Undergraduate

Psychology specialist pathways

Students working in Leeds City Campus Social Space

Choose to study one of our specialist Psychology pathways, and you can tailor your studies in your preferred area of interest from year one. Follow the pathway throughout your studies, and you'll graduate with a degree in your chosen specialism accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Shape your degree from day one

Psychology at Leeds Trinity University is far from a one-size-fits-all degree – it’s designed to give you choice, flexibility, and the freedom to follow your passions. Programme Leaders Dr Paul McGivern and Dr Candice Whitaker explain how, from your very first year, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the areas of Psychology that interest you most. Rather than being restricted to a fixed curriculum, you can shape your learning journey to reflect your ambitions and curiosity.

At Leeds Trinity, we understand that every student is different. That’s why our Psychology degree offers tailored pathways, allowing you to specialise in the topics that inspire you. Whether you’re fascinated by cognitive processes, intrigued by social behaviour, or passionate about mental health and wellbeing, you’ll find modules that align with your goals. This flexibility means you’re not just studying Psychology, you are creating a degree that’s uniquely yours.

Dr McGivern and Dr Whitaker describe three types of Psychology students: The Explorer, who wants to discover a broad range of topics before deciding on a focus; The Specialist, who already knows their area of interest and wants to dive deep; and The Pathfinder, who is driven by a clear career goal and wants a degree that supports that journey. No matter which category you fit into, our programme ensures you have the tools and opportunities to succeed.

Studying Psychology at Leeds Trinity University isn’t just about theory, it’s about applying knowledge to real-world challenges. Through practical experiences, placements, and applied projects, you’ll develop skills that employers value. When you graduate, your chosen pathway will be highlighted on your degree certificate, showcasing your expertise and helping you stand out in a competitive job market.

Your future in Psychology starts here – and it’s yours to shape.

'The Explorer'

If you're fascinated by all things Psychology and excited to discover what each pathway has to offer.

You might:

  • Pick optional modules from a mix of areas (i.e. Forensic, Health and Counselling)
  • Build a broad foundation of knowledge
  • Graduate with a versatile BSc (Hons) Psychology degree that fits you.

'The Pathfinder'

If you start your journey with one goal - say, to be a Health Psychologist - but as you study, your interests evolve...

You might:

  • Begin by following one pathway (e.g., Health Psychology)
  • Stay flexible and switch things up partway through!
  • Graduate with a versatile BSc (Hons) Psychology degree shaped by your choices.

'The Specialist'

If you already know where you're headed - such as becoming a Counselling Psychologist...

You might:

  • Choose optional modules only from the Counselling Psychology pathway
  • Focus on building knowledge and skills for your future career
  • Graduate with a BSc (Hons) Psychology (Counselling Perspectives) degree that gives you a strong foundation for postgraduate training

Your degree, your pathway

Mix and match modules across the following optional, ‘hop on, hop off’ specialist pathways:

Our Counselling Psychology pathway explores how psychological approaches help people improve well-being, navigate emotional challenges, and lead more fulfilling lives. You’ll examine how evidence-based therapies alleviate distress and promote effective functioning.​

On this pathway you will discover

  • The main schools of counselling psychology and how they differ in their approaches to people and psychological change.​
  • How culture, identity, and values influence the therapeutic relationship.​
  • The importance of empathy, active listening, and unconditional positive regard in supporting clients.​
  • The ways counselling psychology is evolving through digital therapy and online interventions.​

Research with impact​​​

Our expert staff team conduct research across a range of contemporary and impactful topics , including; ​

  • Compassion and positive psychology,​
  • Well-being, burnout, rehabilitation, and psychological functioning across justice, healthcare, and community settings.​

Our Education and Child Development Psychology pathway explores how children learn and grow through both cognitive and behavioural lenses. You'll examine how motivation, memory, and individual needs shape learning and support across educational settings.​​

On this pathway you will discover

  • How children learn and develop from birth through adolescence.​
  • The major theories of child development and how they compare, including the work of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bowlby.​
  • What inclusive education looks like and how to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).​
  • How education policy and practice can reduce or sometimes reinforce inequality.​

Research with impact​​​

Our expert staff team conduct research across a range of contemporary and impactful topics , including;

  • Language and literacy development in children.​
  • Collaboration and support between schools and families for children with SEND.​
  • Psychological factors influencing learning and achievement, including motivation and well-being.​

Are criminals born or made? Can serious offenders be rehabilitated? On our Forensic Psychology pathway, you’ll explore theories of crime and the psychological factors that drive offending behaviour.​​​

On this pathway you will discover

  • How psychologists assess offenders’ mental states and evaluate the risk of reoffending.​​
  • How eyewitness memory functions and the factors that influence its reliability in court.​​
  • Psychological theories that help explain violent, sexual, and other forms of offending behaviour.​​
  • The challenges and possibilities of treating serious offenders, including those with psychopathic traits.​​
  • The strengths and limitations of offender profiling in criminal investigations.

Research with impact​​​

Our expert staff team conduct research across a range of contemporary and impactful topics, including;

  • Cyberbullying, moral reasoning, and gendered pathways into sexual and violent offending behaviour.​
  • Trauma, resilience, and well-being among prison staff and high-risk professionals.​​

Our Health Psychology pathway explores how psychological factors such as stress, addiction and behaviour influence health and illness. This field bridges psychology with medicine, helping you understand the complex links between mind and body.​​​​​

On this pathway you will discover

  • What health psychology is, and how it differs from other areas of psychology and medicine.​​​
  • How stress, coping styles, and personality affect physical health and illness.​
  • The psychological factors that influence health behaviours such as smoking, exercise, and diet.​​​
  • How health psychology informs public health campaigns and behaviour change interventions.​​​
  • How digital technologies can be used to promote health behaviour change.​

Research with impact​​​

Our expert staff team conduct research across a range of contemporary and impactful topics, including;

  • Health behaviour change and digital interventions.​​
  • Illness experience, identity, and self-management in chronic conditions and health inequalities.​​​
  • Appetite control, eating behaviour, and weight management.​​​

Our Occupational, Business and Marketing Psychology pathway explores how psychological principles are applied in professional settings - from understanding workplace dynamics and organisational behaviour to influencing consumer decision-making.​​​​​​

On this pathway you will discover

  • How personality and motivation influence workplace behaviour and performance.​​​
  • How psychological principles can enhance leadership, communication, and conflict resolution.​
  • The psychological effects of workplace stress and how it can be effectively managed.​​​
  • How organisational culture shapes employee well-being and productivity.
  • The role of emotional intelligence in leadership and organisational success.​​

Research with impact​​​

Our expert staff team conduct research across a range of contemporary and impactful topics, including;

  • Psychological factors underpinning motivation, engagement, and performance in learning and work environments.​​​
  • Health and occupational wellbeing, motivation, and behaviour change in professional settings.​

From Park Run to elite Olympic competition, our Sports and Exercise Psychology pathway explores how thoughts, emotions and psychological responses influence participation, performance and well-being across all levels of sport and physical activity.​​​​​​

On this pathway you will discover

  • How psychology helps to enhance performance, mental resilience, and well-being.​
  • The role of psychology in promoting inclusivity, good mental health, and social equality in sport and physical activity settings.​
  • How brain functioning, arousal regulation, neuropsychology, and cognitive strategy influence sport and exercise performance.​​​​
  • Factors that influence and inform health-related behaviours.​

Research with impact​​​

Our expert staff team conduct research across a range of contemporary and impactful topics, including;

  • Well-being and human flourishing​​
  • Interpersonal expectancies ​​​
  • The experiences of applied practitioners working within sport and exercise psychology.​​​

Learn from experts who bring Psychology to life

Our teaching team includes:

  • HCPC-registered practitioners
  • Academics working across forensic, counselling, developmental, health and cognitive psychology
  • Professors leading research with real-world impact

You’ll learn from people who work in the environments you’ll one day enter. 

