Principal Investigator

M. Kyle Matsuba

Dr. M. Kyle Matsuba was a professor at University of Northern British Columbia and then at the University of Missouri – St. Louis before coming to Kwantlen Polytechnic University in 2009. As an instructor, Kyle teaches Introductory Psychology, Developmental Psychology: Adulthood, Advanced Personality, and the Psychology of Genocide, and supervises honours students. As a researcher, Kyle works in three broad areas. First, for over a decade, Kyle has spent time in northern Uganda implementing and evaluating mindfulness-based, social-emotional learning programs in this post-war region. Past partners have included the Goldie Hawn Foundation and the Mind and Life Institute. Kyle recently completed a project that focused on the development, implementation, and evaluation of a program to improve mental wellness and build resiliency in Ugandan youth through funding from Grand Challenges Canada. Second, Kyle has been interested in understanding the links between environmental attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, and other factors that influence them, such as personality. Finally, Kyle is a research scientist in Dr. Daniel Bernstein's Lifespan Cognition Lab, where he is currently working on a SSHRC-funded project studying individual differences in false memory across the lifespan.

Past Work Experience & Education

University of British Columbia 1996-99, Instructor

University of Northern British Columbia 2000-08, Assistant Professor

University of Missouri-St. Louis 2008-09, Assistant Professor

Kwantlen Polytechnic University 2009-present, Instructor

B.Sc., Physiology, University of Toronto, 1989

B.A., Psychology, University of British Columbia, 1990

M.A., Psychology, University of British Columbia, 1993

Ph.D., Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2001

Awards and Honours

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

2014-2017 Chancellor's Chair Award

Association for Moral Education

2016 Good Works Award

Kwantlen Polytechnic University Faculty of Arts 2019 Teaching Award Nomination Short List

Recent Publications

Recent Books
Twenge, J. M., Campbell, W. K., & Matsuba, M. K. (2023). Personality psychology: Understanding yourself and others (Cdn Ed.). North York, ON: Pearson.

Recent Journals
Soucie, K., Jia, F., Katzman, R., Rakus, M., Citron, N., Partridge, T., Matsuba, M. K., & Pratt, M. W. (2025). A longitudinal, mixed methods study exploring the impact of civic engagement on psychosocial outcomes across early to mid adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 61(2), 241–254. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001811

Matsuba, M. K., & Orsetti, A. M. (2024). Benefits of a Mindfulness Social-Emotional Learning Program for Young Children in Northern Uganda. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2024.2424356

Ramey, H. L., Lawford, H. L., Pancer, S. M., Matsuba, M. K., & Pratt, M. W. (2021). Trajectories of Youth's Helping From Adolescence into Adulthood: The Importance of Social Relations and Values. American Journal of Community Psychology. First Published August 18, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12551

Jia, F., Soucie, K., & Matsuba, M. K. (2021). A Spotlight on Environmental Psychology and Sustainability with Dr. Susan Clayton. Sustainability, 13, 11, 5830. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115830

Jia, F., Soucie, K., Matsuba, K., & Pratt, M. W. (2021). Meaning in life mediates the association between environmental engagement and loneliness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 6, 2897. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18062897

Hamzagic, Z. I., Derksen, D. G., Matsuba, M. K., Aβfalg, A., & Bernstein, D. M. (2020). Harm to others reduces the sunk-cost effect. Memory & Cognition, 49, 544-556. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-020-01112-7

Mah, A., Matsuba, M. K., & Pratt, M. W. (2020). Morals, politics, identity, and ecological beliefs behind environmentalism. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 69, Online June 2020, 101417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101417

Matsuba, M. K., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., McElroy, T., & Katahoire, A. (2020). Effectiveness of a SEL/Mindfulness program on Northern Ugandan Children. International Journal of School and Educational Psychology. Published online May 22, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683603.2020.1760977

Matsuba, M. K., & Williams, L. (2020). Mindfulness and yoga self-care workshop for Northern Ugandan teachers: A pilot study. School Psychology International. First Published April 8, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034320915955

Recent Book Chapters & Entries
Matsuba, M. K., Mah, A., & Jia, F. (2024). Generativity, environmentalism, and the Political Divide. In F. Villar, H. Lawford, & M. Pratt (Eds.) Education and the Promotion of Generativity throughout Adulthood (pp. 302-318). New York: Oxford.

Matsuba, M. K., Krettenauer, T., & Pratt, M. W. (2020). The development of pro-environmentalism in context. In L. Arnett Jensen (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of moral development: An interdisciplinary perspective. New York: Oxford.

Pratt, M. W., Lawford, H. L., Matsuba, M. K., & Villar, F. (2020). The lifespan development of generativity.
In L. Arnett Jensen (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of moral development: An interdisciplinary perspective. New York: Oxford.

Recent Conference Presentations
Matsuba, M. K., Abalo, B., Ocan, M., & Oketa, J. Y. (2024, May). Effectiveness of a M-SEL program for northern Ugandan youth. Poster presented at the Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures Conference on Global Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Stockholm, Sweden.

Evans, J. & Matsuba, M. K. (2024, Mar). Wang Oo Relit Project (WORP). Paper presented at KPU’s 2nd Annual Research Showcase, 2024, Surrey, BC, Canada.

Matsuba, M. K., Ocan, M., Yot, J. O., & Okello, D. (2024, Jan). Benefits of Mindfulness Training with Vocational Students in Northern Uganda. Paper presented at the 22nd Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education, Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA.

