Summary

Dr. Paschal Officha is a distinguished Social Psychologist and Teaching Fellow in Psychology and Offending Behaviour at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice; UoP. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, a Master's degree in Social and Personality Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology. Dr. Officha is a chartered member of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, reflecting his commitment to both professional excellence and educational advancement.

Research interests

Dr Paschal Officha's research interests lie at the intersection of psychology, social behaviour, and cultural influences, particularly focused on various aspects of undergraduate and youth behaviour, and mental health. His works and collaborations so far explored interests/themes such as:

• Social Psychology of Undergraduates: Investigating various psychological aspects among undergraduates such as social support, humour styles, forgiveness, personality factors, self-esteem, fantasy behaviour, and examination malpractice.
• Impact of Cultural and Social Factors: Studying the influence of cultural orientation, lifestyle, family demography, and cultural conflicts (e.g., Bakassi conflict) on behaviour, cognition, and psychological well-being.
• Psychosocial Implications of Terrorism: Analysing the psychosocial implications of terrorism, particularly within the Nigerian context, including its effects on cognition, anxiety, and mental health.
• Educational and Organizational Psychology: Exploring themes related to academic adjustment, growth mindset, academic perceptions, organizational effectiveness in the media industry, and stress among university academics.
• Human Development and Entrepreneurship: Investigating factors influencing human development, such as problem-solving skills and entrepreneurial motivation among youths.
• Forensic Psychology: Examining the psychological well-being and influences on prison inmates' mental health, involving aspects like self-esteem and psychological well-being.
• Youth risky behaviours: Investigating factors influencing various behaviours such as drug behaviours, aggression, gambling, risky sexual behaviour, heavy alcohol use, self-harm, impulsive eating, and reckless behaviours.
• Psychometric Assessment and Scale Development: Developing, adapting, and validating scales related to social categorization, fantasy behaviour, risky behaviours and problem-solving abilities among youths in Nigeria.

In addition to the areas covered above, He is interested in research prospects that may want to look at social-psychological antecedents and consequences of war, crime, offending and aggression, terrorism, crowd adverse behaviours, gangs, fraud, and so on. He is also interested in the social psychology of youth offenders and rehabilitation; looking at how findings could influence policy change.