NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Modulation du réflexe acoustique de sursaut par la musique stimulante et relaxante

Music has the capacity to evoke and modulate emotions, divided by two dimensions: arousal (relaxing-stimulating), and valence (unpleasant-pleasant). Musical valence can be objectively measured by the acoustic startle reflex, a defensive reaction consisting of an eye blink provoked by a short and loud noise. This reflex is facilitated by unpleasant music and inhibited by pleasant music. However, the arousal effect while listening to music on the startle reflex remains unknown. This study therefore aims to explore the affective startle modulation by stimulating and relaxing music.   In a within-subjects design, 47 participants listened to stimulating music, relaxing music and non-musical sounds. White noises (50 ms, 105 dB(A)) were added over the excerpts to induce startle while eyeblink magnitude and latency were measured by electromyography. Excerpts’ acoustic features were then extracted and compared through experimental conditions to explore their effect on startle modulation.  Startle latency was longer in the stimulating condition compared to the relaxing one, but no differences in magnitude were found, partially confirming our predictions. Exploratory analyses suggest that startle modulation is also attributed to bottom-up processes of acoustic features, and that these latter impact differently magnitude and latency.  In conclusion, this study highlights startle latency measure efficiently emotional arousal while listening to music, allowing future research to use the paradigm of affective startle reflex modulation to evaluate the effect of music on emotions considering individual factors, such as age and depression. It also paves the way for comparisons of the effect of emotions and acoustic features processes on the startle reflex modulation.

Keyphrases: Music, Musical emotions, Acoustic Startle Reflex, Arousal, Music Information Retrieval
Jealousy and romantic disengagement : a longitudinal investigation in long-term couples

Research examining jealousy among couples provides mixed findings regarding its association with relationship outcomes and does allow an understanding of its role in romantic disengagement. Also referred to the process of falling out of love, disengagement is frequently reported by couples who seek relationship therapy. Using a dyadic and prospective design, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between jealousy and romantic disengagement while considering relationship satisfaction as a potential moderating factor. Since the current literature provides mixed findings about the effect of jealousy on relationship outcomes, no a priori hypotheses were proposed about the directionality of the associations between the three components of jealousy assessed at baseline, and changes in romantic disengagement for the individual 9 months later (actor effects). However, we expected that relationship satisfaction would moderate this association. At the dyadic level, we expected that high levels of jealousy in the individual would be associated with an increase in their partner’s level of disengagement at follow-up (partner effects). Finally, we also considered gender differences in actor and partner effects. Jealousy, romantic disengagement, and relationship satisfaction were assessed twice among 141 mixed-sex couples over a nine-month period. Path analyses using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model were conducted to verify the hypotheses and research questions. Emotional jealousy was related to a decrease in one’s romantic disengagement over time for women (β = -.154, p = .029). Moreover, relationship satisfaction moderated the association between emotional jealousy and disengagement— women who reported low (B = -0.016, p = .004) to moderate (B= -0.011, p = .032) levels of relationship satisfaction experienced a decrease in their disengagement, but not when they reported being highly satisfied (B = -0.006, p = .257). Relationship satisfaction also moderated the association between cognitive jealousy and romantic disengagement for women—jealous thoughts were associated with an increase in romantic disengagement when women reported extremely high levels of satisfaction (4 standard deviations above the mean: B = 0.024, p = .048). Additionally, women’s behavioral jealousy predicted an increase in their partner’s disengagement (β = .142, p = .039). The findings suggest that considering jealousy increases our understanding of disengagement and how it unfolds over time among long-term couples. Moreover, relationship satisfaction would moderate the association between jealousy and disengagement, but only for women. Further research is required to identify other relational or personal factors that could contribute to romantic disengagement in men.

Keyphrases: Romantic Disengagement, Long-Term Couples, Jealousy, Relationship Satisfaction, Dyadic, Prospective Design
Mécanismes neuronaux de la stimulation thêta-burst intermittente du cortex dorsolatéral préfrontal

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a neuromodulation technique used as a treatment of major depressive disorder. Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), a specific kind of rTMS, offers a reduced stimulation duration. Yet, its mechanism of action and optimal duration are still largely unknown. In clinical settings, standard duration is often increased with the expectation of increasing therapeutic effects. However, this hypothesis has never been tested. This master thesis aims to provide better understanding of neuronal mechanism associated with iTBS on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of healthy participants and to determine the optimal stimulation duration over the three more commonly used durations in clinical practice: 600 (standard), 1,200 and 1,800 pulses. This was explored in 14 neurotypical participants who experienced each of the three conditions during three different sessions. The induced brain activity was measured combining transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography, via TMS evoked potentials (TEP) and event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP). These measures were compared before and after each condition using a mixed linear model. For the three durations, no significant difference was found in all cortical activity measures. Specifically, after iTBS, the amplitude of most of the TEPs, as well as of the ERSP of theta band, are reduced. Therefore, the iTBS standard protocol induces a modification of cortical activity which is similar to longer durations, showing the importance of replicating this study on a clinical population.