Caspar Wynne.

Caspar Wynne

Caspar Wynne

Psychology Technician

Overview

Caspar began is academic career in 2015, after working in the pub and restaurant trade for 15 years. Studying psychology at Bangor University, Caspar worked as a Research Assistant in the Language and Literacy lab and was the volunteer coordinator for the Miles Dyslexia Centre. He also worked as a student mentor for mature and international students on research methodology with a focus on statistics. Since graduating from his MSc in Psychological Research Caspar has worked on a variety of large-scale national research projects as a research officer, project manager, webmaster, and technical support. 

Since starting at Leeds Trinity University Caspar has been supporting the redevelopment of the Psychology Labs and redesigned the student research participation scheme to get students engaged in real life research. 

In addition to his work duties Caspar is also completing a PhD in Psychology focusing on Language and Literacy development, and its impact both cognitively and socio-emotionally. 

Qualifications

  • MSc Psychological Research (Distinction) 
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology (Upper Second Class Honours)

Speciality Areas

Language and Literacy development, Research methodology.
Skills training and development (Excel, SPSS, R and other programming languages).

Current Research

PhD Studies:

  • Testing the contribution of visual, motor, and verbal learning on letter knowledge acquisition.
  • The Impact of Reading and Math Difficulties on Child Well-being

Publications

Downing, C., Evans, G., Calabrich, S., Wynne, C., Cartin, R., Dunton, J., Elliott, R., Caravolas, M., Hulme, C., & Jones, M. (2024). Literacy instruction from afar: evidence for the effectiveness of a remotely delivered language-rich reading programme. Reading and Writing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-023-10502-7

Caravolas, M., Downing, C., Hadden, C. L., & Wynne, C. (2020). Handwriting legibility and its relationship to spelling ability and age: evidence from monolingual and bilingual children. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 1097. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01097

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Within your field, who do you most admire and why? 

Neuropsychologist Professor Brenda Milner revolutionized our understanding of the brain through her work with patient H.M., who suffered severe anterograde amnesia following epilepsy treatment. Her groundbreaking insights from studying H.M.'s condition fundamentally changed the way we think about memory and cognitive processes.

Can you give an example of one of the most random/fascinating things that you teach during the course? What topic or area you teach tends to surprise your students – why?

The story of Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL) is a fascinating example of language creation and evolution. In the 1970s and 1980s, deaf children in Nicaragua, who had been isolated without a common language, were brought together in special education schools.

Without formal instruction, these children began to develop their own means of communication, which rapidly evolved into a full-fledged sign language. This spontaneous emergence of NSL provided linguists with a unique opportunity to study the formation of a new language in real time, highlighting the innate human capacity for language development and the critical role of social interaction in linguistic evolution.

Other than academic knowledge, what traits or other skills do you think are important for a psychologist? 

A keenness to learn and an understanding that you will get things wrong and that’s OK. 
Fayme Yeates.

Fayme Yeates

Fayme Yeates

Lecturer in Psychology

Overview

Dr Fayme Yeates completed her PhD at the University of Exeter investigating implicit sequence learning in humans, using a combination of behaviour experiments using variations of serial reaction time (SRT) tasks explore how we learn predictive contingencies between events without awareness or intention. Alongside these tasks, her work involved simulating and developing cognitive computational models of these processes using a recurrent network.

Her PhD fellowship involved graduate teaching responsibilities, for which she was recognised with a number of learning and teaching awards. She was the postgraduate representative to the BPS Mathematical, Statistical and Computing section, reflecting her keen interest in research methods, statistical analyses and computational modelling. After her PhD she moved to as position as Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Plymouth as a Lecturer in Psychology and spent two years there, where she was awarded multiple teaching awards by the University and student guild - including Best Dissertation Supervisor and Most Innovative Teacher. She then took a career break to care for her young family and moved to Leeds Trinity University on her return to academia as a Lecturer in Psychology in late 2023.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Incidental sequence learning in humans: Predictions of an associative account, University of Exeter 30 Sept 2010 → 14 Aug 2014 Award Date: 30 Sept 2014 
  • Master of Science, Psychological Research Method , University of Exeter - 1 Sept 2009 → 30 Aug 2010 
  • Bachelor of Science, Psychology (with Honours), University of Exeter - 1 Sept 2006 → 30 Jul 2009 

Speciality Areas

Cognition, Cognitive psychology, Research methods, Quantitative methods. 

Current Research

Learning, sequence learning, sequential effects, implicit learning, computational models, human-computer interaction 

Publications

Yeates, F., Wills, A.J., Jones, F.W., & McLaren, I.P.L. (2014). State trace analysis: Dissociable processes in a connectionist network? Cognitive Science. DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12185. 

McLaren, I. P. L., Dunn, B.D., Lawrence, N.S., Milton, F.N., Verbruggen, F., Stevens, T., McAndrew, A., & Yeates, F. (2014). Why decision making may not require awareness. Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 35-36. 

Yeates, F. (2013). Putting the quality into quantitative research. PsyPAG Quarterly, 89, 5-11. 

McAndrew, A., Yeates, F., Verbruggen, F., & McLaren, I.P.L. (2013). Modeling a reaction time variant of the Perruchet effect in humans. In M. Knauff, M. Pauen, N. Sebanz, & I. Wachsmuth (Eds.) Proceedings of the 35th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 3014- 3019). Austin TX: Cognitive Science Society. 

Yeates, F., Jones, F.W., Wills, A.J., Aitken, M.R.F., & McLaren, I.P.L. (2013). Implicit learning: A demonstration and a revision to a novel SRT paradigm. In M. Knauff, M. Pauen, N. Sebanz, & I. Wachsmuth (Eds.) Proceedings of the 35th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 3829-2834). Austin TX: Cognitive Science Society. 

McLaren, R., Jones, F.W., Yeates, F., & McLaren, I.P.L. (2013). Cue competition in human associative learning. In M. Knauff, M. Pauen, N. Sebanz, & I. Wachsmuth (Eds.) Proceedings of the 35th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 4044). Austin TX: Cognitive Science Society. 

Yeates, F., Jones, F.W., Wills, A.J., McLaren, R.P., & McLaren, I.P.L. (2013). Modeling human sequence learning under incidental conditions. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 39(2), 166-173. 

Yeates, F., Jones, F.W., Wills, A.J., Aitken, M.R.F. & McLaren, I.P.L. (2012). Implicit learning: A demonstration and a novel SRT paradigm. In N. Miyake, D. Peebles, & R. P. Cooper (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 1185-1190). Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society. 

Yeates, F., Wills, A.J., Jones, F.W. & McLaren, I.P.L. (2012). State-Trace analysis of sequence learning by simple recurrent networks. In N. Miyake, D. Peebles, & R. P. Cooper (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 2581-2586). Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society. 

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Dr Lisa Webster.

Dr Lisa Webster

Dr Lisa Webster

Reader in Psychology

Overview

Lisa graduated from Keele University in 2001 with a BSc (Dual Hons) in Psychology and Biology. She then went on to obtain her MSc in Clinical Neuroscience from UCL’s Institute of Neurology. 

