In your first year you’ll complete four compulsory training courses, covering quantitative research methods, qualitative research methods, professional academic skills, and teaching and training. You’ll also familiarise yourself with relevant literature, create a research plan, develop your methodological and analytic skills, and complete your first study.
Throughout your studies you’ll gain a solid grounding in research methods and improve your communication skills to effectively convey your findings. You’ll collect data and analyse this, completing a detailed literature review and then writing up your PhD thesis. Depending on your research project, data collection can take place in schools, hospitals, laboratories or online.
Current students are researching topics including:
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Deficits in flexible thought in stroke aphasic patients
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How the natural environment, or representations of it, can be of benefit to individuals with mental health issues.
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How older people living with HIV perceive their health.
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If the pronouns ‘they/them’ can be used as genderless pronouns and what impact these may have on STEM subjects.
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Symptom perception and the cognitive and emotional factors impacting the symptom experience.
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The role of emotions in the psychology of uncertainty, information search and learning.
Assessment
Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.
You’ll have a confirmation assessment to formally review your project. If you're a full-time student, this will take place around 12-15 months into your studies or 24-30 months if you’re studying part-time. You’ll be required to submit a written report and successfully complete an oral examination.
Research support
The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College, which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate Careers and Employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.
Research themes
Our research investigates:
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The brain and behaviour, including changes across the lifespan, learning, training and rehabilitation, and the effects of modulators of plasticity.
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Cognition, including the contribution of language, reason and decision making, and asymmetries in our thinking processes.
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Development and learning, including attention and behaviour, emotional development in childhood, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We also focus on colour perception and cognition across developments in infants and children.
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The environment, including when and how people interact with different types of environments and how these interactions affect both the quality of that environment and people’s own wellbeing.
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Food and consumer behaviour, including attitudes towards healthy eating, the effect of claims and symbols on packaging, and the impact of food allergies when eating out.
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Health psychology, including chronic conditions like heart disease and obesity, symptom perception, health behaviours such as diet and exercise, and pain and stress.
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Social psychology, including discourse and language, interpersonal dynamics, self-identity, sexuality, and social interference and judgement.
