University of Toronto Scarborough / en Linda Johnston appointed 老司机直播 vice-president and 老司机直播 Scarborough principal /news/linda-johnston-appointed-u-t-vice-president-and-u-t-scarborough-principal <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Linda Johnston appointed 老司机直播 vice-president and 老司机直播 Scarborough principal </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/%5Bdate%3Acustom%3AY%5D-%5Bdate%3Acustom%3Am%5D/190601_092449-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=jBWP5hb- 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/%5Bdate%3Acustom%3AY%5D-%5Bdate%3Acustom%3Am%5D/190601_092449-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=25rSDO91 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/%5Bdate%3Acustom%3AY%5D-%5Bdate%3Acustom%3Am%5D/190601_092449-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=Gia6S50o 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/%5Bdate%3Acustom%3AY%5D-%5Bdate%3Acustom%3Am%5D/190601_092449-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=jBWP5hb-" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-06-27T17:29:14-04:00" title="Thursday, June 27, 2024 - 17:29" class="datetime">Thu, 06/27/2024 - 17:29</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(supplied image)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/adina-bresge" hreflang="en">Adina Bresge</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/provost-trevor-young" hreflang="en">Provost Trevor Young</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/scarborough-academy-medicine-and-integrated-health" hreflang="en">Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/governing-council" hreflang="en">Governing Council</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/lawrence-s-bloomberg-faculty-nursing" hreflang="en">Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/president-meric-gertler" hreflang="en">President Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-scarborough" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Professor <strong>Linda Johnston</strong>, a renowned nursing researcher and institutional leader, has been appointed vice-president, University of Toronto, and principal, 老司机直播 Scarborough for a five-year term.</p> <p>The Governing Council approved the appointment at a meeting on June 27. Effective July 1, 2024, Johnston鈥檚 appointment will run until December 31, 2029, and includes a six-month administrative leave.</p> <p>A professor in the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, Johnston has been serving as acting 老司机直播 vice-president and principal of 老司机直播 Scarborough since January 1, 2024, during which time she has won the respect and support of the campus鈥檚 leadership team and broader community.</p> <p>鈥淧rofessor Johnston has demonstrated a genuine passion for and dedication to 老司机直播 Scarborough,鈥 President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong> said. 鈥淪he brings a depth of experience to this important role and is committed to implementing and building on the clear vision established by the 老司机直播 Scarborough community under <a href="/news/u-t-s-wisdom-tettey-named-president-and-vice-chancellor-carleton-university">the leadership of outgoing Vice-President and Principal <strong>Wisdom Tettey</strong></a>.</p> <p>鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to welcome her to the vice-presidential team.鈥</p> <p>Johnston said she has a deep appreciation for the comprehensive nature of 老司机直播 Scarborough and is looking forward to continuing to work closely with the UTSC community.</p> <p>鈥淚 have been tremendously impressed by the scale and rigour of 老司机直播 Scarborough鈥檚 academic mission and the commitment to student success,鈥 Johnston said.</p> <p>鈥溊纤净辈 Scarborough continues to advocate for, and achieve, the goals of promoting health and wellbeing, environmental sustainability, and inclusive excellence in teaching and learning; research prominence; and community engagement.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Johnston has also been highly engaged in the <a href="/news/historic-moment-event-marks-official-launch-scarborough-academy-medicine-and-integrated-health">Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health</a>, which is slated to launch in 2026 and will play an important role in helping to build better and more inclusive health care in Scarborough and eastern Toronto, said Vice-President and Provost T<strong>revor Young</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Young pointed out that, during her tenure as dean of the Faculty of Nursing from August 2014 to December 2023, Johnston fostered and promoted excellence at all levels of the faculty, which currently ranks first in Canada and fifth in the world in <a href="/news/u-t-ranks-among-top-20-globally-across-all-five-broad-fields-tracked-qs-world-university#:~:text=In%20the%20five%20broad%20fields,and%2019th%20in%20natural%20sciences.">the QS University Rankings by Subject</a>.</p> <p>鈥淧rofessor Johnston also positioned the Faculty of Nursing as a central player in Toronto鈥檚 Academic Health Science Network, created new collaborations with our partner hospitals and cultivated international partnerships with peer institutions,鈥 Young said.</p> <p>Johnston previously led the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen鈥檚 University Belfast, where she significantly enhanced teaching quality, research output and international partnerships. She is globally recognized for her contributions to nursing and patient care and holds honorary and visiting professorships at top institutions in Australia, China and Hong Kong.</p> <p>She earned her PhD and bachelor of science from the University of Sydney. She completed her undergraduate nursing education in the United States and has extensive experience working in neonatal intensive care in the U.S., Australia and the Middle East.&nbsp;</p> <p>Johnston will be taking a planned leave from July 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2024, during which time Professor <strong>Bill Gough</strong> will serve as acting vice-president, 老司机直播, and principal, 老司机直播 Scarborough. He currently serves as acting vice-principal, academic and dean, at 老司机直播 Scarborough.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 27 Jun 2024 21:29:14 +0000 lanthierj 308320 at New online resource puts a literary spin on studying video games /news/new-u-of-t-resource-helps-with-study-of-video-games <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">New online resource puts a literary spin on studying video games</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-07/IMG_0175.jpeg?h=2fe880c3&amp;itok=JvylmSU5 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-07/IMG_0175.jpeg?h=2fe880c3&amp;itok=SWhsRiwy 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-07/IMG_0175.jpeg?h=2fe880c3&amp;itok=9x28siXk 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-07/IMG_0175.jpeg?h=2fe880c3&amp;itok=JvylmSU5" alt="youth playing video game"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>siddiq22</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-07-27T11:21:32-04:00" title="Thursday, July 27, 2023 - 11:21" class="datetime">Thu, 07/27/2023 - 11:21</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by Envato)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alexa-battler" hreflang="en">Alexa Battler</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/digital-media" hreflang="en">Digital Media</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-mississauga" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-scarborough" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/video-games" hreflang="en">Video Games</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">A new e-book written as part of 老司机直播's Scholars in Residence program shows how video games can be studied and critiqued the same way as classic literature</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As digital gaming has become an integral part of today's pop culture, the study of video games has become more commonplace at universities around the world through courses and a growing number of specialized degrees (such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/english-drama/news-events/game-time-utm-will-begin-offering-minor-game-studies-fall">a new minor program</a>&nbsp;at 老司机直播 Mississauga) But amid the increased interest in learning about the various aspects of video games, resources to help professors teach the subject are lagging behind.