Psychology News Archive

Professor Taeko Wydell to give invited lecture at 2013 Oxford-Kobe Symposium

Brunel Psychology Professor Taeko Wydell will be an invited speaker at the 3rd Oxford-Kobe Symposium, 11-14th April 2013 at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University. The talk by Professor Wydell, who is an expert on language-related cognitive and neural processes, is entitled ‘The manifestation of visual attention span deficit in English-native-speakers with compensated dyslexia: an fMRI study’.

The Oxford-Kobe symposium will involve "twenty-five world experts on the neurobiological basis of dyslexia… discuss[ing] its genetics, neurology, diagnosis and treatment in different writing systems" (for more information see http://www.oxfordkobe.com/).

Dr Bridget Dibb to deliver invited lecture at IFESS UK & Ireland 2013 conference

At the invitation of the International Functional Electrical Stimulation Society (IFESS), Brunel health psychologist Dr Bridget Dibb will deliver a talk titled 'Exploring positive adjustment in people with spinal cord injury' at the IFESS UK & Ireland 2013 conference on 12th April 2013 at the University of Southampton. And in more good news, the paper on which this talk is based has just been accepted for publication in the Journal of Health Psychology.

Dr. Noam Sagiv to deliver keynote lecture at American Synesthesia Association meeting in Toronto

Brunel psychologist Dr. Noam Sagiv, one of the world's leading researchers on synaesthesia, will deliver the keynote lecture at the American Synesthesia Association meeting in Toronto (May 31 - June 2, 2013).

Synaesthesia is a condition in which stimulating one sense results in an experience in two or more sensory modalities (e.g., a person with synaesthesia may vividly perceive colours when they hear music or taste food). Dr Sagiv's lecture is titled 'Synaesthesia - A window into human consciousness and social cognition'.

More information about the American Synesthesia Association meeting is available here:  http://www.synesthesia.info/upcoming.html

Evolution and Behaviour group heavily represented at European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association meeting

Several members of Brunel Psychology’s Evolution and Behaviour group were recently in Amsterdam for the annual meeting of the European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association, 24-27 March, 2013  (www.ehbea2013.com). The abundance of Brunel presentations included one talk and four posters:

Female economic dependence and the morality of promiscuity (Michael E. Price, Nicholas Pound, Isabel Scott)

A hunger for justice: Food-stress and moral cognition in a rural Ethiopian population (Isabel Scott et al.)

Manipulating attractiveness of gait (Andrew P. Clark et al.)

The appearance of guilt: Effects of facial masculinity and agreeableness on the probability of being judged to have committed a crime (Kathryn Ford & Nicholas Pound)

Shifting mate preferences through priming the importance of parental investment and nutrition (Georgina Wildsmith & Nicholas Pound)

Prof. Robin Goodwin's research covered in Newsweek Polish edition

The research of Brunel Psychology Professor Robin Goodwin has recently been featured in the Polish edition of the popular news magazine Newsweek (Newsweek Polska 7/13, 11.02.2013).

The main idea behind the article is the notion that Poles, until recently perceived as 'swan-eating' and patronised by the media, are now treated more seriously by British society. The article, based on press analysis (Times, Daily Express, Daily Mail) and conversations with Polish organisations (Polish Professionals in London, Polish City Club) and academics (including Prof. Goodwin) explores the nature of this shift.

Until recently, British media used to portrait Polish migrants in a largely negative light as benefits claimants, vodka drinkers, pole dancers and anti-Semites. This image is perceived as unfair and xenophobic by many Polish organisations in the UK, who try to challenge the stereotypes and promote the Polish professional and financial elite instead of the popular 'Polish plumber'. These organisations perceive Poles as easy target as they are white, which makes racism less obvious and can be hidden beneath pretend economic arguments. However, as the wealth and social status of Poles increases, media reports have become more favourable, Polish culture acknowledged, and Polish migrants treated as consumers with real market power.

Brunel psychologist publishes 'surprising' new findings about facial expression

A recent study by Brunel psychologist Dr Achim Schützwohl and a German colleague suggests that the human facial expression for surprise may not be as common as many have suggested. The study was published in a leading behavioural biology journal, Evolution and Human Behavior.

