Research Labs

The KPU Virtual Reality Lab is a nexus for research, educational, and artistic projects. Founded in 2019 by Dr. Farhad Dastur, the VR lab was supported by a grant from KPU’s Creative Capital Fund. We have a 30 sq. m research-dedicated space at KPU’s Richmond campus equipped with VR headsets, sensors, 360° cameras, and computers. The VR Lab welcomes creative collaborations with students, educators, scholars, artists, industry, government, and community groups wanting to explore the potential of AR, VR, and MR extended realities. We are committed to the highest principles and practices of diversity, equity, and inclusivity. 

The MAD Lab is a student-centered research lab where Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) students get experience conducting and presenting research. We are an applied lab investigating real-life issues from a psychological perspective. Most students in the lab are engaged in research under the supervision of Dr. Kyle Matsuba. We are a diverse group and work towards creating a safe and inclusive environment for all.

The Observations and Research in Gender and Sexuality Matters Human Sexuality Lab (O.R.G.A.S.M Lab or O-LAB) in the Department of Psychology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (Surrey, BC, Canada) was initially developed by Dr. Cory Pedersen in 2007 and became its established and productive form in late 2011. We have since become devoted to exploring the psychology of issues in human sexuality such as sexual orientation, commercial sex, and atypical sexuality in an effort to disseminate knowledge about these important topics in our society.

The Group Dynamics and Psychometrics Lab, which was established at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in 2018. There are two main streams of research occurring in the lab. The group dynamics stream focuses on aspects of individuals working, studying, or socializing in groups. Examples of projects in this stream have involved looking at methods of forming teams for group projects exploring the concept of self-directed learning readiness and examining student and faculty perspectives of the learning environment. The second stream focuses on psychometrics and measurement issues. The particular areas of interest of the lab regarding this stream are survey development and equivalence testing.

The Lifespan Cognition Lab conducts research on cognitive and developmental psychology – how thinking changes and develops across the lifespan. Our most recent areas of research involve perspective taking and theory of mind, memory, false memories, meta-cognition, and hindsight bias. We are also interested in mild head injury, sleep, and dreams.

At the Wellbeing at Work and Beyond research lab, our mission is to create a supportive environment for undergraduate students to engage with meaningful research on wellbeing in work and life domains. Our primary goal is to empower students by providing opportunities to develop critical thinking, research skills, and a deeper understanding of diverse populations, while contributing to the academic research. Our research focuses on (but not limited to) engagement, psychological safety, satisfaction, creativity, meaning, and work-life balance —equipping students with knowledge and experience to make an impact in both academic and professional spheres.

The CEPELS (Context Effects in Personality, Emotion, Life Satisfaction, and Self) lab studies all things related to personality (both including and going beyond the Big Five), emotion, life satisfaction, and self-concept. We are particularly interested in context effects (the effect of the situation on the individual) and how these contexts integrate into daily life. These are studied at the individual level, focusing on both between and within person differences, and via a psychometric lens with an eye to improving existing personality, emotion, life satisfaction, and self-concept measures. We also study individual differences in emotion experience, expression, and regulation, and the consequences of these differences for psychological well-being.

The B.E.S.T. (Building Essential Skills in Therapy) Lab is focused on helping students develop the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed for future careers in clinical psychology and mental health. Through hands-on learning experiences, students gain exposure to the essential components of clinical practice, including interviewing, assessment, case formulation, and treatment planning.

The Canadian PHAIR (Psychology of Human Animal Interaction Research) Lab studies all things related to the psychology of human-animal interactions.  The lab approaches this area from a social psychology perspective foremost but also engages in research from both conservation psychology and animal assisted therapy/interaction perspectives.  Our current research includes understanding prejudice and stereotyping of marginalized others from a human-animal interaction perspective, as well as more general research into intergroup behaviour that involves interspecies interactions; both with a focus on downstream pro-social behaviour. Previous research paths include students’ experiences of animal assisted interactions in university settings, and the psychology of conservation behaviour and sustainability from an interspecies perspective. Previous research partnerships include the BC SPCA, and Environment Canada and Dept of Environment and Natural Resources.