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Psychology Undergraduate Studies

PSYCH 499A/B/C - HONOURS THESIS

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READ the Honours Thesis Handbook - (the Handbook is the course outline for Psych 499)

2012/2013 Handbook (enrolled in Psych 499A F2012, W2013, or S2013)

Previous Handbooks:

ATTEND oral presentations by other students (see schedule below)

READ Honours Theses samples - may be signed out from the Psych Undergrad Office (PAS 4005)

ATTEND a Psych 499 Orientation Meeting
Psych 499 Orientation Meetings are held the first Tuesday of lectures every term and are open to everyone. Students are strongly advised to attend an Orientation meeting prior to enrolling in Psych 499. The Course Coordinator will review what's involved in completing an Honours Thesis. Tim Ireland, Psychology's Liaison Librarian, will review library resources available to Psych 499 students. Marg Ingleton, Psychology's Research Experiences Group (REG) Coordinator, will review the process of obtaining ethics clearance and collecting data for your thesis. There will be lots of opportunity to ask questions.The next meetings are:

  • Tuesday January 8, 2013 at 12.30-2.20 pm, PAS 3012
  • Tuesday May 14, 2013 at 12:30-2:20 pm, PAS 3012 (note revised date)
  • Tuesday Sept 9, 2013 at 12:30-2:20 pm, PAS 3012

Enrolment Restrictions/Procedures

Course prerequisites and enrolment information - Revised June 2012

Course Deadlines

Psych 499 deadlines and important dates

Oral Presentations for Psych 499B


Spring 2013 - Presentation dates, times, location:

  • dates: Tuesday May 21 through Tuesday July 30
  • times: Tuesdays at 11:30am, 12:30pm, or 1:30pm
  • location: PAS 3012 (unless otherwise indicated)

Current presentation schedule

Instructions for scheduling your oral presentation

Check the current presentation schedule for openings, discuss a mutually agreeable date/time with your supervisor, then email Gini Kennings the date and time you'd like to schedule your presentation. Include your full name, ID#, thesis supervisor, what term you're enrolled in 499B, and the topic of your thesis proposal.

Oral presentations are scheduled on Tuesdays during the University lecture period. If there are extenuating circumstances and you wish to request an alternate presentation date (i.e., you or your supervisor have class during the regular presentation times), please email your request to Gini Kennings, outlining the circumstances and reasons for the request, and she'll consult with the course coordinator. Include with your request at least two alternate dates and times that both you and your supervisor would be available for your presentation.

Psych 499 Course Coordinator


Sept 1, 2012 through August 31, 2013:

Myra Fernandes
Office: PAS 4054
Phone: (519) 888.4567 ext 32142
Email: mafernan@uwaterloo.ca

Sept 1, 2013 through August 31, 2013:

Wendi Adair
Office: PAS 4046
Phone: (519) 888.4567 ext 38143
Email: wladair@uwaterloo.ca

Research Experiences Group (REG)

Marg Ingleton
REG Coordinator & Departmental Ethics Review Committee (DERC) Officer
Office: PAS 3016
Phone: (519) 888.4567 ext 32690
Email: regadmin@uwaterloo.ca
REG website

Ethics handout from Sept 2012 Psych 499 Orientation Meeting

Ethics handout from the January 2013 Psych 499 Orientation Meeting

Liaison Librarian - Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology

Tim Ireland
Library
Phone: (519) 888.4567 ext 35061
E-mail: tireland@library.uwaterloo.ca

Library handout from Sept 2012 Psych 499 Orientation Meeting (specify 'read only')

Statistics - Help!

The Statistical Consulting Service in the Statistics and Actuarial Department is free to students. Drop-in hours and appointments available.

Annual Ontario Psychology Undergraduate Thesis Conference


General information about the conference

Note that a small fund is available to students to offset the cost of participating in the Thesis Conference.

