A York University study finds that trying to cheer yourself up can actually bring you down, depending on your personality. The study, published this summer, examined the effects of exercises that build positivity on more than 250 participants. It found that people with needy personalities reported lower self-esteem after listening to three or four uplifting […]
York Distinguished Research Professor Debra Pepler, considered an international leader in research on child and youth bullying, aggression and victimization, was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) during its annual general meeting yesterday in Ottawa. Election to Fellowship in the CAHS is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian […]
It's not all in your head. There really is a connection between your emotional state and your skin, says psychologist Linda Papadopoulos [BA Hons. ’93], reported the Ottawa Citizen Sept. 10. The Canadian-born-and-raised Papadopoulos has called Britain home for the past 14 years. She is known there as both a leading academic and as "Dr. […]
New research shows that bilingual speakers have a distinct advantage over monolinguals, wrote Psychology Today July 6, in a story about couples therapy and the concept of mindful listening. The advantage goes deeper than being able to converse proficiently with people that speak that "other" language – although this is a huge advantage. Research demonstrates […]
Children who suffer cognitive impairment from multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to have less brain matter, according to a study by researchers from York University, The Hospital for Sick Children, and McGill University. Researchers found that cognitive impairment occurs in approximately 30 per cent of children and teens with MS; reduced processing speed is […]
The brain's ability to change or adapt across a person's lifespan is much greater than originally thought and scientists are still discovering just how far that plasticity goes. At the upcoming International Conference on Plastic Vision at York, some 24 researchers from around the world will discuss their latest findings. "We try to touch on […]
And as the film world continues its rapid transition from traditional 2 D celluloid film to 3 D digital, a weekend conference at the TIFF Bell Lightbox is aimed at boosting the Toronto film community’s chances of capitalizing on the next wave in film – 3-D, wrote the Toronto Star June 9: The [Toronto International […]
PhD student Tanya Gulliver was interviewed by freelance documentary producer Tina Pittaway in The Day the Water Died, a documentary about how people in Louisiana and Alabama are dealing with the combined psychological fallout and stress of Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. CBC's The Current featured the documentary June 9: With […]
Conference driven by York research in digital media, psychology, vision and computer science The Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference, a one-of-a-kind gathering of experts in stereoscopic 3D art and entertainment, takes place in Toronto June 11 to 14. Major figures from the USA, UK, Russia, Germany and Canada will convene at TIFF Bell Lightbox to […]
Some theories point to delayed commitments and the instabilities inherent in today's youth as the prime determinant of their careers, but psychology Professor Shmuel Shulman of Bar-Ilan University in Israel says their vast array of experiences, their individual personalities and their ability to relate to others may also play a role. Shulman, a visiting scholar at the LaMarsh Centre […]
A cognitive neuroscientist, Ellen Bialystok has spent almost 40 years learning about how bilingualism sharpens the mind, wrote The New York Times May 30: Her good news: Among other benefits, the regular use of two languages appears to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Dr. Bialystok, 62, a distinguished research professor of psychology at […]
The Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference, a one-of-a-kind gathering of experts in stereoscopic 3D art and entertainment, takes place in Toronto June 11 to 14. Major figures from the USA, UK, Russia, Germany and Canada will convene at TIFF Bell Lightbox to address and analyze the latest developments in the field. The first of its […]
There is karma in kindness. It seems that the Biblical adage of doing unto others, as you’d have them do unto you, pays off in happiness, reported the Toronto Star May 17: A York University study found that people who performed small acts of kindness – every day for five to 15 minutes for a […]
If there was ever any doubt, Charlie Sheen is not winning, wrote Chillonline.ca May 12. While it was beauty that killed the beast, it was most likely pressure (brewed in wealth, drugs and women) that pushed Sheen from atop his skyscraper of a life: Gordon Flett, Canada Research Chair in Personality and Health, examines psychological […]
Research sheds light on human belief in Friday the 13th, Bigfoot, fate, heaven and hell It was during this week, in the lead-up to today’s supernaturally inclined date of Friday the 13th, that I learned the similarity between believing in Bigfoot and believing in The One, wrote columnist Micah Toub in The Globe and Mail […]
If you follow the advice below, chances are, your son will turn into the kind of man you want him to be, wrote WomensDay.com May 11, in a story about parenting advice for mothers: Encourage him to read novels. Ongoing studies at York University [by psychology Professor Raymond Mar and colleagues in the Faculty of […]
Some 24 outside agencies came to the inaugural York Autism Research Alliance’s Research Showcase at York last week to hear what researchers were working on – everything from isolating three to 20 genes potentially responsible for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to looking at how children with ASD process visual and auditory information. “The take home […]
Anne Russon, psychology professor at York’s Glendon College, spoke about her latest research that shows orangutans have conquered their fear of water so they can fish for food, on CBC Radio’s “Quirks & Quarks” April 23: Orangutans are generally not fond of water, but Dr. Anne Russon, a professor of psychology at the York University, […]
Punishment isn’t the answer for kids who learned to bully at home, says a Toronto psychology professor, wrote Halifax’s Chronicle-Herald April 9. "If a child is bullied at home by his or her parents or siblings, they’re going to learn the patterns they need to learn about the use of power and aggression in relationships," […]
Students Angela Deotto and Lilly Solomon recognized for poster projects If you were wandering through Vari Hall last Wednesday afternoon, you could have stopped and chatted with fourth-year psychology students about some pretty esoteric subjects. The rotunda was a maze of posters featuring the thesis projects of 78 students ready to explain whether eating disturbances are symptoms of depression, how to […]