Business and Management

(University of East Anglia)

Main supervisor: Dr Pinar Guven-Uslu

Second supervisor: Dr Annilee Game

Research project: How has employee performance been recently affected by the development of employee benefit packages?

Research description: Employee benefit packages have been changing throughout the recent years, especially since the covid-19 pandemic. Some rewards have been added and other rewards have been taken from employees. For example, childcare vouchers have been decreased from some organisation’s rewards systems whereas, training and flexible working has been increased.

The main objective is to establish how performance is affected when employees are given rewards. More research should be conducted in what employees in accounting firms consider as rewards and how this impacts their performance. The three objectives for this research are; to determine whether performance has been affected negatively or positively through working remotely, to identify the effect the change of working days has on employee performance and, to identify the difference monetary and non-monetary rewards have on employee performance in accounting firms. Objective one will cover whether remote working is seen as a reward, whether employees perform highly when working from home and it will also consider the increase use of digital technologies while remote working. The second objective will cover whether having a four-day week increases employee performance or if there should be a different reward replacing this one to increase performance. Lastly, the last objective will cover monetary, non-monetary rewards and employee needs being met leads to high performance. All objectives aim to determine techniques for improving employee benefit packages in order to increase employee performance.

This research will be conducted in UK accounting firms. The sample will include the 16 accounting firms from a summer research placement I obtained. A secondary data analysis will be conducted to gain background information on performance being impacted by rewards. A literature review will also be conducted. Lastly, the primary research will go as followed: conducting a questionnaire with accounting firm employees, with follow-up interviews with some of these employees. The questionnaire will cover basic information on the research topic whereas, the interviews will cover more in-depth information. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be obtained from the primary research. The analysis of this data will be used to make recommendations to accounting firms for them to be able to increase employee performance. It will also be used to outline rewards which are already increasing employee performance so that accounting firms can retain them.

Performance will be measured against employee Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and training throughout the course of this research.

LinkedIn: Carolina Marques

Business and Management

(University of Surrey)

Main supervisor: Professor Xavier Font

Second supervisor: Dr Marion Karl

Research project: From Temporary Rationality to Sustainable Irrationality: Nudging for Lasting Pro-Environmental Behaviour in Hedonic Settings

Research description: Climate action failure has been ranked the most critical threat to the world in the World Economic Forum Global Risk Report (WEF, 2022). Being responsible for the growing 8 per cent of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (Lenzen et al., 2018), the tourism industry needs to change in order to tackle climate change.

Tourism provides an important research subject for pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) as consumers are more open to new information when they are immersed in a new environment. In addition, tourism can be described as a hedonistic context where people are more likely to focus on their enjoyment rather than thinking about the consequences of their choices, presenting a tendency to act less environmentally friendly (Dolnicar, 2020; Miao & Wei, 2013). Despite the long history of research into sustainable travel behaviour, research on decision-making in hedonic contexts is scarce (Miao & Wei, 2013), and the number of interventions tested in field experiments in tourism accommodations is far from sufficient (Demeter et al., 2023). Moreover, research has focused on a limited range of behaviours in an isolated and cross-sectional manner, not addressing the idiosyncratic complexities of PEB.

The proposed PhD project investigates the development and use of nudges to shift consumers’ behaviours in an environmentally friendly and, importantly, lasting manner. Drawing on spillover, moral licensing and cleansing theory, I will explain why people's prior moral behaviour sometimes leads them to continue acting the same way (spillover effect) and other times frees them to act contrary to the initial behaviour (licensing and cleansing). Through this lens, I will examine the temporal and causal effects of decision-making, contributing to understanding the temporality of decision-making in hedonic contexts.

The collaboration with the global hotel chain Radisson Hotel Group enables me to conduct field experiments at different stages of the consumer journey: before the travel, during the stay at the hotel, and after the stay when consumers are back home in their familiar environment. Using this approach, I will cover pre-, in-, and post-stay consumer behaviour rather than just focusing on one stage of the travel sequence. This will allow me to examine how the consumers’ behaviours are intertwined and how one decision at one stage of the travel sequence can positively or negatively affect behaviour at a later point in time. The proposed doctoral project will provide a novel practical experimental framework for the academic and private sectors, addressing the research gap on how to encourage lasting PEB throughout different phases of the consumer journey. I set out to contribute to existing research with applicable, easily implementable, and generalisable findings, to maximise the impact of the doctoral study. As a consequence, the results of this project will have a positive environmental impact because creating lasting PEB will aid businesses in lowering their greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond this positive impact on the environment, the research will also contribute to academia as it will help better understand the temporality of decision-making in a hedonistic setting.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiev/

Business and Management

(City, University of London)

Main supervisor: Professor Amit Nigam

Second supervisor: Dr Daisy Chung

Research project: What is the process by which dedicated patient safety experts can advance patient safety goals, and help establish a patient safety culture?

Research description: Improving patient safety has been an enduring challenge in health systems for over three decades and remains a persistent challenge. The complexity of the current patient safety system makes it difficult for staff to ensure that safety is an integral part of everything they do (Clinical Quality Commission, 2018). This is the context that informs the Great Ormond Street Hospital’s (GOSH) current strategic initiative to embed a patient safety culture consistently within the organisation, “from ward to board.” The challenge of embedding a patient safety focused culture in an organization with a multiplicity of goals, professional groups, intense public scrutiny, diverse regulatory mandates, and complex reporting requirements is consistent with what management researchers have articulated as a grand societal challenge.

This proposed studentship will focus on understanding one piece of a broader strategic initiative at GOSH to embed a patient safety culture throughout the organisation. The broad initiative has four components. Safety leadership aims to define safety goals, standards, governance systems, and targets across levels within the organization, and to establish GOSH as a leader in the larger system on patient safety. Professionalisation of safety aims to define roles and responsibilities for patient safety, and to create and embed dedicated patient safety experts in the organisation who can support leaders, managers and staff in embedding safety in their work. Involvement involves prioritising patient voice, choice, and empowerment in safety initiatives. Safety culture involves creating the psychological safety needed to have true learning that leads to safer systems.

Research Objectives

• To develop an empirically grounded conceptual model of how patient safety experts can contribute to systemic structural and cultural change that improves safety of care

• To communicate this knowledge with diverse health professionals interested in patient safety at GOSH, across the NHS, and around the world

• To develop conceptual knowledge based on the ethnographic study that will contribute to organisations research on occupations and professions and organisational change

Business and Management

(University of Kent)

Main supervisor: Dr Carola Leicht

Second supervisor: Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura

Research project: Are role models the key to organisational diversity: What are the social cognitive processes that ensure role models are effective?

Research description: Gender and other diversity disparities between roles and professions are problematic from an equal opportunity and equality perspective. A diverse workforce can improve team and firm performance, innovation, occupational well-being, and corporate governance (Badal & Harter, 2014; Fine et al., 2020). It can increase revenues, attract more customers, increase market share, and lead to greater relative profits (Herring, 2009). Increasing diversity is often done by using role models (Guyan & Oloyede, 2019).

Empirical research shows that role models increase people’s self esteem and interest in gender incongruent domains, professions and roles, and affect behaviour (Lockwood, 2006; Olsson & Martiny, 2018; Stout et al., 2011). A novel theoretical review argues that role models provide a unique opportunity to challenge how individuals think and process their social environment (Leicht et al., under review). It argues that they interrupt reliance on heuristics such as stereotypes and the association between stereotypes, roles and professions. The role model literature heavily focuses on women. However, my project will go a step further and explore whether the processes can be applied to other disparities in the workplace.

Based on the overarching study question, “What are the social cognitive processes that ensure role models are effective?” This research will focus on the social cognitive changes that role models can induce. In other words, it will concentrate on how role models are perceived and how the contradictory information they provide is processed in the individual's mind. This will be addressed by focusing on several sub-research questions that build three distinct mini projects using different methodologies and participant pools (social scientific experiment, longitudinal study, applied context), complementing each other but with distinct impact and contribution to the broader research field.

Twitter: @danzickaa

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-hardikerova

Economics

(University of Essex)

Main supervisor: Professor Carlos Carrillo Tudela

Second supervisor: Dr David Zentler-Munro

Research project: Impact of non-wage amenities on job-to-job transitions and on wage growth and inequality

Research description: Despite the intuition that non-wages and monetary rewards from work are both interrelated, for a long time they have not been analysed in detail in economic analysis due to a lack of data on non-wage amenities. This research project will use matched employer-employee data from UK panel data to understand the current state of job-to-job moves in the UK and analyse why such behaviour occurs in terms of non-wage amenities. It also analyses time-series changes in the distribution of non-wage amenities and their impact on wage dispersion.