</p> <p>鈥淰ideo games studies is a very multidisciplinary field.&nbsp;It doesn鈥檛 have the same depth of focus or publication history as a single scholarly trajectory,鈥 says&nbsp;<a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/engdept/person/sonja-nikkila"><strong>Sonja Nikkila</strong></a>, assistant professor, teaching stream, in the department of English at the University of Toronto Scarborough.</p> <p>鈥淔or someone already working in a different discipline and wanting to [add] video games to their own teaching, there aren't a lot of textbooks and syllabi out there.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_250_width_/public/2023-07/Nikkila%20Headshot%202017.jpeg?itok=_r6qlV3A" width="250" height="250" alt="Sonya Nikkila" class="image-style-scale-image-250-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Sonja Nikkila (supplied photo)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Nikkila, who teaches the course&nbsp;鈥<a href="https://utsc.calendar.utoronto.ca/course/engc41h3">Video Games: Exploring the Virtual Narrative</a>,鈥 says it makes sense to study video games like pieces of literature&nbsp;鈥&nbsp;many games also have rich characters, settings, plots and messages. Unlike static texts, however, there are different endings, side quests and optional plot points that make students鈥 play-throughs a completely different experience.</p> <p>Some landmark games can鈥檛 be assigned as homework, either&nbsp;鈥 they may take dozens of hours to finish or need to be played on expensive systems.</p> <p>Yet Nikkila isn鈥檛 deterred. 鈥淚 wanted to create a resource to show lots of ways you can approach games critically&nbsp;鈥 and how even if you haven鈥檛 finished a game or got a different ending than somebody else, that experience is still critically valuable,鈥 she says.</p> <p>Nikkila&nbsp;recently teamed up with a group of students for one of six 老司机直播 Scarborough projects funded by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/vpdean/jackman-scholars-residence-sir-2023-u-t-scarborough">Jackman Scholars-in-Residence program</a>, which gives students across 老司机直播 paid four-week research opportunities. Her team's quest was to create something to help students and teachers apply narrative theory&nbsp;鈥 a classic approach to studying literature&nbsp;鈥 to video games.</p> <p>They came up with an e-book titled <em>Critical Inventory of Video Game Analysis</em>, which offers a series of frameworks that each make sense on their own but also link to one another, allowing readers to choose their own adventure.</p> <p>Some cover core game elements such as plot and setting, while others delve into Marxism, disability studies and other areas of literary analysis. The frameworks include an overview of each topic鈥檚 relationship to video games, a case for the unique insights games can offer, essay prompts and lists of related topics and links.&nbsp;</p> <p>They also include a section called "demonstrations of literary criticism," or DLC&nbsp;鈥 a play on the ubiquitous acronym in the gaming world for downloadable content. In the e-book, DLCs are a series of sample essays looking critically at games, such as one by student&nbsp;<strong>Brennen Penney</strong>&nbsp;on the eco-feminist messaging in the <em>Star Wars</em> game&nbsp;<em>The Force Unleashed</em>, alongside other pieces by students&nbsp;<strong>Luna Chen</strong>, <strong>Jesse June-Jack</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Lucas McGee</strong>&nbsp;and <strong>Toey Saralamba</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <p>The DLCs are one of several clever nods to video-game lingo throughout, including the title ("inventory" is a standard video-game term). Another section titled "Lore" covers the context behind games that can help inform an analysis, from their creators to cultural impact. The introduction is followed by a section called 鈥淚ntroduction Redux鈥&nbsp;鈥 redux is a term for a remastered game, but in the book it signifies space saved for the new introduction the nascent resource will eventually have.</p> <p>Nikkila plans to use the e-book in her video games course and to regularly update the DLC section with additions from students. She鈥檚 hoping to publish the resource within the next year and make it publicly accessible for students to read and also contribute.</p> <p>In August, the students who participated in creating the resource will present at a conference held in collaboration with the University of Waterloo鈥檚 <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/digital-pedagogy-institute/about">Digital Pedagogy Institute</a>, discussing how they produced the e-book and how it can be used to analyze video games.</p> <p>鈥淲e want to think of this as a library of resources and perspectives that will constantly grow and evolve,鈥 Nikkila says. 鈥淚t might even be a document that preserves a little bit of how scholarship moves across [several] years.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-add-new-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Add new story tags</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/jackman-scholars-residence" hreflang="en">Jackman Scholars-in-Residence</a></div> </div> </div> Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:21:32 +0000 siddiq22 302375 at Infants prefer live music over recorded version, study finds /news/infants-prefer-live-music-over-recorded-version-study-finds <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Infants prefer live music over recorded version, study finds</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-07/babybanner-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zWUioZIk 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-07/babybanner-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=CE75eCQX 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-07/babybanner-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=DluGZ6yB 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-07/babybanner-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zWUioZIk" alt="a delighted baby sitting outside"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-07-17T15:22:00-04:00" title="Monday, July 17, 2023 - 15:22" class="datetime">Mon, 07/17/2023 - 15:22</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Research found that babies' heart rates synchronized and they were more engaged when watching live music, compared to a recording of the same performance (photo by Envato Elements)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/alexa-battler" hreflang="en">Alexa Battler</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/babies" hreflang="en">Babies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/child-development" hreflang="en">Child Development</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/connaught-fund" hreflang="en">Connaught Fund</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/music" hreflang="en">Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/nserc" hreflang="en">NSERC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/psychology" hreflang="en">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-scarborough" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">New research from 老司机直播's 鈥婽EMPO Lab suggests that even babies feel the impact of being at a live show, through both musicians鈥 interactions with an audience and the social experience of being in a crowd</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>You don't have to be an adult to feel the power of live opera&nbsp;鈥 even babies prefer to attend in person, a new study suggests.</p> <p>When infants watched a live performance of a baby opera, their heart rates synchronized and they were significantly more engaged than babies who watched an identical recording of the show, researchers say.