other living stimuli.
Open Access
Are we more receptive to bullshit when it comes from a source we trust?
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2020-04) Brogden, Sydney
The current work sought to explore the relationship between trust and pseudo-profound bullshit receptivity. There is currently a gap in the literature when considering how trust in a source will impact an individual’s receptivity to pseudo-profound bullshit. An individual’s trust in a given source will influence how content from that source is evaluated, and consequently how it is perceived (Hovland & Weiss, 1951; Lorge 1936). Pseudo-profound bullshit is bullshit that is constructed in a way that sounds impressive due to obscure and complex language but is empty of meaning (Pennycook et al., 2015b). Two studies were designed to explore the relationship between information about who the source of the content is, participants opinion of that source, and pseudo-profound bullshit receptivity. Study One (N = 163) was meant to replicate and extend previous findings of Pennycook and colleagues’ 2015(b) study by including another individual to provide content, and to replicate findings with respect to the Cognitive Reflection Task (CRT). Study Two compared conditions of Source (source provided or not) and opinions (reliability, fandom) to see how these conditions affect bullshit receptivity. It was thought that a positive opinion of a presented source would result in higher profundity ratings, whereas a negative opinion with a source presented would result in lower profundity ratings. Results were expected to be similar regardless of opinion when no source information was provided. Results from Study One were as expected, with strong (r > .70) positive correlations between real and generated phrases, which correlate negatively with the CRT. This implies that the real and generated content are psychologically indistinguishable. Study Two proceeded but found no main interaction for source condition and opinion. Presence or absence of the given source did not have a direct impact on profundity ratings. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
Open Access
Arithmetic concepts and their relationship to executive function in grade 1-3 students
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2021-04) Gust, Sydney Lynn
Researchers have proposed that children’s understanding of arithmetic concepts is related to executive function (working memory, inhibition, switching, and updating) but this relation has been rarely investigated (Bull et al., 2001). Three arithmetic concepts were examined on a problem-solving task: inversion (i.e., addition and subtraction are inverse relations, 3+14-14), associativity ( i.e., addition and subtraction can be solved in any order, 3+14-12), and equivalence ( i.e., both sides of an equation have to be equal, 3+14+12=3+?). We hypothesized that (1) inversion would be the best understood concept, (2) there would be few grade differences in concept understanding, and (3) executive function tasks would be positively associated with the arithmetic concepts. Twenty-one Grade 1-3 children solved arithmetic concept problems and completed executive function tasks. Contrary to the first hypothesis, equivalence was the best understood concept. The second hypothesis could not be tested due to a small number of participants. Contrary to the third hypothesis, no relations were found between the arithmetic concepts and the executive function tasks. Equivalence may have been the best understood because problems could not be accurately solved without using it as a conceptually-based strategy. Understanding inversion and associativity is not necessary for successful problem solving. Children are used to solving problems from left-to-right and may not utilize more efficient problem-solving strategies. Data collection continues to determine whether the second and third hypotheses will be supported with a larger sample size. Overall, investigating the understanding of arithmetic concepts continues to be critical as it is considered essential for developing later mathematical skills (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008).
Open Access
Art within art: exploring the meaning of body art in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2022) Johnson, Braydon Russell
When watching combat athletes step into the arena, a spectator is likely to notice that many fighters are adorned with body art. In recent years, tattoos in sports have been investigated to determine if they provide a direct advantage in athletic performance, but otherwise, this particular intersection has been sparsely researched. This study engages with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) athletes to explore the relationship between fighters and their tattoos. The participation criteria required athletes to be 18 years or older, have achieved at least a purple belt in the sport, and have a tattoo. The participants consisted of 5 men between the ages of 25 to 37 years of age. Four participants were black belts (approx. ten years of experience), and the other participant was a purple belt (approx. four years of experience). The study used in-depth interviews guided by phenomenological principles. The analysis also included a combination of interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to analyze the contents of the interviews, a personal journal for the bracketing process, and photos of participant tattoos. Results indicate that these BJJ athletes share meaning in the following three ways: First, for active competitors, specific tattoos symbolize personifications of internal feelings and abilities that are seemingly helpful to athlete performance; and they are meant to purposefully convey an augmented sense of toughness to appear more imposing. Second, most athletes reported that the most common tattoos in BJJ commemorate the sport's influence on the athlete's sense of self. Third, the relationships that competitive athletes' have with their tattoos reveal that non-BJJ-related tattoos took on additional meaning relating to their practice of BJJ.