Economics

(University of Essex)

Main supervisor: Professor Michaela Benzeval

Second supervisor: Dr Edith Aguirre

Research project: Pregnancy and early childhood in Understanding Society

Research description: Using the PEACH dataset, I will work on data about pregnancy and early childhood, and the research project will be divided into three main steps, starting from a general question and going to more detailed topics. The first step would be to understand and to explain better what the main determinants of child health are in general, and how they are evolving through time. The second one would be to analyse the relationship between child unhappiness and parental mental distress, while the last one would be to understand whether birthweight could be a good predictor for ADHD and whether we can find some evidence of causality in their relationship.

LinkedIn: Giacomo De Santis

Facebook: Giacomo De Santis

Instagram: jack_desa96

Economics

(Royal Holloway, University of London)

Main supervisor: Professor Melanie Lührmann

Second supervisor: Professor Juan Pablo Rud

Research project: Climate risks, energy efficiency and mortgage lending

Research description: The aim of the project is to advance our understanding of the financial risk posed by the physical changes from Climate Change, i.e. changing weather and temperatures, and of green policies accompanying the transition to net zero. The project focuses on risks in the housing and mortgage markets in the UK. The project aims to deliver high-quality research output that quantifies these climate-related risks in mortgage lending. Using unique microdata, we will investigate how i) changing heating and cooling demands, ii) energy costs, and iii) efficiency standard setting affect house prices and mortgage default rates. The empirical results will be used to simulate the impact of currently proposed green policies and climate-related weather events on aggregated risk in the mortgage market and to the BoE’s balance sheet. The ensuing financial risks in the mortgage market, and how to manage and mitigate them, have received little attention so far. The collaboration with BoE presents an excellent opportunity for impact. The research directly informs the Bank of England’s Climate Risk management strategy, and should be highly relevant to decision-makers in the financial industry, e.g. commercial mortgage lenders, financial regulators, and government (in particular BEIS).

Economics

(University of Essex)

Main supervisor: Dr Edith Aguirre

Second supervisor: Professor Michaela Benzeval

Research project: Intergenerational Transfer of Career Choices Across Families and Regions

Research description: Transfer of Parental characteristics to their offsprings are found to be significant and this is often regarded as a major component of child development. Similarly, family structures, including the composition of the family, the roles and relationships of family members, and the influence of family structure on outcomes such as educational attainment, health, and social behaviour are important features that shape one's vision (McLanahan & Sandefur, 1994; McLoyd et al, 2000; Brown and colleagues, 2019). And, these factors including family background, parental occupation, education, and income, as well as regional economic conditions and cultural norms are important contributors to the intergenerational transfer of career choices and aspirations (Bukodi et al, 2018). Moreover, many instances refer to the fact that individuals take up occupations as per their regional settings such as economic conditions, entrepreneurial opportunities, and other prevailing cultural norms in the society. However, a study that collectively looks at the dependency of career choice on family structure and regions and observes this inclination across generations will be an addition to the existing literature. By taking advantage of the data collected by the Understanding Society, these family values can be observed in the regions of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England; and also, over time (to understand intergenerational attitudes). Therefore, this study particularly aims to observe parental career choices that are transferred to their children, homogeneity in generations, and the persistence of this trend across regions. This will help us to identify if certain traits are family or region-specific, and the persistence of these characteristics can be assured

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatimah-shah-55687b99/

Economics

(Royal Holloway, University of London)

Main supervisor: Professor Arnaud Chevalier

Second supervisor: Professor Melanie Lührmann

Research project: Essays in Applied Microeconomics

Research description: My proposed research agenda aims to use the latest advances in causal inference to understand and provide new evidence on the potential determinants and consequences of crime, wage inequality and unemployment. In projects 1 & 2, I investigate potential reasons and remedies for criminal offences in the UK which have risen by over 50% since 2014 and are predicted to rise further (ONS, 2022). In the second strand (project 3), I expand research started during my Master, to explain the mechanisms behind the widely documented, long-term positive trend in the spatial distribution wage inequality and regional living conditions (Schaefer and Singleton, 2020).

Project 1 investigates the impact of local funding allocations for charitable events and projects on crime rates. Local government funding cuts to public finances have resulted in closures of youth centres and private funding for charities providing similar services is under financial pressure. Advocates of community interventions to prevent youth crime argue that the closure of youth centres has reduced educational support, mentoring and mental health support for young people, resulting in higher rates of youth crimes. I expect that more generous and longer-term projects aimed at improving the human capital and labour mobility of youths have a more persistent effect on crime. I use granular level information on local projects funded by the National lottery and local area police crime data to investigate whether service provision for young people causally affects the local incidence of crime. Since never-treated wards are fundamentally different to those that receive funding in the 2011-19 window, to identify the causal effect, we impose a conditional quasi-random timing assumption on the rest of the wards. This implies that conditional on some pre-treatment time invariant covariates, the first time ay given ward receives money is as good as random. This will allow us to impute what would have happened to a given ward if it never received any treatment. The project will illustrate the advantage of improving such local services – either via directed local government funding or via measures to stimulate charitable giving to local charities that are aware of the needs of different communities - to tackle crime, creating a pathway to impact.

In project 2 and project 3, I will investigate labour market outcomes such as crime and inequality by focusing instead on local economic conditions and firm-level processes. As shown by the productivity puzzle, the financial crisis has had a deleterious effect on UK workers and impaired reallocation of resources across firms. It is therefore important to consider these effects in more detail. These projects will link into the governments’ “Levelling Up” agenda and shed light on whether there is a need for more specific interventions tailored to local communities and firms.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AleksinGrigory

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/grigory-aleksin-56baa1146

Economics

(University of Sussex)

Main supervisor: Professor Andy McKay

Second supervisor: Dr Matthew Embrey

Research project: Revenue mobilisation strategies in digitised tax administration: the case of Uganda

Research description: Adequate tax revenue is pivotal in addressing fiscal shortfalls, financing public investments, and strengthening State capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many LMICs, notably those in Africa, grapple with inadequate tax collection, primarily attributable to prevalent informality within their economies and suboptimal tax compliance rates. Uganda, the focal point of our study, is emblematic of this predicament. Against this backdrop, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has undertaken substantial mass registration and formalisation initiatives.

Specifically, the URA has harnessed third-party data from other government entities to register individuals and businesses exhibiting active economic participation compulsorily forcefully. While transitioning from conventional in-person registration and enforcement approaches to a more cost-effective, data-driven method may seem promising for revenue authorities constrained by budgetary limitations, its efficacy remains uncertain. Evidence suggests that taxpayers subjected to forced registrations in Uganda are significantly less inclined to fulfil their tax obligations than their voluntarily registered counterparts, underscoring profound compliance challenges. In this context, it becomes imperative to ascertain how distinct registration strategies contribute to tax revenues and how they shape the perceptions and attitudes of taxpayers, thereby influencing compliance behaviour. Furthermore, exploring how revenue authorities can incentivise inherently less compliant taxpayers to adhere to tax regulations is relevant.

My doctoral work plans to use the case of Uganda to shed light on the potential of the use of third-party data in for formalisation and enforcement in a weak State capacity context. I intend to collect and analyse nationally representative survey data on taxpayers' registration experiences, tax-related attitudes, and perceptions to achieve this objective. By doing so, I aim to discern correlations between the registration process and taxpayers' beliefs and, importantly, bridge these perceptions with actual compliance behaviour by merging survey and administrative data.

Subsequently, I plan to employ robust econometric methodologies to gauge the causal impact of forced registration on taxpayer behaviour, leveraging the URA's comprehensive, taxpayer-level administrative data. Finally, I will rigorously test the determinants of compliance among individuals subjected to forced registrations by implementing a cost-effective, easily scalable mass SMS campaign in the form of a randomised control trial. This trial will enable the identification of the causal effects of various nudging messages, including the provision of third-party information, on taxpayers' compliance behaviour, as measured by their filing and payment activities. With my research, I plan to directly inform the URA's and other revenue authorities' policymaking by providing evidence-based recommendations on the potential of third-party data for strengthening the core function of tax administrations and mobilising revenue.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celeste-scarpini/

Economics

(University of Surrey)

Main supervisor: Dr Martin Foureaux Koppensteiner

Second supervisor: Professor Jo Blanden

Research project: Household Health Shocks and Criminal Activity: Evidence from Brazil

Research description: The causal effect of health condition on economic household indicators has been thoroughly studied within academic literature, finding a multitude of different, sometimes contradictory effects within vastly different contexts. Little is known about how such shocks may lead to changes in criminal participation of household members, for example to compensate for the economic loss due to the health shock. In the proposed work, I will aim at filling this gap in the existing literature. Previous research on this question focuses on factors such as BMI or other general indicators of poor health and their impact on a number of different outcomes. Estimating the causal effect of health shocks on criminal involvement is difficult, because of the presence of a number of confounders leading to endogeneity problem. For instance, people in poverty tend to have poorer health condition and simultaneously are more likely to engage in crime which can lead to false conclusions within causal models. To address the underlying endogeneity problem, I will estimate the causal effect of health shocks on the criminal involvement of households in Brazil using exogenous health shock from Chikungunya virus infections while controlling for a number of different fixed-effects. This allows me to use as good as random variation, conditional on a set of fixed-effects to control for the socio-economic environment and individual circumstances, from those infections to estimate the effect of health shocks on criminal involvement.

