Academic title: Associate Professor
Education
PhD, Carleton University
MA, Carleton University
BA (Hons), St. Thomas University
Office: EA3080
Email: amcgrath@mtroyal.ca
Phone: 403.440.8443
Scholarly Interests
Within social psychology, my research focuses on cognitive dissonance theory and includes behavioural interventions based on the theory as well as investigations into the process of dissonance reduction. Within the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), my research focuses on statistics anxiety, feedback during the writing process, and engagement between students and faculty.
I am interested in nurturing students' interest in the field of psychology. Students are challenged in my courses to extend and deepen their understanding of psychology. I provide students with the structure, tools, and activities that will engage them in an exploration and understanding of psychology.
Selected Scholarly Activity
McGrath, A. L. (2020). Bringing cognitive dissonance theory into the scholarship of teaching and learning: Topics and questions in need of investigation. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 5, 1-7.
McGrath, A. L. (2017). Dealing with dissonance: A review of cognitive dissonance reduction. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 11(12), 1-17.
McGrath, A. L. (2014). Just checking in: The effect of an office hour meeting and learning reflection in an introductory statistics course. Teaching of Psychology, 41(1), 83-87.
Selected Honours, Grants and Awards
- Outstanding Teaching Award (2015). Conferred by the Faculty of Arts at Mount Royal University.
- McGrath, A., & Atkinson-Leadbeater, K. (2016). The influence of sketching on learning outcomes in biopsychology. Research grant awarded by the Institute for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Mount Royal University.
- McGrath, A., & Robinson, K. (2014). Using psychology to explain common academic stumbling blocks. Grant awarded by the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Teaching Fund.