Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

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

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Open Access
Beyond symptoms: identifying risk and protective factors for individuals with ADHD in the criminal justice system
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2025-04) Ananna, Zarrin A.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been consistently associated with increased risk of criminal justice system (CJS) involvement. This study aimed to explore the relationship between ADHD symptom severity, subtypes, and associated social and systemic moderators, such as social support, educational disruptions, and mental health service access, on interactions with the CJS. Utilizing linked administrative data from Statistics Canada’s Criminal Justice Relational Database (CJRD), specifically the Integrated Criminal Court Survey (ICCS) and Ontario Mental Health Reporting System (OMHRS), this study examined data from 9,010 adults who had previous interactions with the CJS. Due to significant limitations, including a small ADHD subgroup, data suppression, and inconsistent reporting of key variables, planned complex analyses were simplified. A one-way ANOVA indicated that individuals diagnosed with ADHD had significantly more CJS interactions compared to those without ADHD; however, regression analyses examining severity and mediation models exploring moderating factors could not be robustly conducted. Results highlighted methodological and infrastructural challenges, limiting deeper analytic exploration. Despite these limitations, findings align with prior research emphasizing the need for standardized ADHD screening and targeted intervention strategies within the CJS to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism. Recommendations for improved data collection practices, systemic reforms, and future research directions are discussed.
Open Access
The illusion of affection: unravelling the process of love bombing
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2025-04) Goulden-Markusson, Teagan R.
Love bombing is a new term that has emerged in the discussion of emotional abuse and modern dating culture. The current study explores the relationship between love bombing, ghosting, attachment styles, and narcissism among female undergraduate students. Participants completed surveys and answered questions assessing their experiences with love bombing, ghosting, attachment styles, and narcissistic traits in their partners. Many participants have experienced love bombing and ghosting. A relationship was found being love bombed and using ghosting as a tactic to end the relationship. Attachment styles also played a role, with anxious attachment being associated with being a recipient of love bombing and avoidant attachment being related to one being less likely to ghost. Recipients of love bombing rated their partners as higher in narcissistic traits, consistent with previous research that found love bombing is driven by those who have narcissistic traits. The present study’s findings contribute to the growing literature on manipulative relationship behaviors, shining light on ghosting as a potential response to being overwhelmed in a relationship or toxic relationship patterns. Future research should explore these behaviors across a larger and more diverse sample to better understand their impact on romantic relationships and emotional well-being.
Open Access
Suitability of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for public safety personnel with subthreshold symptoms
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2025-04) Sivell, Paige L.
Public safety personnel (PSP) are at a high risk of developing mental health challenges due to frequent exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs). PSP with subthreshold symptoms, those below diagnostic criteria, may benefit from proactively using mental health programs such as the PSP Wellbeing Course, an internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) program tailored for PSP. This mixed-methods study explored the suitability of the PSP Wellbeing Course for PSP with subthreshold symptoms by examining treatment engagement, mental health outcomes, resilience, treatment satisfaction, and participant feedback. Quantitative data were collected from 174 pre-existing clients and analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, and Hedges’ g to evaluate symptom change from pre-treatment to 8-weeks post-enrollment. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 10 recent clients were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to capture participant perspectives. Findings revealed statistically significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms, with maintained subthreshold symptom levels and stable resilience scores. Participants expressed high satisfaction with the course’s structure, flexibility, and relevance, and reported both professional and personal benefits. Qualitative themes highlighted the value of relatable materials, proactive support, therapist involvement, and the importance of early access to mental health tools. Participants also recommended refining ICBT delivery by offering shorter and more diverse case stories, increasing printable resources, and introducing the course earlier in PSP careers. Overall, these findings support the use of ICBT as a proactive intervention for PSP with subthreshold symptoms and offer recommendations for refining ICBT delivery generally for high-stress occupations.
Open Access
Do cultural and pseudoneglect-related factors predict professional race-driving collision biases?