Keyphrases: Neurostimulation, Neurostimulation, Transcranial magnetic stimulation, Electroencephalography, Theta burst stimulation, Prefrontal cortex, Major depressive disorder
Association entre la maltraitance à l’enfance et les symptômes dépressifs à l’âge adulte : une étude des profils de méthylation de l’ADN et de réactivité au stress

Increasing evidence suggests that child maltreatment is a significant risk factor for the emergence of depressive symptoms in adulthood. However, the mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly understood. The present study examined the mediating role of DNA methylation and the moderating role of stress reactivity in the association between child maltreatment and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. The sample comprised 156 young male adults aged between 18 and 35 years. Maltreatment experiences and depressive symptoms were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Cortisol, a hormone secreted in response to stress, was measured in response to the Trier Social Stress Test. DNA methylation of nine candidate genes (COMT, FKBP5, IL-6, IL-10, MAOA, NR3C1, OXTR, SLC6A3 et SLC6A4) was quantified using the Sequenom EpiTYPER technology after the extraction of salivary DNA. Results suggest that DNA methylation did not explain the association between child maltreatment and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood, and that the associations underlying the mediating effect of DNA methylation did not vary according to the cortisol stress response. Nonetheless, the results suggest that maltreatment experiences and depressive symptoms are both associated with changes in DNA methylation profiles. Finally, these findings underscore the importance of reducing the prevalence of child maltreatment in order to limit the onset of depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood.

Keyphrases: Cortisol, Maltreatment, Depression, DNA methylation, Cortisol
Développement d'un outil quantitatif mesurant la contagion émotionnelle chez des étudiants universitaires en psychoéducation

Emotional contagion is defined as the tendency to automatically mimic and synchronize facial expressions, vocalizations, postures and movements with those of another person’s and, consequently, to converge emotionally. This emotional convergence can be beneficial if one knows how to deal with it and realizes that it’s another person’s emotion, instead of his/her own. However, when one loses control over the effects of emotional contagion, it can cause empathic distress. By working with a clientele in distress, social workers are among the professionals who are the most at risk of experiencing emotional contagion. Thus, being aware of their own susceptibility to emotional contagion would be a way to prevent empathic distress, and to improve their professional work and personal well-being.  Emotional contagion is usually measured by a self-report questionnaire: The Emotional Contagion Scale (ECS). The ECS relies on the fact that people who use it are conscious of their emotional reactivity. However, it is not always the case. Previous research has shown that people who are unaware of their emotions are at risk of having problems with regulating their emotions. Therefore, it seems important to develop a complementary and quantitative measure of emotional contagion to counterbalance bias related to subjective measures.  The goal of this study is to develop and validate a behavioral measure of emotional contagion in a sample of psychoeducation students from the University of Montreal. To do so, we used a facial coding tool to automatically measure participants’ facial expressions as they watched emotion-eliciting film excerpts. Results indicate that both instruments of emotional contagion (quantitative and self-report) do not measure the same psychosocial constructs but remain complementary. Also, the new quantitative measure of emotional contagion seems to predict the risk of developing depressive symptoms and different forms of chronic stress and burnout among participants of this study. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Keyphrases: outil comportemental, intervention, emotional contagion, quantitative measure, behavioral measure, psychological well-being, non-verbal, emotional regulation
Évaluation de la mise en œuvre du programme d’activités parascolaires musicales La classe enchantée