Open Access
The association of uncertainty tolerance and task appraisal on law enforcement student stress and performance
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2019-03-31) Landry, Caeleigh
The present study investigated how trait intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and individual task appraisal relate to the stress and performance of law enforcement students. Participants were recruited from Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Depot Division training academy. The participants completed a series of questionnaires measuring IU and task appraisal and performed a simulated emergency driving and use-of-force scenario. Arousal was measured through heart rate (HR) that was recorded using a wearable biometrics device, the Hexoskin® Smart Shirt. IU and task appraisal were highly correlated but had no association with either arousal or performance on either aspect of the task.
Open Access
The associations of dispositional mindfulness with recognition of psychological disorders and willingness to seek help
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2023-04-18) Gerbeza, Matea
Background: Psychological disorder symptoms impact a large portion of the Canadian population, and while effective treatments are available, few people seek them out. This can be partly attributed to low mental health literacy: lack of knowledge about where to seek help or poor recognition of psychological disorder symptoms when present. Dispositional mindfulness (DM) is the capacity to pay non-judgmental attention to present-moment experiences. This construct is typified by acceptance and non-reactivity toward inner experiences, including negative emotions and psychological distress. This suggests higher DM may facilitate the recognition of psychological symptoms and may be associated with higher MHL. Purpose: The objective of the present study is to examine whether DM scores were meaningfully associated with psychological disorder symptom recognition and mental help-seeking attitudes (MHSAS). Method: A total of n = 299 participants (Mage = 41.04; 49.5% cis women) were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and completed measures of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), DM (FFMQ-24), and MHSAS (MHSAS-9). Further, participants read eight vignettes of fictitious patients (developed according to ICD-10 criteria) suffering from various psychological disorder symptoms, and the accuracy of their recognition of symptoms was tallied (PDR-V). Results: Correlation analyses revealed DM scores were positively associated with MHSAS (r = 0.25, p <.001), and PDR-V scores (r = 0.18, p <.001). Hierarchical regressions revealed that DM predicted variance in symptom recognition (1.3%) and MHSAS scores (6%) over and above demographic variables. Implication: DM shows an association with MHL components, and if an intervention effectively cultivates mindfulness, it may also enhance aspects of MHL.
Open Access
Attitudes about older adults with dementia
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2018-06) Newton, Christie
Dementia, a term that describes a variety of brain conditions marked by gradual, persistent, and progressive cognitive decline, affects 5 to 8% of older adults. Persons with dementia are sometimes perceived by others as having lower personhood than persons without dementia. Personhood is a “status that is bestowed upon one human being, by others, in the context of relationship and social being... impl[ying] recognition, respect, and trust” (Kitwood, 1997, p. 8). Older adults are sometimes perceived less favorably than younger adults. It is unknown, however, if beliefs concerning personhood in dementia and attitudes about older persons differ as a function of demographic group (e.g., how younger vs. older adults perceive persons with dementia). This study was aimed to investigate age differences in attitudes toward older adults and dementia, as well as in personhood perception about persons with dementia. A between-subjects research design was used. Four groups including young adults (18-35 years old), middle-aged adults (40-60 years old), older adults (65 years old and older), and informal caregivers of persons with dementia were compared. Baseline dementia knowledge was highest in caregivers and older adults and lowest in young and middle-aged adults. The majority of participants had neutral attitudes toward older persons. Negative attitudes were least common in older adults and positive attitudes were infrequently reported by young adults. Caregivers had positive attitudes toward persons with dementia whereas the other groups had neutral attitudes. Overall, most young adults and older adults ascribed lower personhood to persons with dementia in comparison to middle-aged adults and caregivers.
Open Access
“A balancing act”: Experiences of pregnant and/or parenting students
(Faculty of Science, University of Regina, 2023) Sled, Danielle E.
