Alberta Girardi

In addition to teaching introductory courses in psychology, I teach Child Development and Adolescent Psychology. One of my primary goals as an instructor is to increase students interest in psychology. I show a lot of videos in my classes, so that students can see psychological concepts come to life. I focus on real-life applications of psychological issues, and encourage students to think about how they can apply what they are learning to their own lives.

My research focuses on the ways in which interactions between humans and animals affect psychological well-being. My goal is to improve the quality of life for both animals and humans.

One area of interest relates to the association between animal cruelty and other forms of family violence. Another is how interactions with companion animals improve social and psychological functioning.

As an educator, I am particularly interested in studying how animals are being incorporated in to elementary schools and post-secondary institutions to improve student achievement and well-being.

Most recently, my research has been concerned with identifying modifiable human behaviours that may contribute to a reduction in dog bite injuries among children.

Journal Articles

Girardi, A., & Pozzulo, J. D. (2015). Childhood experiences with family pets and internalizing symptoms in early adulthood. Anthrozos, 28, 421-436.

Girardi, A., & Pozzulo, J. D. (2012). The significance of animal cruelty during child protection investigations. Social Work Research, 31, 53-60.

Deonandan, R., Schachter, H. M., Ly, M., Girardi, A., Lacroix, D., Barrowman, N., & Abdulkadir, I. (2012). An approach to comparing nations for inclusion of studies in health-based systematic literature reviews. Internet Journal of Epidemiology, 10(2).

Pozzulo, J. D., Lemieux, J.M.T., Wilson, A., Crescini, C., & Girardi, A. (2009). The influence of identification decision and DNA evidence on juror decision-making. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39, 2069-2088.

Schachter, H. M., Girardi, A., Ly, M., Lacroix, D., Lumb, A. B., van Berkom, J., & Gill, R. (2008). Effects of school-based interventions on mental health stigmatization: A systematic review. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 2:18.

Pozzulo, J. D., Dempsey, J., Corey, S, Girardi, A., Lawandi, A., & Aston, C. (2008). Can a lineup procedure designed for child witnesses work for adults? Comparing simultaneous, sequential, and elimination lineup procedures. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38, 2195-2209.

Coplan, R. J., Girardi, A., Findlay, L. C., & Frohlick, S. (2007). Understanding solitude: Young childrens attitudes and responses toward hypothetical socially withdrawn peers. Social Development, 16, 390-409.

Findlay L. C., Girardi, A., & Coplan, R. J. (2006). Links between empathy, social behaviour, and social understanding in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21, 347-359.

Reports

Girardi, A., Babul, S., Rajabali, F., & Pike, I. (2013). The injury consequences of promoting physical activity: An evidence review. Prepared by the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit for the BC Provincial Health Services Authority.

Girardi, A., Babul, S., Rajabali, F., & Pike, I. (2013). Bullying, suicide, and self-harm among individuals who are overweight: An evidence review. Prepared by the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit for the BC Provincial Health Services Authority.

Schachter, H. M., Girardi, A., Wilson, A., Gelinas, S., Ly, M., Lumb, A. B., Moore, C., Lacroix, D., van Berkom, J., & Deonandan, R. (2008). What proportion of children and youth currently experience mental health difficulties or disorders? A systematic review of the scientific evidence. Prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

Conference presentations

2018: Albaghli, F., Girardi, A., Church, P., Ballantyne, M., Synnes, A., Canadian Neonatal Follow-Up Network & Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health. Neonatal follow-up in Canada: A national survey. Poster presented at the Canadian Neonatal Perinatal Research Meeting, Banff, Canada.

2016: Girardi, A., & Synnes, A. The Canadian Neonatal Follow-Up Network (CNFUN) cohort of children born preterm: Outcomes at three years. Poster presented at the Early Years Conference, Vancouver, Canada.

2013: Girardi, A., Babul, S., Rajabali, F., & Pike, I. Bullying, suicide, and self-harm: Is obesity a risk factor? Paper presented at the Canadian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference, Montreal, Canada.

2013: Girardi, A., Babul, S., Rajabali, F., & Pike, I. The injury consequences of promoting physical activity. Poster presented at the Canadian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference, Montreal, Canada.

2013: Girardi, A., Babul, S., Rajabali, F., & Pike, I. The injury consequences of promoting physical activity: An evidence review. Paper presented at the Canadian Public Health Association Annual Conference, Ottawa, Canada.

2011: Coltea, C. G., Girardi, A., Davidson, A., & Parlow, S. E. Effects of farm-related activities on the home behaviour of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Poster presented at the Pickering Centre for Research in Human Development Inaugural Research Day, Ottawa, Canada.

2011: Girardi, A., & Pozzulo, J. D. The effects of a dog-training intervention for youth. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Canadian Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.

2009: Girardi, A., & Pozzulo, J. D. The association between animal cruelty and different forms of family violence: A survey of child protection workers. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Canadian Psychological Association, Montreal, Canada.

2009: Girardi, A., & Coplan, R. J. The influence of therapist characteristics on outcomes of home-based behavioural interventions for children with Autism. Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Canadian Psychological Association, Montreal, Canada.

2006: Pozzulo, J. D., Coplan, R. J., Girardi, A., & Kiraly, M. Being shy: A help or hindrance to eyewitness recall. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.

2006: Kiraly, M., Pozzulo, J. D., Girardi, A., Lawandi, A., Aston, C., & Corey, S. Comparing lineup procedures: Simultaneous versus sequential versus elimination. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.

2005: Coplan, R. J., Findlay, L. C., & Girardi, A. Understanding solitude: Attributions, attitudes, and responses to hypothetical shy and unsociable peers in early childhood. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting for the Society for Research in Child Development, Atlanta, USA.

2005: Girardi, A., Findlay, L. C., & Coplan, R. J. Empathy and social sensitivity in early childhood. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting for the Society for Research in Child Development, Atlanta, USA.