(Faculty of Science, University of Regina, 2025-04) Flaman, Nicholas
Pseudoneglect is a phenomenon found in neurologically-typical individuals wherein more attention is paid to the left side of space than the right during visuospatial tasks. The leading hypothesis is that this attentional bias is due to the right hemisphere’s typical dominance in visuospatial tasks, which directs greater attention to the contralateral side of space. As a consequence of this leftward over-attendance, individuals tend to collide more often with objects on their right than their left during walking tasks. This rightward collision bias has also been found in some driving research. However, a majority of driving collision research has been done in culturally similar countries, and limited research has been done in naturalistic settings. As such, the goal of this study was to not only determine if pseudoneglect-related factors (age, gender, handedness) relate to driving collision biases in a professional and real-world setting but also to determine if cultural factors (reading direction and driving side) are predictive of collision biases. To do so, videos of Formula 1 driver collisions (N = 54) were examined for collision side, after which culture and demographic data on the at-fault driver were obtained. Formula 1 was specifically chosen due to its nature of a professional league with both international locations and drivers, with a variety of both left and right turns in its tracks. While not finding any factor to be a statistically significant predictor of collision side biases, we did find an interesting trend of drivers from left-side-driving countries having an overall rightward collision bias, while those from countries that drive on the right had a slight overall leftward bias. This trend supports previous research into rightward collision biases while also illustrating the need to expand collision research into a broader range of cultures.
Open Access
The effects of imagined and auditory directionality on spatial biases
(2025-04-25) Hossain, Mofasshal
Representational pseudoneglect refers to a tendency for neurotypical individuals to show a leftward bias when recalling or imagining spatial layouts. This phenomenon is thought to reflect the right hemisphere dominance in visuospatial processing. A related bias, known as perceptual pseudoneglect, is often observed when individuals bisect lines slightly to the left of center on the line bisection task. In contrast, auditory cues have shown rightward spatial bias. Spatial biases were examined in eighty participants using a computerized line bisection task where trials were either uncued or preceded by left-to-right (LTR) or right-to-left (RTL) directional auditory or imagination vignette cues. Prior to the blocks, participants completed VVIQ2, handedness and footedness questionnaires. I hypothesized that LTR-Imagination cues would produce the strongest leftward deviation while RTL-Auditory cues would produce the strongest rightward deviation on the line bisection task. Imagination cues were predicted to induce stronger deviations than auditory cues. A significant leftward bias in the non-cued condition confirmed inherent spatial bias. Paired-sample t-tests showed this bias was significantly attenuated under LTR-Imagination and LTR-Auditory cues. One-sample t-tests revealed that leftward deviation persisted in all conditions except LTR directionalities, contradicting the initial directional hypotheses. Multiple regressions showed handedness significantly predicted deviation under Neutral (N) directionalities and RTL-Auditory cues. Overall, imagination cues produced greater leftward deviation than auditory cues, except in the LTR directionalities, partially supporting one of the hypotheses. These findings highlight modality-specific effects of directional cues on spatial bias and offer potential applications for environmental design and navigational training.