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-07/2023_Headshot%5B53-crop%5D.jpg" width="250" height="301" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Laura Cirelli (supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>鈥淭heir heart rates were speeding up and slowing down in a similar fashion to other babies watching the show,鈥 says <strong>Laura Cirelli</strong>, assistant professor in the department of psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough and co-author of <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2023-90247-001?doi=1">a new study published in the journal <em>Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts</em></a>.</p> <p>鈥淭hose babies were dealing with all these distractions in the concert hall, but still had these uninterrupted bursts of attention.鈥</p> <p>The findings suggest that even babies feel the impact of being at a live show, through both musicians鈥 interactions with an audience and the social experience of being in a crowd.&nbsp;Cirelli recalls moments during the performance when a calm would sweep over the babies, and other times when a change in pitch or vocal riff would excite them all.</p> <p>She says this may offer insights into why humans are hardwired to consume music and attend live shows.</p> <p>鈥淚f there鈥檚 something happening that we collectively are engaging with, we鈥檙e also connecting with each other. It speaks to the shared experience,鈥 says Cirelli, director of <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/labs/cirelli/">the TEMPO Lab</a>, which studies how infants and children respond to music.</p> <p>鈥淭he implication is that this is not necessarily specific to this one performance. If there鈥檚 these moments that capture us, then we are being captured together.鈥</p> <p>It鈥檚 well established that socialization is crucial during early childhood development&nbsp;鈥 an infant鈥檚 brain is laying the groundwork for future life skills and abilities as it grows. Cirelli says music can play a powerful part in making those important bonds. She points to research finding <a href="/news/babies-prefer-familiar-tune-even-if-it-s-sung-stranger-u-t-study">infants are more likely to socialize with someone after hearing them sing a familiar song</a> or dancing to music with them, and that infants have strong emotional reactions to music and song even before their first birthday.</p> <p>鈥淲e consistently find that music can be a highly social and emotional context within which infants can foster connections to their caregivers, other family members and even new acquaintances,鈥 she says. 鈥淭his audience study shows that even in a community context, infants are engaging with the music and connecting to their fellow audience members.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-07/SMR_DSC04448%5B60%5D-crop.jpg?itok=IG5cSsBZ" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Babies watched a selection of songs from </em>The Music Box<em>, an operatic performance designed for infants<br> (submitted photo)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>For the study, researchers examined 120 babies ages six to 14 months as they watched a children鈥檚 opera performed at a concert hall that doubles as a research facility at McMaster University (61 babies watched in person, while the other 59 watched a recorded version).</p> <p>Researchers meticulously broadcast the recording so that the performers were at the same size, distance and volume as the live version. The babies鈥 responses were tracked through heart monitors and tablets mounted on the backs of concert seats. Later, student research assistants combed through the footage to note when babies looked at the stage and when they looked away.</p> <p>The live performance captured the babies' attention for 72 per cent of the 12-minute show while the recording held their attention for 54 per cent of the time. The live show also had infants continuously watching for longer bouts of time.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淓ven little babies who may or may not have experienced music in a community context before are already engaging more when it鈥檚 delivered this way,鈥 Cirelli says.</p> <p>鈥淭hat鈥檚 one question we have as music cognition researchers: What is it about the live experience that's worth it? Why would people go if there鈥檚 not something fundamental about that live music experience that's above and beyond listening to music by yourself?鈥</p> <p>That鈥檚 not to say babies find virtual performances boring. After the onset of the pandemic, the researchers virtually studied one group of babies as they watched the same recording in their homes over Zoom. Those babies paid about as much attention as the ones who attended the live show 鈥 watching about 64 per cent on average 鈥 but they were more likely to become &nbsp;distracted and have shorter bursts of attention.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭he babies watching at home didn鈥檛 have the distraction of being in a new place&nbsp;鈥 they were in their comfort zone,鈥 Cirelli says. "But even without distractions, the quality of their attention was still not nearly as strong as the audience in the live condition.鈥</p> <p>The study&nbsp;鈥 which was co-authored by former TEMPO Lab postdoctoral researcher&nbsp;<strong>Haley Kragness</strong>,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>now an assistant professor at Bucknell University&nbsp;鈥 will also feed into some of Cirelli鈥檚 other work.</p> <p>In a different study, she and a team of researchers are exploring whether a live performance over Zoom has the same impact on engagement as a live performance in person, and whether musicians鈥 interactions with an audience can play a similarly powerful role in capturing attention.</p> <p>Yet another study will investigate whether live performances affect their memory of the event and how watching a live performance versus a recorded version affects how they feel about the performer.</p> <p>鈥淚f a baby is frequently brought to these kinds of events, will that shape their foundation for engaging in music and the community later in childhood?鈥 Cirelli asks.</p> <p>鈥淚t speaks to why we even engage with music at all.鈥</p> <p>The study&nbsp;was funded by the 老司机直播 <a href="https://connaught.research.utoronto.ca/opportunities">Connaught New Researcher Award</a> and by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 17 Jul 2023 19:22:00 +0000 lanthierj 302284 at UPPERCASE or lowercase? The way brands write their names sends a subtle message to consumers /news/uppercase-or-lowercase-way-brands-write-their-names-sends-subtle-message-consumers <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">UPPERCASE or lowercase? The way brands write their names sends a subtle message to consumers</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/iStock-458126133.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8-hrnxN7 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/iStock-458126133.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=t3Zf-RpC 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/iStock-458126133.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Jy27CZyT 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/iStock-458126133.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8-hrnxN7" alt="collage of corporate logos"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-04-09T11:34:52-04:00" title="Friday, April 9, 2021 - 11:34" class="datetime">Fri, 04/09/2021 - 11:34</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A study by 老司机直播 Scarborough's Sam Maglio explores the effect of using upper- or lower-case letters on the way consumers view brands and their products (illustration by Anatoliy Babiy via iStockPhoto)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/don-campbell" hreflang="en">Don Campbell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/management" hreflang="en">Management</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/marketing" hreflang="en">Marketing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-scarborough" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Brand names are often written using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters. Others defy convention by using all lowercase, such as amazon or ebay, or all uppercase, such as IKEA.