Psychology
This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's Department of Psychology .
Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).
Waterloo faculty, students, and staff can contact us or visit the UWSpace guide to learn more about depositing their research.
Recent deposits
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Children’s social perceptions and metaperceptions during an initial interaction with an unfamiliar peer
(University of Waterloo, 2023-05-31)Background. Interacting with an unfamiliar social partner is a critical first step in forming a relationship (Hinde & Stevenson-Hinde, 1987). During these initial interactions, individuals tend to be more positive than ... -
On Memory for Everyday Symbols
(University of Waterloo, 2023-05-25)This thesis investigated the memorability of common graphic symbols (e.g., !@#$%) and logos. In an initial set of 4 experiments, participants were presented during study with symbols or words (e.g., $ or ‘dollar’). In ... -
Temperament, attention, and the social world: New empirical approaches to the study of shyness and attention in middle childhood
(University of Waterloo, 2023-05-16)In order to navigate their social world, children must come prepared to flexibly attend to and shift between the many different aspects of an interaction. For temperamentally shy children, for whom the demands of everyday ... -
Moving On Up: Investigating the Embodied Metaphor of Verticality and its Effect on Overconfidence
(University of Waterloo, 2023-01-12)As investment in Virtual Reality (VR) continues, we sought to better understand the unique value proposition this technology has to offer by testing the impact of a virtually embodied metaphor on self-evaluation. In both ... -
Close Others as Context: Understanding Treatment Attitudes in Anxiety and Related Disorders
(University of Waterloo, 2023-01-03)Up to one-quarter of the North American population suffers from excessive anxiety and the associated impaired quality of life. While there is evidence that anxiety treatment is effective, it is underutilized, with most ... -
The Idea of a Follower: An Investigation of Implicit Followership Theories and Their Correlates
(University of Waterloo, 2022-11-28)Implicit followership theories (IFTs) are our subjective assumptions, or lay beliefs, about characteristics of followers. These beliefs can exert a powerful influence on workplace relationships between leaders and followers. ... -
Context matters: criticism and accommodation by close others associated with treatment attitudes in those with anxiety
(Cambridge University Press, 2022-08-26)Background: Many people with anxiety do not seek therapy due to negative views of treatment. Although close others (e.g. romantic partners, family members, close friends) are highly involved in treatment decisions, the ... -
Development of an Efficient and Broadly Applicable Measure of Case Conceptualization Quality
(University of Waterloo, 2022-10-17)Case conceptualizations are seen as important to the provision of effective and efficient psychological interventions. In creating a case conceptualization, a clinician summarizes information obtained during a course of ... -
The interpersonal context of desire: Exploring associations between sexual desire, relationship satisfaction, and sexual satisfaction in romantic relationships
(University of Waterloo, 2022-09-29)Research has consistently shown that sexual desire, the motivation to seek out or become receptive to sexual stimulation, is associated with positive intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes (Chao et al., 2011; Dosch, ... -
Perceptions of Social Support in Response to Racism: Consequences of White People Validating Versus Reframing Racial Discrimination
(University of Waterloo, 2022-09-19)People of color (POC) commonly experience racism, yet little research examines how POC wish to be supported after instances of discrimination. This research draws on close relationship and intergroup relations literature ... -
Do Inclusive Norms and Diversity Statements Increase Intended Allyship and Advocacy Against Discrimination?
(University of Waterloo, 2022-09-14)Many companies signal support for diversity (e.g., via statements and training) yet show group-based disparities, with people of color or women underrated or underpaid relative to White or male coworkers. For White women, ... -
Examining the relationship between boredom and creativity
(University of Waterloo, 2022-09-08)Popular sentiment expresses that boredom leads to creativity despite a lack of research investigating the relationship explicitly. Across two experiments this thesis examined the relations between both state and trait ... -
Can children use probability to guide their choices under uncertainty?
(University of Waterloo, 2022-09-01)We encounter situations in our everyday lives where we need to make decisions under uncertainty. But what kind of information do we use and what abilities are helpful to us when making decisions under uncertainty? In three ... -
Don’t Ask, I’ll Tell: Investigating Strategy Use During Disability Disclosure at Work
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-31)The nature and effects of workplace disability disclosure—sharing disability-relevant information with others at work—is of great interest to researchers and human resources professionals. In this dissertation, I investigate ... -
Perception of Probabilities which are Subject to Change
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-29)To navigate stochastic and changing environments, people need to keep track of ongoing probabilities as those probabilities are subject to change. Two distinct theories of mental-model updating are compared. In trial-by-trial ... -
Updating Local and Global Probability Events During Maze Navigation
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-29)Our mental models consist of relational knowledge. We apply this knowledge about whether something is near to or far from something else to solve tasks. As a specific exam- ple, when we navigate in our environment, we have ... -
Lay Theories and Self-Perceptions of Maturity in Young Adulthood
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-25)There is concern that maturity is becoming more and more of an elusive goal for contemporary young adults. Cultural definitions of maturity often emphasize timely achievement of traditional adult goals such as buying a ... -
Misjudging How to Help: Barriers to Effective Social Support Provision
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-23)Relying on others for support is a common coping strategy. However, support providers often fail to provide effective support. Past work suggests that support providers may prioritize help aimed at alleviating others’ ... -
When our co-workers share their unfair experiences, do we believe them? Perceptions of workplace fairness are negatively related to perceived credibility of coworkers’ claims of injustice
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-23)Prior research shows that when observing a co-worker being treated unfairly, employees who are third parties to the incident feel angry and want to punish the perpetrator. However, research has focused on situations in ... -
The Persistence of Involuntary Memory: Analyzing Phenomenology, Links to Mental Health, and Content
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-23)In daily life, memories of one’s personal past are often retrieved involuntarily (i.e., unintentionally and effortlessly). Termed involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs), recent evidence suggests that these are often ...