Open Access
COVID-19-associated impacts on the mental health of canadian adults in the late pandemic period
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2025-04-24) Muscoby, Mikaela
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, research in Canada reported increased rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal ideation. Pandemic impacts, including infection or hospitalization of oneself or a loved one or death of a loved one, have been associated with negative mental health symptoms. Most research investigating COVID-19 impacts on Canadian mental health collected data during the height of the pandemic (2020-2021), with less research from 2022 and early 2023. Moreover, most research focuses on specific populations (e.g., healthcare workers) and not on the general Canadian adult population. The present study aims to address these research gaps by exploring COVID-19-associated mental health impacts on the general Canadian adult population within the late stage of the pandemic. Cross-sectional data from Statistics Canada’s Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (SCMH) Cycle 3 (Feb. 23–May 31, 2023) will be used, which invited 36,000 households to participate and resulted in a 46.5% response rate. The SCMH uses the PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PCL-5 to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD (respectfully), and a single question regarding suicidal ideation. The primary research objective is to investigate if a COVID-19 diagnosis is positively associated with significant symptoms of MDD, GAD, PTSD, suicidal ideation, emotional distress, loneliness, or increased alcohol and cannabis use. As a secondary research objective, we will explore if being diagnosed with COVID-19 will be negatively associated with protective factors—the measures of happiness, community belonging, social support, behavioural health, and mastery of control. Data was accessed and analyzed at the Regina Research Data Centre (RDC) using the program STATA. Descriptive statistics, an independent t-test, crosstabulations, and chi-square tests of independence were used to explore demographic characteristics and our research objectives. It was found that having been diagnosed with COVID-19 was significantly associated with greater scores on measures of mental health disorders, and with lower scores on the protective factor measures, compared to not having been diagnosed with COVID-19. It was also found that a significant proportion of the sample screened positive for each of the mental health disorders that were assessed, with a slightly larger proportion screening positive among those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Additionally, a significant proportion of the respondents experienced each of the nine COVID-19 impacts that were assessed in the SCMH, aside from hospitalization. The results of this study will help inform the degree to which COVID-19 pandemic impacts influenced specific mental health symptoms within the late stage of the pandemic, providing a more comprehensive picture of the pandemic’s influence on mental health across its duration.
Open Access
Children’s emotional reactions to being lied to
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2025-04) Matravolgyi, Kylee L.
Whether they realize it or not, children are frequently lied to (Heyman et al., 2009). Previous research has used hypothetical scenarios and vignettes to explore children’s beliefs surrounding lying (Bussey, 1999; Cheung et al., 2015; Smith & Rizzo, 2017) and emotions as lie-tellers (Smith & Rizzo, 2017), rather than children’s everyday experiences with being deceived. The current study explored children’s lived experiences with being deceived, particularly their emotional experiences. Child participants (n = 509, ages 6-11, 56% boys) were asked to recall a time when they were lied to and how being lied to made them feel. Specifically, the emotion(s) they felt and how intensely they felt those emotions. As anticipated, children were significantly more likely to report feeling negative emotions (e.g., sadness, anger, disappointment) after being lied to than neutral (e.g., fine, normal, okay; p < .001) or positive emotions (e.g., happiness, amusement; p < .001). Children who reported experiencing negative emotions tended to be younger than children who reported neutral emotions (p = .005). Younger children also reported more intense emotions (r = -0.13, p = .005). Girls were more likely than boys to feel negative emotions (p = .016) and reported feeling their emotions more intensely than boys (p = .001), whereas boys reported more neutral emotions than girls (p = .003). This has implications for parenting practices, as parents are frequent sources of deception in childhood (Heyman et al., 2009).
Open Access
The relationship between face memory and executive function in adults
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2025-04) Reichel, Erika Nicole
Motivated by applied applications (e.g., eyewitness identification), a great deal of research has been done to understand people’s ability to recognize unfamiliar faces. Most research on face memory to date aims to see under what conditions memory for unfamiliar faces is at its most accurate. Despite great knowledge gained in this area, there is still not a full understanding of the mechanisms that drive unfamiliar face memory recognition. To investigate these mechanisms, this thesis investigated how individual differences and executive function (EF) relate to the ability to remember faces. Using a within-subjects design, 52 adult participants completed an old/new face memory task and eight tasks designed to measure three elements of EF: working memory, inhibitory control, and metamemory. Face memory performance was measured by calculating discriminability (d') and bias (C). In line with the hypothesis, participants with higher scores on one working memory task (List Sorting Working Memory test) showed better face memory performance (d'). Contrary to hypotheses, we did not find evidence that participants' scores on inhibitory and metamemory tasks were predictive of face memory performance in adults. The significant relationships between working memory and face memory performance are likely driven by the fact that both the List Sorting Working Memory test and face memory rely on systems in visual working memory.
