UBC Department of Psychology

A new study by doctoral student Ian Hohm and psychology professor Dr. Mark Schaller has revealed regular seasonal shifts in people’s moral values.
The finding has potential implications for politics, law and health—including the timing of elections and court cases, as well as public response to a health crisis.
Learn more here: https://psych.ubc.ca/news/peoples-moral-values-change-with-the-seasons/

The UBC Early Development Research Group (EDRG) is recruiting motivated undergraduate students who are interested in volunteering as Research Assistants. The EDRG is looking for current UBC students who are interested in developmental research and can commit to 8 hours a week for two terms.

The deadline to apply is August 18!

Volunteers will be involved in data entry and database management, participant recruitment initiatives, study appointment scheduling and bookings, social media management, and other tasks that enable the EDRG to run efficiently. This is a great opportunity to gain invaluable hands-on experience in a dynamic research environment.

This position requires excellent team work, communication and organizational skills as well as high attention to detail. Volunteer RAs should be comfortable with working independently. Previous research experience is not required so this is a great opportunity for students to get involved in research opportunities.

To apply, visit https://edrg.psych.ubc.ca/about-us/volunteer, fill in the application form, and send completed application form with CV and cover letter to [email protected] (edited)

The Early Development Research Group () is recruiting motivated undergraduate students who are interested in volunteering as Research Assistants. The EDRG is looking for current UBC students who are interested in developmental research and can commit to 8 hours a week for two terms.

The deadline to apply is August 18.

Volunteers will be involved in data entry and database management, participant recruitment initiatives, study appointment scheduling and bookings, social media management, and other tasks that enable the EDRG to run efficiently. This is a great opportunity to gain invaluable hands-on experience in a dynamic research environment.

This position requires excellent team work, communication and organizational skills as well as high attention to detail. Volunteer RAs should be comfortable with working independently. Previous research experience is not required so this is a great opportunity for students to get involved in research opportunities.

To apply, visit https://edrg.psych.ubc.ca/about-us/volunteer (link in bio), fill in the application form, and send completed application form with CV and cover letter to: [email protected]

📣 Calling all undergraduate and graduate UBC students!

Are you looking to get involved in research this upcoming fall term? The Centre for Cognitive Development is hiring for 3 RA positions: In-lab Kid RA, In-lab Adult RA, and Daycare RA.

To learn more and apply, click the link in bio.

📣 HEY
Are you passionate about your career in , and/or ? Share that passion and help inspire the next generation of health professionals as a presenter!

We are currently looking for health professionals and students to lead interactive workshops and speak on our career panel at the Discovery Days in Health Sciences events at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute. The event date is November 7, 2024. Apply by September 13.

Learn more: cdnmedhall.ca/BCCHRI/presenters


BC Children's Hospital Research Institute MD Financial Management - Gestion financière MD BC Women's Hospital University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia UBC Biomedical Research Centre Chemical and Biological Engineering at UBC UBC Department of Psychology UBC School of Social Work | Okanagan Campus UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences UBC School of Kinesiology UBC Biochemistry UBC Biochemistry Student Association UBC Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Student Association
UBC Biochemistry UBC Department of Dermatology and Skin Science UBCFamPractice UBC Midwifery ICORD Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia UBC Department of Physical Therapy UBC SPPH UBC Psychiatry BRAIN Lab UBC School of Nursing UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Doctors of BC Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health Vancouver Coastal Health

🐱🐾 PETS OF UBC PSYCH: Meet Rin, the delightful 6-year-old Tabby. She’s the affectionate green-eyed cat of undergraduate student Roxy Aneculaesei and she’s always got mischief up her paws. Learn more about Rin’s love for chips and doughnuts and her adventurous climbing feat here: https://psych.ubc.ca/news/rin-pets-of-ubc-psych/

Work with us! We invite applications for a tenure-track assistant professor in health psychology with a focus on social determinants of health. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2025. ⁠
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The deadline for applications is October 1, 2024. To learn more and apply visit: https://bit.ly/UBCPsychHealth⁠
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Equity, diversity and inclusion are integral to advancing the research and teaching excellence in our department. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including s*x, s*xual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. ⁠
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Learn more about our EDI in hiring: https://psych.ubc.ca/edi/hiring/⁠
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Photo: Paul Joseph / UBC Brand & Marketing / UBC Studios

🏆 Congratulations to Dr. Steven Barnes, Dr. Catharine Rankin, and Dr. Noah Silverberg for securing Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) 2024 project grants!
From studies on bipolar disorder and Parkinson's disease to concussion rehabilitation trials, University of British Columbia psychology researchers are pushing the boundaries of health research.
Learn more about their research projects here: https://bit.ly/2024CIHR

UBC Psychology invites applications for two tenure-track positions at the assistant professor level in behavioural neuroscience, to begin on July 1, 2025.