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral infection that causes severe joint and muscle pain. While the acute illness usually only lasts for approximately one or two week(s), around 40% of cases develop a chronic condition lasting several months leading to severe joint pain mostly inhibiting affected individuals to engage in any physical activity. Because of the severe health consequences on the affected individual, the effects may include other household members. For example, if the illness affects the main breadwinner in the household, likely a parent, this may negatively affect the household’s labour supply (whether it be the breadwinner falling ill or a resident requiring care) and therefore likely decreasing household income. I will use the very rich information on household income from formal employment, household structure and socio-economic information to investigate the potential underlying mechanisms.

In detail I will aim at answering the following research questions: (1) Does the health shock have a causal effect on the criminal engagement of household members including children (2) does the effect vary by demographic characteristics of the individual falling and sick and by the household composition (class, gender, age, location, occupation etc.) estimating heterogeneous effects, (3) to what extent does government sick pay provision and other welfare provisions offset the effects of the health shock on households.

Education

(University of East Anglia)

Main supervisor: Dr Harry Dyer

Second supervisor: Dr Esther Priyadharshini

Research project: A study of conceptualisations of authenticity in relation to young peoples' self-presentation on social media.

Research description: This project will explore the relationship between authenticity, social media, and education. Through interviews, focus groups, and photo-driven data collection this project will explore how young people view authenticity online and offline, and how education can respond to these changes in young people’s digital literacies and online experiences.

The relationship of digital technologies to authenticity is complex. Pallud and Straub (2007) suggest that the words ‘technology’ and ‘authenticity’ clash, in that technology connotes the simulated, whereas authenticity connotes the natural and real. However, there appears to be a move towards consumers and platforms desiring authenticity within social media. The popular app ‘BeReal’ testifies this; the app distances itself from others that are believed to instil superficial performativity into user practices (Duffy and Gerrard, 2022), and has opened discussions around authenticity in the digital world of constructed self-presentation (DeVito and Birnholtz, 2017). In this changing landscape and given the growing presence of social media in the everyday practices of young people, this project will explore how young people conceptualise authenticity and how this shapes their actions and interactions online and offline.

From an educational perspective, this project positions authenticity as a vital part of developing digital literacy. The UK computing curriculum notes how in key stages 3 and 4, students should be digitally literate, “express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world” (DfE, 2013:1). A key part of learning to ‘express themselves’ and be ‘active participants’ is to navigate matters of authenticity, which are hard to conceptualise as these are partly subjective, partly contextual, and partly about experimenting with and learning about their own preferential identities. The online and the offline are no-longer separate entities, and our identities in these realms intertwine (Arfini et al., 2021) and separate in subtle ways, creating the need to understand how authenticity or inauthenticity work in the context of social media and contemporary lives for young people. Nonetheless, authenticity is a largely under-researched and under-theorised concept, particularly in educational research. Given the increasing moves of social media apps and designs towards authenticity in various forms, this project aims to fill this gap in the research literature to better understand the importance of authenticity in young peoples’ lives and what this means for education and digital literacy.

This study is influenced by interpretivist design and will take a phenomenological approach to address the research gap. It will employ creative methods, utilising disposable cameras as cultural probes, as well as interviews and focus groups, to discuss participants’ views of ‘authenticity’, their social media habits, and the impact on their individual identities, allowing for an analysis about key conceptualisations of authenticity and online norms. The findings will be compared against the UK curriculum on digital literacy to explore ways to better represent questions of authenticity in the classroom.

Twitter: @jmweale

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jweale/

Education

(University of Sussex)

Main supervisor: Dr Tamsin Hinton-Smith

Second supervisor: Dr Emily Danvers

Research project: Narratives of hope: small stories of desistance; building social capital amid on-going Covid 19 restrictions at HMP/YOI Winchester

Research description: Penal reform is necessary, urgent, and indicative of our moral and ethical compass. The UK’s prison system has ‘the highest imprisonment rates in western Europe with 44% reconvicted of another offence within one year. For those who have served more than 10 previous custodial sentences the reoffending rate rises to 77%’ (PRT, 2022:2). Prisons can be, ‘brutalising with many inmates trapped in squalid, dirty and disgraceful cells’ (Clarke, 2017). This context has been intensified following nearly two years of severe restrictions brought about by the Covid 19 pandemic, and a ‘decade of declining standards in prisons in England and Wales’ (PRT, 2021).

The 2016 Coates review states rehabilitation can, ‘transform individuals’ lives and contribute to building safer communities, reducing the significant financial and social costs of reoffending. A 2019 Ministry of Justice (MoJ) study estimates the annual cost of reoffending at £18.1bn. Yet rehabilitation is an inherently complex, problematic, and debated term. Martinson (1974) established the ‘nothing works’ doctrine, this concluded that rehabilitation was largely ineffective at preventing reoffending. This was revised by McGuire (1995) with the ‘what works’ movement that asserted some interventions could be effective in reducing reoffending.

Maruna (2019) asserts neither ‘what works’ or ‘desistance’ research has a ‘secret formular’ to reduce crime, but all possible social science evidence is needed to make sense of the ‘complexity of crime’. The ethnographic study addresses this by investigating the value of prison theatre education (theatre devised by prisoners) for framing rehabilitation as social capital and desistance as set against a prison context described as ‘desperate’ (Howard League for Penal Reform, 2022).

The government prioritises rehabilitative education as, ‘the attainment of academic qualifications and practical skills, so prisoners are, equipped for work on release’ (MoJ, 2021). However, this fails to address the complex hierarchy of prisoners’ social and emotional human needs. The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) (2021) asserts that access to arts and creative activity is essential for holistic prisoner health and wellbeing, and therefore these activities have a crucial role to play. However, arts practices often, ‘rely too much on anecdotal evidence’ (Maguire et al., 2019:3) to be able to demonstrate efficacy in relation to supporting theories of desistance. To address this gap, the research seeks to understand and evidence the contribution of prison theatre within a rehabilitative context focused on desistance and the development of social capital.

The study will consider how desistance theories (Cernkovich et al.,2002; Maruna et al., 2019) are evident in prisoner’s accounts of their experiences. Todd-Kvam (2021) asserts that desistance develops at ‘micro levels’ and is supported by social networks and relationships. Desistance is typically understood to be ‘more than just an absence of crime, it is the maintenance of crime-free behaviour and is an active process in itself. It is a journey that involves the pursuit of a positive life’ (Maruna, 2007:652). Social capital, ‘has received little attention in the prison setting’ (Butler et al., 2016:1). Bourdieu (1986) states that social capital is built on the potential of individuals to secure benefits and invent solutions to problems through social networks. The study will consider how desistance and social capital emerge in prisoners’ new narratives, and how they might inform new modalities of rehabilitation that precede long-term life change. The research presents a rare opportunity to access HMP/YOI Winchester; described by HM Chief Inspector of prisons as ‘one of the ‘most troubled and violent prisons in the country’ with ‘prisoners not having enough to do’ and feeling ‘bored and frustrated by the lack of activity’ (2022).

Twitter: @Alexand38073348

LinkedIn: Alexandra Russell

Education

(University of Reading)

Main supervisor: Dr Holly Joseph

Second supervisor: Dr Daisy Powell

Research project: Does being multilingual protect children from the effects of social disadvantage?

Research description: It is well-established that there is a substantial attainment gap between children and young people who are, and are not, eligible for free school meals (FSM). This so-called “disadvantage gap” has stubbornly remained despite government interventions and additional funding. However, we know less about the possible protective factors that may guard against low attainment in children who receive FSM. In particular, government data suggests that multilingual children, often referred to in the UK as children who speak English as an additional language (EAL), show a much smaller disadvantage gap than children who speak only English, and it appears that this varies with home language and with ethnicity.