Open Access
Examining health anxiety and associated constructs in children with cystic fibrosis
(Faculty of Science, University of Regina, 2025-04) Forrest, Ella
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening genetic disorder affecting 105,000 people worldwide (Dickinson & Collaco, 2021; Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, n.d), caused by mutations in the CFTR protein that disrupt chloride ion transport, leading to ionic imbalances and mucus throughout major organ systems (Rowe et al., 2014). CF’s multisystemic impacts require intensive treatments, (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, n.d.) and patients with the disorder demonstrate 2-3 times higher anxiety and depression symptoms than the general population (Quittner et al., 2014). Beyond anxiety and depression, few other mental health constructs have been examined in CF populations. Health anxiety – worries that one has a serious illness without evidence of an underlying health condition (Wright et al., 2016) – has been observed to be elevated in other health populations but has not been studied in CF. The current study explored health anxiety and related constructs in children with CF, compared to established rates in typically developing children. Ten participants aged 8-12 completed self-report measures of health anxiety, depression, state and trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and intolerance of uncertainty. Study results demonstrated significantly higher levels of state and trait anxiety in children with CF compared to typically developing children, but no differences in health anxiety and other constructs. These results have mixed consistency with pre-existing literature, highlighting the need for future research with a larger sample size. Nevertheless, the study’s findings highlight the urgent need for early identification of mental health symptoms and implementation of tailored mental health intervention programs for children with CF.
Open Access
Examining gender bias in juror decision-making on a sexual assault case
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2024) Armstrong, Brooke Alyssa
To examine gender bias in juror decision-making on a sexual assault case, we had 134 participants read a 216-word vignette depicting an ambiguous sexual assault scenario. Participants were asked to render a dichotomous verdict, rate their confidence in their verdict, and answer a series of questions regarding the situation they read. In addition, participants completed the Gender-Inclusive Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (Urban & Porras Pyland, 2022) and the Punishment Orientation Questionnaire (Yamamoto & Maeder, 2019). What participants did not know was that we manipulated the pronouns of both the defendant and complainant in a 3 (defendant: she, he, they) x 3 (complainant: she, he, they) design. We predicted that there would be a main effect for both defendant and complainant gender on continuous verdict confidence, yet neither effect was supported with a statistically significant result. We also predicted that there would be an interaction effect between defendant and complainant gender on continuous verdict confidence, but this was also not supported. A key issue in this study was the small sample size which significantly reduced power. It is encouraged that future research continues to investigate how non-binary actors are perceived by mock jurors in the context of sexual assault since it is a significant gap in the literature. Finally, future research should also examine different gender combinations when looking at mock juror decision-making in sexual assault cases to ensure all possible gender combinations within a sexual assault case are researched thoroughly to avoid a gender bias in a real courtroom.
Open Access
Validation of the disorganized thoughts scale: exploring its relationship with personality traits and metacognitive beliefs
(Faculty of Science, University of Regina, 2025-04) Cao, Brian
Formal thought disorder (FTD) is a key diagnostic criterion of schizophrenia, marked by unstructured, illogical, and incoherent thinking. Although FTD has been observed in both clinical and non-clinical populations, no widely accepted self-report measure currently exists for assessing disorganized thinking in the general population. This study aimed to examine and validate the new Disorganized Thoughts Scale (DTS), a 20-item self-report measure developed to address this gap. To achieve this, a sample of 142 psychology students from the University of Regina completed a Qualtrics survey consisting of the DTS, demographic questions, Big Five Inventory (BFI-44), and Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30). It was hypothesized that the DTS would show a two-factor structure via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and that the DTS scores would be positively correlated with neuroticism and maladaptive metacognitive beliefs. CFA was used to test whether the DTS followed a two-factor model (Positive and Negative Thought Disorder), and correlational analyses were conducted to examine potential relationships between DTS scores with personality traits (BFI-44), metacognitive beliefs (MCQ-30), and demographic variables. The model showed modest fit, with SRMR being within acceptable limits, but CFI, TLI, and RMSEA were under ideal cutoffs. The DTS scores were positively correlated with neuroticism and maladaptive metacognitive beliefs, consistent with the hypotheses. Overall, these findings supported the DTS’s internal structure and convergent validity. However, future studies could benefit with further testing using larger and more diverse samples.
