King's students and faculty highlight innovative research at national Psychology convention

At the 85th Annual National Convention of the Canadian Psychological Association, held recently in Ottawa, King’s students and faculty presented research on critical subjects, including social media use among teenagers and their parents, theory of mind and deafness, older adult maltreatment, and eyewitness reports by children with intellectual disabilities.

Research on the use of social media among teenagers and parents

Dr. Wendy Ellis, Dr. Lynda Hutchinson, and Dr. Tara Dumas (of Huron University) joined King’s Psychology students to present their findings on the hidden pressures and behaviours associated with online activity among teens and parents. The presentations drew from a survey of 85 teens (average age of 13) and their parents examining issues of problematic social media use, such as addiction, anxiety from not checking accounts, and other online pressures.

Key research topics included the relationship between parent-teen communication and social media use, impacts on body image, self-regulation, and social self-efficacy. The importance of parental monitoring and goal pursuits was also highlighted.

The research offered crucial insights for families navigating the digital landscape. It highlighted the importance of healthy communication and mindful social media use to mitigate anxiety, secrecy, and body image issues in teens. Findings illustrate that both parents and teens are impacted by one another’s social media use and that adolescents’ development is closely intertwined with their social media use.

“Problematic social media habits are significantly linked to reduced social self-efficacy and lower friendship quality among adolescents. This finding underscores the potential harm problematic social media use can have on adolescents' social lives and overall well-being,” says Charee Botha ’24, honours specialization in Psychology.

“Social media use impacts adolescent development both positively and negatively, and given its prevalent use, balancing usage is crucial to maximizing benefits while minimizing drawbacks that could potentially lead to body image concerns,” says Lucy Fisher, who is in her final year of the honours specialization in Psychology.

The students’ experiences, working closely with faculty in preparing the presentations, illustrated the mentorship opportunities available for students at King’s.

Fisher says her thesis supervisors, Drs. Ellis and Hutchinson, were incredibly supportive, caring, and compassionate. “Working alongside them and learning from their expertise was a wonderful and memorable experience,” she adds.

“Working alongside my professors was an enriching experience. Learning from my supervisor, Dr. Ellis, who has extensive knowledge of adolescent relationships, was particularly rewarding. Her insights and guidance were invaluable, helping me navigate my research and deepen my understanding of the subject matter,” says Botha.

In addition to Botha and Fisher, Niccola Zehr and Bram Richmond presented at the Convention. King’s students Sarah Manuel, Katrina Bryson, and Mila Bruyea ’23 were also authors of papers presented, but they were not in attendance.

Other faculty and students in attendance and/or presenting

Dr. Cathy Chovaz, Professor of Psychology, also attended the convention with Psychology honours thesis student Emnette Tesfamariam ’24.who presented her thesis poster, “Theory of Mind and Deafness: Developing a Non-verbal Assessment Tool.” Dr. Chovaz presented a talk on “The Role of Theory of Mind in Deaf Children - The Need for Pre-Work in Challenging Clinical Cases.”

Tesfamariam calls working with Dr. Chovaz “the highlight of my undergraduate career. She was incredibly supportive and helpful in providing me with information to navigate my new understanding of deafness. Everything I sought out of my undergraduate degree was achieved in the groundbreaking work we did together, something that directly and positively impacted a population.”

Dr. Joshua Wyman, Assistant Professor of Psychology, had three students present their research at the convention. Sofi Kotilehti, Kealyn McDowell, and Roba ElSaleh focused on various aspects of maltreatment, including attitudes towards older adult maltreatment, juror perceptions of eyewitness reports from children with intellectual disabilities, and insights from law enforcement on risk factors and perpetrators of elder abuse.

Kotilehti and McDowell attended the convention, with McDowell receiving funding from Dr. Wyman’s King’s Internal Research Grant. Fisher, Botha, Zehr, Kotilehti, Tesfamariam, and Richmond received $1,000 in funding from the King’s Research office to attend the convention.

Congratulations to all those students and faculty who presented at the convention. Their impactful research underscores the importance of mentorship and collaboration in advancing our understanding of these critical issues.