There are a number of reasons why speaking more than one language may result in better educational attainment. First, there is some (controversial) evidence that multilingual speakers gain cognitive benefits from switching between languages and these lead to better learning and hence better school outcomes. Second, there may be household variables (parental education, parental engagement with school, expectations in the home about education and careers) that influence outcomes, and these may be more common in certain types of families (recent immigrants, certain ethnic or linguistic communities)

Education

(University of Roehampton)

Main supervisor: Professor Adam Ockelford

Second supervisor: Professor Lorella Terzi

Research project: Count Me In! Developing and analysing the efficacy of pedagogical strategies for those providing music education to children with special abilities and needs using the Sounds of Intent framework of musical development

Research description: In the UK, a principle underpinning the support of performing arts organisations – including orchestras and opera companies – is that public funding comes with the responsibility to make music accessible. However there is very little research on how to do this. Working with the charity 'Live Music Now', this project looks at how musicians and class teachers can make their sessions musically inclusive for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Working in partnership with teachers and musicians from 'Live Music Now', the project will research which teaching strategies are most effective for musical inclusivity and how these can be put into practice in the classroom. The research itself will take place in several special schools catering for a range of special educational needs. Here teaching strategies will be created and trialled. Throughout, the 'Sounds of Intent' framework will be used to assess the engagement of students with the different musical activities. 'Sounds of Intent' is a model of musical development which sets out how we all engage with music. The research will focus how to ensure music education is inclusive, sustainable and achievable in special schools.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-o-brien-549693214/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100018993947566

Human Geography

(University of Sussex)

Main supervisor: Professor Ben Rogaly

Second supervisor: Dr Tahir Zaman

Research project: Decolonial World-Making in Luton: How South Asian Muslim Women Artists in Luton Create and Inhabit Multiple Worlds

Research description: Much of the scholarship on Muslim women in the arts is concerned primarily with issues of representation, namely through an exploration of negative stereotypes or as possessing conflicting identities in secular, majority white geographies. While important work, often missing from the frame are the voices and experiences of Muslim women who are producing artistic work that goes beyond the need to represent and be represented, and who do not consider multiple identities across gender, race, religion and nationality as being in conflict.

In a challenge to the limitations of representation and the narrative of contested identities, my research will explore the work of Luton-based South Asian diaspora artists who present rather than represent a multitude of experiences, and in so doing subvert the discourse on representation. I will explore how these artists’ creative practices disrupt attempts to essentialise the experiences of British Muslim women. By focusing on place, my research will also investigate how their practices are essential to remaking Luton - a plural town with no single ethnicity in the majority (Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity 2013) - as a town where decolonial possibilities for living with difference can be tested and lived.

This research will maintain a local focus within a larger framework of decoloniality and geopolitics informed by gender, religious and racialised identities, and the UK’s relationship with a multi-generational diaspora population that has its roots in the postcolonial states of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asma-hussain-98696963/

Linguistics

(University of Reading)

Main supervisor: Dr Tom Loucas

Second supervisor: Dr Fang Liu

Research project: Investigating music as a facilitator of early word learning in autism: Learning words from spoken vs. sung language

Research description: Although autistic children use the same mechanisms in word learning as typically developing children, they can be slow to acquire language and struggle with the generalisation of new words. There is a lack of research investigating factors that may facilitate learning in autistic children who experience difficulties acquiring language.

Recent research has focussed on the sensitivity to and special interest in music that some autistic children display. Neuroimaging studies have found that some autistic individuals show reduced activation in language-specific brain regions when listening to speech, but greater activation when listening to song. Thus, music could compensate for reduced language abilities. This supports numerous findings of the positive effects of music therapy on social communication skills. However, previous word learning studies have focused on social cues as facilitators and only a few studies have investigated the effect of musical cues on word learning itself. The aim of the proposed research is to fill this gap and to explore music as a facilitator of implicit learning and the generalisation of novel words for young autistic children.

For this purpose, 30 preschool-aged autistic children and a control group of typically developing children matched on expressive vocabulary will undergo a three-part experiment, consisting of baseline assessments of potential moderators of word learning (language, music, cognitive and social abilities) and a spoken vs. sung word learning paradigm.

The proposed study will be among the first to investigate the facilitating factors of music on word learning. The findings will provide insight into language acquisition processes in autistic children and offer an evidence basis for music-assisted language interventions. This will have important implications for speech and language therapists and other professionals, as the results will help to shape optimal learning environments for autistic children. As part of the project, existing assessments of sociality and musicality will be adapted to an app-based eye-tracking measure for young children with little or no language. This could be used by practitioners to assess social and musical perception skills in the future.

Finally, the feasibility of app-based word learning will be tested for autistic children. The experimental approach using a cartoon character could be extended to an app-based learning tool to further support vocabulary acquisition.

Politics and International Relations

(University of Sussex)

Main supervisor: Dr Melanie Richter-Montpetit

Second supervisor: Dr Sarah Scuzzarello

Research project: Understanding trans* asylum seekers’ experiences of UK border practices

Research description: Recent research has identified the multiple and intensifying forms in which UK border practices structurally marginalize asylum seekers from the point of arrival to barriers to accessing employment and healthcare (Yuval-Davis, et al., 2018) (Mladovsky, 2020) to the threat of homelessness (Noronha, 2019) and an asylum system described as ‘psychologically violent’ (Bilgic & Gkouti, 2021). For trans* asylum seekers this is exacerbated further. From being housed in incorrectly gendered accommodation in ways that compromise their safety to facing a ‘culture of disbelief’ around gender identity asylum claims (Pullen & Tschalaer, 2021) trans* asylum seekers face additional barriers within an already structurally violent system. Yet despite this, comparatively little is known about how trans* asylum seekers experience UK the border system.

To close this gap, this project will perform a multi-sited ethnography of how trans asylum seekers navigate and resist UK Border practices. Drawing on theorisations of the border as a system that extends from official ‘external’ border spaces into ostensibly ‘domestic’ social and political settings, my research will examine the specific ways contemporary border practices exacerbate trans* asylum seekers’ marginalization. By adopting an intersectional lens, my analysis will focus on how these experiences are shaped by multiple marginalisations, including cisnormativity (the assumption of non-transness), gender, racism, and class. Part of this research will critically assess current official policy on trans* asylum claimants. My project will show how the social regulation of transness not only produces marginalisation for UK trans asylum seekers but constitutes a central terrain in contemporary struggles over nation-building, citizenship and national identity.

Politics and International Relations

(University of Reading)

Main supervisor: Dr Maxime Lepoutre

Second supervisor: Dr Roosmarijn de Geus

Research project: The Politics of Unseriousness: Corrective Humour and Democratic Deliberation in Non-Ideal Times

Research description: In contemporary liberal democracies, people are losing the ability to disagree agreeably. Specifically, important democratic questions concerned with how we are to achieve social justice have reached a roadblock in today’s social-political environments. In short, I have identified two distinct problems, which converge in the following way: if we (1) consume politics everywhere, almost virulently, but are (2) increasingly fatigued, bored, and closed-minded with focussed discussions about politics, what can we do to reclaim a political culture where deliberative democratic norms can thrive?

Three popular solutions – take politics out of portions of social life (Talisse, 2020); double-down on dispassionate deliberation; and rely more on angry speech and emotionally-charged narratives (Lepoutre, 2021) – have been posited. However, they each encounter, to varying degrees, logistical and normative problems. For instance: a criticism of Talisse’s civic distance case is that it is too radical, places an unfair burden on individual actors, and is too demanding in existing non-ideal conditions. A popular criticism of angry speech is that its overuse might alienate people in the pursuit of justice-promoting actions if such speech is unaccompanied by less antagonistic forms of expression (Nussbaum, 2015).

This PhD argues that, if we take a systemic view of deliberative democracy, the current array of proposed solutions should be augmented by corrective humour. Moral-based humour, entertainment, and fun have long been ignored in normative discussions of deliberative democracy, largely due to fears that they trivialise the ‘serious’ dealings of politics (Tsakona & Popa, 2011). As such, democratic theory has yet to provide a sensitive account of humour’s potential in treating the contemporary problems posed to deliberative norms. This is especially concerning given how central humour – and particularly ridicule, satire and parody therein – is to modern life.

Working in political theory, I shall make a multi-faceted case for why different kinds of corrective humour might serve to rehabilitate commitments to democratic deliberation, and when and under what conditions they might not. I do this through identifying three under-explored purposes of corrective humour: (1) comedic counterspeech (i.e., using ridicule and mockery to combat hateful utterances); (2) comedy as a tool for building common ground in divided communities (i.e., using compassionate humour to break down and correct the false premises we often tell ourselves about our and others’ beliefs); and (3) comedy as an informative tool for combatting political ignorance (i.e., satirical media’s role in making current affairs accessible and palatable to lay audiences). Put together, my aim is to make a nuanced theoretical case for why humour is adept at integrating politics and culture in ways that produce a discursively active citizenry responsive to the injustices that pervade contemporary life.

