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Research
Brain and Behaviour Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Cross-Cultural Psychology
Social Psychology

Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research (CACR)
Victoria Psychology Clinic

Research

Performance Based Research Funding (PBRF)
Research Areas
Postgraduate Research

Performance Based Research Funding (PBRF)

The School of Psychology was ranked number one in the recent PBRF (Performance Based Research Funding) quality evaluation round. The School scored an impressive overall score of 6.6 in the Tertiary Education Commission's most recent Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF) research quality evaluations. Also, 84% of academic staff in the School scored in one of the two highest quality categories.

This means:

we are the top ranked school or department of psychology in the country,
the School of Psychology received one of the highest scores of any academic unit (irrespective of discipline) overall across the whole country, and
the School of Psychology is an excellent place to do research.

Check out the official results.

Everybody in the School contributed to this result.

All academic staff are research active, they go to conferences, they publish, get research grants and are respected by their peers internationally. Our post-graduate students actively contribute to the research environment by doing their own research, being excellent RAs, by publishing & going to conferences. Our administration and technical staff make sure that we have the best possible environment and level of support to enable research to happen. Basically, research is a major function of the School and everybody contributes to this in some way or another.

Research Areas

Research by School staff and graduate students reflects adiverse range of topics, including social cognition, cross-cultural psychology, language and communication, gender, memory,
cognitive and social development, neuropsychology, abnormal and criminal behaviour, addiction, drug effects on behaviour and cognition, reinforcement processes and comparative cognition.

Wellington offers tremendous opportunities for academic and applied research and clinical experience in psychology. The School maintains excellent links with Capital Coast Health and its mental health units, the Department of Corrections, The Family Centre and senior psychologists in private practice and the public sector.

Many researchers in the School maintain relationships with other groups within the university such as the School of Biological Sciences and the Institute of Criminology. The School supports the Roy McKenzie Centre for the Study of Families, the Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research and the Victoria Psychology Clinic.

Postgraduate Research

Our postgraduate students receive the best supervision possible. Students graduate with well developed research skills, often publishing in international journals. Typically students will have developed the ability to critically evaluate information, good communication skills and be able to take their skills into almost any field.

With a large postgraduate student community, the School provides extensive services and facilities. The School is active in its support of student iniatives and encouraging student participation within the School.

Find out more about our students and the diverse research they are involved in at Masters and PhD level within the School.