Her interest in the field of neuroscience, particularly learning and memory, took her to Durham University where she obtained her PhD in Psychology, the focus of which was the study of episodic memory in humans and animals. This involved investigating the underlying neural substrates as well as examining the defining components of episodic memory specifically with regard to their susceptibility to interference from other strategies of retrieval. 

Lisa’s experience extends to working as an assistant psychologist within a learning disabilities service in North Yorkshire, a role that would eventually define her vocational leaning towards mental health research. She also worked as a research assistant/strategy support officer for the British Psychological Society Division of Clinical Psychology. Within this role Lisa gained experience in the strategic planning and policy making elements of the Society as well as communicating with Parliament on issues such as mental health legislation and human rights. 

Lisa also worked as a health economist for the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care based in the Institute of Mental Health at Nottingham University. This provided her with a more in-depth understanding of the principles of health economics and methods of analyses employed to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare interventions. 

From 2014-2016 Lisa was a member of the Mental Health Research Group at Durham University where she was able to further develop her research interests. Lisa’s research focused on psychological interventions, such as behavioural activation, in relation to depression. 

Lisa's current research interests include: 

Resilience in adolescents and young people – measurements and interventions. 

Student connectedness, adjustment, and wellbeing. 

Veteran connectedness and wellbeing. 

Qualifications

  • PhD Psychology (Durham University)
  • MSc Clinical Neuroscience (UCL)
  • BSc Psychology and Biology (Dual Hons; Keele University)
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Durham University)

Speciality Areas

Clinical Psychology and Biological Psychology.

Current Research

Lisa has recently completed a multi-national study (UK; Italy; Australia) investigating the impact of student connectedness under social isolation on student adjustment and wellbeing. The premise of this research is also being extended to other populations. She continues to research interventions that seek to promote resilience in young people. 

Publications

Barwood, M. J., Eglin, C., Hills, S. P., Johnston, N., Massey, H., McMorris, T., Tipton, M. J., Wakabayashi, H., & Webster, L. (2024). Habituation of the cold shock response: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Thermal Biology, 119, 103775. Article 103775. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.10377

Terry, J., Ross, R. M., Nagy, T., Salgado, M., Garrido-Vásquez, P., Sarfo, J. O., Cooper, S., Buttner, A. C., Lima, T. J. S., Öztürk, I., Akay, N., Santos, F. H., Artemenko, C., Copping, L. T., Elsherif, M. M., Milovanović, I., Cribbie, R. A., Drushlyak, M. G., Swainston, K., ... Field, A. P. (2023). Data from an international multi-centre study of statistics and mathematics anxieties and related variables in university students (the SMARVUS Dataset). Journal of Open Psychology Data, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/jopd.80

Woodfield, R., Boduszek, D., Willmott, D., & Webster, L. (2023). The moderating role of prison personnel years of service in the relationship between trauma and PTSD. European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 7(3), Article 100333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejtd.2023.100333

Maskeen, S., Matthews, J., Smith, D. M., Stain, H. J., & Webster, L. A. D. (2021). Higher education as the pathway to personal and community success for Pakistani and Bangladeshi people: A systematic review. Race Ethnicity and Education, 1-22.

Alsubaie, M. M., Stain, H. J., Webster, L. & Wadman, R. (2019). The role of sources of social support on depression and quality of life for university students. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. (2019). https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1568887

Brown, JVE., Walton,  N., Meader,  N., Todd,  A., Webster,  LAD., Steele,  R., Sampson,  SJ., Churchill,  R., McMillan,  D., Gilbody,  S. & Ekers,  D. (2019). Pharmacy‐based management for depression in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD013299. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013299.pub2.

Davis, P., Webster, L., Fernyhough, C., Ralston, K., Kola-Palmer, S. & Stain, H. (2019). Adult Report of Imaginary Companion Play and Adversity in Childhood: Relations to Concurrent Prodromal Symptom Report. Psychiatry Research, 150-152. 

Short, V., Covey, J.A., Webster, L.A., Wadman, R., Reilly, J., Hay-Gibson, N. and Stain, H.J. (2019), Considering the team in team formulation: a systematic review. Mental Health Review Journal, 24(1), 11-29. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHRJ-12-2017-0055

 
Wadman, R., Webster, L., Mawn, L. & Stain, H. (2019). Adult attachment, psychological distress and help-seeking in university students: Findings from a cross-sectional online survey in England. Mental Health & Prevention. 7-13. 

Webster, L.A.D., Chew-Graham, C., Ekers, D. (2016). Feasibility of training practice nurses to deliver a psychosocial intervention within a collaborative care framework for people with depression and long-term conditions: A qualitative study utilizing Normalisation Process Theory. BMC Nursing. 15(71) DOI: 10.1186/s12912-016-0190-2.

Other

Harsh lessons in distress - students tell of mental health struggles at university: The Yorkshire Post Harsh lessons in distress - students tell of mental health struggles at university | Yorkshire Post

 

Review Editor on the Editorial Board of Interventions for Adolescent Mental Health (specialty section of Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) 

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Louisa Peters.

Louisa Peters

Louisa Peters

Lecturer in Psychology

Overview

Louisa has an academic background in the arts, completing an MA Musicology (2009) and MA Applied Research and Consultancy (2010) at Lancaster University. She spent 10 years working within arts and third sector organisations, plus student support services at the University of Bath. In 2020, Louisa was awarded an MSc Psychology (conversion) from Leeds Beckett University, before undertaking her doctoral studies exploring how and why community arts enable recovery from serious mental illness. Louisa currently teaches on mental health related modules, as well as qualitative methods and is a member of the British Psychological Society Health Psychology division.

Louisa’s research interests span across health psychology having conducted research into chronic pain conditions, inflammatory bowel disease and serious mental illness. In particular, Louisa is interested in lived experiences of chronic illness, recovery, illness self-management and the relationship between illness and identity. Louisa is also an advocate for making research accessible and reducing ableism in academia. This has led to the use of visual methods and incorporating arts within data collection. Louisa also has an interest in critical realism and specialises in realist research, including realist evaluation methodology and conducting a realist literature review.

Qualifications

  • PhD Psychology, University of Huddersfield, 2024
  • MSc Psychology, Leeds Beckett University, 2020
  • MA Applied Research and Consulancy, Lancaster Universit, 2010
  • BA Musicology, Lancaster University, 2009

Speciality Areas

Mental Health/Health Psychology, Qualitative Research Methods, Contemporary Issues.

Current Research

“What works” to make higher education accessible to disabled students: An exploratory study to identify contextually based improvements. Leeds Trinity University with Dr James Jackson and Deano Lund.

‘LEGO® Building: Understanding the emotional journey of the student experience into and through higher education’. Leeds Trinity University with Dr. Rachel Conlon

‘Facilitators accessing green spaces’, University of Huddersfield with Dr. Chris Neale, Prof. Nigel King, Prof. Viv Burr and Dr. Clementinah Rooke.

Publications

Peters L. A. (2024) An exploration of analytical tools to conduct a realist synthesis and demonstrate programme theory development: An example from a realist review. Research Methods in Medicine & Health Sciences. 0(0). doi:10.1177/26320843231224807

Peters, L. A., Gomersall, T., Booth, A., & Lucock, M. (2023). Community arts, identity and recovery: A realist review of how community-based arts activities enables the identity change recovery process from serious mental illness. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2751

Peters, L. A. (2023) Embracing neurodiversity to enhance the post-graduate researcher experience: reflections from a doctoral student. Fields: journal of Huddersfield student research, 1(1), 1-13.

