MacEwan Open Journals (MacEwan University)
Not a member yet
2252 research outputs found
Sort by
Lennon vs. McCartney: Analysis of Chord Progressions in the Music of The Beatles
No full textIn this analysis, the chord progressions used in songs by the Beatles are modelled as Markov chains to identify potential differences between songs for which John Lennon had more influence and those for which Paul McCartney had more influence. A preliminary comparison of random samples of songs from each artist did not identify noteworthy differences between Lennon and McCartney; most pieces resulted in regular Markov chains. This analysis then focusses on two songs from the Beatles – “Norwegian Wood”, primarily written by John Lennon, and “Good Day Sunshine”, primarily written by Paul McCartney – which deviated from this pattern. Similar patterns were found between the two songs despite major differences in the chords that made up each state space. In general, however, McCartney’s song had more variety in terms of the number of chords used and the paths taken between tonic chords
Perception of Handwriting
No full textHandwriting is a very important form of human communication. As a stimulus, handwriting is a complex visual pattern that is individualistic to the writer, much in the same way that faces are complex patterns that contain an identity. Due to the ubiquity of handwriting as a communication tool, we wanted to investigate sensitivity to handwriting using traditional psychophysical techniques. In this experiment, we will investigate whether observers’ sensitivity to gender differences in the authors of the handwriting scales with different manipulations to the stimulus. We will measure sensitivity in 4 conditions: (1) uppercase words in an upright position, (2) lower case words in an upright position, (3) uppercase words in an inverted position, and (4) lower case words in an inverted position. Our first goal is to determine whether participants are sensitive to differences in gender within handwriting. If so, we would also like to investigate if those differences extend to upper and lowercase samples as well as upright and inverted. We expect to see a difference in perception in all 4 conditions. This would then support the idea that the process of word-recognition is similar to the process of other complex visual stimuli such as faces. For future direction, we hope to conduct other form of manipulation to individual letters of handwriting to study the individuality within the handwriting stimuli.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Nicole Anderson
Department: Psyholog
MacEwan Book of the Year Poster Series: This Accident of Being Lost
No full textThis Accident of Being Lost is a contemporary reflection of the Anishinaabe worldview in Canada. Intertwining various short stories, poems, and songs, this book functions as an attempt to unite the Anishinaabe people collectively and ignite the desire to reclaim their Indigenous heritage. Colonialism’s long-lasting impact has negatively affected many Anishinaabe identities; these identities are enlivened in the posters through the personification of the texts. The first poster depicts fracturing of the collective Anishinaabe identity; a bold and unwavering statement is physically torn up even though there are still remnants of what used to be there. The second poster portrays a call to action within the Anishinaabe to regain their lost identities; the quote illustrates independence and acts as an unapologetic and assertive response towards Colonialism and Indoctrination. The last poster sets a conclusion to the collection. The words surrounding the more quiet and subtle quote depict the union of the Anishinaabe and their attempt to restore their culture and identity through storytelling, song, and poetry.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Constanza Pacher
Department: Design Studies
 
Examining Beliefs Related to Health Anxiety
No full textWhile everyone worries about their health from time to time, excessive worrying is maladaptive. Severe health anxiety (HA) is characterized by disproportionate health worries. Furthermore, a person with severe HA may become convinced that they have, or are at risk of developing, a serious illness. The present study examines how different beliefs, such as intolerance of uncertainty (IU), metacognitive beliefs, and cognitive avoidance contribute to HA. Past research has found that IU and metacognitive beliefs contribute significantly to HA, but these factors have not been examined together. Moreover, cognitive avoidance is characteristic of other anxiety disorders, but there is limited research on how it contributes to HA. Specifically, IU refers to the negative reactions and beliefs that an individual may have toward ambiguity. Some individuals cannot tolerate uncertainty, and may cope by seeking excessive reassurance from others or engaging in checking behaviour. Metacognitive beliefs refer to an individual’s beliefs about his or her own thoughts. For example, a specific metacognitive belief is believing that thoughts are uncontrollable. Cognitive avoidance refers to thought strategies that are aimed at avoiding thoughts about undesirable events or problems. Self-report measures will be administered to non-clinical university students (N = 600) to investigate the relationship between HA, IU, metacognitive beliefs, and cognitive avoidance. Additional factors that have been previously found to contribute to HA will also be controlled for. It is hypothesized that IU, metacognitive beliefs, and cognitive avoidance, will have a significant relationship with HA. Expected findings have implications for HA understanding and treatment.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at Student Research Day held at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.
