MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
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Microplastics in Stormwater Ponds around Edmonton
No full textMicroplastics are considered any particle of plastic that is under 5mm in size. These plastics pollute our environment and are harmful to the wildlife that inhabit it, as well as to us humans. Large quantities of microplastics enter environments through runoff in urban areas. Stormwater runoff ponds capture runoff after rain events and store it in until further released. More specifically, pollution (and how much of it) that ends up in stormwater ponds can serve as a great indicator to the actual amount of pollution in our environment. This study investigated the quantity and types of microplastics present in stormwater ponds from throughout the Edmonton area. Sample collection was done using a pump, placing it into the water, and filtering the water through a 53 micron filter, and then stored in jars, all taken from the year 2019. Extraction was carried out using enzyme digestion, coupled with density separation (via Potassium carbonate, K2CO3). Microplastics were quantified using nile red fluorescent staining. Raman spectroscopy was used to identify the types of plastics in the sample. This first of its kind study in Edmonton examines the quantity of microplastics found in these stormwater ponds, in and around the Edmonton area. As plastic consumption increases, this study aims to provide a scope as to how much plastic is in the environment around us.
Department: Physical Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew Ros
Recreating the Paleoecology of the Rocky Mountains, AB
No full textSince the 1990s, ice patch research in Northern Canada has yielded valuable scientific information. Paleoecological studies have consisted of pollen analysis, ancient DNA analysis, and macrofossil analysis. These studies contribute to the current body of knowledge on climate change and inform researchers on the potential changes to come as climates fluctuate. In this project, 6000- to 4000-year-old plant macrofossils from remnant ice patches were used to interpret treeline and subshrub fluctuations in the Rocky Mountains, Alberta. Plant macrofossils were collected, dated, sorted, identified, imaged and then plant assemblages were analyzed to infer treeline and subshrub responses to climate fluctuations. Results show an increase in shrub density from Sample #5 (5468-5886 14C yr BP) to Sample #6 (4895-5122 14C yr BP), and that treeline in CM-II-IP resembled modern treeline. Subshrubs found in the area also correspond with modern plant assemblages. These results suggest that environmental conditions and plant communities resemble those today. Further ice patch research using other paleoecological proxies will provide more insight into the climate and treeline dynamics in CM-II-IP.
Department: Physical Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robin Woywitk
Mindfulness as a Moderating Variable of Selfishness and Materialism
No full textFor materialistic individuals, the pleasure of acquisitions is central to life and is pursued to enhance happiness, possessional-defined success and attain status. Materialism can be described as the importance people attach to worldly possessions that are expected to be a source of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Focusing on the present moment is a possible method of reducing the negative influences of materialism. Therefore, this study focuses on mindfulness as a strategy to minimize materialistic pursuits. Mindfulness is the practice of cultivating a mode or state of awareness and is used to eliminate fleeting mindful states and recognize the transient nature of thoughts and feelings. Additionally, previous research has demonstrated how mindfulness can reduce the link between motivation and behaviour and promote rational judgment that is consistent with our innate needs. The present experimental research examines mindfulness activities as a moderating variable of selfishness and materialism in undergraduate students. Selfishness is widely regarded as the excessive tendency to focus on the self, regardless of the well-being of others. Considering previous research, we expect to find the participants scoring high in selfishness and materialism that engage in the mindfulness activity will shift their awareness inwards and not over value materialistic items. This mindfulness state could enhance an individual\u27s awareness and act as a gatekeeper between situational cues and one\u27s mind.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Watso
Exploring Which Anxiety-Related Disorder Symptoms and Mechanisms are Associated with COVID-19 Anxiety
No full textIn the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a rise in anxiety has been reported among the population. This rise coincides with the introduction of COVID-19 anxiety, which is the fear and emotional distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research has found an association between COVID-19 anxiety and symptoms of health anxiety, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. COVID-19 anxiety has also been associated with dysfunctional beliefs such as anxiety sensitivity, maladaptive metacognitions, and intolerance of uncertainty. Additionally, COVID-19 anxiety has been associated with the emotion of disgust. However, the association of these factors with COVID-19 anxiety has not been explored together in a single study. In the current study, self-report questionnaires were used to examine which anxiety- related disorder symptoms, and related mechanisms, were associated with COVID-19 anxiety. A total of 593 MacEwan students completed the study between September 2020 and February 2021. A set of regression analyses examined which anxiety-related disorder symptoms were uniquely associated with COVID-19 anxiety. The two symptoms most associated with COVID- 19 anxiety were health anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. Additionally, panic disorder symptoms were also found to be associated. When examining the anxiety-related mechanisms, a second set of regression analyses identified disgust sensitivity and health anxiety-specific intolerance of uncertainty as having the strongest association with COVID-19 anxiety. Further, a maladaptive metacognitive belief related to thinking about one\u27s health, as well as the physical and cognitive aspects of anxiety sensitivity, were associated with COVID-19 anxiety. Based on these findings, clinicians may wish to screen for COVID-19 anxiety in clients experiencing health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, or panic disorder symptoms. Lastly, clinicians may find it helpful to target the clients\u27 responses to feelings of disgust, and their health anxiety-specific intolerance of uncertainty, when working with clients experiencing high levels of COVID-19 anxiety.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alexander Penne
