Hello! I'm Shihara.
I am a fourth-year undergraduate student completing my Specialized Honours B.A. in Psychology at York University. I am a Research Assistant and Independent Research Project student at the lab working under Dr. Bellana’s supervision. My project is a branch off of Dr. Bellana's recent work "Narrative thinking lingers in spontaneous thought" and takes a look at how non-narrative content effects spontaneous thought.
I am also the Lab Manger at the MAR Lab under Dr. Mar's supervision. I plan to do my honours thesis next year with Dr. Mar on how taking a gap year before university may effect identity formation, future related stress and anxiety, life satisfaction and other factors.
My research interest lies in the development of creativity, sensory imagination (phantasia, aphantasia and hyperphantasia), and narratives with a focus on its use through transitional periods. I intend to pursue Clinical and Counselling Psychology in graduate school to become a licensed or Clinical Psychologist or Psychological Associate.
Outside of academia, I am an avid artist with ongoing projects in music production, creative writing, acrylic painting, and clothes design – to name a few! I’m currently working on a dystopian space opera and novel (which is taking much longer than I anticipated), both of which I hope to publish one day!
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Feel free to contact me by email :)