Faculty


Education:
BSc Honours (University of Northern British Columbia)
MSc (University of Northern British Columbia)
PhD (University of Calgary)


Phone: 403.440.8541
Email: mwellsby@mtroyal.ca

TEACHING

  • PSYC 1106 Introductory Psychology II- WIL
  • PSYC 2235 LIfespan Development
  • PSYC 3341 Psychology of Language
  • PSYC 3351 Topics in Child Development
  • PSYC 4945 Advanced Topics in Infant and Child Social Development
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research is focused on child language development and adult language processing. I take an embodied cognition approach to study the role of sensory and motor experiences in language development. I am also interested in examining how play relates to various aspects of development in childhood. Finally, I also conduct research on teaching and learning in higher education.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles:
Wellsby, M., & Pexman, P. M. (2019). Learning labels for objects: Does degree of sensorimotor experience matter? Languages, 4, doi:10.3390/languages4010003
 
Pexman, P. M., & Wellsby, M. (2016). Linking hand to mouth: The relationship between manual  dexterity and language skills in typically-developing children. Italian Journal of Cognitive Science, 81-94. doi: 10.12832/83919
 
Inkster, M., Wellsby, M. B., Lloyd, E., & Pexman, P. M. (2016). Development of embodied word  meanings: Sensorimotor effects in children’s lexical processing. Frontiers in Psychology.  doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00317 
 
Wellsby, M., & Pexman, P. M. (2014). The influence of bodily experience on children’s language  processing. Topics in Cognitive Science, 6, 425-441. doi: 10.1111/tops.12092
Wellsby, M., & Pexman, P. M. (2014). Developing embodied cognition: Insights from children’s  concepts and language processing. Frontiers in Cognitive Science. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00506
 
Wellsby, M., Siakaluk, P. D., Owen, W. J., & Pexman, P. M. (2011). Embodied semantic processing: The body-object interaction effect in a non-manual task. Language &  Cognition, 3, 1-14. doi: 10.1515/langcog.2011.001 
 
Wellsby, M., Siakaluk, P. D., Pexman, P. M., & Owen, W. J. (2010). Some insults are easier to  detect: The embodied insult detection effect. Frontiers in Psychology. doi:  10.3389/fpsyg.2010.00198   
Conference Presentations:
Wellsby, M. & Techentin, C. (October 2025). Playing to Learn or Just Playing? Student Perceptions of Play Activities in the Mount Royal University Classroom. Paper presented at the 2025 Symposium for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Banff, AB.

Wellsby, M., Espinosa, J., & Bennett, K. (May 2024). Learning Labels for Objects: Does Degree of Sensorimotor Experience Matter for Adults? Poster presented at the Jean Piaget Society 53rd Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON.

Wellsby, M. (October 2023). Truth or Lie: Using Mentimeter in the Classroom Enhances Student Learning and Engagement. Poster presented at the Society for the Teaching of Psychology Annual Conference on Teaching, Portland, OR.

Wellsby, M., Starchuk, A., & McKay, K. (July 2020). Collaboration and Innovation across the  Continuum of Care in Child and Adolescent Campus Based Mental Health Programs.  Paper presented by M. Wellsby, A. Starchuk, and K. McKay at the International  Federation of Social Workers Virtual Conference.

Wellsby, M., Starchuk, A., & McKay, K. (September 2019). Examining Recurrent Clients to Live In Mental Health Programs. Poster presented at the 39th Annual Canadian Academy of  Child and Adolescent Psychiatry conference, Quebec City, QC.  

Wellsby, M. & Pexman, P. M. (June 2015). Touching versus looking: The influence of different kinds of sensorimotor experience in children’s word learning. Poster presented at the 25th Annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive  Science, Ottawa, ON.