</p> <p>It turns out this unconventional use of text does more than simply draw our attention 鈥 it could influence how we think or feel about a brand or product if there鈥檚 a strong gender connection.</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/UofT17074_2018-09-12-maglio.jpg" alt>鈥淥ur first encounter with a brand quite often is seeing its name splashed in text. But how that text is used can go a long way in influencing our initial attitudes about that product,鈥 says&nbsp;<strong>Sam Maglio</strong>, an associate professor in the department of management at the University of Toronto Scarborough.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In a study <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11002-021-09556-w">published in the journal&nbsp;<em>Marketing Letters</em></a>, Maglio and co-author Aekyoung Kim from the University of Sydney looked at how the use of text influenced people鈥檚 attitudes towards certain products. Across four experiments they found a link between using lowercase letters and femininity, and uppercase letters and masculinity&nbsp;鈥 and these gender perceptions influenced how favourably certain products were viewed.</p> <p>鈥淲e found that female-specific products are viewed more favourably when presented in lowercase, and male products were viewed more favourably when presented in uppercase,鈥 says Maglio, an expert on consumer behaviour.</p> <p>They also found that the effect seems to hold&nbsp;regardless of font size. In one experiment, brands were shown using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters as well as different font sizes (large 100-point font, and smaller 20-point font). The result was that switching font sizes had little effect on gender perception compared to using uppercase&nbsp;or lowercase letters.</p> <p>The study builds on past work by other researchers that looked at how use of lowercase brand names, such as&nbsp;adidas, was more closely associated with traditional female gender attributes such as friendliness. It found that using uppercase&nbsp;and lowercase letters for brand names can have an unconscious effect on consumers鈥 attitudes based on gender associations.</p> <p>The study by Maglio and Kim focused on how specific products like scarves and fragrances can be gendered using uppercase&nbsp;or lowercase letters.</p> <p>Maglio says the lesson for marketers is there could be a benefit to using all lowercase or all uppercase if there is a clear gender connection to a particular product. If&nbsp;you鈥檙e selling women鈥檚 perfume, for example, lower-case letters may resonate more with customers. If you鈥檙e selling men鈥檚 aftershave on the other hand, using uppercase letters may be more effective.</p> <p>For products where there is no clear gender connection, Maglio says it鈥檚 likely most effective to use a combination of uppercase&nbsp;and lowercase.</p> <p>鈥淭he simple message is they may want to line up their signals 鈥 in this case their use of text 鈥 with what their product delivers. So, if it鈥檚 men鈥檚 cologne, putting the name in uppercase letters could mean that consumers might like it more.鈥</p> <p>Maglio says the study focused on scarves and fragrances specifically because those products tend to have versions for different genders. He says they also found no difference in response to vacuum cleaners, which have been traditionally marketed to women.</p> <p>鈥淚f people had a strong association between femininity and use of a vacuum cleaner, we should have seen a difference in our data depending on whether its brand name was written in all lowercase, but we didn鈥檛,鈥 he says.</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 not like 鈥楾his type of product is for this gender, but it鈥檚 not for that gender',&nbsp;which would veer into&nbsp;problematic gender stereotypes.鈥</p> <p>As for why our attitudes towards a product can be influenced by the use of text, Maglio says it comes down to how our brain processes information in order to derive meaning about the world around us.</p> <p>鈥淲hen you see a new brand and you don鈥檛 know anything about it, you can鈥檛 help but draw on a lifetime of experiences in making those snap judgements. People will latch on to whatever information they can in order to help them make sense of what they see.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭his effect works best for things with a strong gender connection, like a men鈥檚 cologne, than if the connection is less obvious, like a vacuum cleaner.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 09 Apr 2021 15:34:52 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 169012 at Most polar bear populations likely to collapse by end of century if global warming continues /news/most-polar-bear-populations-likely-collapse-end-century-if-global-warming-continues <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Most polar bear populations likely to collapse by end of century if global warming continues</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/D277676.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=IbRIKUX0 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/D277676.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=FHZA5NMg 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/D277676.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=RPerfrFH 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/D277676.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=IbRIKUX0" alt="photo of polar bears in Arctic waters"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-07-20T12:39:40-04:00" title="Monday, July 20, 2020 - 12:39" class="datetime">Mon, 07/20/2020 - 12:39</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo by Daniel J. Cox/Arctic Documentary Project)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/don-campbell" hreflang="en">Don Campbell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-change" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-scarborough" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Most polar bear populations will collapse by the end of the century if global warming continues at the current pace, a new University of Toronto Scarborough study has found.</p> <p>The study is the first to offer timelines showing how Arctic sea ice loss will affect the ability of polar bears to reproduce and survive since they will have to endure longer periods without food.</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/UofT80905_Peter_Molnar-15.jpg" alt>鈥淭he challenge is that Arctic sea ice will keep disappearing as the world continues to warm,鈥 says lead author <strong>P茅ter Moln谩r</strong>, an assistant professor in the department of biological sciences at 老司机直播 Scarborough.</p> <p>鈥淭his means polar bears everywhere will face longer periods without food, and this will affect their ability to reproduce, survive and persist as healthy populations.鈥</p> <p>Most of the polar bear diet consists of seals, which they can only catch on sea ice. But as the ice continues to melt the bears have less time to hunt, which means eating less, putting on less weight, and then fasting longer as a consequence.</p> <p>Until now, Moln谩r says, it鈥檚 been difficult to offer meaningful estimates on when polar bear numbers will begin to decline in different regions because data linking ice availability and its impact on their demographic performance haven鈥檛 been available. This study,<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0818-9"> published in the journal <em>Nature Climate Change</em></a>, offers the most comprehensive look at possible timelines of how the ability of polar bears to survive and reproduce will be affected by Arctic sea ice loss.</p> <p>鈥淲e addressed the basic physiology of how many days a polar bear can survive without food if it had a certain amount of energy stored in its body at the beginning of each fast,鈥 says Moln谩r, an expert on how global warming affects large mammals.</p> <p>The researchers estimated the consequences of more prolonged fasts in three steps. First, they estimated how long polar bears can survive based on their body condition when they are forced to leave the ice and begin fasting. Knowing the number of days polar bears can go without eating, they then used climate model projections of ice loss to figure out how long future fasting seasons will be in each polar bear population.