Research in Psychology

Our research tackles fundamental questions of human mind and behaviour, including groundbreaking research exploring the human capacity for language, higher-level thought, self-regulation, and social connection. Taking a lifespan perspective, and answering questions at neural, behavioural and societal level, we aim to advance our understanding of human beings in context.

We also aim to apply our research to deliver societal impact, consulting and working with local councils, charities and corporations in order to facilitate knowledge exchange, and secure optimal outcomes. To realise the university mission to transform lives on a local and global scale, basic and applied research must work in concert, and we champion the integration of these activities in our teaching and research profile.

Our research strengths

Psycholinguistics: the study of relationships between linguistic behaviour and psychological processes, including the process of language acquisition.

Developmental psychology: the study of how humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Developmental psychologists research cognitive and social development from the prenatal stage through infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

Health psychology: the study of how psychological, behavioural, and cultural factors contribute to health and wellbeing.

Cognitive Neuroscience: the study of the neural connections in the brain that are involved in mental processes such as perception, memory, language, and decision-making.

Social Psychology: the study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, beliefs, intentions, and goals are constructed within a social context by the actual or imagined interactions with others.