Dissertation Abstracts
In this section you will find all the dissertation abstracts submitted, arranged by Surname.
Surnames beginning with A
Name: Rifah Abdullah
Supervisor: Ian Bushnell
Title: Investigating cross-cultural differences in deception detection
Abstract: Deception detection is a primary evolutionary behaviour that is incorporated in many aspects of life (Mokkonen and Lindstedt, 2015). Literature within this area is riddled with inconsistencies (Evans and Michael 2013), especially within cross-cultural research. Increased globalisation has promoted intercultural contact, allowing for better understanding of other cultural norms. Moreover, there are currently several campaigns raising awareness regarding online deception and in the media, therefore it is possible that participants in 2019/2020 may be more accurate in deception detection across different cultures. The current investigation aims to see whether detection rates replicate similar figures acknowledged within the literature using an online forced-choice experiment with audio-video clips. Utilising snowball sampling, an experiment was designed to collect data from primarily UK and Bangladeshi citizens. Simulation data based on parameters set by data collected was generated in order to meet the assumptions to run a logistic regression. Exploratory analysis investigating factors such as university level and gender was also included.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Lucy Claire Aitken
Supervisor: Niamh Stack
Title: An exploration of teenage girls’ attitudes towards extracurricular sport in state and private schools in Scotland
Abstract: Teenage girls are at particular risk of physical inactivity, which is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Increasing participation is vital for the improvement of physiological and psychological health. The aim of this study is to qualitatively explore the experiences and opinions of teenage girls regarding compulsory and optional extracurricular sport. Two focus groups will be conducted, within one state school and one private school, with 8-10 female high school students. Each focus group will last between 30-45 minutes and will be recorded then transcribed. Data will be kept in a password protected source and will be destroyed upon completion of research. Thematic analysis will be applied to the data following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six step method. Findings will be discussed and suggestions for future research will be made.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Educational Psychology, Developmental Psychology
Name: Ayesha Ali
Supervisor: Margaret Martin
Title: Mental health help-seeking attitudes in men in male-dominated professions: The role of stigma and masculinity.
Abstract: Mental health problems are often unrecognised and untreated among men which may be explained by their help-seeking behaviours. The stigma associated with mental illness and men’s conformity to traditional masculine norms have been shown to negatively influence men’s attitudes towards help-seeking. Hyper-masculine environments such as male-dominated workplaces may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects associated with traditional masculinity as they are often characterised as possessing a “macho” culture. The current study utilises the Implicit Associations Test to measure stigma towards mental illness, comparing men from male-dominated occupations and neutral workforces. Both groups completed the newly developed Masculinity Contest Cultures scale to assess the endorsement of masculine norms in their work environment followed by the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help scale. It is expected that men from male-dominated professions will possess more stigmatising attitudes towards mental illness and hold less favourable attitudes towards psychological help-seeking.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Jo Amaya
Supervisor: David Simmons
Title: Using Virtual Reality to explore individual differences in local and global visual processing styles
Abstract: There are individual differences in visual processing style preferences. In this investigation, we explore how local and global visual processing styles relate to autistic, ADHD and systemising traits. Local processing involves the perception of finer details while global processing captures the overall essence of visual information. Previous research found that individuals with autism (ASD) and ADHD have a local processing bias. In this study, participants completed the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) drawing task in Virtual Reality. The ROCF task is used to assess sensory processing styles and visuospatial memory. Virtual Reality is a novel methodological technique that provides high ecological validity without sacrificing experimental control. The participants described their drawing process and answered questions about the task. Audio recordings were transcribed and analysed using Thematic Analysis. Arising themes are discussed regarding participants’ information processing styles and recollection strategies. Future directions and limitations of this work are also discussed.
Tags: Individual Differences, Other
Name: Flora Anderson
Supervisor: Linda Moxey
Title: Cognitive Bias Modification and Participant Awareness: Effects on Anxiety and Interpretation bias
Abstract: Research claims that due to increased pressure on public mental health services, it would be useful to develop accessible, self-administered forms of therapy. This study aims to examine whether participant awareness changes the effect that cognitive bias modification, a relatively new self-administrated form of cognitive therapy, has on negative interpretation bias and anxiety. Half the participants received a short rationale explaining the training, the other half did not. Participants completed the CALM anxiety questionnaire and a series of interpretation bias scenarios in which they ranked potential outcomes, before taking part in the CBM training exercise. After training they were again assessed on anxiety and interpretation bias. Scores will be empirically analysed to investigate whether there is a significant difference in negative bias and anxiety before and after training, and whether there is a significant difference between the scores of participants who were given a rationale and those who were not.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Mental Health and Wellbeing
Surnames beginning with B
Name: Ana Isabel Bacallado Almandoz
Supervisor: Marios Philiastides
Title: Influence of Sustainability on Preference- Based Decision Making
Abstract: Sustainability has become an important influence on consumer choice. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate how information on sustainability affects consumer purchasing behaviours. The participants rated clothing items based on their personal preferences. Then, they completed a preference-based decision-making task, which consisted of choosing amongst two different clothing items. In half of the trials information on the items’ sustainability was also presented. In the end, participants completed a self-reported questionnaire where they revealed their attitudes and behaviours towards sustainability. The results suggest that information on sustainability and consumer preferences are integrated into a single source of evidence during the decision-making process. Therefore, suggesting that sustainability plays a crucial role in consumer purchasing behaviours as a result of the sustainability bias affecting the decision-making process. The findings of this study may have major implications not only on understanding how sustainability information alters consumer choices, but also in prospective marketing strategies.
Tags: Other
Name: Jemima Blundell-Roberts
Supervisor: Chiara Horlin
Title: Autism, Facebook and Social Camouflaging
Abstract: Autistic people often face significant challenges when initiating and maintaining social relationships, consequently the use of social camouflaging strategies to minimise the visibility of their autism is common. However, these behaviours have been associated with negative outcomes including poor mental well-being, exhaustion and even suicide. Online communication platforms including Facebook may provide an alternative environment for autistic people to interact with others and build social bonds, in the absence of the difficulties experienced during face-to-face interactions. However, no previous research has considered the existence of camouflaging behaviours in online interactions. Using a mixed-method approach, this exploratory study aims to provide in-depth insight into the perceived benefits for autistic people of using Facebook, specifically for social relationships. Being the first study to investigate the presence of social camouflaging online, this research also aims to extend current understanding of autistic experiences, potentially providing a basis for future research in this area.
Tags: Social Psychology, Individual Differences
Name: Alexandra Bobchinetskaya
Supervisor: Heather Cleland Woods
Title: Lonely but connected: The relationship between loneliness, pre-sleep cognitive arousal, nighttime-social media use and sleep outcomes in university students.
Abstract: University students are at an increased risk of experiencing loneliness, mental health issues, and poor sleep during their time at university, and students may use social media as a coping tool. This study examined how loneliness is related to pre-sleep rumination, social media use and sleep quality among 120 university students (aged 16 to 25). For the first time in the literature, this study examines whether individuals with higher loneliness are more likely to engage in nighttime-specific social media use, and experience ruminative thought patterns in the form of pre-sleep cognitive arousal. Using a cross-sectional study design, participants completed an online questionnaire consisting of 4 measures: the Perceived Social Isolation Scale, the Pre-Sleep Cognitive Arousal Scale, the Overall and Nighttime-Specific Social Media Use Scale, and the Sleep Condition Indicator. Correlational and multiple regression analyses were used as part of the data analysis.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Jacqueline Borgstedt
Supervisor: Lisa Debruine
Title: An exploration of lateralisation of emotion processing by investigating facial emotion recognition impairments in temporal lobe epilepsy.
Abstract: There is an ongoing debate regarding the lateralisation of emotion processing which may be further explored by investigating facial emotion recognition impairments in temporal lobe epilepsy. The primary aim of this study is to establish whether the lateralization of TLE is associated with differences in the ability to accurately identify different facial emotion expressions relative to healthy controls. Specifically, this study will investigate whether a left of right cerebral focus of TLE is associated with deficits in accurately identifying happiness, sadness, fear or anger. The secondary aim of this study is to explore differences between healthy controls, right and left-sided TLE patients in their respective sensitivity to facial emotions. Healthy controls (n=46) and TLE patients (n=57)participated in an animated morphing task (adapted from Schöneberg et al., 2013). During the task participants were exposed to morphed faces which gradually transitioned from a neutral facial expression to one out of four full-blown facial emotions (anger, fear, sadness, happiness). Result: TBC
Tags: Other
Name: Lily Bowditch
Supervisor: Heather Cleland Woods
Title: A qualitative exploration of university students’ motivations behind engaging in social media at night.
Abstract: Night-time social media use has been associated with poor sleep and psychological well-being among young people. However, there is a lack of qualitative research that has explored motivations for social media use, particularly at night. This study aimed to employ a qualitative research approach to explore the motivations behind university students engaging in social media at night. The present study will give students a voice in the literature, and gain a deeper insight into what actually drives social media engagement at night. Thirteen undergraduate first year students at the University of Glasgow participated in focus group discussions exploring their experiences of using social media. It is expected that two/three overarching themes will emerge following inductive thematic analysis that captures underlying motivations for social media use and perceived impact on sleep. These findings will offer a more holistic understanding into why students engage in social media at night, which will have important implications in terms of contributions to scientific literature and social policy.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Lara Boyle-Ryan
Supervisor: Edwin Robertson
Title: Investigating the effects of musical training on working memory and skill learning
Abstract: In recent years there has been a growing interest in investigating the effects of musical training on cognition. Acquiring musical skills has quantifiable effects on brain functioning and networking, manifestations of brain plasticity. Previous studies investigating musicians have explored effects on learning and memory using tasks involving auditory stimuli. This study investigates whether benefits are seen across different memory domains. 37 Participants, 18 musicians and 19 controls, aged between 18-28 completed a visual 2-back task, measuring working memory, and the serial reaction time task, measuring implicit motor skill learning. Reaction times and accuracy on these tasks will be used for statistical analysis. Musicians should perform better on both of these tasks due to the attention, concentration, memorisation, fine-motor skills and sensorimotor integration required during musical training. This would support existing literature highlighting the cognitive benefits of learning a musical instrument.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Liah Brown
Supervisor: Kerry Kilborn
Title: How Does Anxiety Affect Episodic Memory? Implications for Alzheimer's Disease.
Abstract: Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders reported in the United Kingdom, with research showing it impacts our episodic memory. Current research has also indicated anxiety, both early- and late-life, may act as a precursor for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathology. Hence, research into how anxiety effects episodic memory may reveal insight as to why AD develops. Using quartile classification from Spielberg’s Trait-State Anxiety Inventory scores, the aim of this study is to empirically investigate how anxiety affects episodic memory in a healthy British university student population. An adapted version of Craik and Tulving's (1975) Depth of Processing paradigm is used, where a series of emotionally neutral British common nouns are presented on screen for a limited duration of time, followed by a question regarding the structure or animacy of the word, to assess the accuracy of the level of processing, shallow or deep, used.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Individual Differences, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Kaela Brown
Supervisor: Benedict Jones
Title: “Heavier is Happier”; Do facial cues of body weight influence perceptions of happy and sad facial expressions? Evidence from a UK sample
Abstract: Interpreting facial expressions of emotion accurately plays an important role in everyday social interactions. However, due to varying stereotypes associated with overweight individuals as either jolly or lazy, bodyweight may have a systematic influence on the perception of emotion. Recent work has suggested that by experimentally increasing body-weight cues, happy expressions look happier and sadder expressions look less sad than healthy weight faces. Previous research was carried out with samples from an American university and an Arab university, and since emotions can differ across cultures, we carried out a conceptual replication of these studies with a UK sample. Using two forced-choice perceptual decision tasks, participants were asked to click the face that looked happier in one task and in the other task click the face that looked sadder. We found that…
Tags: Other
Name: Oisean Burnett
Supervisor: Alessio Fracasso
Title: Saccadic Suppression: An Active or Passive Source?
Abstract: Abstract Humans typically perform around three eye movements per second in natural conditions, producing shifts that should result in blurring. However, visual sensitivity is suppressed in a phenomenon called saccadic suppression. Debates over the last 20 years have produced two origins for this phenomenon, one passive in which suppression is explained by temporal masking and retinal process during saccade execution, and a second, active in which extraretinal signals during preparation suppress processing centrally. This study aimed to investigate whether saccadic suppression is not only a function of execution but is involved in the planning of eye movements, by introducing saccadic inhibition to a classic saccadic suppression paradigm. Inhibition was shown to decrease the effects of saccadic suppression, providing support for an active origin, though further research is required to investigate how exactly this occurs.
Tags: Other
Name: Molly Burr
Supervisor: Ben Jones
Title: Does the Dark Triad Predict Psychological Climate for Sexual Assault? The Role of Narcissism, Machiavellianism and Psychopathy in Explaining Attitudes Towards Reporting Sexual Harassment.
Abstract: Unwanted verbal or physical advances of a sexual nature, known as sexual harassment, creates a degrading and offensive environment that has been reported frequently in professional contexts. This study investigates how specific personality traits may relate to attitudes towards reporting sexual harassment in the workplace. The purpose being to understand if Narcissism, Machiavellianism and Psychopathy, known as the Dark Triad, would effect the psychological climate for sexual harassment, impacting on a women’s job and psychological outcomes. In this online study carried out on FaceResearch.org, participants (n=77) completed both the Psychological Climate for Sexual Harassment (PCSH) Questionnaire and Dirty Dozen Questionnaire. Regression analysis was used on the results, with PCSH score as the outcome variable and dark triad scores and participant sex as predictors. The wider implications of these results will provide important contribution to research intersecting gender, workplace climate, and sexual harassment in order to improve outcomes.
Tags: Other
Surnames beginning with C
Name: Jinin Cheung
Supervisor: Kevin Wilson-Smith
Title: Exploring the cultural identity of Chinese people residing in the UK: An interpretative phenomenological analysis
Abstract: Like other ethnic groups in the UK, though relatively understudied, Chinese people who grew up and live in the UK face challenges in establishing and managing their identity. The present study aims to explore their lived experiences and how they understand their cultural identity, gaining an insight of what it is like to experience two contrasting cultures that is British and Chinese. A phenomenological qualitative approach was adopted in order to gain an in-depth insight into their experiences. Three participants were selected using purposive and opportunity sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually and in person. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was applied to verbatim transcripts of audio-recording of the interview. This is the IPA study that investigates the cultural identity of Chinese people in the UK. The analysis is ongoing, hence results are not yet available.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Judy Chu
Supervisor: Martin Lages
Title: Curvature Illusion: The angle and length of arc on perceived curvature
Abstract: This study examines the properties which drive the curvature illusion. The curvature illusion is a visual illusion in which a short arc is often perceived as flatter/less curved than a longer arc if they are displayed next to each other. The illusion occurs when the arcs have the same radius but different arc lengths. The aim is to quantify this illusory effect in different conditions. Whether the length and the angle of the arc have an effect on how one perceives curvature. The adjustment of upper and lower arc would indicate how much each participant overestimate/underestimate the radius of a given arc when the illusion occurs.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Siobhan Comrie
Supervisor: Emily Nordmann
Title: Are People More Likely to be Hateful Towards Disliked Celebrities than Liked Celebrities? A study on Twitter using Sentiment Analysis
Abstract: This dissertation will be conducted using data obtained from Twitter. It will look at 60 different celebrities, categorised by their gender and whether they are generally viewed favourably or unfavourably by the public. Tweets will also be categorised by the gender of the tweets, giving insight into how the different genders use hateful language online, and if this differs with their target.The results indicate that women are more likely to engage in sending hateful tweets than men, and male celebrities are generally more likely to receive hateful tweets than female celebrities. Furthermore, the interaction between celebrity gender and whether they are liked or not came out as significant, indicating that disliked female celebrities are significantly more likely to receive hateful tweets than liked female celebrities.An exploratory analysis was also performed to look at individual words.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Social Psychology
Name: Sian Connelly
Supervisor: Phil McAleer
Title: Implicit perceptions of vocal attractiveness, dominance and trustworthiness.