</p> <p>Putting these pieces together, Moln谩r and his team calculated what they call 鈥榝asting impact thresholds,鈥 or how many days the bears can go without food and still nurture their young and sustain life. Knowing when these impact thresholds are likely to be crossed reveals the limits for how long polar bears can persist across the Arctic.</p> <p>The model paints a grim picture. If warming continues at its current rate through to the end of the century, we can expect Arctic sea ice loss to lead to steep declines in reproduction and survival in all but a few populations living in the high Arctic.</p> <p>The researchers found that some fasting impact thresholds have already been surpassed in several populations, which may explain the low polar bear reproduction rates in the Hudson Bay and Davis Strait regions that border northern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador as well as southern Nunavut.</p> <p>鈥淲hile our projections for the future of polar bears seem dire, the unfortunate thing is they might even be too optimistic. For example, we assumed that polar bears will use their available body energy in optimal ways when fasting. If that isn鈥檛 the case, the reality could be worse than our projections,鈥 says Moln谩r.</p> <p>Since the researchers won鈥檛 know what condition the bears鈥 bodies will be in for any particular future year because of natural variations in annual climate, they based their estimates on the full range of how thin or fat bears could possibly be when entering into future fasting periods.</p> <p>鈥淲hat we do know is that becoming fat before a fasting season will be more difficult for polar bears as on-ice hunting seasons become shorter, so it鈥檚 likely that fasting impact thresholds will be crossed during the early years of our projected range.鈥</p> <p>The research looked at all polar bear populations within three of four Arctic eco-regions, which make&nbsp;up roughly 80 per cent of the current global population. The remaining 20 per cent, living in the inter-island channels of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, are likely awaiting a similar fate&nbsp;but Moln谩r says there is currently not enough data to estimate similar timelines of risk like they could for the other populations.</p> <p>The research received funding from the Natural Sciences &amp; Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation&nbsp;and the Ministry of Research, Innovation &amp; Sciences.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 20 Jul 2020 16:39:40 +0000 lanthierj 165386 at 3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 8) Jeffrey Dvorkin on journalism in a time of global pandemic /news/3qs-u-science-sam-ep-8-jeffrey-dvorkin-journalism-time-global-pandemic <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 8) Jeffrey Dvorkin on journalism in a time of global pandemic</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-07-20T12:26:04-04:00" title="Monday, July 20, 2020 - 12:26" class="datetime">Mon, 07/20/2020 - 12:26</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-youtube field--type-youtube field--label-hidden field__item"><figure class="youtube-container"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bW0fckCndD0?wmode=opaque" width="450" height="315" id="youtube-field-player" class="youtube-field-player" title="Embedded video for 3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 8) Jeffrey Dvorkin on journalism in a time of global pandemic" aria-label="Embedded video for 3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 8) Jeffrey Dvorkin on journalism in a time of global pandemic: https://www.youtube.com/embed/bW0fckCndD0?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </figure> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/3qs-u" hreflang="en">3Qs at the U</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">老司机直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-scarborough" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Stay-at-home orders and physical&nbsp;distancing have made the practice of journalism more challenging. And yet, as one University of Toronto expert argues, good journalism is more important than ever.</p> <p>In episode eight of <em>3Qs at the U</em>, <strong>Samantha Yammine</strong> 鈥 the&nbsp;alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media 鈥 speaks with <strong>Jeffrey Dvorkin</strong>, the director of the journalism program at the University of Toronto Scarborough, about the difficulties of gathering news during COVID-19 and the need for mainstream media to cut through misinformation.</p> <p>鈥淥ne of the outcomes that I worry about is, can journalism still convey a sense of who we are as a culture鈥f we are barely out there,鈥 Dvorkin says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 up to mainstream media鈥o help the public figure out what is going on, what information they need to be aware of and what information they can comfortably ignore because it鈥檚 just nonsense.鈥</p> <p><em>3Qs at the U</em> is a weekly video series in which Yammine asks a 老司机直播 researcher three questions on a timely topic. It鈥檚 produced by 老司机直播 Scarborough interactive digital producer <strong>Cory Lawrence</strong>.</p> <h3><a href="/news/tags/3qs-u">See a complete list of episodes</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 20 Jul 2020 16:26:04 +0000 lanthierj 165385 at Don't forget about community centres amid Toronto's condo boom, writes 老司机直播's Jeff Biggar in the Globe and Mail /news/don-t-forget-about-community-centres-amid-toronto-s-condo-boom-writes-u-t-s-jeff-biggar-globe <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Don't forget about community centres amid Toronto's condo boom, writes 老司机直播's Jeff Biggar in the Globe and Mail</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1164617702.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=qMEHJoRU 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/GettyImages-1164617702.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_LxCsYMv 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/GettyImages-1164617702.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=JK91XhBn 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-1164617702.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=qMEHJoRU" alt="Construction cranes dot the downtown Toronto skyline"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-11-14T08:50:34-05:00" title="Thursday, November 14, 2019 - 08:50" class="datetime">Thu, 11/14/2019 - 08:50</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Construction cranes dot the Toronto skyline in the summer of 2019 (photo by Rene Johnston/Toronto Star via Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/human-geography" hreflang="en">Human Geography</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-scarborough" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>With condo construction booming in Toronto, it鈥檚 important to not forget about community centres and parks, University of Toronto researcher&nbsp;<strong>Jeff Biggar</strong> writes in a&nbsp;<em>Globe and Mail </em>op-ed.</p> <p>Section 37 of Ontario鈥檚 Planning Act allows the city to make deals with developers to pay for community amenities in exchange for allowing them to build higher and denser buildings. However, bureaucratic errors and insufficient enforcement have resulted in some of these deals falling through.</p> <p>鈥淧ointing the finger at a developer shirking their responsibility to pay up is easy, but when looking deeper we see a municipal system with cracks and blind spots,鈥 writes Biggar, a lecturer at 老司机直播 Scarborough鈥檚 department of human geography.</p> <p>鈥淭oronto is tripping over itself to build higher and denser buildings, but if supporting community infrastructure doesn鈥檛 follow 鈥 reliably, consistently and in a timely manner 鈥 the promise of development will fail.