Embodied Social Cognition Lab

Director

My research examines how the subjective, physiological, and behavioural levels of experience all play into the way we perceive and organise knowledge about the social world. My four major lines of research include: (1) cross-group friendship; (2) intergroup contact and social interaction; (3) intergroup factors in chronic stress and health; (4) the role of physiological experience in moral decision-making. To answer these questions, my research simultaneously combines dyadic, psychophysiological, longitudinal, social cognitive, behavioural, self-report, and quantitative methods to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that affect the way people navigate their social worlds.

http://www.page-gould.com

Graduate Students

Amanda Sharples

Broadly, I am interested in the factors that predict intergroup attitudes and behaviour. Research suggests that contact with members of social outgroups reduces prejudice, but what factors predict positive cross-group contact? Moreover, how do media depictions of social groups and intergroup relations impact cross-group interaction in daily life? To unpack these questions, I use a multimethod approach combining psychophysiological, cognitive, behavioural, and self-report measures.

Chad Danyluck

I am interested in the factors that predict intergroup harmony and conflict. My current lines of research examine: (1) how perceptions of similarity and conflict affect interest in cross-group friendship, and (2) the consequences of money and money beliefs on intergroup relationships. My methodological approach is multi-faceted, incorporating psychophysiological instrumentation, self-report, and behavioural measures as well as dyadic experimental designs.

Graduate Students - "Outside Project" Mentees

Samantha Joel I am interested in how people make decisions about their romantic relationships, such as whether to pursue a love interest, whether to invest in a foundling relationship, or whether to break up with a romantic partner. In my research, I draw from the judgment and decision making literature to better understand the processes by which people make these choices. In my spare time, I like to write for Science of Relationships (www.scienceofrelationships.com), an organization that aims to make relationship research findings more accessible to the public.	Lindsey A. Cary In general, I am interested in various factors that influence how we perceive and evaluate people. More specifically, I am interested in the influence of ambiguous identity on person evaluations and the application of stereotypes. I am particularly interested in understanding how a person's friends or associates influence how they are evaluated and what stereotypes are applied to them.	Sabrina Thai In general, I am interested in how people react to social comparisons, comparisons to better-off and worse-off others, in the context of romantic relationships and what impact these comparisons have on the relationship and the individual. Currently, I am exploring three different types of comparisons: (1) how people react to comparing their own relationship to other relationships, (2) how people react to comparing themselves to their romantic partner in different domains, and (3) how people react to comparing their partner to another person, especially the partners of other people.
Bonnie Le My research focuses on the factors that promote and undermine prosociality and interpersonal well-being across different relationship contexts. Specifically, I examine the individual differences, motivations, emotions, and physiological responses associated with prosociality and well-being within parent-child, romantic, and cross-race relationships.

Lab Manager

Julian Scheffer

Julian has obtained his H.BSc degree in Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Toronto. He is currently managing both Dr. Page-Gould's and Dr. Inzlicht’s labs here at the University of Toronto Scarborough. His independent projects with Dr. Page-Gould looked at the impact of motivators towards academic success with an added focus on perceived parental expectations and responses to success and failure in undergraduate students. His research interests are ranging. First, he is interested how the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) may be used as a measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity. He is interested by work that uses this measure to assess bio-behavioural synchrony and how this may indicate the potential for positive as well as negative social bonds. Secondly, he is interested in the use of electroencephalography to obtain the error-related negativity (ERN) from individuals as an indicator of self-control and self-regulation. He hopes to someday find ways to predict individuals that will be better at self-control and how this transfers positively or negatively towards maintaining social bonds. Also, he is interested in the perception of control and how this relates to the activity of the anterior cingulate cortex through the ERN. While he spends another year developing his research interests, he is looking to pursue graduate studies in social neuroscience or social psychology next year.

Supervised Study Student

Sanvir Singh

Sanvir is a 4th year student at UTSC currently pursuing a double major in neuroscience and psychology. After taking PSYB10 with Professor Page-Gould, he became motivated to use what he learned for the betterment of society. His research interests are in the area of prejudice and discrimination along with cross group friendships. Specifically, how discrimination starts and more impotently how it can be prevented and eradicated.

