About

I joined the University of Alberta in 2009, as a member of the Developmental Science area in Psychology. After receiving my B.A. (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Winnipeg, I went on to complete a Ph.D at the University of Minnesota's Institute of Child Development, minoring in Neuroscience, and several postdoctoral research positions at Southern Illinois University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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Research

My research examines how children develop the ability to regulate their behaviour, attention, cognition, and emotions, how these abilities emerge and develop in the infant, toddler, and preschool years, how changes in behaviour relate to brain development, and what factors put children at risk for developing problems with self-regulation. To study these questions, I use methods drawn from Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, including game-like tasks adapted from adult neuropsychological tests and behavioral neuroscience measures, sometimes in conjunction with neuroimaging methods like event-related potentials (ERPs), in which small ongoing changes in voltage at the scalp that reflects underlying brain activity are recorded. In addition, I am interested in how contextual and genetic factors (nature and nurture) interact to influence children's developing self-regulatory skills, including prenatal risk factors such as smoking during pregnancy, postnatal factors such as physical activity, and genetic factors related to the dopamine system.

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Teaching

I regularly teach PSYCO 531 (Design and Analysis in Psychological Research I), PSYCO 323 (Infant & Child Development), and Special Topics seminars (PSYCO 421/622) on Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and the Lifespan Development of Executive Function. I also supervise students in individual research through the Psychology and Neuroscience Honours programs, PSYCO 299 (Research Opportunities in Psychology), and PSYCO 396/398/496/498 (Independent Study).

• The ABCD Lab was featured in the APA Monitor on Psychology!

PSYCH 323 - Infant and Child Development

Biological, cognitive and social aspects of psychological development during the period from infancy to childhood. Prerequisite: PSYCH 223. [Faculty of Arts]

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PSYCH 523 - Developmental Methods: Application

Prerequisite: PSYCH 522 or permission of Instructor. [Faculty of Science]

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PSYCH 531 - Design and Analysis in Psychological Research I

[Faculty of Science]

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Browse more courses taught by Sandra Wiebe

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