Faculty Mentor: Alexander Penney
Department: Psycholog
Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissists’ Reactions to Social Media Profiles
No full textSocial media (e.g., Instagram) provides a platform ripe for making upward social comparisons (i.e., comparing oneself to someone better off; Dumas et al., 2017; Frederick & Zhang, 2019). These upward comparisons have negative implications for people’s self-esteem, particularly when individuals seek social validation (Greenwood et al., 2018; Vogel et al., 2014). Vulnerable narcissists (i.e., introverted, insecure, but egotistical individuals) and grandiose narcissists (i.e., extroverted, confident, and egotistical individuals) look for others’ approval via social media more than their non-narcissistic counterparts (Greenwood et al., 2018; Ozimek et al., 2018) Using social media as a means of social validation may negatively impact narcissist’s self-esteem, particularly after viewing successful Instagram influencers. The present study investigated how grandiose and vulnerable narcissists feel after viewing popular Instagram profiles. We hypothesized that vulnerable narcissists would engage in more social comparison and experience lower self-esteem after viewing successful social media influencer profiles than grandiose narcissists. Participants (N = 201; 154 females, 46 males; Mage = 20.92, SD = 3.63) were randomly assigned to view either 10 popular Instagram influencer profiles or food profiles and their self-esteem was assessed. We found that individuals high in grandiose narcissism experienced lower self-esteem after viewing influencer profiles compared to those low in grandiose narcissism. Those high in vulnerable narcissism, however, experienced a decrease in self-esteem after viewing both food and influencer profiles compared to those low in vulnerable narcissism. Social media perpetuates a cycle of social comparisons that contributes to decreases in self-esteem, particularly among those high in vulnerable and grandiose narcissism.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Miranda Giacomin
Department: Psycholog
Been, Being, Becoming: An Auto-Ethnographical Analysis of Black Youth in Canada
No full textBlack youth often contend with negative external social constructions, labels, and categories, defining who they are as individuals and as racialized others. Regardless of the degree to which Black youth identify with these narratives of deviance, the expectations and assumptions within this discourse have consequences. This research project analyzed Black youth identity and racialization through the lens of my racialized experience of growing up Black in Canada. Thus, this study attempted to answer the following question: How have I as a Black youth made sense of the “narrative of deviance” as I created my identity during adolescence? The method used for this research was an auto-ethnographical approach, which allowed me to analyze my own life experiences and explore the themes in relation to academic literature on Black youth and adolescent experiences. As the primary researcher I coded the selected life experiences using MAXQDA coding software, analyzed them for major themes, and drew on the major connections that existed between the data and the existing literature. The existing literature represented Black youth identity as frequently being fraught with internal identity tension, varying levels of performative tendencies, and denial of individual recognition. My research found that throughout my life, I contended with social process that constructed Blackness, through creation, performance, and judgment, making my Blackness an object that was meant to represent a stereotypical image of a Black male.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Joanne Minaker
Department: Sociolog
Voices of International Students: Growth, Strengths, and Challenges at MacEwan University
No full textThis study aims to explore and gain a better understanding of the experiences of international students at MacEwan University of Edmonton using both qualitative and quantitative approaches through surveys and focus groups. This study will gain more insight into the different barriers faced by international students on both micro and macro levels, their experiences integrating themselves into a new culture, and details on their employment situations, financial situations, sense of well-being, and rationale in choosing MacEwan University of Edmonton. This study will also touch on what more MacEwan University can do to enhance this experience, both academically and personally for international students based on participant feedback.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Rita Dhungel
Department: Social Work
NOTE: This work is available to MacEwan users only at https://roam.macewan.ca/islandora/object/gm:215
