Educational and Developmental Psychology Research Group

Understanding the development of fear, anxiety, and disgust in childhood: key mechanisms and influential mediating factors

Academic: Gemma Reynolds

Investigating the interplay between societal norms and how these shape gendered experiences of emotional labour, and their impact on the mental health, well-being, and quality of couple relationships among second-time working mothers in cohabiting heterosexual relationships.

Academic: Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez

Studying how music, language and cognition interact in both the development of early communication and in supporting healthy ageing

Academics: Anthony Mangiacotti and Fabia Franco.

Dedicated to the memory of Fabia, whose contributions to this work were invaluable.

Exploring the transition to second-time parenthood in couple relationships, using qualitative mixed methods.

Academic: Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez

The impacts of neglect and abuse on adolescent development in relation to clinical health and wellbeing, attachment insecurity and making positive relationships. A focus on children in care.

Academic: Antonia Bifulco

Studying the relationship between language, literacy, musical and artistic ability in children and adults, with a focus on developmental dyslexia.

Academic: Nicola Brunswick

Exploring sound in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Language and music in premature infants.

Academics: Maria Chifa with Fabia Franco and Gemma Reynolds

Home musical enrichment and its influence on early language, emotion and cognition.

Academic: Nina Politimou

Music and Communication

Exploring music as an intrinsic link in the development of communication and social engagement in infancy.

Academic: Tatiana Sobolewska

Interests include breeding success measures, reproductive strategies and parental investment. Also interested in interactions between breeding pairs and parent-chicks at the nest.

Academic: Kirsty Neller

Academic: Andrea Oskis

Exploring the impact of exposure to nature and green spaces on well-being and mental health.

Academics: Kirsty Neller, Gemma Reynolds

Academic: Andrea Oskis

Academics: Gemma Reynolds, Karen Manville

Exploring the use of expressive writing as a brief intervention targeting mental health, academic stress and well-being in higher education students.

Academics: Gemma Reynolds, Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez

Academic: Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez

Examining the role of family dynamics, peers, and media portrayals in promotion inclusion for children with autism. 

Academics: Shereen Mohamed (PhD student), Gemma Reynolds

Gemma and Deborah were awarded £3,954 from the strategic RKE/learning and teaching projects funding call for their project titled “Expressive Writing as a Brief Intervention Targeting Mental Health, Wellbeing and Academic Stress in MDX Students".

Deborah was awarded £1,000 from the European Society for Research into Adult Development’s (ESRAD) Small Research Grants Initiative for her project titled “The Never-Ending Shift: Second-time Working Mothers’ Emotional Labour in Heterosexual Couple Relationships”.

Gemma and Deborah were awarded £9825.48 from the BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants Scheme for their project titled “Expressive Writing as a Brief Intervention Targeting Anxiety about Research Methods and Statistics in Higher Education Students”. 

Andrea presented “Attachment: Food for Thought” at Age UK's Silver Sunday, an annual day of activities and events celebrating older people across the country.