Open Access
Assessing a new teaching method for Point-of-Care Ultrasound
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2025-04) Pérez, Ana Carolina Martínez
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) uses small ultrasound devices that can be used at patients’ bedsides. POCUS can lead to faster diagnoses and treatment but requires extensive training to use effectively. This study evaluated whether eye tracking can differentiate between experts and novice POCUS users to help develop better teaching methods. Ten novices (medical students) and 1 expert (ER physician) had their eye movements recorded while they viewed POCUS lung videos of three different types: Pneumothorax (collapsed lung), Healthy Lung, and Potential False Diagnosis (pseudopneumothorax) to determine the presence of Pneumothorax. The expert had 100% accuracy but the novices’ accuracy did not go above 60%. Novices’ performance was best on the Pneumothorax videos. The expert had high confidence in their decisions while the novices had low to moderate confidence levels. Heat maps showed that the expert had a much more focused gaze on the area of interest (AOI) while novices missed the AOI or had more scattered gaze patterns. This study showed that gaze patterns and accuracy did not always match, where often a participant showed a gaze pattern associated to accuracy but gave an incorrect response, or vice versa. Instead of inferring skill only from gaze, this observation can tell about the specific level of both ultrasound knowledge and visual search strategies, and provide personalized feedback to learners. It also tells expert gaze involves fixating only the correct area, then making the correct diagnostic decision, and novices need training on both to advance towards expertise.
Open Access
An investigation into the impacts of adverse childhood experiences on autonomic and psychological stress reactivity
(Faculty of Science, University of Regina, 2025-04-25) Melnyk, Carissa
Adverse childhood experiences are linked with adverse mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood, and long-term stress response alterations may contribute to this relationship. Past research suggests robust relationships between adverse childhood experiences and blunted hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and heart rate reactivity to stress. However, the influence of adverse childhood experiences on autonomic and psychological stress reactivity within laboratory settings remains under-researched. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a well-established approach to inducing stress, but comparative control conditions are not as well documented. This study aimed to validate a control TSST (C-TSST) and examine whether adverse childhood experiences predict autonomic and psychological stress reactivity. In this two-part study, participants first reported the number of adverse childhood experiences to which they had been exposed prior to the age of 18 years. Subsequently, a within-subjects experimental design was employed, and eligible participants (N = 58) completed the TSST and C-TSST while physiological (i.e., heart rate, heart rate variability, skin conductance level) and psychological (i.e., stress appraisals, state anxiety) responses were measured. Repeated measures t-tests showed that, compared to the TSST condition, participants had significantly lower heart rate, skin conductance, and stress appraisal levels along with higher heart rate variability in the TSST condition. These results provide support for the C-TSST as a comparative control condition for the TSST. Simple linear regressions with adverse childhood experiences as the predictor variable and stress reactivity measures as the dependent variables revealed no significant findings. Future research should continue to explore the potentially more nuanced effects of ACEs on stress reactivity with larger and more representative samples.
Open Access
Adults' awareness of coaching in child sexual abuse cases
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2025-04) Wark, Amy E.