Twitter: @SamuelJClark

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-clark-b0a059205

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/samuel.clark.37266

Instagram:https://www.facebook.com/samuel.clark.37266

Politics and International Relations

(University of Sussex)

Main supervisor: Professor Peter Newell

Second supervisor: Dr Samuel Knafo

Research project: Managing Finance for the Environmental Transition: A Global Political Economy of Risk Governance in Climate Finance

Research description: Large volumes of finance need to be mobilised if countries are to achieve increasingly ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs- non-binding commitments to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change) to address the climate crisis. The Paris Agreement of 2015 featured commitments by international organizations and states from the Global North to provide $100bn of climate finance for mitigation and adaptation projects in the Global South, prioritising the mobilisation of private finance to meet the target of achieving ‘net-zero’ by 2050. Climate finance thus typically now takes the form of so-called ‘blended finance’ a public-private hybrid arrangement in which public finances are utilised to leverage and scale-up investments by private actors. Core to blended finance is risk: technical models which translate the uncertainties on financial allocation into calculable risks to determine creditworthiness and costs of capital for projects. These risks are then structured to ‘de-risk’ private investments by ensuring public agents bear the greatest risk of capital loss.

This project will use the theoretical insights of Global Political Economy (GPE) to unpick how the growth of financial risk as in climate finance impacts its governance and allocation. Through a constructivist lens, which focuses on risk as a tool that ‘constructs’ what made legible and deemed efficient for investment by public and private financial actors, I will trace how the mobilisation of risk by global financial institutions is shaping the allocation of climate finance. To do so, I will conduct a case study of Climate Investment Fund’s (CIF) financing in India. This case study has been selected as the CIF is a principal multilateral institution of climate finance and has arguably been a primary driver of the blended finance approach. CIF’s finance is emblematic of the emergence a development orthodoxy focused around ‘de-risking’. India, meanwhile, has experienced the largest inflow of climate finance from global donor organisations totalling $2.6bn per year on average since 2015. CIF financing in India therefore provides an ideal grounding to interrogate how risk model in global climate finance impact financial governance in a national setting.

Within the case study I will employ a process tracing methodology, following the climate finance from the Global North donors through the CIF, and to India. This will allow me to trace how risk concepts and tools influence public and private intuition’s allocation decisions, which investments are rendered legible, and how this impacts the distribution consequences of climate finance. The analysis will be principally qualitative, allowing a detailed and precise engagement with the specific mechanisms, processes, and complexities of climate finance allocation. The research will include interviews with key actors at decision points along the financing chain, from its inception to implementation, to theorise how risk tools and concepts impact the lens through which they make allocate climate finance. Furthermore, interviews with individuals from communities impacted CIF financing will allow me to conceptualise its distributional consequences in India. Using this approach, I will develop an explanatory model of how the political economy of financial risk impacts the governance of climate finance.

GPE, through its stress on politicising seemingly technical phenomena in climate governance, offers theoretical resources to unpick the politics of the net-zero transition. By doing so, the project will provide novel and theoretically innovative insights into the socio-economic impacts of climate finance. Furthermore, the project will provide resources to understand and engage with complex and abstract representations of risk, thereby empowering political and policy actors to push for a more just transition.

Twitter: @callumbray1995

Psychology

(University of East Anglia)

Main supervisor: Dr Clare Melvin

Second supervisor: Dr George Malcolm, and Prof. Andrew Bayliss

Research project: Autism and Biophilia: the impact of natural scenes on anxiety

Research description: Biophilia is the hypothesis that a love of plants and nature is not a learned trait, but rather a genetically-based affinity that evolved over the course of human evolution (Kellert & Wilson, 1993). We seek out nature – hikes, pets, house plants, etc. – because of an inborn attraction to external life. Empirical studies suggests that spending time in nature, or even within sight of nature, can be placative, reducing the physiological indicators of stress and facilitating physical and emotional wellbeing (Ulrich et al., 1991; Hartig et al., 2003; Yin, J. et al, 2020). There is currently very little research exploring biophilia in relation to autism - a developmental disability impacting how an individual processes the information around them and how they interact with the world (World Health Organisation, 2020). Autistic individuals are at increased risk of mental health disorders, particularly anxiety (Hollocks et al., 2018). Little is currently known about how or why biophilia may benefit the autistic population who can struggle with urban environments; with sensory sensitivities and challenges being characteristic of an autistic profile. While there is a small amount of literature investigating autism in relation to building design, sensory rooms and/or spaces, the wider literature of autism in relation to nature and its potential to impact anxiety has not been extensively explored.

Aims: To explore how biophilia can be used to help reduce anxiety for people with autism. This will be done through two experimental studies and a final applied study. The two experiments will look at whether a particular type of natural environment (biome) is preferred (e.g., fields, fields & trees, trees & water, etc.) and how ‘immersive’ the environment needs to be for the physiological reductions in stress to occur. The experiments will compare an autistic sample to a non-autistic sample and use virtual reality to explore alternatives modalities to a fully immersive natural experience (i.e. being outside in a field or forest, etc.). A final applied study will use the identified biomes and preferred modalities from the two experiments to trial run a small behavioural intervention study exploring the potential of biophilia to reduce anxiety and improve wellbeing in autistic individuals.

Objectives:

To identify preferred natural environments (biomes) of autistic and non-autistic individuals and any positive effect of biophilic exposure on anxiety;

To investigate the optimal modality for biome exposure for reducing anxiety, including immersivity of experience, in autistic and non-autistic individuals; and;

To explore the feasibility of a using an individualised biophilic therapy intervention to reduce anxiety and improve wellbeing in autistic individuals.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/szjoanna/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yoannass

Psychology

(Royal Holloway, University of London)

Main supervisor: Professor Polly Dalton

Second supervisor: Professor Szonya Durant

Research project: Situation awareness during the remote operation

Research description: When a driverless car encounters circumstances beyond its capabilities, it will require human assistance to complete its journey. Consider, for instance, a scenario involving a person directing traffic through hand signals or adverse weather conditions like dense fog. In such cases, a remote human operator can be virtually 'dropped' into the car, assume control, and guide the vehicle back on track. To perform this role safely, the operator will need to quickly develop an understanding of the remote scene based on information transmitted from the driverless vehicle to their control station. This PhD project aims to investigate real-time remote situation awareness, involving participants who are controlling actual vehicles.

The research aims to illuminate various critical aspects. Firstly, it seeks to identify the types of information necessary and desirable to support effective remote situation awareness (e.g., video, audio, lidar, haptic). Furthermore, recognising that remote operation is poised to become a specialised skillset requiring training and expertise, this project aims to comprehend how remote situation awareness evolves with increasing proficiency. Finally, this research has practical applications in the field of engineering, particularly in shaping the design of interfaces for remote control. These interfaces are expected to play a pivotal role in the successful integration of autonomous vehicles onto our roads.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RyanNJefferies

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-jefferies-1842a1123

Psychology

(University of Reading)

Main supervisor: Dr Samrah Ahmed

Second supervisor: Dr Katie Grey

Research project: ‘Facial Recognition Impairments in Alzheimer’s Disease: Understanding the Cognitive Mechanisms of Action and Social Implications.’

Research description: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in the UK, with more that 55 million suffers. Whilst impaired memory processing is the hallmark characteristic of AD, there is increasing evidence that non-memory symptoms can be compromised in the preliminary stages of the disease, potentially contributing to a range of AD characteristics.

Facial recognition impairment (FRI) is a frequently reported deficit in AD, characterised by the inability to differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar faces, leading to misidentification of family and loved ones. Typically, FRI has been attributed to the Memory Deficit Theory in AD, suggesting impairments in semantic and episodic consolidation and retrieval. However, a competing theory suggests that abnormal visual perception leads to FRI. Emerging research has begun to recognise how deficits in visual perception may contribute to FRI in AD, suggesting that deficits in structural face processing and holistic processing (i.e. the integration of features into a non-decomposable whole) are critical.

It is important to have a conceptualized and robust understanding of which cognitive processes underpin facial recognition deficits in AD due to the wider social implications. The inability to process human faces has been well documented in other conditions such as autism and prosopagnosia, to relate to an increase in psychosocial affects (social anxiety, depressive symptomology, shame and embarrassment); maladaptive social behaviours (avoidance and isolation); as well as wider social implications (unemployability, low social awareness and support). However, the reasons for the development of poor social interaction in AD currently remains unclear. This 3-study method design, aims to further examine FRI in AD and resolve the following gaps in our understanding:

Firstly, past research has been dichotomous in its approach by examining memory or visual perception independently of each other, despite past research illustrating both to be influential factors. To the best of our knowledge, there has not yet been a study that compares the interaction within and between memory, visual processing and FRI in AD. As a result, the first study will aim to explore whether facial processing impairments in AD are driven primarily by an inability to perceive or remember, faces.

