Education
| 2018–2020 | MA in Social, Personality, and Health Psychology (Carleton University) |
| 2014–2016 | MSc in Applied Health Sciences (Brock University) |
| 2009–2014 | BEd/BPhED (Honours) Concurrent Education (Brock University) |
Aidan was a MA student under the supervision of Dr. Marina Milyavskaya. Using self-determination theory, he was interested in investigating the role of mindfulness in eudaimonic living and how mindfulness can be used to enhance self-regulation and support more effective goal attainment.
Aidan was also interested in the relationship between mindfulness and goal setting. More specifically, he was interested in (1) examining whether or not individuals who are more mindful are better at selecting self-concordant goals than those who are less mindful and (2) how mindfulness conduces to a greater focus on intrinsic goal contents relative to extrinsic goal contents. Ultimately, Aidan hopes to further elucidate the role of mindfulness in eudaimonic living to help people more effectively and autonomously select goals and behaviours that are aligned with their values, interests, and basic psychological needs.
Publications
Smyth, A., Gammage, K., Lamarche, L., & Muir, C. (2020). Examining psychobiological and behavioural responses to and recovery from a social-evaluative body image threat in university men. American Journal of Men’s Health, 14(2).
Smyth, A., Werner, K., Milyavskaya, M., Holding, A., & Koestner, R. (2020). Do mindful people set better goals? Investigating the relation between trait mindfulness, self-concordance, and goal progress. Journal of Research in Personality, 88: 10415.
Werner, K. M., Smyth, A., & Milyavskaya, M. (2018). Do narcissists benefit from materialistic pursuits? Examining the relation between narcissistic tendencies, extrinsic values, and well-being. Collabra: Psychology, 5(1): 58.
Select Conference Presentations
Smyth, A., Gammage, K. L., Lamarche, L., & Muir, C. (2016). Men’s psychobiological responses to, and recovery from, a social-evaluative body image threat. Poster presentation atthe Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology,October 2016, Waterloo, ON.
Smyth, A., Gammage, K. L., Lamarche, L., & Muir, C. (2016). Men’s psychobiological and behavioural responses to and recovery from a social-evaluative body image threat. Poster presentation at the Mapping the New Knowledges Conference, April 2016, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON.
Smyth, A. & Gammage, K. L. (2016). Getting comfortable being uncomfortable: Men’s psychobiological responses to and recovery from a social-evaluative body image threat. Oral presentation at the Eastern Canadian Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium, March 2015, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON.
Smyth, A. & Gammage, K. (2015). Your body image may influence more than your physical activity levels: Body-related correlates of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in college women. Poster presentation at the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology,October 2015, Edmonton, AB.
Smyth, A. & Gammage, K. L. (2015). Can weight training moderate men’s psychobiological responses to a social-evaluative body image threat? Oral presentation at the Bodies of Knowledge Conference, May 2015, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
Smyth, A. & Gammage, K. L. (2015). Investigating exercise as a long-term coping strategy for men’s uncomfortable body image experiences. Poster presentation at the Mapping the New Knowledges Conference, April 2015, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON.
Smyth, A. & Gammage, K. L. (2015). Examining weight training as a moderator of psychobiological responses to an acute social-evaluative body image threat in university men. Oral presentation at the Eastern Canadian Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium, March 2015, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON.
Notable Awards
| 2017 | Brock University Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Spirit of Brock Award |
| 2016 | Brock University President’s Surgite Award |
| 2016 | Brock University Graduate Students’ Association Award |
| 2015–2016 | Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) |
| 2015 | Ontario Gradaute Scholarship (declined) |
| 2015 | Brock University Dean of Graduate Studies Excellence Scholarship |