According to Schützwohl, "We tested Darwin’s hypothesis that surprising events cause widened eyes and raised eyebrows if they exceed the field of vision, as these facial changes facilitate visual search. When our participants left the laboratory, they unexpectedly found themselves in a new room with bold green walls and a red chair. To explore the role of social context, we also varied whether a stranger or a friend was sitting on the chair. The results failed to support the hypothesis: A complete surprise expression was observed in only 5% of participants and the individual components of the expression were shown only by a minority, regardless of social context."

Monetary Rewards Improve Visual Awareness in Stroke Patients

Brunel Psychologist Dr Charlotte Russell has just published the results of an important study (with some colleagues at Imperial College London) on spatial neglect in stroke patients.

Her research examined how motivation, in the form of monetary reward, affects impaired attention in stroke patients suffering from the disabling syndrome of spatial neglect. Reward improved attention in the majority of these patients and any patient who did not respond had damage to brain regions critical for the interaction between attention and motivation. These results have significant implications for the development of behavioural and pharmacological therapies for patients with these disorders following brain damage.

The full text is available at the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry with an accompanying editorial.

You can read more about the study and watch a video in The Guardian and at the Wellcome Trust. 

Do men’s faces really signal heritable immunocompetence?

The theory that women love men with rugged, manly faces because it signals a good immune system has been challenged by Brunel psychologists Dr Isabel Scott and Dr Andrew Clark. In a paper recently published in the journal Behavioural Ecology, with colleagues from Durham and Bristol they dispute the common view that because testosterone depresses the immune system, only men with strong immune systems can afford to have high testosterone levels.

Andrew Clark comments, "There are a few problems with this theory. One is that the relationship between testosterone and the immune system is more complex than previously realized. Another is that a lot of studies show that women don’t actually prefer rugged, manly faces. The reason for men’s robust faces may have little to do with women’s preferences and a lot more to do with violent competition between men."

Scott I, Clark A, Boothroyd L & Penton-Voak I (2012) "Do men’s faces really signal heritable immunocompetence?" Behavioural Ecology doi: 10.1093/beheco/ars092

 

Tara "Facebook" Marshall has a status update

Dr Tara Marshall was recently in the news for her research on Facebook relationships. But our resident cyberpsychologist has recently updated her status to "mom" following the arrival on November 10th of Sienna Carlyle Marshall-Smith.

Congratulations to Tara from everyone in the Psychology Department. We're all looking forward to seeing you and Sienna soon!

 

Are health promotion messages always helpful?

A new study by psychology professor Lynn Myers indicates that in the smoking arena health promotion messages may be counter-productive. 

Smokers watched an anti-smoking dvd (experimental groups), which was previously aired on TV, and assessed their risk of getting smoking-related diseases eg lung cancer compared to smokers who didn't watch the message (control group).

Watching the DVD had a detrimental effect, with the experimental groups rating themselves as less likely to contract smoking-related diseases versus controls. It is suggested that smokers understand their smoking risks and presenting them with hard-hitting anti-smoking messages can result in a defensive reaction.

The study will be published shortly in the Journal of Health Psychology

Reference:

Myers, L.B. (in press). Changing smokers’ risk perceptions – for better or worse? Journal of Health Psychology

Difficult Mothers: Understanding and Overcoming Their Power

Dr Janine Spencer has just published her latest book review in the Times Higher Education Supplement, under the subheading "Oh mum, it's all your fault. Long-term misery caused by problematic maternal behaviour gives Janine Spencer pause for thought"

A review of Terri Apter's new book, "Difficult Mothers", it details the malign influence that some mothers have over their own children and the consequences of extreme personalities.

Dr Spencer writes regularly for the Times Higher and has previously written about "Belonging in an adopted world", "Royal Icing on the Cake",  behaviourism, "Relationship Counselling For Children", cognitive neuroscience, and many other topics.

Brunel student begins exciting role as summer research project assistant

As the academic year comes to an end, most Brunel students are returning home to enjoy their summer holidays. For many, the focus now shifts from studying and learning, to finding a summer job that pays.

Expert on Expertise Puts Theory into Practice by Running Marathon

Psychology Professor Fernand Gobet carries out research on the psychology of expertise, which studies superior performance in games, sports, science and arts. On Sunday April 22nd, he put theory into practice by running the London marathon (42.195 km).