鈥</p> <h3><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-in-torontos-condo-building-boom-we-cant-forget-about-the-community/">Read the op-ed in the <em>Globe and Mail</em></a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 14 Nov 2019 13:50:34 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 160568 at 老司机直播 community gathers to remember, support victims of gender-based violence /news/u-t-community-gathers-remember-support-victims-gender-based-violence <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">老司机直播 community gathers to remember, support victims of gender-based violence</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-12-06-woman-rose_RemembranceWomen%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=eUfhqOev 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-12-06-woman-rose_RemembranceWomen%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=f-JepBs6 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-12-06-woman-rose_RemembranceWomen%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=c1pTebWW 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-12-06-woman-rose_RemembranceWomen%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=eUfhqOev" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-12-06T12:03:55-05:00" title="Thursday, December 6, 2018 - 12:03" class="datetime">Thu, 12/06/2018 - 12:03</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A woman lays a rose during a ceremony at 老司机直播 marking the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innis-college" hreflang="en">Innis College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ontario-institute-studies-education" hreflang="en">Ontario Institute for Studies in Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-mississauga" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-scarborough" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Dec. 6 is the Day of Remembrance &amp; Action on Violence Against Women</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Members of the University of Toronto community will be placing roses on two benches across from Hart House this afternoon 鈥 each with a tag&nbsp;inscribed with the name of a victim of gender-based violence.</p> <p>For participants, the gesture is moving 鈥 and often personal. A victim of violence could be someone they know and love&nbsp;鈥 a friend, a colleague, a parent.</p> <p>Today is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, which marks the anniversary of the murders of 14 women at the 脡cole Polytechnique de Montr茅al in 1989.</p> <p>On that day 29 years ago, a man entered the engineering school and shot and killed 14 women, and injured 14 others, before turning the gun on himself. The shooter proclaimed his hatred for feminists, targeting female engineering students for pursuing a career he believed should be occupied exclusively by men.</p> <p>Every year, 老司机直播 faculty, staff and students on all three campuses reflect on those horrific events and remember and support all women who experience gender-based violence.</p> <p>老司机直播 Scarborough and 老司机直播 Mississauga held memorials on Nov. 29 and Dec. 4, respectively. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/264344207580883/">T</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/264344207580883/">he downtown Toronto campus will be holding an event in&nbsp;Hart House鈥檚 Great Hall today</a>, followed by the rose-laying ceremony.</p> <p><img alt="老司机直播 Mississauga" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__9776 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/UTM-750-x-500.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>The Sexual Violence Prevention &amp; Support Centre and the Equity &amp; Diversity Office held an event at 老司机直播 Mississauga commemorating the Day of Remembrance (photo by Blake Eligh)</em></p> <p>The Hart House event will feature speakers from across the university, including a keynote address by artist, writer, and anti-oppression and equity educator Rania El Mugammar.</p> <p>El Mugammar says mass acts of gendered violence are no longer a rare occurrence, pointing to the April van attack that killed ten people in North York and the alleged driver鈥檚 links to the incel movement, a misogynist and sometimes violent online subculture.</p> <p>鈥淸These acts of violence are] terrifying 鈥 not only for people whose gender identities make them vulnerable in that particular way, but they're terrifying for all our communities who are feeling a sense of urgency around our political climate,鈥 says El Mugammar.</p> <p>Events like the Dec. 6 memorial are opportunities to remember and mourn collectively, she says.</p> <p>鈥淲e can use those moments to galvanize support, thinking critically about our current ways of doing things and our current interventions and to think about how to mainstream this kind of knowledge so it doesn't seem like a niche feminist conversation, but it's a conversation we all have a role in and a stake in.鈥</p> <p>In many ways, the #MeToo movement has pushed this conversation into the mainstream, she says, but it鈥檚 important to remember that the way women experience violence is complicated and nuanced.</p> <p>鈥淚t doesn't happen to all women in the same way and it doesn't happen to all women equally and some of us pay a higher price for disclosure and some of our violence looks different,鈥 says El Mugammar. 鈥淗ow do we make sure they don't leave the most vulnerable people in our community behind?鈥</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__9789 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-12-06-roses%28webembed%29.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"><br> <em>A plaque commemorates&nbsp;the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on 老司机直播 's downtown Toronto campus (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> <p>Awards will be given out at the Hart House event for scholarly achievement in the area of gender-based violence to one undergraduate and one graduate student.</p> <p>鈥淲e want to show that there is reason to be hopeful, and we thought what better way to do this than to establish an award that honours our students鈥 research and community work that is helping us find solutions to diminish gender-based violence,鈥 says <strong>Sandy Welsh</strong>, who is vice-provost, students and co-chair of the award committee along with <strong>Kelly Hannah-Moffat</strong>, 老司机直播's<strong>&nbsp;</strong>vice-president, human resources and&nbsp;equity.</p> <p>鈥淚n terms of 老司机直播, we have a social responsibility to conduct research that may help us in areas where our research can provide solutions to issues like gender-based violence,鈥 says Welsh. 鈥淚t's also a way we can demonstrate and show our commitment to creating a supportive space for all while we're remembering those who lost their lives and experienced gender-based violence.鈥</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__9790 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/1206_RemembranceWomen-linked-arms%28webembed%29.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Attendees link arms during the Dec. 6 ceremony on 老司机直播's downtown Toronto campus (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> <p>This year鈥檚 graduate award recipient is <strong>Jessica Elaine Wright</strong>, a social justice education PhD candidate at 老司机直播's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education whose research centres on the revised Ontario sex-ed curriculum from 2015 and how it relates to&nbsp;trauma experiences. Innis College student&nbsp;<strong>Taylor Irvine</strong> is the undergraduate award recipient in the department for the study of religion and&nbsp;diaspora and transnational studies in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.</p> <p>鈥淚 approach challenging gender-based violence issues by writing policy briefs that dissect laws, prejudices, and perspectives and shed light on the detrimental effects that they have on the well-being of women and girls," says Irvine of her research.