Education
- Ph.D. Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada 1996
- M.A. Psychology, Carleton University, 1991
- B. A. Honours. Psychology, University of Western Ontario, 1989
Professional Appointments
- 2005-present: Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University
- 2002-05: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University
- 2000-2002: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, West Chester University
- 1996-2000: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of North Dakota.
Publications
Chapters in Books:
Matheson, K. & Foster, M. D. (2013). Coping with the stress of gender discrimination. In M. K. Ryan and N. R. Branscombe (Eds.). The Sage Handbook of Gender and Psychology. Sage Publications., pp 323-340.
Papers in refereed Journals:
Benazon, N., Foster, M. D., & Coyne, J. C. (2006). Expressed Emotion, Adaptation and Patient Survival Among Couples Coping With Chronic Heart Failure. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 328-334.
Choma, B. L., Hafer, C. L., Crosby, F., & Foster, M. D. (2012). Perceptions of personal sex discrimination: The role of belief in a just world and discrimination against one’s group. Journal of Social Psychology, 152, 172-182.
Choma, B., Foster, M. D. & Radford, E. (2007). Using objectification theory to examine the effects of a media literacy intervention on women. Sex Roles, 56, 581-591.
Foster, M. D. (2015). Tweeting about sexism: The well-being benefits of a social media collective action. British Journal of Social Psychology, 54, 629-647.
Foster, M. D. (2014). The relationship between collective action and well-being and its moderators: pervasiveness of discrimination and dimensions of action. Sex Roles, 70, 165- 182.
Foster, M.D. (2013). Everyday confrontation of discrimination. The well-being costs and benefits to women over time. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 5, 135-154.
Foster, M. D. (2009). Perceiving pervasive discrimination over time: Implications for coping. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 33, 172-182.
Foster, M.D. (2009). The dynamic nature of coping with gender discrimination: Appraisals, strategies and well-being over time. Sex Roles, 60, 694-707.
Foster, M., Sloto, L., Ruby, R. (2006). Responding to Discrimination as a Function of Meritocracy Beliefs and Personal Experiences: Testing the Model of Shattered Assumptions. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 9, 401-411.
Foster, M. D. & Tsarfati, E. M. (2005). The Effects of Meritocracy Beliefs on Women’s Well-Being After First-Time Gender Discrimination, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 1730-1738.
Foster, M. D., & Dion, K. L. (2004). The role of hardiness in moderating the relationship between global/specific attributions and actions against discrimination. Sex Roles, 51, 161-169
Foster, M. D., Jackson, C. L., Hartmann, R., & Woulfe, S. (2004).Minimizing the pervasiveness of women’s personal experiences of gender discrimination. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 28, 224-232.
Foster, M. D., Arnt, S., & Honkola, J. (2004). When the advantaged become disadvantaged: Men’s and women’s actions against gender discrimination. Sex Roles, 50, 27-36.
Foster, M. D. & Dion, K. L. (2003). Dispositional hardiness and women’s well-being relating to gender discrimination: The role of minimization. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 27, 197- 208.
Foster, M. D. (2001). The motivational quality of global attributions in hypothetical and experienced situations of gender discrimination. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 25, 242- 253.
Foster, M. D. (2000). Positive and negative responses to personal discrimination: Does coping make a difference? Journal of Social Psychology, 140, 93-106.
Foster, M. D. (2000). Utilization of global attributions in recognizing and responding to gender discrimination among college women. Current Psychology, 19, 57-69.
Matheson, K., Warren, K. & Foster, M. D. & Painter, C. (2000). Reactions to affirmative action: Seeking the bases for resistance. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 30, 1013-1038.
Foster, M. D. (1999). Acting out against discrimination: The effects of different social identities. Sex Roles, 40, 167-186.
Foster, M. D. & Matheson, K. (1999). Perceiving and responding to the personal/group discrimination discrepancy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 1319-1329.
Foster, M. D., & Matheson, K. (1998). Perceiving and feeling the personal/group discrimination discrepancy: Motivation or inhibition for action? Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 1, 165-174.
Foster, M. D. & Matheson, K. (1995). Double relative deprivation: Combining the personal and political. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 1167-1177.
