BENJAMIN GIGUÈRE

Students who work with me gain insight into various aspects of applied social psychology tied to my work and have the opportunity to develop their research skills by participating in the research process (e.g., recruiting participants, collecting data, analysing data). Involvement in research also fosters the development of multiple "soft skills", such as team work, project management and ethical responsibility. The skills gained through this experience are thus well suited for students who wish to pursue an honours thesis, a graduate degree, as well as many professions, such as social work, law and medicine. Some students become involved through undergraduate research internship (PSYC*3240; PSYC*4240) or by completing their honours thesis under my supervision.

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Undergraduate students who have worked with me have gone on to graduate school, including social and clinical psychology and other disciplines, such as social work, education, law, and medicine. They are now working in a range of careers linked to their degrees or in other career paths, including humanitarian, politics and venture capital. They have also received major awards including master's and doctoral scholarships from the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and others. 

Feel free to email me if you are interested in working with me. Please include a copy of your unofficial transcript and of your résumé/CV in your email. Please note that because people who work in my group frequently handle confidential sensitive psychological data I do have a selection process. 

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

I typically teach PSYC*1000 Introduction to Psychology and PSYC*3350 Cross-Cultural Psychology. I also instruct a 4th year seminar PSYC*4310 as the Psychology of Social Groups. This course aims to change how you view the world from a psychological perspective by introducing you to the notion of social groups and their influence on human psychology. Whether they are defined through a shared characteristic (e.g., ethnicity, language) or a common interest (e.g., occupation, sport) socio-cultural groups help people define who they are and provide norms on how members should typically act. Throughout the course, we examine the psychology behind joining and maintaining membership in socio-cultural groups, as well as the consequences, both functional and dysfunctional, of the influence of groups for human emotions, thoughts and behaviour.

GRADUATE COURSES

I primarily teach two graduate courses. PSYC*6920 Applied Social Psychology and Interventions examines social cognitive theories and research in the field of applied social psychology with a particular focus on the design of intervention strategies to ameliorate social and practical problems. PSYC*6930 Community, Culture and Global Citizenship focuses on theories and methods for understanding such issues as community health, poverty and violence, immigration and acculturation, as well as equity, diversity and inclusivity, in an increasingly interconnected, interdependent and globalized world. An important theme of the course is how applied social psychology can theorize and intervene at the intersection of individual and social issues to ameliorate social and practical problems.