Abstract: This study aims to examine the effect of voice perception on three traits: attractiveness, dominance and trustworthiness. Whilst associated with a variety of social attributes, dominance and trustworthiness are suggested to have the largest effect on perceived attractiveness, with gender differences also being present between the two. Research to date has focused largely on visual cues, with little known about the effects of auditory perception. Previous vocal studies that have been carried out have utilised a number-pointed scale to explicitly measure how {trait} a person is deemed to be. However, this study will utilise a forced choice reaction time paradigm – the purpose being to determine if that which has been found via explicit measures is replicated when measured implicitly. Through hearing only the word ‘hello’, participants will be asked to decide whether they find each voice to be an exemplar of each identified trait or not. The following hypotheses are expected to be observed: 1) A faster reaction time for attraction will directly correlate with a faster reaction time for trustworthiness in females and males. 2) A faster reaction time for attraction will directly correlate with a faster reaction time for dominance in females only.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Naomi Isabella Conway
Supervisor: Helena Paterson
Title: Do children WANT gender stereotyped superheroes?
Abstract: Background: Previous research has proposed that children are exposed to an array of gender stereotypes through watching children’s TV - such as superhero programmes. Although there is vast research regarding children’s knowledge of these stereotypes, there is very little studies exploring if children would choose to use these stereotypes when creating their own character. Aim: Therefore, this study seeks to explore the decisions young children make when creating their own imaginative character - specifically their own superhero – and whether they choose to design a character who conforms with gender stereotypes. Methods: All children who participated in this study were asked to draw their own superhero on a template and then answer corresponding open-ended questions about their superhero. Children above the age of 7 were additionally asked to complete a questionnaire which gave a more restrictive choice on the characteristics they could give their superhero.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Daniel Cringean
Supervisor: Phil McAleer
Title: The effect of interdental lisps on the perception of leadership effectiveness and intelligence.
Abstract: In some communities there still exists a perceived stigmatisation in adults who have a lisp. The current study aimed to examine whether this extended into positions of authority and altered individuals’ perception of leadership effectiveness. Participants were asked to listen to a student public address, being randomly assigned to one of four listening conditions: (1) Female with Lisp, (2) Female without Lisp, (3) Male with Lisp, (4) Male without Lisp. The voices were assessed based on the length of time participants attended to the speech. As lisping has been found to be associated with more negative evaluations of perceived intelligence, participants were also asked to assess the intelligence of the voice using a Likert Questionnaire to determine whether this influenced the result. Results will be analysed using a 2x2 factorial ANOVA and implications will be discussed with reference to contemporary literature.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Surnames beginning with D
Name: Morgan Daniel
Supervisor: Niamh Stack
Title: An exploration into the experiences of care home staff providing care to residents with dementia
Abstract: This research aims to gather the experiences of staff working in care homes, who provide care to residents with dementia. The study takes a qualitative approach in the form of two focus groups, each one hour in length. There will be 5-6 participants in each focus group, all of them from a care home outside of Glasgow in Helensburgh. The focus groups will be recorded and recordings will be used to transcribe the data in preparation for analysis. All data will be stored on a secure server and deleted upon submission of the project. A thematic analysis will be used to analyse the data following Braun and Clarke’s six step method, and any themes detected will be expanded upon using current literature. The implications of this research will be discussed and future recommendations suggested based on results.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Georgia Maria Desmond
Supervisor: Linda Moxey
Title: Assessing differences in handover perceptions of PICU and Ward staff in order to create tailored recommendations for future implementations.
Abstract: The discharge of a patient from the Intensive Care Unit to the Cardiac Ward is reliant on efficient and effective communication in order to maintain a patient’s condition and level of care. This handover has been identified as a procedure in need of enhancement in the Queen Elizabeth Royal Hospital for Children. The present study utilises current literature on the topic, as well as questionnaires and focus groups, to assess the differences in perceptions of medical and nursing staff of the PICU and Ward. Gaining insight to the potential problematic areas of communication, quality of information and efficiency within the current procedure, and across staff teams, will hopefully allow for tailored recommendations to be produced to aid in future implementations.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Applied Psychology
Name: Millie Dias
Supervisor: Esther Papies
Title: How does plain packaging influence desire for sugary drinks? The role of social identity theory and conspicuous consumption
Abstract: This study aims to assess whether plain packaging can reduce likelihood to consume sugary drinks. Previous research examining plain packaging for tobacco use has found the intervention to be successful, but less research has been carried out looking at this intervention for sugary drinks and results are inconclusive. Therefore, this study aims to resolve findings and examine the role of social identity theory in the choice of branded versus plain packaged sugary drinks. Participants were allocated to one of three conditions- branded packaging, plain-transparent packaging or plain-opaque packaging. Likelihood to choose scores for each condition were calculated as an average over 6 statements (3 public and 3 private scenarios). Results were analysed using a mixed design ANOVA. It was concluded that participants were more likely to choose sugary drinks in public versus private settings, and packaging type and scenario did not interact to reduce participants likelihood to choose sugary drinks.
Tags: Other
Name: Iona Rita Didier
Supervisor: Helena Paterson
Title: Exploring children’s occupational gender stereotypes of men and women working across STEM fields
Abstract: Background: Gender inequality in the STEM industry is apparent by the differences in gender representation in STEM careers and majors. Despite early gender stereotypes having been shown to impact children's future career decisions, there is little research exploring occupational gender stereotypes across STEM fields. Aim: The purpose of this study is to explore children's occupational gender stereotypes across three STEM locations (Airplane, Hospital and Lab) to provide a better overview of the varying implicit attitudes among these. Methods: 120 participants aged 5-12 were asked to draw on a provided template how they perceived a woman or man working in one of the above 3 STEM locations looked like. This was followed with several questions asking the child to choose their character’s occupation and other potential occupations they believed were available for someone with this gender working in that location.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Kieran Dowling
Supervisor: Niamh Stack
Title: Exploring the Experiences of the Benefits and Challenges of Sports Participation in Primary School Children with Low Socioeconomic Status: A Qualitative Study.
Abstract: The purpose of the current study was to gain a deeper understanding of the benefits and challenges of participating in a sports outreach program experienced by children with low socioeconomic status. Two focus groups were conducted in this study – one pupil focus group and one teacher focus group. Participants were 5 children aged 10-12 and 6 teachers from a primary school in the low SES area of Glasgow, Govan. Focus groups discussed the experiences of the benefits and challenges of participating in the sports program, the Govan School of Basketball (GSB), and participants responses will be analysed using thematic analysis. Themes identified will cover the benefits and challenges of the pupils' sports participation experience. Directions for future research and implications for intervention will be discussed.
Tags: Developmental Psychology
Surnames beginning with E
Name: Catherine Louise Ellis
Supervisor: Ian Bushnell
Title: ‘Don’t think about it’: A qualitative exploration of the experiences faced by Forensic Pathologists using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
Abstract: The work of Forensic Pathologists’ encompasses a variety of potentially stressful roles such as daily contact with the deceased, attending scenes of crimes, giving evidence in court and meeting with bereaved families. With a current lack of research and clinical attention given to the psychological well-being of Forensic Pathologists, the present paper aims to elucidate their professional experiences through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Due to the in-depth nature of IPA, a select group of 5 individuals were recruited as Forensic Pathologists from across the UK. Each participant was interviewed in-person by means of a semi-structured interview schedule and transcripts subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Identified themes will cover topics such as stress, emotional detachment, reward and psychological well-being with verbatim quotes provided. Resultant themes will be discussed in the context of participants’ sense-making and the potential direction for future research.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Applied Psychology
Surnames beginning with F
Name: Julie Farish
Supervisor: Margaret Martin
Title: Investigating Empathy and Social Views Towards Male-to-Female Sexual Violence
Abstract: Sexual violence is a prevalent issue, with male-to-female sexual violence considered the most pervasive. Rape myth acceptance (RMA) continues to impact considerations of what makes sexual violence acts ‘legitimate’ and not the fault of the victim. However, crime statistics have found that most cases do not have many RMA components. Data was collected via the online platform, Experimentum. Vignettes depicting rape in varied alignment with RMA components were administered to participants (n=165*). Participants were asked to identify whether they consider the scenario to be a rape in order to ascertain the effects of RMA.The Liberal Feminist Attitude and Ideology Scale (LFAIS) and the Rape Victim Empathy Scale (REMV) were completed to assess attitudes towards women and towards rape victims, respectively. It is hypothesised that those who scored higher on the LFAIS and the REMV measures will be more likely to definitively assess the vignette scenarios as depicting rape.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Bradley Farrant
Supervisor: Rachael Jack
Title: Identifying further textural components of facial stimuli
Abstract: People analyse facial features (e.g., face shape, skin colour, and skin texture) both alone and in combination to classify others as members of social groups and form trait judgments (Rule & Sutherland, 2017). Currently, more research has been carried out into facial colouration and face shape than the textural components of faces (Costa, Lio, Gomez & Sirigu, 2017).Because of this, the current study aims to further identify variations in textural facial cues, specifically wrinkles, smoothness, and blemishes in stimuli in order that future research may use this data to analyse these textural cues in relation to social judgments.
Tags: Social Psychology, Other
Name: Marine Fleury
Supervisor: Gregor Thut
Title: Effects of alpha-band entrainment on perception: Evidence from short-train transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Abstract: Subjective visual perception is shaped by awareness levels and decision-making processes, which are associated with parietal cortex’s oscillators at frequency alpha (i.e., 8-14Hz). Nevertheless, it seems that evidence is lacking to infer a causal relationship between cortical excitability patterns and subjective visual functions. As such, the present study investigated TMS-related changes of a-neurons parietal activity of 20 healthy volunteers under three conditions (i.e., sham, arrhythmic and rhythmic TMS). EEG recordings and a detection task, involving near-threshold Gaussian patches, assessed neuronal entrainment, performance accuracy and perceptual awareness. In rhythmic-TMS condition only, successful entrainment of æ-oscillators is expected to decrease subjective awareness when stimuli were presented on the contralateral side to the stimulation. Moreover, the closer the individual alpha frequency (IAF) was to the stimulation’s frequency (i.e., 10Hz), the greater the behavioural effects of entrainment are predicted. To verify such hypotheses, an ANOVA will compare behavioural measures across conditions of stimulus and stimulation, and post-hoc regression analysis will evaluate the relationship between IAF and behavioural effect-size.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Cognitive Neuroscience
Name: Emma Fowler
Supervisor: Niamh Stack
Title: An exploration of young peoples lived experiences arising from engagement with the G20 Youth Project: a video diary study.
Abstract: This study explores the lived experiences of young people engaging with the G20 youth project. This project has been established to provide a safe space and diversionary activities to be available in the Maryhill and Ruchill areas for vulnerable, disadvantaged young people. Using a video diary this study aims evaluate the impact of the youth group from the young people’s perspective. Investigating the experiences that arise as a result of engagement with the G20 youth project and the practical implications of this on the young people's lives.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Developmental Psychology, Applied Psychology
Name: Claire Frodsham
Supervisor: Benedict Jones
Title: The effect of hormonal contraceptives on female psychosexuality
Abstract: The effect of hormonal contraceptives on female psychosexuality is becoming of increasing interest in literature. However, there is a distinct lack of research into how the contraceptive pill influences sociosexual orientation, or one’s interest in uncommitted sexual relationships. Here, we report findings from a large sample size (n = 782) on the differences in sociosexuality between naturally cycling women and women taking oral contraceptives. Our findings show no significant difference in overall sociosexual orientation and in two of three subcomponents of sociosexuality: attitude and behaviour. However, we found significantly lower sociosexual desire in oral contracepting women compared to naturally cycling women. These results highlight the importance of continued research into the effects of oral contraceptives on female psychosexuality.
Tags: Other
Name: Grace Mary Furnell
Supervisor: Guillaume Rousselet
Title: Taking a step back to move the field forward: Culture and the Criminal Justice System
Abstract: A look at where we find our field in terms of replication, open science, exploratory and multiverse analysis using crime research as the domain of interest. Relative to its importance and implications for policy and practice, as well as potential for harm, criminal justice system research has lacked attempts at replication. As cultural diversity becomes an increasing inevitability within our world it is crucial to understand the impact of culture on crime. This project seeks to reproduce findings, about the interaction between culture and crime, using papers with open access to raw data, and then conduct an exploratory model multiverse to determine how robust the findings are. Full access to code, analysis notes and commentary regarding the challenges and joys of the process will be provided. Followed by a discussion about the implications of the findings in terms of what the future holds for both replication and crime research.
Tags: Other
Surnames beginning with G
Name: Elisa Gaillard
Supervisor: David Simmons
Title: Using Virtual Reality to explore individual differences in trends of visual information processing ng using VR
Abstract: The present exploratory study investigated individual differences in visual processing trends using Virtual Reality (VR). 93 participants took part in a memory and drawing task in VR of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF), using the 3D drawing software TiltBrush. They also completed personality questionnaires. The AQ and ADHD questionnaires measured autistic and ADHD traits in our non-clinical sample. Cluster and sequence analyses were conducted to observe patterns in drawings. Four groups of patterns were identified, all highlighting different cognitive processing styles. Results were analysed along with ROCF, AQ and ADHD scores to search for correlations between personality traits and processing patterns. Completion times and ROCF scores were also used to identify the most effective drawing pattern.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Skye Galloway
Supervisor: Phil McAleer
Title: The Effects of Oral Contraceptives on Perceived Vocal Attractiveness
Abstract: Previous literature has suggested that changes to female hormonal levels caused by the use of the contraceptive pill decreases the perceived attractiveness of masculine features. However, more recently, studies testing the effect of oral contraceptive use on perceived facial attractiveness, designed to be well-powered rectifying issues with previous studies, found no significant results (Marcinkowska et al., 2019). This research to date has largely focused on visual attractiveness with little known about similar effects in the auditory domain. As such, this study will test the effect of contraceptive pill use on perceived vocal attractiveness ratings. Female participants either using hormonal or non-hormonal contraception were asked to rate 43 male voices on both attractiveness and masculinity using a 7-point Likert scale from extremely masculine/attractive to extremely unattractive/masculine. Results will be discussed in terms of how hormones influence the perception of masculine features across varying modalities and the impact on mate attraction.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Alejandro Garcia Alva
Supervisor: Kevin Wilson-Smith
Title: Refugee Core Beliefs
Abstract: Refugees have been found to be a vulnerable demographic, often prone to suffering from mental health problems. Disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety are the most prevalent amongst refugees; according to the literature. Indeed, the literature has also found that often the mental health problems are the result of pre-migration and settling factors. However, there has been no research into how refugee's core beliefs are affected as a result of being forced to leave their country, and how this contributes to mental health problems. The present study seeks to address the current gap in the literature by means of qualitative analysis of the refugee's experience.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Shahrukh Gill
Supervisor: Helena Paterson
Title: Validating a new measure on person perception using mental health vignettes: A SMHFA intervention study.