Thesis Students

Modi Jiao

Modi is a 4th year student at the University of Toronto Scarborough, completing an Hon. B.Sc. degree in the program of Co-op Psychology - Public Opinion and Behaviour stream. When she was in 11th Grade, Dr. Philip Zimbardo took the invitation to deliver a lecture on Lucifer Effect at her school. Upon attending the lecture, she decided to commit herself to studying how to create social situations and facilitate changes that will bring out the best in people. She aspires to become an organizational psychologist, mainly focusing on conducting work related to cross-cultural communications and employee training and team building in the workplace. Modi is currently completing an undergraduate thesis project under Dr. Page-Gould's supervision. During her leisure time, Modi enjoys reading, doing traditional Chinese painting, and watching TED Talks. She also has a deep passion for travelling and fragrances.

Anjana Balakrishnan

Anjana Balakrishnan is currently in her fourth of undergraduate studies pursuing a Specialist Degree in Psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She has been in the Embodied Social Cognition Laboratory for over a year and a half. Anjana is interested in studying media exposure and stress. Her other research interests are stress and well being research; culturally specific social phenomena , studying social psychology from a psycho-physiological perspective etc. She intends to pursue graduate studies in the field of personality psychology and hopes to study this from a cultural perspective.

Sabrina Jasmine Page

Sabrina is in her fifth year at the University of Toronto at Scarborough, pursuing an Honours B.Sc. in Mental Health Studies and Philosophy. She is currently completing a Thesis in Psychology, that explores the physiological correlates of creativity.

She has a great interest in abnormal psychology and psychophysiology and enjoys observing the effects that the mind has on the body, and vice versa. She has experience as a respite worker, working with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Sabrina hopes to attend graduate school and further her education and experience in research for psychophysiology.

Undergraduate P.I.s

Matthew Wilmot

Matthew is currently in his final year completing a Specialist Degree in Mental Health Studies. His research interests are focused in the area of group dynamics and the extent to which they play an integral role in self-concept formation and plasticity. Last year, he conducted a thesis project, under the supervision of both Prof. Page-Gould and Prof. Inzlicht, that was recognized by the Canadian Psychological Association Award for Academic Excellence. In this final year of study, Matthew is in preparation to pursue psychology at the graduate level through further gaining skills in computer programming, psychophysiology, and brain imaging. He believes that these skills will not only be conducive in the operation of experiments but also engender new ideas in social psychology. Furthermore, his leadership skills in extra-curricular endeavors, such as coaching basketball, will be paramount in academia.

