News related to Psychology

Psychology Professor, Dr. Kaitylyn McLachlan, has been leading a study that looks at the prevalence of individuals with FASD in correctional institutions, specifically in the Yukon. The information gathered in the study will help determine how we offer services at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre and in the surrounding community.

Here are some interesting findings:

New research from the University of Guelph's laboratory of behavioral neuroscience suggests a diet high in refined sugars could make children and adults more susceptible to opioid addiction and possible overdose. 

Psychology Professor, Kaitlyn McLachlan, is leading a new project in Yukon that will use EEG machines and video to record eye movements aiming to detect Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) sooner.  Earlier detection could help direct resources to peple with FASD much sooner. The goal is to develop "validated, fast, reliable and efficient screening technologies," that allow for quick evaluations.

Dr. Linda Parker is a psychology and neuroscience professor at the University of Guelph and has been studying the pharmacological properties of cannabinoids on brain behaviours for almost two decades. She is the current president of the CCIC and is the 2016 recipient of the ICRS Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Barbara Morrongiello, a psychology professor at the University of Guelph who holds a Canada Research Chair in child and youth injury prevention, conducted a study with her colleagues looking at the safety of children while they swim. She concluded that parents often overestimate their childs ability to swim compared to the assessment of instructors.

Psychology professor, Dr. Linda Parker, has a new book titled Cannabinoids and the Brain which reviews scientific evidence of the effects of cannabinoids on the brain and behaviour, with a focus on potential therapeutic applications. 

A new project by University of Guelph researchers looking at how to encourage public discussion of vaccination may also lead to higher vaccination rates, says the lead researcher.

The study will examine how best to engage people, including parents, in public deliberation about controversial topics, utilizing vaccination as a case model, said psychology professor Kieran O’Doherty. The study received a $100,000 grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research last summer.