Abstract: Introduction. There is a large taboo surrounding mental illness in society. The purpose of this study is to validate a new measure of person perception that we have developed. This study will involve a questionnaire based on vignettes. Parallel to this, a Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA) course was carried out to measure the difference between facets of stigma before and after the SMHFA intervention. Methods. Three measures were designed to estimate social distance and interaction with individuals, with two vignettes focusing on depression and anxiety a control vignette with no discernible mental illness. Through the use of the social distance, intervention and confidence scale we can measure stigma.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Hanna Glandorf
Supervisor: Esther Papies
Title: The effect of decentering on the link between consumption simulation and bodily responses to food cues
Abstract: Decentering, a component of mindfulness, has been proposed to help people experience less cravings. According to the theory of grounded cognition, decentering weakens the effect of consumption simulations on conscious desire and bodily responses like salivation. Based on recent suggestions, this effect might even be stronger for domain-specific decentering focused on food thoughts. However, inconsistent findings have raised questions about the potential of decentering. The current study addressed these inconsistencies by having participants (n = 96) listen to audio instructions for general decentering, food-specific decentering and normal viewing (control). Afterwards, they provided saliva samples while looking at crisps and indicated their degree of consumption simulation. Two robust ANCOVAs found consumption simulations to significantly predict crisp salivation. However, no significant differences of this relationship were found between the three instruction types. These findings question the effectiveness of decentering in weakening the relationship between consumption simulations and salivation.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Other
Name: Emily Jane Greenslade
Supervisor: Linda Moxey
Title: Role of gender on the effectiveness of CBM-I for depression
Abstract: This study aims to examine the effect that gender has cognitive bias modification for interpretations (CBM-I) for depression. It will empirical compare these two groups, to see if the effect was larger for one group or not. There is a long standing gender difference in depression, in both prevalence and how it is presented. This study aims to investigate if these differences influence CBM-I. Participants are asked to fill in the PHQ-9 depression questionnaire, followed by 10 interpretation bias scenarios which they are asked to rank potential outcomes of. This is followed by 50 CBM-I scenarios, where participants are asked to answer a comprehension question after each. The PHQ-9 is then reshown as well as 10 different interpretation bias scenarios. The results from each questionnaire will be analysed, showing if there is a significant difference in the scores before and after the CBM-I section.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Laura Greenwood
Supervisor: Chiara Horlin
Title: A thematic analysis of student’s experiences of a flying trapeze workshop and its impacts
Abstract: Student welfare has risen to the forefront in recent years with increased awareness of mental health and the identification of students as a high-risk group due to financial, academic, and peer pressure. This study qualitatively examined students experience of a flying trapeze workshop designed to induce eustress and therefore influence well-being. After participating in the trapeze workshop students were invited to discuss the experience as part of a follow up focus group one week later. 18 participants took part in focus groups. These focus groups were transcribed and will be analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six step method of thematic analysis. The themes identified will be discussed in light of current literature. Implications and future recommendations will also be discussed.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Rebecca Louise Griffith
Supervisor: Lars Muckli
Title: Investigating whether there is perceptual bias in mental time travel and whether this influences long-term visual predictions
Abstract: Mental time travel is a phenomenon whereby memory allows humans to revisit the past and predict the future. However, there is little understanding of whether prior information affects our ability to mentally time travel. Therefore, this project will investigate whether there is a perceptual bias in mental time travel and how this might affect long-term visual predictions. A previous experiment investigating whether familiarity affected visual predictions in mental time travel was analysed to identify the optimal amount of prior information required to accurately mentally time travel. Participants viewed frames from four videos of walking routes. A blank period occurred after either 5-35 frames were shown, and participants were asked to ‘mentally simulate’ the walking route. When the video re-engaged, participants performed a 2-alternative forced-choice task to indicate whether the frame shown was earlier or later in time of where they were in their mental simulation. A 2-way repeated-measures ANOVA and t-tests revealed that visual predictions were more precise remembering the past than predicting the future. Although no significant effect was found between the amount of prior information and accuracy in mental time travel, it was evident that a lower number of frames shown before a response trial resulted in higher accuracy in predicting the future.
Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience
Name: Bethany Griffith
Supervisor: Lorna Morrow
Title: Theory of mind and student efficacy: does the ability to take another's perspective improve communication of knowledge?
Abstract: Current research into Theory of Mind (ToM) is predominantly based upon the phenomenon's importance during development, however, little exists on how it is applied in adulthood. This study investigated the relationship between student’s perspective taking abilities and their written communication skills. The aim was to see whether cognitive empathy (a component of ToM) could predict successful written communication, as this requires the writer understands how their text would be interpreted from a naïve perspective. Participants studying as undergraduate students at the University of Glasgow (n = 48) completed a written assessment based upon BPS Research Digest articles and the EQ- Short (Wakabayashi et al. 2006). Data will be analysed using linear regression models and correlational analyses. Based upon the literature surrounding the benefits of perspective taking, it is hypothesised that student’s ToM abilities will predict successful communication of written knowledge. References:Wakabayashi, A., Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Goldenfeld, N., Delaney, J., Fine, D., Smith, R. & Weil, L. (2006) Development of short forms of the Empathy Quotient (EQ-Short) and the Systemizing Quotient (SQ-Short). Personality and Individual Differences, 41: 929-940
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Social Psychology
Name: Carolina Guidolin
Supervisor: Stephany Biello
Title: Enhancing photic entrainment: a comparison between 8-OH-DPAT and a 5-HT7 agonist
Abstract: Disruption of the circadian synchronisation between our internal biological clock and the external light-dark cycle can have severe psychological and physiological health consequences. Serotonergic drugs can potentiate the effects of light in resetting the circadian clock. In particular, serotonin (5-HT) agonists at the 1A receptor subtype can speed entrainment to a shifted light-dark cycle in animal models. Fewer studies have investigated whether 5-HT7 receptor agonists may also facilitate re-entrainment to a new cycle. This study compared the roles of a 5-HT-1A agonist (8-OH-DPAT), and of a 5-HT7 agonist, in enhancing photic re-entrainment to an 8-h advanced light-dark cycle, as measured by behavioural rhythms in mice (n=16). A repeated-measures ANOVA will be used to analyse rates of re-entrainments a phase angle of re-entrainment to 8 h advanced cycles. It is hypothesised that 5-HT1A and 5-HT7 agonists will both significantly speed entrainment to the advanced light-dark cycles.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Applied Psychology, Other
Surnames beginning with H
Name: Simon Hanzal
Supervisor: Gemma Learmonth
Title: Investigation of alpha rhythms during phasic alerting in young and older adults
Abstract: Phasic alerting involves inducing changes in alertness through brief alerting tones with a knock-on effect of improving the detection of subsequent visual targets. These changes in attention and alertness are associated with changes in alpha power (8-14Hz) within the parieto-occipital cortex in young adults, but there are few studies investigating this in healthy older adults. 64-channel EEGs was recorded in 17 young (19-24) and 15 older (50-88) adults. Participants responded to a left/right visual target either preceded by an alerting tone or no tone. Alpha power was extracted before the tone and after the tone/silence. The impact of age, alpha power and lateralisation on reaction times was also examined. The results show reduced alpha after the alerting tone irrespective of age. Young people were faster to respond to the target, and both groups responded faster to targets on the left (pseudoneglect). There was no relationship between alpha power and RTs.
Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience
Name: Liliane Harper
Supervisor: Margaret Martin
Title: The effect of sexual objectification on victim blame in stranger rape and date rape scenarios
Abstract: Sexual assault is still a major problem for women and victim blaming has been found to exacerbate the trauma of the event.This study explores the effect of sexual objectification on victim blaming, and whether the effect of this relationship differs in a date rape scenario compared to a stranger rape scenario. University students over 18 years of age were recruited to participate online in the between-subjects design involving completing the Other Objectification Questionnaire (Strelan & Hargreaves, 2005), reading either a date rape vignette or stranger rape vignette, and filling out a victim blame questionnaire (Grubb & Harrower, 2009). Simple linear regressions will be conducted in order to test the hypotheses. Expected outcomes involve increased objectification leading to increased victim blame, and this positive relationship being stronger for the date rape scenario than the stranger rape scenario, consistent with previous research.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Becca Harper
Supervisor: Monika Harvey
Title: Differential Decay Rates Between Access and Phenomenal Consciousness
Abstract: The current research concerns access (AC) and phenomenal consciousness (PC). Colour-diversity (CD) judgement is suggested to be a measure of PC as is it assumed to be based on a gist of an entire scene. This is disputed, however, and the current experiment tests theory that CD can be judged based on 2/3 letters. If so, then CD judgement may be a measure of AC, casting doubt on research that relies on it as evidence for PC. The study aims to expand previous work by adding the variable decay time. The study used a two-condition, within-subjects design in which participants completed letter recall and CD judgement tasks. We predict that the decay rate of CD judgement and maximum letter will be correlated, suggesting that CD judgement is based on the 2/3 letters in the working memory that can be recalled in the maximum letter task.
Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience
Name: Katerina Hartmanova
Supervisor: Rachael Jack
Title: Transferring Conversational Facial Expressions onto a Social Robot Head
Abstract: As social robots become increasingly popular in today’s society, there is a need for them to be equipped with tools to effectively communicate with humans– such as appropriate facial expressions. While in the past most research focused on the facial expressions of emotions, conversational facial expressions communicating messages such as “confused”, “bored”, “thinking” or “interested” are arguably more frequently used in daily interactions and play a crucial role in them, so much that their absence can impair comprehension and conversation flow. This study aimed to transfer a set of these 4 common conversational facial expressions, reverse-engineered through novel data-driven methods, to a popular social robot head. To achieve this, we recruited a set of participants to judge models of these expressions displayed on the robot in a signal detection verification task. We used d-prime to assess the discriminability of each of the models and found the vast majority of them were discriminated well, especially the expressions showing boredom and interest. The possible implications of our results are discussed, alongside with the limitations of our study, its relations to research in this area and suggestions for its future directions.
Tags: Social Psychology, Applied Psychology, Other
Name: Isabelle Hartung
Supervisor: Larry Barsalou
Title: Investigating the Role of Incidental Anxiety on Message Acceptance of a Political Narrative
Abstract: The study of emotions in politics has only been a recent development; yet has led to a surge of research in this field, particularly on anxiety. Previous research has also demonstrated the importance of how a political message is presented, whereby narrative formats demonstrated a stronger influence on attitudes. However, there is extremely limited research investigating the effect of discrete, incidental emotions on the acceptance of a political narrative. Thus, this study attempts to address this gap. Participants were divided into two groups. The first received an emotional elicitation task, intending to elicit incidental anxiety, whereas the second group received a neutral task. Both groups were then presented with a political narrative about nuclear weapons and message strength and acceptance were measured. It is hypothesized that experiencing anxiety will lead to higher message acceptance, due to existing theories on the role of anxiety, such as information-seeking models.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Anna Hawkes - Cumming
Supervisor: Dale Barr
Title: Quantifying Rhythm in Speech
Abstract: This study aimed to examine the nature of the rhythmicity in natural speech, in a sample of students from the University of Glasgow. It considered whether the rhythmic structure occurs globally over time, with one master frequency, or if there are multiple rhythmic centres, with rhythmicity occurring on a local level. The experiment employed quantitative measures exclusively and involved the use of a sensorimotor task through a ‘tapping’ device while a series of speech excerpts were played auditorily. Exploratory analysis of the tapping signal will be carried out and the variance in tempo between participants will be measured for the sensorimotor data. This measure will then be correlated with tempo estimates from the corresponding speech excerpts. These results will be analysed using R-studio software and the implications of this research discussed.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Heather Hooper
Supervisor: Stephany Biello
Title: The Age-related Differences in the Rate of Re-entrainment in the Presence of Serotonin Agonists and an 8-Hour Phase Advance to the Light: Dark Cycle.
Abstract: Age-related changes to circadian timing include a decrease in amplitude of the rhythm and a slower rate of re-entrainment following a phase advance. The present study extends previous research by investigating the age-related differences in disrupted circadian rhythms and the rate of re-entrainment in mice when an 8-hour phase advance to the light: dark cycle is present. Consistent with previous research, which looked at a 6-hour phase advance, aged mice took longer to re-entrain to the new light: dark cycle. The rate of re-entrainment was measured by the number of wheel counts as this determined the sleep: wake cycle from the two cohorts which consisted of young mice (n=16) and aged mice (n=16). Both cohorts were involved in three different conditions; an intraperitoneal injection of serotonin agonists: (1) 5HT7, (2) 8-OH-DAPT and (3) a control (no intraperitoneal injection). Following the 8-hour phase advance, old mice displayed slower rates of re-entrainment compared to the young mice whilst both age groups presented quicker rates of re-entrainment in the two serotonin conditions compared to the control condition. Thus, suggesting that age and serotonin agonists have the influence to quicken the rate of re-entrainment and highlight the pharmaceutical potential of serotonin agonists in cases of disrupted circadian rhythms.
Tags: Other
Name: Liam Hopkins
Supervisor: Larry Barsalou
Title: Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation & Psychological Wellbeing: Applying the Situated Assessment Method (SAM²)
Abstract: Accumulative evidence suggests that dispositional mindfulness is associated with increased levels of psychological wellbeing. Emotion regulation has emerged as a potential mechanism that helps explain this relationship. The current study assessed this proposed relationship using situated and unsituated measurement instruments. Specifically, the study compared how the relationship between dispositional mindfulness, emotion regulation and psychological wellbeing varied using the Situated Assessment Method (SAM2) compared to standard, self-report instruments. Eighty students completed three situated instruments (SAM2 Mindfulness, SAM2 Emotion Regulation and SAM2 Psychological Wellbeing) and three unsituated instruments (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire [FFMQ], the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale [DERS], and the Scales of Psychological Wellbeing [SPWB]). The initial results found moderate, positive correlations between each paired situated and unsituated instrument (e.g. SAM2 Mindfulness and FFMQ), indicating they were capturing similar, but not identical information. The main analyses found that emotion regulation was a more important predictor of psychological wellbeing than dispositional mindfulness for both situated and unsituated instruments. Further analyses found that the unsituated instruments explained more variance in this relationship than the situated instruments. Implications and future research directions will be discussed.
Tags: Individual Differences, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Kirstin Hunter
Supervisor: Helena Paterson
Title: Occupational Gender Stereotypes in Children: The Impact of Job Familiarity
Abstract: This study explores the impact of job familiarity on occupational gender stereotypes in children. The aim is to uncover whether the implicit gender stereotypes, which already exist in children for common jobs like police officer or nurse, are present in less familiar jobs, such as video game designer or fashion designer. A drawing task was presented to each child where they had to choose between two gender stereotyped jobs and draw whatever they thought someone in that job would look like. They were either given a choice between familiar jobs – police officer and nurse – or unfamiliar jobs – video game designer and fashion designer. They were then asked what the name and gender of their character and why they picked that job. The results were analysed using a logistic regression.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Sarah Grace Hutchinson
Supervisor: Helena Paterson
Title: Children’s racial preference for a skin tone similar to their own
Abstract: This study examines if children have an in-group preference for a skin tone that is similar to their own. This was examined because if children were found to have a preference for a skin tone similar to their own, then this would highlight that children naturally associate more with others that are racially alike to themselves. This was studied through drawings, where the children were given an option of two human outlines of a darker or lighter skin tone and asked to draw a superhero. The children were then asked additional questions, including who their favourite superhero was, to identify if children also have a racial preference with existing characters. If racial preference is found to be significant, then the conclusions of this study will be able to encourage even more representation within media platforms such as television and movies, so that all children can find characters that they can racially associate with.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Casper Hyllested Pedersen
Supervisor: Christoph Scheepers
Title: Generalizability Theory; reviewing the Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory through a new lens
Abstract: Several fields in social sciences are facing a replication crisis. This can be partially attributed to sub-optimal experimental designs, yet it is in large part also due to the inherent differences between people and populations. When an experiment is done, and disproportionate consideration is given to how well results can translate between different occasions, raters, tests or any number of potential facets, the likelihood that the findings are reliable decreases greatly. The current default measures of reliability, such as classical test theory, are generally considered inadequate, yet they are still heavily used in the literature despite preferable alternatives being available. One such alternative is Generalizability Theory, which analyzes how much variance in results can be attributed to any chosen facets of generalization. Compared to current dominant methods it allows for more precise measurement due to its consideration of interaction effects. Furthermore, in repeated measures experiments, person and occasion variance calculations can be used to determine whether tests, subscales or even individual items measure states or traits in individuals. The current study is a meta-analysis of studies using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in a repeated measures design. The primary goal is to evaluate the psychometric properties and generalizability of the entire measure, as well as whether the subscales and individual items measure states and traits appropriately. This will be demonstrated through a variety of examples and through an open science framework to better allow for any researcher to improve methodological standards in their field.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Georgina Patricia Hynes
Supervisor: Gregor Thut
Title: Effects of alpha oscillaitons on visual perception: evidence from audio-visual entrainment
Abstract: Distinct human brain oscillations recorded over posterior sites have been linked to specific aspects of perception and attention. One particular oscillation, the occipito-parietal alpha rhythm (~8-14 Hz), has been associated with changes in cortical excitability and its power and phase found to predict whether upcoming stimuli will be detected or not. However, more recent studies have provided converging evidence that pre-stimulus alpha power might influence the decision confidence, rather than perceptual sensitivity, by showing that alpha activity correlates with subjective perceptual experience but not with discrimination accuracy. Whether the relationship between pre-stimulus alpha power and subjective measures of performance is causal is still unclear. With the present project, we aim to investigate the nature of this relationship by transiently manipulating alpha power and phase. We plan to interact with brain activity by trains of audio-visual stimuli to entrain, i.e. progressively enhance, alpha oscillations using paired audio-visual stimulus of 10Hz. The effects on visual perception will be measured by objective accuracy, and subjective confidence ratings. We expect to see a visual disruption measured by accuracy and confidence ratings in the rhythmic (10H) audio-visual stimuli condition compared to arrhythmic and control conditions.
Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience
Surnames beginning with I
Name: Maryam Ibrar
Supervisor: Heather Cleland Woods
Title: An exploration of parent’s motivations behind sharing photos on social media and considerations when sharing content of younger members of the family.
