Jennifer Tomes
Biography
Dr. Jennifer Tomes area of specialization is cognitive psychology, with a specific focus on human memory. Her teaching duties include: introductory psychology, cognitive processes, memory, forensic psychology, and an advanced seminar in cognitive psychology. Dr. Tomes' research interests include false memories, the impact of concussion on autobiographical memory, and memory in an education setting. She did her graduate work at The University of Western Ontario. Dr. Jennifer Tomes joined the psychology department at Mount Allison University in 2000.
Publications
Recent Publications:
Tomes, J. L., Wasylkiw, L., & Mockler, B. A. (2011). Studying for success: Diaries of students' study behaviours. Education Research and Review, 17, 1-12.
Wasylkiw, L, & Tomes, J. L. (2010). Using tests to enhance active learning. Proceedings of the AAU Showcase, Teaching to Engage and Retain.
Ruci, L., Tomes, J. L., & Zelenski, J. M. (2009). Mood-congruent false memories in the DRM paradigm. Cognition & Emotion, 23, 1153-1165.
Wasylkiw, L., Tomes, J. L., & Smith, F. (2008). Subset testing: Prevalence and implications for study behaviours. Journal of Experimental Education, 76, 243-257.
Claxton-Oldfield, S., Tomes, J., Brennan, M., Fawcett, C., & Claxton-Oldfield, J. (2005). Palliative care volunteerism among college students in Canada. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, 22 (2), 111-118.
Johnson, A. M., Pollard, C., Vernon, P. A., Tomes, J. L., & Jog, M. S. (2005). Memory perception and strategy use in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, 11,111-115.
Tomes, J. L. & Katz, A. N. (2000). Confidence-accuracy relations for real and suggested events. Memory, 8, 273-283.
Tomes, J. L. & Katz, A. N. (1997). Habitual susceptibility to misinformation and individual differences in eyewitness memory. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 11, 233-251.
Education
2001 PhD in Psychology, University of Western Ontario
1995 MA in Psychology, University of Western Ontario
1993 BA(hons) in Psychology, University of Western Ontario
Teaching
Psychology 1011 - Introductory Psychology II
Psychology 2201 - Cognitive Processes
Psychology 3211 - Memory
Psychology 3241 - Forensic Psychology
Psychology 4201 - Advanced Cognition
Research
The primary focus of my research is human memory. I am interested in a number of different aspects of memory, and as a result I have three primary research streams. These include: false memories, concussion, and educational practices.
False memory research
I have a long-standing interest in false memories. I have investigated the creation of false memories utilizing a variety of research paradigms to try to determine how false memories are created and how they might differ from true memories. This has led me to investigate individual differences, the effect of emotion, and the impact of a variety of encoding variables on the creation of false memories.
Concussion research
I have recently begun to conduct research into the long-term impact of concussion on autobiographical memory. Although many people believe the impact of a concussion is short-term, emerging research is suggesting that there are long-term consequences resulting from concussion.
Educational practices
My third research stream looks at memory in an applied context, specifically with respect to university teaching. I am interested in the effects of both teaching and testing strategies on student learning (or student memory).