Quantitative Social Psychology

As members of the Quantitative Social Psychology (QSP) research group, we study the reciprocal relationship between the social world and mental processes.

We adopt different levels of analysis and study physiological and brain processes, interpersonal processes, and cultural processes to uncover the foundations of human judgement and behaviour. We also seek to translate basic science into solutions to tackle organisational and societal challenges.

Topics of study include performance and behaviour in groups and teams:

• Leadership, status and power
• The social transmission of culture
• The perception of emotional states
• Motivation and reward
• Aggression, fear and impulsivity
• Mechanisms of mate choice
• Body image
• Arts and kindness
• Inequality and health behaviour
• Nudging
• Free will and moral judgement

Our work benefits from state-of-the-art research facilities and we frequently draw on behavioural, psychophysiological and neuroimaging (e.g. EEG/ERP, fMRI, TMS) techniques. Our research has been funded by many sources including the UK Research Councils (ESRC, EPSRC, BBSRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Cancer Research UK (CRUK), Leverhulme Trust, AFOSR and Nuffield Foundation.

Projects

Foundations

• Power, incivility, and aggression
• The Nicaragua Television and Beauty Ideals project
• Arts and prosocial motivation
• Motivating pro-environmental behaviour change
• Imagined contact
• Diversity and creativity
• Health inequality

Translations

• Disclosure of personal information in the digital world
• Modelling insurance underwriting decisions (PDF)
• Labelling of low(er) strength alcohol wine and beer
• Impact of e-cigarette advertising on perceptions of harm from tobacco smoking
• Health interventions in volcanic eruptions
• Community connectedness through the arts (PDF)

Members

Education and Research Track Staff

• Dr Kathleen Carswell
• Professor Judith Covey
• Dr Niklas Ihssen
• Dr Rohan Kapitany
• Dr Patrick Kotzur
• Dr Maja Kutlaca
• Dr Ana Leite
• Dr Michael Lengieza
• Dr Jonathon McPhetres
• Dr Thuy-vy Nguyen
• Dr Karolina Nieberle
• Dr Chuma Owuamalam
• Professor Stefania Paolini
• Dr Vladimir Ponizovskiy
• Professor Mark Rubin
• Professor Fuschia Sirois
• Professor Graham Towl
• Dr Leanne Trick
• Dr Milica Vasiljevic
• Professor Tammi Walker
• Professor Mario Weick

Research Track Staff

• Miss Delali Konu
• Ms Gloria Lui

Education Track Staff

• Dr Carla Chivers
• Dr Trevor James
• Dr Andrew Marcinko

Emeritus Staff

• Professor David Over

Associated Staff

• Mr James Good

Research Student

• Miss Diane Austry
• Miss Jiawei Liu

Research Grants

More info to follow