Students who are also parents shoulder multiple roles and responsibilities. This population of students employs various balancing strategies to manage the conflicting roles of both parent and student. Research suggests the balancing act can result in significant distress, poor academic outcomes, and guilt from not achieving their ideal self in either role. This study sought to understand pregnant and/or parenting (P&P) students perceived needs, their experiences and influencing factors in accessing accommodations, and the extent to which campus culture feels supportive of their P&P status. Seven P&P students attending the University of Regina were recruited to participate in focus groups to explore their perceptions and experiences. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcripts from the interviews and focus groups with P&P students. Three main themes emerged. The Balancing Act represents the challenges P&P students face (lack of time and stigmatization) and the coping mechanisms used (scheduling, compartmentalization, and integrating roles) to manage their multiple roles. Avenues of Support describes the most common supports P&P students utilize as well as their perspectives on what is missing and how the University of Regina could be improved to be more inclusive. Finally, The Pending Area reflects P&P students’ confusion about the Centre for Student Accessibility and how the inclusion of family status is interpreted in various ways. These findings may inform policy change to better accommodate P&P students at the University of Regina and contribute to knowledge of how post-secondary education can be made more inclusive.
Open Access
Brief mindfulness and self-compassion program (Mind-OP) for reducing envy: randomized trial with university students
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2021-04) Bukhari, Ali
Background: Envy is a negative, often painful emotion comprised of a social comparison followed by negative self-evaluations. Envy is associated with symptoms of several conditions (e.g., depression; anxiety). Mindfulness and self-compassion approaches have been shown to increase positive self-evaluations, suggesting that these approaches may work to reduce feelings of envy; however, to date no mindfulness-based interventions have targeted envy. Purpose: In the current study, we aimed to examine: (1) whether dispositional envy could be ameliorated using a tailored 5-week, online, self-guided mindfulness and selfcompassion intervention (Mind-OP+); and (2) whether the relevant mechanism of this improvement was through improvements to self-evaluations. Method: A total of n = 56 eligible participants were randomized into the Mind-OP+ treatment condition (n = 30) or the waitlist control condition (n = 26), wherein participants completed weekly self-report measures in parallel with the treatment condition. Results: Per-protocol analyses revealed that participants assigned to the Mind-OP+ condition experienced significantly reduced envy (d = .81), as well as significantly higher self-compassion (d = .54), as compared to those in the waitlist control group post-intervention. A mediation analysis revealed that this decrease in envy was fully mediated by increased self-compassion. Limitations: The small sample size of the current trial and lack of an active comparison condition limits the generalizability of the obtained results. Implications: This trial is the first to demonstrate that envy is a targetable and treatable emotion, and that self-compassion is a relevant mechanism of envy worthy of further investigation.
Open Access
Campus perceptions on the granting of accommodations for student parents
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2023-04) Eisa, Ala
While ample literature demonstrates the existence of stereotypes against pregnant and parenting people in workplace settings, research which directly examines student and faculty perceptions toward student parents on campus is sparse. Associations between stereotypes and behavioural outcomes have been found in a variety of populations using the Stereotype Content Model (SCM). The present study is the first to quantitatively situate the SCM in an academic, student-parent context. Parenthood status was not associated with warmth or competence ratings in student fathers but participants did perceive student mothers as higher in competence than non-parenting female students. This study found no significant associations among participant gender, support for accommodations and SCM ratings. Overall, these findings demonstrate that undergraduate students do not hold negative stereotypes against student parents, suggesting that they may consider all students, regardless of parental status or gender, to be part of their in-group. Future research should examine faculty perceptions toward student parents, as well as associations between these perceptions and passive/active harm/facilitation.
Open Access
Can attention really be captured in the absence of awareness?
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2021-04-22) Galan, Mickenzie Arthur
In attentional capture, a target is identified poorly when presented 200-500 ms after a previously attended distractor. Oriet et al. (2017) have argued that awareness of the distractor is not necessary for it to capture attention. However, Ophir et al. (2020) found only subjects who were aware of the distractor captured attention, suggesting awareness of the distractor is necessary for capture to occur. To explain the conflicting results Ophir et al. argued that Oriet et al.’s awareness measure was not sufficiently sensitive to detect awareness of the distractor. However, Ophir et al.’s subjects were not required to describe what they saw, and were questioned repeatedly throughout the experiment; in contrast, Oriet et al.’s subjects were interviewed once at the end of the experiment. Thus, repeated questioning using Ophir et al.’s measure may reveal awareness of the distractor when it captures attention. The present study replicated Oriet and colleagues’ design, with the addition of Ophir et al.’s Perceptual Awareness Scale (PAS) to measure the subjects’ awareness of the distractor. Despite the addition of the PAS, the results of the present study replicated those of Oriet et al., with both their original measure and the PAS revealing evidence of capture in the absence of awareness. Furthermore, repeated questioning did not increase awareness of the distractor. Thus, I conclude that the measure used to assess awareness of the distractor in Oriet et al. would have been sufficient to demonstrate awareness on trials where the distractor captured attention, had awareness been necessary for capture.