Erceg, H. G., Matsuba, M. K., & Bernstein, D. M. (2023, May). Negative Emotionality, Dissociation, and False Memory Susceptibility: A Mediation Analysis. Poster presented at Connecting Minds Conference, Richmond, B.C., Canada.

Gartrell-Gray, C., Matsuba, M. K., & Pratt, M. (2023, May). Effects of Parental Warmth and Strictness on the Wellbeing of Emerging Adults. Paper presented at Connecting Minds Conference, Richmond, B.C., Canada.

Hull-Kennedy, A., & Matsuba, M. K. (2023, May). Integrated Agency and Communion in Caring Exemplars. Paper presented at Connecting Minds Conference, Richmond, B.C., Canada.

Lee, J., Tweed, R. G., & Matsuba, M. K. (2023, May). Influence of Disgust Sensitivity on Homelessness Policy Attitude. Paper presented at Connecting Minds Conference, Richmond, B.C., Canada.

Mundi, M., Mundi, U., Matsuba, M. K., & Pratt, M. W. (2023, May). Gender Differences in the Impact of Sibling Quantity on Depression and Self-Esteem. Poster presented at Connecting Minds Conference, Richmond, B.C., Canada.

Mundi, U., Mundi, M., Matsuba, M. K., & Pratt, M. W. (2023, May). The Impact of Sibling Quantity on Depression and Self-Esteem. Poster presented at Connecting Minds Conference, Richmond, B.C., Canada.

Orsetti, A., & Matsuba, M. K. (2023, May). Considering Mindset: The Role of Emotion Beliefs in Processes of Emotion Regulation. Paper presented at Connecting Minds Conference, Richmond, B.C., Canada.

Bajwa, K., Dogra, K. K., Takarangi, T., Derksen, D. G., Matsuba, K. M., & Bernstein, D. M. (2022, April). Age and Sex Effects on Affective Theory of Mind Across The Lifespan. Poster presented at Northwest Cognition and Memory Conference, Surrey, B.C., Canada.

Dizon, V. J. M., Dogra, K. K., Derksen, D. G., Weller, J. A., Matsuba, K., & Bernstein, D. M. (2022, April). Risky Decision-Making from Ages 3 to 89. Poster presented at Northwest Cognition and Memory. Surrey, BC, Canada.

Hamzagic, Z. I., Flores, D. R. A, Dumoulin, A., Matsuba, K., & Bernstein, D. M. (2022, April). Do hot and cold executive functions moderate the relationship between age and the sunk-cost effect? Poster presented at Northwest Cognition and Memory Conference, Surrey, B.C., Canada.

Orsetti, A. M., McCullough, L. M., McDonald, D. L. L., Cassidy, N., Matsuba, M. K., & Bernstein, D. M. (2022, April). The effect of age, sleep, SES, and diabetes on cognitive control in older adults. Poster presented at the meeting of Northwest Cognition and Memory, Surrey, BC.

Matsuba, M. K., Lawlor, M., & Schonert-Reichl, K. (2021, Sept). Mindfulness/SEL program for northern Ugandan Young Elementary Students: A pilot study. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Research on Effective Evaluation, Online.

Ishaq, A., & Matsuba, M. K. (2021, April). Can emotionality, executive functioning, and theory of mind tasks predict GPA in Northern Ugandan children? Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Online.

Mitchell, C., & Matsuba, M. K. (2021, April). How perceptions of their environment influence Northern Ugandan children’s well-being. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Online.

Apprill-Sokol, N., & Matsuba, K. (2020, November). A Vision for Eco-Justice: Understanding Food Insecurity from Theological and Scientific Perspectives. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association for Moral Education, Online.

Matsuba, M. K., & Mitchell, C. (2020, Mar). Psychological Well-Being as Mediator between Negative Social Environment and Academic Performance among Northern Ugandan Students. Poster was to be presented at the meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Diego, CA. (cancelled due to COVID)

Matsuba., M. K., Mah, A. Y. J., & Mitchell, C. (2019, Mar.). School-based SEL/mindfulness program for Ugandan youth. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Child Development, Baltimore, MD.

Mitchell, C., Matsuba, K., & Mah, A. Y. J. (2019, Mar.). Predicting depression among adolescents in post-conflict Northern Uganda. Poster presented at the meeting of the Society for Child Development, Baltimore, MD.

Mah, A. Y. J., Matsuba, K., & Mitchell, C. (2019, Mar.). Adolescent authoritarianism and religiosity as predictors of later environmental attitudes. Poster presented at the meeting of the Society for Child Development, Baltimore, MD.

Recent Invited Presentations

Matsuba, M. K., & Mitchell, C. (2020, Mar). Psychological Well-Being as Mediator between Negative Social Environment and Academic Performance among Northern Ugandan Students. Poster was selected to be part of the Welcome Reception and Adolescence in the Context of Domestic and Global Diversity Poster Session at the meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Diego, CA. (cancelled due to COVID-19)

In the Media
Culley, C. (2023, Jan. 31). Meet KPU: Kyle Matsuba. The Runner. Retrieved from https://runnermag.ca/2023/01/vol-15-issue-9/#page/7

Hoekstra, M. (2022, Nov. 17). KPU instructor seeks to improve mental health of youth in East Africa. KPU Newsroom. Retrieved from https://www.kpu.ca/news/2022/11/17/kpu-instructor-seeks-improve-mental-health-youth-east-africa

Worley, W. (2019, July 4). Mindfulness helps kids to control anger and avoid violence. Apolitical.
Retrieved from https://apolitical.co/solution_article/how-mindfulness-helps-kids-to-control-anger- and-avoid-violence/