Grandiosity Under Pressure: Exploring Stress Induced Fluctuations of Grandiose Narcissism
No full textWhen people experience failure, their self-views fluctuate dramatically. We explored how stressful situations may impact state narcissism. Individuals may perceive stressful situations as a threat against their competencies (e.g., failure reactivity), and thus display higher state narcissism to bolster their self-views. In Study 1, we manipulated the amount of time participants had to complete a task (i.e., 15 seconds [high time pressure] vs. 60 seconds [low time pressure]) and the type of feedback participants received on their task performance (i.e., neutral vs. harsh feedback). We found that those under high (vs. low) time pressure showed more narcissism. However, those who received harsh (vs. neutral) feedback showed less narcissism. In Study 2, we manipulated task difficulty (i.e., high vs. low) and time pressure (i.e., 15 seconds vs. 60 seconds). We found that those who had high (vs. low) time pressure and those who completed the more (vs. less) difficult task showed more frustration. However, state narcissism did not change across conditions. Taken together, narcissism may fluctuate in response to increased task pressure, but it may depend on the type of stressor. An increase in narcissism may serve to mitigate the negative impact of pressure and frustration on people’s positive self-views. However, negative feedback may instead decrease individuals’ confidence and grandiose self-views.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Miranda Giacomi
Lateralization of facial emotion recognition in the human cerebellum
No full textThe cerebellum, one of the oldest structures in the nervous system, is well-known for the important role it plays in the coordination and timing of movement. However, there has been a paradigm shift with recent clinical, neuroimaging, and experimental research suggesting that the cerebellum also plays a role in higher-order cognitive functions such as attention and emotion. The substantial increase in research regarding the cerebellum\u27s ability for emotional processing has indicated that it may be particularly adept at recognizing and processing negative facial expressions (i.e., fear, anger, sadness). Facial expressions are an important component of non- verbal communication that have specific meanings and are universally recognized. The ability to recognize another person\u27s facial expressions and understand their emotional state and intentions is critical for responding in social situations. It is particularly important for an organism\u27s survival to recognize negative emotions such as fear, anger, and sadness, as it activates defence systems designed to protect against threats. Previous research using functional brain imaging and patients with cerebellar brain injuries provide some evidence of cerebellar lateralization, with the left cerebellum being more specialized for processing emotions than the right. In the proposed study we will further test this hypothesis by applying transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) – a non-invasive brain stimulation technique – over the left half of the cerebellum. Specifically, we predict that active tDCS stimulation (i.e., anodal (+) or cathodal (-)) will influence the processing of negative facial emotions compared to a sham (pseudo-stimulation) condition.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Christopher Strieme
A Signature Squeak: Acoustic Features Related to Identity in American Pika Calls
No full textMy research will explore the communication system of American Pika (Ochotona princeps). As vocalizations are established through social and vocal learning with some influence from environmental factors, they can reveal important attributes about the animal’s social and acoustic environments. American Pika may produce vocalizations that aid in individual identification and territory protection, but little research has been conducted indicating acoustic features related to identity in the calls. I will record individual calls from multiple pikas in the Highwood region of Kananaskis, Alberta. The calls will then be measured and compared to determine if any call variation exists between individuals. This exploration into call variation will further contribute to our understanding of what factors influence signature vocalizations in individual species members.
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Shannon Digwee
Is true informed consent achievable?
No full textImagine you have just found out that a loved one, such as a parent, sibling, or close friend, suffers from a rare and deadly genetic disorder. There are currently no successful mainstream treatments for this disorder. However, the doctor mentions a highly experimental treatment that would involve removing bone marrow from a healthy donor once a month for a full year and could potentially cause permanent damage to them. It turns out that you are a match. How would you make your decision regarding treatment? Most individuals would suggest leaving it to the doctor’s discretion, but because it is your body, it is ultimately your choice. You attempt to do further research on the internet but end up confused and frustrated. How will you ultimately decide as to whether you should give informed consent for the procedure