&nbsp;</p> <p>For current engineering students, the Day of Remembrance is an opportunity to address the need for improvement in gender equity, but it鈥檚 also a time to recognize the great strides taken to promote change for the better, says <strong>Shivani Nathoo</strong>, president of the 老司机直播 Engineering Society and a student in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering. &nbsp;</p> <p>For the past two years, more than 40 per cent of the incoming 老司机直播 engineering undergraduate cohort have been women&nbsp;鈥 the highest of any engineering school in Canada,&nbsp;according to the faculty's most recent annual report.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚 definitely think that every year things are getting better, partially because of the incoming class of students, partially because the faculty of engineering is putting such a large focus on diversity, inclusion and equity,鈥 says Nathoo, who will be speaking at today鈥檚 event.</p> <p>鈥淚 think there's really a strong focus now on improving that not just for women but for all marginalized communities 鈥 which is really great.鈥</p> <hr> <p>If you or someone you know is a victim of gender-based violence,&nbsp;<a href="http://safety.utoronto.ca/">here are resources available to you near your campus</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://safety.utoronto.ca/sexual-violence-sexual-harassment/">More resources can be found here</a></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 06 Dec 2018 17:03:55 +0000 Romi Levine 148493 at Agent of change: 老司机直播 moves forward with plan to be a sustainability leader /news/agent-change-u-t-moves-forward-plan-be-sustainability-leader <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Agent of change: 老司机直播 moves forward with plan to be a sustainability leader</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-12-03-rooftopgarden_UTSC%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=chHlLV4c 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-12-03-rooftopgarden_UTSC%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=rW3GUWIV 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-12-03-rooftopgarden_UTSC%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=CzXiIIP6 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-12-03-rooftopgarden_UTSC%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=chHlLV4c" alt="photo of people tending to a rooftop garden"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-12-04T17:34:59-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 4, 2018 - 17:34" class="datetime">Tue, 12/04/2018 - 17:34</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A 老司机直播 presidential committee's report on the environment, climate change and sustainability recommends, among other things, using the campus as a "living lab" for sustainability projects (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-change" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/environment" hreflang="en">Environment</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/john-h-daniels-faculty-architecture" hreflang="en">John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/president-meric-gertler" hreflang="en">President Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainabilty" hreflang="en">Sustainabilty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-mississauga" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-scarborough" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto is moving forward with an ambitious plan to establish itself as an engine of sustainability in Canada and around the world.&nbsp;</p> <p>In its <a href="http://www.president.utoronto.ca/the-2018-annual-report-of-the-presidents-advisory-committee-on-the-environment-climate-change-and-sustainability">most recent annual report</a>, 老司机直播鈥檚 President鈥檚 Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability, or CECCS, laid out a comprehensive road map that incorporates sustainable ideas and practices 鈥 both environmental and social 鈥 into nearly every facet of campus life.</p> <p>That includes building partnerships with the wider community on sustainability issues and using 老司机直播 building projects as 鈥渓iving labs鈥 to try out new sustainable technologies and practices.</p> <p>The committee is also working on a plan to allow every 老司机直播 student, regardless of their program, to add a sustainability component to their studies.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淓verything we do has a sustainability dimension, so let鈥檚 treat it that way and add students and faculty into the equation,鈥 says <strong>John Robinson</strong>, the committee鈥檚 chair and the president鈥檚 adviser on environment, climate change and sustainability.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淟et鈥檚 turn the whole university campus into a sandbox for sustainability experimentation and testing.鈥</p> <p>Created in early 2017, the presidential committee was tasked with finding ways to advance 老司机直播鈥檚 contributions to meet the challenges of climate change and sustainability, with a particular focus on research and innovation, teaching and university operations.&nbsp;</p> <p>The committee鈥檚 work grew out of 老司机直播 President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong>鈥檚 2016 report 鈥<a href="http://www.president.utoronto.ca/beyond-divestment-taking-decisive-action-on-climate-change">Beyond Divestment: Taking Decisive Action on Climate Change</a>鈥. It comes amid a series of stark warnings from scientists about the potentially dire consequences of global warming, including a report this month by the U.S. government that found climate change is costing the United States hundreds of billions of dollars and creating health risks.</p> <p>鈥淭he University of Toronto鈥檚 most valuable and effective contribution to addressing climate change emerges from translating innovative research into concrete actions and solutions,鈥 President Gertler says.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭he work of the CECCS is leveraging the dedication and engagement of the entire 老司机直播 community to make a lasting impact on sustainability here at the university and around the world.鈥</p> <p>While the committee鈥檚 members spent much of the last year gathering information and hashing out ideas, Robinson says the group is now preparing to hire staff and move into the implementation phase of its work.&nbsp;</p> <p>When it comes to using 老司机直播 as a living lab, the committee has identified six projects 鈥 one new building and one retrofit on each campus 鈥 that it believes are suitable for providing students and faculty opportunities to 鈥渆ngage with operational sustainability activities.鈥 They include: <a href="/news/u-t-build-academic-wood-tower-downtown-toronto-campus">a 14-storey academic tower built out of timber </a>above 老司机直播鈥檚 Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, and a <a href="/news/green-projects-u-t-receive-267-million-boost-provincial-funding">retrofit project</a> at the University of Mississauga鈥檚 Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre.</p> <p>鈥淭he next step is to develop a proposal for each of those projects, and meet with the people in charge so we can negotiate a way to engage students,鈥 says Robinson, who is also a professor at 老司机直播鈥檚 Munk School for Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲e also need faculty who can supervise that work.鈥</p> <p>Key to the plan鈥檚 success is finding a way to involve students without putting project budgets or timelines at risk. Among the ideas: allowing students to observe 老司机直播鈥檚 project study, planning and implementation processes; sharing technical documents and project information so students can participate in 鈥渟hadow鈥 design exercises; and having students participate in project monitoring and performance assessments.</p> <p>Robinson has considerable experience with such partnerships on a smaller scale. His 鈥溊纤净辈 as a Living Lab of Sustainability鈥 course connects undergraduate and graduate students with sustainability projects undertaken by university staff. Projects have ranged from a study of the impact of new signage on recycling behaviour to one on the potential for a rooftop garden at Trinity College.</p> <p>As for curriculum changes, Robinson says the committee completed an audit of about 8,000 undergraduate courses and discovered a quarter currently include sustainability content. Now, the committee is in the process of developing curriculum 鈥減athways鈥 for sustainability-minded students to pursue at 老司机直播鈥檚 Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, 老司机直播 Mississauga and 老司机直播 Scarborough.