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April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Annual Congress of
Psychology Students
of Ireland Supplement
contents
April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
congress INFORMATION
Programme
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Student Congress Abstracts
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Welcome
Welcome to the third Annual Student Congress supplement of The Irish Psychologist. We are very happy to mark such an important
event in the psychology calendar again this year. For many of the students involved this is the first time their research has been
formally disseminated to the community of psychology in Ireland. The Congress is a great testament to the quality of the student
population in our discipline, both in terms of the research conducted, the presentations themselves, and the fact that the event itself
is organised by students.
This year’s event continues the proud tradition of the Congress, which stretches back to the 1970s. This year’s host institution,
Queen’s University Belfast, and both the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and the Northern Ireland Branch of the British
Psychological Society (NIBPS) provide support to the event. However it is the student organisers that drive the event and their
hard work ensures the success of the event. It important to remember that each year a group of students has the responsibility of
coordinating the event, while balancing the work with their own continuing studies. So the organising committee at Queens are to
be congratulated for their achievements!
We hope you all enjoy the Congress. Every year the social aspects of the programme on Friday and Saturday night provide a balance
to the academic programme and this year’s event promises to be enjoyable to say the least! As with previous years, we will be
inviting the first-place winners of the undergraduate and postgraduate prizes at the Annual Congress to submit an article to The Irish
Psychologist and we enjoy showcasing the work of these students each year.
Good luck to everyone involved.
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Best wishes
Suzanne, Aileen, Mimi and Dermot
The Irish Psychologist Editorial Team
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The Psychological Society of Ireland, Cumann Síceolaithe Éireann 2nd Floor Grantham House Grantham Street Dublin 2
Telephone: 01 472 0105 | Web: www.psihq.ie
Our thanks to the team at Design Printworks for their support
in the production of this supplement. www.designprintworks.ie
Volume 37, Issue 11, Page II
34th Annual Congress of Psychology Students in Ireland
23rd-24th March 2012, Queen’s University, Belfast
Programme
Friday Evening
5:30-6:30pm Tea/Coffee and Registration
At the Wellington Park Hotel
6:30pm Welcome: Prof. Evanthia Lyons, Queens University, Belfast
7:00pm Opening Key note speaker:
Prof. Peter Hepper, Queens University, Belfast
The Murdering Mind of Serial Killers
8:00pm Hot Finger Buffet at the Wellington Park Hotel
Saturday
9:00-9:30am Registration
9:30-11:00am PRESENTATIONS
11:00-11:30am Mid morning break: tea/coffee +biscuits
At the Wellington Park Hotel
11:30am-1:00pm PRESENTATIONS
1:00-2:00pm Lunch Tea/Coffee and Sandwiches
At the Wellington Park Hotel
2:00-3:00pm Key note speaker:
Prof. Geoff Beattie, University of Manchester
How to Read Unconscious Thinking through Gestural Movement
3:00-4:00pm PRESENTATIONS
4:00-4:30pm Tea/coffee break
At the Wellington Park Hotel
7:30pm PRIZE GIVING DINNER
‘Last Night on the Titanic’
At the Wellington Park Hotel
The Annual Congress of Psychology Students of Ireland is supported by:
For information visit:
www.psihq.ie
For information visit:
www.psych.qub.ac.uk
Northern Ireland Branch
For information visit:
ni.bps.org.uk/
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
4:30-5:30pm PRESENTATIONS
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ABSTRACTS
ABSTRACTS
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Acton, Michelle
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
Emotional engagement to film: Exploring
interaction between music congruency and
cognitive stance
Much research in the area of film surrounds
the concept of choice of music during a
scene and how it has the ability to affect
or influence the emotional arousal of an
audience. Studies support that an appropriate,
or compatible, song can successfully prompt
a viewer on what emotions to feel. In this
study, the emotional arousal of an audience
was observed when using both congruent and
incongruent music for the same scene. This
study explored how the interaction between
the qualities of a film (external) and qualities
of a viewer (internal) affect emotion, i.e., ‘How
does the role of the viewer interact with film
and soundtrack?’. In order to measure the
internal qualities of the audience, cognitive
stance was controlled using instruction
(emotionally detached or emotionally involved).
Four separate groups of college students (34
in total) were asked to watch a short film clip
and self-report emotional intensity felt after
watching. Each group had a different setting
(Musical congruency/Emotional detachment;
Musical incongruency/Emotional involvement;
Musical congruency/Emotional involvement;
Musical incongruency/Emotional detachment).
A two-way between subject analysis of
variance was used to analyse results. No
significant results were found, however there
was still an indication that type of music played
can impact emotion; supporting previous
research.
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Adair, Kerri E. J
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
The effect of dog presence and owner-pet
attachment on the short-term stress of
adults exposed to a cognitive challenge
Research has shown that the presence of an
animal can protect people from short-term
and long-term stress in challenging situations.
Pets have been suggested to improve patients’
survival chances one year after a heart
attack, and also to reduce stress in cognitively
demanding tasks. As yet, no attention has
been directed to the potentially moderating
influence of the person’s attachment to that
animal. This study aims to explore whether
dogs can reduce their owners’ stress when
reading a challenging text aloud, and to
investigate whether the effect is mediated by
level of owner-pet attachment. Thirty-six dog
owners were required to read aloud from a
demanding text, both in the presence and
absence of their own pet dog. The participants’
heart-rate and blood pressure were recorded
at baseline, and after both conditions of the
reading aloud exercise. It was hypothesised
that dog owners’ measures of stress levels,
as assessed by heart rate and blood pressure
when reading aloud will be lower in the
presence than absence of their pet, and
also that participants who are more strongly
attached to their dog will show the biggest
decrease in stress between the two conditions
than those who are more weakly attached. The
results are discussed.
Ahmed, Zoha
University of Limerick
Undergraduate
Implications of mild depression for learning
People with mild depression may have
impaired learning in comparison to their nondepressed counterparts. In this experiment,
researchers used the latent inhibition model
to investigate this claim. A sample of 157
undergraduate students was first divided into
two groups according to scores on the Beck
Depression Inventory (BDI); participants with
mild depression and those with no depression.
Each group was further divided into four
groups. In the first part of the experiment
participants were either pre-exposed (or not)
to a stimulus and in the second part they
had to learn an association between the
stimulus in question and an outcome in a
same (or different) context., It was predicted
that the learning of non-depressed (vs. mildly
depressed) participants would be manipulated
by the experimental condition assigned to
them. Applying binary logistic regression
analysis, the results found that for target trials,
the interaction between BDI and pre-exposure
was reliable (c2 (1) = 6.00, p = .014), while for
non-target trials this interaction was significant.
The study concludes that mildly depressed
people process information differently to
non-depressed people which may have
implications for their learning.
Allen, Niamh
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Investigating the effect of global language
context on L2 Irish learners performance
on a computerized lexical decision task
The present study examined the influence of
global language context on performance on
a computerized lexical decision task (LDT)
among 48 second language (L2) Irish learners.
Global language context was manipulated by
showing participants one of four versions of
an animated short film (English audio, English
subtitled, Irish audio and Irish subtitled) prior
to undertaking the LTD. Inferential statistical
analysis of English and Irish errors for the
inter-lingual homographic stimuli within the
LTD demonstrated a statistically significant
main effect for language context on Irish
errors. Thus, participants who had viewed
either of the Irish films incorrectly responded
‘Irish’ instead of ‘Both’. No statistical
significance was found for English errors on
the inter-lingual homographic stimuli. These
findings are discussed in relation to the
strengths and limitations of the current study,
earlier findings and implications for future
studies.
Banka, Prakashini
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
The effect of ISPCC services on stress, test
performance-anxiety, and self-esteem
The aim of the Irish Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is to provide
support for children and be there 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week to assist a child. The
purpose of this study is to evaluate ISPCC
services in practice. This study considers
three variables when evaluating the ISPCC
services; stress, test performance anxiety and
self-esteem. The key research question is
whether ISPCC services help a child reduce
their stress level and exam frustration, while
helping increase their self–esteem. The
study uses a survey design and the sample
comprises of children (age range 13 –17
years) who have used and those who have
not used the services. Participants complete
a battery of measures including the Perceived
Stress Scale, a test performance anxiety scale
and Rosenberg’s Self–Esteem Questionnaire.
The results are discussed based on the
implications for ISPCC services.
Barron, Eamonn
Graduate
The relationship between religious
orientation and gender orientation in a
sample of Irish undergraduates
This study aimed to examine the
relationship between religious orientation
and gender orientation in a sample of Irish
undergraduates. Participants were 106
students, a majority of which were deemed
to be religious, and reported affiliation with
varying Christian denominations, primarily
Catholicism. Data obtained were participant
means for intrinsic, extrinsic, and quest
religiosity using the Religious Orientation
Scale and Quest Scale. Masculinity and
femininity scores were obtained using the
short form of the Bem Sex Role Inventory.
Females were hypothesised to report greater
levels of intrinsic religiosity than males.
Femininity was hypothesised to be a stronger
predictor of intrinsic religiosity than gender.
Quest religiosity was hypothesised to correlate
positively with masculinity and negatively with
femininity. The hypotheses – tested using
t-tests, one-way ANOVAs, and correlations
– were partially supported by statistically
significant outcomes. Results were discussed
with relation to methodological strengths and
weaknesses (e.g. constitution and size of the
sample), as well as the theoretical implications
(e.g. the nature of the relationship between
gender orientation and religious orientation
across the life-span). The practical implications
of the study such as determining suitability
of candidacy for religious life were also
considered.
Blighe, Hannah
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Investigating the validity of self-report
personality assessments and the extent
to which they are influenced by socially
desirable responding
The aim of the present study is to investigate
the extent to which self-report responding
on the Big Five Inventory (BFI) may be
influenced by social desirability. It has been
hypothesized that people are more likely to
attribute a trait that was judged to be socially
desirable to themselves; especially those that
have scored highly on the Marlowe-Crowne
Social Desirability scale. A sample of 110
students above the age of 18 participated
in this research. Participants were given
directions to an online survey and were asked
to select either Questionnaire A or B. Those
who selected Questionnaire A were asked
to complete likert scale ratings of personality
traits that are based on the BFI in terms of
Abstracts relate to research in psychology undertaken by students as part of their education in psychology.
The views expressed are the authors’ own.
their social desirability. Those who selected
Questionnaire B were asked to complete the
BFI and the Marlowe-Crowne Scale. Analyses
of the data consist of independent t-tests to
examine the differences between the groups
and correlationals to explore the relationship
between the Marlowe-Crowne scale scores
and the endorsement of social desirably rated
traits. Findings are discussed in relation to
theoretical and methodological strengths and
weaknesses. Practical applications include
uses in personnel selection and psychiatric
testing where self-report methods, which
are vulnerable to such social desirability, are
employed.
Bogdańska, Beata Irena
University of Warsaw
Postgraduate
Sex differences in vocabulary and lexical
preferences among polish children aged
4 – 6 years
This paper presents an analysis of the lexical
development of Polish preschool children.
The main aim of the study was to investigate
the existence of sex differences in the
organisation of children’s mental lexicons.
The analysis was carried on two different
levels – exploring quantitative differences in
vocabulary at various stages of development,
as well as qualitative differences concerning
the structure of the lexicon. Based on the
conclusions drawn from studies of sexual
differences in toy preferences and types of
interactions with parents, it was assumed that
this double differentiation would be reflected in
language, making certain words and semantic
categories better known by one or the other
sex. No statistically significant sex differences
in the number of known words were found.
However, a more in-depth analysis revealed
the existence of differences between boys and
girls in the structure of their vocabularies –
with evidence that there are specific semantic
categories and words that are much better
known by girls and those that in a significant
way are favoured by boys.
Brady, Leah
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Personality, self-esteem and the mediating
role of alcohol-related protective
behavioural strategies among college
students
Alcohol consumption is posing more and more
of an issue among our college population.
Protective behavioural strategies (PBS) are a
relatively new area of interest concentrating
on this issue. Its focal point is on two things;
reducing the amount of alcohol consumed
and reducing the negative consequences
experienced as an association to alcohol.
Although previous research has shown
that certain personality characteristics can
influence alcohol usage, little is known about
how or why this relationship exists. Moreover,
while it has also been established that the
use of PBS is associated with a decrease in
alcohol consumption and subsequent negative
alcohol related consequences, it is not known
what factors predict an individual’s use of PBS
in the first place. Therefore, the aim of this
study is to determine whether the relationship
between personality and alcohol use is
mediated by PBS. Data were obtained using
the PBS Scale (Martens et al, 2004) along
with the Big Five Inventory (John & Srivastasa,
1999) among an Irish college population. It
is anticipated that it may be helpful to include
the concept of PBS into alcohol intervention
programs with college students.
Brennan, Martin
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Investigating music preference, personality
traits, and respondents’ mood change and
perception of time after listening to music
The aim of this experiment is to explore
whether emotions are affected by music
and, if so, to what extent these emotions are
affected, taking into account personality, genre
of music, and mood. Specifically, emotions
will be assessed at pre-test and after listening
to self-selected music to see if there is any
difference in reported positive or negative
emotions. The experiment also examines the
correlation between personality and preferred
genre of music. Finally the experiment seeks
to determine whether listening to self-selected
music changes participants’ perception of
time in comparison with those in a control
group who do not listen to music. The sample
involves 50 undergraduate students and the
procedure involves five separate aspects.
Part one is the completion of the PANAS
questionnaire which measures mood. Part
two is the OCEAN questionnaire to measure
personality. Part three is the STOMPR music
questionnaire. Part four involves listening to
self-selected music followed by a GEMS-9
questionnaire which measures intensity of
emotions experienced. Part five is a second
PANAS questionnaire. Following observation
and analyses of the data, the results are
interpreted in the context of previous research.
Brennan, Gareth
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
An investigation of the relationship
between health-risk behaviours and
personality traits in Irish university
students
The aim of the present study was to
investigate the relationship between
personality and health-risk behaviours
in a sample of Irish university students.
Approximately 100 participants were recruited
from a population of Irish university students
and all were over eighteen years of age.
The Big Five Inventory was used to assess
aspects of personality. Tobacco and alcohol
consumption were assessed using novel likert
scales, which were shown to have acceptable
levels of internal reliability using Cronbach’s
Alpha. Data were collected by distributing the
scales as both a hardcopy and as an online
survey. The primary method of analysis is
correlation and a range of parametric and
non-parametric statistical procedures are
used. Results are discussed in relation to
previous studies which have used the Big Five
Model and other studies that used different
personality theories as predictors of healthrisk behaviours. Practical implications of the
study are discussed in terms of the validity of
personality measures in predicting health risk
behaviours in Irish students, and how they
may be utilised in the prevention of future
behaviours.
