APHD COLLOQUIUM SERIES
The APHD Colloquium Series is a collection of special talks delivered by esteemed speakers from within and outside of APHD and OISE. Colloquia are delivered once a month from September to April and cover topics in a variety of domains within psychology, broadly defined. Topics of past Colloquium Series have included risk assessment for domestic violence, a wide range of learning disabilities, sexual victimization on campus, mental health, childhood development, learning in the developing mind and brain, and many others. Students in some APHD programs are required to attend colloquia to broaden and inform their knowledge in the field of psychology. APHD faculty are also encouraged to attend, as these departmentally-sponsored events are important for departmental coherence and to demonstrate intellectual curiosity about research in psychology, broadly defined.
2020-2021 Colloquia
Fall 2020September 30, 2020 |
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Speaker: Dr. Dillon Browne Topic: “Won’t Someone Please Think of the Parents!” - A Multilevel Examination of Family Stress during COVID-19
1:00PM - 2:30PM EST (Toronto Time) Abstract: There is growing evidence for the putative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on child and caregiver mental health. Most of this rapid-response research has been cross-sectional and focused on one-child-per-family. While informative, this methodology is not able to isolate the (a) direction of effects amongst contextual stressors, children, and caregivers, and (b) processes that are operative for entire families versus specific children. It is important to understand these nuances to best inform our public health disaster response, particularly in the arena of child and family mental health intervention planning. Are whole families feeling the stress of the pandemic, or are certain individuals and family subsystems most implicated? This colloquium will explore these questions using an ongoing international cohort of over 1000 children in 500 families, specially mobilized to explore family stress during the pandemic. Emphasis will be placed on “child-effects”, or the way in which COVID-19 related deterioration in children’s mental health may influence caregivers and the family system. Implications for intervention and policy will be discussed. |
October 28, 2020 |
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Speaker: Dr. Eunice Jang Topic: Advancing Holistic Assessment of Young Learners’ Cognitive and Metacognitive Abilities and Psychological Orientations through Artificial Intelligence
1:00PM - 2:30PM EST (Toronto Time) Abstract: The fundamental aspect of assessment and measurement lies in making sense of actions conditional upon latent mechanisms. Actions associated with learning reflect the confluence of learner traits and contextual factors. Technological advances afford a more holistic understanding of the learner as a whole. Building on such intricate understandings, BalanceAI engages students in multifaceted learning activities and provides automated feedback through transformative artificial intelligence-based technologies (https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ejanglab/research/balanceai/). In this talk, I introduce a series of research done by the IDELA research group using BalanceAI and discuss emerging issues critical for optimizing the integration of AI to education. |
November 25, 2020 |
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Speaker: Dr. Nate Fuks Topic: Clinical Issues in Working with LGBTQ2S+ Immigrant and Refugee Youth
1:00PM - 2:30PM EST (Toronto Time) Abstract: This presentation will explore and discuss clinical issues in working with LGBTQ2S+ immigrant and refugee youth. The clinical implications presented stem from a grounded theory study that was undertaken by the presenter to understand the process of acculturation of LGBTQ2S+ newcomers to Canada. The emerged grounded theory revealed that the acculturation experience of LGBTQ2S+ immigrants and refugees is formed by two consistent parallel subprocesses: cultural identity development and sexual identity development. Data analysis demonstrated that queerphobia in the culture of origin was a central phenomenon of the grounded theory, and played the most dominant role in the development of cultural and sexual parts of the newcomers’ identity. The study offered clinical implications and recommendations for mental health practitioners regarding the design and implementation of micro and macro level interventions that address multiple challenges LGBTQ2S+ immigrant and refugee youth face in their acculturation process. The feedback received from the participants of this study suggests that the understanding of the role that culture of origin plays in the acculturation of LGBTQ2S+ newcomers is essential when designing interventions and doing clinical work with these populations. Thus, cultural scripts need to be examined by mental health practitioners to understand the ways they influence LGBT newcomers’ self-identification, sexual behaviour, and safer-sex attitudes. This understanding will help ensure that interventions and treatment plans account for the role of cultural factors in shaping experiences of LGBTQ2S+ immigrant and refugee youth. |