Successful candidates would also become members of the ⁠
Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, one of the most comprehensive brain care and research centres in Canada. The DMCBH has transformed UBC into an international leader in neuroscience research.⁠
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The deadline for applications is October 1, 2024. Learn more and apply: https://bit.ly/PsychBNSPositions⁠
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Equity, diversity and inclusion are integral to advancing the research and teaching excellence in our department. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including s*x, s*xual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. ⁠
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Learn more about our EDI in hiring: https://psych.ubc.ca/edi/hiring/

📣 Call for collaborators! The Global Happiness Megastudy, co-lead by UBC Psychology's Dr. Elizabeth Dunn and Dunigan Folk, is looking for researchers to join their large-scale, cross-cultural, and collaborative team.

Collaborators will gain the opportunity to test ideas on an unusually large and diverse population and participate in one of the most impactful happiness experiments of this decade. They will also receive co-authorship on the project.

Open to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty members.

Learn more and join now: https://www.happinessmegastudy.com/call-for-collaborators

In June, Faculty of Arts members shared their expertise on a wide range of topics with the media. They've covered everything from Metro Vancouver board members to the power of short stories and the history of nuclear tests in India.

Check out more insights from our knowledgeable faculty: https://www.arts.ubc.ca/news/arts-in-the-media-june-2024/

Food insecurity on campus is a pressing issue that affects student well-being and academic success. To help address this in the psychology community, Dr. Lily May, Andre Zamani, and members of our Socioeconomics Community of Practice (CoP) launched the UBC Psychology Community Pantry.

"Our pantry uses a ‘give when you can, take when you need’ approach. The pantry is open to all students, as well as staff, post-docs, and anyone else in the psychology department."
- Dr. Lily May

They join us for an insightful Q&A on the origins of the community pantry, how to access it, and options to donate to the pantry.

🔗 Read more:

UBC Psychology Community Pantry: Give what you can, take what you need - UBC Department of Psychology Food insecurity on campus is a pressing issue that affects student well-being and academic success. To help address this in the psychology community, Dr. Lily May and Andre Zamani launched a community pantry.

🐱🐾 Meet E-mail, the adorable 4-year-old domestic shorthair tuxedo cat. E-mail loves eating Eggos and hops in his cardboard box in hopes of some treats!
Learn more about E-mail and his quirks: https://psych.ubc.ca/news/e-mail-pets-of-ubc-psych/

Dr. Toni Schmader to become UBC Psychology’s next department head!

On July 1, 2024, Dr. Toni Schmader (she/her/hers) will be the first woman to lead UBC’s Department of Psychology in UBC Faculty of Arts. This three-year appointment marks a new chapter in the department’s history.

She succeeds Dr. Geoffrey Hall, who we thank for his leadership and inspiration over the last 10 years as department head.

Dr. Schmader, who joined the department in 2009, brings a wealth of experience and insights to her new role. Dr. Schmader is the Director of ESS Consortium and the Social Identity Lab. Her research examines how stereotypes and bias constrain people’s performance, preferences, and self-views, with a particular focus on gender stereotypes and implicit bias.

“UBC Psychology is filled with incredibly innovative and collegial people who hold a shared vision for the strength and the potential for our discipline. I most look forward to working alongside people in the department to develop and implement creative solutions to our challenges.”
-Dr. Toni Schmader

In a Q&A, Dr. Schmader shares her vision for the department and her goal of fostering greater cross-collaboration across research areas and between students and faculty.

🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/3KWghTw

June 21 marks National Indigenous Peoples Day. The summer solstice is significant to many Indigenous groups and communities across Canada which makes this a fitting opportunity to recognize and celebrate the history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada.

Visit UBC Events for events and resources at UBC Vancouver campus.

