Psychology

Profile

Background

In 2010, I was awarded a distinction in my Graduate Diploma in Psychology from the University of East London (UEL). This allowed me to gain a degree in psychology recognised by the British Psychological Association, having completed an undergraduate degree in English and Related Literature (Hons) from the University of York in 2007. On completion of my graduate diploma, I was offered two part time research assistant posts within the School of Psychology at UEL. In my first position I worked with Dr Ashok Jansari to extend the work of my dissertation working with recovering alcoholics, using a virtual reality tool known as JAAM to assess dysexecutive syndrome. I also worked on another project with Dr Tom Dickins examining teenage motherhood in the London Borough of Newham. I worked to compile and analyse data on immigration patterns, operational sex ratios, morbidity and mortality, and deprivation scores, in order to further examine group patterns of fertility scheduling.

Research Interests

I am currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Portsmouth under the supervision of Dr Ed Morrison, Dr Bridget Waller and Dr Paul Morris. My research interests include using evolutionary theory to understand teenage pregnancy. In particular my PhD will focus on explaining the differences between teenagers who engage in risky sexual behaviours and conceive, and those who seem to plan to have children in a more considered way. I aim to investigate the perceptions of sexual risk, more general risk, reproductive futures and more general future facing behaviours in girls from the Portsmouth and Hampshire area.  This project will take place in local schools. The research will combine a wide variety of data sources: surveys, interviews, psychological experiments and social statistics.