December 9, 2020 |
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Speaker: Dr. James MacKillop Topic: Understanding Addiction using Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics: A Translational Approach
1:00PM - 2:30PM EST (Toronto Time) Abstract: Substance use disorders and other forms of addiction are a major public health problem in Canada. My research investigates these conditions through the lens of behavioral economics and neuroeconomics, integrating concepts and methods from psychology, economics, and cognitive neuroscience. These approaches are particularly well suited for investigating addiction, as these conditions inherently comprise overvaluation and overconsumption of psychoactive drugs and other potent reinforcers. An important aspect is that it uses methodologies that are consilient across levels of analysis, from basic science to clinical applications. One major focus is on in vivohuman behavior and the factors that affect the choices people make in a semi-naturalistic settings, such as a bar laboratory. At the more basic end of the spectrum, my research seeks to dissect the behavioral phenomena observed in the laboratory using structural and functional neuroimaging. At the more applied end of the spectrum, my work imports insights from behavioral studies to inform and improve treatment and public policy. Collectively, my research program seeks to leverage diverse perspectives and methods to generate novel and unique insights into the nature and treatment of addiction. |
WINTER 2021January 27, 2021 |
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Speaker: Dr. Stephen O Roberts Topic: Racism: A Developmental Story
1:00PM - 2:30PM EST (Toronto Time) RSVP Link: TBD Abstract: Racism – often conceptualized as disliking or mistreating others because of their race – is a system of advantage based on race. In this talk, I will share my personal and professional experiences within this system, and highlight how the two have developed hand in hand. Specifically, I will address racism in our categories, churches, relationships, and science. In doing so, I will aim to make three broader points. First, racism shapes our lives in ways that are often unappreciated and unrecognized. Second, racism shapes our lives from childhood well into adulthood and beyond. Third, our own experiences with racism (and race) inform who and what we study. I will conclude with recommendations for the future, both as a human and as a scientist. Steven O. Roberts is an Assistant Professor of developmental and social psychology at Stanford University. |
February 24, 2021 |
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Speaker: Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos Topic: TBD
1:00PM - 2:30PM EST (Toronto Time) RSVP Link: TBD Abstract: TBD |
March 24, 2021 |
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Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Gomez Topic: TBD
1:00PM - 2:30PM EST (Toronto Time) via Zoom RSVP Link: TBD Topic: Cultural Betrayal Trauma in Marginalized Young Adults: The Role of Inequality Abstract: The legacy of societal inequality impacts marginalized youth and young adults, including their experience, meaning-making, and outcomes of interpersonal trauma. Created by Gómez (2012), cultural betrayal trauma theory (CBTT) highlights cultural betrayal in within-group violence in marginalized populations as a dimension of harm that affects mental, behavioral, and cultural health outcomes. In CBTT, within-group violence violates the (intra)cultural trust—solidary, love, loyalty, connection, responsibility—that is developed in-group to buffer against societal inequality. This violation, termed a cultural betrayal, can contribute to poorer outcomes. In this talk, I will first explain CBTT and detail its empirical support, with a focus on Black young adults in the U.S. I will close with micro- and macro-level implications for addressing and ultimately preventing violence in youth, including the importance of attuning to the context of inequality, discrimination, oppression, and second-class citizenship for marginalized trauma survivors. |
April 28, 2021 |
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Speaker: Dr. Poh Wee KohTopic: TBD 1:00PM - 2:30PM EST (Toronto Time)
*2:30PM-3:00PM = Student Q&A session with speaker RSVP Link: TBD Abstract: TBD |
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View our 2019-2020 Colloquium Archives