Dr. Amori Mikami, known for her research on childhood peer relationships and ADHD interventions, was announced as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Clinical Child Psychology by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.⁠
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Dr. Mikami will use this support to examine barriers to mental health services and structures that encourage a more socially inclusive and welcoming peer group, particularly for the equity-deserving population of Asian Canadian youth with ADHD. ⁠
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The Canada Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders Fund is providing additional infrastructure funding to Dr. Mikami as a chairholder.⁠
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Join us in congratulating Dr. Mikami on this recognition and support of her research program!⁠

More:

UBC Psychology gains Canada Research Chair in Clinical Child Psychology - UBC Department of Psychology Dr. Amori Mikami, known for her research on childhood peer relationships and ADHD interventions, is one of UBC's new Canada Research Chairs.

⭐ From 2SLGBTQIA+ s*xual well-being research to developing interventions to treat pediatric concussion, MA student Kiarah O’Kane is removing barriers and improving accessibility in clinical psychology research.

Learn more about Kiarah’s graduate experience: https://psych.ubc.ca/news/graduate-spotlight-qa-kiarah-okane/

Congratulations to Psychology faculty Drs. Kiran Soma, James Enns, and Stan Floresco for receiving funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada as a part of the Discovery Grant Program!

Learn more about their research: https://bit.ly/4c3NMPO

The ability to imagine is pivotal for human development, driving creativity and problem-solving. It may also influence our relationship with others, according to new research.⁠
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Dr. Daniela Palombo is co-author of a new study led by Dr. Brendan O’Connor of the University at Albany, SUNY. The research team has developed a new framework for investigating imagination as a process in which individuals co-create shared representations of hypothetical events —what they’re calling “collaborative imagination.”⁠
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Using the framework, O’Connor and colleagues from the University of British Columbia and University of Nottingham, believe they are making important strides toward understanding the ways that imagination fosters social connection.⁠
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“These findings shed new light on the nature and structure of imagination with implications for better understanding interpersonal relationships, future thinking, and the formation of collective beliefs across social networks.” - Dr. Daniela Palombo, Associate Professor, UBC Psychology⁠
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To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3VqFUAG

Meet Jigoo, the 8-month-old mix lab and jindo. Jigoo is bilingual and he will respond to both his Korean name and Filipino name! 🐾

Learn more about Jingoo through the link in bio.

A key to children playing nice is their ability to understand other people’s perspectives, according to new research from Dr. Susan Birch, UBC psychology associate professor.

In two large studies of children aged three to 12, researchers examined how children’s social understanding, or their ability to grasp others’ thoughts and feelings, predicted their happiness, relationships and how they handled emotions.⁠
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“We found that when kids are good at understanding how others think and feel, they tend to have better friendships, work together better, communicate more effectively and are more likely to help others,” said Dr. Birch.⁠
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Conversely, children who struggled with this skill experienced more social-emotional difficulties, such as poor impulse control, hyperactivity, showing disobedience and misbehaving.⁠
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“Our big takeaway is that social understanding is a really important skill because it impacts so many different aspects of social-emotional health and wellness.”⁠

Learn more about the study:

UBC Psychology study: Understanding others helps children feel better - UBC Department of Psychology A key to children playing nice is their ability to understand other people’s perspectives, according to research from Dr. Susan Birch.

June commemorates Indigenous History Month in Canada. The month encourages people to learn about, appreciate and acknowledge the rich history, heritage, resilience, contributions and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples across the country. ⁣
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Find events and resources here:

Indigenous History Month - UBCevents Indigenous History Month events at UBC Vancouver

Applications for our Diversity Mentorship Program are open! This program provides mentorship and professional development for students from diverse, under-resourced, traditionally underrepresented, and/or marginalized backgrounds. It's geared towards advanced undergraduates or recent graduates who want to pursue research-oriented graduate studies and research careers in psychology.

The program is open to people anywhere in the world through a hybrid format. Workshops will be held throughout the academic year on topics such as:

🔵 Career options in psychology
🔵 Planning your unique academic and professional path
🔵 How to apply for graduate school, funding, and the interview process
🔵 Diversity in academic psychology

If this piques your interest, apply here: https://bit.ly/UBCPsychDiversity

Applications close on August 2!