Foster, M. D. & Matheson, K. & Poole, M. (1994). Responding to sexual discrimination: The effects of societal versus self-blame. Journal of Social Psychology, 134, 743-754.
Grant Funding
Canadian Institute of Health Research (2008-2013)Title: “The cumulative effects of everyday discrimination: Altered neuroendocrine and cytokine functioning and vulnerability to stress-related psychopathology” Co-principal applicant, with K. Matheson, H. Anisman. 163,499/year.
Canadian Institute of Health Research (2006-2011)
Title: “Consequences of dating abuse: Symptoms of depression and PTSD in relation toappraisal, coping and neuroendocrine processes”
Co-principal applicant; with Hymie Anisman, Kimberly Matheson (Principal applicants) and M.Flament (co-principal applicant) Amount awarded: $ 93,000 /year
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2005-2008)
Title: “Coping with discrimination: The effects of behavioural responses on well-being” Applicant
Amount awarded: $94,875 total
Canadian Institute of Health Research (2004-2007)
Title: “The cumulative impacts of everyday discrimination: Compromised neuroendocrinefunctioning and vulnerability to stress-related pathology”
Co-applicant; with Kimberly Matheson as applicant, Hymie Anisman, co-applicant Amount awarded: $108,500K /year
The Spencer Foundation (September 2004- January 2007)
Title: “Academic consequences of experiencing discrimination” Applicant, with Kenneth L. Dion, Co-applicant
Amount awarded: $17,175 US Dollars/year
Conferences
Choma, B.L., Foster, M. D., & Busseri, M. A. Group identity and collective action: The moderating roles of temporal perspective and stability of discrimination (January, 2012). Poster to be presented at the Annual Meeting of Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), San Diego, California.
Choma, B. L., & Foster, M. D. Responses to women who stand up to sexism (August, 2010). Oral presentation at the International Society for Justice Research (ISJR) Conference, Banff, Alberta.
Foster, M.D. (June, 2014). Tweeting about sexism: The psychological benefits of a social media collective action. Paper presented at the Annual Social Identity and Health Conferences, Ottawa, Canada.
Foster, M. D. (July, 2012). The personal costs and benefits of taking action against gender discrimination. Talk prepared for the Annual Meeting of the British Psychological Association; Social Psychology Division, St. Andrews Scotland.
Foster, M. D., (July, 2011). The personal costs of responding to discrimination: How responses affect well-being among those perceiving pervasive discrimination. Talk presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology, Stockholm, Sweden.
Foster, M. D. (2010, January). Acceptance of discrimination and well-being over time: Differential consequences of type of acceptance and ethnicity Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Conference. Tampa, FL.
Foster, M. D., Matheson, K., & Anisman, H. (2009, May). Taking public action against discrimination: Does it help or hinder well-being? Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL.
Foster, M. D., Matheson, K.., & Anisman, H. (2009, February). Taking public action against discrimination: Does it help or hinder well-being? . Poster presented at the Society of Social and Personality Psychology Annual Convention. Tampa, Florida.
Foster, M. D. (2008, February). The effects of perceiving pervasive discrimination and behavioural responses on mood. Poster presented at the Society of Social and Personality Psychology Annual Convention. Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Foster, M. D. (2007, January). The immediate and long-term effects of a lab simulation of discrimination on well-being. Poster to be presented at the Society of Social and Personality Psychology Annual Convention. Memphis, Tennessee.
Foster, M. D. (2006, January). Perceiving pervasive discrimination over time: Implications for coping. Poster presented at the Society of Social and Personality Psychology Annual Convention. Palm Springs, California.
Foster, M. D. (2005, June). Coping with discrimination: Differences between white and visible minority women. Paper presented at the Canadian Psychological Association Convention. Montreal, Quebec.
Foster, M. D. (2005, January). Double jeopardy in coping with discrimination: Differences between white and visible minority women. Poster presented at the Society of Social and Personality Psychology Annual Convention. New Orleans, LA.
Choma, B. L. and Foster, M. D. Internalization of media messages: What predicts after media literacy? (June, 2006). Poster presented at the Annual meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), Calgary, Alberta.