Peters, L. & Brown, E. M. (2022) The relationship between illness identity and the self-management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. British Journal of Health Psychology. 27(3), 956-970

Ten Brink, A., Peters, L., Kompouli, P.-I., Jordan, A., McCabe, C., Andreasf, G. & Bultitude, J. H. (2020) Bodily changes and sensory sensitivity in complex regional pain syndrome and fibromyalgia, Pain, 161(6), 1361-1370

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Can you give an example of a professional career highlight and/or experience that informs your teaching of your subject area?

I developed a project called R3connect which developed creative responses to my research into community arts and serious mental illness. This was a community arts project that allowed people with lived experiences to create animations about their own journeys and how arts helps them to live well with serious mental illness. The animations that were created by complete novices were incredible and very impactful, sharing lived experiences without saying a word. This is the power of the arts and it can be an important tool within psychological research too, so expect some creative activities in my lectures!

Can you give an example of one of the most fascinating things that you teach during the course? What topic or area you teach tends to surprise your students – why?

When teaching about mental health I encourage a critical approach and ask students to explore questions like ‘does mental illness exist?’ The aim is to challenge you to think differently, and perhaps more compassionately, about the realities and lived experience of mental illness. Students have commented about how their perspectives have changed about labels such as schizophrenia and become more understanding of unusual experiences such as voice hearing. An important part of this process is hearing from people who are living with such conditions, an important and unique opportunity to have when at University!

Other than academic knowledge, what traits or other skills do you think are important for a psychologist?

I always say to my students ‘question everything!‘ Even if the evidence looks solid and if you’re convinced by the explanations you hear, questioning helps us to think critically and develop new ways of understanding. Critical thinking and creativity are essential skills for psychologists.
Mark Durkin.

Mark Durkin

Mark Durkin

Lecturer in Psychology

Overview

Mark is a chartered psychologist, lecturer in psychology and Module lead for the Foundation Year Psychology Project at Leeds Trinity University. He teaches various modules across psychology.

He graduated with a first-class honours’ degree in Counselling Psychology, and a Master’s in Psychology with distinction before completing his PhD in Psychology at the University of Bolton in 2019. His PhD research explored the understanding of compassion in nursing and led to the development of a new model of compassion strengths, a psychometric measure, and online course for nursing students.

Mark’s research interests and published work focus on compassion, self-compassion, burnout, compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, mental health and wellbeing in healthcare students and practitioners.

He has a with Routledge Taylor Francis on Compassion Strengths, and his forthcoming book “The COMPASS model for Criminal and Forensic Psychology is due to be published in 24/25 with Emerald publishing. In addition to this, his research explores the impact of compassion-focused therapy and positive psychology on mental health and wellbeing among people who have experience with the justice system, as well as the tailored support needs for carers of people with mental health. 

Qualifications

  • PhD in Psychology 2016-2019
  • MSc Psychology (Distinction) 2013-2015
  • BSc Counselling and Psychology (1st- class) 2010-2013 

Speciality Areas

Research methods, Counselling/clinical psychology, Mental health and wellbeing, Positive psychology, Compassion-focused therapy/compassionate mind training.

Current Research

How Compassion and Positive Psychology can assist with desistance from offending 

Compassion Strengths training with nursing and healthcare students.

Publications

ORCID ID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5655-4075  

Phillips, R, Durkin, M, Engward, H, Cable G, Iancu, M (2022). The impact of caring for family members with mental illnesses on the caregiver: a scoping review, Health Promotion International, daac049, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daac049 

Durkin, M., Gurbutt, R., & Carson, J. (2022). Effectiveness of an online short compassion strengths course on nursing students compassion: A mixed methods non-randomised pilot study. Nurse Education Today, 111, 105315. 

Durkin, M., Carson, J., & Gurbutt, R. (2020) Development and validation of a new instrument to measure nursing students compassion strengths: The Bolton Compassion Strengths Indicators. Nurse Education in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102822  

Durkin, M., Gurbutt, R. & Carson J. (2019). Stakeholder perspectives of compassion in nursing: the development of the compassion strengths model. Journal of Advanced Nursing https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14134  

Durkin, M., Gurbutt, R. & Carson J. (2018). Qualities, Teaching and measurement of compassion in nursing:  A systematic review. Nurse Education Today, 63, 50-58.  

Beaumont, E., Rayner, G., Durkin, M., & Bowling, G. (2017). The effects of Compassionate Mind Training on student psychotherapists. The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, 12 (5), 300-312. 

Beaumont, E., Durkin, M., McAndrew, S., & Martin, C. R. (2016). Using Compassion Focused Therapy as an adjunct to Trauma-Focused CBT for Fire Service personnel suffering with trauma-related symptoms. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 9. 

Durkin, M., Beaumont, E., Martin, C. J. H., & Carson, J. (2016). A pilot study exploring the relationship between self-compassion, self-judgement, self-kindness, compassion, professional quality of life and wellbeing among UK community nurses. Nurse Education Today, 46, 109-114.  

Beaumont, E., Durkin, M., Hollins Martin, C. J., Carson, J., (2016) Compassion for others, self-compassion, quality of life and mental well-being measures and their association with compassion fatigue and burnout in student midwives: a quantitative survey. Midwifery, 34 239–244. 

Beaumont, E., Durkin, M., Hollins Martin, C.J., Carson, J. (2016). Measuring relationships between self-compassion, compassion fatigue, burnout and well-being in trainee counsellors and trainee cognitive behavioural psychotherapists: a quantitative survey. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 16(1): 15-23. 

Books

Durkin (2023). Developing you compassion strengths: a guide for healthcare students and practitioners. Routledge Taylor Francis.

 Other

Durkin, M. (2017). Student life-Be an agent of compassion: Five qualities, practised every day, can make you more compassionate, says psychology graduate and PhD student Mark Durkin. Nursing Standard, 31(38), 35-35. 

UC Berkley, Greater Good Magazine, 8 May 2017 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-give-to-others-without-burning-out  

Huffington Post, 17 May 2017 

https://time.com/4886913/how-to-take-care-of-others-without-burning-out/   

Time Magazine, 7 August 2017 

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Paul McGivern.

Paul McGivern

Paul McGivern

Senior Lecturer Cognitive Psychology

Overview

Dr Paul McGivern is a senior lecturer in psychology with ten years’ experience teaching in Higher Education. His specialist subject area is cognitive psychology with a focus on risk, decision-making, and reasoning. Paul’s main research interests are focused on gambling, specifically how technology can be harnessed to promote safe(r) gambling behaviours. He has a broad interest in cyberpsychology and behaviour-change with a particular focus on how technology can be used for educational purposes, particularly in the promotion of inclusive learning and positive behaviour-change. Paul has experience in supervising both undergraduate and postgraduate students and also teaches at these levels.  

Paul is an active researcher who contributed towards the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) and the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). Paul has experience as a programme leader with experience in module development, and course validation.  Paul has presented and both national and international conferences. He is also passionate about widening participation initiatives and has been involved in many local research-based initiatives including working with York MIND and working with schools across North Yorkshire (the RealWriting Project: Quality Assurance Role) to writing and communication skills in schools.  

Qualifications

  • PhD Psychology 
  • Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy 
  • MSc Psychology 
  • Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert
  • BSc Psychology (Hons) – First Class 

Speciality Areas

Cognitive Psychology (with a focus on decision-making, risk, and reasoning), cyberpsychology, research methods (qualitative and quantitative), research/project supervision. I also have teaching experience in other areas/topics such as social policy, educational psychology, and risk and modernity. 

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and recognised as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert.

Current Research

A brief report on student gambling: How can universities help? 

