Lab Members

FANTASTIC GRADUATE STUDENTS:

KRISTY BOUGHTON PhD Student

Kristy's Master’s Thesis considered how various perspectives of parenting behavior each relate to depressive symptoms and also to emotional resilience in youth who are experiencing mental health difficulties and seeking treatment. She also completed her Honour’s thesis in the RYRG, which considered discrepancies between parents and children in reporting child mood. She has published her research in the peer-reviewed journal, Depression Research and Treatment and has presented research at several conferences.

HAYLEY BOWERS PhD Student

Hayley's Master's Thesis examined the parental factors associated with life satisfaction in University students with and without a mental illness, further exploring the positive schemas as a potential mediator and/or moderating factor in this relationship. Hayley is excited to continue her PhD research in the RYRG and aims to examine the individual level factors associated with positive outcomes in University students with a mental illness. Hayley has published her research in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and has presented her research at developmental and positive psychology conferences.

SOPHIA FANOURGIAKIS PhD Candidate

Sophia completed her Master's Thesis at McMaster University, where she examined the language, affect, and behaviour characteristics of children with Selective Mutism compared to children with other anxiety difficulties during a self-presentation task. Since joining RYRG in 2010, Sophia has worked closely with the Wellington Catholic District School Board, and the alternative high school St. John Bosco in particular, to conduct community-engaged research on student engagement and well-being. She has presented her research at several conferences.

JORDAN FRIEDMANN PhD Student

Jordan's Master's Thesis examined the stability of both positive and negative schemas in adolescence and whether these schemas could prospectively predict depressive symptoms and resilience in youth. Jordan looks forward to continuing her PhD research in the RYRG and hopes to examine the impact of a strengths based positive psychology intervention on schemas, depression, and resilience in youth.

KATIE CHERRY MA Student

Katie is in the second year of the MA program in Clinical Psychology: Applied Developmental Emphasis. Her Master’s thesis is examining the unique roles of positive and negative schemas in predicting depressive symptomatology, happiness, and life-satisfaction in an adolescent sample. She is more broadly interested in the field of positive clinical psychology as it pertains to youth, especially developing models of positive youth development and identifying factors associated with flourishing and well-being for youth. She has published her research in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Neuropsychology: Child, and has presented research at positive psychology conferences.

JESSIE HEAMAN PHD Student

FORMER GRADUATE STUDENTS:

LINDSEY KEYFITZ PhD Candidate

Lindsey's research in the RYRG has focused on incorporating positive constructs into traditional deficit-based cognitive models of youth emotional development. Her Master's Thesis involved the construction and validation of the first Positive Schema Questionnaire, and evaluated the role of positive schemas in the development of depression, anxiety, and resilience. Lindsey completed her Doctoral dissertation which evaluated the mechanisms though which positive life events interact with positive schemas to predict daily and long term adaptive and maladaptive emotional development.

BRAE ANNE MACARTHUR PhD

Brae completed her Doctoral dissertation in the RYRG in the area of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder (PBD). She explored the relation between parenting and resiliency for youth with PBD and examined the mediating role of positive schemas. She has also been involved in the RYRG completing research looking at the protective function of positive schemes in young adults who have experienced emotional maltreatment and in youth with a history of mental health difficulties. She has completed her pre-doctoral residency at Alberta Children's Hospital and is currently completing her post-doctoral fellowship at Temple University.

ELIZABETH CARLSON PhD Student

Elizabeth completed her honours thesis at MacEwan University where she examined how sexual offenders’ own abuse histories and use of denial related to their estimated risk to reoffend. She has published her research in the peer-reviewed journal, Journal of Criminal Psychology, and has presented research at several conferences. She completed her Master's thesis exploring how individual strengths relate to academic engagement for First Nations youth in a collaborative research project with Lakehead University. Elizabeth is currently completing her PhD at the University of Alberta.

RACHEL TOMLINSON PhD Student

Rachel did her Honour's Thesis in the RYRG and continued as a Graduate Research Assistant in the lab during her Master's degree. She is currently completing her Doctoral Thesis with Dr. Meghan McMurtry examining positive psychological factors as they relate to health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with chronic abdominal pain. Rachel's research with the RYRG examines how positive schemas relate to subjective well-being in children and adolescents. She has presented this research, along with her pain research at a number of conferences across North America.

FABULOUS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS:

Keith Hamilton

Current Honour's Thesis Students:
Keith Hamilton: Keith is examining the effect of social identity on mental illness stigma among varsity athletes for his honors thesis. His thesis looks to examine how social identity can influence the relationship between mental illness stigma and help-seeking behaviour among varsity athletes. In the future, Keith plans to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology.

Former Honour's Thesis Students:
Sarah Newcomb-Anjo: Sarah examined attachment style as a mediator between emotional maltreatment and positive schemas in young adulthood. Sarah is continuing her studies in clinical psychology.
Bikram Singh: Bikram examined how strengths in faith and culture related to youth-reported resilience for boys and girls in high school.
Mike Strating, BA: Mike published his Honour's Thesis from last year and was involved in various other lab projects. Mike is continuing his studies in clinical psychology.

Current Research Assistants:
Jazzmin and Megan