Abstract: The development of social media platforms and instant online connection, has allowed parents to exchange advice with peers. With the growth of social media apps like Facebook and Instagram, “Sharenting” has emerged. Parents are oversharing and constantly updating their followers of their child’s development as 81% of parents share photos of toddlers. With increasing dataveillance, it is important to consider child safety therefore, this study investigated the motivations and considerations behind sharing photos of young children online. Five telephone interviews with parents of children aged from birth to 5 years old were conducted and thematic analysis indicated that parents share to remain connected and to search for advice. A major finding was that parents did not consider the potential effects of sharenting on their child. This study highlights the need for accessible online safety information for parents. Subsequent study should explore the motivations and effects of prominent “mummy” blogging.
Tags: Social Psychology, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Other
Name: Bairavi Iswaraan
Supervisor: Larry Barsalou
Title: Assessing Social Connectedness and Social Support using the Situated Assessment Method (SAM²)
Abstract: A vast body of research has found that different aspects of social relationships are fundamental towards individual psychological functioning. Hence, it is crucial to distinctly understand social connectedness and social support to better address its differential implications to social well-being. Additionally, most instruments that exist within the literature are unsituated, which result in individuals having to abstract their experiences over these items in providing judgements. With this, the current study aims to develop a situated, contextualised approach in measuring social connectedness and social support, and understand the comparability between these situated and unsituated measures, respectively. Furthermore, this study intends to establish vital individual difference measures within the literature related to social connectedness and social support. The sample consisted of native English participants recruited online (N=82). The on-going analyses uses correlations and linear mixed-effect regression models to predict as well as understand the effectiveness of these measures.
Tags: Social Psychology
Surnames beginning with J
Name: Lucy Jamieson
Supervisor: Maria Gardani
Title: A Thematic Analysis of Student Athletes’ Transition to University, Implications on Sleep, and the Role of Competitive Sport Involvement
Abstract: This study qualitatively explores the experiences of student athletes’ as they adapt to university life. It explores the unique transition experienced by female athletes, with a focus on the implications had on their sleep during their first year, and the role of competitive sport involvement. The aim of the study being to determine whether student athletes are at an advantage for a successful transition or if they face additional challenges as a result of their athletic commitments. Four semi-structured focus groups gave participants the opportunity to reflect and share their transitional experiences. A thematic analysis, as defined by Braun and Clarke (2006) was employed to identify themes and patterns. Three main overarching themes with relevant subthemes were identified: Sleep Dysregulation, An Overwhelming Transition, and Sport Aids Adjustment. The implications of findings are discussed with a focus on increasing awareness of the impact of transitions experienced by student athletes on sleep and their overall well-being.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Mari Jamshidi
Supervisor: Kerry Kilborn
Title: Are there gender differences in resilience which can predict mental health?
Abstract: This study investigates whether gender differences in resilience exist which can predict mental health. The effect of gender and resilience on mental health is important as it may be relevant to clinical interventions. This could explain the variation in diagnostic rates of mental illness between men and women. We could learn that resilience or specific dimensions of resilience should be targeted in men/women to improve mental wellbeing. Participants were asked to complete two standardised scales: Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA) and Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF). We expect to find gender differences in resilience or certain aspects of resilience which in turn predict mental wellbeing. To identify gender differences in resilience, RSA overall scores and scores for the six components between two levels (male/female) will be compared using independent sample t-tests. Multiple regression analysis will be conducted to establish whether gender and resilience can effectively predict mental health.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Alejandra Jordano de Castro
Supervisor: Niamh Stack
Title: Paradoxical learners: An exploration into the experience of school of multi-exceptional students and their mothers
Abstract: Professionals in gifted education are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that students can paradoxically have both areas of high ability and coexisting learning disabilities. These students are known as multi-exceptional and are considered to be one of the most misunderstood of all exceptionalities. This exploratory study aimed to gain insight into the lived experiences of multi-exceptional students and their mothers in school. Five mother-child dyads took part in an hour-long audio recorded semi-structured interview where they reflected on their lived experiences relating to multi-exceptionality and school. Areas explored within the school environment included challenges faced, support (or lack of support) received, teacher and peer relationships, and emotions relating to school. The interviews were transcribed, and thematic analysis was applied to the data. Analysis of emerging themes offered insight into the lived experiences of both mothers and multi-exceptional learners. These findings are further discussed concerning their contribution to existing literature on multi-exceptionality. Finally, limitations of the study offer indications for future qualitative and quantitative research endeavours within this field.
Tags: Educational Psychology
Name: ANUSHRI Jothirmayam
Supervisor: Kevin Wilson-Smith
Title: Dark Tetrad of personality; influence on academic majors and vocational interests
Abstract: The Dark triad of personality (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) are distinct, yet related traits that are socially malevolent (Paulhus and Williams, 2002). The Dark triad has been implicated to influence vocational and academic choices. Individuals with higher dark triad traits place emphasis on attaining power, status, money and admiration and are therefore drawn towards enterprising, artistic or realistic vocations that facilitate achievement of such personal gains. Such individuals are also averse to vocations that do not benefit them but rather involve social interactions or helping other individuals (Lee et al., 2013). On an academic level, business and law students score higher on the Dark Triad in comparison to psychology or life-science students as these majors aid the pathway to their ideal career that most aligns with their personality (Vedel and Thompson, 2017). The current research aims to elucidate whether aforementioned findings can be extended to the Dark tetrad; sadism in addition to the triad. It was hypothesized that individuals within business/law degrees will score higher on the tetrad indicated by a global Dark tetrad index, in comparison to psychology students. Moreover, they will prefer artistic, enterprising or realistic vocations and be averse to social vocations due to perceived career bias (Jonason et al., 2014). Participants (n = 219), comprised of university students, were administered with short dark triad (SD3) and varieties of sadistic tendencies (VAST) questionnaires. Result analysis will utilize one-way ANOVAs and post-hoc TukeyHSD and are to be confirmed. References Jonason, P., Wee, S., Li, N., & Jackson, C. (2014). Occupational niches and the Dark Triad traits. Personality And Individual Differences, 69, 119-123. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.05.024 Lee, K., Ashton, M., Wiltshire, J., Bourdage, J., Visser, B., & Gallucci, A. (2012). Sex, Power, and Money: Prediction from the Dark Triad and Honesty-Humility. European Journal Of Personality, 27(2), 169-184. doi: 10.1002/per.1860 Paulhus, D., & Williams, K. (2002). The Dark Triad of personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Journal Of Research In Personality, 36(6), 556-563. doi: 10.1016/s0092-6566(02)00505-6 Vedel, A., & Thomsen, D. (2017). The Dark Triad across academic majors. Personality And Individual Differences, 116, 86-91. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.04.030
Tags: Social Psychology, Other
Surnames beginning with K
Name: Anoushka Kapoor
Supervisor: Emily Nordmann
Title: Hello from the other side: An investigation of perceived discrimination based on accents among Asian speakers in university.
Abstract: Accent based discrimination among non-native English speakers is a widely prevalent yet globally accepted form of discrimination. Amongst non-native English speakers, people of colour report more instances of discrimination, with Asian accented speakers being regarded most negatively. The majority of the research on accent-discrimination has been conducted quantitatively, and from the listener’s perspective. Furthermore, international students have historically received negative treatment, yet remain an underrepresented cohort in this research area. Bearing such gaps in the literature in mind, the aim of this qualitative study was to investigate the factors contributing to perceived discrimination based on accents among Asian speakers in university. 14 university students who self-identified as speaking Asian accented English took part in focus group discussions. Factors contributing to perceived discrimination based on accents were identified via a thematic analysis. The theoretical explanations of these findings as well as future implications for this field were discussed in conclusion.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Social Psychology
Name: Ross Keegan
Supervisor: Guillaume Rousselet
Title: Judging The Misunderstood: A Pilot Public Stigma Intervention Towards Non-Offending Paedophilia
Abstract: The most commonly identified barrier preventing non-offending paedophiles engagement in formal mental health services is stigmatism. A high demand for support has been identified by the current anonymous help services. Encouraging individuals to seek help is both financially and ethically beneficial in tackling child sexual exploitation. This study pilots a public stigmatism intervention, evaluating its effectiveness and comparing it to an intervention towards alcoholism. A cumulative ordinal regression will be used to analyse the results and an exploratory factor analysis will be implemented to re-affirm the questionnaire design. We expect both interventions will cause a reduction in stigmatising beliefs however there may be some differences comparatively because of the intervention topic. If reducing stigmatising beliefs, then this would be a viable method of challenging current public opinions towards paedophilia, potentially increasing participation in therapy. Currently the most under used preventative measure.
Tags: Other
Name: Marine Keime
Supervisor: Kerry Kilborn
Title: The effect of language proficiency on moral judgment
Abstract: This project aims to investigate the effect of language proficiency on moral judgment. By comparing Native English speakers and participants speaking English as a second language, this study will see whether those two groups have different moral judgment when being presented scenarios such as the Footbridge dilemma. It will investigate the relationship between language proficiency and moral judgment to see if higher proficiency leads to lower utilitarian judgment (for the greater good). This project also aims to find an explanation behind this potential difference, by investigating the participants emotional reaction to the scenarios (thought that Native English speakers have higher emotional processing). Another potential explanation will be investigated which is the participants access to everyday social norms, hypothesized that participants speaking English as their second language have less access to those social norms. At the moment, no significant results have been found between the two groups and their moral judgment.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Jessica Marie Kenny
Supervisor: Eugene Dawydiak
Title: Contextual differences in abortion stigma: Investigating the influence of individual differences in disgust sensitivity, empathy and just world beliefs
Abstract: Stigma is detrimental to the mental and physical health of women who seek abortion, however research has not yet identified individual differences which predict stigmatising attitudes towards abortion. This study aims to determine whether disgust sensitivity, empathy and just world beliefs predict increased abortion stigma. Additionally, this study aims to determine if stigmatising attitudes depend on abortion impetus. Participants were randomly assigned to vignette conditions, where either life circumstances or health issues were stated as a woman’s abortion impetus. Stigma towards the woman was measured using a shortened version of the AQ-27. Participants then completed the Three-Domain Disgust Scale, Interpersonal Reactivity Index and Just World Scale, measuring disgust sensitivity, empathy and just world beliefs, respectively. Correlational analyses and regression models will be used to determine associations between individual differences and abortion stigma. An independent-samples t-test will determine whether abortion impetus elicits significant differences in stigma.
Tags: Social Psychology, Individual Differences
Name: Hanan Khalaf
Supervisor: David Simmons
Title: The utilisation of virtual reality to validate the Frith Happe animations in relation to empathetic responses and autistic traits
Abstract: Past evidence has identified autism spectrum disorder to be related to empathetic responses and theory of mind abilities (Livingston et al., 2019; Tavassoli et al., 2018). A common assessment to evaluate mentalising abilities is the Frith-Happe animation task which measures social cognition (Abel, Frith & Happé, 2000). The current study utilised the virtual reality (VR) adapted Frith-Happe animations, which assesses animacy perception and its relation to ToM (White et al., 2011). This study combined a mixed methods design, obtaining both participant descriptions of the animations while in VR and their perception in an objective multiple-choice format. ToM capacity was also tested in relation to autistic traits, as measured by the Autism Quotient (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001), as well as empathetic responses, as measured by the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (Reiners et al., 2011). Quantitative results will be analysed utilising multiple regression and spearman correlational analyses. Qualitative results will be analysed using thematic analyses.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Other
Name: Gregory Kokkinidis
Supervisor: Alessio Fracasso
Title: Myeloarchitectonics of the insula: cortical parcellation based on T1-weighted signal along cortical depth at 7 T MRI
Abstract: The identification of individual cortical areas and subcortical nuclei is considered a prerequisite for understanding how the brain works. Myeloarchitectonics refers to the study of brain architecture based on the observed differences of the myelination of neuronal axons. Myeloarhitectonic studies have identified up to 180 cortical areas in humans (e.g. Vogt & Vogt, 1919), and more recently have successfully subdivided the insular cortex of macaques monkeys (Evrard, Logothetis, & Craig, 2014). This study investigated the subdivision of the human insula using myeloarchitectonics. Secondary 7T MRI data from twelve participants underwent exploratory analysis that included image segmentation, coregistration and clustering analysis. Results are reported and limitations are discussed along with further research suggestions.
Tags: Other
Name: Ania Kottermair
Supervisor: Margaret Martin
Title: How well does intelligence and grit predict skill in a video game?
Abstract: This study examines what aspects could impact how skilled one is in a video game. More specifically, it assesses the participants’ intelligence, as well as their level of grit and compares it to their gaming skill in the game “Portal 2”. The purpose of the study is to determine if intelligence and grit are predictors of how skilled one is in a video game that does not require a lot of mechanical skill. Each participant was asked to complete a short questionnaire on grit followed by a short intelligence test. Then, they were asked to complete a few levels from the game Portal 2, a puzzle-based game, with each level representing a unique challenge involving the placing of portals and blocks with the final goal of opening a door to be able to proceed to the next room. Past research in the field often only focused on games such as chess or video game genres such as MOBAs or First-Person Shooters. This study hopes to find similar results but for a video game genre that does not require mechanical gaming skill or prior knowledge of the game.
Tags: Individual Differences, Other
Name: Mhairi Kristoffersen
Supervisor: Chiara Horlin
Title: Harnessing Positive Stress: An Investigation into the Experience of Eustress and its Impact on Well-being and Self-efficacy through Recreational Circus
Abstract: This study investigates the experience of eustress during the recreational circus activity of flying trapeze and its effects on student well-being and self-efficacy. The aims of the study were to investigate the experience of eustress during flying trapeze, how individual differences may affect the experience of eustress and the impacts that eustress may have on student well-being and self-efficacy. 91 University of Glasgow students took part in a 2-hour flying trapeze workshop. The current study utilised questionnaires at different time points throughout the workshop to measure eustress-distress and individual differences. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured throughout the study to indicate physiological stress. Follow-up questionnaires were administered to investigate change in well-being and self-efficacy. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations and simple linear regression in R. Results indicate that individuals experience eustress during the activity of flying trapeze. Spearman correlations indicated that there was a significant negative relationship between an individual's well-being and self-efficacy at the beginning of the workshop and the level of eustress experienced. A simple linear regression showed no significant effect of eustress on change in well-being and self-efficacy from before the workshop to 1-3 weeks’ post-workshop.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Surnames beginning with L
Name: Imogen Leadbetter
Supervisor: Heather Cleland Woods
Title: An exploration into the relationships between personality, night-time social media use and sleep quality in first-year undergraduate students
Abstract: This project aims to explore the relationships between personality, night-time social media use and sleep quality in first-year undergraduate students. Students are known for experiencing poorer sleep quality – on average – than the general population and high social media use, however few studies have explored this relationship in first-year students. This population experience high pressure to stay connected socially at all hours of the day, and therefore factors that influence their sleep quality should be explored. As there are also relationships between personality and sleep quality and personality and social media use, this study aims to explore which personality traits might predict both social media use and sleep quality in first-year students. Participants completed the Sleep Condition Indicator, the Index of Offline Night-time Distress and the Big Five Personality Inventory, and while results are not available just yet, the research hopes to clarify current knowledge on the subject.
Tags: Other
Name: Calum Lindsay
Supervisor: Emily Nordmann
Title: An Investigation of the Effect of Lecture Recording Usage and Note-Taking on Recall
Abstract: Note-taking is a key part of studying for many students, but it is not the only method of revision – as more lectures are recorded, their use is also rising. It is important to understand how these aspects of the revision process interact with each other, which (to our knowledge) has not yet been a focus of research. This study exists to investigate whether note-taking styles and strategies for lecture recording usage have any impact on memory. Participants each watched a TEDx talk and took notes using one of two strategies, and were then asked to complete a free recall task followed by a questionnaire. Their results were then analysed and compared by group, in order to see whether or not using the Cornell note-taking method and being allowed to pause lecture recordings to make notes would have an impact on recall.