Extracurricular activities are increasingly recognized as a context that promotes youth positive development, especially for those living in disadvantaged areas. However, the effectiveness of these interventions varies from one program to another, based on their implementation context, and according to youth characteristics and commitment. This study is part of the evaluation of the La classe enchantée (EC), an extracurricular music program offered since 2017 to 4th graders attending a multi-ethnic Montreal school located in a disadvantaged area. The EC specifically aims to positively influence youth development through collective music learning as well as through a democratic access to the program. In order to better understand the functioning and optimal conditions for implementing this innovative initiative, the present study aimed as a general objective to evaluate the implementation of the program. More specifically, our objectives were to describe the program and identify the obstacles and facilitators related to its implementation, as to identify the essential implementation components promoting youth engagement and positive development. Data were collected over two years among four groups of actors, namely the participants, their parents, the music teachers, and the program management team. Data were mainly collected from interviews. We relied on the psychoeducational model to draw a detailed portrait of the implementation of EC using descriptive and thematic analysis. Among the main factors associated with the program implementation, funding instability has emerged as a constant barrier for the management team. Our results also highlight the importance of the teachers and the relationship they create with their students, but also their experience with the clientele, which was decisive for the creation of an efficient learning climate. Finally, the management team skills as well as the addition of internal coordination stand out as being particularly important to allow program promoter to effectively adjust to obstacles and better meet student needs. The study also highlights important insight regarding the relevance of the psychoeducation model as an implementation tool as well as broader recommendations on the implementation of extracurricular activity programs.

Keyphrases: extracurricular activity program, positive youth development, implementation assessment, psychoeducation, music
Exposition à des stresseurs et décrochage scolaire : le rôle modérateur de la consommation de substances psychoactives

The aim of this project was to examine the role of substance abuse, specifically alcohol and cannabis, as a moderator of the link between a recent exposure to stress or chronic difficulties and school dropout. Based on theoretical models and empirical studies, we expected that recent exposure to short-term or chronic stressors and problematic cannabis use would be significantly and independently linked to school dropout in an additive way. We also expected a moderating effect of cannabis use on the link between stress and school dropout, multiplying the dropout risks among students exposed to both problems simultaneously. These hypotheses were tested among a sample of adolescents (N = 545) ages 14 -18 years of age (M = 16.5; SD = 9) recruited from 12 schools in and around Montreal, Canada. Also, control variables capturing potentially confounding factors (e.g., parental education) were integrated in multiple logistic regression models. Results showed that problematic cannabis use (RC = 1.46; IC 95% = 1.18-1.79) as well as the exposure to at least one recent stressful event (RC = 1.82; IC 95% = 1.91-2.78) or to at least two chronic difficulties (RC= 2.49; IC 95% = 1.44-4.29) were linked to high school dropout. However, problematic alcohol use was not significantly associated with high school dropout nor did the result show any moderating or interaction effect between the independent variables of interest. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Keyphrases: Cannabis, Stress, Adolescents, Alcohol, High school dropout, Substance use
L’intelligence artificielle pour analyser des protocoles avec alternance de traitements

Alternating-treatment designs are useful single-case experimental designs for the evaluation and comparison of intervention effectiveness.  Most guidelines suggest that researchers and practitioners use a combination of statistical and visual analyses to analyze these designs, but current methods still produce inadequate levels of errors under certain conditions. In an attempt to address this issue, our study examined the use of artificial neural networks to analyze alternating-treatment designs and compared their performances to three other recent approaches. Specifically, we examined accuracy, statistical power, and type I error rates under various conditions. Albeit not perfect, the artificial neural networks model generally provided better and more stable results across analyses. Our results suggest that artificial neural networks are promising alternatives to analyze alternating-treatment designs.

Keyphrases: alternating-treatment design, artificial neural networks, machine learning, N-of-1 trials, type I error
Associations prospectives entre la présence d’une télévision dans la chambre d’un enfant à 4 ans et les saines habitudes de vie à 10 ans : rôle des pratiques parentales efficaces

Background. Community pediatricians and allied youth services report that screen time creates immediate and subsequent well-being and lifestyle risks in children and adolescents. In fact, current guidelines recommend parental supervision and monitoring of screen time as well as screen-free spaces and moments. Effective parenting practices are often targeted in prevention programs addressing behavioral development and diminishing risk for mental psychopathologies. Little is known regarding the role of parenting in effectuating guidelines. Objective. This study aims to examine the moderating effect of parenting practices on the relationship between the presence of a television in the preschool child’s bedroom and subsequent healthy lifestyle habits (physical activity outside school hours, healthy eating habits and sleep duration). Methods. Participants (929 boys and 930 girls) are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) birth cohort. Bedroom television (reported by children and confirmed by interviewer) and effective parenting practices (reported by mothers) were collected at age 4. Mothers reported on chilren’s healthy lifestyle habits at age 10. Linear regressions were conducted, stratified by sex, to test expected moderation hypothesis by controlling for child and family characteristics. Results. Bedroom television was not significantly associated with lifestyle risks, both in boys and girls. Parenting practices significantly moderated the relationship between bedroom television and physical activity outside school hours for boys. Better parenting practices were associated with increases in physical activity outside school hours when a bedroom television was present, compared with lower effective parenting practices. For girls, effective parenting for girls predicted higher sleep duration as a direct effect. Parenting practices significantly moderated the relationship between bedroom television and sleep duration for girls. Better parenting practices were associated with increases sleep duration in the presence of a bedroom television, compared with lower effective parenting practices. Conclusion. Effective parenting practices can be considered as a protective factor for lifestyle habits associated with the presence of a television in the preschool bedroom, thus bettering chances of optimal development. These findings support the role of parenting as a program target for risk prevention.

