Category Archives: Research Studies

Game Based Assessments vs Interviews: Interview Anxiety and Performance Among Individuals with and without ASD

Yumna Najam Ahmed is an MSc student engaged in a research project overseen by Dr. Nicolas Roulin from the Department of Psychology at Saint Mary’s University. The project forms part of her MSc thesis and is backed by a SSHRC Insight Grant (#435-2021-1115). The purpose of the study is to gain insight into the performance of job applicants during online selection processes, such as virtual interviews and game-based assessments (GBA), and to ascertain the influence these processes have on hiring decisions. Of specific interest is the role that anxiety might play in affecting the performance of interviewees and GBA participants, particularly concerning individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Participants in the study are expected to envision themselves as job applicants who are interested in a position for which they have been invited to engage in three evaluation components of a simulated hiring process. The study consists of three parts:

1. The first part involves completing an asynchronous video interview (AVI), where participants must video-record their answers to questions using a webcam. Directly after the interview, they will be asked to provide feedback on their emotional state during the interview and on their conduct.

2. The second part requires scheduling and carrying out a live online video-conference interview (VCI) via Microsoft Teams or Zoom, where participants will use their webcams to respond to interview questions. Similar to the first part, they will be prompted to share their feelings and behavior immediately following the interview.

3. The final part invites participants to complete a Game Based Assessment (GBA) through an online game called OWIWI. This part involves gameplay and decision-making, after which individuals will again give feedback on their emotional experience during the assessment and on their actions.

To fulfill the requirements, participants need to use a laptop or tablet equipped with a webcam (smartphones are not acceptable) for parts one and two. They should access the first part using Chrome, Firefox, or MS Edge as a web browser (excluding Safari) and carry out the study in a quiet setting.

 Time commitment and compensation:

– The entire study is expected to take approximately 90 minutes, with 30 minutes allocated for each of the three parts.

Participants will receive compensation in the form of CAD $10 for each part they complete, making up a total of CAD $30. If participants do not complete the study online or if they do not approach the tasks with due seriousness, they will be eligible only for a partial payment of CAD $5 for each respective part. Participants need to provide an email address at each stage so that their involvement can be tracked and their compensation appropriately dispensed via e-transfer upon completion.

 Eligibility:

– The study is open to all individuals, including those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
– Eligible participants must be residing in Canada, fluent in English, and at least 18 years old.
– They must not have any other mental health diagnoses that might impair daily functioning and task completion.

Children and Youth with Support Needs: Tell us your participation preferences for The Family Voices Project

The Family Support Institute of BC is currently collecting responses to the initial engagement preferences survey for the Family Voices Project. All parents and caregivers of children and youth with support needs are invited to share their participation preferences by taking this survey: https://bit.ly/3QHYOAM

The Family Voices Project is conducting meaningful engagement with the community to inform the work of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). This project is part of a larger effort by the Province of British Columbia to redesign and improve services for children and youth with support needs (CYSN). For this project, FSI will engage with families of children and youth with support needs, focusing on four groups: families of complex kids, transitioning youth, families of kids with dual diagnosis, and self-advocates. FSI’s engagement process aims to be culturally appropriate and mindful of the access needs of diverse groups. This research project is conducted in collaboration with the UBC Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship (CIIC).

PARTICIPATION PREFERENCES SURVEY: https://bit.ly/3QHYOAM

Developing a Virtual Mental Health Framework to Support School-Age Children on the Autism Spectrum (e-MH)

Our team at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and York University is working on a study to understand the benefits and challenges of virtual mental health (e-MH) support for school-age autistic children and their families in Canada, with the aim to improve the usefulness of e-MH. We would like to first gather the experiences of caregivers of autistic children who have used e-MH support, and clinicians who have recommended e-MH support for autistic children, via an online survey using the REDCap platform.

Caregiver: Are you a caregiver to a child diagnosed with autism, who has used virtual mental health support? Please fill out a survey to tell us about your experience!

Clinician: Are you a clinician who has provided or recommended virtual mental health support to children diagnosed with autism? Please fill out a survey to tell us about your experience!

Survey Link: https://redcap.link/emh-autism

Investigating Social Support as a Moderator of Affiliate Stigma and Depressive Symptoms in Caregivers of Autistic Children

The study we are currently running is called The moderating effect of social support: Experiences of affiliate stigma and depressive symptoms in caregivers of autistic children.  We are interested in how experienced stigma and social support affect the mood of caregivers of children with autism.  We are looking for the primary caregiver of autistic children between the ages of one and eighteen who live at home. The primary caregiver would be asked to complete five short questionnaires which would take about 45-60 minutes. For your participation, you will receive a $10 gift card from Amazon.

