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Our department houses some of the top researchers in the their field. There are many opportunities for students to get involved in research. Use the Search below to browse research areas by FacultyMy research is explicitly feminist, has largely focused on violence against women, and has always had an applied bend. I’ve examined various issues related to gender-based violence including having worked on the evaluation of a sexual assault resistance education program (Enhanced Access, Acknowledge, Act), and the wider implementation of that program. I’ve worked on a number of community-engaged and arts-based projects examining intimate partner violence survivors’ experiences. Currently I’m working on a project to bring together the violence against women and the homelessness sectors to collect longitudinal data about survivors’ experiences of homelessness and housing instability in Canada.
Accepting New Experiential Learning Students: No
Pat Barclay is an evolutionary psychologist whose research combines the fields of evolutionary biology, animal behaviour, social psychology, mathematical game theory, and experimental economics to study topics such as: cooperation, altruism, reputation, punishment, friendship, partner choice, trust, biological markets, costly signaling, and risk-taking.
Accepting New Experiential Learning Students: Yes
Broadly speaking, I conduct research that aims to further our understanding of the role of socio-cultural influences on human motivation and behaviour, particularly in the contexts of (mental) health, immigration and biculturalism, as well as intergroup relations.
For the most part, my research examines (a) some of the social cognitive processes through which individuals derive identities and norms from sociocultural groups, (b) the impact of group membership on human motivation, particularly regarding the acquisition and maintenance of functional and dysfunctional behaviours, and (c) approaches to change group processes that foster social dysfunction. These interests have led to projects illustrating the powerful influence of socio-cultural groups on various behaviours (e.g., binge drinking, addictive-impulsive behaviours, physical activity, procrastination, political demonstration) and mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety).
My research has traditionally focused on the influence of social groups on the well-being and mental health of immigrants and their children or health-related behaviours among high school, college, and university students. I also have a few niche interests, such as political psychology (e.g., collective action) and teaching/education practices.
Interested in working with me?
My ongoing research focuses on several interconnected areas of the psychology of social groups. I have a nascent line of work focused on studying factors that impact the ethnolinguistic vitality of Francophone communities in Canada outside of Quebec, seeking to understand the challenges and opportunities for language maintenance and cultural identity. I also have a line of work examining how social norms shape interactions between individuals from diverse groups, including ethnically diverse, neurodiverse, and socioeconomically diverse populations. Recently, I've joined a research group investigating online fandom, which opens up exciting new avenues for study in digital communities.
Complementing these theoretical pursuits, I also engage in the practical application of program evaluation, particularly for initiatives related to my core research interests. This work allows me to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world implementation. I welcome students who are passionate about these areas and eager to contribute to our understanding of language, culture, and social dynamics in an increasingly diverse and digital world.
Accepting New Experiential Learning Students: No
My research involves qualitative and theoretical methods applied to social issues. I focus mainly on social aspects of health, and ethical implications of science and technology. I also have a strong interest in public deliberation as a method for involving broader publics in research. I am also particularly interested in developing qualitative methods in psychology, across a range of topics.
Community engagement & public deliberation; social & ethical implications of genetics/genomics; qualitative methods; discourse analysis; risk & uncertainty; human agency.
Accepting New Experiential Learning Students: Yes
My research and scholarship covers the following broad topics:
- public engagement with psychological science, particularly the psychology of implicit bias;
- historical and theoretical investigations of psychological science;
- impact of digitalization and big data in psychology;
- psychological perspectives on science and technology, including the technoscience of health and mental health;
- society, culture and (mental) health, including critical studies of disability.
Accepting New Experiential Learning Students: No
Dr. Sparling's research primarily focuses on motivated reasoning and how intra- and interpersonal factors influence sexual health decision-making and negotiation with new sex partners. In particular, her work examines the need to belong, with a current focus on the roles of loneliness and social support in the health and well-being of marginalized populations such as gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.