Breslin, Antonia
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
Political ideologies and political attitudes
held between Catholic and Protestant
groups within Northern Ireland
This study mainly sets out to find if there are
distinct and fundamentally differing ideologies
held between those in the Catholic and
Protestant communities (Whyte, 1991). It will
be of specific interest to see if a new ideology
emerges to reflect the recently emerging
Northern Irish identity (Trew, 1998). This may
prove encouraging as further study could
investigate with increased specificity the
particular factors which constitute this term,
as to date, the problem remains that there is
no clear cut definition of what it means to be
Northern Irish (Trew, 1998). An attempt to find
an appropriate definition should be pursued
in the hope that in doing so; others will follow
form in adopting the potentially promising
and unifying term. This study aims to answer
two main questions: Question 1: What
ideologies emerge within or between Catholic
and Protestant groups? Question 2: Are
there significant differences between groups
in the self-measurements of generalised
political attitudes? This study will also seek to
investigate if there are significant differences in
the self-measurement of political attitudes with
specific interest to integration and segregation
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Boyd, Fiona
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Investigating whether video games
enhance creativity
The present study aims to examine whether
different kinds of video games affect creativity
and if valence and arousal play a role in this
change. The target sample is 60 male and
female students over the age of 18 years.
There are three conditions in the study;
negative game play, positive game play
and a control condition. In the experimental
conditions the method of data collection
involves participants playing either a positive
or negative video game for ten minutes while
wearing a heart rate monitor to measure
physiological arousal. They then self-report
their mood and arousal levels and complete a
creativity test (Nathenson, 1985) based on the
Remote Associates Test (Mednick, 1982). In
the control condition participants carry out the
creativity test and will not play a video game.
Data are analysed using parametric t-tests.
The results of the study are discussed in terms
of methodological strengths e.g. use of a
control group, methodological weaknesses e.g.
small sample size and practical implications
such as use in education, the video game
industry and in business.
Boyle, Sean
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Symbolic generalisation of fear and
avoidance: Testing a behavioural model of
anxiety
Avoidance of aversive events is a safety
behaviour that can maintain phobias and
anxiety disorders. A recent study by Dymond
et al. (2011) demonstrated that stimuli can
produce safety behaviours, even when they
are non-aversive and related to conditioned
aversive stimuli only by an indirect or derived
stimulus relation. Dymond et al. also examined
the possibly mediating role of expectancies of
aversive events on overt avoidance behaviour.
The current study was designed to replicate
and improve upon the published research.
Two sets of derived relations between arbitrary
stimuli were established. An avoidance
conditioning procedure established a member
of each relation as a discriminative stimulus
for the avoidance of aversive visual and
auditory images. The transfer of avoidance
from conditioned to indirectly related stimuli
was observed and proved to be significant.
Participants were also required to rate all
experimental stimuli in terms of their function
as aversive or appetitive discriminative stimuli.
However, these ratings raise important issues
regarding the potentially non-mediating role of
expectancies in avoidance behaviour.
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of education and mixed marriages
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Buckley, Stephen
University College Cork
Postgraduate
Experiences of parental separation:
Qualitative analysis of meaning within the
Irish socio-cultural context
This paper explores the experiences of
children whose parents have separated within
the Irish socio-cultural context. The stories
of children who have experienced parental
separation are analysed from a qualitative
social-constructionist perspective. From this
discursive approach, the stories of children
of separated parents are considered to be
constructions of a particular reality, which
serve a precise rhetorical function and position
the individual within a broader socio-cultural
frame of interpretative repertoires. The stories
of children whose parents have separated
are thus seen as constructed by, and
constructing, cultural narratives that draw on,
and oppose, a particular set of interpretative
repertoires. Overall, the respondents
construed their experiences as “different”
from the more common Irish experience of
a two-parent family structure. Despite the
expression of some regret and sadness, the
subjects largely described acceptance of
their parents’ separation. Furthermore, the
subjects construed the separation experience
as positive, in terms of its impact on their
personal well-being and family functioning.
The implications for supportive social policy
are discussed.
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Buckley, Tara Logan
University College Cork
Undergraduate
Personal experience, second-hand
knowledge and the inexperienced persons
perceptions and attitudes of gastric
banding: An Irish study
More than 30% of Irish adults are overweight
or obese, and the use of gastric banding
as a treatment is increasing in prevalence.
Gastric banding has been reported to have
particular psychological consequences,
although these have yet to be fully described.
This study explores the perceptions and
attitudes to gastric banding and obesity in
Ireland among three different sample groups,
gastric banding patients, friends/family of the
person who has had gastric banding and the
inexperienced person. A mixed-method design
was employed for this study. A questionnaire
was administered to all participants. This
included a six-item quality of life scale, a 44
item perception and attitude scale along with
a 34 item MBRSQ-AS questionnaire which
will be analysed using standard quantitative
analyses. Gastric banding patients and the
friends/ family group also responded to semistructured open ended questions which will be
analysed using qualitative methods. A sample
of 140 participants was recruited from clinics
in Cork and Dublin, and the inexperienced
group recruited via convenience sampling. The
analyses examine the correlates and beliefs
about banding from the different perspectives;
describe the associations of psychological
wellbeing and attitudes about gastric banding
and obesity. The implications of the findings
are discussed in relation to health promotion
and education.
Burke, Tom M.J.
University College Dublin
Postgraduate
Examining the prevalence of complicated
grief symptoms in people with intellectual
disabilities
The present research examined the
prevalence of symptoms of complicated grief
in people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID).
Prigerson (1999) has compiled consensus
diagnostic criteria for assessing complicated
grief. According to Prigerson and Jacobs
(2001), symptoms of complicated grief are
categorized into symptoms of distress and
symptoms of traumatic distress. Typical grief
symptoms may include, but are not limited
to, separation and traumatic distress-type
symptoms i.e., disbelief, anger, avoidance,
shock and/or detachment. Complicated
grief, however, involves experiencing these
symptoms beyond a time which is considered
adaptive (Dodd, Guerin, McEvoy, Buckley,
Tyrrell & Hillery, 2008). Recognising that
people with ID are living longer, bereavement
is a life event which many individuals will
experience. The existing literature on this
topic supports the position that bereavement
has implications for the social, behavioural
and mental health of people with ID. Utilizing
the Complicated Grief QuestionnaireIntellectual Disability (CGQ-ID, Guerin et al.,
2010) through self-report, the prevalence of
symptoms was investigated. The questionnaire
was administered in a structured interview
format, to 12 adults with mild to moderate
ID who had recently experienced a parental
bereavement. Results are discussed in relation
to implications for supporting individuals with
ID who have been bereaved.
Burke, Patrick
Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
Undergraduate
Do sounds help children to learn?
The coherence principle in children’s
multimedia learning
Research on optimal multimedia learning
suggests that adding extraneous auditory
and visual material to educational content
reduces learning outcomes. The Cognitive
Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML, Mayer,
2001) labels this the ‘coherence principle’,
and suggests that no matter what their nature,
or what the characteristics of the individual
viewing them may be, additional attractive
details are harmful to the learning process.
The current study examines the coherence
principle with a group one might expect to
benefit from attractive content delivery; young
learners. One hundred and sixty one upper
primary school students (mean age = 11.28)
took part in a between groups experiment
which involved viewing an animation
on tsunami formation and subsequently
completing an assessment of retention and
comprehension. The presence or absence
of environmental sound effects served as
the extraneous attractive content. Results
indicated that the insertion of sound effects
had no significant impact on comprehension
and retention performance, contrary to CTML’s
predictions, suggesting that the theory may
not be fully applicable to this age group.
Implications of these findings for the design
of children’s educational technology are
discussed, as well as the argument for more
directed testing of CTML’s principles with
broader participant populations.
Byrne, Hollie
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Two roads diverged: Educational options
for children with autism spectrum
disorders
The educational options for children with
autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) have
expanded to allow integration into an
environment which caters to development
best, be it socially, emotionally or academically.
The present study qualitatively examined
the aspects which allow this development to
unfold. Special education teachers (n = 6) and
mainstream, inclusive education teachers (n
= 8) were asked to participate in an interview
to discuss how the educational environment
they were involved in, contributed to the
development of children with ASDs. Each
had experience of teaching a child with an
ASD within the last three years. Using content
analysis, influences on development were
investigated with regard to the immediate
educational environment, the teacher-pupil
relationship and peer relationships. The results
indicate that teachers in both settings are an
important influence on social development.
There is also a distinct variation in the
descriptions of the types of peer-relationships
which children with ASD form.
Callinan, Erin
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Investigating whether distance navigation
is more accurate in an enclosed
environment than an outdoor environment
The aim of this study is to investigate whether
human spatial navigation is more accurate
in an enclosed area or an open area without
visual perception. Participants were asked
to walk four different distances (5 metres, 10
metres, 15 metres and 21 metres) blindfolded .
Participants were randomly assigned to either
an outdoor condition or an indoor condition. It
was predicted that participants would perform
better in the indoor condition due to enclosed
spatial representations and visual cues in
closer proximity. It was found that although
participants did perform better in the indoor
condition at estimating lengths blindfolded, the
results were not statistically significant.
Carey, Alexandra
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Finding the balance: Understanding job
demands and job resources of Youthreach
workers
Using the Job Demands-Resource Model as
a theoretical framework the present study
aims to examine the job demands and job
resources of Youthreach workers and their
impact on occupational stress. Youthreach
is an interdepartmental initiative set up to
address the needs of early school leavers in
Ireland. Participants are ten employees from
Youthreach. As no previous research has
been conducted in this area the present study
explores the employees’ views qualitatively,
conducting semi-structured interviews with
particiapnts. Initial findings suggest that
psychological and organisational aspects of
the job are particularly demanding, for example
violent confrontation and a lack of structure
whereas the personal satisfaction gained from
observing the young people succeed alleviates
the impact of these demands. Theoretical
and methodological strengths and weakness
are discussed such as researcher bias.
Future research could explore whether the
findings are applicable to Youthreach workers
nationwide and pinpoint common areas of
concern.
Carmody, Lisa
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Exploring the malleability of implicit
spider fear using the Implicit Relational
Assessment Procedure
Research on negation training has shown that
implicit attitudes can be selectively targeted
and changed. In addition, recent research has
found that the Implicit Relational Assessment
Procedure (IRAP) can be used as a measure
of implicit spider fear. The aim of the current
study was to investigate the effects of negation
training on implicit spider fear using the IRAP.
In Experiment 1, participants received four
sessions of either negation or control training
followed by the IRAP. The results showed that
negation training did not have a significant
effect on participants’ implicit attitudes
towards spiders as compared to the control
group. It was hypothesised that the design
of the training procedure was the reason
for the insignificant results. For this reason,
Experiment 2 employed a more robust training
protocol. Statistical analysis revealed that
these results were also insignificant. However,
post-hoc analysis found that participants in the
negation groups responded more positively
towards spiders in Experiment 2 than in
Experiment 1. Overall, the findings suggest
that negation training does not affect implicit
spider fear as measured using the IRAP.
Carty, Clare
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Eye-tracking and real-life gaze behaviours
in children with autism spectrum disorders
Impaired social interaction is a core diagnostic
feature of autism. Atypical eye contact has
become a hallmark of autism, and is proposed
to be a contributor to the impairments found
in individuals with the condition. Using
eye-tracking, real-life gaze behaviours were
explored in children with autism (n = 18),
Specific Language Impairment (SLI, n = 14)
and typically developing (TD) children (n = 16)
during a semi-structured interaction led by an
experimenter, which involved a conversation
and a section with a hand puppet. A battery
of theory of mind tests was also administered
as a measure of their socio-cognitive skills.
Across the interaction, children with autism
showed a range of atypical gaze behaviours in
comparison to both control groups, including
less time looking to the interlocutor’s eyes and
face. Importantly, a pattern of gaze showing
a lack of anticipation of another’s reaction by
children with autism was related to their scores
on the theory of minds. These results provide
support to the growing consensus that atypical
gaze is a theoretically important characteristic
of autism, which could have an adverse
effect on the acquisition of social skills and
subsequent social development.
Coakley, Amanda
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Too little too late? Clinician’s views on
appropriate methods of diagnosis and
disclosure of dementia in persons with
intellectual disabilities
People with intellectual disabilities (ID) are
living longer, creating new challenges for
families and service providers to help support
the needs of this population. Among these
challenges is the diagnosis and proper
disclosure of dementia, as rates of the
neurodegenerative disorder are higher in the
aging ID population. The aim of this study to
interview clinicians who have past experience
of diagnosing and disclosing dementia in
persons with ID to examine their views on
current practice in Ireland. It was found was
that clinicians tend to favour a multidisciplinary
approach to diagnosis along with baseline
cognitive assessment before the individual
is within age risk of developing dementia.
Clinicians preferred disclosure over time with
a full education of all aspects of dementia to
family and caregivers and many highlighted
the importance of established guidelines. Key
points for discussion are a lack of resources,
the appropriateness of linking disability
services to general ones to improve quality
of diagnosis, and ethical issues surrounding
disclosure.
Coleman, Cathy
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Macho man? Body changing strategies in
young Irish males
The present study aims to identify the
correlates of an unhealthy drive for muscularity
among Irish males. The target sample is
approximately 200 male students. Data are
collected using an online survey consisting
of self-report measures and consist of
participants’ scores on the Self-Esteem Scale
(Rosenberg, 1965), Shape And Weight Based
Self-Esteem Inventory (Geller, Johnston &
Madsen, 1997), Social Physique Anxiety
Scale (Hart, Leary & Rejeski, 1989), Drive
For Muscularity Scale (McCreary & Sasse,
2000) and Body Change Inventory (BCI)
(Ricciarelli & Mc Cabe, 2002). Key hypotheses
are that there will be a significant positive
relationship between drive for muscularity and
social physique anxiety and that males with
a stronger drive for muscularity will use more
body changing strategies. Using regression
analysis a model of body-changing strategies
will be built. Social Physique Anxiety, Shape
and Weight Based Self-Esteem, Global SelfEsteem and Drive for Muscularity will be used
as predictors. Results are discussed in relation
to methodological weaknesses (e.g., use of
snowballing as a sampling method), strengths
(e.g., use of the Drive For Muscularity Scale to
assess body image) and practical implications
such as raising awareness of male body image
concerns in university populations.