Gambling Among UK University Students on Sports-Based Degree Programmes  

Understanding the Role of Branding in the Responsible Gambling Ethos of Popular Gambling Providers in the UK: Are Responsible Gambling ‘Commitments’ Brand-Free?

Publications

ORCiD: 0000-0002-7726-7702 

McGivern P, Hussain Z, Lipka S, Stupple E. The impact of pop-up warning messages of losses on expenditure in a simulated game of online roulette: a pilot study. BMC Public Health. 2019 Jun 26;19(1):822. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7191-5. PMID: 31242890; PMCID: PMC6595584. 

McGivern P, Coxon M. Student polling software: where cognitive psychology meets educational practice? Front Psychol. 2015 Jan 30; 6:55. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00055. PMID: 25688228; PMCID: PMC4311550. 

McGivern, P., & Shepherd, J. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 on UK university students: Understanding the interconnection of issues experienced during lockdown. Power and Education 14(3) 218-227  https://doi.org/10.1177/17577438221104227

Other

Examining the impact and potential of an interactive risk meter as a responsible gambling device in electronic roulette 

General information 

Organisations:  

University of Derby 

Contributors:  

McGivern, P. 

Publication date:  

Feb 2016 

Event:  

Poster session presented at New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 

Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster 

Tailored onscreen ‘pop-up’ warning messages of specific loss amounts reduce expenditure in online roulette 

McGivern, P., May 2015 

Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster 

Organisations:  

University of Derby 

 

Ethical and practical considerations of online gambling research: aligning policy and scientific enquiry 

McGivern, P., Jan 2015 

Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster 

Organisations:  

University of Derby 

Context-specific ‘pop-up’ warnings reduce gambling expenditure in online roulette 

McGivern, P., 1 Sep 2014. 

Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster 

Organisations:  

University of Derby 

The prevalence and nature of negative experiences online 

McGivern, P. & Noret, N., 7 Jul 2010. 

Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster 

Organisations:  

York St John University 

Research Snapshot - Gambling Research Exchange Ontario 

Description: 

Research article featured in the 'Research Snapshot' profile within the Gambling Research Exchange Ontario, Canada 

Details of Media contribution and Media coverage 

McGivern, P., Hussain, Z., Lipka, S. (2019). The impact of pop-up warning messages of losses on expenditure in a simulated game of online roulette: a pilot study. Research Snapshot, Gambling Research Exchange Ontario 

29/09/19 

United Kingdom 

https://www.greo.ca/Modules/EvidenceCentre/files/McGivern%20et%20al%20(2019)_The%20impact%20of%20pop%20up%20warning%20messages%20of%20losses%20on%20expenditure_Final.pdf 

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Ben Morris.

Ben Morris

Ben Morris

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

Overview

Ben has an interest in health and social psychology, specifically in the area of attitude measurement and behaviour change. He has presently conducted work looking at diet improvement, physical activity uptake and reducing binge drinking. Ben has experience using online and text-based methods to intervene with large populations and has conducted work utilising Question Behaviour Effects (QBE).

Ben has recently been awarded funding to conduct a meta-analysis on the efficacy of tai chi in the elderly. He is also conducting a review assessing the role of affect in physical activity engagement. Currently, Ben is writing a grant investigating one method to improve recycling rates in the general population. He regularly seeks collaboration opportunities with institutions nationwide and would be interested in hearing about future opportunities that fit his research profile. He also encourages students to get in contact should they have projects they seek supervision on.

Qualifications

  • PhD
  • MSc Psychological Approaches to Health
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology

Speciality Areas

PSY4063 Professional Development for Psychologists 1
PSY4073 Introduction to Research Skills for Psychologists
PSY6125 Health Behaviour Change in Context
PSY6122 Psychology Special Subject
PSY6145 Psychology Research Project
PSY7065 Personality and Intelligence (Masters conversion course)
PSY7033 Advanced Research Methods for Practitioner Psychologists (Forensic Masters)

Current Research

Promoting Bayesian statistics to aide in the improvement of Health Psychology; The effect of goal priority on intentions to engage in environmentally positive behaviour; The development of an Italian version of a Psychological Resilience scale; Assessing the effectiveness of Tai chi to improve Psychological Resilience

Publications

Morris, B., & Bone, A. (2024). Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wellbeing: an inductive thematic analysis exploring how BJJ can increase subjective wellbeing. Mental Health and Social Inclusion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-11-2023-0116

Morris, B., Jackson, J., & Roberts, A. (2023). Effects of long-term Ashtanga yoga practice on psychological well-being. Mental Health and Social Inclusion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-03-2023-0033

St Quinton, T., Morris, B., Lithopoulos, A., Norman, P., Conner, M., & Rhodes, R. (2023). Self-efficacy and alcohol consumption: are efficacy measures confounded with motivation? Cogent Psychology, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2023.2180872

St Quinton, T., Morris, B., Pickering, D., & Smith, D. (2022). Behavior change techniques and delivery modes in interventions targeting adolescent gambling: a systematic review. Journal of Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-022-10108-8

St Quinton, T., Morris, B., & Crescioni, A. W. (2022). Beliefs in free will and determinism: associations with social cognition and gambling behavior. Addiction Research & Theory. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2022.2062330

Jackson, J., & Morris, B. (2022). Impact of the built asset on health and wellbeing: contemporary review of tinnitus in the built environment, and effective interventions at work and home. In O. Ebohon, & C. Udeaja (Eds.), Proceedings of IDoBE International Conference on Uncertainties in the Built Environment (2021): How can we build a resilient future in the new normal? (pp. 989-1004). Article Paper 1

St Quinton, T., & Morris, B. (2021). Gambling prevention mobile applications: understanding the inclusion and use of behaviour change techniques. Journal of Gambling Issues, 48, 110–121. https://doi.org/10.4309/jgi.2021.48.5

St Quinton, T., Morris, B., Barwood, M., & Conner, M. (2021). Promoting physical activity through text messages: the impact of attitude and goal priority messages. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2021.1891073

St Quinton, T., Morris, B., & Trafimow, D. (2021). Untangling the Theory of Planned Behavior's auxiliary assumptions and theoretical assumptions: implications for predictive and intervention studies. New Ideas in Psychology, 60, Article 100818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2020.100818

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Candice Whitaker.

Candice Whitaker

Candice Whitaker

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

Overview

Candice completed their undergraduate degree at The Open University. Following this, they undertook Masters and PhD study at Leeds Beckett University, where they also taught on various modules across the social sciences provision. Their PhD research explored young men’s body image and appearance-related matters, investigating the role of social ideals of masculine behaviour in men’s physical self-appraisal and body image-related discussions.

Alongside their PhD, Candice also undertook a postgraduate teaching qualification (PGCAP) and was awarded Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. She joined Leeds Trinity University in 2020 as a Lecturer in Psychology and specialises in qualitative research methods.

Candice’s research interests focus primarily within the study of masculinities, and men’s health and wellbeing. This includes exploring men’s experiences, as well as the potential impact of wider social ideals on shaping these. Candice is also interested in the development and expansion of qualitative research methods and open science principles in psychology and is currently collaborating on a range of related projects.

Qualifications

  • PhD Psychology (Leeds Beckett University)
  • MA Interdisciplinary Psychology (Leeds Beckett University)
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Leeds Beckett University)
  • BSc(Hons) Psychology (The Open University)

Speciality Areas

  • Critical Psychology (Social/Health)
  • Qualitative Research Methods

Current Research

Candice is currently involved in a number of research projects. These include exploring men’s engagement with mobile dating apps, papers surrounding men’s body image and appearance-related matters and how men discuss sensitive topics, and a co-creation project involving students and staff at Leeds Trinity University.

