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Training Preservice Behaviour Analyst Intervention Skills in a Virtual Reality Environment
Get PDFPreservice behaviour analysts need a wide range of professional skills and shaping is one of the critical skills they must learn. This study trained preservice behaviour analysts to acquire shaping skills in a virtual reality environment using the Portable Operant Research Teaching Lab (PORTL). To date no known study has (a) evaluated the effectiveness of shaping skills training to preservice behaviour analyst or (b) attempted to teach these skills in virtual environment format. We used an AB design across participants with three preservice behaviour analysts to learn shaping skills in a virtual reality environment using the PORTL curriculum. The shaping skills comprised creating a teaching plan, setting up for a session, delivering reinforcement, and evaluating a session. For all participants, training resulted in improvement in shaping skills. Participants also maintained the shaping skills for a minimum of two weeks. Further, the effect of the training generalized to a novel learner for all participants. Additionally, participants showed high satisfaction with shaping skills in virtual reality (VR) environment
Investigating the Role of Parental Care and Executive Function in the Neurodevelopment of Psychopathy: A Moderated Expression Model of “Successful” Psychopathy
Get PDFPsychopathy has been an important risk factor in predicting maladaptive outcomes and antisocial behaviour. However, some research has also explored “successful” psychopathy: individuals with psychopathic traits who avoid negative outcomes (e.g., criminal or antisocial behaviour) and/or those whose psychopathic traits are used to their advantage. The Moderated Expression model (Lilienfeld et al., 2015) posits that that while successful and unsuccessful psychopaths have the same core personality traits, other factors can moderate how these traits are manifested. For example, the quality of parental care, as well as executive function (EF) skills are among the potential factors in predicting antisocial outcomes in individuals with psychopathic traits, yet to date, research has not looked at these together in predicting psychopathy success. The program of study presented in this dissertation explored these factors through a Moderated-Expression framework: Study 1 used an adolescent sample of 229 girls and 165 boys from the community, and examined the role of parental care in predicting success outcomes in youth with Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits. Study 2 expanded on this and examined the role of parental warmth and neglect on success outcomes in adults with psychopathic traits, both directly, and through their effect on EF skills. This study recruited a community sample of 293 men and 301 women. Importantly, Study 2 included multiple sub-components of EF, in order to help address the mixed findings in the research to date, and to ascertain how these functions may work together. Both studies included multiple maladaptive outcomes as well as a proxy measure of social success. Overall, both studies found that (a) parental warmth decreased the strength of the relationship between the core psychopathic traits and multiple maladaptive outcomes; (b) parental neglect increased the risk of anti-sociality and multiple maladaptive outcomes; (c) the pattern of effects differed depending on the gender of the participant and of the parent. Furthermore, while girls and women were lower in overt physical aggression, psychopathic traits still predicted relational aggression, other maladaptive outcomes, and lower social success, highlighting the importance of using diverse measures of success and to look at the patterns across and within gender
Investigation of potential Z-DNA binding proteins in Halobacter salinarum & Preparation and characterization of DNA samples
Get PDFHalophiles require high salt concentrations, from 3.5 up to 5 M, in their environments to function and survive. The adaptations that allow halophiles such as Halobacter salinarum to survive in high saline conditions are well studied. However, the differences in proteins produced by halophiles as compared to organisms inhabiting low salinity environments are not well understood. In this project, oligonucleotides will be developed to study potential Z-DNA binding proteins. Z-DNA forming d(CG)n repeats will be synthesized with a linker tail attached to a non-cleavable solid support, allowing the sequences to be retrieved from H. salinarum lysate together with potential Z-DNA binding proteins. The synthesis of d(CG)18(Spacer9)10 was successful with a 98% detritylation yield. Addition of DBCO phosphoramidites to d(CG)18(Spacer9)10 was unsuccessful. Mass spectrometric analysis of purified products suggested failure in the synthesis.
DNA is a stable compound when stored as a dried stock, however, there has been recent interest in using DNA as barcodes to identify oil and natural gas sources underground. For this application, the underground temperature and pH vary, and the effects of these conditions on the stability on DNA have not been studied. In this project, the degradation of a 21 nucleotide DNA sequence will be studied. The DNA sequence was found to be stable at pH above 6 at 30-90°C, but quickly underwent degradation at pH below 5
Indigenous Students' Experiences in Physical Education: A Scoping Review
Get PDFPositive experiences in Physical Education (PE) throughout one’s childhood encourages life-long interest and participation in exercise and movement, as well as increased mental and physical well-being (Akbar & Tsuji, 2020). However, for many Indigenous students’ this is not the case as these individuals experience much negativity, the most prominent one being racism (McHugh et al., 2019). Therefore, my study aimed to gain a better understanding of Indigenous students’ prior experiences in public school PE across Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
A scoping review was conducted guided by Arksey & O’Malley’s (2005) framework, while using a decolonial lens following Linda Tuhiwai Smith (2021). Data collection started on May 12th, 2023 and finished on August 19th, 2023. The search strategy identified 41 pieces of literature, after the title, abstract, and full-text was reviewed. And, upon more in-depth analysis a final list of 15 pieces of literature were identified that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study. A descriptive analysis followed by a thematic analysis were conducted examining all 15 pieces of literature.