Child sexual abuse (CSA) victims often withhold disclosure due to the perpetrator coaching
Open Access
Emotion Regulation Under Pressure: The Impact of Cognitive Reappraisal and Expressive Suppression on Stress Responses
(Faculty of Science, University of Regina, 2025-04-25) Shafiq, Ayesha
Acute social stress, a common type of stress faced in situations of intense pressure and social evaluation, induces both psychological and physiological responses. When these responses are prolonged or poorly managed, they can have detrimental effects on one’s health. Emotion regulation, the capacity to control and modulate one’s emotional responses, is a central mechanism that shapes how individuals experience and recover from stressors. This study examined how two prevalent emotion regulation strategies, cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES), influence acute social stress responses. Participants (N=58) completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire as part of an online survey to assess their use of each strategy. They then participated in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and control version of the TSST (C-TSST) in a counterbalanced design. Physiological markers (heart rate [HR], heart rate variability [HRV], and skin conductance level [SCL]), along with subjective stress ratings, were collected through both tasks. Through a manipulation check, it was concluded that the TSST successfully induced more stress than the C-TSST. Multiple linear regression analyses and linear mixed-effects models assessed associations between emotion regulation strategies and stress responses. ES was significantly associated with higher perceived threat and showed a slight trend towards slower HR recovery. CR was not found to be significantly linked to physiological or subjective stress markers, although slight trends were present. These findings highlight the potential impact of emotion regulation on stress reactivity. By gaining a deeper understanding of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, interventions that promote healthier coping mechanisms can be implemented.
Open Access
Impact of cultural adaptation in digital narrative therapy on psychological distress: a randomized controlled trial
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2024-04-26) Nasir, Areeba
This study delves into how narrative therapy, a tool that empowers individuals to reshape their life stories, intersects with digital methods and cultural considerations to influence mental health outcomes. While we embrace digital mental health tools, cultural intricacies are frequently ignored, potentially impacting the intervention’s effectiveness. This study addresses this oversight, investigating how cultural adaptation links with intervention efficacy, and investigates whether culturally sensitive interventions lead to improved mental health outcomes, uncover unique cultural strengths, influence help-seeking decisions, and resonate more effectively with specific subgroups. Participants in this study included University of Regina students (N=130) aged at least 18 years without significant recent trauma, substance use, mania, or psychosis. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating quantitative analysis through paired sample t-tests, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs), and multiple linear regressions along with qualitative thematic analysis of responses provided as part of the intervention. Findings revealed a significant improvement in feelings of tenseness and self-confidence post-intervention. However, no significant difference in anxiety scores from pre- to post-test were identified, suggesting that the brief nature of the intervention may not have been sufficient to cause measurable changes in levels of anxiety. Additionally, no significant difference between the outcomes from the culturally adapted and non-culturally adapted groups were found, which implies that mental health professionals can provide their patients with the option to choose between either type of intervention, advocating for a more inclusive and effective mental health treatment landscape.
Open Access
Impact of institutional betrayal and institutional courage on mental health in people with chronic disease
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2024-04-25) De Roo, Briana
People living with chronic disease are at an increased risk of developing psychological distress. Moreover, people living with chronic disease interact with healthcare institutions frequently and are, therefore, more likely to experience adverse medical events. Relatedly, institutional betrayal is an institution's failure to prevent and respond to harm experienced by the people they serve, whereas institutional courage may mitigate some of these harms. This study aims to understand how interactions in healthcare (i.e., adverse medical events, institutional betrayal, institutional courage) impact psychological outcomes. A case-control study was conducted with participants who were at least 18 years of age and living with and without chronic disease. Self-report questionnaires were administered to participants regarding healthcare experiences and mental health symptoms. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to compare people with and without chronic disease with regard to these experiences and symptoms. Hierarchical multiple regressions were run to determine if healthcare experiences predicted mental health symptoms. We found that people living with chronic disease reported significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, trauma, institutional betrayal, and adverse medical events compared to people without chronic disease; however, people without chronic disease reported significantly higher levels of institutional courage compared to people with chronic disease. Moreover, institutional betrayal significantly predicted anxiety and trauma symptoms, but not depression symptoms. These results demonstrate the impact that healthcare institutions have on the well-being of their patients and highlight the need for better systems in responding to patient harm. Findings from this study could inform mental health treatment for populations with comorbid chronic disease and psychological distress.