Coleman, Geoffrey
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Creatine cheat? Exploring prevalence,
knowledge and attitudes towards creatine
supplementation in Irish varsity athletes
The aim of the current study is to investigate
creatine use, knowledge about creatine, and
attitudes towards creatine use in male and
female Irish varsity athletes across four types
of sports: rugby, soccer, GAA, and athletics.
A subsidiary aim of the study is to compare
current creatine usage, knowledge and
attitudes with those reported seven years ago
in a similar Irish study (Guerin et al, 2004).
Approximately 80 participants were recruited,
with between 10-20 student athletes for
each sport. Key predictions include higher
levels of use, knowledge and more positive
attitudes towards creatine use in male varsity
athletes compared to female varsity athletes.
Comparing the current study’s findings with
previous research, it is expected to see higher
levels of knowledge, prevalence and positive
attitudes towards creatine supplementation
across the sports in the current study’s
sample. Rugby is expected have higher
incidence of creatine use, knowledge of
creatine and more positive attitudes towards
creatine. Implications include providing a
brief profile of how creatine is used and the
attitudes towards its use, as there is limited
research addressing this issue in Irish sporting
contexts. Future research may replicate
the current study in a sample of school age
athletes and also each sport’s coaching staff.
Coles, Holly
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
Trauma-related alexithymia and its effect
on intimacy in dating relationships
The aim of this study was to investigate the
effect that traumatic events and resulting
dissociation have on intimacy in relationships,
taking attachment style into account. It also
aimed to investigate the role of alexithymia
as a potential mediator between trauma
symptomatology and intimacy. The participants
of this study were all undergraduate
students and were required to complete five
questionnaires pertinent to this study. The
questionnaires included the Stress Reactions
Checklist, the Dissociative Experiences Scale,
the Adult Attachment Scale, the Toronto
Alexithymia Scale and a short form of the
Multidimensional Relationship Questionnaire.
It is hypothesised that complex PTSD
symptomatology, dissociation symptomatology,
and an insecure attachment style will all
have a negative impact on intimacy in
dating relationships. It is also expected that
alexithymia will act as a mediator between the
aforementioned factors and intimacy in dating
relationships. Results are discussed in relation
to methodological strengths and weaknesses
and recommendation for future research.
Colgan, Geraldine
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Choice of Irish-medium post-primary
school: Students’ views
This study aims to explore the factors which
influence choice of all-Irish medium or English
medium post-primary schools. It also seeks
to investigate how these factors relate to
attitudes/beliefs about language learning and
to examine gender effects. Participants were
60-80 male and female university students
who were educated through the medium
of Irish in either their primary or secondary
schooling, or both. Using an online survey,
data were collected from three separate
groups of immersion students: those who
attended an all-Irish primary and secondary
Gaelscoil; those who attended an all-Irish
primary school and continued to an English
medium secondary school; and those who
attended an English-medium primary school
and moved to an all-Irish secondary Gaelscoil.
Students’ responses to demographic questions
and certain sub-scales of Gardner’s (1985)
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Challenor, Liam
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Postgraduate
Persuasion and attitudes: Advertising
and captology influence on attitudes and
behavioural intent towards Lesbians, Gay
men and same-sex marriage
This research examines the effects of
advertising and captology interventions
upon participants’ attitude formation towards
Lesbians, Gay men and same-sex marriage
(SSM). Attitudes are key to human interaction,
simple attitudes, e.g. our brand choices, or
complex attitudes e.g. how we act towards
another person. An attitude is an individual’s
cognitive evaluation of a particular person,
group, object, action or concept (Smith &
Mackie, 2007). The Theory of Reasoned Action
conjectures the cause of any behaviour is the
behavioural intention. A behavioural intention
may be defined as an individual’s conscious
decision to engage in a certain action (Ajzen
& Madden, 1986). Individual attitudes such as
homophobia may be altered through the use of
persuasive methods (Hogg & Vaughan, 2007).
Interactivity, a similiar technique to common
persuasion methods is humanlike cue such
as an avatar (Sundar & Kim, 2005). Avatars
are physical representations of a person’s
identity online (Vasalou & Joinson, 2009).
This research utilizes attitudes, persuasion,
captology, and previous research to investigate
if video advertisements and avatars have
an effect upon a person’s attitudes towards
Lesbians, Gay men and SSM over three
separate phases. Using qualitative focus
groups, integrating avatars and adapting
the methodology of Challenor (2011) for use
online.
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AMTB (Attitude Motivation Test Battery) were
collected. In addition, participants responded
to open-ended questions to allow a more
in-depth exploration of their reasons for
continuation/non-continuation in immersion
education. Data are analysed using both
statistical analysis of quantitative data (t-tests
and ANOVA) and qualitative analysis of the
open-ended questions. Results are discussed
with reference to previous research in the field.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Condon, Candice
University of Limerick
Postgraduate
How do we remember that? Transactive
memory conformity among dyads
Integrating theories of transactive memory
and memory conformity predicted that rates
of false memory and memory conformity
among dyads vary as a function of each
individual’s familiarity with the other, and their
own interpersonal trust. This study examined
the extent to which familiarity and trust among
dyads (n = 60 pairs) predicted how accurately
they individually and collectively retrieved a
shared event in the laboratory, and how often
one member conformed to the other member’s
memory of the event’s details. The data
supported the hypothesis that dyadic familiarity
predicts more memory conformity and false
memory than dyadic unfamiliarity. The data
also supported the hypothesis that trusting
participants evidence more false memories
than untrusting participants. The presentation
discusses the conceptual and practical
applications for these findings in the context
of dyadic memory retrieval among couples,
family members, and friends.
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Connolly, Philippa
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
In the mood: The role of positive emotions
in reversing the impact of negative
emotions
The aim of this experiment was to test
the ‘Undoing Hypothesis’ (Fredrickson &
Levenson, 1998), by investigating whether
positive emotion could reverse the cognitive
effects of negative emotion. The research
aimed to identify changes in cognitive
processing through inducing positive and
negative emotions. Specifically, it was
hypothesised that the cognitive state induced
by negative emotion could be reversed or
‘undone’ by the subsequent inducement of
positive emotion. A 3 X 3 (Groups by Time)
repeated measures design was used in this
study. Participants (n = 90) were selected
using convenience sampling and were
randomly assigned to a positive, negative
or neutral emotion condition. All participants
completed two measures of local/global
processing at T1, T2, and T3. Negative
emotions were induced for all groups at T2,
followed by either a positive, negative or
neutral emotion at T3. Manipulation checks
were carried out using emotion report forms
and groups were matched for trait optimism
using the Life Orientation Test- Revised
(Scheier, Carver & Bridges, 1994). It was
predicted that findings may have implications
for the management of negative emotions
and make an important contribution to
the literature. Results are presented and
conclusions drawn with reference to practical
implications and further research.
Connolly, Fergal
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
M-learning: The impact of text messaging
as an educational tool
Adjunct aids such as priming questions
and advance organisers have been used in
various modes of teaching to facilitate student
learning. The purpose of this research was
to investigate the impact of receiving text
messages containing lecture specific priming
questions and advance organisers on student
learning of college lecture material. This
study employed a pre/post-test design and 55
third-level students were randomly assigned
to one of five groups. Group 1 received a
pre-lecture priming question; Group 2 received
a pre-lecture summary; Group 3 received
a post-lecture priming question; Group 4
received a post-lecture summary; Group 5
was a control group. A mixed between-within
ANCOVA was used to test for significance in
the five groups’ post-test scores. A post-hoc
test revealed that the two priming question
groups scored significantly higher than the
control group in post-test scores. However
there was no significant difference between
the two summary groups and the control
group. Qualitative analysis revealed that the
majority of students enjoyed this method of
m-learning, would be willing to continue this
method, and felt the text messages benefitted
them educationally. M-learning strategies such
as this demonstrate the ease at which student
learning can be enhanced with minimal cost
and intervention.
Cooper, Louise
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
Integrating technology into learning in
primary schools: The effect on motivation
and learning performance
Technology has an expanding role in the
academic lives of school children. However,
there is a digital divide in primary schools (Liu
et al., 2011) whereby some schools integrate
technology into learning at high levels while
others employ traditional approaches. There
is a dearth of research comparing different
levels of technology integrated into learning
in primary schools. The present study
investigated whether a difference exists in
primary school students’ motivation and
learning performance as a result of the level
of technology integrated into their learning
environment. Forty-eight sixth class students
(14 males, 36 females) were recruited from
two primary schools in Dublin using purposive
sampling. Within the sample 27 students
participated from a school where technology is
integrated into learning at a low level and 23
students attended a school where technology
is integrated into learning at a high level. A
learning performance exercise measured
students’ knowledge of decimals before and
after a four day learning activity period in
their everyday learning environment. The
Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (Ryan, 1982)
assessed participants’ levels of motivation.
The findings of the present study showed
significant differences in students’ learning
performance and motivation based on the level
of technology integrated into their learning
environment.
Corrigan, Catherine
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Examining derived avoidance and
expectancies in accordance with a complex
derived relational network
Research on the emergence of human
avoidance behaviour in the absence of direct
contact with an aversive event is somewhat
limited. Avoidance is implemented as safety
behaviour in relation to anxiety disorders and
phobias. Contemporary studies relating to
human avoidance have shown evidence of
derived avoidance in the presence of nonaversive stimuli that are indirectly related to
conditioned aversive stimuli through a derived
equivalence relational network (Dymond et
al., 2011). Furthermore, this study examined
the role of expectancies of aversive events
on overt behaviour. The present study
sought to demonstrate derived avoidance in
accordance with a complex relational network
of same and opposite, whilst also examining
expectancies of stimuli. The focus of the study
relates to expectancies and if they will co-vary
entirely with avoidance, or if they deviate from
one another. Through use of an avoidance
conditioning procedure and then probing,
transfer of avoidance from conditioned
to indirectly related stimuli was deemed
significant through analysis. The implications
of the findings are discussed.
Coymak, Ahmet
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Building inter-group trust beyond national
identities in the aftermath of the Northern
Ireland conflict
This study aimed to examine how national
identities relate to inter-community trust and
whether political trust and various dimensions
of the citizenship such as civic and traditional
have a role in this relationship in the context
of Good Friday Agreement (GFA). Within
this context it is important to understand the
relationship among theoretical variables,
namely group level self-definition and selfinvestment in national identities, in-group and
out-group political trust, institutional trust,
patriotism, traditional content of citizenship,
inclusive civic content of citizenship, and
civic responsibility. To test a proposed model
a large scale survey was conducted and a
structural equation modelling was performed
on responses from 371 young people from
parts of Northern Ireland. Results indicated
that the model fits well with the data. The
findings will be discussed in the light of identity,
self-theories, and the changing socio-political
context of Northern Ireland.
Coyne, Cathal
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Application of the theory of planned
behaviour to determine high risk alcohol
consumption among an Irish university
sample
The aim of the present study was to apply
the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to
determine high risk alcohol consumption
among an Irish university sample. There
were 150 participants, 59 male and 91
female with an age range of 18-27 years.
Participants conducted an online survey where
the AUDIT, BIQ, GAS, SNQ and DRSEQ
were administered. It was hypothesized that
intention to engage in risky drinking would
be predicted by one’s attitudes, subjective
norms and perceived behavioural control, that
males would engage in more risky drinking
than females and that drinking intention would
explain or mediate the relationships between
the TPB variables and changes in drinking
behaviour. Regression analysis was conducted
to test the TPB as a model for explaining
risky drinking among students. Results will be
discussed in relation to relevant theoretical and
methodological issues. Practical implications,
limitations and future research will also be
discussed.
Crockford, Christopher
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
The self-efficacy of frontline intellectual
disability staff in developing clients’ daily
living skills
Intellectual disability service provision in the
Republic of Ireland is continuously evolving.
Governmental policies of service reform
such as the National Disability Act (2005)
advocate social inclusion, development, and
equality while providing support for people to
overcome difficulties that may be associated
with their disability. Specific programmes by
which this agenda can be achieved have been
proposed, in particular the development of
daily living skills. Daily living skills are core
skills necessary for self-care (i.e., personal
hygiene, feeding, dressing) and are a means
to enhance Service Users’ autonomy and
self-advocacy, thus promoting inclusion and
equality. However, research also indicates
a clear gap between professional training
and practice of frontline staff. Considering
this, the question arises as to the perceived
ability of frontline staff in enhancing Service
Users’ daily living skills. Self-efficacy is
described as a person’s perceived ability
to execute specific behaviours that result
in a desired performance outcome. Using
qualitative interviews, this research examines
the self-efficacy of frontline staff (nurses,
social care workers and care assistants) in
the development of daily living skills for adult
service users with an intellectual disability. This
research also explores what factors affect the
self-efficacy beliefs of these staff.
Cunningham, Freda
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Your attitudes! Your sexual health!
Sexual attitudes and sexual health awareness
among young people in Ireland have changed
dramatically in recent years. This study aims
to investigate the sexual attitudes of first
year Irish University students and how they
affect levels of sexual health knowledge.
Rural/urban background, second level
education and gender differences will also
be examined. The sample includes 40 male
Curran, Shane
National University of Ireland, Galway
Undergraduate
Fear-appeal road safety messages: The
effects of message modality on driving
behaviour
The effectiveness of fear-based health
information campaigns has been the subject
of considerable research and debate. Among
those involved in road safety research and
practice there is a sense that these campaigns
are not necessarily effective, without
being able to fully articulate the different
determinants of effectiveness. This study
aims to examine if the medium of message
delivery impacts on driving behaviour, focusing
in particular on the presence or absence
of audio and visual stimulation. It is argued
that message medium impacts on the extent
and nature of fear arousal, which in turn
impacts on driving outcomes. A four group
experiment was conducted, with participants
randomly allocated to condition (auditory only,
visual only, full advertisement, and neutral
advertisement), withand change in simulated
driving behaviour from pre to post exposure
providing the dependent measure. Findings
will be of interest to those involved in the
design of road safety campaigns and will
further inform the literature on fear and threatbased health promotion campaigns
Curran, Ian
Trinity College, Dublin
Postgraduate
How are simulated malingered responses
formed? A qualitative investigation
The current study examined how simulated
malingered responses are formed in the
presence and absence of deception. Two
groups of students were asked to convince a
test administrator through their performance
on neuropsychological subtests that they
had memory and attention problems. The
experimental group was tested in a deceptive
environment. The control group was tested in
a non-deception environment. Semi-structured
interviews were conducted with both groups of
participants and interviews were transcribed
and analysed using grounded theory. Results
showed that participants engaged in feigning,
not malingering. Participants in both groups
generated their feigned responses in a similar
fashion. Participants tested in a deceptive
situation were more cautious representing
their cognitive difficulties through incorrect
responses resulting in higher test scores
compared to participants tested in a nondeceptive situation. Results raise questions
about how effective deception detection tests
validated in non-deceptive situations in clinical
settings.