</p> <p>The committee has also conducted a similar review of 老司机直播鈥檚 community engagement practices. Robinson says it found three main partnership models at the university 鈥 innovation-focused private sector partnerships, policy-focused partnerships with government agencies and socially oriented partnerships with civil society groups.&nbsp;</p> <p>The plan is to build upon these existing models as 老司机直播 expands further into the sustainability space. The annual report, for example, notes 老司机直播 is regularly approached by potential corporate partners who want to test new technologies such as energy-saving software. 鈥淪uch opportunities not only offer excellent opportunities for student engagement, but also represent potential sources of funding for students from the companies that will benefit from collaborating with 老司机直播,鈥 the report says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Change won鈥檛 happen overnight. Robinson says simply getting a handle on current sustainability offerings has been a challenge at a large, de-centralized institution like 老司机直播. The flipside, he says, is that once the right 鈥渃hampions鈥 are identified, there鈥檚 considerable opportunity for 老司机直播 鈥 one of the top ten public institutions in the world 鈥 to make a significant impact.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淎s the biggest university in Canada, I think it鈥檚 really incumbent upon us to engage in this issue.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 04 Dec 2018 22:34:59 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 148353 at Infants on the brain: 老司机直播 study explores the origins of mothers' bonds with their babies /news/infants-brain-u-t-study-explores-origins-mothers-bonds-their-babies <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Infants on the brain: 老司机直播 study explores the origins of mothers' bonds with their babies</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Haley%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=B26JDfk9 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Haley%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Jj2RyLuX 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Haley%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=pgohjkVd 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Haley%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=B26JDfk9" alt="photo of 老司机直播 researcher David Haley in his lab"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-12-04T14:14:34-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 4, 2018 - 14:14" class="datetime">Tue, 12/04/2018 - 14:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">The study by David Haley, an associate professor of psychology at 老司机直播 Scarborough, is among the first to look at whether functional changes in mothers鈥 brains during and after pregnancy are related to mother-infant bonding (photo by Don Campbell)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/don-campbell" hreflang="en">Don Campbell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/early-childhood-development" hreflang="en">early childhood development</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/psychology" hreflang="en">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-toronto-scarborough" hreflang="en">University of Toronto Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A new University of Toronto study has found mothers who show increased interest in infants while pregnant report stronger bonds with their babies after birth.&nbsp;</p> <p>The study by <strong>David Haley</strong>, an associate professor of psychology at 老司机直播 Scarborough, is among the first to look at whether functional changes in mothers鈥 brains during and after pregnancy are related to mother-infant bonding, which is considered important for childhood development.</p> <p>By contrast, past research 鈥 which also suggests the transition to motherhood triggers structural changes in the brain 鈥 has tended to focus on the postpartum period.</p> <p>鈥淥ur findings support the idea that, over the course of pregnancy and early motherhood, the responses in the brain to infant facial cues actually change,鈥 says Haley, who is also director of the Parent-Infant Research Lab.</p> <p>鈥淲e found that some mothers showed more marked changes than others, and this variation is associated with reports of the strength of their emotional bonds with their babies.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v_WP6iupVHo" width="750"></iframe></p> <p>The study involved 39 pregnant women, ages 22 to 39, from various ethnic and educational backgrounds. Each of the women visited the lab twice&nbsp;鈥&nbsp;once in their third trimester and again three to five months after giving birth. During the visits, the women took part in a face-processing task where they were shown images of sad and happy infant and adult faces while their brain activity was measured using electroencephalography.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>When responding to infant facial cues, the researchers observed increases in electrical activity in the part of the brain responsible for attention processes that occur within a fraction of a second.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭his goes to show that mothers are increasing their cortical receptivity, but what鈥檚 fascinating is that this increase seems to predict behavioural receptivity to their infants,鈥 Haley says.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>One surprising finding from the study is that a significant change in receptivity to infant facial cues was seen only among some mothers between pregnancy and the postnatal period.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭hat was unexpected,鈥 says <strong>Joanna Dudek</strong>, who earned her PhD in Haley鈥檚 lab and co-authored the research.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚t suggests the transition from pregnancy to motherhood is not a period of universal adaptive change in receptivity to infant facial cues.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>The mothers in the study were all shown unfamiliar infant faces, so Dudek says it鈥檚 unclear whether mothers who did not show a change in receptivity would do so if they were shown their own infants' faces after giving birth.&nbsp;</p> <p>Haley says understanding how emotional and cognitive networks in the brain contribute to mother-infant bonding is an important area of study.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of research on the importance of forming close mother-infant bonds, but little is known about how this bond may start developing in the first place,鈥 he says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Why some mothers experience a change in receptivity and others don鈥檛 remains an open question. Haley says the mental and physiological health of the mother could play a role, pointing to recent research that shows stress can dampen and inhibit the neural responses to infant facial cues.&nbsp;</p> <p>Unpacking why this happens is an important next step for the research, along with measuring whether there鈥檚 a change in mothers鈥 neural receptivity to infant facial cues beginning earlier in pregnancy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>There鈥檚 also good news for mothers who don鈥檛 show an increase in receptivity to infant facial cues. Past research has shown training can have an impact.</p> <p>鈥淭here are studies showing that mothers can do it with infant stimuli, so it鈥檚 possible that mothers could learn to increase their attention bias towards their infant,鈥 Haley says.&nbsp;</p> <p>He adds that a topic for future research is whether attention increases gained through training can predict maternal bonding.&nbsp;</p> <p>The study, which received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cdev.13182">published in the journal, <em>Child Development</em></a>.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 04 Dec 2018 19:14:34 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 148417 at