Tags: Educational Psychology
Name: Marleen Lomann
Supervisor: Phil McAleer
Title: Recognition and Discrimination of Bilingual Speakers Across Languages
Abstract: Research has shown that identity processing comprises of two features: “telling people apart”, i.e. discrimination, and “telling people together”, i.e. recognition. This research aims to investigate whether people can recognise and discriminate between bilingual speakers speaking in their respective languages. To test this, Estonian/English bilinguals were recorded describing multiple photos in both Estonian and English. Monolingual English native speakers were recruited as participants to ensure no previous knowledge of the Estonian language. Participants were asked to listen to two voice recordings side-by-side and decide whether it was the same speaker or two different people. There were 72 trials of matched - and cross-language clips presented to each participant in counterbalanced order. Results and implications were analysed in regards to previous research in the field.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Cheyenne Loana Lueckemeier
Supervisor: Monika Harvey
Title: Investigating differential decay rates of Access and Phenomenal Consciousness
Abstract: Human consciousness can be distinguished into phenomenal (PC) and access consciousness (AC). Thereby, AC refers to any perceived information of a scene which we can directly report. PC describes the broader experience, which has caused a debate within literature regarding its assessment accuracy. To elaborate on previous findings, this experimental within-subjects study aims to investigate the differential decay rates in PC and AC. Participants (N=15) were exposed to a colored letter array followed by a retro cue indicating one of the letters. In session one, participants were asked to report the cued letter (AC task) and the color diversity (high/low) of the letter display (PC task). In the second session, the color diversity task was replaced by asking participants to recall the maximum amount of letters they could remember. The researchers manipulated the exposure time between letter stimuli and retro cue, expecting that increased delay will negatively impact the accuracy of recall.
Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience
Name: Jessica Lynch
Supervisor: Stephany Biello
Title: Sleepy Students: Piloting a Sleep Intervention for Sleep, Stress, Anxiety & Depression
Abstract: As poor sleep and mental health difficulties are ubiquitous amongst higher education students, this study aimed to pilot whether a tailored Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) intervention is effective in the reduction of sleep difficulties and mental wellbeing (depression, stress & anxiety) in university students. Additionally, while no previous studies have investigated the efficacy of individual modules of CBTi on improving student sleep and mental wellbeing, this study assess the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural components (CB) and Sleep Education (SE) components of CBTi. Nineteen university students attended a group CBTi Sleep Intervention Session and were then randomly assigned to receive digitalised CB or SE CBTi material. All participants completed sleep diaries and wore accelerometers for the duration of the study (10 weeks), along with completing mental wellbeing questionnaire pertaining to stress, anxiety and depression at baseline, mid-point and upon completion of the study. It is expected that objective and subjective sleep will improve for all students, with a greater increase in those receiving digitalised CB. Similarly, global improvements in all mental wellbeing measures are predicted, with those receiving CB materials exhibiting greater improvements compared to participants receiving SE.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Surnames beginning with M
Name: Douglas Macfarlane
Supervisor: Larry Barsalou
Title: Assessing Situated and Non-situated Measures of Mindfulness and Their External Validity
Abstract: This study is centred around comparing measures of mindfulness. Two self-report instruments are compared: one measuring mindfulness in a general sense (FFMQ) and one measuring mindfulness in specific situations (SAM²). It will be studied how these measures correlate, along with correlations with a behavioural measure of mindfulness (a breath-awareness task) and ratings of emotions. Participants were asked to complete the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Situated Assessment Method (SAM²). They were then asked to read 6 emotion-provoking situations, and to rate their subsequent emotional valence and arousal. Finally, participants were asked to be aware of their breathing for ten minutes, and to press a clicker each time they lost this awareness. Results will be analysed to determine any correlations. It is expected that there will be little agreement between the FFMQ and SAM², that both measures will predict valence and arousal, and performance in the breath test.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Applied Psychology
Name: Kimberley Macnaughton
Supervisor: David Simmons
Title: Using Virtual Reality to Explore Individual Differences in the Processing of Visual Information
Abstract: This exploratory study aims to investigate the relationship between autistic traits, systemising and visual processing in adults using Virtual Reality (VR). A total number of 60 participants interacted with a three-dimensional environment where they were asked to complete the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test (ROCF). Participants were first asked to complete the Autism Quotient (AQ), a self-report questionnaire aiming to capture traits associated with the autism spectrum of typical intelligence. Upon completion, they were invited into a VR environment where they were asked to copy the ROCF and then immediately recall and draw it again without reference. Participants then completed the Systemising Quotient (SQ), a self-report questionnaire designed to analyse an individual’s tendency to systemise, before being put back into VR and asked to recall and draw the ROCF image again. Participant performance for all conditions (copy, immediate recall and delayed recall) were recorded and scored using Perceptual and Organisational Scoring. The AQ and SQ score will be compared with these during data analysis in order to determine if there is a relationship between these traits and differences in visual processing of the complex figure in three dimensions. This study was conducted in conjunction with two other final year projects and therefore, the data collected was shared across these projects.
Tags: Individual Differences
Name: Ebba Magnusson
Supervisor: Emily Nordmann
Title: Individuals attitudes towards swearing in gendered speaker-target contexts
Abstract: This quantitative study aims to investigate how individuals evaluate different types of swear words in gendered speaker-target contexts. The existing literature looks at the role of swear words semantic category (e.g. religious, sexual, scatological) in terms of their offensiveness. Some research has looked at how gender influences the perception of swear words and how they are used, and the effects of contextual factors (e.g. public, private settings). However, there is limited research on how the interaction between factors of swear word type and gender in a speaker-target context affect how the emotional content of swear words are evaluated. To address this gap, this study examines how speaker- and target gender affects how individuals evaluate the valence (good, bad) and arousal (intensity) of gendered and gender-neutral swear words. The implications of this research will be discussed and future recommendations suggested based on results.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Antonella Maria Aurelia Marsella
Supervisor: Dale Barr
Title: The influence of emotional prosody on language comprehension
Abstract: This study investigated whether emotional prosody aids resolving ambiguity, and whether affective prosody provides a cue that is immediately used by listeners in language comprehension. To do so, the researcher designed an experiment using homophones. These are words pronounced in the same way but with different spellings and meanings. Therefore, they create ambiguity in the listeners. Given that some of the meanings of homophones have a stronger affective valence compared to the respective ones (e.g. mousse/moose), the homophones were divided into three categories (happy/sad/neutral). In the experiment, participants heard commands (e.g. Click on mousse) expressing either an emotional prosody (happy/sad) or a neutral one. The recordings were either emotionally congruent or incongruent with the target homophone. Additionally, volunteers saw on the screen four images, two representing each meaning of the homophones and two distractors. Participants were told to click on the image they thought it was mentioned. Fixation time and eye gaze were recorded through the eye-tracking device. The data were analysed using ANOVAs. The researcher expected to see a difference in eye gaze and fixation time depending on whether the prosody was congruent with the target homophone or not.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Jamie Maskall
Supervisor: Guillaume Rousselet
Title: Is it hot in here or is it just me? : An exploration of the relationship between Climate Science Intelligence and levels of Eco-Anxiety experienced in response to climate change.
Abstract: Previous research has reported that individuals who work in climate-related professions experience high environment-related anxiety possibly due to increased climate-science intelligence/awareness. The current study aims to explore whether climate-science intelligence moderates an individual’s anxiety response to large scale ecological change. Establishing a better understanding of eco-anxiety and which factors moderate it could prove extremely useful for mental health professionals as climate awareness increases in the general public. Using an online questionnaire, participants completed the Neuroticism, Extroversion and Conscientiousness sections of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory as well as the Ordinary Climate Science Intelligence Scale. Participants were shown three ‘news articles’: each with a different locus of control of the reader for ability to enact change on the environmental issue discussed. Participants completed a state-anxiety questionnaire in response to each of the stimuli. Correlational analysis and Multiple linear regression were applied to the data.
Tags: Individual Differences, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Applied Psychology
Name: Carl Mc Nelis
Supervisor: Lorna Morrow
Title: Exploring the Effects of an Online Mental Health Resource on Wellbeing Amongst Undergraduate Students at the University of Glasgow: A Mixed-Methods Analysis
Abstract: Concerns about wellbeing on university campuses in the U.K. are rising due to increased rates of poor mental health being reported by students. Several personal and institutional barriers exist that prevent students from getting the help they may require. As such, novel strategies to improve wellbeing amongst students should be explored. This brief interventional study assessed the efficacy of an online mental health resource to promote wellbeing amongst undergraduate students. A between-groups design was utilized, followed by MANCOVA to determine whether participants in the experimental group experienced significant improvement to their wellbeing and health-promoting behaviours at the end of the one-week intervention period. Additional analyses were used to determine associations between time spent engaging with the resource, perceived usefulness of the resource, and wellbeing outcomes. Finally, open-ended questionnaires were used to learn about participant’s perception of the resource, their experience using it, and how to improve it for future use.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Clare McAteer
Supervisor: Linda Moxey
Title: A study on the correlation between Metaphor Interpretation and Emotional Expression with Depression.
Abstract: This study examines metaphor interpretation and emotional expression and whether they are correlated with depression. The methods of the study include participants completing three questionnaires; the Metaphor Interpretation Test, the Berkeley Expressivity Questionnaire and the PHQ-9. These questionnaires feature a Likert scale and will be completed online on Experimentum. The results will be analysed using four correlations; a correlation between metaphor interpretation and emotional expression, the correlation between metaphor interpretation and depression, the correlation between emotion expression and metaphor interpretation and the correlation between emotion expression and depression. The implications of the results will be discussed in relation to potential associations of metaphor interpretation and emotion expression with depression and how metaphor interpretation and emotion expression skills may be developed or improved if associated negatively with depression scores.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Jason McBurnie
Supervisor: Ian Bushnell
Title: A Qualitative Study to Explore Healthcare Professionals' Experiences, Understanding, Perceptions, and Attitudes to Organ Donation in Neonatal Intensive Care
Abstract: Few studies have examined the attitudes and knowledge of healthcare professionals’ regarding organ donation and even less so in paediatrics and neonates, where there is a paucity of information and debate in the literature. The current study aims to gather healthcare professionals’ experiences of organ donation in neonatal intensive care from the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow. Challenges to organ donation and impact of the perceived quality of end of life care in NICU will also be explored. Semi-structured interviews will be used to collect data from 4-5 healthcare professionals. Thematic analysis will be performed following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six step method. Audio recordings of all interviews will be destroyed upon closure and completion of the study. Themes detected and information obtained from this study will help shape approaches taken to end of life care and organ donation in neonates and staff education.
Tags: Applied Psychology
Name: Laura McCabe
Supervisor: Martin Lages
Title: Face Recognition Test: How Good is Your Face Memory?
Abstract: This study examines the impact of semantic information on the ability to recognise face images. The between-subject design equally split 30 participants into 2 conditions: names and pseudowords. Pseudowords contain little semantic information and cannot be visually represented, therefore they are more difficult to encode and retrieve successfully in long term memory. In addition, it is commonplace to associate a face and name because they can be phonologically and visually represented. It is hypothesised that face images will be better recognised when paired with a face. Participants were assessed on their total accuracy of recognition, response time and confidence that their response was correct during an old/new recognition test of 100 face images. The results were analysed using t-test and will be further analysed using logistic regression. The results, so far, suggest that face images paired with a name were recognised significantly better than face images paired with a nonword.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Callum McCluskey
Supervisor: Christoph Scheepers
Title: Syntactic priming of ¬by-prepositions and object transitivity
Abstract: This study builds on current literature investigating syntactic priming in English native speakers. It is a partial replication of work by Ziegler et al. (2019) examining the effect of by-prepositions on priming, with the change that sentence comprehension, as opposed to sentence (re)production, is taken as a measure of priming success. Transitivity is also considered as a secondary potential moderator. Participants rated sentences in response to the question: “How does each of these sentences sound to you?” responding on a Likert scale of one (sounds very weird) to seven (sounds totally fine). Critical prime-target sentence pairs were interspersed with distractor trials, while the true aims of the experiment were withheld from participants. Results will be analysed using ordinal logistic regression with maximal random effects. We predict that target sentences containing by-prepositions will be rated as more acceptable following prime sentences also containing by-prepositions, providing further evidence for fully abstract syntax.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Jay McDonald
Supervisor: Lorna Morrow
Title: Are you an Impostor? The Effects of Formal Recognition on Impostor Phenomenon
Abstract: This study investigates the effects of formal recognition on Impostor Phenomenon (IP), and utilises a preventative intervention. Using a control and experimental group, participants were asked to fill in the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) questionnaire, to determine their levels of IP over the course of two weeks. After the first week’s questionnaire, the experimental group will watch a short informative video about the effects of IP, and the widespread nature of it, as well as ways to help it. This is to allow the participants to think more in-depth about this phenomenon, and effects, before answering the CIPS questionnaire. The control group takes the same questionnaire as week one for comparison, without seeing the video. These items are then scored and compared between each week for each participant. A t-test was then applied to each week to check comparisons, and to measure the effect of the intervention on participants.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Emma McKeever
Supervisor: Linda Moxey
Title: Assessing an individual’s future pro-environmental behaviour
Abstract: Past research which focuses on increasing openness and acceptance of threatening information, to an individual’s self-integrity, have successfully utilized self-affirmation manipulations to achieve this. This research has mainly been applied to threatening information that details how individual’s behaviour (e.g., smoking & unsafe sex) can have detrimental impacts on their own health. There is an emerging body of research applying this manipulation to information surrounding how human behaviour is having a detrimental impact on your environment and in turn affecting us. Studies applying self-affirmation manipulations in this context have mainly focused on specific behaviours (e.g., water and food waste) that are affecting the climate. However, to my knowledge there has only been one study (Choi et al., 2019) has found that this manipulation does assist to increase acceptance of a broader message surrounding the multiple behaviours that are causing the climate crisis and this increased acceptance is hypothesised to increase intention to engage in environmental-friendly behaviours. Therefore, this study aims to replicate their findings while furthering research assessing individual’s actual future pro-environmental behaviour. The pro-environmental behaviour that will be assessed in the study will be how often individuals initiate conversations with their significant other (i.e., family & friends) surrounding the climate crisis. As studies have shown that an effective way to increase people’s knowledge of the climate crisis is to engage in conversations with your significant others (Goldberg et al., 2019).
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Iain Mckirdy
Supervisor: Monika Harvey
Title: Differential decay rates in access and phenomenal consciousness
Abstract: Our study aims to investigate the nature of decay rates in phenomenal and access consciousness, these being what having an experience feels like and the cognitive availability of information for report, respectively. We utilise a visual summary statistic paradigm, where participants are shown a brief array of coloured letters, followed by a cue indicating one of the letters and then are asked to report both the cued letter and the colour diversity of the whole array. 15 participants were tested across 2 sessions, in session 1 we manipulated the delay between stimulus offset and the cue being given, in order to compare the decay of colour diversity and cued letter information. In session 2 instead of asking for a colour diversity judgement we asked participants to recall as many letters as they could from the array, in order to compare decay rates of this maximum letter information to colour diversity.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Julie McLeod
Supervisor: Esther Papies
Title: Information Targeting Justifications for Meat Eating and Plant-Based Food Intake Affects Food Shopping Behaviour
Abstract: Introduction:Humans eat more meat now than ever before despite concerns for animal well being in factory farms, evidence that meat eating is detrimental to human health, contributing to the development of diabetes, stoke, heart disease and cancer, and research showing that animal agriculture is a large contributor to climate change. Conversely, plant-based foods have been found to reduce the risk of and even reverse the development of such diseases and are far more ethical and sustainable to farm, yet are eaten far less than meat. Consequently, measures must be taken to attempt to reduce meat-eating and increase plant-based food consumption. While informing individuals of ethical, health and environmental issues has been found to reduce meat eating, these effects have been limited as only 8% of the global population eats a meat-free diet. Additionally, few measures have been effective in increasing consumption of plant-based foods and meat-alternatives.The 4N scale was developed to identify the primary rationalisations people use to align their beliefs and attitudes with their choice to continue consuming meat in light of the evidence above and found that these rationalisations are, that meat-eating is natural, necessary, normal and nice. This study aimed to examine if information tailored to challenge these rationalisations was more effective than non-tailored and control information in reducing meat and increasing plant-based food purchasing behaviours. Methods:N = 586 participants completed the 4N questionnaire to determine which rationalisation was their primary justification for eating meat and were then randomly assigned into three conditions: matched (n = 192), where they were given information which challenged their highest rationalisation for eating meat; unmatched (n = 164), where they were given information challenging their lowest rationalisation for eating meat; and a control group (n = 230) who received information unrelated to eating meat or plant-based foods. They were presented with the information in the form of a flyer advertisement then asked to completed an online shopping simulation in which each participant, in three conditions, was shown the same 50 food products and asked if they would add the item to their basket or not. Finally, they were asked to indicate how many days a week they eat meat at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Separately, the number of meat and plant-based products added to each participants basket was compared between the conditions. Results:An initial one way ANOVA identified a significant difference between the conditions for the number of meat products added to participants baskets, but not for the plant-based products. Further t-tests revealed a significant difference between the matched and control conditions, indicating that tailored information challenging individuals highest rationalisation is effective in reducing the number of meat products they add to their basket. No significant difference was found between the unmatched and control conditions for meat products or any of the thee conditions for plant-based products, suggesting that information challenging the 4N rationalisations must be tailored to individuals highest rationalisation to reduce meat purchasing behaviour and that information challenging the 4N's is not sufficient, whether tailored or not, for increasing plant-based food purchasing behaviour.Discussion:The current study is a novel experiment matching specific information to specific rationalisations for meat eating and the results may be used to inform health campaigns and advertising of the necessity to tailor information in order to reduce meat purchasing behaviour. The results may also be used in the creation of new or addition to current health apps which could attempt to discourage unhealthy meat-eating behaviour through tailored information.