Curran, Antoinette
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
An investigatory study of the effects of
sport on aggression, self-esteem and life
satisfaction
There is evidence to suggest that participation
in sport may decrease levels of aggression
and improve self-esteem and life satisfaction.
The aim of the current study was to investigate
the effect of participation in sport on these
psychological variables. The current study
also examined gender differences and
variations in contact and non-contact sport
participation. A sample of 140 participants
took part. They were selected from various
contact and non-contact sport group including
Gaelic football, martial arts, tennis, golf and
dancing. A control group of individuals who
do not play a sport was also included. The
questionnaire consisted of a life satisfaction
scale, a clinical anger scale, the Framingham
Anger Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem
Scale and a demographic questionnaire. It
was hypothesized that participants who play
a sport will be less aggressive than those who
do not play a sport, and will have a higher selfesteem and a higher level of life satisfaction.
Results will be discussed in light of relevant
theory and practice.
Cusack, Conor
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
An empirical investigation of mindfulness
The current practical experiment was
conducted to evaluate whether a distinction
exists between thought orientated and somatic
focused mindfulness processes. This was
examined by comparing the impact of two
mindfulness exercises on distress reduction
at two experimental sittings. Twenty six
participants were assigned to one of two
conditions: Thought Based Mindfulness
and Physical Mindfulness. All participants
underwent an experimental manipulation
in the form of a stress induction procedure
employed to increase levels of psychological
distress from baseline levels. Interventions
corresponding to condition followed and were
designed to reduce distress levels. After
a practice period the participants returned
and the experiment was repeated. It was
predicted that the experimental manipulation
would produce increases in the levels of
psychological distress (discomfort, anxiety
and stress) and that interventions will produce
decreases. If the distinction existed between
mindfulness processes it would be suggested
by differences in experimental measures
between conditions. Results and their
implications are currently under review.
Dardis, Hannah
University College Cork
Undergraduate
Exploring experiences of parenting gifted
children
Giftedness is a highly researched area
within psychology, but there is a paucity of
literature looking at families of gifted children,
particularly in Ireland. In this qualitative study,
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was
used to explore the experiences of parents
with gifted children. Semi structured interviews
were conducted with seven participants, one
male and six female, who each had at least
one gifted child participating in the Centre for
Talented Youth Ireland’s programme for six to
twelve year olds. Preliminary analysis of the
data has revealed some key themes including
reflections on the parent’s own giftedness,
conflict with schools, peer issues, “normality”
and what giftedness is. The results and their
implications will be discussed.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Cummins, Tia
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
The impact of trait aggression on cognitive
performance in a choice reaction-time task
Following the work of researchers (e.g.
Seguin, Pihl, Harden, Tremblay, & Boulerice,
1995) on the relationship between aggression
and cognitive performance, the aim of this
study was to investigate the impact of trait
aggression further, specifically its impact on
the ability of serving soldiers to perform in
their active military duty, given the significant
amount of effective emotional control and
executive functioning required to fulfil their
role. Two hypotheses were formed: 1) males
would have a higher level of trait aggression
than females; 2) level of trait aggression
would be negatively related to performance
in a choice reaction-time task. The study
used a correlational design, measuring
the relationship between trait aggression
scores (TAS), obtained from the Buss-Perry
Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), and
reaction time performance in the DearyLiewald choice reaction-time task. The TAS
had four levels: physical aggression; verbal
aggression; hostility; anger. Thirty-five
participants were recruited from an Officer
Training Corp to take part in the study. Results
are still under investigation at this time and will
be discussed.
and 40 female first year undergraduate
students. Data are collected through
two anonymous questionnaires. The
Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale (Hendricks,
Hendricks & Darcy, 2006) measures attitudes
concerning permissiveness, instrumentality,
communion and birth control. A study specific
questionnaire has been designed to test
sexual health knowledge level. Gender
difference in knowledge level and attitudes
are hypothesised, as is a relationship
between more liberal/permissive attitudes and
knowledge level. Sexual health education and
gaps in knowledge will be discussed.
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The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Davis, Bríd
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
An investigation of the relationship
between working memory performance and
hyperbolic discounting
Recent fMRI studies have revealed that areas
within the prefrontal and parietal cortices
are activated during financial inter-temporal
decision-making processes (McClure et
al., 2004). Similar neural activations have
also been associated with working memory
functioning (Kane and Engle, 2002; Owen
et al., 2005). Hence, this study investigated
if there is a relationship between working
memory performance and the ability to
discount in monetary trade-offs. A sample of
24 participants, aged between 18 and 25,
completed two computer based paradigms
- the two-back working memory test and the
Financial Decision Making Task (FDMT).
The two-back task challenged participants
to actively monitor, update and manipulate
quickly-presented, randomised number
sequences – essentially placing great demand
upon the working memory system’s loading
processes for information. The FDMT required
participants to choose between different levels
of financial gain pertaining to two different
chronological conditions – immediate or
deferred. A within-participant design allowed
participants to act as their own controls. It
was hypothesised that ‘high working memory
capacity’ individuals would be better equipped
to respond on the FDMT and ‘low working
memory capacity’ individuals would be
more susceptible to hyperbolic discounting.
Results are discussed in relation to theoretical
strengths and weaknesses, practical
implications and future research in the areas of
neuroeconomics and neuropsychology.
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Donnelly, Alanna
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Counsellor, can you help me? An
investigation into counselling services in
Irish secondary schools
The aim of the present study is to investigate
the relationship, if any, between first year
undergraduates’ past experience with, and
exposure to counselling services in Irish
secondary schools, as a source of help for
personal and emotional problems, and their
current help-seeking intentions at university.
Participants are first year undergraduate
students, over 18 years of age, who completed
the Leaving Certificate in 2011. Data were
collected using a survey method with both
quantitative and qualitative responses.
Analyses consisted of correlational analysis,
analysis of variance as well as regression
analysis to determine the predictive power of
the independent variables. It is hypothesized
that positive past experience with, or positive
perceptions of, formal counselling services in
secondary school will lead to greater intentions
to seek help among university students now.
While the survey method allows students
to be anonymous, future research could be
improved through the use of focus groups to
better understand young peoples’ help-seeking
intentions. Findings may contribute to the
literature on support services for personal and
emotional problems available for young people
in Ireland.
Donnelly, Clare
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
Does knowledge of a second language
result in superior executive functioning in
young people?
Verbal fluency tasks were used to assess
executive functioning in monolingual and
bilingual twelve-year-olds. Participants
performed three types of task - letter fluency,
category fluency, and letter-category switching.
Sixty young people participated - 30 English
monolinguals and 30 English-Irish bilinguals.
It was hypothesised that bilinguals would
outperform monolinguals on letter fluency
due to executive control advantages but
monolinguals would outperform bilinguals
on category fluency due to the semantic
organisation. Bilinguals should be superior on
the switching task due to language switching
experience. The standard D-KEFS verbal
fluency test was administered; this involved
producing as many words as possible for a
given letter (F, A, S) in sixty seconds. The
same procedure was followed for categories
(animals and boys names), and for switching
between a category (fruit) and a letter (T). The
British Picture Vocabulary Scale was used to
assess vocabulary knowledge and the Raven’s
Matrices was administered to obtain nonverbal IQ scores. Bilinguals also completed a
language usage questionnaire. Monolinguals
outperformed bilinguals on the receptive
vocabulary test. Preliminary analysis suggests
that the performance of the monolingual and
bilingual participants on the verbal fluency
tasks is not as predicted. The effects of
vocabulary knowledge and the linguistic
environment are discussed.
Donova, Tsvyata
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Measurement of episodic future thinking in
four- and five-year olds
Many studies have reported that children
aged 4-5 years are capable of thinking about
the future in general, but few studies have
looked specifically at episodic future thinking.
Episodic future thinking is defined as ‘the
ability to project oneself into the future to
pre-experience an event’ (Atance & O’Neill,
2001). The study used three novel tasks
designed to measure episodic future thinking
and examined whether four and five-year olds
could pass them. The tasks were designed to
resemble Russell, Alexis & Clayton’s (2010)
Blow Football task. Results revealed the five
year olds but not the four year olds performed
above chance on two of the tasks, while
five-year olds were significantly outperforming
four-year olds on one of the tasks. These
results are discussed in terms of the current
literature on future thinking in pre-schoolers
and implications for future studies are also
considered.
Downey, Conor
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Comparing the sequencing effects of two
mindfulness based interventions
Mindfulness interventions have been adopted
from the Buddhist tradition and modified to
be used in contemporary interventions for
reducing psychological distress. Mindfulness
interventions have been incorporated into
many modern psychotherapies such as
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
(ACT). Both therapies tend to use a physical
mindfulness-based exercise, followed by a
verbal mindfulness exercise. Despite this,
there is an absence of literature to verify that
this sequence is the optimal one. The current
study was designed to test the rationale
of the existing preferred sequence. Thirtysix participants were assigned randomly
to one of two intervention conditions.
Eighteen participants were allocated to
the Physical+Verbal intervention condition,
while a further eighteen were placed in the
Verbal+Physical intervention condition. All
participants were subjected to an experimental
manipulation (a negative self-referential
thought) to deliberately cause an increase
in participant’s levels of stress, discomfort
and anxiety. It was hypothesised that the
participants in the Physical+Verbal condition
would have lower levels of stress, discomfort
and anxiety after the interventions than
participants in the Verbal+Physical condition.
The results supported the hypotheses by
confirming that the Physical+Verbal sequence
outperformed the Verbal+Physical sequence in
reducing stress, discomfort and anxiety.
Doyle, Aoife Hopkins
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
The inhibition function as a predictor of
accuracy rates on the Implicit Relational
Assessment Procedure
Recent research using the Implicit Relational
Assessment Procedure (IRAP) has provided
insight into the maintenance of various
psychopathologies. However, limitations have
been found in regard to sustaining levels of
accuracy among participants and subsequent
data removal. The current study was
exploratory, with an aim of investigating why
data may be lost when measuring aversive
bias to spiders using the IRAP. A number
of measures were employed to test anxiety
levels, attentional control, spider fear, cognitive
functioning, real-life approach behaviour and
mental effort. The results were compared in
an attempt to differentiate their influences. It
was found that levels of attentional control (as
measured by the Attentional Control Scale;
ACS) and levels of cognitive functioning
(measured using the N-Back task) influenced
IRAP accuracy levels. Furthermore, the
inhibition function of the ACS was shown to
predict IRAP accuracy regardless of levels of
pre-experimental anxiety and spider-fear.
Doyle, Caoimhe
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Stick to your own kind? Exploring the
loyal member effect and the influence
of ethnicity on children’s playmate
preferences
In recent years Irish schools have diversified
rapidly and extensively in terms of ethnicity
and race. Considering this, the present study
aimed to investigate the Loyal Member Effect
(LME, Castelli, De Amicas & Sharman, 2007)
among school children in Ireland. The LME
proposes that children of between four and
seven years of age prefer in-group members
who interact positively with other in-group
members as opposed to out-group members.
Building on the methodology applied by
Castelli et. al. (2007) wherein participants were
presented with pictures of children at play and
a questionnaire on the characters illustrated,
the present study examined the LME in
relation to behavioural intentions, a component
which had not been explored. Participants
included male and female first class pupils.
Behavioural intentions were assessed using
the Shared Activity Questionnaire (Morgan,
Walker, Beiberich & Bell, 1996). Results
are analysed quantitatively and discussed
in relation to the primacy of the in-group, its
relationship to the extent of indirect intergroup
contact reported and the measurement of
intended behaviours as indicative of how
actions of in-group members are perceived.
Erskine, Daniel
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
α-synuclein protofibrils in Parkinson’s
disease dementia: A test of the toxic
protofibril hypothesis and possible
attenuation by a modification of
5-aryloxypyrimidine
Converging evidence suggests that it may
not be the fully formed α-synuclein fibril
which is the major pathogenic event in
Parkinson’s disease dementia but that it
is an intermediate oligomeric protofibril
which shows a propensity to bind to cell
membranes leading to pore formation and
apoptosis. The present study tested the
toxic protofibril hypothesis for the first time
in vivo. Oligomeric α-synuclein was injected
into area CA3 of the dorsal hippocampus of
rats in the experimental group whilst sterile
water was injected into the control group.
Half of the experimental group and half of the
control group also received an experimental
Alzheimer’s drug which is a modification of
5-aryloxypyrimidine. Behavioural decline
was assessed by lever switching errors on
the alternating-lever cyclic-ratio (ACLR)
schedule of operant conditioning. Early
indications suggest that the group injected
with α-synuclein oligomers showed increased
lever-switching errors on the ACLR relative
to controls which appears to be ameliorated
by administration of the 5-aryloxypyrimidine
modification. If the hypothesis is supported it
will provide tacit support for the toxic protofibril
hypothesis in vivo and the potential efficacy
of 5-aryloxypyrimidine in the treatment of
Parkinson’s disease dementia.
Farina, Francesca
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Postgraduate
Mental representations of space: Finding
our way without the cognitive map
Cognitive mapping theory proposes that
animals and humans navigate through space
using a “mental map” of their environment
stored within the brain. It is thought that during
navigation, the individual elements of an
environment are combined to form an overall
environmental representation. Support for this
hypothesis has a long history, and includes a
multitude of eminent studies. Here, the aim
was to test the cognitive map using a simple
Farrant, Katie
University College Cork
Postgraduate
Learned helplessness and its effects on
subsequent task performance
According to Learned Helplessness
Theory, when an individual experiences an
uncontrollable failure, such as an unsolvable
problem, they experience cognitive deficits and
reduced motivation. The aim of this study was
to determine whether the feedback participants
receive following an unsolvable task influences
their performance on subsequent tasks. One
group (the Internal Group) was informed
that the task was possible to complete and,
therefore, believed the failure was due to their
own lack of ability, while the other group (the
External Group) were correctly informed that
the task was impossible to complete. It was
found that the Internal Group performed less
well than the External Group on a subsequent
task of the same type, while no such difference
was found in a task of a different type. The
implications of the results are discussed.