Undergraduate Researchers

Christina Tran Christina is currently a third year student pursuing a double major in psychology and health studies. She is interested in all aspects of psychology and along with gaining valuable academic and research experience from volunteering in the ESC lab; she hopes that working as an undergraduate researcher will provide her with some more insight and help her discover what she’s specifically interested in the field of psychology. In the future, she hopes to pursue further studies at the graduate level and make contributions that will better our health care system.	Angela Mahendiran Angela Mahendiran is a recent graduate with an undergraduate neuroscience specialist degree from The University of Toronto. Her interest in psycho physiology as well as social relations and networking has led her to the Embodied Social Cognition lab. Angela is interested in studying the relationship between chronic stress and health and is looking forward to another exceptional year working with her peers.	Ashif Shahid Ashif is a fourth year student at the University of Toronto Scarborough, pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Psychology. The sheer relevance to humanity is the main reason why he was attracted to Dr. Page-Gould’s studies. The interaction between humans is the engine that drives civilization, and a deeper understanding of how we function, how we interact with others, and how these interactions affect our basic day-to-day activities are vital to understanding basic human functioning. Dr. Page-Gould’s research is one that should be, if not already, on the forefront of numerous psychological researchers in the world. The emphasis on the psychophysiological aspect of research especially sparked his interest, as being a double major student in both Neuroscience and Psychology provides him with a knack for not only observational, but also a molecular understanding of behaviour. Evidently, this field of research can provide essential insights into the field of science and psychology, and he would want nothing more out of his undergraduate year than to be a part of it all. In terms of the future, Ashif hopes to pursue graduate studies in a field similar to the research conducted in the ESC, and ultimately apply to medical school sometime in the future.
Nishchal Arora Nishchal is currently in his third year of undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough pursuing an Honors B.Sc. in Psychology and Neuroscience. In brief, he is curious about humans and why they do what they do. His fascination with the mind and its connection to the brain leads him to where he is today, and he hopes to delve deeper into this curiosity during his time here at the Embodied Social Cognition Lab. Loosely, Nishchal’s main interest lies in abnormal psychology, with a certain affinity towards the clinical manifestation of psychological imbalance. That said, he not only aspires to explore his interest in social psychology through graduate studies, but he also wishes to pursue medical school that will facilitate in fulfilling his ambition of becoming a psychiatrist in the future.	Veerpal Bambrah Veerpal is in her second year at the University of Toronto, specializing in Mental Health Studies, and minoring in Women's Studies. She is very excited to be volunteering in the ESC lab. She is interested in various psychological and neuropsychological phenomena within the domains of social, personality, and abnormal psychology.	Jairo Caceres Jairo is in his third year at UTSC, doing a double major in Neuroscience and Psychology. He is interested in all fields of psychology because he is curious as to how people behave individually and in social settings. Along with volunteering at ESC, Jairo is currently a server, which allows him to observe specific aspects of social interaction on a regular basis. In the future, he hopes to become a physician that provides the best possible care via having a greater understanding of the patient's needs.
Brigitte Kadiata Brigitte is a fourth year student pursuing a double major in Mental Health Studies and Human Biology. She is interested in the different dynamics of friendship between mixed and same sex individuals. After completing her undergraduate degree, Brigitte hopes to further her education by going into pharmacy or medicine and specializing in psychotherapy.	Christine Liu Christine is a fourth year student at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus pursuing a double major in Psychology and Health Studies. Due to her high level of enthusiasm and enjoyment for social psychology, Christine wanted to join the Embodied Social Cognition Lab to see what new experiments social psychology has to offer. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to further her education by attending Graduate School or Medical School	Zaini Sarwar Zaini is a fourth year undergraduate student. At campus, she has been involved with the Biology Student’s Association (BioSA), First Year Experience Program (FEP) and Scarborough Campus Student Union (SCSU). She has participated in various community projects, both on local and national level. Along with studies, she has gained tremendous experience of working as Clinical Research Associate, Oncology Clinic Assistant and Research Assistant in different hospital and research labs. Her future plan is to join the medical school and she believes that a good doctor needs to understand the social perceptions of patients. Therefore, in order to enhance my understanding about the social interactions, I joined Embodied Social Cognition (ESC) Lab where I am learning the depth of how people interact in different real life situations and the underlying psychophysiology behind these interactions. Thus, working as a Social Psychology Research Assistant will be an asset for me to to improve my daily communication in novel situations, strengthening my relationships through better understanding of other people, and building my confidence in interacting with people from several cultural backgrounds.