Publications

Peer-reviewed journals

Whitaker, C., Gough, B., Fawkner, H., & Deighton-Smith, N. (2021). Young men’s body dissatisfaction: A qualitative analysis of anonymous online accounts. Journal of health psychology, 26(5), 636-649.

Other publications

Whitaker, C., Gough, B., Fawkner, H. & Deighton-Smith, N., (2001, 16-19 Jun). Negotiating feminised discourses: a discursive analysis of how men construct body image and appearance-related matters. [Conference presentation]. 1st Conference of the Association of European Qualitative Researchers, Thessaloniki/Online, Greece

Whitaker, C. (2019, 15-18 Jul). Body talk: the role of masculinity in young men’s body image and appearance related matters [Conference presentation]. The 11th Biennial Conference of the International Society of Critical Health Psychology (ISCHP), Bratislava, Slovakia.

Whitaker, C. (2019, 3-5 Jul). “I do care about how I look, when I feel like I shouldn’t!”: a qualitative investigation of young men’s body image-related issues [Conference presentation]. The British Psychological Society Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section & The History and Philosophy of Psychology Section Conference, Cardif, UK.

Whitaker, C. (2022, July 13-15). Finding your voice and volume as a novice researcher: Reflecting on self-positioning and disclosure in the knowledge production process [Conference presentation]. BPS Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section Conference, Leicester, UK.

Whitaker, C. (2022, July 13-15). ‘The grind of finding someone’: A Thematic Analysis of men’s accounts of their picture-based mobile dating app use. [Conference presentation]. BPS Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section Conference, Leicester, UK.

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James Jackson.

James Jackson

James Jackson

Reader in Psychology

Overview

James holds a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences from Heriot-Watt University, a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Sheffield, as well as an MSc in Industrial Psychology and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Hull. James was a lecturer at Hull for several years before moving to Leeds Trinity University. 

His PhD thesis was: “The relationship between tinnitus, cognitive performance and demands on the individual” and as someone with both tinnitus and hearing loss,  James is fascinated by the subjective nature of tinnitus and how it is perceived by different individuals. Why do some people habituate quickly, while others take longer? And why do others remain distressed over the long term, with significant consequences for their quality of life? 

Previously, James has been an unpaid scientific advisor to Hearing Power, the company behind the smartphone app MindEar (formerly Tinnibot). This work, supported by external grants, helped Tinnibot to win the third annual prestigious Hearing Technology Innovator Awards (October 2022). Alongside interventions for tinnitus in the online space, James has investigated the effects of tinnitus on diurnal hormonal cycles (specifically the stress hormone, cortisol), as well as dissatisfaction of tinnitus patients within the primary care pathway, help-seeking behaviour, and post-COVID tinnitus prevalence in the UK. 

James is active in the field of Knowledge Exchange, and runs workshops for GPs, audiologists, and other healthcare professionals to better understand tinnitus, and the evidence base behind specific tinnitus interventions. He has general interests in all kinds of chronic stressors (e.g. loneliness, chronic pain, long-term hearing impairment etc) and in the effects of hormones on human attractiveness and sexual orientation. He has made a number of media appearances with regards to the psychology of attraction, dating apps, loneliness, etc. 

James is open to supervise PhD students. 

Qualifications

  • PhD in Psychology – University of Hull
  • MSc Industrial Psychology – University of Hull
  • BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences – Heriot-Watt University
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology – University of Sheffield

Speciality Areas

Biopsychology; Hormones (specifically cortisol and testosterone), Stress and Illness (chronic stressors/objective measurement of stress), Tinnitus/Hearing Loss, Human Attraction, and Pain Tolerance.

Current Research

James is currently engaged in several different areas of research. As of September 2024, he is continuing investigation of online mindfulness and the MindEar smartphone app as interventions for tinnitus distress. Other projects include further investigation of the Cortisol Awakening Response in tinnitus patients, tinnitus during pregnancy, tinnitus and COVID, female stalking and the menopause, and effects of prenatal testosterone exposure on female engagement in combat sports.

Publications

Jackson, J. G., & Woolmer, C. D. (2024). An 8-Week Online Body Scan Meditation Intervention for Tinnitus: Accessibility, Adherence, and Rates of Clinically Meaningful Success. Mindfulness, 1-12. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-024-02357-y  

Morris, B., Jackson, J., & Roberts III, A. (2023). Effects of long-term Ashtanga Yoga practice on psychological well-being. Mental Health and Social Inclusion. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-03-2023-0033  

Jackson, J., & Morris, B. (2022, August). Impact of the built asset on health and wellbeing: contemporary review of tinnitus in the built environment, and effective interventions at work and home. In IDoBE International Conference 2021: Uncertainties in the Built Environment: How can we build a resilient future in the new normal? (pp. 989-1004). 

Edwards, H. M., Jackson, J. G., & Evans, H. (2022). Neuroticism as a covariate of cognitive task performance in individuals with tinnitus. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 906476. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906476  

Jackson, J. G. (2019). The cortisol awakening response: A feasibility study investigating the use of the area under the curve with respect to increase as an effective objective measure of tinnitus distress. American journal of audiology, 28(3), 583-596. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJA-18-0174  

 

Want to improve your knowledge of tinnitus? 14/05/24 

Audiology World News (International), United Kingdom. 

https://www.audiology-worldnews.com/uk-news/profession-uk-news/want-to-improve-your-knowledge-of-tinnitus/  

Podcast Credits

Into You: Part 1 – The Anatomy of Attraction (March 2022)

The Anatomy of Attraction - Into You | Podcast on Spotify

Into You: Part 2 – Attraction in Action (April 2022)

Attraction in Action - Into You | Podcast on Spotify

Gin and Topic - Jacqsons and Tinnitus (Season 2 Episode 6)

Tinnitus – More than just a noise

Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2021: LIFICAST001 – Are we More Lonely?

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Laura De Pretto.

Laura De Pretto

Laura De Pretto

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

Overview

Dr Laura De Pretto is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology. Her research focuses on cross-cultural and environmental psychology, mainly through quantitative methods. Laura has an interest in cross-cultural variations in pro-environmental behaviours and connectedness to nature, as well as how these constructs intersect with hope, health, wellbeing and acculturation.  

Originally from Italy, Dr De Pretto obtained her PhD in Applied Psychology in 2013 from East China Normal University. After that, she worked as an Assistant Professor for the University of Nottingham Malaysia until 2017, when she joined Leeds Trinity University.  

At Leeds Trinity, she currently teaches contemporary issues in psychology, social psychology, professional learning through work and quantitative research methods across bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and supervises BSc dissertations, MSc theses and PhD projects.  

Dr De Pretto is also the international coordinator for the department.

Qualifications

  • Laurea pre-Bologna agreement, cum laude, University of Urbino Carlo Bo’
  • PhD in Applied Psychology, East China Normal University
  • PGCHE, University of Nottingham  

Speciality Areas

Social psychology, Cross-cultural psychology, Conservation psychology.

Current Research

  • Reduction in Carbon Footprint and Psychological Wellbeing (in collaboration with University of Nottingham Malaysia, University Malaya, Bangor University) 
  • Global Classroom and Student Cultural Intelligence (in collaboration with University of Opole and Taylor’s University).  

Publications

Sawicki, A. J.,Żemojtel-Piotrowska, M., Balcerowska, J. M., Sawicka M. J., PiotrowskiJ., Sedikides, C., Jonason P. K.,Maltby, J., Adamovic, M., Agada M. G., Ahmed, O., Al-Shawaf, L., Appiah, S. C. Y., Ardi, R., Babakr, Z.H.,Bălțătescu, S., Bonato,M., Cowden, R. G., Chobthamkit, P., ... Zand, S. (2021). The Fear of COVID-19 Scale: ItsStructure and MeasurementInvariance Across 48 Countries.Psychological Assessment, in press. 

