In September, 2018, I began a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Adler University in Vancouver. Roughly two-and-a-half years later, I presented the results of my thesis study at the 2021 Heroism Science Conference. It was an incredible and almost surreal experience to listen to talks by, and to get to talk with, people like Dr Elaine Kinsella and Dr Scott Allison. Their research was personally inspiring and influenced my own study.
"I can be a hero: What is the influence of fictional hero stories on the personality development of adolescent males?", is an expression of my lifelong interest in heroes, fantasy, and imagination. I feel exceptionally fortunate to have had the opportunity to research something so personal. Were it not for the encouragement of the amazing faculty at Adler, and especially the mentorship of Dr Erik Jensen, I may never have had the chance. Now, I wish to venture out to research the farther reaches of human nature.
The thesis is Open Access and downloadable on my ResearchGate profile. There are no paywalls, it's open for anyone to view, but it is still copyrighted material. So, if you wish to use it for any purpose, please contact me first.
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2021 Heroism Science Conference presentation: "I Can Be a Hero"