Research

Current Projects in the MML
* see below for select Research Tools developed in our lab. 

Advancing Questionnaire Design/Use

Our current focus is studying response processes on questionnaires of health/well-being/depressive symptomology using a combination of quantitative and qualititative research methodologies. Of particular interest is the language background of the respondent as well as linguistic features of the items on the questionnaire, and their role in the response generation process by the respondent. We are using questionnaire surveys as well as interviews with our study participants to gain understanding of commonalities and very individualized processes/responses. With the aim of advancing questionnaire methods/use research, we are explicit in our goal to address gaps in psychological/social sciences through advancing diversity research and research justice.

The main projects of understanding respondents perceptions of questionnaires for the Advancing Questionnaire Design/Use team of the Fouladi MML Lab includes volunteer and former workstudy students guided by different team coordinators, Henri Lu, Christina Tang, & Fereshteh Rashed. (See Lab Members under the ABOUT TAB for a listing of students across the university variously contibuting to the work of the MML lab). Although students come to join the lab in a variety of ways, most recently, a fair number of students have had their interest stimulated by taking Fouladi's offering of Psyc 391 on questionnaire design/critique, and/or by her guest lectures in Psyc 300 where she has discussed/presented her work on a psycho-social contextual model of how people respond to quetionnaire items.   

Recent Honour's projects address test-retest as well as the individual characteristics in responses to Concussion Symptom Questoinnaires (J. Hystad, recipient of Crocker Scholarship 2019). Other recent Honour's research projects addressed the role of questionnaire/survey item form in symptom surveys used by athletes to address overtraining/relative energy deficiency (Hannah Solkowski); the use of text analysis as an adjunct/supplemental tool to person-coding to extract information from textual response process data collected in the lab (Linsday Alley). Bin Tan worked on developing and examining the usability of a questionnaire critique protocol. In coming Honour's student, Kyle Bergh plans to conduct research with previously concussed athletes to abtain information regarding their attitudes and experiences in the realms of concussion symptom assessment and management.

Recent and current graduate students, Christina Tang, Henri Lu, &  Fereshteh Rashed have been working on their thesis/dissertation projects concerning measurement and modeling issues in their respective areas of interest: patient reported outcomes mesurement for health related quality of life in individuals with current/history of thyroid disease symptoms (Christina Tang); and measurement concerns with regard to the assement of concussion symptompology (Henri Lu)  and meaurement invariance assessment with possible application in studies of relationship quality for relationships impacted by chronic diseases (Fereshteh Rashed). 

Advancing Statistical Practice

A key aim in our lab is to advance statistical practice. A current focus is on disseminating underutilized statistical procedures, including but not limited to procedures that Fouladi and colleagues have studied and/or developed, e.g., analysis of correlation pattern models. Because easy user-interface is important to helping the adoption of statistical procedures, the MML lab is working to provide web-based Shiny implementations of some of these procedures. 

The research tools for the RESOURCES TAB are being developed in the Fouladi MML lab by volunteer and workstudy students working in the Advancing Statistical Practice team was formerly guided by the team coordinator, Paul Serafini (graduated in 2019 with Honours-- recipient of Department Honours Prize and CPA Undergradaute Research Award for his thesis work). After Paul's graduation, long-time Lab Assistant working with Paul, Tomi Mustapha (*Math/Computer Science Major/Minor) was leading the research team. Subsequent to Tomi's graduation, this role has been taken over by Zaid Rauf and previously Adam Liang.  Lab Assistants, but particularly Paul Serafini and Tomi Mustapha were been invaluable in bringing my visions for these tools to life. (See the Lab Members option under About  for a listing of students across the university variously contibuting to the work of the MML lab).

Statistical Pedagogy, Learning, and Learning Environments  

As a dedicated teacher and researcher with experience in evaluation, quality monitoring, and improvement, Fouladi places extensive efforts into the development, revision and refinement  of course specific materials that are not in textbooks, considering learning outcomes including student attitudes and perceived relevance of activities and materials through  soliciting feedback from  students regarding these materials through a variety of strategies including student reflections.  Lindsay Alley (former Honours mentee) received a VPA-USRA SSHRC with additional funding through an SFU Teaching and Learning Grant (TLDG: Fouladi, PI)  to improve the practice of  the use of reflections in statistical pedagogy. Project funding from the SFU Institute for Student Learning, Teaching, and Development Well-being in Learning Enviornments Grant and Seminar Program (ISTLD-WLE) includes explicit efforts to incorpoate well-being in university-level statistical pedagogy. Another project includes development and evaluation of an open-educational resource funded by the SFU-Open Educational Resource Grants Program.