See what others had to say:

"I got to learn additional information on applying for scholarship as well as finding opportunities outside for a gap year which are extremely useful. I also got inspired a lot by hearing about other mentors journey and felt grateful for any tips they gave about the application process. "

"I loved the opportunity to be a part of this program and have tremendous gratitude for my mentor, their kindness and the guidance, direction and opportunities I was presented with. "

"One of the benefits I experienced in this program is that I could find a mentor who studied the same topics that interest me and shares a similar diverse background with me. We can both talk about exciting research topics, and I can get advice about grad school. "

"As an international student, I feel very satisfied that programs such as this exist. In Latin America, it is very difficult to find mentors to help apply to graduate school, but this program has been extremely helpful. Thank you, and I hope that more students can benefit from this. "

Diversity Mentorship Program | Psychology | University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver Diversity Mentorship Program

Psych students! Check out this new course offered by UBC Biology at Beaty Biodiversity Museum for Winter Session 2024/25: BIOL 488A: Introduction to Natural History Collections & Biodiversity Science.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
By the end of the course, students will have a foundation in biodiversity science, how biological diversity is preserved in natural history collections, and how those collections are used in scientific research. Along the way, we will explore the historical and contemporary roles of natural history collections in science and society and feature the people behind the collections.

THIS COURSE IS FOR:
Any UBC student with a 3rd-year standing, interested in hands-on experience with natural history collections.

Join us in congratulating Kiarah O’Kane on receiving a 2024 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship!

Kiarah, a clinical psychology masters student at UBC, received this award to support their PhD research project ‘A multi-method examination of links between gender euphoria and s*xual well-being in gender-diverse and cisgender individuals and couples.’

“It is an honour to be one of the 2024 Vanier Scholars, representing UBC's Psychology Department. I am so thrilled to have received this funding to support my PhD research examining links between gender euphoria and s*xual well-being. I am very grateful for the opportunity to conduct research that will deepen our understandings about an under-researched topic -- positive aspects of transgender and gender-diverse individuals' s*xual experiences -- and broaden knowledge about gendered s*xuality in general.” -Kiarah O'Kane

Across Canada, 166 doctoral students received the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS). The Vanier CGS program awards up to $50,000 per year for three years to students working in social sciences and humanities, natural sciences, engineering and health.

To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3VegHt0

🏳️‍🌈 June is Pride month! We’re proud to celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff. Explore the many Pride activities at our Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, connect with your community, and reflect on what each of us can do to support 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion: https://events.ubc.ca/pride/

Join Dr. Wolfgang Linden for a Q&A and discussion on his book 'The Illusion of Control: A Practical Guide to Avoid Futile Struggles'. 📕

Based on scientific evidence and real-life experience, Dr. Linden's book makes a well-justified case that people grossly overestimate how much power they have over others and simultaneously miss out on opportunities to enjoy and exploit the power they have over themselves.

At this event, Dr. Linden will share his legacy research and insights on how individuals often overestimate their influence over others while overlooking the potential within themselves.

Please RSVP here:

The Illusion of Control: Book event with Dr. Wolfgang Linden - UBC Department of Psychology At this event, Dr. Linden shares his legacy research, insights, and lifelong learning on how individuals often overestimate their influence over others while overlooking the potential within themselves.

🏆 Three psychology projects received support through the new UBC Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism (StEAR) Enhancement Fund (UBC Equity & Inclusion):

• PrideMind Hub: Providing essential research and well-being resources for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Psychology
• Increasing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Classroom Teaching and Research Labs
• Enhancing Disability Equity and Community Engagement: The Anxiety, Stress, and Autism Program (ASAP) Community Advisory Board Initiative

Congratulations to all for securing StEAR funding for their community advancement projects!

Learn more about the psychology projects that received funding here:

StEAR Funding awarded to three psychology projects - UBC Department of Psychology Three psychology projects have received funding to advance the department's equity, diversity and inclusion goals and priorities.

Congratulations to Dr. Friedrich Götz who was awarded the 2024 Canadian Psychological Association | Société canadienne de psychologie (CPA) President’s New Researcher Award.!⁠
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Dr. Götz will be at the annual CPA Conference in June to deliver his award address: ‘On the Geography of Psychology’.⁠

⁠The CPA President's New Researcher Awards recognize the exceptional quality of the contribution of new researchers to psychological knowledge in Canada.

Dr. Friedrich Götz honoured with CPA President’s New Researcher Award - UBC Department of Psychology Dr. Götz will attend the annual CPA Conference in Ottawa to deliver an award address. The title of his talk will be 'On the Geography of Psychology'.

Join us in congratulating our graduate students who crossed the stage at UBC’s spring 2024 graduation ceremony!

One of our graduates, Gordon Heltzel (PhD’24), shares why he chose to study psychology at UBC, what inspired his research, and his advice for others considering graduate school.

To read the Q&A, visit: https://psych.ubc.ca/news/spring-grad-student-2024-grad/

The entire psychology community is proud of Gordon and all of our graduating MA and PhD students. We wish you all the best!