published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

A number of studies have indicated that individuals with arthritis have a decreased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Inflammatory processes are implicated in the neurodegeneration associated with AD and the reduced risk associated with arthritis may be due to the anti-inflammatory (AI) drugs used by these individuals. The present project used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the integrity of gray and white brain matter in AI users compared to controls not taking AIs. Thirty six female AI users were compared to thirty three controls. All participants underwent extensive neuropsychological testing. MRI scans included diffusion-weighted imaging, sensitive to the microstructural integrity of brain matter, high resolution anatomical imaging for the determination of brain volume, and T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging, sensitive to white matter damage that is seen as hyperintense regions on this type of image. AI users showed increased brain integrity in the frontal lobes and in the corpus callosum, compared to controls indicated by diffusion imaging. Volumetric analysis indicated that AI users and controls have different relationships between brain volume and age. AI users showed greater brain volume than controls at higher ages, particularly in frontal and parietal brain regions, and in the cingulate. White matter hyperintensity volume did not differ between AI users and controls. Finally, the data indicated that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, but not methotrexate use, had a beneficial effect on cognitive function, particularly in the domain of memory function.

The term ”déjà vu” was first introduced around the 1890s in order to separate thephenomenon from other paramnesias, but a clear consensus on its definition was not reacheduntil mid 20th century. Since the middle of the 19th century, several dozens ofparapsychological, pseudoscientific and scientific theories have been proposed to explain thedéjà vu phenomenon, ranging from “messages from God” to “delayed neural transmissionspeed”. Most scientific theories can be divided into four categories: dual-processing,neurological, memory and attentional. This paper discusses and compares some of thesetheories. Memory and attentional theories are concluded to have most explanatory power andpotential to demystify the phenomenon through future research.

A two-part study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between fiction writing and social cognition: the ability to make inferences about the mental states of others. First, an online survey was administered that assessed beliefs held by the general public about the social cognition of fiction writers compared to a variety of other professions. The findings revealed that the general public believes fiction writers demonstrate above average sociocognitive abilities. Next, the possibility of an empirical relationship between social cognition and fiction writing was explored by comparing two groups of fiction writers (established/published and intermediate writers) and a control group on measures directly assessing different facets of social cognition (e.g., social perception, interpreting body language, and making inferences about interpersonal interactions on video and in written vignettes). Participants were also asked to self-report their own sociocognitive abilities via a questionnaire assessing perspective taking. Related variables to social cognition were also tested, including self-reported interpersonal/social reactivity and cognitive complexity/differentiation. Potential confounding variables, including age, level of depression, verbal IQ, and tendency to read fiction were also measured and accounted for. All participants provided a short story writing sample which was scored by three experts for quality, as well as potential textual determinants of social cognition: character transparency and point of view. The results of the study consistently revealed a lack of between-group differences on measures of social cognition as well as the related measure of cognitive complexity/differentiation. Fiction writing quality and character transparency correlated only with cognitive complexity/differentiation, but not with any variables directly assessing social cognition. Taken together, the results of the study suggest that, contrary to public perceptions, and contrary to the hypotheses of many theorists in the literature, fiction writers do not demonstrate superior sociocognitive abilities.

A two-part study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between fiction writing and social cognition: the ability to make inferences about the mental states of others. First, an online survey was administered that assessed beliefs held by the general public about the social cognition of fiction writers compared to a variety of other professions. The findings revealed that the general public believes fiction writers demonstrate above average sociocognitive abilities. Next, the possibility of an empirical relationship between social cognition and fiction writing was explored by comparing two groups of fiction writers (established/published and intermediate writers) and a control group on measures directly assessing different facets of social cognition (e.g., social perception, interpreting body language, and making inferences about interpersonal interactions on video and in written vignettes). Participants were also asked to self-report their own sociocognitive abilities via a questionnaire assessing perspective taking. Related variables to social cognition were also tested, including self-reported interpersonal/social reactivity and cognitive complexity/differentiation. Potential confounding variables, including age, level of depression, verbal IQ, and tendency to read fiction were also measured and accounted for. All participants provided a short story writing sample which was scored by three experts for quality, as well as potential textual determinants of social cognition: character transparency and point of view. The results of the study consistently revealed a lack of between-group differences on measures of social cognition as well as the related measure of cognitive complexity/differentiation. Fiction writing quality and character transparency correlated only with cognitive complexity/differentiation, but not with any variables directly assessing social cognition. Taken together, the results of the study suggest that, contrary to public perceptions, and contrary to the hypotheses of many theorists in the literature, fiction writers do not demonstrate superior sociocognitive abilities.

This study was undertaken in an attempt to assess the Affect Intensity Measure (AIM) as a simpler alternative to the Overexcitability Questionnaire (OEQ) as a measure of emotional intensity in high ability young people. Participants were 30 young adolescents from grade 6 to grade 11 from the McGill Summer "Explorations" Program for the gifted, 75 undergraduate students and 46 doctoral students from various departments of McGill University. The Affect Intensity Measure was administrated to all three groups. There were no affect-intensity differences among the three groups of participants. Affect Intensity Measures particularly failed to distinguish gifted and nongifted groups. This result was inconsistent with previous studies using Overexcitability Questionnaire. There were gender differences but no age differences in affect intensity. The gender differences result was also inconsistent with the findings in several earlier studies using Overexcitability Questionnaire in which no gender differences in overexcitability were found among the gifted. Reasons why the AIM was not found to be an adequate substitute for the OEQ are explored, with the present samples, and possibly in general.