Farrell, Lynn
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Comparing the Implicit Attitudes Test
and the Implicit Relational Assessment
Procedure: Examining biases towards
women in science
Though the Implicit Attitudes Test (IAT) is the
most well researched implicit measure, it is not
without its limitations. The Implicit Relational
Assessment Procedure (IRAP) is thought to
address some of these and provide a more
direct measure. This study compared these
two implicit measures. The attitude assessed
was biases towards women in science.
Participants underwent both the IRAP and the
IAT before completing an explicit measure of
attitudes. While the hypothesis, based on the
literature, was that males and females would
show a men-science, women-arts bias on both
measures, the results did not fully agree with
this. The IAT indicated that both males and
females showed a significant men-science,
women-arts bias, with a stronger effect for
females. The IRAP, however, indicated that
females showed significant men-science
and men-arts biases, as well as a smaller
significant effect for women-arts bias. Males
showed a non-significant effect for both menscience and women-science. The explicit
measure showed a men-science, women-arts
bias for both groups, though they did not differ
significantly. These results demonstrated well
that the IRAP was capable of providing more
specific detail, such as the directionality of
bias.
Farrell, Moya
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
When does ‘cyber-banter’ become
cyberbullying? A qualitative investigation
of cyber-bullying between friends
The purpose of the present study was to
further our understanding of adolescents’
perceptions of cyberbullying, with a particular
emphasis on the research question ‘Does
cyberbullying occur between friends?’
Participants consisted of 17 adolescents
from a Dublin-based community school (10
male and 7 female) with an age range of
16-17 years. All participants were interviewed
using a semi-structured schedule. Initial
results suggest that cyberbullying does
happen between friends and that this can
be very confusing for a victim. Additionally,
many participants referred to the difficulty
a victim would have in trying to escape this
form of cyberbullying. Participants suggested
that oftentimes people bully their friends in
an attempt to establish social dominance
or because they are jealous of the victim.
Participants frequently commented that a
victim might be less likely to ‘rat’ or ‘tell’ on
their friend, causing the bullying to escalate
further. The implications of the findings are
discussed.
Fennelly, Lisa
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
A clinical analysis of the sequence effects
of a physical and mindfulness procedure
on negative self-referential thoughts
The current study was designed to
determine the impact of two brief therapeutic
interventions on self-report measures of
distress. Thirty participants were assigned
to one of two conditions: Physical+Verbal
Mindfulness and Verbal+Physical Mindfulness.
All participants received an experimental
manipulation (distress induction procedure)
designed to evoke distress followed by
an exposure to one of the two conditions
designed to reduce distress. The research
predictions suggested that; (1) an increase in
distress levels would occur in both conditions
post experimental manipulation and (2) a
decrease in distress levels would occur in
both conditions following exposure to the
interventions, however no specific predictions
were made regarding the superiority of one
intervention over the other in reducing levels of
distress. The results support both hypotheses.
Although both interventions were successful
in terms of reducing levels of distress, the
findings suggested that neither intervention
outperformed the other in this regard.
Fitzgerald, Jacqueline
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Emotional and behavioural difficulties in
adolescence: What to look out for?
Adolescence is a period of rapid biological,
psychological, and social transitions during
which there can be high levels of emotional
distress. Symptoms of adult mental health
disorders often begin to present during
this period. This study aims to employ a
quantitative, cross-sectional method to
evaluate the prevalence of emotional and
behavioural difficulties in a sample of Irish
adolescents (n = 240) from the greater
Dublin area. The instruments used include
the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
(SDQ), the Five Factor Model, the Brief
COPE scale and the Differential Loneliness
Scale. The influence of gender, family
function and socioeconomic status were
examined. It was hypothesised that those
who demonstrate emotional and behavioural
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Fahey, Sean
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
An investigation into the long term effects
of neuroinflammation on depression and
social behaviour in lab mice
Chronic neuroinflammation is a hallmark of
several central nervous system diseases
and has also been observed in populations
affected by psychiatric illnesses such as
depression and anxiety. The systemic
administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
results in the upregulation of several
proinflammatory cytokines as well as the
chronic activation of resident immune cells
within the central nervous system. In this
experiment male c57bl/6 mice were injected
intraperitoneally (i.p.) with either 5mg/kg
LPS (n = 10) or 0.9% sterile saline (n = 10)
and allowed to recover for one month before
behavioural testing took place. The mice were
tested in an eight-arm radial maze to test for
spatial working memory errors, followed by
a tail suspension test, a common measure
of behavioural despair. The tail suspension
test was run once with an IP administration
of 0.9% sterile 90 minutes before testing, and
one week later with an IP administration of
fluoxetine (20mg/kg) 90 minutes before the
task. Results will be discussed.
navigation paradigm. Twenty male Wistar rats
completed a navigational task in which they
were required to locate a hidden platform in a
water maze. Results indicated that in contrast
to cognitive mapping theory, animals did
not attend to each environmental landmark
equally. Performance was, in fact, best when
rats were given access to one specific element
only. These findings are consistent with a
growing body of research which demonstrates
that navigation can be achieved by using
simple associative mechanisms, rather than
a complete knowledge of the environment. In
addition, this study supports the suggestion
that a “mental map” concept of navigation,
though appealing, may be unnecessary.
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difficulties would score high on neuroticism
and employ passive, avoidance coping
strategies while those with no difficulties
would use an active approach coping style
and score lower on the measure of loneliness.
Furthermore, frequency of difficulties were
predicted to be higher in participants from a
low socioeconomic status background, from a
disrupted family and in females. Determination
of risk factors for difficulties in adolescence
will aid in recognising primary symptoms of
mental disorders, to identify early prevention
strategies and to provide the best and most
cost effective treatment.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Fitzgerald, Niamh
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
To determine if there is a relationship
between self-efficacy, social anxiety and
personality types in reports of panic
attacks between males and females
A study based on the National Comorbidity
Survey Replication determined a lifetime
prevalence estimate of 22.7% for isolated
panic without agoraphobia (PA only), 0.8% for
panic attacks with agoraphobia (AG) without
panic disorder (PA-AG), 3.7% for PD without
AG (panic disorder only), and 1.1% for PD
with AG (PD-AG). The aim of this study is
to determine whether there is a relationship
between levels of social anxiety, self-efficacy
and personality types and self-reports of
panic attacks utilising a non-clinical sample.
This study also examined gender differences.
The study sample included 100 participants
consisting of 50 female and 50 male students
obtained through convenience sampling.
The questionnaires used are the Interactions
Anxiety Scale, the Generalised Self-Efficacy
Scale and The Big Five Inventory. Although
research has suggested that many of the
above variables being measured such as selfefficacy, personality types and social anxiety
can influence the likelihood of panic attacks,
this study seeks to examine these factors
collectively. The study aims to determine if
there is a correlation between these variables
in reports of panic attacks, findings will be
interpreted by previous literature.
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Fitzpatrick, Aoife
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Surviving the leaving cert: An analysis of
stress and coping in final year secondary
school students
The aim of the present study is to analyse
stress and coping in Leaving Certificate (LC)
students. Furthermore, this study also aims
to examine self-concept and the perceived
causes of stress. Quantitative analysis with
components of qualitative responses was
used to assess these variables. Participants
are secondary school students preparing to sit
their LC in June 2012 and range in age from
16-19 years. The rationale for this study stems
from previous research that proposes LC
students face constant pressure due to these
intense examinations and the lack of research
surrounding student coping. Participants
complete the General Health Questionnaire,
the Brief COPE Scale and specific questions
for stress, self-concept and perceived causes
of stress tailored for a LC population from
the unpublished thesis of Ni Loinsigh (1995).
T-tests are the primary form of statistical
analysis and as results are discussed.
Fitzsimmons, Clara
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
If distance makes the heart grow fonder,
does desire make the distance shorter?
An exploration of the influence of internal
psychological state on perception
The present study aims to investigate whether
desired objects are perceived as physically
closer to us as a result of our internal state of
mind, in this case, thirst. The target sample
is 30 students between the ages of 18 and
22. A two-group experimental design is used
and biased distance perception is collected
using questionnaires and both verbal reports
and action-based estimations. The thirst of
the participants in Condition 1 is induced (by
supplying them with pretzels) and the thirst of
the participants in Condition 2 is quenched (by
supplying them with water). Key hypothesis
are that there will be a significant difference
between the distance perception of those who
see the bottle of water as a desirable object
and those who perceive it as an undesirable
object, with those in the desirable condition
perceiving the bottle of water as closer to them
in distance. Results are discussed in relation
to methodological weaknesses e.g., small
sample size and strengths e.g., assessing
distance perception using both verbal and
spatial estimates.
Fleming, Grainne
Trinity College, Dublin
Postgraduate
Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy in improving levels of stress,
anxiety, depression and quality of life in
those with Parkinson’s disease and their
carers
This research aims to investigate whether
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
improves levels of stress, depression and
anxiety in those with Parkinson’s disease
(PD) and their carers using a mixed-methods
randomized-control design. Participants
are between 18 and 70 years of age, both
male and female, and either have PD or be
a carer to someone with PD. Participants,
after electing to participate, were assigned
to an immediate-treatment group or a control
group who can opt to participate in a second
workshop after the research testing period.
Levels of stress, depression and anxiety are
measured before and after the workshop,
and three months later, and compared to
the results of the outcome measures of the
Control Group who are tested concurrently.
Interviews are carried out to assess the impact
of ACT and analysed using Interpretative
Phenomenological Analysis. In light of past
research, it is expected that ACT will reduce
the levels of stress, anxiety and depression
experienced and improve quality of life.
Fletcher, Alex
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Highly esteemed or lowly esteemed: What
are you suggesting?
The aim of the present study was to
investigate the relationship between self
esteem and interrogative suggestibility.
Participants were 50 undergraduate students.
Data collection was on a one to one basis.
Participants answered a Rosenberg Self
Esteem Scale and were then administered
the Gudjonsson Suggestiblity Scale.
This involved reading a short story to the
participant and asking them to recall as
much as they could once the story finished.
Afterwards 20 questions were asked about
the story, 15 of which were misleading. The
extent to which participants gave in to the
misleading items was scored as “Yield”. The
participant was then informed they made a
number of mistakes and the questions must
be answered again. This resulted in the
collection of “Shift” scores which represented
the number of times the participant changed
their answers. “Yield” and “Shift” scores
were then summed to give total suggestibility
scores. Participants received a full debriefing
after participation. Data were analysed and
results were discussed. Finally theoretical and
methodological issues were examined.
Forsyth, Evan
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
Psychologists’ attitudes towards
complementary and alternative therapies
This research assessed undergraduate
psychology students’ attitudes towards
complementary and alternative therapies
(CAM/T). The use of complementary and
alternative medicines/ therapies among the
UK and Ireland population is on the increase.
A survey carried out in 2000 found that in
the previous year 20% of the population had
used CAM/T. Hypothesized reasons for an
increase in the use of CAM treatments include
failure of conventional medicines, good health
maintenance, reduction of toxic effects of
conventional medicine, and a person’s need
to have a certain degree of personal control
over their treatments (Ernst, Pittler, Stevinson
& White, 2001). The Psychologists’ Attitudes
towards Complementary and Alternative
Therapies Scale (White & Wilson, 2007) was
developed for use in Australia was adapted
for use in Ireland. In the present study it was
completed by a sample of psychology students
(n = 118). The data were factor analysed and
three correlated subscales were identified,
assessing the perceived importance of
knowledge about available therapies, attitudes
towards integration with psychological practice,
and concerns about associated risks. The
discussion considers whether these findings
are consistent with White and Wilson (2007)
findings, thereby comparing attitudes between
Irish and Australian participants.
Fox, Siobhan
University College Cork
Postgraduate
An evaluation of the relationship between
psychopathy and impulsivity
Although impulsivity is generally considered to
be a core feature of psychopathy, one of the
problems with understanding the association
between the two constructs is that they are
both multifaceted. Much of the research
examining this relationship has treated one
or both of these constructs as unidimensional
and therefore important information regarding
the complex nature of the relationship is lost.
In order to clarify this issue the present study
employs a canonical variate analysis which
allows for the comparison of two multifaceted
measurement scales simultaneously. A
self-report psychopathy (the PPI, Lilienfeld
& Andrews, 1996) and impulsivity (the BIS;
Barratt, 1989) assessment were administered
to a general population sample (n = 1,100).
Results show that three significant canonical
functions emerged. These were found to be
interpretable and suggest that impulsivity
relates to the broader psychopathy domain
in a complex fashion. Results show that the
simple impulsivity-psychopathy correlation
has much less explanatory power than has a
multivariate approach.
Furlong, Mairead
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Postgraduate
The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness
of behavioural and cognitive-behavioural
group-based parenting programmes for
early-onset conduct problems in children
aged 3 to 12: A Cochrane review
Conducting problems in children are common
and have attracted considerable interest
in recent years, not least because of their
significant negative psychological and
economic consequences. This Cochrane
review examined the effectiveness and
cost-effectiveness of behavioural and
cognitive-behavioural group-based parenting
programmes in treating early-onset conduct
problems in young children. This systematic
review included studies if they involved
a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of an
appropriate parenting intervention, versus
a waiting list, no treatment or standard
treatment control group. The review included
13 RCTs and two economic evaluations (n =
1078 families). Results indicated moderate
statistically significant improvements in child
conduct problems and parental mental health
across different settings, levels of social
disadvantage, diagnostic categories, and
within services demonstrating a high level of
implementation fidelity. The parent-training
cost approximately €2200 (£1712/$2500)
per family to bring the average child with
clinically significant conduct problems into the
non-clinical range. These costs are modest
in the context of the long-run social and
economic benefits to society. This review
provides the most robust evidence, to date,
that behavioural group-based parenting
programmes are effective and cost-effective in
improving conduct problems in young children.
Further research is needed on the long-term
assessment of outcomes.