Tags: Other
Name: Holly Amber Staton McMahon
Supervisor: David Simmons
Title: Music Preferences in children with Autism and a Validation of the Children’s Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire (C-GSQ).
Abstract: This study examines music preferences in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as the effectiveness of the Children’s Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire (C-GSQ).Sensory sensitivities (although not exclusive to ASD) are said to affect the majority of the ASD population. The study looks into sensory sensitivities specifically in the auditory modality to see if children with ASD listen to and use music differently from their typically developing peers.The C-GSQ was completed by children and has been validated by being compared and contrasted with the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire (GSQ) and the Parent Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire (P-GSQ) which was completed by a parent or guardian. Children also completed a 3-question qualitative questionnaire on music. This research is beneficial for children with ASD and anyone in contact with the disorder, to give a better understanding of sensory sensitivities specifically within the auditory modality and how music is involved in this.
Tags: Other
Name: Morven Miller
Supervisor: Linda Moxey
Title: An examination of the relationship between rumination and interpretation bias in people with varying levels of depression
Abstract: This study aims to examine the link between rumination and interpretation bias in participants with all levels of depression. Previously, this has been studied mainly in participants with major depression, and a significant relationship has been found. However, often non-depressed participants are not included, and no research has used participants with a range of depression scores to test the relationship. To measure participants’ interpretation bias, 20 ambiguous scenarios were used. After reading each scenario, participants were asked to consider the most likely outcome or reason for the situation. Three possible outcomes were then presented, and participants were asked to rate each one from three to one; most to least likely. The outcomes were either positive, negative or neutral. They also completed the RRS to measure rumination, and the PHQ-9 for depression. The results will be analysed using Kendall correlations between each of the factors.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Belen Montabes de la Cruz
Supervisor: Lars Muckli
Title: Investigating Sound Content in the Early Visual Cortex of Aphantasia Participants: A standard fMRI study
Abstract: Aphantasia is a condition experienced by otherwise healthy individuals who are unable to form voluntary visual imagery. To date, the neural mechanisms underlying the condition remain largely unknown. To bridge this gap, we investigated whether sound content could be decoded from the early visual cortex of five aphantasic participants using multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA). We utilised Vetter, Smith and Muckli’s (2014) experimental procedures, which presents blindfolded participants with three categories of natural sounds. We report that although the classifier had above chance performance in all of our ROIS, none of the classifications reached statistical significance. Additionally, and as previously noted in the literature, our participants scored low in the VVIQ and SUIS questionnaires, and on a binocular rivalry experiment which quantifies visual imagery abilities. Our findings are further discussed in the light of Smith, Vetter and Muckli's original results and in relation to research on visual imagery, multisensory processing and predictive coding models.
Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience, Individual Differences
Name: Megan Claudia Montgomery
Supervisor: Maria Gardani
Title: The prevalence of insomnia and insomnia symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract: This systematic review investigates the prevalence of insomnia and insomnia symptoms amongst individuals diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Five electronic databases were searched from inception to 2nd December 2019. The searches were then exported to EndNote and any duplicates removed, before two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts for relevance using Rayyan QCRI. Full texts of articles potentially suitable for inclusion were subsequently obtained and assessed. Full-text articles published in English in peer-reviewed journals, and including adults with a clinical mTBI diagnosis, were eligible for inclusion. Studies that assessed insomnia and/or insomnia symptoms post-mTBI were included. Each study was then quality-assessed and the relevant data extracted. The aim is to produce a narrative review of the results from the included studies, accompanied by tabulated displays of the studies’ details and a summary of the findings. If sufficient data are available, it will be pooled using meta-analysis techniques.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Other
Name: Devika Morjaria
Supervisor: Lorna Morrow
Title: Factors that Influence Students’ Study Abroad Experiences and Outcomes: A Systematic Literature Review and Qualitative Study
Abstract: Study abroad is a phenomenon by which students can complete a part of their course in a different country and gain a variety of experiences. Whilst this overseas experience can bring many opportunities for growth and development, it can also present many challenges. This study examines factors that affect the overseas course related experience in 2 parts. Firstly, a systematic review of literature (SLR) is conducted to find factors study abroad factors and their outcome. Social, cultural, academic and practical factors are found to either improve or dampen the study abroad experience. To investigate these categories of factors further, 2 focus groups with returned study abroad students (n=10) are conducted. Students are asked what their social, cultural and academic experiences were abroad. The focus group transcripts are approached using thematically analysis. The implications for this study are discussed in terms of future research and the application for higher education.
Tags: Educational Psychology
Name: Hannah Emer Mulvihill
Supervisor: Heather Cleland Woods
Title: An Empirical Investigation of the Self-Regulation and Social Media Use Association, and the Influence of these Variables on Sleep Quality in Undergraduate University Students
Abstract: Research concerning self-regulation and its relationships with social media use and sleep quality among adolescence, and the effects increased social media use and sleep quality have on wellbeing, suggests the importance of underlying cognitive processes concerning impulse control and self-monitoring in a student's quality of life. Considering this, it is not known if self-regulation and social media use together have the ability to predict sleep quality. Therefore, this study will aim to investigate whether reported self-regulation levels and social media usage can predict the sleep quality of adolescents. Participants will complete four scales online via the survey site Experimentum: the Sleep Condition Indicator, the Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire, the Index of Nighttime Offline Distress and the Nighttime Specific Social Media Use Scale. To analyse, correlations and multiple linear regressions will be utilised.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Jennifer Lauren Murch
Supervisor: Phil McAleer
Title: Deception Detection Through Voices
Abstract: This study investigated deception detection accuracy through voices in individuals with varying levels of generalised trust. The aim was to see whether it is the acoustic cues or the verbal content that aids accurate deception detection and how this differs in individuals with different levels of generalised trust. Research demonstrates that attending to verbal cues may be a more accurate diagnostic tool for detecting deception, however, police manuals still direct observers to attend to misleading visual factors. There are a limited number of studies that aim to differentiate between the role of verbal content and vocal cues in order to pin-point what exactly it is about the voice that aids deception detection. Participants were recruited online and completed a series of short questionnaires, including the generalised trust questionnaire, followed by listening to audio recordings of both truthful and deceptive statements and made veracity judgements of each. Findings will be discussed and directions for future research will be explored.
Tags: Social Psychology, Individual Differences
Name: Nairn Murray
Supervisor: Emily Nordmann
Title: Help Seeking, Study Strategies and Academic Achievement
Abstract: Research suggests a positive correlation between the use of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) techniques and academic achievement. Help seeking is said to be one of the most effective SRL techniques, yet the introduction of lecture capture in academic institutions allows students to re-watch lectures to recap any missed information. We therefore aim to explore the relationship between help-seeking behaviours, lecture capture and performance, and whether students continue to adopt help seeking behaviours when given access to lecture capture. Multiple regression analyses will be performed. In one model we will use data from students who had access to lecture capture and the predictors will be lecture capture usage, lecture capture strategy, and course grade. In a second model that includes all participants, lecture capture availability and course grade will be predictors.
Tags: Educational Psychology
Name: Nicola Murray
Supervisor: Rachael Jack
Title: "Staring Socioeconomic Status in the Face": A Validation Study of What Facial Features Drive Socioeconomic Status Perceptions
Abstract: People tend to draw trait inferences from the facial appearance of others, even with short exposure. One of these inferences being socioeconomic status (SES). However, there has been limited research on what facial features drive SES perceptions. In the current study we aim to validate models from previous research which tested the association between facial morphology and perceived socioeconomic status, to test whether there is agreement on which facial features make someone look richer or poorer. Participants observed pairs of same-gendered faces generated from the previous models. They were then asked to choose which one looked either richer or poorer depending on the instructions. For each model we calculated how often the participant responded correctly to the face, then calculated the proportion accuracy. This overall accuracy was then compared to chance in a single-sample t-test for each model. Results show 4 models that were not statistically significant.
Tags: Social Psychology
Surnames beginning with N
Name: Vilte Noreikaite
Supervisor: Gregor Thut
Title: Alpha-band entrainment effects on visual discrimination and subjective perceptual experience: Evidence from short-train transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Abstract: Background:Different aspects of human perception and attention have been linked to posterior brain oscillations. The occipito-parietal alpha rhythm (~8-14 Hz) is modulated by visual spatial attention. Its phase and power have been found to be predictive of the detection of upcoming visual stimulus. In previous studies, non-invasive short TMS pulse trains were used to effectively entrain alpha oscillations in the parietal region. Specifically, pre-stimulus alpha oscillation entrainment in posterior regions has been shown to selectively impair target detection contralaterally to the stimulated hemisphere but enhance it ipsilaterally. However, recent studies claim that pre-stimulus alpha power correlates with decision confidence rating rather than visual discrimination accuracy. The main aim of this study is to directly manipulate alpha power and phase using TMS pulse trains to learn about the relationship between pre-stimulus alpha and both objective and subjective visual perceptual experiences. Methods:20 healthy volunteers came into the TMS laboratory for two sessions of the experiment. All participants had undergone the same conditions and completed 300 visual perception task trials. The task involved discriminating whether a near-threshold (50% individual detection rate) visual stimulus appeared as a lighter or a darker patch on a grey computer screen background. After selecting their answer, participants were asked to rate their confidence of a perceived stimulus on the Perceptual Awareness Scale. EEG recordings from 3 scalp electrodes (O1, Oz, O2) were obtained during the whole experiment and TMS pulse trains were applied over the right parietal cortex based on individual MRI scans. This study employed a within-subjects design with 3 randomised TMS conditions (rhythmic at 10 Hz frequency = experimental; arrhythmic and sham = control) each consisting of 5 pulse trains. The visual stimulus appeared immediately after the cessation of TMS pulses. To analyse the results 3´2 ANOVA will be performed on the objective and subjective performance in the TMS manipulation task. A post-hoc EEG regression analysis will explore the difference between participant’s individual alpha frequency and the 10 Hz main stimulation frequency, and its effect on task performance. Results:It is expected that the experimental TMS condition will bias target perception so that participants will report being less confident about their discrimination choice in the visual field, opposite to the stimulated hemisphere, and more confident in the ipsilateral visual field. This subjective experience will be compared to the actual visual discrimination accuracy.
Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience
Name: Mandy Norrbo
Supervisor: Lisa DeBruine
Title: Characterising the use of internal meta-analyses in psychology and assessing their impact
Abstract: An internal meta-analysis is a statistical method used to calculate an aggregated effect size for 2 or more studies within a single paper. Although this has been portrayed as a good way to reduce the file-drawer problem and increase power, a simulation study by Vosgerau et al. (2019) indicated that internal meta-analyses can have a detrimental effect on false positive rates if the studies were subject to questionable research practices or were selectively included. However, these simulations may not reflect actual researcher behaviour and relevant parameters, as they were not based on published internal meta-analyses. Thus, this study aims to first characterise the current use of internal meta-analyses by systematically coding recently published psychological research. These results will then be used to inform the parameters in simulations to estimate true and false positive rates of internal meta-analyses. The results will then be synthesised to more rigorously assess the current impact of internal meta-analyses.
Tags: Other
Surnames beginning with O
Name: Kristina Anna Maria Oberg
Supervisor: Linda Moxey
Title: Communication Apprehension and Imagined Interactions: Does communication anxiety influence individuals' use of retroactive and proactive imagined interactions?
Abstract: Imagined interactions are the mental interactions and communications individuals have with other people. Imagined interactions take place entirely in a persons mind and can be endlessly varied; they may involve past or future scenarios, take place in varying locations, and encompass a whole range of feelings and emotions. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between individuals' communication apprehension (i.e. the anxiety experienced from anticipated or real communication with other people) and their use of retroactive (past) and proactive (future) imagined interactions. Participants will be asked to fill out online questionnaires of moderated and unmoderated items from the Survey of Imagined Interactions (SII; Honeycutt, 2010) measuring retroactive and proactive imagined interactions, and the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension scale (PRCA-24; McCroskey, 1982) measuring communication apprehension.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Individual Differences
Name: Alayah Okhai
Supervisor: Ben Jones
Title: Examining the impact that facial attractiveness has on perceptions of competency within gender stereotyped job roles.
Abstract: This study seeks to reveal situations in which beauty might be detrimental for job applicants. The aim is to investigate the impact that facial attractiveness has over people judgements of competence within job roles that are stereotyped. This research builds on previous studies while also providing confirmatory support that physical attractiveness discrimination is still pertinent issue within this modern age. The experiment is a between-subjects design with each participant being randomly assigned to one of four rating conditions: females working on a shop floor in retail; males working on a shop floor in retail; females running a large company; and males running a large company. A correlational analysis between pre-rated attractiveness scores and competency ratings for each condition will be carried out. A test for comparing elements of a correlation matrix will also be conducted to investigate whether the effect was stronger for the male or female faces.
Tags: Social Psychology
Surnames beginning with P
Name: Marion Prieler
Supervisor: Larry Barsalou
Title: Does reading about climate change increase death thought accessibility? Integrating climate change communication with terror management theory
Abstract: Climate change (CC) communication commonly results in counter-productive bi-partisan attitude polarisation, which may be attributable to worldview defence mechanisms caused by heightened death awareness. This study for the first time examines whether exposure to threatening climate change information increases death thought accessibility (DTA), and whether increases in DTA can account for polarisation on a CC attitude measure. Participants read one of three news articles – discussing CC as a threat (threat), CC as a solvable problem (positive) or a CC unrelated topic (control). DTA was then measured using a word fragment completion task containing six ambiguous fragments that could be completed in either a death-related or a neutral way (e.g. COFF_ _ can be completed as COFFIN or COFFEE). Participants also indicated their attitudes towards government action against CC before and after reading the news article. We expect participants in the threat condition to show increased DTA and greater CC attitude polarisation than those in the positive or the control condition.
Tags: Social Psychology
Surnames beginning with Q
Name: Magdalena Qenani
Supervisor: Eugene Dawydiak
Title: An investigation of attitudes towards mental health conditions
Abstract: Literature has shown individuals with mental health disorders are highly subjected to being stigmatised by members of society. A recent study found the stigmatisation of people with mental illnesses correlated with high levels of pathogen disgust. This potentially reflects humans may stigmatise as a result of a disease avoidance system which may be functioning in an over inclusive nature. As an extension to Dawydiak et al’s, (2019) study, the present research examined whether disgust sensitivity, specifically pathogen disgust, predicts stigmatising attitudes towards individuals with borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia and a non-specified mental health disorder. 180 participants completed an online survey, which included fictional vignettes of each condition, the Three Domain Disgust Scale (TDDS), and the Attribution (27-item) Questionnaire. Stigmatisation was analysed using a general linear mixed-effects model, with scores from the TDDS entered as fixed factors, and participant and vignette entered as random factors.