Mark Berridge Mark is entering his fourth year of studies pursuing a Specialist Degree in Psychology. He is interested in areas of social psychology, including prejudice and cross-cultural interactions. Specifically his interests are in relationship formation, inter-group interactions, and ways in which individuals deal with boundaries of their own social group and others. Mark hopes to finish his undergraduate degree and pursue further studies at a graduate level.	Daniela Kutleva Daniela is currently in second year completing a H.B.Sc. in Co-op Psychology with a minor in Economics. She has always been fascinated by social psychology and is excited to be working in the Embodied Social Cognition Lab. In particularly, she is interested in studying organizational behaviour topics such as: motivation, decision making process, employee selection, person-job fit, and employee satisfaction. Furthermore, she wants to combine her interest in social psychology and economics in the lab and the real world. Outside of the classroom and the lab, Daniela is part of AIESEC Toronto, the largest student run organization that sends students abroad, where she is a Project and EP Manager. http://aiesec.ca/toronto/en	Amanda Nonis Amanda is a third year student pursuing a double major in mental health studies and health studies. Amanda is interested in learning about various social and individual factors that can affect an individual's everyday life style and alter his/her perceptions and actions. She hopes to use the knowledge and experience that she gains to one day promote positive mental health and make a contribution to the growing understanding of the social world and its effects on the human mind.
Sukanya Pathmarasa Sukanya is currently a third year student at UTSC, pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Psychology. After taking social psychology with Dr. Page-Gould, she became highly interested in the physiology bases of psychological processes, especially during social interactions. She is currently the project coordinator for multiple studies run by the ESC lab and looks forward to helping with research. She plans to use the knowledge and experience gained from working in the ESC laboratory to benefit others after she completes graduate studies in social psychology or medicine.	Michael Xie Michael is currently completing his bachelors in Biology and Mental Health Studies. He is avid about the research and application of concepts in social psychology on everyday applications.	Jannell Thompson Jannell is entering her final year at the University of Toronto Scarborough, pursuing a H.B.Sc in a Specialist program of Psychology. Last year, she was a part of the Psychology and Neuroscience Departmental Association where she promoted events and provided advice to first year students. Jannell is very excited to be a part of Dr. Page-Gould's lab as she is extremely interested in social psychology and would like to apply her knowledge and gain more experience in this field. She is looking forward in continuing her studies in psychology at the graduate level.
Abdul Hour Abdul is currently in his third year of undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough, pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Health Studies. He is interested in most aspects of social psychology but in particular the emotional aspect (e.g., emotions and their physiological responses) and psycho-physiology is what drew him to working in the ESC lab. He hopes to gain further experience in scientific research as well as to learn more a lot more about social psychology in the process. He is very interested in working with children and in the future hopes to further his knowledge into studying the neurological abnormalities typically associated with children. Outside of the ESC lab and classes, he is also an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Michael Inzlicht's Laboratory of Social Neuroscience at UTSC.	Adrian Dizon Adrian is currently in his final year of undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus finishing a specialist degree in Psychology. He is interested in using the skills learned in the ESC lab in applying them into sports psychology to study mental and physiological activity in regards to athletic successes and failures as well as social interactions within and between teams and individual competitors. He currently also volunteers as a clinical research associate in the physiology and experimental medicine research section at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto for the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development Study (CHILD Study). He aims to hopefully work with professional athletes and help with their mental and physiological performance.	Hend Al Fayez Hend is currently in her final year at the University of Toronto, pursuing a double major in neuroscience and integrative biology. She is interested in all aspects of neuroscience, psychology, and biology, more specifically, how psychology can influence physiology. She is also interested in stroke recovery and neurodegenerative diseases, especially ALS. She joined the ESC lab hoping to gain valuable academic and research experience. In the future, she hopes to pursue further studies at the graduate level and make contributions that will better humanity.
Jermaine Sargeant Jermaine is currently a third year student pursuing a double major in Psychology and Health Studies. His interests lie in the social and behavioral aspects of psychology, and he hopes to gain insight into which field to focus on through his work as an undergraduate researcher in the ESC lab. During his leisure time, he can usually be found watching Anime, building model kits, or reading. He is looking to pursue graduate studies in Psychology upon completion of his undergraduate degree.	Matthew Quitasol Matthew is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto with a specialist degree in Psychology. He is interested in personality (e.g. the predictive utility of the Big Five and personality judgments made at zero-acquaintance), interpersonal behavior (e.g. dominance), impulsivity, and psychological well-being from both the eudaimonic (e.g. Self-determination theory) and hedonic (e.g. positive affect vs. negative affect) schools of thought. With regard to the psychophysiological work conducted by the ESC lab, Matthew is primarily interested in the physiological markers of agentic and communal behavior. He intends to pursue these topics of interest at the graduate level.	Ramish Shahab Ramish is currently in his 2nd year at UTSC pursuing a Specialist Degree in Mental Health. His interest in psychology first arose in high school while learning about topics in Social Psychology. He views Social Psychology as the core in all fields of Psychology because social interaction is a critical component of all mankind. During his time in the lab, Ramish wants to gain knowledge about the psychological effects on the psychophysiology of people under different contexts/stressors. Furthermore, he is keenly interested in Abnormal Psychology (mental disorders), specifically Dissociative Identity Disorder. In the future, Ramish aims to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology and more importantly plans to reduce the stigma attached to Mental Health in our society.