The descriptive analysis identified key descriptors from each piece of literature (i.e., document name, author, country where data was collected, etc.). Some examples of major findings included, 93% of the pieces of literature focused only on high school students and 60% of the pieces of literature were published pre-2012 and none since 2018. Based on the Thematic analysis two overarching themes were identified: (1) Experiencing a cultural disconnect in the PE curriculum and the content being taught; and (2) Connections between Students’ and the PE Environment.
The results of this study demonstrate that although research presently exists with regards to Indigenous students’ sharing their experiences in PE, there is still a need for considerably more work specifically focused on this topic. Sharing Indigenous students’ experiences in PE may resonate with Indigenous researchers, scholars, teachers and beyond these groups as well. What this research offers is a pathway for future research with Indigenous and minority communities to provide a better understanding of the student experience in PE for current and future educators and administrators
Muster roll of a part of Captain Grant’s Company, 2nd Lincoln Militia employed in erecting works of defence on Queenston Heights, April-June [1814] [photocopies]
Get PDFFort Drummond was built in the spring of 1814 near Brock’s Monument in Queenston Heights Park. It was built to help protect the portage route around Niagara Falls during the War of 1812. It consisted of a square redoubt, a blockhouse, and a U-shaped advanced battery, and was named Fort Drummond in honour of Sir Gordon Drummond. The post was abandoned after the war and fell into disrepair. In 1926 a children’s wading pool was built where the barracks once stood.Two photocopies of muster rolls of Captain Grant’s Company, 2nd Regiment Lincoln Militia, employed in erecting works of defence on Queenston Heights. The first sheet is dated from April 27 to May 3 and includes names, ranks, period worked, total number of days, rate for each day and total amount. Names include John Morrison; Thomas Alexander; Richard Bond; Aaron Crane; William Eyckler; Robert Fralick; Jacob Gardner; Augustus House; Frederick House; Peter Hoover; Laurence Lemon; William McLellan; Frederick Near; Robert Pew; Lanty Shannon; Viart Vanwyck; Gilbert Vanwyck; Thomas Willson; Patrick Willson; Robert Willson; and William Weaver. The roll is signed by John Warren. There may be another surname after his name but it is not legible.
The second sheet is dated from May 30 to June 2. Names include John Warren [?]; John Fralick; Jacob Killman; Richard Bond; Aaron Crane; William Eyckler; Jacob Gardner; D. Lemon; Frederick Near; Lanty Shannon; Viart Vanwyck; Thomas Willson; Robert Willson; John Upper [?]; Adam Spencer; Benjamin Corwin; William Gardner; Jacob Near; and Haggy Cook.
The original documents are with Library and Archives Canada, War of 1812: Upper Canada Returns, Nominal Rolls and Paylists, RG 9 1B7
The Press, Volume 6, Issue 6, November 11, 1969
No full textThe Press, Volume 6, Issue 6 includes: By-law Rammed Through: New by-law permits BUSA to impeach any editor of any publication without approval of or discussion with the Publications Commission; Here We Go Again: A motion in the Student Assembly to impeach the Press for financial mismanagement, headed by Pat Beard and Dana Johnson,
falters due to original discussions involving “narrow points of view, grudges, and personality conflicts rather than the content of the
PRESS itself.”; Support the Viet Nam Movement: Brock students and faculty are holding a teach-in and other actions to protest the ongoing war; Universities in the American Service!: Canadian universities
are being contracted to conduct military research: it may seem an impossibility at Brock, but it could happen if students do not take a stand
Manitoulin Island Treaties: Anishinaabe Diplomacy, Agency, and Persistence
Get PDFTreaties have been characterized by students of settler colonialism as tools of the empire. Treaties were rarely written for the benefit of Indigenous people but served as legal means to dispossess them of land and natural resources and deprive them of their traditional hunting and fishing rights. Efforts to bring land claims and resolve resource extraction disputes were often unsuccessful, in part because the interpretations of the treaties were based only on written documents that did not contain Indigenous perspectives on what the treaties should achieve. Efforts in recent years have been made to achieve a more equitable, balanced interpretation of historic treaties by accepting as evidence elements of traditional Indigenous culture such as oral histories that could clarify and support the Anishinaabe understanding of the intent of the treaty at the time of the signing. This study seeks to develop an Indigenous narrative of the Odawa, Ojibwa and Potawatomi nations of Manitoulin Island at the time of the land cession treaties of 1836 and 1862. Ethnohistory, cultural geography, research paradigms, and Indigenous research methodology provided evidence that supported the thesis that the Odawa possessed the knowledge and skills to negotiate treaties that would protect their people, land and way of life derived from a long history of successful diplomacy and treaty negotiations in the northern Great Lakes region. This study also looks to develop a more complete portrayal of the agency and resilience of the Odawa in adapting to the changes and conflicts brought by European settlers until the mid-19th century. An analysis of the historical events that preceded the 1862 treaty provides the context in which the Anishinaabe were forced to cede all of Manitoulin Island, except the eastern peninsula
Beliefs about life unfolding over time predict and impact intentions to make the world a better place
Get PDFMany individuals view their lives as getting better over time. Such beliefs motivate individuals to work toward an improved personal future life. However, societal-level issues suggest that individuals may view life as getting worse for people in their communities, country, and all of humanity. Further, it is unclear whether these societal-level beliefs are linked with individuals’ willingness to engage in actions geared towards improving the lives of others (i.e., well-doing).
