Sandra Wiebe, PhD

Contact

Professor, Faculty of Arts - Psychology Dept

Email: sawiebe1@ualberta.ca
Phone: (780) 492-2237
Address: P-243 Bio Science - Psychology Wing
11355 - Saskatchewan Drive

Edmonton AB

T6G 2E9

Overview

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.

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.

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).

Announcements

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

Courses

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]

Winter Term 2025

PSYCH 425 - Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

An in-depth review and analysis of developmental cognitive neuroscience methods and principles of brain development and neuroplasticity, and their application to particular domains of development (e.g., attention, language, emotion). Prerequisites: PSYCH 212, PSYCH 213 or STAT 151 or 161, and PSYCH 323 or 327 or 329 or 371 or 375 or 377. [Faculty of Science]

Winter Term 2025