Interplay between psychological processes and cultural contexts

Much of the psychological literature is based on the research findings from Western cultures, and we cannot assume that such psychological findings can be generalized to people in non-Western cultures.  By comparing people from different cultural contexts, my research aims to reveal culturally unique psychological tendencies and address the importance of understanding psychological processes in cultural contexts because psychological qualities that are considered as normative, functional, and desirable could vary across cultures.I supervise PhD projects that examine the interplay between individuals’ psychological processes in non-clinical populations and their cultural contexts.  A PhD project I am willing to supervise typically involves a series of cross-cultural studies on cognition, emotion, motivation, and/or behaviours. Studies should be quantitative and may be in correlational and/or experimental designs with combinations of self-report and behavioural data. Studies may examine children to find out the developmental trajectory of culturally unique psychological processes. Studies may also look into certain cultural products and/or cultural practices, which are considered to be strongly associated with specific psychological processes.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for the above PhD topic please follow the steps below:

1. Contact the supervisor by email or phone to discuss your interest and find out if you would be suitable. Supervisor details can be found on this topic page. The supervisor will guide you in developing the topic-specific research proposal, which will form part of your application.
2. Click on the 'Apply here' button on this page and you will be taken to the relevant PhD course page, where you can apply using an online application.
3. Complete the online application indicating your selected supervisor and include the research proposal for the topic you have selected.

Good luck!

This is a self funded topic

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. See more information here: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Research-degrees/Research-degree-funding. The UK Government is also offering Doctoral Student Loans for eligible students, and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.