PhD Students

Students	Supervisor	Thesis Title
Rebecca Bell	A/Prof Devon Polaschek A/Prof John McDowall	The Role Of Impulsivity In Criminal Offending
Diana Boer	Dr Ronald Fischer A/Prof James Liu	A Cross-Cultural Approach To Social Identity And Relationships. Adolescents’ Usage Of Popular Music Styles In A Globalising World.
Patrice Bourke	Prof Tony Ward A/Prof Devon Polaschek	Expertise In Sexual Offending
Silke Breuninger	Dr Ronald Fischer Dr Taciano Milfont	The Interaction Of Universal And Culture Specific Leadership Attributes
Frances Bryson	Dr Gina Grimshaw A/Prof John McDowall	Neuropsychological Approaches To The Study Of Emotion
Rebecca Burson	Dr Todd Jones A/Prof Jan Lauwereyns	Task Switching And Recognition Memory Performance : Effects And Implications
Rachael Collie	Prof Tony Ward Dr James Vess	Does Narcissism Cause Hostile Aggression? Exploring The Relationship With Violent Offenders
Dirk Derom	A/Prof Jan Lauwereyns Dr Todd Jones	The Brainwaves Of Bias And Sensitivity In Decision Making
Socorrow Ma. Diego	Dr Ronald Fischer Dr Astrid Podsiadlowski Prof Colleen Ward	Building Futures And Careers: A Comparative And A Cross Cultural Analysis Of NZ Asian Immigrants
Jeffrey Foster	Prof Maryanne Garry Dr Maree Hunt	The Effects Of Ego Depletion On Jurors : An Evaluation Of Reappraisal
Jessica Garisch	Dr Marc Wilson A/Prof John McDowall	A Comprehensive Model Of Deliberate Self Harm Among Adolescents And Young Adults
David Gittings	Prof Susan Schenk A/Prof David Harper	The Nature Of Dopamine Sensitisation Following Repeated Exposure To Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)
Anna Greenhow	Dr Maree Hunt A/Prof David Harper	Impulsivity in a Virtual World
Katja Hanke	A/Prof James Liu Dr Ronald Fischer	Does Diversity In Groups Change The Perspective On What Is Perceived As Fair? A Cross-Cultural Comparison
Lincoln Hely	A/Prof David Harper Dr Maree Hunt	Abuse Potential Of MDMA
Karen Jones	Prof Susan Schenk Dr Maree Hunt	Serotonin (5-HT) Receptor Involvement In 3, 4- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Induced Anxiety
Charlotte Kay	A/Prof David Harper Dr Maree Hunt	The Acute And Chronic Effects Of MDMA (Ecstasy) On Learning And Memory.
Wendy Kelly	Dr Karen Salmon Prof Tony Ward	‘An Evaluation Of An Attachment Based Intervention For Foster Parents
Sammyh Khan	A/Prof James Liu Dr Ronald Fischer	The Sociopsychological Corollaries Of Hindutva: An Intergroup Perspective Of Social Tensions In India
Magdalena Kielpikowski	A/Prof Paul Jose A/Prof Jan Pryor	Family Dynamics And Children’s Outcomes: The Role Of Silent Parental Conflict
Darshani Kumareswaran	Dr Jim Vess Prof Tony Ward	A Comprehensive Empirical Model Of Risk Assessment Of Child Sex Offenders
Larissa Kus	Prof Colleen Ward A/Prof James Liu	Identity, Acculturation And Adaptation Of Ethnic Minorities (Case Of Estonia)
Robyn Langlands	Dr Marc Wilson A/Prof John McDowall	The Situational, Cognitive And Emotional Factors That Precipitate Deliberate Self-Harm Behaviours In Adolescents And Young Adults
Keri Lawson (Te Aho)	A/Prof James Liu Prof Tony Ward	Cultural Restoration: A Strategy For The Prevention Of Maori Youth Suicide
Meng-Yeow Low	A/Prof Paul Jose A/Prof Jan Pryor	The Effects Of Parental Divorce On Children And Adolescents In Malaysia
Miu Chi (Vivian) Lun	Dr Ron Fischer Prof Colleen Ward	Critical Thinking And Cross-Cultural Adaptation Among International Students
Aiyesha Melnicenko	Dr Sue Jackson A/Prof James Liu	Perceptions Of Romance And Sexuality Among Adolescent Immigrant Women
Rewa Murphy	Dr Sue Jackson Dr Ann Weatherall	The Embodied Subjectivities of Young Women with Anorexia Nervosa
Shruti Navathe	Prof Tony Ward Dr Jim Vess	Cognitive Distortions Of Child Sex Offenders : Rational Or Not?
Eryn Newman	Prof Maryanne Garry Dr Maree Hunt	Consequences Of Depleting Self-Control : Source Monitoring And Susceptibility To Unintentional Plagiarism
Sophie Parker	Prof Maryanne Garry A/Prof David Harper	Actual And Placebo Cognitive Enhancers
Shachi Phadke	Dr Ronald Fischer	Study Of The Cultural Concept Of Fairness And Justice Within Migrated Groups Of Indian Origin In New Zealand
Andrea Rigg	A/Prof Jan Pryor Dr Sue Jackson	Young People’s Perceptions Of ‘Family’ And Family Change
Elizabeth Ross	A/Prof Devon Polaschek Dr Marc Wilson	Investigating The Relationship Between Perceptions Of The Therapeutic Alliance And Changes In Dynamic Risk Factors In Violent Offender Treatment
Emma Scheib	Dr Jim Vess Dr Karen Salmon	Adolescent Psychopathy And Its Relationship To Attachment And Culture In New Zealand
Julie Seguin	Dr Gina Grimshaw A/Prof David Harper	The Effect Of Affective Variables On Time Cognition
Elena Maydell	Dr James Liu Dr Ann Weatherall	Patterns Of Adaptation And Acculturation Among Russian-Speaking Immigrants In New Zealand
Sarah Tapper	Dr Marc Wilson A/Prof Devon Polaschek	An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Sexual Offence Behaviours
Jared Thomas	Dr Marc Wilson A/Prof Frank Walkey	The Social Environment In Public Transport
Penny Tok	Dr Jason Low A/Prof David Harper	Private And Inner Speech In Children With Autism
Alexis Garland	Dr Jason Low Dr. Kevin Burns (Biology)	How smart are birdbrains? Number Sense in New Zealand Robins
Melanie Vauclair	Dr Ronald Fischer Dr Marc Wilson	Identification Of Universal Moral Values From A Cross-Cultural Perspective
Matthew Weaver	A/Prof Jan Lauwereyns A/Prof Devon Polaschek	Brain Waves Of Reciprocity And Decision-Making
Jessie Wilson	Prof Colleen Ward Dr Ron Fischer	Emotional And Cultural Intelligence And The Prediction Of Intercultural Adaptation
Patricia Young	Prof Tony Ward Prof Colleen Ward	The Role Of Culture In Youth Offender Programmes

Masters Students