May 27, 2009

Media contact: Kim Lawrence
Office: 604-864-4611
Cell: 604-302-6257
kim.lawrence@ufv.ca
 
Canadian psychology undergrads share research, learn how to snoop

They study things like personality theory, neuroplasticity, and psychopharmacology, but they still appreciate a well-timed Freud joke. More than two hundred undergraduate psychology students from across Canada are uniting in Richmond in early June for a conference to share their research and build professional connections that will likely last their entire careers. They also plan to learn the finer points of ‘snooping’ from an expert in the field.

The Connecting Minds 2009 conference is the joint effort of the Student Psychology Association (SPA) at the University of the Fraser Valley and the Kwantlen Psychology Society (KPS) at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. It offers psychology students in their university undergraduate years the opportunity to present their research topics and get friendly feedback from like minds. They’ll also be schooled in the finer points of networking and then put their new skills to the test with their fellow students and future colleagues.

The students will share their research findings through oral presentations and poster displays. Topics are diverse and include:
• origins of gender identity and their effects on behaviour
• the timing of reward signals in medial-frontal cortex change with learning
• sexual guilt and acculturation: potential barriers to cervical cancer screening practices among Chinese-Canadian women
• the effects of pre-release publicity of criminal offenders on public opinion
• the role of memory in math skills in university students
• the link between risky behaviour and developmental instability
• revisiting gate control theory: opposing a monopoly on pain discourse

Keynote speaker Sam Gosling is an author and associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas. A highly regarded researcher and innovator in the field of personality and social psychology, he and his work have been widely covered in the media. Gosling's most recent book — Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You — is a provocative and witty look at how our private spaces, from boardroom to bedroom, reveal our personalities. By exploring our private worlds (desks, bedrooms, clothes, and cars), he shows not only how we showcase our personalities in unexpected ways, but also how we create personality in the first place, communicate it to others, and interpret the world around us.

Connecting Minds 2009 is taking place at KPU’s Richmond campus on Lansdowne Road on June 5 and 6. The media is welcome to attend the keynote presentation, which is slated for 4 pm on the Saturday afternoon. Conference details are available online at www.connectingminds.com .

UFV offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major or extended minor in psychology, as well as a certificate in extended studies for those who may have a previous credential and wish to add additional studies in psychology to their portfolio.  Visit www.ufv.ca/psychology for more information.

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