Identifying barriers to healthcare for minority-language speakers on the autism spectrum through stakeholder engagement

Minority-language speakers (M-LS) face barriers in accessing and using healthcare. Such disparities have been reported across several conditions, including in children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Few studies have examined the barriers faced by minority-language children on the autism spectrum to accessing and using healthcare services in Canada. The current study proposes to fill this gap through stakeholder interviews with five different focus groups which will be held at six regions in Canada (i.e., the Maritimes, Québec, Ontario, the Prairies, BC, and the North). Stakeholders will include parents of children 0-6 years who are M-LS, adults on the autism spectrum who are M-LS, as well as clinicians, healthcare administrators and community workers who work with children on the autism spectrum who are M-LS and their families. The information gathered will serve to inform the federal government and their provincial counterparts and to improve service access and use for M-LS on the autism spectrum and their families. If you fall within one of these categories, and you are interested in sharing your experiences, please contact [email protected]

The Type of Passion and Optimal Functionning in Autism

One of the diagnostic criteria for autism is the presence of interests that are atypical in intensity or focus. These are often perceived by parents and caregivers as harmful, and are targets for autism interventions. Yet their consequences are still poorly understood, and not reported by autistic individuals themselves. According to the dualistic passion theory, an activity can be associated with positive and negative consequences, depending on the type of passion involved (obsessive or harmonious). This conceptual framework has never been applied to an autistic population, in whom restricted interests can resemble passions.

The aim of this project is to better understand the links between autistic people’s passion for their preferred activity and its consequences on optimal functioning. An online study comprising of questionnaires is being carried out with young adults with autism between the ages of 14 and 30.

This research has the potential to bring important nuance to the adaptive role of preferred interests, as perceived by people with autism. It could contribute to the recognition of the lever for intervention and social integration that these interests can represent.

 

Sensory Experiences in Autism

Do you ever wonder how different sounds and noises impact your daily life? We are conducting a study to explore sensory experiences in autistic (or not) individuals, with diverse backgrounds. It’s a chance to share your unique perspectives and contribute to our understanding of sensory phenomena.

 

Your input will play a crucial role in uncovering the intricacies of sensory experiences and their influence on our lives. By participating, you’ll help us pave the way for future insights, potential interventions, and support systems.  It will take a max of 8 minutes to complete.

 

Joining is simple! Just click the link below to access our quick questionnaire and share your experiences. Your responses will remain anonymous and confidential. If you’re interested in learning more about the study aims, procedures, privacy measures, and more, please click the link below. It will provide you with all the necessary information before you decide to participate. 

 

🔗 Survey Link (and extra info!): https://fmru.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ebuUa3rNw9O3kuW  

 

We truly appreciate your time and contribution to this exciting study. Thank you for being a part of our research journey!

 

Warm regards,

Elena Sofia Silva and Dr. James Trujillo

Radboud University

Adapting screen-time management guidelines into individualized behavioural programs for families of children with autism

We are recruiting families of children aged 5 to 12 years old with autism spectrum disorder.

About the study:

Screen-based technologies such as television, computers, video games, tablets etc. have become standard tools in education, health, recreation, and social contexts for children with autism. Managing screen time can be challenging for any parent, but particularly for parents of children on the autism spectrum. The research team recently developed guidelines for famililes and children with autism around managing screen time that are freely available as a website. Now, they are looking at how to turn these guidelines into a behavioural program that families can use, supported by a behaviour analyst.

In this study, families of children with autism spectrum disorder will be asked to try an individualized screen time management behavioural program for 6-8 weeks with specific screen time goals that are important to the family. During one week at the start and one week at the end of the program, families will measure their child’s emotions, behaviours, physical activity, screen time at home. This will involve the use of questionnaires administered via smartphones as well as wearable devices to track activity levels throughout the day. At the end of the study, families will be interviewd about their experience.

By participating in this study, families will have a chance to help future familes naviagte screen-time challenges. In addition, participating familes will receive up to $200 in gift cards to thank them for their time. 

Exploring the Social Validity of the PEERS® Social Skills Program for Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum

The purpose of this study is to learn more about how adolescents on the autism spectrum view the PEERS® program. The PEERS® program is a social skills program designed for adolescents on the autism spectrum. Adolescents’ views will help us determine whether the PEERS® program is viewed as useful by the target demographic. We are especially interested in how the program may impact their identity.

SCHEMA Study: Autistic Adult Participants Needed for UBC Study

Study Title: The Social Communication, Historical Experiences, Memory and Affect (SCHEMA) Study

Description: SCHEMA is a three-part study that includes one in-person visit at UBC (1-2 hours) involving eye tracking and two online sessions (45 minutes each). The study takes approximately 3.5 hours total for autistic participants. Participants will receive $52.50 in the form of an Amazon gift card.

Eligibility: To participate, participants must be…

  • 18-30 yrs old
  • fluent in English
  • have no history of colour blindness, intellectual disability, psychosis, seizure, epilepsy, eye surgeries, head injury (last 6 months), eye movement abnormalities, glasses with more than one power

How do you sign up?

If interested, please fill out the eligibility screener survey (~3min) here. 

Study Contacts:
Principle Investigator: Dr. Connor Kerns, Ph.D.
Primary Contact: Kate Rho (Research coordinator)

This study has been approved by University of British Columbia’s Behaviour Research Ethics Board (ID: H23-00378).