Rory Boutilier

Registered Professional Counsellor

Research

My research approach is practical, applied, and informative. I am deeply interested in conducting studies that have real-world applications. I have a wide range of research interests however they generally fall into major themes: personality, statistical analysis, non-suicidal self-injury and related thoughts.


​Current Research

I Agree... Sort Of
Using 2 brief measures I am addressing the first two 'sins' of Kuzon et al.'s (1996) 'seven deadly sins of statistical analysis' by comparing parametric and non-parametric approaches.


Emotional Intelligence and the 48 Laws of Power

A study focused on the dark triad of personality in relation to the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.


Big Five Personality Factor Machine Learning Algorithm
Using a brief measure of the Big Five personality scale, I am collecting data to run machine learning experiments and cluster analysis.


Text Analysis of Black Metal Lyrics

This project is just for fun; with the help of a coworker (thanks Steve!) I collected lyrics from the original bands in the black metal movement in Norway in the 1990's and will conduct text analysis. This project may expand on existing research on aggressive music and behavior.

Personality Differences in Hope and Optimism

This study focused on differences in the Big Five factors between levels of hope, optimism, and future planning. This study examines personality differences (OCEAN) in levels of hope and optimism through two neuropsychological systems (BIS/BAS).



Publications


  • Closson, L. M., & Boutilier, R. R. (2017). Perfectionism, academic engagement, and procrastination among undergraduates: The moderating role of honors student status. Learning and Individual Differences, 57, 157 - 162.


Past Projects


  • Reasons for Living and Reasons for Dying: Implications for Suicidal Behavior
  • The Effect of Goal Failure and Death Thoughts on Urges to Self-Injure
  • ​Data Mining Project
  • Measuring Perfectionism in an Academic Setting: The Measure of Academic Perfectionism (MAP)
  • Family History of Depression and Parent-Child Conflict as a Predictor of Adolescent Depression​
  • Non-suicidal Self-Injury as an Addiction
  • Spatial Navigation and Waypoint Signage in a Local Hospital
  • Where Do People Sit on Public Transit Systems?​


​Counselling practice and research endeavors are kept distinctly separate for professional integrity. I adhere to the Tri-Council Policy Statement and Declaration of Helsinki for research ethics; I hold certifications in TCPS2 and Good Clinical Practice.