Psychology

News Stories

A picture of a solider and his family to the left, a copy of a letter in the foreground

VIU News & Experts: November 6, 2024

November 6, 2024

Remembrance Day, US election, memory development 🧠 In this issue of VIU news & experts:  Re-translating a classic war novel US election results Studying memory development Featured experts All Quiet on the Western Front – re-translated For two years, VIU Professor Emerita Dr. Katharina Rout has been engrossed in a re-translation of Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. This... Read more


VIU Psychology Professor Becky Earhart sitting at her desk in front of a computer screen and smiling at the camera.

VIU psychology professor researching conversation memory in children

November 4, 2024

The research has important implications for things like reliability of child witness testimony in the justice system. Have you ever been in the middle of telling someone a story when you have the sneaking suspicion that this isn’t the first time you’ve told them this tale? Vancouver Island University (VIU) Psychology Professor Dr. Becky Earhart is researching destination memory ­– how someone... Read more


Sandy sits at his desk with images of brains open on one screen

Researcher looking for participants for brain injury study

July 22, 2024

Dr. Sandy Shultz aims to improve health outcomes for domestic violence survivors Are you a domestic violence survivor? VIU researcher and neuroscientist Dr. Sandy Shultz is part of a project that aims to improve the diagnosis of brain injury in survivors of intimate partner violence. He’s looking for people to be part of this research. Results will be used to improve health outcomes for domestic... Read more


Dr. Lindsay McCunn

What is environmental psychology and why is it important?

July 12, 2024

Dr. Lindsay McCunn explains Did you know our physical environments can have a big impact on our health and well-being? Environmental psychologist Dr. Lindsay McCunn, a Vancouver Island University (VIU) Psychology Professor, studies how and why our environments impact individuals and what we can do to improve our relationship with the world around us. She recently shared her knowledge in a Ducks... Read more


Headshot of Dr. Marla Morden

Unravelling the mystery of “mommy brain”

March 1, 2024

VIU Psychology Professor Dr. Marla Morden is using innovative eye-tracking technology to conduct her research. Dr. Marla Morden, a Vancouver Island University (VIU) Psychology Professor, is researching the phenomenon commonly called “mommy brain” or “baby brain.” It is typically viewed as a time of cognitive decline with symptoms such as memory loss or brain fog. However, Morden says researchers... Read more


Jordyn Monaghan stands outside a classroom

Alum of the Month: Jordyn Monaghan

January 27, 2024

Jordyn Monaghan is passionate about supporting the community with a trauma-informed, harm-reduction and strength-based approach. That passion guided her through her undergraduate degree at VIU, where she studied Psychology and Criminology. Monaghan is now doing a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We caught up with her to find out more... Read more


A woman stares up at a gray sky

What is climate anxiety?

July 28, 2023

Expert Q&A with environmental psychologist Dr. Lindsay McCunn VIU Psychology Professor Dr. Lindsay McCunn Dr. Lindsay McCunn is a VIU Psychology Professor and the Director of VIU’s Environmental Psychology Research Lab. In her role as chair of the environmental psychology section of the Canadian Psychological Association, and as the co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Environmental... Read more


Travis Baker in his lab

Creating the next generation of treatments for substance abuse disorders

January 23, 2023

VIU Psychology alum Dr. Travis Baker receives $2.5-million grant for research Little did Dr. Travis Baker know when he first came to Vancouver Island University more than 20 years ago that it would be the start of a successful career in researching new treatments for addiction. Now an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University-Newark’s Centre for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, he recently... Read more


Emmerson Pollard

VIU Psychology Student Researching Stress, Resilience in Romantic Relationships of Firefighters

February 28, 2022

Emmerson Pollard is investigating how romantic relationships impact firefighters’ ability to cope with stress. Whether it’s work-related stress, a family issue, financial worries or an unexpected challenge, all romantic relationships have their ups and downs. And while much has been written about relationship challenges in general, Vancouver Island University (VIU) student Emmerson Pollard is... Read more


Katelyn Horsley

Alum of the Month: Katelyn Horsley

January 26, 2022

VIU Psychology alum Katelyn Horsley is pursuing a graduate science degree with an undergraduate degree in the arts. After graduating from Vancouver Island University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts, Honours in Psychology, she began a Master of Science degree at the University of Calgary. Horsley credits her undergraduate experiences at VIU with setting her on her current journey. Why did you... Read more