Keyphrases: Television, Toddlerhood, Child development, Lifestyle habits, Effective parenting practices
Étude de l’association entre la qualité de l’attachement des parents et de l’enfant au sein de familles biparentales : l’effet modérateur du temps parent-enfant

Since a few decades, researchers have acknowledged the evidence of a complementarity between the roles of the father and the mother in the development of infant attachment. While the mother plays a main role in caregiving, the father tends to promote exploratory behavior, respect of rules and frequently act has a playmate. Numerous studies have shown an association between caregiver’s attachment and infant’s attachment with a stronger effect for mothers, which is widely discussed in terms of intergenerational attachment transmission. Nowadays, between the two parents, there is a less hermetic division of tasks associated with caregiving and there is a growing agreement that the father can be perceived as a secure figure. We studied a normative sample of 182 heterosexual biparental families living in the Montreal area. The first objective was to examine the association between parent’s attachment assessed with the Relationship Scale Questionnaire (RSQ) and infant-parent attachment measured with the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP). Our second objective was to look at the role of time spent by the parent with his child as a moderator of the above-mentioned association. Unlike our predictions, no significative association was found between the maternal RSQ and the infant-mother SSP. Nevertheless, fathers with whom a secured attachment is developed distinguish themselves by a significantly higher security score on the RSQ. Furthermore, while the time spent by the father with the infant hasn’t been linked with father-infant attachment, it was, however, associated with mother-infant attachment. Concerning this association, the time spent by the father with his child was negatively associated with resistance during the mother-infant SSP, positively associated with Secure type and negatively associated with Resistant type. Finally, the time the parents spent together with the child was positively associated with the Secure type and negatively associated with Disorganize attachment. At this study’s conclusion, we believe the RSQ might assess dimensions other than the ones usually associated with the SSP, which would make this instrument less recommended in future research on attachment transmission. The time the father spends with his child doesn’t seem to influence his attachment. However, our results suggest the time spend by the father with the mother-infant dyad might have direct and indirect benefices on the mother-infant attachment.

Keyphrases: attachement adulte, adult attachment, intergenerational transmission, attachment transmission, infant-mother attachment, infant-father attachment, father-child time
Évaluation de la mise en œuvre des camps estivaux de francisation et de socialisation destinés aux jeunes élèves immigrants nouvellement arrivés au Québec

The growing immigration flows context in Canada lead to a diversification of the Canadian population and accentuate the need to adapt welcome services for allophone immigrants. In Quebec, during childhood and adolescence, it is often through the Services d’accueil et de soutien à la francisation (SASAF), which proposes different modalities such as welcome classes that immigrant youth are integrated in the school system. However, other extracurricular programs are also offered to newly arrived immigrant youth, through various community organizations. Summer camps figure among these programs offered. These camps offering various recreational activities in the community are recognized to allow immigrant youth developing their language skills and to promote their socialization during the summer, with the ultimate goal of facilitating academic progress. Despite the relevance of these summer camps, few studies have documented their implementation. Therefore, the present research aims to evaluate the implementation of four of these summer camps in the Montreal area, in order to identify the facilitators and barriers associated with their implementation. The first objective was to describe camps’ implementation according to their key components and the dynamics between them. Second, the objective was to identify the obstacles and facilitators related to these camps’ implementation, based on our observations and data that we collected, through individual interviews and focus groups (n = 17),  the perceptions of the different actors involved (coordinators, animators, assistant animators, campers).  Six main findings emerged from our results based on the thematic analyzes we conducted. These findings underscore counsellor team training and attitude, program nature and flexibility, length of camp participation, camp costs and heterogeneity in terms of groups’ composition as factors associated with the success or difficulties encountered during camp implementation. These results lead to various practical recommendations in order to improve the conditions for implementing future camps aimed at supporting newly arrived immigrant youth during the summer and support their francization and socialization.

Keyphrases: Accueil, Program evaluation, Implementation, Summer camps, Francization and socialization, Recent immigration, Welcome services, Immigrant youth