James Borenstein-Laurie

PhD Candidate

james.borenstein-laurie@mail.concordia.ca

Biography

Research interests

Personality
health/well-being
social psychology & social contexts

Educational qualifications

September 2021 – present
PhD Candidate (Psychology – Research and Clinical training profile)
Supervisor: Carsten Wrosch, PhD
Concordia University, Montreal, QC

September 2019 – July 2021
Master’s Student (Psychology – Research and Clinical training profile)
Supervisor: Carsten Wrosch, PhD
Concordia University, Montreal, QC

September 2016 - May 2019
B.A. Hons., Psychology
Graduated with First Class Honours
McGill University, Montreal, QC

PhD Dissertation

My doctoral research examines the distinct effects of optimism and pessimism on individuals’ physical health. In a first study, I am examining between- and within-person effects of optimism and pessimism on changes in physical health among two samples of normatively stressed adults. In a second study, I am exploring the role of chronic inflammation (IL-6) as a potential mechanism for the stronger effects of pessimism than optimism on illness.

Master’s Thesis

I am currently working on my master’s thesis, which incorporates my interests in personality, health and well-being, and social psychology. Specifically, I am exploring how optimism influences outcomes associated with psychological well-being and physical health within couples. Drawing on longitudinal data obtained from 153 married or cohabitating couples, I hope to gain a more nuanced understanding of how an individual’s own personality traits (i.e., optimism) can influence not only their own outcomes, but those of their partner. By using actor-partner interdependence models (APIM) for the analyses, it is possible to control for the inherently interdependent nature of dyadic data and understand how each member of the couple uniquely contributes to outcomes.

Awards and Achievements

PhD

2021 – 2025: Doctoral Fellowship – SSHRC ($80,000)
2021 – 2025: Bourse au doctorat en recherche – FRQSC – Declined ($84,000)
2021 – 2022: Concordia Special Entrance Award ($10,000)

MA

2022: CPA Certificate of Academic Excellence
2020 – 2021: Bourse à la maîtrise en recherche – FRQSC ($17,500)
2019 – 2020: Canada Graduate Scholarship Master’s – SSHRC ($17,500)
2019 – 2020: Concordia Special Entrance Award ($6,000)

Undergraduate

2017 – 2019: Dean’s Honour List
2018 – 2019: Dow-Hickson Scholarship ($2,000)
2018; 2019: Psychology Undergraduate Research Award ($6,500; $9,750)

Publications

Wrosch, C., Borenstein-Laurie, J., Barlow, M. A, & Renaud, J. (in press). The importance of optimism for adaptive self-regulation: Associations with subjective well-being and physical health. In F. M. Sirois (Ed.), Palgrave Handbook of Positive Psychology and Health. Springer Nature.
Borenstein-Laurie, J., Barlow, M. A., Scheier, M. F., & Wrosch, C. (2023). Examining intra- and inter-personal health effects of optimism and pessimism: The role of subjective well-being in romantic couples. Journal of Personality, 91(3), 700–717. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12768
Kerr, L. G., Borenstein-Laurie, J., & Human, L. J. (2020). Are some first dates easier to read than others? The role of target well-being in distinctively accurate first impressions. Journal of Research in Personality, 88, Article 104017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2020.104017

Presentations

Borenstein-Laurie, J., & Wrosch, C. (2023, March 17). Distinguishing effects of optimism and pessimism for caregivers’ subjective well-being: The role of coping [Flash talk]. Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH) annual conference, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Borenstein-Laurie, J., & Wrosch, C. (2023, March 10). Optimism, pessimism, and caregivers’ subjective well-being: Testing coping strategies as differential mechanisms [Poster session]. International Convention of Psychological Science, Brussels, Belgium.
Borenstein-Laurie, J., & Wrosch, C. (2022, July 13). Exploring differential associations between optimism and pessimism with caregiver burden: The role of subjective well-being [Poster session]. European Conference of Personality, Madrid, Spain.
Borenstein-Laurie, J., & Wrosch, C. (2022, May 27). Exploring differential associations between optimism and pessimism with caregiver burden: The role of subjective well-being [Poster session]. Association for Psychological Science (APS) annual conference, Chicago, IL, United States.
Borenstein-Laurie, J., & Wrosch, C. (2022, March 11). Distinguishing the effects of optimism and pessimism on caregiver burden and subjective well-being [Poster session]. Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH) annual conference, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Borenstein-Laurie, J., Widmer, P., & Wrosch, C. (2021, May 26 – September 1). Optimism and pessimism differentially predict coping strategies among older adults: Implications for well-being [Poster session]. Association for Psychological Science (APS) Poster Showcase. Virtual.
Borenstein-Laurie, J., Barlow, M. A., Scheier, M. F., & Wrosch, C. (2021, March 26). Is pessimism a stronger predictor of well-being and health than optimism? A dyadic approach [Talk]. Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH) annual conference, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Widmer, P., Borenstein-Laurie, J., & Wrosch, C. (2021, March 26). Coping in older adulthood: The differential roles of dispositional optimism and pessimism [Poster session]. Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH) annual conference, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Kerr, L. G., Borenstein-Laurie, J., Human, L. J. (2021, February 12). Are some first dates easier to read than others? The role of target well-being in distinctively accurate first impressions. [Poster session]. Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Annual Convention. Virtual.
Borenstein-Laurie, J., Barlow, M. A., Scheier, M. F., & Wrosch, C. (2021, February 9). Is pessimism a stronger predictor of well-being and health than optimism? A dyadic approach [Poster session]. Happiness & Well-Being Preconference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Annual Convention. Virtual.
Borenstein-Laurie, J., Burdman, E., & Wrosch, C. (2020, June 1 – September 1). Emotional interdependence in couples: How optimism promotes positive affect over time. Poster presented at the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Poster Showcase in Chicago, United States.
Borenstein-Laurie, J. (2020, April 16). Emotional interdependence in couples: The role of optimism in the transfer of mood between partners. [Talk]. Spring 2020 Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH) Webinar Series in Montreal, Canada.
Borenstein-Laurie, J., Burdman, E., & Wrosch, C. (2020, January 24). Emotional interdependence in couples: How optimism promotes positive affect over time. Poster presented at Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH) annual conference in Montreal, Canada.

Teaching Experience

Mentorship of 3 Undergraduate Honours Students: 2019 – 2020; 2020 – 2021; 2023 – present

Teaching Assistantships: PSYC 310 – Research Methods and Designs I (Fall 2020; Winter 2022), PSYC 321 – Fundamentals of Personality (Fall 2021), PSYC 495 – Honours Thesis Seminar (Fall 2022 – Winter 2023)

Graduate Seminar in University Teaching (35 hours; December 2021)

Research team

Wrosch Lab: Personality, Aging and Health Research Laboratory

Centre for Research in Human Development