Gallagher, Elaine
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Using the Implicit Association Assessment
Procedure to measure attitudes to life and
death in a normative sample
Implicit attitudes to socially sensitive issues
have remained relatively elusive due, in part,
to the tendency of individuals to respond
explicitly in a manner which they may deem
to be socially correct or the expected norm. It
is thus necessary to employ implicit measure
for the detection of such attitudes. The Implicit
Association Test (IAT: Greenwald et al 1998)
was used by Nock (2010) to detect attitudes
to death in a clinical sample. The current
study, however, used the IAT and the Implicit
Gallagher, Roisin
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Using the Implicit Relational Assessment
Procedure to assess implicit attitudes
toward mental illness
There is a growing body of research being
conducted surrounding the stigmatisation
of mental illness. The current study aimed
to explore stigmatisation by examining
individuals’ implicit attitudes toward
mental illness using the Implicit Relational
Assessment Procedure (IRAP; Barnes-Holmes
et al., 2010). Participants were assigned into
one of three IRAP conditions: (1) Anxious, (2)
Depressed or (3) Mentally Ill. Implicit results
were compared to three explicit scales:
Community Attitudes to Mentally Ill (CAMI;
Taylor & Dear, 1981); Stigmatizing AttitudesBelievability (SAB; Masuda et al., 2009)
and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale
(DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). Results
showed that participants were not stigmatising
towards the samples in each IRAP condition.
A correlation between implicit and explicit
measures depicted a negative relationship
between the DASS total scale and a positive
implicit bias to the healthy category (p = .039).
There were also correlations between CAMI
subscales and a positive bias toward disorder
in the depressed condition. Implications of
these findings are discussed.
Galligan, Toni
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
The Mozart effect: Investigating the effect
of music and mood on the spatial cognition
of musicians and non-musicians
The ‘Mozart effect’ occurs when performance
on spatial cognitive tasks improves following
exposure to Mozart. The present study sought
to address two hypotheses to explain this
association: Mozart primes neural pathways
similar to those used for spatial reasoning
in the right cerebral hemisphere and Mozart
generally increases mood and arousal
leading to an optimal mood for test-taking. It
is hypothesized that the spatial cognition of
non-musicians will improve after listening to
Mozart as they process melodic information
exclusively in the right hemisphere, but not in
musicians, who process melodic information
in both hemispheres. These hypotheses were
tested by comparing performance of musicians
and non-musicians on a mental rotation
task (Cooper & Shepard 1973) before and
after exposure to either Mozart or Albatross
(repetitious song condition). The Brief Mood
Introspection Scale (BMIS) was used to
investigate the participants’ mood before and
after the song condition. Participants consisted
of 70 undergraduates (35 musicians and 35
non-musicians). Results are discussed in
relation to previous theory, methodological
issues and implications for future research and
practice.
Geraghty, Kate Anya
University College Cork
Postgraduate
A psychophysiological exploration of
sexual arousal: Testing the validity of a
groin temperature measure
Direct measures of sexual arousal are faced
with three inherent challenges; they are
intrusive, sex specific and furthermore a
body of literature suggests that there may
be issues with reliability. Using a measure
that is homogenous to both sexes may prove
useful in a forensic context, particularly the
area of risk assessment where response
bias plagues self-report measurements.
The aims of the study were to address the
lack of consistent findings among studies.
Utilising a psychophysiological framework the
following research questions were addressed;
assessing the viability of employing a groin
skin temperature measure to assess sexual
arousal, whether males and females manifest
consistency in arousal responses and to
what extent do subjective and physiological
responses correlate. Using both aural and
visual stimuli in the study measures of
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), Heart-rate
Variability (HRV) and groin skin temperature
using a thermistor were taken. Participants
ranged in ages of 18-30 years and were
recruited through convenient sampling.
Subjective arousal scores were taken utilising
a five-point ordinal scale. Results indicate that
thermistor ratings of groin skin temperature
have moderate validity, with no statistically
significant differences between males and
females. Discrepancies were uncovered
between subjective arousal ratings and
physiological response correlations.
Gillespie, Eliis
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Cognitive dissonance: A private
chastisement or a public fear of
condemnation?
This experiment aims to investigate whether
cognitive dissonance will be experienced
more by those who believe others will know
their hypocrisy (public condition), or those
who believe that only they will know their
hypocrisy (private condition). Participants
are 60 undergraduate students and data
collection involved a quantitative survey
based on the induced hypocrisy paradigm,
containing three sections. The first makes
attitudes towards their responsibility to
protect the environment salient. The second
contains a 15 item checklist of environmental
behaviours to raise awareness of past
behaviours that were inconsistent with their
beliefs. Finally, the third measures their level of
psychological discomfort to assess the amount
of cognitive dissonance being experienced.
A non-parametric analysis examined the
interaction between conditions and the level
of cognitive dissonance experienced. Results
are discussed with reference to whether Irish
culture emphasises personal or interpersonal
threats, in the context of previous research
indicating differences between Japanese
and American populations. Future practical
applications for campaigns aimed at increasing
environmental or other pro-social behaviours
are also considered.
Gordon, Jennifer
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Birth order: Investigating its effects on
personality, empathy, achievement and
perceived academic performance
Order of birth was first most notably used
by Alfred Adler as a basis for predicting the
characteristic behaviour of individuals. The
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Gale, Liam
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
An exploration into the link between the
vividness of visual imagery and working
and visual memory
The purpose of this study was to investigate
the relationship between visual vividness and
working memory, immediate visual memory
and delayed visual memory. The target sample
consisted of 20 male and 20 female students
and participants were asked to complete
four tasks. The experiment began with an
immediate visual memory task, involving
the presentation and recall of visual stimuli.
Visual vividness was then assessed using the
Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire
(VVIQ). Visuospatial working memory was
examined using the Corsi Block Tapping task.
Twenty minutes after the immediate visual
memory task, participants completed the
delayed visual memory task. This involved
the recall of the same visual stimuli presented
earlier. Correlational analyses were used
to evaluate the relationship between visual
imagery vividness and the aspects of visual
memory. In addition, data were analysed by
grouping participants according to levels of
imagery vividness, and group comparisons
made by means of t-tests and ANOVAs as
appropriate. Results are discussed in relation
to methodological strengths and weaknesses
of the study and theoretical implications.
Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP:
Barnes-Holmes et al, 2006) to measure implicit
attitudes to life and death in a normative
sample. Using the Acceptance and Action
Questionnaire (AAQ-II: Bond et al, 2011),
the participants were split into high and low
experiential avoidance groups. Those in the
high group were found to have a significant
unexpected ‘Death - Pleasant’ effect. These
results and their implications are discussed in
the presentation.
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The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
current study aims to extend this stream of
research by exploring links between birth order
and various psychological variables including
achievement, personality, empathy, and
perceived academic performance. This study
utilised a convenience sample of university
students. A battery of measures including
the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the
Multi-dimensional Emotional Empathy Scale,
and the Perceived Academic Performance
Scale were used. In line with previous studies,
it was postulated that eldest children would be
more conscientious and introverted, whereas
later born children would be more outgoing
and extroverted. It was hypothesised that
eldest children would have higher levels
of achievement and perceived academic
performance compared with the middle and
youngest children. It was also predicted that
the youngest child in the family would show
higher levels of empathy than middle born
or eldest children. Results are discussed in
relation to theory and practice.
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Graham, Niamh
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
Facial expression identification and
emotional intelligence: A correlation study
The ability to correctly identify facial
expressions is said to be key for
communication. Previous research has
identified the ability to recognise these
expressions as being due to several factors
such as race, gender, attachment and social
categorization of the image or the individual.
However, the increase in research over the
past two decades within this area has not
discussed whether emotional intelligence plays
a role in this communication process. In the
present study 30 undergraduate students were
tested on a facial expression identification
task and an emotional intelligence (EI) test.
The task consisted of a video displaying 18
neutral images and 18 images which consisted
of the 6 basic universal emotions (anger, fear,
surprise, disgust, sad, and happiness). Each
emotion was shown in three different ways:
the whole face, the eye area of the face and
the mouth area of the face. The 18 neutral
images were placed between each image
shown to minimise the predictability of the next
emotion. By isolating sections of faces, it was
expected that those participants with high trait
EI would outperform those with low trait EI in
all three conditions of the facial expression
identification task. The results are discussed.
Greene, Irene
University College Cork
Undergraduate
The effect of online social support for
transgender individuals
The advent of the Internet has dramatically
changed the means by which social support
is delivered in the last number of years.
Social networks and online communities
have allowed people to deliver and receive
support without the need for traditional
face-to-face interaction. Smaller groups,
such as the transgender community,
may particularly benefit from this form of
support, due to the relatively low occurrence
of transgenderism, and the associated
societal stigma. The present study aimed to
examine the effectiveness of online social
support compared to offline social support
for transgender individuals. An anonymous
survey was hosted online and posted to
various transgender and LGBT websites and
communities. Social support was measured
using the Internet Capital Scales (Williams,
2006) and well-being was measured using
the Short Depression-Happiness Scale
(Joseph et al., 2004) and the Center for
Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale
(Radloff, 1977). Results are discussed in terms
of methodological and theoretical strengths
and weaknesses and practical implications of
the findings.
Hanratty, Éanna
Undergraduate
The role of emotional intelligence and other
emotional and personality factors on career
indecision
Emotional intelligence has been found to
have a role in both career decision-making
self-efficacy, and career indecision among
students; however research in this area is still
very sparse and requires more investigation,
particularly in relation to other correlates
of career indecision. This study examines
the role that emotional intelligence has on
career indecision in Irish university students
while also looking at its relationships with
other emotional and personality factors of
career indecision. In addition to this it looks
at whether there is a significant difference
in emotional intelligence between those
with developmental career indecision and
those that are chronically indecisive. Gender
differences were also being examined for
emotional intelligence and career indecision as
these have been suggested by the literature.
This research should give us a more in-depth
insight into career indecision in Irish students,
and ways in which it can be tackled especially
in the wake of recent cuts in funding for career
guidance teachers.
Hargadon, Jessica
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Function Acquisition Speed Test assessing
derived stimulus relations
The study used a type of behaviour-analytic
test, the Function Acquisition Speed Test
(FAST). The study sample was a group
of participants (n = 32) between the ages
16-22. The purpose of the study was to
tap into derived stimulus relations that are
supported throughout phases 1-3 of the test
but previously have never been derived.
Experimentally produced stimuli, rather than
real words were employed for this purpose.
Stimulus equivalence relations serve as an
important analogue of implicit relations usually
assumed to be with tests such as the Implicit
Attitudes Test (IAT). Participants were exposed
to the history necessary to form two derived
(or implicit) relations between stimuli in Phase
1. They were then tested for these implied or
implicit relations using the FAST procedure in
Phase 2, before a stimulus equivalence test
was administered (Phase 3). This experiment
examined the utility of the FAST in detecting
as yet unconscious stimulus associations
that are implicit in the subjects’ history. The
results were analysed to establish if the FAST
test could detect derived relations. Results
revealed the FAST effect observed was not
significant. This indicates that the FAST was
unsuccessful in identifying the history of
derived relational responding.
Hartnett, Dan
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Letting go of anxious self-statements:
The effectiveness of a mindfulness-based
intervention
The aim of the present study was to
investigate the effect of a mindfulness based
exercise on participants’ frequency of,
and difficulty in, letting go of anxious selfstatements. Participants consisted of 57 adults
with an age range of 18-58 (M = 31.54; SD
= 10.01) and a male to female ratio of 13:44.
Participants had no previous experience of
mindfulness-based exercises. Two groups
(Treatment and Control) were formed balanced
on a number of variables. The Treatment
Group listened to a brief mindfulness-based
exercise once per day for one week. The
Control Group listened to an equivalent
control recording once per day for one week.
Participants completed a number of scales
pre- and post-intervention assessing capacity
to visualise, positive and negative affect, state
anxiety, trait mindfulness, frequency of anxious
self statements, and difficulty in letting go
of anxious self-statements. Key hypotheses
included: that the treatment group would
have significantly lower difficulty in letting go
of anxious self-statements than the control
group post-intervention, and that the treatment
group would have significantly less frequent
anxious self-statements than the control group
post-intervention. Results are discussed in
relation to mindfulness, meta-cognition and
psychological health.
Hassett, Andrew
National University of Ireland, Galway
Undergraduate
The effect of mindfulness and relaxing
music on attention switching
The current study had three aims; to examine
the physiological effect of mindfulness
instructions in comparison with listening
to music on cardiovascular reactivity to a
cognitive challenge; second, to examine
the effect of mindfulness versus music
on both cognitive task performance and
cardiovascular reactivity of those high and low
on nonattachment; and third, to examine if the
effects of mindfulness practices on cognition
and physiology are greater for those who
report higher levels of non-attachment. The
study took the form of a mixed factorial 2 ×
2 design employing four switch levels. The
first between subjects factor was high versus
low on the nonattachment scale. The second
between subjects factor was music versus
mindfulness meditation. The four switch levels
were made up of the three blocks of trials;
however, the second block of trials containing
the rule change was divided into two separate
blocks. The dependent variables were reaction
times, the PANAs scales, and cardiovascular
reactivity (i.e., diastolic/systolic blood pressure
and heart rate). Results and conclusion are
pending.
Hayes, David
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Can video games affect your self-esteem?
The aim of the present study is to determine
the effects of video game-play on players’
self-esteem and also to investigate the effects
of both choice of difficulty and the presence
of ‘gamer points’. 40 students, who play a
minimum of four hours of video games a
week, took part and were divided into four
condition groups on the basis of choice of
difficulty setting and the presence or absence
of ‘gamer points’. The study uses global trait
and specific state self-esteem measures,
which all participants completed before and
after approximately 15 minutes of game-play.
The data were analysed using a two-way
non-repeated ANOVA and it was expected that
no change in self-esteem would be observed
on the trait measure but that there would be
a significant increase on the state measure
between each of the groups, with those in the
choice of difficulty/presence of ‘gamer points’
condition experiencing the highest increase.
Results arebe discussed in terms of the
appropriateness of using global trait measures,
as well as the relevance of considering such
factors as the choice of difficulty setting and
‘gamer points’ systems for future research.
Healy, Colm
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
The relationship between self-esteem and
conformity in a student population
The aim of the present study was to examine
the relationship between self-esteem and
conformity to group attitudes in a student
population. Participants were 70 students
with an age range of 18 – 43 years (M =
21.31, SD = 3.99). The Rosenberg SelfEsteem Scale was used to measure selfesteem. Participants’ attitudes towards
a social networking site were measured
using a likert scale under two conditions; in
the first condition participants were shown
no group information and in the second
condition participants were shown the fictional
responses of a group of students to each
item. Participants were randomly assigned
to receive either positive or negative group
information. Conformity was measured as
the degree to which participants changed
their attitude to agree with the group.
