University of Lethbridge Theses

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    An investigation of stereotype threat as an insight into the replication crisis
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Psychology, 2025) Booth, Samantha Isabella; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Barrett, Louise
    This thesis explores the replication crisis, using stereotype threat as a demonstrative example. First, I conducted a quality control analysis using papers on stereotype threat’s effect on women’s math performance, to determine if methods and reporting had improved in the time period between 2001 and 2023. I did not find a significant improvement for the majority of the variables I tested, with the exception of sample size, average group size, and open data practices, which improved over the tested time period. Then, I designed and ran an experiment, testing the effect of implicit and explicit stereotype threat on women’s performance on a novel click accuracy task. Using this data, I first conducted a pervasiveness analysis, to determine the prevalence and magnitude of stereotype threat’s effect on participants’ scores. Within my sample, stereotype threat did not seem to cause a significant reduction in task performance compared to the control condition. Then, using Bayesian modelling, I conducted an exploratory analysis to test several ways that my results could be manipulated. First, I explored the results using four different outcome variables and found that the strength and confidence of my findings varied depending on this choice. Then, I tested the effect using two different pairs of experimenters, to determine if individual differences have an impact on the results. I found that individual experimenter variation can have a significant impact on the strength and direction of results, which may be misattributed to experimenter sex in some studies on stereotype threat. This thesis contributes to a body of work that aims to explore the causes of stereotype threat and suggests several methods for improving the quality of psychological research.
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    Atonaan Blackfoot quillwork
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Art, 2025) Weasel Traveller, Rebecca S.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Fine Arts; Mills, Joesphine
    My art practice focuses on Siksikaitsitapi or Blackfoot porcupine quillwork techniques while incorporating my contemporary art practice. My art practice is informed by stories of how I continue to work from a lived experience as a Blackfoot artist raised within the Blackfoot ways of being, also referred to as Siksikaitsitapi. I have viewed the digital images from Apani Blackfoot Digital Library and Mootookakio’ssin website. I feel a responsibility to learn and preserve the art of quillwork and to take pride and celebrate in my ancestorial art form. Quillwork reflects the connection to my ancestors that I want to honor. My quillwork practice, both historic-based and contemporary, will evaluate connections between Siksikaitsitapi existence within cosmology belief systems and the continuance of affirming cultural rejuvenation while contributing to the respect deserving to the environment.
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    Powdery scab of potatoes in Alberta: molecular diagnostics and fungicide efficacy
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciences, 2025) Shafique, Muhammad Subhan; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Yevtushenko, Dmytro P.; Harding, Michael
    Powdery scab, caused by the soil-borne pathogen Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea, forms root gall and tuber lesions in potatoes and vectors the Potato mop-top virus (PMTV) that causes spraing in tubers. Seven field sites with a history of powdery scab were selected, and the pathogen’s presence in soil was confirmed by using the molecular diagnostics targeting the ITS region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2). BLAST analysis showed 99-100% similarity with S. subterranea f. sp. subterranea in the NCBI database. Field trials over three years (2022, 2023, and 2024) evaluated the efficacy of five Syngenta-designed fungicide treatments: A21008A, Allegro (low, medium, and high doses), and A24367B. Three cultivars, Shepody, Russet Burbank, and Lady Claire, were planted in naturally infested fields. Root galls were assessed during the growing season, and tubers were evaluated for disease severity and yield in August-September. In 2023, Allegro was most effective in reducing root galls, followed by A24367B, whereas A21008A performed poorly at root gall reduction but was most effective in reducing tuber lesions. All treatments significantly suppressed the disease in Lady Claire. In the 2024 trials, none of the treatments suppressed galls in Russet Burbank, whereas all but Allegro-low significantly reduced galls in Lady Claire. No significant differences in total tuber yield were observed across treatments or cultivars. These findings highlight that treatment efficacy varies depending on the potato cultivar and the type of disease symptoms (root galls vs. tuber lesions). In bioassay, conducted by growing plants in the presence of controlled quantities of S. subterranea, visible symptoms of powdery scab were observed when the soil contained more than 15 cystosori per gram of soil. This underscores the need for targeted management strategies to control powdery scab in potato crops effectively.
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    Curating a corpus of Blackfoot narrative texts
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Indigenous Studies, 2025) Smith, Alexandra Blaise; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Genee, Inge; Snoek, Conor
    This thesis documents the process of curating a corpus of Blackfoot narrative texts, referred to as the Blackfoot Narrative Text Corpus (BNTC) in the thesis. Blackfoot is a language spoken by four communities located in southern Alberta and in Montana of the United States, namely Apatohsipiikani, Kainai, Siksika and Aamskaapipiikani. The aim of this project is to develop a partially linguistically analyzed corpus of Blackfoot narrative texts to support the ongoing documentation and revitalization of the language. The corpus was compiled from published Blackfoot texts. Some texts are fully morphologically analyzed and glossed, while others were transliterated into the modern standard orthography from older spelling conventions but have not been further analyzed. After analysis and/or transliteration, the texts were integrated into the Korp corpus platform. The BNTC is an orthographically homogenous, searchable corpus currently containing 1,711 analyzed words and 8,681 unanalyzed words. It is an open-ended flexible corpus to which new texts and/or additional analysis can continually be added. This project contributes to the broader field of Indigenous language documentation providing a corpus of Blackfoot narrative texts with partial linguistic analysis, an accessible resource for learners, teachers and researchers of Blackfoot.
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    Pulling apart the pile: analyzing the chronology and zooarchaeology of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Geography and Environment, 2025) Sawchuk, Matthew R.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Bubel, Shawn
    Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (Estipah-skikikini-kots), located in southwestern Alberta, Canada, is the oldest confirmed, best preserved, and the longest used bison jump in the Great Plains. It was excavated by several researchers in the 20th century, and the earliest deposits at the site are currently being investigated by a joint University of Lethbridge (ULeth) and Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) research team. This thesis project focuses on the re-investigation of chronological and zooarchaeological aspects of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (HSIBJ) using artifacts and documents from previous excavations now curated at the Royal Alberta Museum. There are three main components of this research. The first is an investigation of the chronology of the site, conducted by collating decades of projectile point data, submitting new 14C dates, and reanalyzing the stratigraphy from the original kill site excavation notes. The second component is a taxonomic study of the bison species that were hunted during the first use of the site, Bison antiquus occidentalis or Bison bison. The third component is a comparative study of the zooarchaeological data from HSIBJ and other large bison kills on the Northwestern Great Plains. Through this research, we now have a better understanding of site use during the mid-Middle Precontact period. Key outcomes include the discovery that there is likely no cultural gap between 3 100 and 900 BCE as previously hypothesised and that the makers of the Oxbow point used the jump. It is also likely that the earliest hunters drove herds of Bison antiquus occidentalis over the cliff. As with other jumps and pounds in the Middle Precontact Period, the hunters who used HSIBJ wasted little, and while no skull monuments have been found at the site, discarded horn sheaths and the absence of horn cores in kill site deposits may well reflect ceremonial activities. This project highlights the value of working with long held museum collections to answer new questions and re-investigate even well-researched archaeological sites. Its contribution is timely given the ongoing ULeth-RAM project at HSIBJ.