2013 - The 43rd Annual Ontario Undergraduate Psychology Thesis Conference:

  • Where - University of Guelph-Humber
  • When - Friday May 3, 2013
  • Abstract submission deadline - Friday March 22, 2013
    Submit abstracts online

    Abstracts must not exceed 150 words and must include a title, description of the research question or focus, method, and preliminary or expected findings if possible, at the time of submission. Co-authored abstracts will not be accepted.  All abstracts should be reviewed by the thesis supervisor in advance of submission.  Students have the choice of selecting oral or poster presentation formats; however, owing to room and time constraints it may not be possible for all presenters to present in their chosen format.  Presenters will be notified of the finalized format of their presentations as early as possible.

  • Additional information about the conference including location, directions and the conference schedule is available on the University of Guelph-Humber Psychology homepage or by following the link below:
    http://www.guelphhumber.ca/events/43rd-annual-ontario-undergraduate-psychology-thesis-conference

    Questions regarding the conference or submissions can be sent to: psyconf@guelphhumber.ca
2012 - The 42nd Annual Ontario Undergraduate Psychology Thesis Conference was held at York University on Friday April 27, 2012. Twelve uWaterloo Psych 499 students participated in the conference by way of oral or poster presentations. Feedback from uWaterloo students who attended:
  • Phoebe Liu (supervisor: Erik Woody)
    Presentation: Segmented Coding of Responsiveness in Dyadic Discussions on Experiences about a Cardiac Event

    "The conference was undoubtedly a worthwhile experience. It was intellectually stimulating to be presented with and to understand a wide variety of impressive undergraduate research projects. I was also blown away by the exceptional presentation skills some of the students displayed, which was valuable to see and learn from. Besides it being fun to present to people who can appreciate the inner workings of an undergraduate thesis, this opportunity allowed me to enhance my presentation skills in a different and very positive setting."

  • Danielle Rice (supervisor: Uzma Rehman)
    Presentation: Exposure, Response and Resiliencies to Daily Stressors: A Comparison of Caucasian and Hispanic Students

    "The thesis conference was an extremely worthwhile educational experience. Not only do you get to share your own research with an audience of enthused Psychology students but you also get to learn about exciting research occurring all around Ontario. The caliber of presentations is very impressive and results in an engaging audience. Along with the opportunity to be informed about innovative student research, the connection made with other students as well as contact with Professors is an added benefit that I would not have received without this conference fostering an encouraging atmosphere throughout the day."

  • Rachael Bell (supervisor: Steve Spencer)
    Presentation: Do Anti-Aging Product Help or Hinder the Self-Esteem in Women?

    "I had a great time at the conference. I enjoyed seeing everyone else's thesis ideas and getting to discuss mine with others. The highlight of my day was when a lady came up to me and said she couldn't wait to see my presentation when she saw it in the program, that made me feel like all my hard work had been worth it."

  • Harjot Kaur Dosanjh (supervisor: Christine Purdon). Thesis Title:
    Presentation: The phenomenology and psychology of compulsions in obsessive-compulsive disorder

    The conference was a truly amazing and absolutely exciting experience. 
    It was a great opportunity to share your hard work with individuals who were not only genuinely interested in what you had to say, but could also appreciate the effort and hard work you?ve put into your thesis. It was very flattering to know that people had worked their schedules out to include your presentation. I was amazed by the sense of camaraderie I felt amongst my fellow undergrads. After working so hard on your thesis for so long, having a platform such as this conference to present your thesis is a wonderful opportunity that I would encourage all Honours thesis students to take.

2011 - The 41st Annual Ontario Undergraduate Psychology Thesis Conference was held at the University of Guelph on Friday April 29, 2011. Feedback from uWaterloo Psych 499 students who attended:
  • Vivian Cheng (supervisor: D. Smilek)
    Presentation: Music and Sustained Attention

    "There were a number of impressive presentations in the conference. I have learned a lot from the other presenters in terms of their presentation skills and research methods. This definitely helps me to generate better research in the future. I also had an awesome experience in presenting my own thesis and receiving feedback from the other professors and students, so that I could acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of my thesis. This is definitely a rewarding experience."