De Pretto, L., Mansilla, O.P., Russo, E.et al.The experience of Hope among Italian undergraduatestudents.CurrPsychol(2020). The experience of Hope among Italian undergraduate students | SpringerLink  De Pretto, L.*,Chin, Y. S. J.*, Thuppil, V., & Ashfold, M. J.(2019). Public awareness and support forenvironmentalprotection—A focus on air pollution in peninsular Malaysia.PloS one,14(3), e0212206.  

Pauluzzo, R., Guarda, M.,De Pretto, L., & Fang, T. (2018). Managing paradoxes, dilemmas, and change: A case studytoapply theYin Yang wisdom in Western organizational settings.Cross Cultural & Strategic Management,25(2),257-275. 

Wong, P.Y.,Varkkey,H., Ashfold,M.,De Pretto, L.,Ives, C.,Masran, S.A., VasanthaKumar, P.(2021).We need totalk about haze. We need to talk about haze | Vision | University of Nottingham 

 

Varkkey,H., Ashfold, M.,De Pretto, L.,Ives, C., Wong, P.Y., Masran, S.A., VasanthaKumar, P.(2021).Haze andgovernment communications in Malaysia(Policy brief003). Haze-POLICY-BRIEF-003.PDF (nottingham.ac.uk) 

Alfajri, Setiawan, A.,Varkkey, H., Ashfold, M.,De Pretto, L., Wong, P.Y., and Ives, C.(2021).Religious ValuesandEnvironmental Protection in Indonesia: New Public Opinion Data on Transboundary Haze.ARIscope. 

Ashfold, M., Wong, P., Varkkey, H.,De Pretto, L., Miller, M., Astuti, R., . . . Kumar,P. (2020).Public Values andSentimentsregarding Transboundary Haze Pollution in Singapore.ARIscope.  

CL Hii, SP Ong, CL Chiang,L De Pretto, CH Pang, DE Tan. Classroom design attributes: An investigation of staffs’and students' preferences. Proceedings of Mechanical Engineering Research Day 2019 (2019), 216-217.  

De Pretto, L.,Hii, C.L.,Chiang, C.L.,Ong, S.P.,Tan, D.E.S.Y.,Pang, C.H.(2019).On the KeyFactors in HigherEducation Classroom Design: Physical Aspects of the Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Experience inMalaysia.Preprints, 2019080089 (doi: 10.20944/preprints201908.0089.v1). 

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Shames Maskeen.

Shames Maskeen

Shames Maskeen

Lecturer in Developmental Psychology

Overview

Shames Maskeen is a Lecturer in Developmental Psychology, and his research area focuses on widening access and widening participation. In particular, increasing the participation of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis in higher education. His research focuses on addressing the interplay of culture, religion, and gender on the lived experiences of people of colour.  

In his previous role as Institutional Operational Lead for the Race Equality Charter (REC), he was the driving force in Leeds Trinity University becoming the first University in Yorkshire to achieve the Bronze award. Subsequent success to the REC award includes Leeds Trinity University winning the Gold Student Choice Award in recognition of the work to tackle and champion race equality and shortlisted for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ in recognition of embedding race equality across the institution at Times Higher Education Awards 2021.

Qualifications

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • MSc Organizational Psychology
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology 

Speciality Areas

Developmental psychology, Anti-racism, Research Methods (Quantitative and Qualitative).

Current Research

Shames’ main research interests are on the interplay of culture, religion and gender on the lived experiences of students and staff of colour in higher education. 

Publications

  • Maskeen, S., Matthews, J., Smith, D. M., Stain, H. J., & Webster, L. A. (2021). Higher education as the pathway to personal and community success for Pakistani and Bangladeshi people: A systematic review. Race Ethnicity and Education, 1-22. 
  • Chui, H., Bryant, E., Sarabia, C., Maskeen, S., & Stewart-Knox, B. (2019). Burnout, eating behaviour traits and dietary patterns. British Food Journal. 

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Tim Gomersall.

Tim Gomersall

Tim Gomersall

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

Overview

Tim Gomersall is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Leeds Trinity University. He has published widely in the areas of health psychology, gender-based violence, and theoretical psychology. He is interested in health inequalities, and believes that psychologists can create positive social change through their research and teaching. He has expertise in health psychology, qualitative research methods, and systematic reviews in health-related research.

Tim gained his BSc in Psychology from Lancaster University, followed by an MSc in Qualitative Psychology and Health and a PhD in Psychology, both from the University of Leeds. His PhD examined the experiences of well and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, and the issues people experience in managing this complex chronic illness. Seeing the impact of social injustices on people’s health first-hand led to a lifelong passion for addressing these problems.

Tim has held research and teaching positions at the University of Manchester, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Huddersfield. He currently teaches at Leeds Trinity University across a range of modules on the Psychology programmes. 

Qualifications

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2016)
  • PhD Psychology, University of Leeds (2012)
  • MSc Qualitative Psychology and Health, University of Leeds (2007)
  • BSc Psychology, Lancaster University (2005)

Speciality Areas

Contemporary Issues in Psychology; Psychology Professional Development and Placement; Research Methods, Health Behaviour Change in Context.

Current Research

The relationship between creativity and wellbeing.

Publications

Bailey, L., Hulley, J., Kirkman, G., Gibbs, G.R., Jones, A. & Gomersall, T. (2024). "The Networking of Abuse: Intimate Partner Violence and the Use of Social Technologies" Criminal Justice and Behavior, 51(2).

Peters, L., Lucock, M., Booth, A. & Gomersall (2023). Community arts, identity, and recovery: A realist review of how community-based arts activities enables the identity change recovery process from serious mental illness. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 34(1).

Hulley, J., Bailey, L., Kirkman, G., Gibbs, G. R., Gomersall, T., Latif, A., & Jones, A. (2023). Intimate partner violence and barriers to help-seeking among Black, Asian, minority ethnic and immigrant women: A qualitative metasynthesis of global research. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 24(2).

Hulley, J., Wager, K., Gomersall, T., Bailey, L., Kirkman, G., Gibbs, G., & Jones, A. D. (2022). Continuous traumatic stress: examining the experiences and support needs of women after separation from an abusive partner. Journal of interpersonal violence, 37(21).1-23.

Mentrup, S., Harris, E., Gomersall, T., Köpke, S., & Astin, F. (2020). Patients’ experiences of cardiovascular health education and risk communication: a qualitative synthesis. Qualitative health research, 30(1), 88-104.
Swindells, J., & Gomersall, T. (2019). Public perception of dementia risk in the UK: a mental models approach. Journal of Risk Research, 23(4), 461-474.

Gomersall, T. (2018). Complex adaptive systems: a new approach for understanding health practices. Health psychology review, 12(4), 405-418.

Carruthers, H., Gomersall, T., & Astin, F. (2018). The work undertaken by mechanically ventilated patients in Intensive Care: a qualitative meta-ethnography of survivors’ experiences. International journal of nursing studies. 86, 60-73

Moeller, C., King, N., Burr, V., Gibbs, G. R., & Gomersall, T. (2018). Nature-based interventions in institutional and organisational settings: a scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 28(3), 293-305.

Gomersall, T., Smith, S.K., Blewett, C. & Astell, A. (2017) It’s definitely not Alzheimer’s: Patient perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of a mild cognitive impairment diagnosis. British Journal of Health Psychology, 22(4).

