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Research 101: A Beginner's Guide to Psychological Research at Western

Research is a fundamental aspect of psychology as it forms the foundations for the theories and concepts we work with. Getting involved with research on campus can elevate your experience here and provide you with valuable experience and can provide an insider look into how research is conducted, and is particularly useful for those wishing to complete a thesis/independent study. Majority of psych classes are rooted in theories that have been fairly well established, so it’s exciting to be a part of something new and current. Even if you do not wish to pursue academia/research in the future, hands-on research experience provides you with many transferable skills, and is a good way to get involved with the community at large.

Western has a wide variety of psychological research, with over 50 faculty members being actively involved in research, alongside a myriad of grad and post-grad students. Research is organized within four clusters, although there is often considerable overlap within these subject areas. The clusters are as follows: 

  • Clinical science and psychopathology, 

  • Cognitive, developmental, and brain sciences

  • Industrial/Organizational psychology and

  • Social, developmental, and personality psychology

This article aims to give you a brief overview of the topics covered by each cluster and highlight the work done by some of the faculty members. For more details, consult the UWO psychology faculty website.


CLINICAL SCIENCE AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

This area of research looks at causes and treatments of adaptive and maladaptive behaviours in adults and children. As the name suggests, clinical research aims to better understand the inner workings of psychopathologies, factors that contribute to their development, and potential treatments. Research in this area often overlaps with other clusters as researchers often adopt a biopsychosocial framework for understanding these disorders. This is a popular choice for those wishing to pursue counselling/therapy as a career, although many continue with research.


FACULTY

  • Dr. Lindsay Bodell

    • Dr. Bodell leads a lab that seeks to understand the processes that contribute to the development and maintenance of eating disorders. 

  • Dr Jesus Chavarria

    • Dr Chavarria’s research aims to investigate the risk factors associated with developing substance use disorders and developing treatments to reduce/eliminate such behaviours

  • Dr. David Dozois

    • Dr. Dozois’s lab focuses on the cognitive vulnerabilities to depression and developing cognitive-behavioural therapies(CBT) for depression.

  • Dr. Elizabeth Hayden

    • Dr. Hayden investigates the pathways to adaptive and pathological mood dysregulation, with a focus on looking at which children are most likely to develop pathologies later in life, in response to early life adversity.

For a full list of faculty members belonging to this cluster, see here.


COGNITIVE, DEVELOPMENTAL, AND BRAIN SCIENCE

This is the largest cluster at Western, and it encompasses a broad and multidisciplinary array of research interests, all rooted in the exploration of the biological basis for behaviour and cognitive function. Cognition research looks at a number of functions such as sensory perception, memory, attention, reasoning, and language processing. In particular, language processing is Western’s biggest strength, and this includes topics such as concepts and categories, word recognition and meaning, bilingualism and language development. Developmental research looks at the emotional and cognitive development of brain function over the lifespan, focusing on the period from infancy to young adulthood. Research in this cluster emphasizes use of equipment such as EEG machines, fMRI and fNIRS (both brain imaging techniques), eye-tracking, and computational modeling.

The Brain and Mind Institute, which is a group of multidisciplinary researchers investigating the mysteries of cognitive neuroscience, including individuals from faculties such as neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology among others, falls under this cluster. Additionally, this cognitive research expands to the rest of the animal kingdom as we also take a look at animal cognition, including a dedicated facility for bird psychology (Advanced Facility for Avian Research).


FACULTY

  • Dr. Blake Butler

    • Dr. Butler’s research focuses on the role of plasticity in development of sensory systems, particularly in those with hearing loss and cochlear implants.

  • Dr. John Paul Minda

    • Dr. Minda’s research is oriented at understanding how we our experiences are organized into mental concepts and categories, and how these concepts influence our behaviours, plans, and decisions.

  • Dr. Daniel Ansari

    • Dr. Ansari and his team explore the typical and atypical development of numerical and mathematical skills, using both behavioural and neuroimaging methods.

  • Dr. Jessica Grahn

    • Dr Grahn’s lab examines the psychology of music, looking at the perception of music and possible therapeutic uses of music.

  • Dr. Paul Gribble

    • Dr. Gribble’s research focuses on sensory and motor systems, particularly how the brain controls voluntary movement and how plasticity in these brain areas support motor learning

  • For a full list of faculty, see here


SOCIAL, PERSONALITY, DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY (SPDP)

The SPDP cluster groups three subfields together to create a large area of research, where they have 5 main areas of focus:

  • Close relationships, health behaviours, and sexual behaviour: This subfield looks at how people function in relationships, specifically romantic relationships.

  • Intergroup relations and social justice: This subtopic includes research on prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination and group competition and conflict amongst several other related topics.

  • Attitudes, social cognition and social interactions: This focuses on attitudes, leadership and followership, and social decision making and various similar concepts

  • Personality psychology: This subfield examines the theory and measurement of individual differences in personality and takes a closer look at various such traits.

  • Social Development: Lastly, this area looks at processes that contribute to social behavioural change, such as risk taking, bullying, and social rejection.


FACULTY

  • Dr. Erin Heerey

  • Dr. Samantha Joel

  • Dr. Lorne Campbell

    • Dr. Campbell leads a lab that focuses on romantic relationships and interpersonal attraction

  • Dr. Julie Aitken Schermer

    • Dr. Schermer’s work centers around personality research, with a focus on loneliness.

  • Dr. Victoria M. Esses

    • Dr. Esses’ work is oriented around intergroup relations and social justice, and her primary focus is promoting the integration of immigrants in Canada

For a full list of faculty, see here


INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

This is the smallest and probably the most underrated cluster not only at Western, but across psychology. Industrial and Organizational psychology looks at the application of psychological principles in the workplace. Essentially, you can think of it as applied social psychology. Research in this area looks at leadership, work motivation, workplace attitudes, group work and team dynamics. This is the area of psychology that has the most direct applicability to the ‘real word’, as it looks at how people function in workplace environments, and emphasizes practical work experience alongside research.


FACULTY

  • Dr. Alex Benson

    • Dr. Benson’s research focuses on group dynamics and what allows a team to function the best.

  • Dr. M. Blair Evans

    • Dr. Evans leads a lab that looks at interdependence and influence of people in group settings,

  • Dr. John Meyer

    • Dr. Meyer’s research has looked at work motivation, commitment, leadership, and employee well-being.

For a full list of faculty, see here


As an undergrad student, you can contribute by becoming a student volunteer, participating in a work-study program(if eligible), or even by simply participating in the research itself! Check out the WPA website for tips on emailing professors for lab roles. Lastly, we will be doing in-depth interviews with select professors regarding their research so keep an eye out on the blog for that! 

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