Open Access
The relationship between migraines and mental health in women
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2022-04-24) Thorsteinson, Venezya
Women are three times more likely than men to experience migraines and endure worse migraine characteristics. Anxiety, depression, trauma, and discrimination have all been identified among migraine populations. The current study aimed at investigating the relationship between migraine characteristics (i.e., frequency, disability), mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, trauma) and gender-based discrimination (i.e., anticipated discrimination, lifetime day-to-day discrimination) among adult women. Consequently, a case-control study with a migraine condition and a non-migraine condition was conducted. Eligibility included women who were at least 18 years of age. Recruitment occurred via the University of Regina’s Psychology Participant Pool. Participants with migraine completed questionnaires about their migraine characteristics. All participants completed questionnaires on mental health and gendered discrimination. A series of independent samples t-tests were conducted to compare mental health symptoms between the two conditions. Hierarchal multiple regressions were conducted to test the influence of migraine characteristics and gender-based discrimination on mental health. Analyses revealed that mental health and gender-based discrimination scores were higher within the migraine group compared to the non-migraine group. Results indicated that migraine frequency and lifetime day-to-day discrimination were a significant predictor for anxiety, depression, and trauma symptoms. Anticipated discrimination was found to be significantly predictive of trauma symptoms. Lifetime-day-to-day discrimination was significantly predictive of migraine-related reduction in work or school productivity, absence of household work, and a decrease in housework. Lastly, findings revealed that gender-based discrimination was a significant predictor of migraine-related absence from social events, however no individual predictors were significant. These findings may contribute to improvements in the assessment and management of migraines among women, adding to an often under identified population and an emergent field of literature.
Open Access
Wellbeing and protective factors in parents of typically developing young children
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2024-04) Hedlund, Andrea
Background: While parents of young children experience challenges to their wellbeing, there is limited research investigating potential protective factors. This study explored the association between potential protective factors (i.e., distress tolerance, emotion regulation, self-efficacy, resilience, and perceived social support) and wellbeing in parents of young, typically developing children. Methods: Participants included 99 parents (92.9% female, MParent Age = 32.95, SD = 5.134) of young (MChild Age = 24.46months, SD = 15.38), typically developing children recruited in Canada. Participants completed an online questionnaire consisting of demographics, wellbeing, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, self-efficacy, resilience, and perceived social support. Results: Significant associations were observed between wellbeing and all protective factors (p < .01). Results from linear multiple regression demonstrated that the model accounted for 41.6% of the variance in wellbeing F = (6, 98) = 12.65, p < .001, with emotion regulation (p < .05) and social support (p < .05) being significant predictors. Conclusions: Relationships exist between wellbeing and protective factors in parents of young, typically developing children. Protective factors account for a large proportion of the variance in parent wellbeing. Impact: The findings highlight potential contributory factors to parent wellbeing. As such, findings identify factors that may represent important targets (i.e., emotion regulation and social support) for programs or interventions focused on supporting and/or bolstering parent wellbeing.
Open Access
The impact of memory enhancement on emotion processing
(Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 2024-04-24) Jason, Priyanka
Alexithymia, a cognitive-affective impairment, involves difficulties in recognizing and expressing emotions, and is linked to impaired memory function. This study investigates the relationship between memory and emotion processing. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) was administered to 141 participants, 76 of which scored high (> 51) indicating likelihood of alexithymia. First, participants underwent an Emotional Stroop Task (EST) to assess emotion processing, then were randomly assigned to either verbal or sham training groups, where they either completed a botanical name memorization task or watched two short silent movies. Post-training, both groups completed the EST again and underwent cognitive tests to assess memory capacity differences. I hypothesize that the verbal training group will show improvements in emotion processing as well as greater memory function as compared with the sham group. A significant positive correlation was found between TAS scores and EST reaction times for emotional words, indicating a relationship between emotion processing times and alexithymic traits. As for the effects of the verbal training, independent sample t-tests demonstrated that differences in emotion processing times between low and high TAS scorers were reduced. Within the sham training group, high TAS scorers had significantly slower emotion processing than low TAS scorers, but in the verbal training group, no differences were found in emotion processing between high and low TAS scorers. This study’s pivotal finding underscores the impact of verbal training on automatic emotion processing. Despite no observable differences in memory capacity post-verbal training, a notable improvement emerged in the automatic processing of emotion.