Secondly, it remains unclear as to why impairments in holistic processing occur. The second study will explore whether holistic face processing is abnormal in AD though examining underlying cognitive processes that may contribute to impaired holistic processing and visual perception deficits in AD.

Finally, there has not yet been a study that directly examines the relationship between FRI and social interaction in AD. The third study will aim to examine whether facial impairments in AD contribute towards impaired social interaction.

Ultimately, this 3-study method design aims to explore which cognitive mechanisms of action underpin impaired facial recognition and in turn, impaired social interaction deficits in AD. This could provide a key mechanism underpinning change in social cognition.

Facebook: Rachel Corrigan

Psychology

(University of Sussex)

Main supervisor: Professor Kate Cavanagh

Second supervisor: Dr Heather Bolton

Research project: Evaluating the efficacy and mechanisms of action of app-based audio tools for improved sleep health in working adult populations: Sleep skills, sounds and stories

Research description: While digital health interventions, often delivered via smartphone-based applications, are increasing in popularity, research on their effectiveness and user experience is disproportionally limited. Considering that approximately 30% of the general population reports sleep disturbance, it is unsurprising that digital health interventions aimed at improving sleep have dramatically increased in popularity in recent years.

As sleep significantly impacts several spheres of health and wellbeing, as well as productivity and relationships, it is crucial to establish whether these novel interventions are effective.

This PhD project aims to investigate the efficacy of popular audio-based tools aimed at improving sleep health in a population of working adults. These “Sleep Tools” include sleep skills (meditation, breathwork, guided relaxation), soundscapes (e.g. pink noise, nature sounds) and narrated stories.

A systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of what is known about the mechanisms, effects, and user experiences of these “Sleep Tools”. The effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of action of these “Sleep Tools” will be investigated via a randomised control trial study. To further corroborate findings, objective measures of sleep will be collected via wearable devices in a subset of the sample. Finally, the perceptions and experiences of users will be explored via qualitative methods, as well as the perceived benefits, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities of these types of tools.

This project will see the collaboration of SeNNS, the University of Sussex and Unmind, a leading workplace digital mental health platform. Unmind features an entire section on sleep, including sleep courses, bedtime stories and sleep sounds, which will constitute part of the material used in this project. Most importantly, this project is a step in the right direction, as collaboration between academia and industry is necessary to move towards an evidence-based, regulated approach to digital health.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-vazzaz-6796b4161

Facebook: Jessica Vazzaz

Psychology

(University of Essex)

Main supervisor: Dr Alasdair Clarke

Second supervisor: Dr Anna Hughes

Research project: Computational modelling of group foraging to understand human behaviour and cognition

Research description: The project will characterise and model how humans explore complex environments. More specifically, it will investigate human visual exploration and how it is affected by social contexts using a foraging paradigm in a virtual environment. As this project is in collaboration with the US DEVCOM Army Research Lab, we will be using their naturalistic VR (Virtual Reality) Lab for our testing. The key aims are to assess the changes in exploration behaviour in collaborative and competitive situations, as well as assess changes that may occur due to out-group threat and navigational aids. Overall, the core object of our project is to build our knowledge on human behaviour during spatial exploration and make key theoretical contributions to our understanding of cognitive processes that are involved.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/manjiribhat

Psychology

(University of Essex)

Main supervisor: Dr Veronica Lamarche

Second supervisor: Dr Elia Valentini

Research project: The role of partner support in chronic disease outcomes

Research description: In the UK, patient care and disease management are typically treated as individual concerns rather than recognizing that disease management is a social process. This project aims to develop and test a comprehensive account of how partner interactions impact chronic disease, with immediate relevance to chronic disease management and care of arthritis patients. Patient reported outcomes are important measures in management of inflammatory arthritis, but they are inherently subjective, and may be influenced by social factors overlooked in clinical contexts (e.g., social support). There is often a large discordance between patient and physician global assessments of disease activity in inflammatory arthritis, which impacts treatment decisions, patient satisfaction and compliance. An overreliance on physiological predictors of patient global assessments means that important social information (e.g., interactions with partners) which may contribute to patient-physician discordance have been overlooked. Shifting to a bio-psycho-social model approach which includes understanding the impact of social contexts should contribute to a better disease management.

Twitter: @OvgunSs

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ovgun-ses-757240137

Psychology

(University of Kent)

Main supervisor: Professor Roger Giner-Sorolla

Second supervisor: Dr Afroditi Pina

Research project: How Honour and Reputation Moralise Jealousy and Jealousy-Related Violence in European Countries

Research description: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is an international issue of concern, especially against women. Across cultures, jealousy is one of the most salient factors leading to IPV and in extreme cases femicide.

However, in some honour-oriented cultures, jealousy is seen as a virtue, at least for men, because of its connection to values such as masculinity, protectiveness, and moral character. Indeed, jealousy-related violence is more tolerated among these cultures. However, studies in Western contexts have mostly looked at jealousy as an excuse for violence rooted in sexism, without examining psychological mechanisms such as reputation and morality. Knowing how and why jealousy is moralised across cultural contexts could help understand and tackle gender-based violence. In this work, I take existing work done in Iranian and Arab cultural contexts as a model for novel work among European populations. I will ask whether among honour- and non-honour-based cultures, jealousy plays a similar role in reputation- and violence-related dynamics.

Psychology

(University of Sussex)

Main supervisor: Professor Clara Strauss

Second supervisor: Professor Kate Cavanagh

Research project: What is mindfulness? Development of a cross-cultural consensual definition and a cross-cultural measure of mindfulness.

Research description: Mindfulness has increasingly become a prevalent topic within psychological research. Its successful integration from Buddhist thought allowed for the development of new therapeutic interventions in clinical practice. Nonetheless, the plurality of definitions of mindfulness constitutes a significant challenge to the progress of its study. Indeed, to assess the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions, accurate definitions and associated measurements of mindfulness are required. This is also relevant when investigating the psychological process involved in mindfulness practice. However, current definitions and measures demonstrate limited ability to examine mindfulness in different cultural contexts. This undermines the evaluation of mindfulness-based interventions in such cultures and casts doubts on the comprehensiveness of current definitions and measurements of mindfulness. This research project primarily intends to develop a cross-cultural definition of mindfulness, which will allow for the construction of a culturally sensitive self-report measure of mindfulness. This project will generate a new and refined assessment of mindfulness that will help consolidate the evaluation of mindfulness-based interventions and its underlying psychological processes across a variety of cultures.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryad-chems-maarif-a32b0a16b/

Psychology

(University of Essex)

Main supervisor: Professor Gijsbert Stoet

Second supervisor: Dr Catherine Kerr

Research project: Understanding cognitive, emotional, and social aspects in type 1 diabetes self-management in young adults.

Research description: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic disease in which the pancreas produces insufficient amounts of the hormone insulin. Patients must make complex decisions about self-management behaviour to keep blood glucose levels within a safe range and reduce long-term complications. This involves following an intensive regime of multiple insulin injections, and continuously adjusting insulin dosage depending on food intake, exercise, and other factors while mood and cognition are affected by low and high glucose levels. The demanding nature of diabetes often causes patients to experience diabetes-related distress.

Young adults with T1D, particularly university students, struggle to practise good self-management and are less likely to seek medical support as they transition through emerging adulthood, a notoriously challenging developmental stage. This not only presents an increased risk of mental health challenges but also factors into 26% of university students with diabetes being hospitalised due to diabetes complications.

This multi-methodology project aims to understand how young adults make decisions about taking insulin or glucose when needed to treat low or high blood glucose levels through three studies. The first study will use semi-structured interviews to provide a detailed understanding of how students make decisions about self-management in different social and personal situations. The second study will provide qualitative data exploring self-management behaviour and mood during different glucose levels over a period of two weeks. In the third study, participants will complete a cognitive test battery to explore how cognition is affected during different blood glucose levels.