  • Cory Tam (supervisor: D. Koehler)
    Presentation: Reducing Optimistic Bias in Spending Predictions: A Construal and Motivational Account of Unpacking

    "I had a great time at the conference and would highly recommend future thesis students to attend. I really enjoyed being in the presence of over a hundred students from universities all over Ontario. It was a great opportunity to present my research as well as learn about the research of other students."

  • Brandon Ralph (supervisor: J. Fugelsang)
    Presentation: Gender Differences in Statistical Reasoning: Impacts of Stereotype Threat and Self-Affirmation

    "The conference was a great experience. It was an excellent opportunity to get involved in the psychology community and meet undergraduates from across Ontario. There was a great deal of diversity in research topics, with lots of interesting and unique ideas being brought to the table. This is the perfect opportunity to gain experience presenting your research to an audience of your peers in a positive and friendly environment. I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and highly recommend attending to anyone who has taken the effort to undertake the honours thesis."

2010 - The 40th Annual Ontario Undergraduate Psychology Thesis Conference was held at University of Windsor on Friday April 30, 2010. 145 students from across Ontario presented their theses work including four uWaterloo Psych 499 students who provided the following feedback about their conference experience:
  • Jessica Wuergler (supervisor: M. Fernandes)
    Presentation: "Memory for face-name recognition in younger and older adults"
    "I thoroughly enjoyed my day at the conference.  I got to hear a lot of excellent presentations from students across Ontario and was very impressed with their research efforts. I had a wonderful time presenting and it was a great learning experience due to the strict nature of time given for each talk and the questions asked during the Q & A section."

  • Kasra Zokaei (supervisor: J. Fugelsang)
    Presentation: "Improving Decision Making By Reducing Overconfidence with Computerized Cognitive Training of Working Memory"

    "The conference was a good experience. Lots of interesting research from other students. It was interesting to see how others conduct research and report their findings. Also a very good experience to present your own research and receive feedback from others. The quality of research was very high and the atmosphere was very casual and friendly."

  • Andrew Cashman (supervisor: J. Fugelsang)
    Presentation: "Number Form Effects on Arithmetical Strategy among Individuals with High and Low Math Anxiety"

  • Leilani Mangal (supervisor: L. Nilsen)
    Presentation: "The role of listener knowledge and feedback in children's production of referential statements"

    "I found the complete experience very rewarding. Although this was my second time attending (the first was at Brock a couple years ago for friends who were doing poster presentations), the experience at Windsor was quite different this time around...in part because I was there to present my own research this year. I think a conference such as this is wonderful opportunity for undergraduate students because it provides us with a platform to speak about our research, enhance our communication skills in this domain, and meet and share ideas with students from other schools. Attending the Undergraduate Thesis Conference was a beneficial learning experience for myself and was truly impressed by the calibre of work presented by my peers. I would encourage all those interested in pursuing further studies in psychology to take advantage of this great opportunity!"

Other Conference Opportunities

Canadian Psychological Association:

Ottawa Undergraduate Research Poster Competition hosted by the Science Students' Association at the University of Ottawa. Note that the date was changed to March 8th, 2013.

Connecting Minds, a North American Undergraduate Research Conference in Psychology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey British Columbia on May 30-31, 2014.

Publishing Opportunities for Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate journals listed by the Council on Undergraduate Research

MENTALITY - The Canadian Undergraduate Journal of Mental Health Research
The journal is a Canada-wide initiative based at McMaster University.
"Mentality accepts research articles of all kinds, including original research articles, literature reviews, and abridged theses. Our vision is to create a place for students from all faculties to write about their research or others’ research from any perspective that relates to mental health."

The Yale Review of Undergraduate Research in Psychology, a student publication at Yale University, "is an annual journal that showcases the best and most original research in psychology conducted by undergraduates from around the world. Our goal is to contribute to scientific advancement by encouraging serious, quality research early on. We provide a platform for undergraduate scientists to share their findings, and aim to bring together a community of young psychologists from both the United States and abroad." The Yale Review is now accepting submissions for the 2013 edition of our journal. The submission deadline is April 25, 2013.

Last updated: April 22, 2013