Using an independent t-test Hypothesis
1, that participants would have a more
positive attitude after viewing positive group
information, was supported, t(33) = -3.68, p <
.05. Hypothesis 2, that participants would have
a more negative attitude after viewing negative
group information was also supported, t(35) =
2.49, p < .05. The relationship between selfesteem and conformity was also examined.
Results are discussed with reference to
theoretical implications and methodological
strengths and weaknesses.
Hull, Suzanne
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
Thoughts and attitudes about mental health
issues, treatment and service use
Mental health problems are an issue that has
become more prominent in the last couple
of decades. The prevalence of mental health
issues in the UK is often advertised as being
1 in 4. This means that 25% of the population
will experience a mental illness at some point
in their lives. Although increases in service
Jones, Laura
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
Effect of a novel NMDA receptor antagonist
on behavioural deterioration induced
following intracerebroventricular injection
of oligomeric amyloid-beta in the rat
Recent research suggests that the oligomeric
form of amyloid-beta plays a role in the
behavioural deterioration seen early in
the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia
syndrome. Consequently intracerbroventricular
(ICV) injection of oligomeric amyloid-beta
in experimental animals has received
considerable interest as a model of this
early behavioural deterioration. This interest
has stemmed from the realisation that
pharmacotherapeutic interventions for AD
are likely to be more effective if instigated
at an early stage in the disease progress.
The current study investigated the effects
of a novel NMDA receptor antagonist on
behavioural deterioration following ICV
injection of oligomericamyloid-beta in the rat.
Thirty five male Sprague-Dawley rats were
trained to respond for food reinforcement
under an alternating-lever cyclic-ratio (ALCR)
schedule. When responding showed no
changes in trends, all rats were surgically
fitted with a permanently indwelling cannula
aimed at the lateral ventricle of the brain
and randomly assigned to experimental and
control groups. Given that a NMDA receptor
antagonist, Memantine, is currently approved
for the clinical treatment of AD, it is expected
that the novel NMDA receptor antagonist
used in the current study will alleviate the
behavioural deterioration induced by ICV
injection of oligomeric amyloid-beta, as
determined by performance under the ALCR
schedule.
Joyce, Niamh
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Switch on switch off: An experimental
investigation of attention to emotion and
its relationship to the Five-Factor Model of
personality in an adult population
The ability to selectively attend to certain
information in our environment and disregard
less relevant information is vital to not only our
health and well-being but to our very survival
(Ebner & Johnson, 2010). In our occupational
roles we are required to attend to a multitude
of tasks that may have affective or cognitive
aspects, requiring us to attend to emotional
and non-emotional information in quick
succession (Prehn et al, 2008). This paper,
using an experimental condition, seeks to
identify an association between an individual’s
Five Factor Personality Type (Goldberg,
1992) and their ability to switch their
attention between emotional and cognitive
information in their environment. Specifically
it was hypothesized that participants whose
personality profile shows higher Extroversion
and lower Neuroticism would have a shorter
switch duration moving from the emotional
to the cognitive task. In addition it was
predicted that participants whose personality
profile shows lower Extroversion and Higher
Neuroticism would have a longer switch
duration moving from the emotional to the
cognitive task. Participants (n = 50) were
selected from a convenience sample and
completed a computer based cueing task
(Johnson, 2009) and a personality assessment
(Goldberg, 1992). Findings are discussed in
relation to personality, attention to emotion and
emotional regulation.
Keegan, Amanda
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
How do Irish and international students
view each other?
The aim of the present study was to
investigate how Irish and international students
view one another in relation to levels of
intercultural communication apprehension
and levels of intercultural contact. A group
of 120 students attending an Irish university
completed the National Character Survey
for Different Types of Students, a 30-line
semantic differential used to investigate
perceptions of Irish and international students
in a neutral fashion. The participants then
completed the Personal Report of Intercultural
Communication Apprehension Scale (PRICA)
and the Personal Report of Communication
Apprehension Scale (PRCA-24). Quantitative
analysis of the data involved the use of
correlations to investigate the relationship
between PRICA and PRCA-24 scale scores,
while additional analyses explored differences
between the NCS scores of Irish students
with high and low levels of intercultural
contact and differences between the NCS
scores for Irish students with both high and
low levels of intercultural communication
apprehension. Findings are discussed in
relation to methodological strengths and
weaknesses. A practical implication of the
present study is that investigations of Irish and
International students’ attitudes towards one
another can help ensure a satisfactory learning
environment and future research could focus
on appropriate intervention techniques to
further improve relations.
Kelly, Jennifer
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Laugh out loud? The cognitive effects of
the suppression of positive emotion
Most people regulate their emotions daily.
However, the consequences of such behaviour
are not fully understood. Much of the previous
research has overlooked positive emotion and
focused solely on the regulation of negative
emotion. The present study aims to investigate
whether the suppression of positive emotion
impairs memory. Participants were fifty-seven
undergraduate students. There were 21 males
and 36 females with an age range from 18 to
30 years (M = 21.1, SD = 1.65). There were
two groups, a Control Group and an Emotion
Suppression Group. Participants were shown a
series of four short video clips. Subsequently,
their memory for these clips was tested.
The scores obtained by each group were
compared. Findings are discussed in relation
to the strengths and limitations of the study as
well as implications for future research.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Howard, Ruth
National University of Ireland, Galway
Undergraduate
Sleep paralysis in an Irish student
population
Sleep paralysis occurs at sleep onset or during
awakening, when the person is aware of their
surroundings, yet unable to move. It is a littleknown parasomnia, yet it has been shown to
affect at least 7% of the general population,
and a much larger proportion of students. The
current research aimed to gather information
on the prevalence and correlates of sleep
paralysis in an Irish student population.
While it is benign, a lack of awareness and
understanding can cause people to fear
the experience, and attribute it to a more
malevolent origin. Some cultures have formed
their own cultural narratives as a framework to
aid discussion and comprehension; however
Ireland is not among these. The current
research used a battery of questionnaires
to measure unusual sleep experiences,
personality, and drug and alcohol use. The
survey was distributed among a student
population. The sleep paralysis prevalence
rate found in a sample of 400 students was
30%. It was hypothesised that higher alcohol
and drug use would predict higher rates, and
that sleep paralysis is more likely in those with
high neuroticism and low conscientiousness.
Interpretations of sleep paralysis in an Irish
student population are explored.
use have been reported (Kessler et al, 2005),
it is still the case that the majority of those
with a mental health issue do not seek out the
help that they need (Mackenzie et al, 2008).
Stigma associated with mental illness is often
reported as being a barrier of care but more
recent research has stated that this may not
be the case (Golbertstein et al, 2009). The aim
of this research is to look at a sample of the
general population in an attempt to find out
people’s views on mental health issues and
psychotherapy as well as trying to find out who
is more likely to seek out help if they need it.
Better knowledge of service use could mean
improved intervention policies and advertising
campaigns which focus their attention on
specific populations who do not seek out the
help they need.
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The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Kelly, David
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
An investigatory study into the relationship
between extracurricular activities and
stress/worry in exam years
The current study examines extracurricular
activities in exam year secondary school
students and whether participation in these
activities has an impact on their stress and
worry levels. Procrastination is also examined,
to determine if this further impacts levels of
stress and worry. Stress refers to the negative
feelings arising out of a person feelings of not
being able to cope with the demands placed
upon them and worry is defined as a state of
anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential
problems. Past studies into this area show
support that extracurricular activities impacting
positively on stress and worry/anxiety. This
study built on past research by exploring the
many forms of extracurricular activities where
previous research explored only one type and
did not cross examine. The participants were
116 male and female exam year secondary
school students. It was hypothesised that
those who participant in extracurricular
activities would show lower levels of stress and
worry, while those with lower procrastination
scores would show lower stress and worry
scores. Implications are discussed.
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Kelly, Yvonne
National University of Ireland, Galway
Undergraduate
The cognitive processes involved in
generating false information
The purpose of the present study is to
explore the cognitive processes involved
in generating false identification details in
response to an immediate demand. Previous
research conducted in the area of deception
has focused on uncovering the tell-tale signs
of deception. In the present study, it was
proposed that if the cognitive processes used
to construct false information were known,
figures in authority such as police officers
would use the false information provided to
establish the identity of a suspect. The study
tested the hypothesis that study participants
will unintentionally provide identifiable clues to
their actual own name address and telephone
number. Additionally, it was hypothesised
that the majority of people would find it more
difficult to randomly generate false information
for a friend as opposed to for themselves.
A quasi-experimental research design was
employed, where 120 university students from
a variety of disciplines took part. The range
of age was 18-25 years. From a preliminary
analysis, it was found that participants did give
clues to their actual address which could form
the basis of a workable identification strategy
with positive implications for law enforcement
personnel.
Kelly, Juliann
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
The effects of chronotype on personality
Various studies have suggested that there
is a direct link between chronotype and
conscientiousness level. The aim of this
study is to find out if there are direct effects of
chronotype on this and other personality traits.
Chronotype was assessed using the Munich
Chronotype Questionnaire. Personality traits
were measured using the Big Five Inventory
of Personality. The questionnaires were
distributed in the form of an online survey. Selfreported data were collected through a social
networking website. Data were analysed using
Pearson’s product moment correlation and one
way ANOVA. It was found that there was no
effect of chronotype on personality.
Kerr, Jenny
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Can sports enhance school performances,
decrease stress and/or exam anxiety and
improve self-efficacy?
The main purpose for this study is to test
if sports or physical activity can enhance
school performances, improve self-efficacy
and reduce stress and exam anxiety. It was
hypothesized that students who engage
in contact sport tend to do better in their
academic performances than those who
do not, which will indelibly result in a higher
self-efficacy. It was also hypothesized that
playing sports and physical activity would
decrease stress all round and lesson anxiety
during exams. The participants were college
students varying in age. The questionnaires
used included the Perceived Stress Scale,
the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the
Test Anxiety Scale. There was also a
questionnaire composed by the researcher
about demographic data, the participant’s
involvement in sport, what kind of sport they
play and about their exam results. It was
expected they study would find a significant
result between sports or physical activity
and enhanced academic performance, while
decreasing stress and exam anxiety. Also it
was expected that result would show the effect
of good academic performance and regular
participation in sport or activity has on a
person’s self-efficacy. The findings of the study
may support the positive effects that sports
have on a person’s mood, mental health and
overall self.
Khan, Zane
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
It’s not what you said, but how you said
it: An investigation of the relationship
between accents and faces in social
categorization in an Irish college sample
Whilst previous research indicates that
accents are more salient than looks in ethnic
categorization‚ limited research has been
conducted on the importance of accents
over looks within a national framework. In
addition‚ empirical studies on perceptions of
Irish accents has been dormant for almost
thirty years. The present study employs
the matched-guise technique to investigate
the differences between 50 Irish student’s
perceptions of five variants of Irish accent;
North Dublin‚ South Dublin‚ Midland-Regional‚
Donegal and Cork. Fifty percent of participants
were assigned to a face plus accent condition‚
while fifty percent were assigned to an accent
only condition. It was postulated that those in
the latter condition will accord more favourable
ratings to the accents than those in the former.
Results are discussed in terms of theoretical
and practical implications and also in terms of
theoretical strengths and weaknesses
Killilea, Jessica
National University of Ireland, Galway
Undergraduate
Examining Perspective-Taking and
Cognitive Ability in Middle and Late
Childhood
Several recent studies conducted in the
Relational Frame Theory (RFT) domain
have found significant correlations between
competencies on specific relations, using
RFT-based protocols, and outcomes on
standardised IQ measures. Similarly,
RFT protocols have been used to assess
perspective taking abilities in atypically
developing populations, with the results
demonstrating that there could be a
developmental element to the attainment of
perspective taking skills. However, there has
been no research to date that has investigated
the developmental nature of perspective
taking in typically developing children. In the
current study, two groups of children (6-7
year olds and 10-11 year olds) were exposed
to standard measures of IQ, as well as an
RFT-based test protocol for perspectivetaking. The results showed that there were
significant differences in performance between
the age groups, especially with respect to
the more complex relational frames, evincing
a developmental trend in obtaining deictic
framing skills. The results also indicated
significant differences across performances
on different aspects of the perspective-taking
protocol, as well as a correlation between
perspective-taking and full-scale IQ, which is
in line with previous research. These findings
provide further evidence of the utility of the
RFT-based protocol of deictic frames and
highlight the role of intellectual functioning
in perspective-taking. Furthermore, they
provide insight into deictic relations at different
developmental stages.
Cardwell, Sarah Louise; Kinghan, Deborah;
Kinsella, Caitlín; Knox, Lauren
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
The effect of musical ability relative to
intelligence levels
The aim of this experiment was to investigate
whether there is a significant effect of musical
ability on intelligence levels. The sample
consistes of 60 participants split into three
groups, provided with a printed questionnaire
and asked to complete a computer based IQ
test. The nature of the IQ test allows testing
to take place either in groups or individually.
Participants were also asked to fill in a
questionnaire detailing their level of musical
or sporting activity and then complete the
Raven’s Progressive Matrices IQ test. The
IQ test consists of 11 patterns with a missing
item. The participants must select the picture
which best fits the missing item from eight
options. Intelligence levels were then scored
by their number of correct responses out of
the total number of trials. Participants were
re-tested a week later. The data were analysed
to determine if there is a difference in IQ levels
of musicians and non-musicians, and if there is
a relationship between the amount of practice
undertaken by musicians and their IQ levels.
Previous research in this area has revealed
that there is a relationship between musical
influence and intelligence.
Kingston, Stephanie
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
The role of stigma and gender in
adolescents’ reactions to depression and
conduct disorder among their peers
The purpose of this study is to investigate how
adolescents are likely to react when a peer
develops symptoms of depression or conduct
disorder, and to explore factors that influence
these reactions. These factors include gender,
stigma levels and mental health literacy.