To address these issues, I conducted two pre-registered studies. In Study 1 (N = 963 online participants; M age = 40.83 years; 48.2% female), individuals reported their beliefs about how life is unfolding over time for people in one of four conditions: self, community, country, or all of humanity. In Study 2 (N = 947 online participants; M age = 39.52; 51.4% female), an experimental design evaluated the impact of an individual’s beliefs about how life is unfolding over time using a narrative direction manipulation (three levels: better, stable, worse) for each target (four levels: self, community, country, humanity). In both studies, participants rated the overall perceived quality of life in the past, at present, and in the anticipated future for their assigned target condition and their intentions to participate in well-doing activities. Identification was tested as a moderator.
In Study 1, participants viewed life as getting better over time for the self, but not for the other targets. Further, those who reported believing that life was getting better (vs. worse) over time also reported stronger well-doing intentions. Such links were observed collapsing across conditions, and in the self and country conditions. In Study 2, participants in the better (vs. worse) narrative direction condition reported stronger general motivation but not stronger specific well-doing intentions. The impact of narrative direction was stronger in the self condition than for the other target conditions. In both studies, identification did not reliably moderate the relationship between beliefs about life unfolding over time and well-doing intentions. Thus, the present studies suggest that beliefs about life getting better (vs. worse) over time are associated with and impact individuals’ well-doing intentions regardless of one’s level of identification
A Case Study Exploring Mothers' Experiences of Well-being in Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga at a Maternal Wellness Centre using Transformative Service Research
Get PDFThe purpose of this case study is to explore experiences of well-being for prenatal and postpartum mothers at a maternal wellness centre in Ontario, Canada. Specifically, I examined the mothers’ experiences in prenatal and postnatal yoga classes (core service) and related wellness services drawing on transformative service research. Through field observations (140 hours over four months) and 33 semi-structured interviews (mothers as well as members of the health-service network), this study provides an in-depth understanding of how experiences of well-being are both co-created and/or co-destructed in prenatal and postnatal yoga, as well as through service experiences at the maternal wellness centre. Using reflexive thematic data analysis, three themes, each with three to five subthemes were developed: a) Centering a Woman’s Body as the Expert; b) Constructing a Meaningful Ambience and Social Connections Co-creates and Co-destructs a Sense of Support and Well-being; and c) “It’s Wellness Capitalism”: Maternal Wellness Is Not Fully Accessible to All Perinatal Women. The analytical observations bring attention to the complexities of offering yoga and maternal wellness services, specifically the ways in which well-being can be co-created, co-destructed and/or inaccessible for perinatal women
Market Reactions to Dual-class Share Creation and Unification: Evidence from Canada
Get PDFThis study examines the short-term market reactions to the creation of dual-class shares and the unification
of dual-class shares in Canada from 1980 to2022. Specifically, we analyze abnormal returns, trading
volume, liquidity, and institutional ownership changes surrounding these two events. We use the event
study methodology to conduct abnormal return analysis on three event days: The Announcement Day (AD),
the Approval Day (ApD), and the Effective Day (ED). For our creation sample, we observe the market
reaction on all three days and abnormal returns of more than 5% associated with the Announcement Day.
For our unification sample, we find a significant abnormal gain of nearly 4% on the Announcement Day.
We also observe that trading volume activity increases significantly around both the creation and unification
of dual-class shares. Consistent with previous literature, we find that stocks that adopt the dual-class share
structure experience a significant decline in liquidity. Cross-sectional regression analysis suggests that
positive abnormal returns of dual-class share creation can be explained by the firm’s arrangement of
financing or prospect of financing, whereas positive abnormal returns of unification are associated with
changes in institutional ownership. Overall, our analyses suggest strong market reactions and changes in
important aspects, such as liquidity of firms, to both events