This studentship aims to improve the field’s understanding of the decisions young adults make in response to glucose variations and why optimal self-management is difficult to achieve in this cohort. The results will inform healthcare and university services on how to better support young adults with diabetes to live a healthy life during a high-risk period, in the hope of improving their wellbeing and reducing long-term complications.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-ann-thornhill-mbpss-5465041b6

Psychology

(University of East Anglia)

Main supervisor: Professor John Spencer

Second supervisor: Professor Will Penny

Research project: Using neurocomputational and neuroimaging tools to understand the early development of infant visuo-spatial attention

Research description: Infants who demonstrate deficits in attention are at an increased risk of developing later cognitive deficits and/or neurodevelopmental disorders. Identifying such deficits early in infancy may foster the development of interventions that can mitigate negative outcomes. Such interventions are most likely to be effective if we understand the mechanisms that underpin how attention works in infancy and how it develops across the first few years of life. The aim of my PhD research is to identify these mechanisms and understand how they translate into measurable differences in brain and behaviour. The proposed research will use an integrative cognitive neuroscience approach that combines cutting-edge neuroimaging and neurocomputational modelling with advanced quantitative methods (AQM) to understand how the brain and behaviour co-develop. In Studies 1 and 2, I will use a validated neurocomputational model to investigate how neural activity (fMRI & fNIRS) gives rise to infant behavioural responses in visual attention tasks. In Study 3, I will model longitudinal (fNIRS) data from two cohorts spanning ages from 6- to 54-months and assess how these longitudinal data relate to assessments of executive function and schooling outcome at 6.5 years. The integrative cognitive neuroscience approach has successfully been used to investigate adult visual working memory but has never been applied to early development. Therefore, this research not only has wide-reaching practical implications (e.g., guiding intervention) but it has major theoretical implications as well. For instance, my work will challenge existing theories of infant attentional development that propose the existence of an explicit disengaging mechanism. Further, this PhD will provide me with expert training in cutting-edge techniques that will allow me to build a comprehensive skillset ideal for future work in developmental cognitive neuroscience.  

Science, Technology, and Sustainability Studies

(University of Sussex)

Main supervisor: Dr Marie Claire Brisbois

Second supervisor: Dr Robert Byrne

Research project: Just and Sustainable Energy Futures for the Isolated Communities in the Brazilian Amazon: An Energy Democracy Approach

Research description: Worldwide, energy has become a central point of sustainable development as it represents a key element for any socioeconomic system. Guaranteeing access to clean, modern and affordable energy for all people is one of the biggest challenges of the energy transition, and the lack of it is known as energy poverty. Poor access to quality energy services generates social exclusion and limits development, mainly in countries that already have strong inequalities characteristics (Guzowski et al., 2021).

This is the case in Brazil, where energy poverty persists in vulnerable communities that already suffer from the lack of other essential services (Bezerra et al., 2022). Energy poverty in Brazil is more prominent in the Northern region, largely occupied by the Amazon Forest, because of the lack of public infrastructure, and geographical and economic isolation (Mazonne, 2020). Because of its isolation, most communities living in the Amazon are not connected to the national grid and are, therefore, attended by the Isolated Systems.

Currently, there are 212 Isolated Systems in the country which are supplied in their majority by diesel power plants and the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy is committed to investigating new solutions to aggregate more renewable energy technologies. Since the eyes of policymakers and other energy actors are turned to this issue, this is a crucial moment to guarantee that future energy policies in the isolated communities in the Amazon will take a democratic path.A democratic energy future approach is related to the energy democracy concept, which recognizes the importance of widening the participation of diverse actors within energy politics by aiming to include to the debate historically marginalised groups (Burke & Stephens, 2017). In this context, the central questions of this research proposal are: (1) what does a just and sustainable energy future mean to isolated communities in the Brazilian Amazon?, (2) what are the shifts needed in the power relations of the existing structure aiming a democratic energy transition? and (3) which policy and regulatory instruments could be proposed to ensure a just and sustainable energy future for the isolated communities in the Brazilian Amazon in the long term?

To achieve this goal, the methodology of the research project involves interviewing local citizens to understand how communities themselves think a just and sustainable energy transition would be for answering the question (1). To answer question (2), a framework to understand the power relations of Isolated Systems will be identified and applied to this study. Aiming to answer question (3), a range of energy actors and policymakers will be also interviewed to explore how the communities' wishes could be realised. As an outcome, it is expected to provide valuable contributions to the national policymakers on which policy instruments should be applied to provide a just and sustainable energy future for the people living in the Amazon based on their needs and aspirations of a sustainable future.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathlen-schneider-79897748/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaathschneider/

Science, Technology, and Sustainability Studies

(University of Kent)

Main supervisor: Dr Matthew Struebig

Second supervisor: Dr Mahesh Poudyal

Research project: Environmental and social sustainability of coconut farming in tropical countries

Research description: Coconut farming contributes to the livelihoods of millions of people in tropical countries, but rarely features in discussions about biodiversity threats or sustainability. This research aims to study the biodiversity in coconut farms in Indonesia and compare this to other land-uses. To achieve these objectives, an extensive survey of avian and potentially other animal populations will be conducted. Additionally, an investigation into the economic impact of coconut farming on local communities will be carried out. This entails documenting the degree to which individuals depend on coconut farming in comparison to alternative crops and livelihood opportunities. The project involves the comprehensive analysis of datasets from both ecological and social perspectives, employing statistical methods. The ultimate goal is to offer fresh perspectives and insights regarding the management of biodiversity within rural Indonesia.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobbyButarbutar

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/robby-butarbutar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robbybinsar/

Social Anthropology

(University of Kent)

Main supervisor: Dr Rajindra Puri

Second supervisor: Dr Anna Waldstein

Research project: Medicinal plants as a boundary mechanism: bridging the divide between traditional and biomedical health systems in Nepal

Research description: Nepali health practitioners often view traditional medicine and hospital-based (biomedical) health systems as incompatible. Patients typically blend treatments in a pluralistic approach, but their ‘failure’ to follow clinical instruction can lead to cultural tensions, attempted delegitimisation of traditional medicine, and at times to poor health outcomes (Hailati 2017, Beine 2003).

Plant-based medicines may help transform this space of tension. Since plant-derived medicines are vital pharmaceutical products (Newman et al 2012, Teillier 2019), medicinal plants valued in multiple systems may enable the traditional and biomedical systems to become ‘braided’ (Mukharji 2016).

In the case of the traditional medicine plant Artemisia annua, its extract artemisinin is the basis for the global frontline treatment of malaria. The ‘inferior’ traditional medicine has crossed over to become the ‘superior biomedicine.’ Furthermore, A. annua compounds are in global clinical trials as a COVID treatment (Fuzimoto 2021, Hahn et al 2023).

Building on Hitziger et al’s (2017) work, I ethnographically explore Nepali engagement with such ‘crossover’ medicinal plants as “boundary objects”; do they help bridge divides between biomedical and traditional knowledge systems in Nepal, increasing perceptions of mutual legitimacy, communication, and willingness to engage?

LinkedIn: Fiona Hafvenstein

Facebook: Fiona Hafvenstein

Social Anthropology

(Goldsmiths, University of London)

Main supervisor: Dr Henrike Donner

Second supervisor: Dr Elena Gozalez-Polledo

Research project: Bots and Their Humans: Virtual Companions and the Ethics of Digital Kinship

Research description: The popular digital chatbot companion ‘Replika’ saw a 35% increase in users during the COVID pandemic, responding to the need for human-like care and contact in users’ lives. Chatbots like Replika are visually and emotionally interactive, and attempt to simulate an empathetic character who can ‘care’ for its users, using words such as “listening”, “talking”, and being “always on your side” to show the compassionate capabilities of the system (Weber-Guskar 2021, 603).

These innovations consistently reshape modern intimacy and continue to evolve our experience of social relationships. Most popular chatbots are anthropomorphic, and attempt to “imitate human behaviour” (Kok et al. 2009, 1095) visually, physically and socially. Cicio et al. (2020) suggest this is in order to “leverage intimacy and immediacy through conversational design and visual cues” (1216). This ‘humanness’ has led media to focus on chatbots taking over our personal lives. Contrary to this common depiction of bots replacing humans, this project is not concerned with the binary opposition between humans and chatbots. Instead, it offers investigation beyond conflict and considers the potential role chatbots may take in shaping our futures, especially for individuals who are neurodivergent, or socially removed. This project will embed an ethnographic study of bots and their humans within the context of wider cultural changes that allow us to engage in practice of kinning (Howell 2003, 465) with social chatbots.

The significance of neurodivergence in the social space of chatbot users will be at the core of this research, as a large number of those discussing AI chatbots on social media sites use neurodivergent labels. Despite this, research that investigates the role of chatbots in the lives of neurodiverse persons is lacking. As Nicola Döring (2009, 1097) observed, the internet can be a “place of refuge” for many ‘marginalised subcultures’, where there is “strength in numbers…, increased visibility, and… a movement for acceptance”. This specific use of chatbots, will be highlighted, specifically to investigate and challenge normative notions of relations, and inter-human communication.

This project will address the multiplicity of purposes and variety of relationships bots are engaged in. Utilising chatbots for care and companionship confronts set normative ideas surrounding what emotions and affective ties are acceptable to feel and how non-humans are expected to be encountered. Chatbots are the perceived unnatural, performing natural care roles. Butler (2002, 37) suggests that it is the assumption of 'natural' equating to purity that legitimises gender and sexuality norms. 'Nature' in chatbots is ultimately enacted through the developer's understanding of cultural expectations and the way users define practices as ethical or unethical.

