Maggie Toplak, York University

Research

rational thinking and decision making adolescents reasoning rationality cognitive science

Latest papers

Behavioural insights and environmental sustainability: Key findings and policy implications from a systematic review.
Journal of environmental management · 2025
Associations between a history of traumatic brain injuries and conduct disorder during youth in a population sample of Canadian adults.
Psychiatry research · 2017
Interaction of bilingualism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in young adults.
Bilingualism (Cambridge, England) · 2017 · senior author

All 6 publications

Latest funding

Investigating the relationship between actively open-minded thinking and myside bias in adolescents and adults
SSHRC · 2025 · Principal investigator
$58,919
Measuring cognitive sophistication: towards developing a tool for assessing rational thinking in adolescents
SSHRC · 2018 · Principal investigator
$294,538
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Mental Health Problems in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Transdiagnostic Approach
CIHR · 2016 · Co-investigator
$810,371

All 9 grants and awards

6 publications.

01

Behavioural insights and environmental sustainability: Key findings and policy implications from a systematic review.

de Costa R, Ferrara I, Toplak M, Alam A, Bowie R, Burnett A

Journal of environmental management2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126118 PMID: 40570426

02

Associations between a history of traumatic brain injuries and conduct disorder during youth in a population sample of Canadian adults.

Ilie G, Wickens CM, Vingilis ER, Mann RE, Hamilton H, Toplak M, Adlaf EM, Kolla N, Ialomiteanu AR, van der Mass M, Asbridge M, Rehm J, Cusimano MD

Psychiatry research2017

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.08.011 PMID: 28867408

03

Interaction of bilingualism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in young adults.

Bialystok E, Hawrylewicz K, Wiseheart M, Toplak M

Bilingualism (Cambridge, England)2017Senior author

DOI: 10.1017/s1366728915000887 PMID: 28579912

04

The association between traumatic brain injury and ADHD in a Canadian adult sample.

Ilie G, Vingilis ER, Mann RE, Hamilton H, Toplak M, Adlaf EM, Kolla N, Ialomiteanu A, van der Mass M, Asbridge M, Vingilis-Jaremko L, Rehm J, Cusimano MD

Journal of psychiatric research2015

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.004 PMID: 26343610

05

Executive function and suicidal risk in women with Borderline Personality Disorder

LeGris J, Links PS, van Reekum R, Tannock R, Toplak M

Psychiatry Research201288 citationsSenior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2011.10.008

06

Inattention, working memory, and academic achievement in adolescents referred for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Rogers M, Hwang H, Toplak M, Weiss M, Tannock R

Child neuropsychology : a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence2011

DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2010.544648 PMID: 21390917

Investigating the relationship between actively open-minded thinking and myside bias in adolescents and adults

Principal investigatorSSHRC2025Insight Grants

Principal investigators: Toplak, Maggie E.

Keywords: reasoning; rationality; cognitive science

$58,919

Measuring cognitive sophistication: towards developing a tool for assessing rational thinking in adolescents

Principal investigatorSSHRC2018Insight Grants

Principal investigators: Toplak, Maggie E.

Keywords: rational thinking and decision making; adolescents

$294,538

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Mental Health Problems in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Transdiagnostic Approach

Co-investigatorCIHR2016Project Grant

Principal investigators: Weiss, Jonathan A; Goldowitz, Daniel

Keywords: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Cerebral Palsy; Cognitive Behaviour Therapy; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; Learning Disability; Mental Health; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Treatment

$810,371

The development of rational thinking abilities: longitudinal change and real world outcomes

Principal investigatorSSHRC2013Insight Grants

Principal investigators: Toplak, Maggie E.

Keywords: critical thinking; rational thinking; decision making; cognitive ability; development; longitudinal

$260,601

The Parenting Partnership:

Co-investigatorCIHR2011Meetings Planning & Dissemination Grant: Reproductive and Child Health

Principal investigators: Bohr, Yvonne

Keywords: Development; Diversity; Education; Intervention; Parenting

$9,460

Working Memory Training in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Neural Mechanisms of Change.

Co-investigatorCIHR2011Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Tannock, Rosemary; Lewis, Marc D

Keywords: Adhd; Adult; Event Related Potential (Erp); Intervention; Learning Disorders; Neuroimaging; Working Memory

$366,934

Cognitive sophistication in rational thinking: development and dissociations with cognitive abilities

Principal investigatorSSHRC2009Standard Research Grants

Principal investigators: Toplak, Maggie E.

Keywords: rationality; development; cognitive ability; human reasoning

$98,117

Characterizing Variability in Adolescents with ADHD: Clinical and Behavioral Outcomes

SupervisorCIHR2008Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Schnoll, Jessica S

Keywords: Adhd; Adolescent Development; Cognitive Processes; Diagnosis; Intraindividual Variability; Mental Health; Reaction Time

$105,000

Domain generality in critical thinking: does reasoning performance map onto real world consequences

Principal investigatorSSHRC2006Standard Research Grants

Principal investigators: Toplak, Maggie E.

Keywords: critical thinking; human reasoning; cognitive abilities; domain generality; executive processes

$115,648

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Psychology
Social & Behavioural Health Sciences Division
Community Health and Epidemiology
Educational Psychology
Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences
Other

Co-authors at York University, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Nathan Kolla

Faculty

2 shared papers, latest 2017

Mark Asbridge

Community Health and Epidemiology

2 shared papers, latest 2017

Hayley Hamilton

Social & Behavioural Health Sciences Division

2 shared papers, latest 2017

Ida Ferrara

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Melody Wiseheart

Educational Psychology

1 shared papers, latest 2017

Ravi de Costa

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Paul Links

Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences

1 shared papers, latest 2012

Gabriela Ilie

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2015

Ellen Bialystok

Psychology

1 shared papers, latest 2017

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their SSHRC grant from 2025

Subject: Prospective PhD student: rational thinking and decision making Dear Professor Toplak, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Behavioural insights and environmental sustainability: Key findings and policy implications from a systematic review." (2025), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your SSHRC-funded project "Investigating the relationship between actively open-minded thinking and myside bias in adolescents and adults" (2025), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]