Tags: Individual Differences, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Surnames beginning with R
Name: Jack Rainey
Supervisor: Kerry Kilborn
Title: Reality Television Viewership and Relational Aggression: An Investigation into Underlying Mechanisms
Abstract: A large body of research has consistently established a relationship between watching reality television and engaging in acts of relational aggression. This relationship has been attributed almost exclusively to media priming. The present study aims to assess the role of an alternative mechanism, namely that of self-esteem depletion, in explaining the link between reality television viewership and relational aggression. Participants were separated into 3 groups, each watching different video clips: reality television containing relational aggression, reality television without relational aggression and a control. Each group then completed the Young Adult Social Behaviour Scale, a measure of relational aggression, and the State Self-Esteem Scale. Statistical analyses will be conducted to assess if there is a relationship between reality television viewership and relational aggression, and if this relationship is mediated by media priming or reality television’s negative impact on self-esteem.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Aischa Reinken
Supervisor: Maria Gardani
Title: Protective Factors of Mental Health in Sexual Minority Individuals
Abstract: This study investigated whether self-respect and assertiveness act as protective factors for mental health in sexual minority individuals, using a relational cultural framework. A mixed-methods online survey was employed to ensure that quantitative findings were grounded in participants’ experiences. 152 undergraduate students were recruited online, indicated their sexual orientation, and filled out questionnaires on mental health, suicidal ideation, assertiveness, self-respect and relationship quality. Furthermore, they were asked to answer open-ended questions on self-respect, upbringing, relationships, and accessibility to mental health support. Spearman correlational analyses and multiple regression analyses were conducted to answer the research question. Thematic analysis was used to explore individuals’ experiences.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Annie Roland
Supervisor: Heather Cleland Woods
Title: The role of social media literacy in the relationship between night-time social media use and sleep quality in young people
Abstract: This study examines young people’s night-time social media use and sleep quality in light of previous findings that have linked higher night-time social media use to poorer sleep quality. The purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate the potential role of social media literacy (SML), defined as critical thinking and realism skepticism towards social media content, as a protective factor against poor sleep quality in young people. We will also explore associations between SML, night-time social media use, social comparison, rumination, and sleep quality. Participants aged 16-25 were asked to complete an online questionnaire containing six scales, including the peer and commercial SML scales, PAUM, INCOM, PTQ, and SCI. Associations between variables will be presented with a correlation matrix, while the contributions of social media literacy, night-time social media use, social comparison, and rumination on sleep quality will be analysed using a multiple linear regression.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Lila Ceri Rose
Supervisor: Emily Nordmann
Title: How much do women f**cking swear? Investigating the impact of sexuality and Gender Role Beliefs on perceptions and frequency of swearing in women.
Abstract: This study examined whether sexuality and/or gender role beliefs predicted swearing frequency in women as well as attitudes towards women swearing. Whilst gender differences in language use and more specifically swearing have been previously researched, the present study is the first to investigate the potential reasons for the seen gender variance in swearing. By taking into account a women’s sexuality and thus their gender role beliefs as possible predictors of their swear word use and attitudes towards it, it has potential ramifications on how researchers approach gender variance. Participants completed the Swearing Frequency scale as well as the Social Roles Scale (SRQ) and a novel scale was developed to measure attitudes towards swearing. The results were then analysed with a multiple regression analysis followed by an ANOVA.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Kim Rosenberger
Supervisor: Ian Bushnell
Title: The Lived Experience of the Relationship Between Parenting and Leadership
Abstract: The large amount of literature on parenting suggests that it can be measured and generalised. However, qualitative papers claim that especially motherhood is a highly individual experience, influenced by a variety of factors. Furthermore, while the topic combines aspects of identity theory, attachment, and even transformational leadership, there is hardly any research linking the domains. Thus, the present study has chosen to deeper explore the lived experience of the relationship between parenting and leadership, basing its findings on four interviews with mothers in leadership positions in academia. It uses an interpretative phenomenological analysis and will base the findings’ evaluation mainly on identity theory, as it will also be looking at the influences of both identities on each other. Congruent with its methodology, conclusions will strongly rely on the participants’ experiences and sense-making thereof.
Tags: Social Psychology, Applied Psychology, Other
Surnames beginning with S
Name: Timo Schnabl
Supervisor: Dale Barr
Title: The Processing of Scottish Names by Scottish Folk
Abstract: In psycholinguistics, it is a well-known fact that people are faster to process common words. Indeed, the cortical processing immediately triggered after hearing a stimulus, such as a name, is influenced by the listener’s personal history. A name’s commonality relies on the subject’s proximity and frequency of exposure to said word. The present study investigated whether an individual’s personal experience with names, shapes their corresponding processing speed. Data will be collected from a Scottish sample whose reaction time and eye-movements will be assessed, by an eye-tracking device and a mouse recorder. The set of names presented to participants will vary according to the individuals’ year of birth to represent potential differences in commonality across years. Names having been more frequently present during the participants’ childhood are expected to be more quickly processed than uncommon ones. The relative distinctiveness of common names and uncommon names is discussed, and further investigation is proposed.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Gintare Semyte
Supervisor: Esther Papies
Title: Investigating the effects of plain packaging on the consumption of sugary drinks
Abstract: While there are many health risks associated with the consumption of sugary drinks, including type 2 diabetes and coronary disease, they remain a popular drink of choice in the UK. This study was designed to test the effects of a potential intervention: plain packaging of sugary drinks. According to the grounded cognition theory of desire, packaging creates simulations of consuming the product previously, which increases people’s desire to consume it. Plain packaging attempts to reduce those simulations and in turn, decrease the desire to purchase the drink. To test this intervention, 562 participants were assigned to one of the three groups: standard brand packaging, transparent bland packaging (bottles with plain white labels) and opaque bland packaging (brown-green cans with brand names), and were asked to answer questions about consuming sugary drinks in different scenarios. Results showed that packaging type did not affect participants’ likelihood to consume the drinks.
Tags: Social Psychology, Other
Name: Ricarda Senger
Supervisor: Christoph Scheepers
Title: “The cross-word effect”: A retrieval advantage for words encoded in line with their spatial association
Abstract: Challenging traditional models of semantic memory, embodied cognition theory (ECT) claims that semantic knowledge is grounded in sensorimotor experiences. A substantial body of research drawing upon various methodological approaches has provided evidence for ECT. However previous studies have only explored embodied semantics regarding memory retrieval. The present study therefore fills the gap by exploring the influence of sensorimotor experiences during encoding on later word recall performance. We designed 160 unique, counterbalanced word arrays featuring 20 words which were taken from our pool of pre-tested and normed word stimuli. To test the role of ECT on semantic encoding, we manipulated spatial association of words (horizontal vs vertical) and presentation of words (horizontal vs vertical). Using Generalised Linear Mixed Effect Models, we found a significant interaction effect on the likelihood of word recall as predicted by ECT.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Maša Senožetnik
Supervisor: Phil McAleer
Title: Influence of culture on vocal attractiveness: A study of English-Finnish bilinguals
Abstract: This study focuses on the effect of culture on vocal attractiveness, and whether a ‘universally’ attractive voice exists. This is the first study in this field to empirically compare the differences in vocal attractiveness ratings based both on the language of the speaker and the listener, and the first to utilise the voices of bilinguals. British and Finnish nationals listened to 32 Finnish-English bilinguals’ voices and rated, using a Likert scale, the attractiveness of these voices. The results were analysed using linear mixed-effects models separated by voice sex, and stepwise regression models were used to determine which acoustic information drives vocal attractiveness ratings separated by sex and the language of the speaker and listener. The implications of the results will be discussed in light of previous research.
Tags: Other
Name: Elisa Serra
Supervisor: Guillaume Rousselet
Title: Bridging the gap between experimental and theoretical approaches in environmental psychology: An intervention on household food-waste-related behaviours in university students.
Abstract: Increasing global environmental concerns call for radical changes in detrimental human behaviours. Environmental psychology has shown promise in mitigating such behaviours; however, findings from experimental and theoretical research approaches seldom intersect within this field. That is, interventions are rarely grounded in theoretical knowledge. The current study devised a psychologically informed intervention based on the integrative influence model of pro-environmental behaviour. In accordance to the model’s predictions of behaviour, the intervention aimed to modify Scottish university students’ perceptions of domains surrounding household food waste, namely perceived environmental consequences; ascription of responsibility; ability to prevent and social norms. Measurements of perceptions and food waste-related behaviours were collected through baseline and follow-up questionnaires online. The intervention was presented as a flyer within the baseline questionnaire. ANCOVAs compared the result of the intervention flyer group to a group presented with a basic informational flyer lacking social norm manipulations, and another presented with no flyer.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Alejandro Serrano Saunders
Supervisor: Maria Gardani
Title: Evaluating The Effectiveness of CBTi & Sleep Education on Improving Sleep & Well-Being On A Student Population
Abstract: This study aims to evaluate the effects of provision of digitized Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) and Sleep Education (SE) resources on an undergraduate sample. So far, no studies have investigated the efficacy of individual CBTi modules on improvement of student sleep and well-being. As such this study investigates the effects of cognitive behavioural (CB) and SE components of CBTi. 19 university students were randomly assigned to CB or SE conditions, and were emailed CB or SE material over 10 weeks. Participants additionally wore actigraphy watches and completed sleep diaries, assessing sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency and wake after sleep onset. Participants completed questionnaires assessing measures for depression, suicidal ideation and loneliness at a baseline, midpoint and at completion. Results are expected to demonstrate improvements in sleep and well-being measures for all students across the 10 weeks, with greater improvements for those receiving CB modules as compared to SE.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Ana Skolaris
Supervisor: Marios Philiastides
Title: The Role of Facial Social Categorisation Properties on Implicit Judgments of Trust and Decision Making
Abstract: Facial cues play a key role in signalling social intentions, enabling us to make rapid social judgments about others. An important attribute we try to infer from people’s faces is trustworthiness. The current study aims to investigate the link between facial social categorisation properties, specifically sex and race on trustworthiness. In the experiment, participants viewed faces of people who have previously engaged in an economic decision making game. Their task was to guess how likely these people were to reciprocate half of the money invested in them. The results were analysed using a generalized linear mixed model. As hypothesised, Female faces were perceived as more trustworthy, compared to Male faces. Moreover, Asian faces were perceived as more trustworthy, with Caucasian participants exhibiting a larger trustworthiness difference between race stimuli. Additionally, trustworthiness reaction times were analysed, revealing no difference between sexes, but a significantly faster reaction time exhibited by Asian participants
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Social Psychology, Individual Differences
Name: Tristan Joseph Smith
Supervisor: Marios Philiastides
Title: Subjective Decision Confidence Within a Perceptual Decision-Making Task: The Influence of the Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff
Abstract: Decision making within everyday life involves the judgement of when to stop deliberating and come to a decision, which is known as the speed-accuracy tradeoff (SAT). Subjective decision confidence is an endogenous evaluation of how accurate a decision was, which is used to inform future decision processes. This study examines, for the first time, how the SAT influences decision confidence within a perceptual decision-making task. The SAT was implemented by restricting the amount of time participants could view a random dot motion task before having to submit an answer as to which direction the dots were moving in. Within each condition, three levels of task difficulty were implemented by manipulating the percentage of dot coherence within the random dot-motion task. Once a decision was made, participants would rate their subjective confidence in their decision using a 9-point Likert scale. The results were analysed using ANOVA to confirm the implementation of the SAT, whilst a kolmogorov-smirnov test was used to compare the confidence distributions between the two conditions.
Tags: Other
Name: Emily Smith
Supervisor: David Simmons
Title: The validation of the Frith-Happé animations utilising the virtual reality animacy perception task
Abstract: Frith Happé animations have been extensively utilised to assess one’s ability to attribute and understand the mental states of oneself and others, often referred to as Theory of Mind (ToM). Recent advancements regarding this task’s design have aimed to improve detection of mentalising deficits. This study aims to validate the Frith Happé animations in a virtual reality environment using a mixed methods design with a total of 68 participants. Geometric shapes were presented in a series of 12 animations depicting one of three interactions (no interaction, physical interaction and mental interaction) which participants were tasked to correctly categorise and describe. Verbal descriptions were provided for further thematic analysis, whilst a series of tests will be analysed to determine if there is an association between autistic traits, empathy and ToM. Findings and implications will be discussed considering recent literature.
Tags: Other
Name: Iza Soklic Poljak
Supervisor: Stacy Marsella
Title: Gestural Misinformation: The Effect of Iconic and Metaphoric Gestures on Eyewitness Testimony
Abstract: Until recently, research has mainly focused on how misleading verbal information affects eyewitness testimony. Only some have shown that misinformation from iconic gestures affects the eyewitness’ crime recollection accuracy. This study is the first one investigating iconic as well as metaphoric gestures’ influence in questioning. Its aim was to determine whether at recall, eyewitness’ crime interpretation was susceptible to interrogator’s gestured misinformation rather than remained congruous with the witnessed event. Participants watched footage of a wallet theft and were among several distractor questions about the crime asked two critical ones, corresponding to the two gesture types – iconic and metaphoric. Each critical question was presented with either no gesture, gesture conveying an accurate or a misleading crime interpretation. It is expected to evidence that both types of gestural misinformation cause participants to adopt the inaccurate crime interpretation. The implications of this research for eyewitness’ questioning in legal proceedings will be discussed.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Julia Jacobsen Someya
Supervisor: Frank Pollick
Title: The effect of mediated social warmth and coldness on the experience of cyberostracism in a sample of undergraduate university students
Abstract: The current study examined whether mediated social warmth can lessen the negative experience of cyberostracism and if mediated social coldness can intensify it, in a sample of undergraduate students from the University of Glasgow. Participants engaged in the Cyberball paradigm (Williams, Cheung, & Choi, 2000) while experiencing warmth, coldness, and no temperature from a Peltier (a heat pump) across three separate trials. Each game lasted approximately 10 minutes. Ostracism was measured using a standard post-experimental cyberostracism questionnaire after each trial and through electromyography (EMG) activity of the corrugator supercilii, as higher activity has been found to be associated with being ostracized (Kawamoto, Nittono, & Ura, 2013). A number of qualitative questions were also answered by participants to examine their experiences with mediated social warmth and coldness in more depth. It is hypothesized that experiencing mediated social warmth through an interface will minimize social rejection felt by participants. Furthermore, the second hypothesis theorizes that experiencing mediated social coldness will intensify the feeling of social rejection in participants. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA will be conducted to examine the results of the questionnaire data, and the EMG data will be pre-processed and analyzed separately also with ANOVA. The qualitative responses will be analyzed using a Thematic Analysis. ReferencesKawamoto, T., Nittono, H., & Ura, M. (2013). Cognitive, Affective, and Motivational Changes during Ostracism: An ERP, EMG, and EEG Study Using a Computerized Cyberball Task. Neuroscience Journal, 2013. Williams, K. D., Cheung, C. K. T., & Choi, W. (2000). Cyberostracism: Effects of being ignored over the Internet. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 748-762.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Social Psychology, Applied Psychology, Other
Name: Kroot Soomets
Supervisor: Edwin Robertson
Title: Investigating the effects of sport typology on working memory and response inhibition in university students
Abstract: Exercise is considered a protective factor against physical and mental problems. The study aimed to investigate exercise’s relationship with a less known aspect of health – cognition. This was achieved by measuring working memory and response inhibition skills in university students using a 2-back Task and a Go/No-Go Task. Participants were divided into three groups based on their athletic background: non-athletes, open-skill athletes and closed-skill athletes. This division allowed to investigate the general effects of exercise as well as any differences due to sport typology. It is hypothesised that athletes will demonstrate superior skills compared to non-athletes, with open-skill athletes scoring the highest in both tests. Data will be analysed using one-way ANOVA. If a significant difference is found between non-athletes and athletes in terms of their cognitive tests scores, an exploratory regression will be run to examine whether the athletes’ expertise (years of training) is associated with their cognitive skills.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Leah Statham
Supervisor: Eugene Dawydiak
Title: An investigation of the relationship between the stigmatisation of individuals with mental health conditions and overgeneralised disease avoidance.
Abstract: Both the avoidance of individuals with cues of infection and the stigmatisation of individuals who are deemed to appear ‘atypical’ are hypothesised to reflect a common underlying process of infectious disease avoidance. The current study aims to investigate the relationship between the stigmatisation of individuals with mental health conditions and overgeneralised disease avoidance, as measured by disgust sensitivity. The relationships between sub-scales of the Three Domain Disgust Scale (TDDS; Tyber, 2009) and the stigmatisation of individuals with one of four mental health conditions (schizophrenia, depression, trichotillomania and anorexia nervosa) as measured through the AQ-27 (Corrigan, 2012), was investigated in a sample of 292 participants. It is hypothesised that scores on the pathogen disgust sub-scale of the Three Domain Disgust Scale will positively correlate with the stigmatisation of all four mental health conditions. Further, it is hypothesised that there will be a significant relationship between pathogen disgust and trichotillomania and anorexia nervosa in particular.