Deliberate practice theory argues that practice alone can lead to surprising feats. Gobet, who actually disagrees with the theory⁽¹⁾ and had never taken part in a marathon before, decided to test its validity by signing up to the London marathon, running for the World Society for the Protection of Animals’ (WSPA) team. As noted in his webpage, training was tough and marred by injuries. But Gobet managed to finish in a reasonable time (4hr 44 min). So, deliberate practice: Necessary and sufficient?

(1)     Campitelli, G. & Gobet, F. (2011). Deliberate practice: Necessary but not sufficient. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20, 280-285. PDF

Implications of terrorist threats at Olympic Games are discussed on Swedish radio

In this interview with Sverige Radio (a Swedish Radio Station), Professor Robin Goodwin discusses work conducted with the Metropolitan Police on terrorism, investigating what different ethnic groups in London understand to be ‘suspicious’ behaviour, as well as other survey work completed just after the 7/7 bombings in London. He also discusses the various implications of terrorist threats in light of the upcoming Olympic Games in London.

Read the original article.

Robin Goodwin gives invited address at ‘Pszinapszis 16’

 Prof Goodwin gave an invited keynote lecture via video link to ‘Pszinapszis 16’, Europe's largest scientific-cultural-educational event organized exclusively by students. This psychology festival aims at bringing psychology closer to the general public, and attracts around 4000 visitors to Budapest for a series of international and national invited lectures and workshops. Prof Goodwin talked about his work on modelling social change and societal responses to potentially traumatic threats, such as earthquakes and pandemic influenza.

15 April 2012

New Book Announcement - "Dyslexia - A Comprehensive and International Approach"

Professor Taeko Wydell and Dr Liory Fern Pollak today announced the publication of their new book, "Dyslexia - A Comprehensive and International Approach". This exciting new book brings together dyslexia research from different perspectives and from different parts of the world. It is a valuable source of information to medical professionals specializing in paediatrics, audiology, psychiatry and neurology as well as general practitioners and psychologists.

Prof Wydell explains that it provides a comprehensive overview of Developmental Dyslexia, its clinical presentation, pathophysiology and epidemiology, as well as detailed descriptions of particular aspects of the condition.

Professor Wydell's New Standardised Test of Word Reading

GL Assessment has published a new Diagnostic Test of Word Reading Processes. Brunel's Professor Taeko Wydell is one of the principle authors of this important new standardised tests that can be used to assess children's ability to read words using both phonological and lexical-semantic processes.

Prof Wydell is an expert in dyslexia and reading processes. She explains that the test will be used by teachers and Special Educational Needs Coordinators to provide diagnostic information on children's reading problems. Further information about this test is provided by GL Assessment. 

April 2012

MasterChef winner remembers student days at Brunel

This year’s queen of the popular TV cookery show MasterChef has looked back fondly at her time as a student at Brunel University, when she treated her friends to a taste of her culinary skills.

Wellbeing and Poverty Pathways Project

In an ERSC/DfID-funded Wellbeing and Poverty Pathways Project, Brunel’s Dr Stanley Gaines and the University of Bath’s Dr. Sarah White are examining links between objective poverty and inner wellbeing among people in impoverished communities within Zambia and India at two points in time (2010 and 2012 in Zambia, 2011 and 2013 in India). They are especially interested in the extent to which individuals’ experience of objective poverty at Time 1 affects individuals’ experience of inner wellbeing at Time 2 (two years later), controlling for individuals’ experience of objective poverty at Time 2. Their results will have important implications - not just for psychology, but also for international development research, policy, and practice.

January 2012

Nutritional labelling and healthy eating behaviours

Dr Rachel Crockett is investigating whether nutritional labelling helps people to eat more healthily. She recruited members of the general public to watch film clips at a cinema. While watching the film clips, participants were given popcorn to eat which was labelled as either ‘low fat’ or ‘high fat’ or was unlabelled. In people who were not dieting there was no difference in consumption, regardless of the label seen. But, among participants who were dieting, some people ate more if they saw a “low fat” label compared to seeing a “high fat” label or no label. These results show that nutritional labelling may not always have the intended effect of helping individuals to eat more healthily and indeed can result in less healthy eating in some groups who are concerned to eat more healthily. Dr Crockett is working with colleagues at King’s College London and the Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research Centre in Cambridge to understand further the effects of nutritional labelling on eating behaviour.

January 2012