Coho Salmon are Behaviourally Resilient After 120 Days of Rearing Under Altered Photoperiods and Salinities
No full textRecirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are a sustainable method used in aquaculture to farm healthy stocks of fish intended for market. In order to optimize fish growth, environmental conditions within RAS, including salinity and photoperiod are manipulated. However, little is known about the effect of varying photoperiod and salinity on behaviour. In this study, Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) smolts were reared in RAS for 120 days on either a 12 hour light: 12h dark or 24 hour light photoperiod and in salinities of either 2.5, 5, or 10 ppt. An additional group reared in 30 ppt and 24h light was examined. To determine the impact of photoperiod and salinity on behaviour, three behavioural test assays were employed. Locomotion was quantified using an open field test, the novel object approach test was used to quantify boldness, and the light/dark test was used to quantify anxiety-like behaviour. In the open field test we observed no significant differences in locomotion. In the novel object approach test, the 2.5 ppt (12h/12h) group demonstrated decreased boldness relative to the 10 ppt (24h) and 30 ppt (24h) groups. In the light/dark test, the 2.5 (12h/12h) group spent significantly less time in the dark zone. However, no significant differences were observed between any of the treatment groups, suggesting that anxiety-like behaviour was only minimally impacted. Taken together, the photoperiods and salinities investigated did not significantly affect coho salmon behaviour, which has important implications for RAS aquaculture.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)
Faculty Mentor: Trevor Hamilton
Department: Psychology
NOTE: This work is available to MacEwan users only at https://roam.macewan.ca/islandora/object/gm:210
Universal Design at MacEwan
No full textThis executive summary reports on highlights and thematic takeaways from interviews conducted at MacEwan University over July and August of 2019 on the subject of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL differs from the system of accommodation for students with disabilities as it exists now. In the system of accommodation, supports like alternative textbook formats and time and a half for exam writing are given to a particular student in order to support them in the learning environment. Whereas in UDL, the learning environment itself is changed to fit all students, and all of the learning supports that exist as accommodation are extended to everyone’s access if they need it. And so the accommodation system is a part of UDL, is included within it, but does not map on to it entirely. We interviewed 9 people who work in an administrative capacity at MacEwan in a variety of roles relevant to the discussion of student learning. Some of the participants also work as faculty in a teaching capacity or have worked as faculty during some part of their careers. The main theme arising from the interviews is the lack of an overarching, institutionally-guided UDL framework at MacEwan. Conditioned from the main theme, arose the following subthemes: the inconsistent understanding of UDL amongst both faculty and staff; the attitudes of students with existing accommodations as a barrier to UDL; the ambiguity of what UDL means for mental health issues; and the necessity of UDL “champions” to promote UDL.
Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled.)
Faculty Mentors: Melissa Hills & Alissa Overend
Department: Political Science
NOTE: This work is available to MacEwan users only at https://roam.macewan.ca/islandora/object/gm:221
A Return to Mechanical Solidarity : Panic Hoarding and Social Media in the Time of Pandemic
No full textThe emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic brought many changes to daily life in Canada. One such behavior that surfaced was what could be defined as ‘panic hoarding,’ namely, the purchasing of items such as toilet paper, sanitizer and disinfectant in far greater quantities per person than other times, which risked the creation of shortages across communities. In order to understand such behavior, this article will use ideas from Émile Durkheim to analyze the relationship of social media and its impact on the behavior of panic hoarding. In particular, Durkheim’s concepts of collective consciousness show how social media provides enough impetus to make the case that this pandemic is better defined by mechanical than organic solidarity. We can see social media as the vehicle through which collective consciousness can be experienced, and more immediately so at this time, insofar as we see how it influences panic hoarding behavior. We can also see that social media’s use of memes can be likened to totems, and that they give clues to the values we hold at this time.