Tags: Individual Differences, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Kalina Stefanova
Supervisor: Christoph Scheepers
Title: Effects of emotion and concreteness on visual word processing in L1 and L2 speakers
Abstract: This study examines the effects and interaction of emotional valence and concreteness on word recognition and compares those between native English speakers and second-language speakers. It is a replication of Yao et al. (2018) who used a large sample of words matched for word length and frequency and controlled for arousal, familiarity, and age of acquisition. The words were presented in a lexical decision task and response times were recorded. Participants also completed an English proficiency test and a language history questionnaire. The results are analysed using linear mixed models. We hypothesise that emotional and concrete words will be recognised faster than neutral and abstract words respectively, and there will be a significant interaction such that the valence effect will be stronger for concrete words. Similar effects are expected to be observed in highly proficient English speakers, regardless of first language.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Rebecca Jane Stewart
Supervisor: Margaret Martin
Title: The Effect of Tattoo Narrative on Tattoo Stigma in the Workplace
Abstract: Though there is much research indicating that visible tattoos lower an individual’s professional desirability, there is as yet no research measuring which genres of tattoo elicit the most stigma in the workplace. This study compares professional desirability of tattooed surgeons across six tattoo narrative genres: Group-Association; Aesthetic; Message-to-oneself; Self-Empowerment; Loss and Trauma. Participants (N = 217) read a vignette describing a hospital visit for a routine outpatient surgery, followed by 20 descriptions of doctors with upper-arm tattoos. Participants indicated on a Likert scale how likely they would be to want each doctor as their surgeon. Data was firstly analysed using Friedman’s Test, where professional desirability was found to differ significantly amongst tattoo narratives. Post Hoc analysis revealed that Group-Association tattoos were significantly less-desirable than all others, and Trauma was significantly more desirable than most. Effect-size was, however, small. A Wilcoxon Rank-Sum showed no significant difference due to participant age.
Tags: Social Psychology
Surnames beginning with T
Name: James Tawse
Supervisor: Kevin Wilson-Smith
Title: A thematic analysis of attitudes towards and experiences of occupational stress, mental illness and disclosure amongst medical students and health care professionals.
Abstract: Background: Health care professionals and medical students are placed under substantial levels of occupational stress. The negative impact of elevated work-stress has serious ramifications for one’s mental and physical wellbeing, which may help to explain higher incidences of mental ill health amongst these populations. Personality traits common to the health sector, such as perfectionism, self-criticism and secrecy act as barriers to treatment and may worsen outcomes. Fear of stigmatisation has also been identified as contributing towards health care professionals’ low levels of help-seeking behaviour. Aims: This study aims to explore medical students’ and health care professionals’ experiences of and attitudes towards occupational stress, mental illness and disclosure. In particular, the present research is interested in exploring factors that may prevent one from seeking help for mental ill health and exploring any stigmas that still exist surrounding mental illness. Methods: This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with medical students and health care professionals working in a variety of areas. Interviews were recorded for later transcription, which were then analysed to identify common themes in responses.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Amanda Palesa Thobega
Supervisor: Lisa DeBruine
Title: The relationship between sibling co-residence duration and moral judgements of incest, and the role of sexual orientation.
Abstract: Incest can be defined as sexual activity between relatives. Researchers have suggested that there is an innate process that deters humans from engaging in incest, due to the possibility of inbreeding depression. The Westermarck hypothesis suggests that as co-residence with another from a young age has been shown to predict relatedness, children who are co-reared will develop a sexual aversion to one another. The current study aimed to test whether there was a relationship between co-residence duration with a sibling and judgements of moral wrongness of incest. A positive relationship was hypothesised. An adult (18+ years of age) sample was recruited online. Participants were asked to fill out an ID questionnaire and a sibling questionnaire, as well as rank order 19 items from least to most morally wrong. Furthermore, it was of interest whether there was role of sexual orientation in this relationship. Analysis and results are pending.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language), Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology
Name: Leonna Jodie Thompson
Supervisor: Kerry Kilborn
Title: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Evaluation of Theory and Associations with Anxiety and Self-care Behaviours
Abstract: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a renowned theory of human motivation that has garnered many citations in the literature, despite a common criticism that there is scant empirical evidence supporting its proposals. As such, this study aimed to contribute to evaluation of the theory by investigating two of its main proposals; 1) the ordering of the needs and 2) that need satisfaction is associated with psychological health. Secondly, the study aimed to expand upon previous research and assessed whether self-care behaviours were associated with need satisfaction and experience of anxiety. Data was collected online using the Five Need Satisfaction Measures, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Multiple linear regression and correlational analysis will be applied to the data to achieve the main aims of the study.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Max Jordan Amar Mankoo Tibbetts
Supervisor: Dale Barr
Title: Keeping Up the Tempo - Investigating Neural Entrainment in Rhythmic Speech
Abstract: This study investigated whether attentional neural synchronisation can be induced by rhythmic patterns in human speech. While this phenomena (known as entrainment) has been heavily researched in psychoacoustics, there is a deficit of literature on linguistic aspects in this phenomena. Participants were asked to tap along to a priming stimuli in the form of a 4-click track before being immediately exposed to an audio sample, looped twice, that had been determined to carry a rhythmic cadence at a slightly offset tempo to the prime stimulus. The samples were either left as unaltered vocal samples, white noise control samples, or modified to “chimera” samples, which made the vocal excerpts effectively unrecognisable as human speech while still maintaining their timing structure. The participants were asked to try and tap at a rhythm consistent with the initial priming stimulus throughout the audio loop. Evidence of the participants tapping drifting towards the vocal samples in non-control conditions would indicate evidence of entrainment, and could help future research into facilitating learning and comprehension, particularly in the case of virtual assistants such as Siri.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Elinor Tipper
Supervisor: Frank Pollick
Title: Expertise differences in emotion identification from dance movement in point light displays.
Abstract: Expertise in ballet dance has been shown to enhance the ability to discriminate emotions expressed through dance (Christensen et al., 2016). A possible theory for why expertise affects emotion perception is that experts’ extensive visual exposure to specific movement selectively enhances their sensitivity to cues expressed in dynamic display, creating schematic expectancies. Hence, the current study compares expertise group differences between dancers and non-dancer of visual attention for body regions of interest in an emotion-identification task using Point Light Displays of whole-body dance movement. Participants were asked to complete the Dance Sophistication Index, the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, and the AQ-10. They were then asked to watch Point Light Displays of a dancer and indicate whether they perceived the movement to be neutral, sad, happy, angry, or fearful. A binary logistic regression will be used to look at the relationship between expertise, empathy and eye movements on perception of emotion.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Sofia Tozer Brichette
Supervisor: Kevin Wilson-Smith
Title: The Influence of Social Media on Mental Wellbeing and Social Identity
Abstract: This study examined the influence of social media on mental wellbeing and social identity. Adolescence is the most vulnerable time to develop mental health issues, with 50% of disorders present in adulthood emerging before the age of 18. This is a major concern due to the long lasting consequences they can have, significantly impacting academic achievement, quality of life and personal relationships. However, there are a number of barriers to treatment, such as social isolation and challenging life circumstances, that limit the effectiveness of appropriate interventions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore an alternative form of mental health support by focusing on the potential benefits of social media on adolescent’s wellbeing. Through semi-structured interviews, participants were asked about their experience on social media and mental health services available to them, as well as their help-seeking behaviour online. The implications of this research are discussed with a focus on social networking sites as platform that could promote resilience and mental wellbeing.
Tags: Social Psychology, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Jasmin Turner
Supervisor: Kerry Kilborn
Title: Death anxiety and Mindfulness
Abstract: This study aims to examine the difference in the effects of a mindfulness induction on proximal defence responses to mortality salience between participants with previous exposure to mindful techniques compared to those who are novel to mindfulness. Participants were split into two groups, on the basis of having previous experience with yoga, meditation or mindfulness: previous-exposure (n = 25), and those who were novel (n = 25). All participants (N = 50) underwent a mindful-meditation induction and mortality salient induction after experimental manipulation, involving a written exercise pertaining to one’s death. It is expected to find higher levels of trait-mindfulness and fewer proximal responses in the previous-exposure group compared to the novel group. This would show that those with more experience in mindfulness, can better utilize the mindful-meditation induction, thus buffer against death anxiety and respond with less deniability and suppression of death thoughts (proximal defences), showing an open, accepting perspective to death.
Tags: Individual Differences, Other
Name: Leigh Tweedlie
Supervisor: Stephany Biello
Title: The effect of sleep quality on oral presentation skills at University
Abstract: The majority of students in the UK report getting less than 7 hours of sleep every night. This has knock-on effects for their mental and physical health. There is a significant association between sleep quality and intrapersonal adjustment at university- those who have poorer sleep will feel maladjusted compared to their peers. Communication skills also suffer- the literature suggests that those who don’t get regular good quality sleep will seem less desirable, and their peers will be less likely to socialise with them. However, are these poor communication skills reflected in graded assessments as well as social situations? The present research aims to assess if there is a link between poor sleep and communication skills during presentations at university. 40 students completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index evaluating their cumulative sleep quality. They were then assessed on their presentation skills during an oral assessment- notably their body language, confidence, and voice projection.
Tags: Social Psychology, Other
Name: Aleksandra Ewa Tymochin
Supervisor: Ian Bushnell
Title: Exploring the Attitudes, Experiences and Understanding of Healthcare Professionals Regarding Organ Donation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Abstract: Organ donation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a rare occurrence. There have only been two cases of neonatal donors in Scotland, both facilitated at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. Due to this low number of cases, it is challenging for healthcare professionals to gain expertise in the organ donation process. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the attitudes, experiences and understanding of healthcare professionals who work in NICU at the Royal Hospital for Children. A qualitative approach will be undertaken, and four face-to-face semi-structured interviews will be conducted at the hospital with nurses and doctors from NICU. The data collected will be analysed using a reflective thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Braun & Clarke, 2019) to identify any recurring themes and sub-themes within the data. The implications and future recommendations will be discussed based on the results obtained.
Tags: Applied Psychology
Surnames beginning with V
Name: Lasse Benedikt Vaagt
Supervisor: Kevin Wilson-Smith
Title: Uniforms at University: An Exploration into Enclothed Cognition
Abstract: This study is an exploration into the effects of enclothed cognition at the University of Glasgow. The aim was to see what effect wearing a university sport club uniform has on the cognition and behaviour of the wearer. A number of in-depth interviews were conducted and an interpretative phenomenological analysis was carried out following transcription, with the aim of discovering insights into how the participants make sense of the given phenomenon. The study at hand is the first to explore said phenomenon in the student body at the University of Glasgow.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Rhoda von Below
Supervisor: Chiara Horlin
Title: Awareness and willingness to accommodate autistic students in higher education
Abstract: The aim of this mixed-methods study was to examine the current autism knowledge and awareness in higher education teachers, as well as their attitudes towards accommodating autistic students. Educators from UK universities filled out online knowledge and awareness questionnaires. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore their attitudes towards autistic students. The researchers are expecting to find medium to high ratings for both awareness and knowledge, and hypothesise that gender, knowing someone autistic, years spend teaching and autistic traits influence these scores. The qualitative analysis suggests cognitive dissonance between the often-positive attitudes towards accommodating autistic students, and the teacher’s actions in the classroom. On the basis of these results, it will be discussed how autism knowledge and awareness are high in teaching staff, which then however does not necessarily translate to inclusive teaching. The implications of this for higher education institutions and further research opportunities will be explored.
Tags: Educational Psychology
Surnames beginning with W
Name: Jamie Wagstaffe
Supervisor: Ian Bushnell
Title: Investigating Deception in a game of "Werewolf"
Abstract: This study investigates whether vocal pitch changes during deception, observed by previous literature, applies to the social deduction game “Werewolf” and how these certain acoustical qualities of voices may impact deception detection in the novel deception environment of a group setting. Using voice clips as stimuli extracted from the WOLF CORPUS (Chittaranjan & Hung, 2010), a vocal pitch analysis was performed using PRAAT software (Version 6.1.06) and found pitch to increase during deception, consistent with previous literature. These voice clips were then presented to participants via Experimentum whom were tasked with rating each voice on a 1-7 scale based on how deceptive they perceived each voice. The results of this were analysed using a linear regression. The implications of this study are discussed, along with possible limitations and opportunities for future research highlighted.
Tags: Social Psychology
Name: Mhairi Corinne Walls
Supervisor: Dale Barr
Title: Does Lexical Competition Arise in Face-Name Associations?
Abstract: This study investigates whether lexical competition occurs for face-name pairs. It adopts a similar methodology to previous literature for word-object pairs: on Day I, participants are trained and tested on face-name pairs. During testing, in order to identify lexical competition, target face-name pairs are presented with competing novel names (e.g. Jamie and Jamou). The eye gaze is tracked using eyetracking equipment within the Visual World Task. To allow for consolidation, the testing condition will be repeated on Day II with previously trained, untested face-name pairs. Similar research has been conducted on words without referents, but this is the first study to apply this methodology to face-name associations. The aim of this study is to identify whether lexical competition occurs for face-name pairs and if it does, whether it is similar in nature to word-object pairs.
Tags: Cognitive Psychology (including language)
Name: Rebekah Jane Weir
Supervisor: Kevin Wilson-Smith
Title: A qualitative insight into the identities of UK army reservists
Abstract: The present study explores whether the findings of Griffiths (2011) in relation to the identities of US army reservists can be observed within a UK population of the same nature. Griffiths’ research uncovered 5 identities specific to US reservists including that of the ‘Weekend Warrior’ and ‘Instrumental Volunteer’. Prior to this study, there had been no attempt to assess these findings using an alternative population. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to determine if similar identities may be found within a UK sample or, if entirely new identities may emerge. 26 current members of the UK army reserve were interviewed using a semi-structured approach, with questions focusing on motivations, reasons for joining and values or beliefs. The analysis has yet to be completed, however a thematic analysis will be conducted with the aim of identifying common themes which may or may not correspond with the proposed identities of US reservists.
Tags: Social Psychology, Other
Name: Chiara Wilke
Supervisor: Eugene Dawydiak
Title: Parents’ perceptions of their children’s trichotillomania, self-blame, and expressed emotion.
Abstract: This study investigated the relationship between parents’ self-blame for their children’s trichotillomania (TTM) and expressed emotion towards the child. The aim was to see whether parental self-blame for their children’s TTM could predict their expressed emotion towards the child. Subjective perceptions of TTM severity and knowledge were also analysed with respect to self-blame and expressed emotion. This is the first study to investigate these relationships in parents with hair-pulling children. Participants were recruited online and completed a series of short questionnaires. Data was analysed using linear regression models and correlational analyses in R. Results indicate that there is a fairly strong, significant predictive relationship between self-blame and expressed emotion. Moderate correlations were also found for subjective TTM severity and self-blame and EE. However, TTM knowledge showed no significant effect on the outcome variables. Post-hoc power analyses further showed that most findings were powerful at the .8 level.
Tags: Individual Differences, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Name: Mary Wilson
Supervisor: Niamh Stack
Title: “I can’t shut down feelings, there’s no time scale for them”: How ChildLine counsellors make sense of and cope with high-risk contacts
Abstract: This is a phenomenological investigation of ChildLine counsellors' experiences when working with high-risk contacts. Working with high-risk children and young people has potentially negative psychological impacts for counsellors. Effective coping mechanisms have been identified as necessary in mitigating against these impacts. Coping mechanisms used by counsellors have mostly been quantitatively analysed. Hence, there is empirical opportunity to understand the underlying mechanisms of these coping processes as this may inform support structures for counsellors. Therefore, the aim of this study is to qualitatively analyse the mechanisms that counsellors use to cognitively appraise and cope with high-risk contacts. An audio diary methodology was adopted to access counsellors’ sense-making processes and capture the phenomena of coping as it developed. It was expected that this would expose the connection between how counsellors evaluate the success of a contact and the subsequent coping necessary to move forward from it.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Applied Psychology
Surnames beginning with Y
Name: Perrin Yan
Supervisor: Edwin Robertson
Title: Investigating the impact of religious involvement on resilience and life satisfaction
Abstract: University students experience great stress, including academic pressure, relationship issues, and adjustment issues. Thus, they are more susceptible to psychological distress and mental health problems. Numerous studies have demonstrated that religion/ spirituality predict better mental well-being. Resilience and life satisfaction are crucial indicators of mental well-being, which will be examined in this study. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether religious involvement impacts university students’ resilience and life satisfaction. Christians and individuals who are not committed to any religion were compared. Participants self-identify themselves in one of the groups and completed the online survey. It is predicted that Christians will have a higher level of resilience and life satisfaction than those without religion.
Tags: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Applied Psychology