Psychological Sciences, University of Gloucestershire

Some of our colleagues have been super busy! Another week, another publication 🤩

Swipe for the lay audience summary 👉

…and read the full paper now via Open Access!

Huge congratulations to our award-winning psychology student!

Rebecca Watts, one of our final year students, has achieved the Undergraduate Excellence Award from the Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society.

Going far beyond typical undergraduate expectations, Rebecca's research explored how Communities of Practice can better support Lived Experience Practitioners in the NHS, combining innovative methods, advanced theory, and a commitment to social justice.

Their research is already making a difference, helping shape recommendations for NHS services. With a conference presentation at the BPS Division of Counselling Psychology and a postgraduate scholarship already secured, they are a rising star in psychology research.

How can we better understand what makes interprofessional education effective?

Dr Kim Schenke's latest paper with collaborators from University of Plymouth introduces the INSPIRE Framework: a novel model integrating insights from neuroscience and social psychology to explain the psychological processes underpinning interprofessional learning in health and social care.

INSPIRE offers a new evidence-based approach to designing, evaluating, and improving interprofessional education by helping researchers and educators generate clearer hypotheses and more targeted interventions.

Read the open access paper here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13561820.2026.2654562

Ever wondered why people say things online that they'd never say face-to-face?

The increased abuse of players at the recent FIFA World Cup on social media has raised further questions about why people feel less inhibited about posting aggressive commentary or engaging in toxic behaviour, online.

Our colleague Dr Amy Grubb, Associate Professor of Forensic Psychology, explains how social media can create a psychological "perfect storm" where anonymity, reduced accountability, and a lack of real-time social feedback can make toxic behaviour more likely.

As Amy puts it: "Most people are not inherently aggressive, but certain online conditions make aggressive behaviour easier, less accountable, and more rewarding."

It's a fascinating insight into the psychology behind online interactions and why digital environments can bring out behaviours we might not see in everyday life.

Read the full article here: https://www.glos.ac.uk/content/why-do-people-make-toxic-comments-on-social-media-psychology-expert-explains-perfect-storm-behind-abuse/

This is our home!

Sam Hughes has officially become Dr Sam Hughes!

Sam has successfully completed her PhD, titled Sense of Self and Wellbeing in People Living With and Beyond Anorexia Nervosa: A Mixed Methods Study. Congratulations, Dr Sam! 👏
She is pictured here with her supervisors, Dr Kerry Rees and Dr Rachel Sumner (University of Bristol).

Sam's journey at University of Gloucestershire has been a remarkable one. She did her undergraduate and MSc with Department of Sport & Exercise - University of Gloucestershire followed by a Graduate Diploma in Psychology.

During her PhD, Sam worked as a Research Assistant and then became a Lecturer in 2021. It has been wonderful to see her develop from student to colleague, and we are incredibly proud of all she has achieved.

Congratulations, Dr Sam!

It was a pleasure doing a session as part of the University of Gloucestershire summer residential.

Dr Laura Castillo-Eito showed Year 10 students how Psychology can be used in our daily lives to encourage behaviour change. They even created their own behaviour change plans!

Congratulations to Maisie and Ellie, our Level 5 Course Reps for BSc Criminology and Psychology and BSc Forensic Psychology, who have achieved the Leader, Advocate and Emerging Course Rep Accreditations from the University of Gloucestershire Students' Union.

This recognition is hugely deserved. Throughout the year, Maisie and Ellie have been outstanding representatives, demonstrating real commitment to their fellow students and helping to shape improvements across both programmes.

We are incredibly proud of everything they have achieved and the positive impact they have made.

Three members of our team have recently won The WOW! Awards! Dr Leila Iliffe-Hodgetts and Samantha Hughes were Nurture Winners and Alana Wood was an Ambition winner.

These awards are a recognition of their outstanding contribution - going above and beyond for our students.

You can read the full nominations and nominate someone for the next round here: https://uniofglos.thewowawards.co.uk/nominate