Other

Is there really a benefit from getting an early dementia diagnosis? The Conversation, Is there really a benefit from getting an early dementia diagnosis? (theconversation.com)

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Within your field, who do you most admire and why?

I’ve recently grown to admire the work of Anders K. Ericsson on peak performance. He really taps into how to make the most of human potential.

Can you give an example of one of the most fascinating things you teach during the course? What topic or area you teach tends to surprise your students – why?

My students are often surprised when I discuss how an 18th-century prison design has gone on to reshape how people are governed in contemporary society, and how deep the impact of this can be on our psyche.

What do you enjoy the most about working in psychology or as a psychologist?

I like the range of different research I’ve been able to use my psychology skills for. When I started my undergraduate degree I never would have thought I’d have worked analysing clinical studies data to inform NHS decision-making, or travelling around the world to look at the potential of gaming as a tool to reduce gender-based violence.
Tim Vestner.

Tim Vestner

Tim Vestner

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

Overview

Tim joined Leeds Trinity University in 2022 as a Senior Lecturer. He is interested in vision and social cognition, and has published extensively on the perception of social interactions, as well as face recognition. His research combines cognitive and psychophysical methods with questions from social psychology. He was chair of the early career researchers’ forum in York and is passionate about science communication and public outreach. 

Tim received his PhD from the University of York where he got interested in how social stimuli influence visual processing. There he also started taking part in public outreach events, later becoming the lead organiser behind many such events. Suring his subsequent time as a postdoctoral researcher at Birkbeck College, University of London, he continued researching the processes involved in social interaction perception, as well as organising academic networking events. At Leeds Trinity University he works to establish a strong cognitive research programme. 

Qualifications

  • PhD Experimental Psychology - University of York 2015 – 2018
  • MSc Cognitive Neuroscience  - University of Sussex 2013 – 2014
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology - Oxford Brookes University 2011 – 2013

Speciality Areas

Social Cognition, Visual Perception, Face Perception, Research Methods.

Current Research

Tim is currently investigating how social stimuli can change and distort our perception and memory. 

Publications

Over, H., Lee, R., Flavell, J., Vestner, T., & Cook, R. (2023). Contextual modulation of appearance-trait learning. Cognition, 230, 105288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105288 

Vestner, T., Flavell, J., Cook, R., & Tipper, S. (2022). Remembered together: Social interaction facilitates retrieval while reducing individuation of features within bound representations. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 75(9), 1593-1602. https://doi.org/10.1177/17470218211056499  

Vestner, T., Gray, K.L., & Cook, R. (2022). Sensitivity to orientation is not unique to social attention cueing. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09011-4 

Vestner, T., Balsys, E., Over, H., & Cook, R. (2022). The self-consistency effect seen on the Dot Perspective Task is a product of domain-general attention cueing, not automatic perspective taking. Cognition, 224, 105056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105056 

Vestner, T., Over, H., Gray, K. L., & Cook, R. (2022). Objects that direct visuospatial attention produce the search advantage for facing dyads. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001067  

Vestner, T., Over, H., Gray, K. L. H., Tipper, S. P., & Cook, R. (2021). Searching for people: Non-facing distractor pairs hinder the visual search of social scenes more than facing distractor pairs. Cognition, 214, 104737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104737  

Svenning, A., Panzarino, R., Vanryckeghem, M., & Vestner, T. (2021). Life partners’ perceptions of the emotional, speech disruptive, and attitudinal correlates of stuttering. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 67, 105821. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfludis.2020.105821  

Vestner, T., Gray, K. L. H., & Cook, R. (2021). Visual search for facing and non-facing people: The effect of actor inversion. Cognition, 208, 104550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104550  

Vestner, T., Gray, K. L. H., & Cook, R. (2020). Why are social interactions found quickly in visual search tasks? Cognition, 200, 104270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104270  

Vestner, T., Tipper, S. P., Hartley, T., Over, H., & Rueschemeyer, S.-A. (2019). Bound together: Social binding leads to faster processing, spatial distortion, and enhanced memory of interacting partners. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 148(7), 1251–1268. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000545

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Zacharia Nahouli.

Zacharia Nahouli

Zacharia Nahouli

Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology

Overview

Dr Zacharia Nahouli is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology at LTU with several years of teaching and research experience. He is a mixed methods researcher whose interests centre primarily on applying psychological principles to forensic topics, such as investigating the social and cognitive aspects of forensic interviewing practices, criminal justice processes and offender rehabilitation programmes/interventions. This research informs his teaching on topics such as police interviewing, eyewitness memory, detecting deception, rapport and empathy, jury expert decision-making, and false memories, amongst others. 

Prior to his current role, Zac completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology with Criminology (BSc) at the University of Hull in 2014, a Masters degree in Psychology and Law (MSc) at Maastricht University in 2015, and a doctorate in Psychology (PhD) at the University of Westminster in 2021. He worked as a lecturer in Forensic Psychology at the University of Derby from 2021-2023, where he also completed an Academic Professional Apprenticeship (APA) and Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Higher Education, which gave him fellowship to the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

Qualifications

  • Academic Professional Apprenticeship (APA), Education, University of Derby - Award Date: 06 Dec 2023
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Psychology, University of Westminster - Award Date: 14 Sept 2021
  • Master of Science (MSc), Psychology and Law, Maastricht University - Award Date: 31 Jul 2015
  • Bachelor of Science (BSc), Psychology with Criminology, University of Hull - Award Date: 30 Jun 2014 

Speciality Areas

Teaching Areas: Forensic Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology, Research Methods 

Specialty Areas: Police Interviewing, Rapport/Empathy, Detecting Deception, Eyewitness Memory, False Memories, Jury Decision-Making, Prison & Probation, Offender Rehabilitation. 

Publications

Dando, C. J., Nahouli, Z., Hart, A., & Pounder, Z. (2023). Real-world implications of aphantasia: episodic recall of eyewitnesses with aphantasia is less complete but no less accurate than typical imagers. Royal Society Open Science, 10(10). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.231007 

Nahouli, Z., Mackenzie, J.-M., Aresti, A., & Dando, C. (2023). Rapport building with offenders in probation supervision: The views of English probation practitioners. Probation Journal, 70(2), 104-123. https://doi.org/10.1177/02645505221137448 

Dando, C. D., Taylor, D. A., Caso, A., Nahouli, Z., & Adam, C. (2023). Interviewing in virtual environments: Towards understanding the impact of rapport-building behaviours and retrieval context on eyewitness memory. Memory and Cognition, 51, 404–421. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-022-01362-7 

Nahouli, Z., Dando, C. J., Mackenzie, J. M., & Aresti, A. (2021). Rapport building and witness memory: actions may ‘speak’ louder than words. PLOS ONE, 16(8): e0256084. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256084 

Mazzoni, G., Clark, A., De Bartolo, A., Guerrini, C., Nahouli, Z., Duzzi D., De Marco, M., McGeown, W., & Venneri, A. (2019). Brain activation in highly superior autobiographical memory: The role of the precuneus in the autobiographical memory retrieval network. Cortex, 120, 588-602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2019.02.020 

Wang, J., Otgaar, H., Howe, M. L., Smeets, T., Merckelbach, H., & Nahouli, Z. (2016). Undermining belief in false memories leads to less efficient problem-solving behaviour. Memory, 24, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2016.1249888 

Other

Nahouli, Z. (2019). What I learned from my semester studying with prisoners. The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2019/mar/07/what-i-learned-from-my-semester-studying-with-prisoners 

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