Open Access
Can perceptual averaging really occur in the absence of change localization?
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2017-04-24) Giesinger, Candice
Noticing the location of an object that causes a change to the mean of a set relies on the ability to determine the mean of the set, and detect that a change has occurred (Rensink, 2002). Previous research suggests that people are able to retain information about the mean emotion of a set of faces even when they are unsure which items changed between the two sets (Haberman & Whitney, 2011). Subjects in that study, however, could use a strategy of localizing the most emotionally extreme face in the set to reliably determine the correct response in the mean discrimination task. In the present study, the utility of this strategy was eliminated. Subjects completed 4 blocks of trials consisting of 48 trials per block. On each trial, subjects viewed two consecutive displays of faces contained within circles. Four items increased (or decreased) in size or emotional intensity. In Experiment 1, subjects first determined whether average size or emotion increased or decreased from the first display to the second, then localized one of the four changed items. In Experiment 2, the order of responding was reversed. The results suggest that when performing both a mean discrimination and localization task, subjects use their knowledge of which stimulus in the set changed to guide their response on the mean discrimination task. Focusing attention to a local region of a display prevents the global distribution of attention necessary for perceptual averaging (Chong & Treisman, 2003). Thus, averaging is not possible when change detection fails.
Open Access
Can stress sensitivity, reactivity, and resiliency be predicted using scene discrimination?
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2019-04) Macdonald, James Colton
A region of the hippocampus—the subiculum—is involved in stress response regulation through indirectly inhibiting cortisol release; it has also been shown to play a role in perceptual discrimination, with greater amounts of neural activity being observed during scene discrimination in comparison to object and face discrimination. The present study aimed to determine if perceptual discrimination (scenes, faces, objects) is predictive of stress sensitivity, reactivity, and trait-resiliency, in light of the shared subiculum involvement. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was used to manipulate high or low stress. Stress sensitivity was measured using the STAI-state before and after the high or low (TSST), reactivity was measured throughout the study using heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BPS, BPD) and cortisol, while trait-resiliency was measured prior to the TSST using the Brief Resiliency Scale. Scene discrimination reaction time (RT) was negatively correlated with BPD change overall; scene RT also showed a negative trend with cortisol change in the high stress group. Scene accuracy produced a positive correlation trend with BPS change in the high stress condition. Object discrimination accuracy was negatively correlated with BPS change overall, and negative trends were also seen with STAI-state change and with resiliency. Face discrimination accuracy produced a negative correlation trend with HR change overall, significant in the high stress condition, while face RT showed a positive correlation trend for resiliency overall. These findings suggest that those who demonstrate better scene discrimination performance display greater stress reactivity, whereas those demonstrating better face or object discrimination display less stress reactivity and sensitivity.
Open Access
Can we hear it and does it matter?: examining the relationship between attention, music perception, and emotional responses to auditory stimuli
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2020-04) Nicol, Madison
Music is an inherently emotional feat of human creativity. Previous studies of music perception have followed the path of speech perception research, in which subjects were asked to simultaneously attend to multiple signals in an effort to determine how much information one could consciously perceive. While these studies have led to the development of models that seek to explain the role of attention in music perception, they lack external validity. Many of these studies have required subjects to detect errors in simultaneously played melodies. While this presents certain demands on attention, it does not accurately portray the way that music is listened to. Music is born out of a burst of emotion and inspiration, and is designed to stir such feelings in those who listen to it. Therefore, the present study sought to study music perception in a more naturalistic setting. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants listened to pieces of music. Participants in Experiment 1 were asked to detect changes in musical arrangement, while participants in Experiment 2 were asked to rate their enjoyment of the music. The results of the present study revealed that participants struggled to identify changes in musical arrangement. Changes that were more noticeable received a significantly greater mean number of emotional responses than changes that were less noticeable, which suggests they had a stronger impact on emotional responses. Further research is needed to determine whether existing models of music perception can be applied to more naturalistic tasks like those used in the present study.