Choma, B. L., & Foster, M. D. (2005). Testing Objectification theory: The effects of a media
literacy intervention. Poster presented at the Society of Social and Personality Psychology Annual Convention. New Orleans, LA.
Choma, B. L., & Foster, M. D. (2005). Benefits of a Media Literacy Intervention: Investigating Objectification Theory. Poster presented at the Canadian Psychological Association Convention. Montreal, Quebec.
Foster, M. D. (2004, February). Meritocracy beliefs, personal discrimination and well-being: The benefits of post-shattered assumptions over shattered assumptions.
Paper presented at the Association for Women in Psychology Annual Convention. Philadelphia, PA.
Foster, M. D. (2003, June). Trivializing gender discrimination: Women’s attributions for personal experiences of discrimination. Paper presented at the Canadian Psychological Association’s Annual Convention. Hamilton, Ontario.
Foster, M. D., & Dion, K. L. (2002, June). Gender discrimination as the hardy woman’s “kryptonite”: Responses to Discrimination. Paper presented at the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Foster, M. D., & Dion, K. L. (2001, June). Hardiness and responses to discrimination: Buffer or Denial? Paper presented at the American Psychological Society Convention, Toronto, Canada.
Hartmann, R. & Foster, M. D. (2001, May). Relative deprivation and cognitive appraisal theories of emotion and relationship to responses to discrimination. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association’s Annual Convention, Chicago, IL.
Jackson, L., Woulfe, S. & Foster, M. D. (2001, August). The role of cognition and affect in behavioral responses to discrimination. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association’s Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA
Foster, M. D. (2000, May). The role of global attributions in hypothetical and experienced situations of discrimination. Paper presented at the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Convention, Minneapolis, MN.
Foster, M. D. (1998, May). Responses to personal discrimination: Does coping make a difference? Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Convention, Washington D.C.
Foster, M. D. & Matheson, K. (1997, August). Perceiving and responding to the personal/group discrimination discrepancy. Poster presented at the AmericanPsychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, Illinois.
Matheson, K., Warren, K., Foster, M. D. (1995, June). Responding to affirmative action. Paper presented at the Canadian Psychological Association Annual Convention, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Foster, M. D. & Matheson, K. (1993, August). Relative deprivation and resources as motivation for women’s collective action. Paper presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Toronto, Canada.
Foster, M. D. & Matheson, K. (1992, June). Affect and cognition in relative deprivation. Paper presented at the Canadian Psychological Association Annual Convention, Quebec City, Canada.
Foster, M. D. & Matheson, K. (1991, June). Double relative deprivation and women’s political action. Paper presented at the Canadian Psychological Association Annual Convention, Calgary, Canada.
Hennessey, E., & Foster, M.D. (January, 2016). Acculturation and Action: Cultural Connections Impact Women’s Responses to Gender Discrimination. Poster presented at the 17th Annual Meeting of the Society Personality and Social Psychology, San Diego, CA USA.
Hennessey, E., & Foster, M. D. (June, 2013). Can cultural connections predict collective action: Responses to benevolent and hostile sexism. Poster presented at the Annual meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association Quebec City, Quebec,
Canada.
Hennessey, E., & Foster, M. D. (March, 2013). Do Cultural connections affect collective action? Responses to gender discrimination among visible minority women. Poster presented at the Annual meeting of the Association for Women in Psychology. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Luca, S. G., Hayes, J. & Foster, M. D. (January, 2013) “Should I or shouldn’t I take collective action?”: Behaving (in)consistently with preferred self-esteem defense strategy. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Luca, S. G., Hayes, J., & Foster, M. D. (2012, June). Responding to female gender identity threat: Can failing to acknowledge the threat offer short-term benefits? Symposium presented at the 73rd annual meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association convention, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Luca, S. G., & Foster, M. D. (2012, January). Men’s resistance to confrontations about sexism: Using linguistic markers to examine changes in resistance. Poster presented at the 13th annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Diego, California, USA.
Pierre, A., Matheson, K., Anisman, H. (2009, June). Racial identity matters in perceived racial discrimination. Poster presented at the Canadian psychological Association Annual Meeting.
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