Undergraduate Research Conference
UWinnipeg’s Psychology Department’s Prairie Undergraduate Research Conference will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025.
Registration for the University of Winnipeg’s Psychology Department’s Prairie Undergraduate Research Conference is now open.
Conference Information
The Prairie Undergraduate Research Conference provides undergraduate students of psychology an opportunity to present research conducted as part of their honours thesis or independent-study projects in a friendly, professional environment. Family, friends, and other members of the public or university community are also welcome to attend.
We encourage all students hoping to gain valuable academic experience to present at this conference. In addition, we encourage those students who may be doing an Honours thesis in the near future to attend to learn about research, potential supervisors, and the overall thesis experience.
Tentative conference schedule:
- 8:00–8:45 AM – Conference badge pick-up and morning refreshments
- 8:50 AM – Opening Remarks
- 9:00 AM – Spoken presentations
- 10:30–11:00 AM – Poster session
- 11:00 AM–12:00 PM – Spoken presentations
- 12:00–1:15 PM – Lunch
- 1:30–2:30 PM – Keynote Address
A conference program and final schedule will be available approximately a week before the conference.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Anne E. Wilson
We are pleased to have Dr. Anne Wilson present the keynote at this year’s conference. Dr. Wilson is a social psychologist and Professor in the Psychology Department at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research concerns identity (at a personal, relational, & collective level) and motivation over time (past, present, & future).
Political polarization real and imagined: What do political adversaries get most wrong about one another, and does it matter?
Political animosity and dehumanization of political opponents has risen starkly in recent years. While real ideological divides and conflicts exist, a surprising degree of common ground may be obscured by an illusory conviction that most opponents hold extremist, noxious views that most do not endorse. We describe this phenomenon as the Fringe Overestimation Error, or FOE effect. We examine how contemporary media’s “attention economy” amplifies the political fringe, fueling false polarization that outstrips real differences. We find that partisans base their hostility for opponents mostly on views that a majority of opponents do not hold. We consider the downstream implications of these misperceptions, including refusal to engage with opponents, and acceptance of anti-democratic tactics. We examine how consumption of partisan media, social media, and alternative media (like YouTube and podcasts) predicts the FOE effect. We also examine ways to counteract the FOE effect. Since extreme voices are disproportionately active and visible on social media (contributing to the FOE effect), we examine whether exposure to ingroup dissenters who challenge their co-partisans’ extreme views online can mitigate misperceptions and disrupt the cycle of hostility and potential radicalization.
For more information about Dr. Wilson see:
Registration
Registration is open until April 15, 2025.
The registration fee is $30.00, which includes coffee break and lunch.
n.b., The registration fee is waived for UWinnipeg students enrolled in PSYC 4040 who are presenting their thesis projects because they are subsidized by the Psychology Department and the Faculty of Arts. All others attending the conference, including faculty, will be required to pay the registration fee. This fee will offset a portion of the cost of refreshments, lunch, media, and facilities costs.
Please register at : ( All attendees are required to complete the registration form)
A conference program and final schedule will be available approximately a week before the conference.
Presentations are open to all undergraduate students from any institution who are presenting their research. This includes recently graduated individuals who: (a) are not currently attending a graduate program and (b) are presenting research originally conducted while an undergraduate or in a postbaccalaureate position. Presenters may choose a spoken presentation (15 minutes including questions) or a poster. UWinnipeg honours students should speak with their advisor about which format to select.
Two prizes will be awarded at this year's conference. The McIntyre Award will be given to the student with the best spoken presentation in the social sciences. The Santesso Award will be given to the University of Winnipeg student with the best spoken presentation in the natural sciences.
Questions? Please email Dr. Justin Friesen, conference organizing committee: jp.friesen@uwinnipeg.ca