Nassim Tabri
Associate Professor
- PhD (Concordia)
- Email Nassim Tabri
- 613-520-2600 ext 1727
Research Interests
I am the Director of the Mental Health and Addictions Laboratory, where we examine psychological processes that contribute to maladaptive behaviour and mental health problems, with a particular focus on the self-concept.
One major line of my research asks: How do focused self-concepts develop, fluctuate, and contribute to maladaptive behaviour? Focused self-concept refers to the extent to which a particular domain, such as financial success or physical appearance, is disproportionately important to how people define and evaluate themselves. My research examines financially focused self-concept in relation to gambling and appearance focused self-concept in relation to disordered eating, while also investigating whether focused self-concept represents a broader psychological process that operates across behavioural domains.
A central goal of this work is to understand the temporal and causal processes through which focused self-concepts emerge and influence behaviour. We use complementary methods to address different aspects of this question. Experimental studies test potential causal antecedents of focused self-concept; longitudinal studies examine temporal ordering and reciprocal relationships between focused self-concept and maladaptive outcomes; and intensive longitudinal and experience-sampling studies examine how focused self-concept fluctuates within people in everyday life and whether these within-person changes predict subsequent behaviour. Together, this work aims to explain not only who is vulnerable to maladaptive behaviour, but also when and why that vulnerability becomes activated.
A second line of my research examines the psychological implications of group membership. Drawing on social identity theory and clinical and health psychology, we investigate how group-related experiences shape well-being, emotions, and intergroup behaviour. A current focus is collective anti-mattering, the belief that one’s group does not matter to outgroups or society. Our recent research introduced and validated collective anti-mattering across advantaged and disadvantaged groups and examined how perceived group disregard contributes to group-based emotions, collective action, and support for strong leaders.
Prospective Graduate Students
I am considering applications from MA and PhD students for the 2027–2028 academic year. I welcome applications from prospective students whose research interests align with my work on focused self-concept, gambling and addictive behaviours, disordered eating, or collective anti-mattering. Students interested in using experimental, longitudinal, and intensive longitudinal/experience-sampling methods to study these topics are particularly encouraged to apply.
I typically review applications and assess research fit as part of the formal admissions process, including interviews with applicants whose interests are a strong match for my research program. Prospective students do not need to contact me before applying, but are welcome to email me after submitting an application to let me know that they have applied.
Selected Publications
General / Cross-Domain
Tabri, N., Werner, K. M., Milyavskaya, M., & Wohl, M. J. A. (2021). Perfectionism predicts disordered eating and gambling via focused self-concept among those high in erroneous beliefs about their disordered behavior. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 10(3), 524-533.
Financially Focused Self-Concept
Tabri, N., Wohl, M. J. A., Eddy, K. T., & Thomas, J. J. (2017). Me, myself, and money: Having a financially focused self-concept and its consequences for disordered gambling. International Gambling Studies, 17(1), 30–50.
Tabri, N., Stark, S., Balodis, I. M., Price, A., & Wohl, M. J. A. (2024). Financially focused self-concept and disordered gambling are bidirectionally related over time. Addiction Research & Theory, 32(4), 299–311.
Appearance Focused Self-Concept
Nicoletta, J., Enouy, S., Charlebois, T., Sarginson, C., & Tabri, N. (2024). Momentary appearance focused self-concept is associated with dietary restraint and binge eating in female university students: An experience sampling study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 57(5), 1245-1252.
Tabri, N., Mosco, R., Enouy, S., & Quach, J. (2025). Morning momentary appearance dissatisfaction predicts daily increases in momentary appearance focused self-concept among female university students: An experience sampling study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 58(12), 2404-2412.
Collective Anti-Mattering
Tabri, N., Boutros, I., & Wohl, M. J. A. (2026). Collective anti-mattering: Belief that one’s group is being disregarded fuels collective action and authoritarian leadership support among both advantaged and disadvantaged groups. European Journal of Social Psychology.