The proposed research will involve both face to face, and digital interaction with companion chatbot users to assess the full capacity of their experiences with virtual companions. This dual approach resists drawing an “untenably sharp distinction between the on and offline world” (Recuber 2017, 49). A main fieldsite will be online social media and blog spaces that bring together individuals with chatbot companions, which have played a vital role in the spread of their popularity.

Socio-legal Studies

(University of Essex)

Main supervisor: Dr Matthew Gillett

Second supervisor: Dr Esin Küçük and Professor Geoff Gilbert

Research project: Humanitarians or Smugglers? European Union border securitisation and the criminalisation of humanitarian assistance and acts of solidarity with migrants

Research description: This research will address the question of whether ambiguity around the domestic interpretation of the 2002 Facilitation Directive has promoted the criminalisation of solidarity with migrants and refugees in the European Union (EU). Across the EU, cases of human rights defenders (including humanitarian aid workers, journalists, activists, or other members of civil society aiding migrants) facing criminal charges and being detained are increasing alongside border securitisation measures. This apparent ‘criminalisation of solidarity’ with migrants has taken different forms across national contexts and, in a sense, appears to be interrelated with the criminalisation of irregular migration itself. At the same time, for example, asylum seekers themselves are also increasingly being prosecuted for piloting the boats on which they arrive using laws intended to combat migrant smuggling.

To analyse and contextualise the criminalisation of solidarity this research project will consist of two distinct analytical phases and consider three case study countries: France, Greece, Italy. The first phase consists of a doctrinal analysis contrasting domestic legislation under which acts of solidarity with migrants are criminalised with anti-smuggling frameworks, international human rights obligations and other relevant international legal frameworks, such as refugee law and international law of the sea. This will be followed by a second phase, consisting of qualitative key informant (KI) interviews with human rights defenders. The objective of the first phase is to identify the uncertainty around the conflicting legal frameworks allowing States to criminalise assistance to migrants. The second phase seeks to understand the consequences of this legal uncertainty on the ability of human rights defenders to conduct their work, highlighting any perceived risks and potential hidden deterrent effect. The findings of both phases will be used to develop human rights compliant policy recommendations.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-topp-22275966/

Socio-legal Studies

(University of Kent)

Main supervisor: Dr Asta Zokaityte

Second supervisor: Dr Ohiocheoya Omiunu

Research project: Balancing Financial Inclusion And Consumer Protection In Mobile Money Regulation For Intra-African Trade: A Case Study In Malawi

Research description: The widespread use of mobile money in Africa has promoted financial inclusion and facilitated instant digital payments. However, the regulation of mobile money transactions for intra-African trade among micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) involved in cross-border trade remains an under-researched area. This study focuses on MSMEs, a significant segment of the economy, especially in low-income countries, where many lack access to formal banking systems and rely on mobile money for digital transactions. By employing socio-legal research methods and using Malawi as a case study, the study seeks to understand MSME experiences with mobile money services in cross-border trade within Africa. Malawi was selected due to its status as a least-developed country, thereby representing the challenges faced by unbanked traders in low-income economies. The study on Malawian MSMEs and their use of mobile money for intra-African trade, particularly trade with Tanzania, presents a new and original viewpoint in the current literature. It will bring to light a subject that has not been thoroughly investigated and make a significant contribution to the academic conversation on the subject. This research will provide insights into the balance between financial inclusion and consumer protection, two critical factors that influence the design of the regulation of mobile money in Africa. The study is timely as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is currently negotiating the Digital Trade Protocol, which will address mobile money regulation. The results of this study will contribute to the discourse on mobile money regulation and provide valuable input for the AFCTA in developing a regulatory framework for digital payments in Africa.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/salome-chapeyama-mdala-102b7655

Socio-legal Studies

(University of Kent)

Main supervisor: Professor Naomi Creautzfeldt

Second supervisor: Dr Suhraiya Jivraj

Research project: Exploring gender and intersectionality in the UK legal academy

Research description: Research on gender in the UK legal academy shows that there are inequalities that disadvantage women legal academics. This includes gender gaps in senior positions, masculine organisational cultures, and gendered disparities in career trajectories. However there is a lack of intersectionality in this research, and the experiences of women with multiple marginalised identities and backgrounds go unaccounted for. This conveys the idea that gender operates as a mutually exclusive entity, with gendered disadvantage being experienced universally.

In my research I aim to unpack and problematise what has been observed about the gendered disadvantage faced by legal academics by exploring gender and intersectional identity in the UK legal academy. I intend to do this by addressing two questions:

1.How do women legal academics negotiate their professional identities in the UK legal academy? a. A key sub-question will be: How do women legal academics understand their personal identity and how does this reflect within the legal academy?

2.Does gender intersect with race, class, and sexuality in the production of inequalities faced by women legal academics in the UK, and how does this construct their experiences in the legal academy?

Exploring gender in the legal academy requires improved data collection to gain a holistic, contemporary, and accurate depiction of women legal academics’ experiences. I plan to select a cross section of six UK Russell group and post 1992 institutions which I will divide into three groups - universities committed to improving gender inequality, and holding an Athena SWAN award, universities committed to improving racial inequality, and holding a Race Equality award, and institutions with no recognition for such commitments. I will select a Russell group and a post 1992 institution from each of these groups and my rationale for this is to assess whether having these awards makes any difference to women legal academics’ experiences in the academy.

I will use qualitative research methods including employing purposeful sampling to recruit fifty participants from these institutions, using an initial online survey to gather insight by measuring participants’ characteristics and background. These will be legal academics in different stages of their careers, who identify as women (particularly those with intersecting characteristics). I will then use in depth interviews to capture a more accurate picture of the culture of legal academia in the UK and will utilise my own positionality when doing so.

This research will be of interest to those interested in gender, race, social class, sexuality, intersectionality, and discourse on inequalities in higher education and the legal profession.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henna-masih-79969314b

Socio-legal Studies

(University of Sussex)

Main supervisor: Dr Emily Lydgate

Research project: Regulatory Coherence: An Empirical Approach

Research description: The 'Regulatory Coherence: An Empirical Approach' project delves into regulatory coherence within Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), employing qualitative research methods to analyse the implementation of FTA chapters dedicated to regulatory coherence. The primary focus is on prominent FTAs such as the EU-Japan EPA, CPTPP, CETA, and USMCA. These specific chapters establish obligations aimed at facilitating discussions on strategies to align the regulations of the involved parties. In academic literature, these chapters are recognised as tools for overcoming regulatory barriers and enhancing global influence for the US and EU by shaping other countries' regulatory processes. However, there has been limited empirical research to reaffirm these claims.

The research methodology of this PhD project combines desk-based analysis of FTA regulatory coherence and cooperation texts with a comprehensive review of publicly available reports from pertinent FTA committee meetings, academic articles, and reports from international organisations. In addition to these sources, the project involves qualitative interviews with key stakeholders to provide valuable insights.

The core objectives of this research endeavour encompass assessing the practical impact and utilisation of these FTA chapters, evaluating their effectiveness in achieving their stated objectives, and understanding their role in either suppressing or magnifying specific stakeholder influence. Through a meticulous examination of real-world practices and firsthand perspectives, the project aims to shed light on the tangible outcomes of these regulatory coherence chapters within FTAs.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jiyeong_go

LinkedIn: Jiyeong Go

Sociology

(University of Essex)

Main supervisor: Professor Annette Jäckle

Second supervisor: Dr Jonathan Burton

Research project: Innovations in Data Collection Methods in a Household Panel Survey

Research description: Due to the evolution of technology, forms of survey data collection have evolved. Nowadays, surveys utilise mobile devices, biometric measures, and other technology systems such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to allow for a new generation of data collection (Link et al., 2014). However, the use of these new data collection methods leads to an uncertainty of the impact of participation in both the new innovative data collection methods and participation in a wider ‘system of data collection’. Moreover, current trends in survey research also include the general decrease of response rates (de Leeuw et al., 2018). Due to the increase in non-response and the rising use of alternative data collection methods, it is important to investigate these new forms of data collection and their impact on non-response error.

My PhD research aims to investigate innovations in data collection methods by examining what respondents are willing to do in addition to answering survey questions. Considering this, participation in new innovative forms of data collection will be analysed using data from the Understanding Society Innovation Panel (University of Essex, Institute for Social and Economic Research, 2021) and its related studies, including the Wellbeing app, Spending Study apps, Body Volume app, and Life Events Study. These will be used to examine data from mobile apps, bio measure samples, and life event-triggered surveys, to establish the impact of participation in new innovative forms of data collection, as well as a wider system of data collection.