Educational and Developmental Psychology Research Group

Understanding the development of fear, anxiety, and disgust in childhood

This project examines key mechanisms and influential mediating factors.

Academic: Gemma Reynolds

Emotional labour among second-time working mothers

This project investigates how societal norms shape gendered experiences of emotional labour. It examines the effects on mental health, well-being, and the quality of couple relationships among second-time working mothers in cohabiting heterosexual relationships.

Academic: Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez

Music, language, and cognition

This project studies how music, language, and cognition interact. It examines their role in 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.

The transition to second-time parenthood

This project explores the transition to second-time parenthood in couple relationships using qualitative mixed methods.

Academic: Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez

Neglect, abuse and adolescent development

This project examines the effects of neglect and abuse on adolescent development. It considers clinical health and wellbeing, attachment insecurity, and the formation of positive relationships. The research focuses on children in care.

Academic: Antonia Bifulco

Language, literacy, music and artistic ability

This project studies the relationship between language, literacy, musical ability, and artistic ability in children and adults. It has a particular focus on developmental dyslexia.

Academic: Nicola Brunswick

Sound in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

This project explores sound in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It examines language and music in premature infants.

Academics: Maria Chifa with Fabia Franco and Gemma Reynolds

Home musical enrichment

This project examines home musical enrichment and its influence on early language, emotion, and cognition.

Academic: Nina Politimou

Music and Communication

This project explores music as an intrinsic link in the development of communication and social engagement during infancy.

Academic: Tatiana Sobolewska

Reproductive strategies and parental investment

Research interests include measures of breeding success, reproductive strategies, and parental investment. The work also examines interactions between breeding pairs and between parents and chicks at the nest.

Academic: Kirsty Neller

Academic: Andrea Oskis

Nature, green spaces and well-being

This project explores how exposure to nature and green spaces affects well-being and mental health.

Academics: Kirsty Neller, Gemma Reynolds

Academic: Andrea Oskis

Academics: Gemma Reynolds, Karen Manville

Expressive writing in higher education

This project explores expressive writing as a brief intervention for mental health, academic stress, and well-being among higher education students.

Academics: Gemma Reynolds, Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez

Academic: Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez

Inclusion for children with autism

This project examines how family dynamics, peers, and media portrayals promote inclusion for children with autism.

Academics: Shereen Mohamed (PhD student), Gemma Reynolds

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

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

Gemma and Deborah received £9,825.48 from the BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants Scheme. The funding supports their project, "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. This annual day of activities and events celebrates older people across the country.