Participants are secondary school students (15
- 16 years). Approximately 80 participants took
part. A questionnaire was designed and piloted
for this study. Firstly, it comprised of four
vignettes based on DSM-IV criteria for manic
depression, and adolescent onset conduct
disorder. These depicted a girl and a boy
displaying symptoms for each disorder. Each
vignette was accompanied with a series of
open-ended questions, based on identification
of the disorder, helping patterns and changes
in friendship. Secondly, stigma levels towards
depression were measured using a validated
scale. Mixed methods were used to collect and
analyse data. Findings were analysed using
content analysis and descriptive and inferential
statistics. Results are anticipated to show that
an increased level of stigma correlates with
less helpful responses; higher mental health
literacy correlates with more helpful responses
and thirdly that girls display more constructive
responses than boys
Knee, Charlotte
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Mindfulness and wellbeing: A study on how
a six week mindfulness course affects well
being
This study aims to identify whether the
participation in a six week Mindfullness
Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Stress
Reduction (MBSR) course improves levels
of well-being. Data were collected from two
samples of participants, Meditating (n = 19)
who were undergoing the MBCT/MBSR course
and Non-meditating (n = 17). All were tested
using the LOT-R Dispositional Optimism
scale, Five Facet Mindfulness, Dass-21 and
qualitative measures pre and post intervention.
Qualitative analysis was conducted along
with a series of mixed-between-within groups
ANOVAs to assess the impact of undergoing
a MBSR/MBCT course across all subscales from Time 1 to Time 2. As predicted
increased levels of mindfulness correlated
with decreases in measures of psychological
well-being (e.g. stress p = .002, anxiety p
> .053 and depression p = .017). Optimism
levels also increased despite being seen as a
relatively stable personality characteristic (p =
.041). These findings suggest that undergoing
a course in mindfulness does, at least in
the short term improve well-being. Further
research is needed to determine the duration
of these effects and to examine the role of
optimism, and whether it can be altered in
conjunction with well-being.
Laverty, Ciara
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Examining the relationship between
temporal auditory perception and
phonological awareness
It has long been considered that there is an
auditory perceptual basis to the difficulties
that some children experience in learning to
read (Tallal, 1980). However, recent research
studies disagree on the rates of auditory
characteristics that are most important for
developing phonological skills and thus
learning to read (Goswami, 2010; Tallal, 2000).
The current study aims to discover whether
the discrimination of different rates of change
in frequency and amplitude are related to
phonological skill in a population of normal
reading 7 and 8 year olds. Phonological skills
were assessed using a series of tasks where
children had to produce a word from another
word by removing a sound (deletion task).
Since fast changes in speech are associated
with phoneme changes and slow changes with
syllable changes, it was hypothesized that
discriminating fast changes in frequency and
amplitude would be predictive of phoneme
deletion performance whereas slow changes in
frequency and amplitude would be predictive
of syllable deletion performance.
Leerssen, Anna Bride
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
The impact of cognitive distraction on drug
calculation skills of medical and nursing
students
Medication errors form a significant proportion
of hospital adverse events and are a
recognised cause of patient morbidity and
mortality. There are indications that some
healthcare professionals can be challenged
by performing such drug related calculations.
Moreover, nurses and physicians often
encounter many distractions and interruptions.
To date, however, there has been no research
which quantitatively assesses the impact of
cognitive distraction on healthcare providers’
ability to perform drug calculations – which
is what this study aims to do. In this study
44 2nd year nursing students and 73 3rd
year medical students (penultimate years of
degree) were tested on a baseline measure
of numeric ability, and on a drug calculation
measure. Half the participants in each group
were given additional cognitive distractions
during the drug calculation measure. The
expectation for results was that both nursing
and medical students’ drug calculation
scores under distracting conditions would be
significantly lower than without distraction. The
relation between general numerical ability and
performance on the drug calculation measures
was also investigated.
Leung, Louise
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Fear of crime and its impact on quality of
life in Irish nationals and ethnic minorities
in Ireland
Previous research has found that ethnic
groups residing abroad have far greater fears
for their safety and are more worried about
being physically attacked because of their race
and colour. Evidence suggests that the fear
of crime can also lead to a reduced quality of
life. The aim of this research project was to
compare levels of fear of crime and quality of
life in Irish nationals and ethnic minorities in
Ireland. It was hypothesised that there would
be a significant difference in the quality of life
between participants, with non-Irish ethnic
groups suffering from a lower quality of life
as they are more fearful of being victims of
crime. Data for this study were collected by
distributing a questionnaire which measured
fear of crime and its impact on quality of life.
The sample included 150 participants including
Irish nationals and ethnic minorities living in
Ireland. Results of this study are interpreted in
the context of relevant research and theory.
Lynch, Darragh
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Examining implicit racial attitudes by
means of the function acquisition speed
test
Based on the behaviour-analytic paradigm
of stimulus equivalence and the concept of
behavioural momentum, a newly developed
implicit measures apparatus, the Function
Acquisition Speed Test (FAST), has recently
been developed to measure the existence
and strength of word associations indicative
of racial and other forms of bias. The FAST
was built primarily as a behaviour-analytical
alternative to widely used social-cognitive
based implicit tests, such as the Implicit
Association Test (Greenwald, MacGhee
& Schwartz, 1998). The current study is
among the first to test the utility of the
FAST for measuring socially produced word
associations indicative of racial bias. Fifty
participants of Irish nationality were exposed
to a computer-based training block in which
racially loaded and negative word stimuli
shared a common response function, and
a second block in which response functions
differed across these stimuli. The difference
in trial requirements across blocks to criterion
was used as an index of bias. Explicit
Discrimination and Diversity scales were also
administered in order to assess validity of the
FAST procedure. The results revealed weak
but interesting effects regarding the FAST’s
sensitivity to socially produced verbal relations.
Lyons, Niamh
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
Self-esteem and motivation levels in
college students with dyslexia
Dyslexia has been defined as the inability to
master basic reading skills in a developmental
typical time frame despite normal reading
instructions (McDevitt & Ormond, 2010).
Previous research by Riddick, Sterling, Farmer
& Morgan, (1999) found that dyslexic college
students have significantly lower levels of
self-esteem. In an investigation by Mihandoost
and colleagues (2011) reading motivation,
reading attitudes and their subscales of the
non-dyslexic students were found to be higher
than dyslexic students. Academic motivation
was also examined to see if dyslexic students
or more intrinsically or extrinsically motivated
compared to students without the learning
disability. The difference in self-esteem and
motivational levels of college students that
have the learning disability of dyslexia were
investigated. Thirty college students, fifteen
students with dyslexia and fifteen students
without dyslexia were asked to complete the
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg,
1965) and the Academic Motivation Scale
(Vallerand, Blais, Briere & Pelletier, 1989) to
test the students’ self-esteem and motivation.
This research may aid support systems in
colleges to understand the pressures that
dyslexic students face and therefore introduce
a support system for certain issues.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Laffan, Derek
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
Examining subjective happiness
and perceived usability of a positive
psychological smartphone application as a
potential health resource
Live Happy (Signal Patterns & Lyubomirsky,
2008) is a positive health smartphone
application (app) designed to increase
human happiness using evidence-based
functionalities. This application attempts
to increase individual happiness using six
activities: savouring, optimism, expressing
gratitude, goal setting, nurturing relationships
and performing random acts of kindness.
Implementing evidence-based design and
functionality may prevent future design,
functional and content errors or rectify current
inaccuracies within existing health smartphone
apps. Usability (e.g. ease of use) and
acceptance (e.g. requirements testing) should
be taken into consideration along with issues
regarding data security and privacy (Luxton
et al., 2011). The present study examines
happiness using the Subjective Happiness
Scale (Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) and
perceived usability using the System Usability
Scale (Brooke, 1987) after using the Live
Happy application for one or two weeks. The
present study also incorporated an openended questionnaire to identify potential
future research directions within the use of
smartphone health application resources.
Findings of the present study may provide
beneficial evidence to support Luxton et
al. (2011) and Abroms et al. (2011) for the
development of future physical health and
mental health smartphone apps as evidencebased health resources. The results of the
present study are discussed.
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The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Mac Crosain, Alison
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Does rhyme help or hinder serial order
memory? Investigating the phonological
similarity effect in complex span
The purpose of the present study is to
investigate the phonological similarity
effect in verbal complex span using visual
presentation methodology, and in particular
the distinction between rhyming and nonrhyming phonologically similar words.
To-be-remembered stimuli were divided
into three categories: phonologically similar
rhyming, phonologically similar non-rhyming
and phonologically distinct. The sample were
fifty participants from a student population.
Participants were visually presented with
sentences on a computer screen and
instructed to make a grammatical veracity
judgment for each, while trying to remember
the final sentence word. Following presentation
of all sentences in the task, participants
were instructed to attempt to recall the final
sentence words, in order where possible.
Data were analysed using strict and lenient
scoring criteria, with strict requiring the correct
word in the correct position and lenient simply
requiring the word recalled in any position. It
was hypothesised that rhyme will aid general
memory of words but hinder serial order
memory. Results are discussed with regards
to the importance of taking rhyme into account
when investigating the phonological similarity
effect and the efficacy of visual complex span
tasks in investigating the phonological loop
component of working memory.
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Madden, Gerard
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
The psychology of music preference:
Which music does what for whom?
Advancements in technology allow individuals
to experience music in a massive variety of
ways. Many of these ways (but not all) afford
the ability to choose the music individuals
want to listen to at a given time. As music
is universally accepted as being highly
emotional, subjective, and both a personal
and social affective medium, music choices
can play an important role in shaping the
affective environments. In that context,
understanding musical preferences is a matter
of considerable theoretical and practical
interest. Understanding the phenomenon of
music preferences can address questions
about musical features that are psychologically
significant, as well as understanding how
music comes to have such striking subjective
value. Practically, the knowledge of how
musical preferences are constructed has
significant application in the design of affective
music player technologies. Previous research
in this area provides a strong background, and
the current project examines how the research
could be extended in light of its emerging
applicative potential.
Madden, Ciara
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Does proficiency in a second language
help with learning a third? Investigating
the metalinguistic skills of high and low
proficiency bilinguals
Balanced bilinguals have been shown to
have enhanced metalinguistic skills. The
aim of the present study was to examine
whether differences exist between high
proficiency bilinguals and those with a lower
proficiency in their second language in
terms of their metalinguistic skills. The study
used an independent group design and the
sample consisted of 60 participants with an
age range of 18-44 years and 3: 4 (female:
male) gender ratio. Irish student participants
were asked to complete an online language
history questionnaire (LHQ) on which their
proficiency in Irish as their L2 was assessed.
They then attended an experimental session
where three tasks (Indonesian Language
Test, Ambiguous Sentences Task, and
Riddles Task) were administered to examine
their metalinguistic skills. Participants were
categorised into high proficiency English-Irish
bilinguals and low proficiency groups based on
their responses to the LHQ. A non-repeated
ANOVA was conducted to determine the
effect of L2 proficiency on their performance
on the metalinguistic tasks. These results are
discussed in terms of the contribution of L2
proficiency to later language learning. Issues
such as the measures used, and the use of
high and low proficiency bilinguals instead of
mono and bilinguals will also be discussed.
Madden, Caoife
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Are we to expect the expected? Alcohol
expectancies and behaviour in students
The aim of the present study was to look at
alcohol expectancies and behaviours, as well
as gender differences in a student sample.
The participants who took part in the study
were all first year students aged between
18-23 years with a target gender ratio of 1:1.
Participants filled out the Alcohol Expectancy
Questionnaire (Goldman, Christiansen &
Brown, 1982) and a questionnaire measuring
behaviours. Initial findings supported the
majority of previous research, showing a link
between alcohol behaviours and expectancies.
The subsequent results are discussed in terms
of methodological and theoretical strengths
and weaknesses such as gender differences.
May, Phelim
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Postgraduate
Virtual assistants: Trust, efficacy and
adoption in telecommunication customer
support
Virtual assistants have been deployed as
a vehicle for delivering online question and
answer support or as web site navigation
aids but there is little research on their
effectiveness in this or other online commercial
roles. This study aims to address that gap
by investigating if trust, efficacy and likely
adoption of a telecommunication network
switching experience are significantly higher
when the experience is mediated by a virtual
assistant. A usability test examined the
effectiveness of the experiment using screen
recording, eye tracking, and semi-structured
interview. It was followed by an online
experiment. In each experiment participants
were asked to complete the same online
sales flow with and without the support of
a virtual assistant. Participants were asked
to complete a self-reported questionnaire
after each experience. The questionnaire
will quantitatively measure trust, efficacy
and behavioural intent. This research is
novel, it aims to add to knowledge about the
effectiveness of virtual assistants and could be
used to help justify the development of virtual
assistants designed to automate sales and
improve customer support.
Mc Hugh, Cillian; Howard, Siobhán
Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
Undergraduate
The effect of prior warning on the formation
of false memories
In the misinformation effect paradigm,
participants are shown an initial stimulus,
such as a video, slide slow, and are and
then provided with misleading information
about the stimulus. Previous research has
indicated that misleading information impairs
participants’ memories and often leads to the
formation of false memories, with confederates
shown to be effective at providing misleading
information. In addition, research has shown
that warning the participants about the
presence of misleading information prior to
exposure, has reduced the effects of the
misinformation. This study aimed to examine
if prior warning of the misinformation had an
effect when participants were in fact, given
accurate information. Using a betweensubjects design, 124 participants were
provided with an information sheet; half the
participants were informed that a confederate
would be providing misleading information
to them. Participants viewed an image of a
common household scene. They recalled
orally, with the help of the confederate, details
from the scene. This allowed false (or true)
information to be provided on critical items.
True information resulted in more correct
answers while false information resulted in
more incorrect answers on critical items. This
relationship was less evident when participants
were told the confederate was providing
misleading information.
Mc Mahon, Sallyann
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
New technologies and their effect on
students’ memory
As new technologies are increasing
in popularity and are beginning to be
implemented into classroom settings, it is
important to investigate the effect they have
on students’ memory. Previous research
has found a conflict in results between hard
copy text and electronic copy text and recall,
with the most recent findings indicating that
hard copy text leads to slightly higher recall
than electronic copy text (Green, Perera,
Dance and Myers, 2010). The current study
aimed to find out if new technologies have
an effect on students’ memory and whether
audio-visual learning can enhance recall. The
study consisted of 45 undergraduate students
reading a short story of approximately 1000
words, completing a distracter task and then
answering 10 questions based on the story.
There were three groups; paper text (Group 1),
electronic text (Group 2) or audio-visual text
(Group 3). It was hypothesised that Group 1
would receive better overall results than Group
2 and that Group 3 would receive better overall
results than Group 2. The findings of the
completed study may hold particular relevance
for teachers who are beginning to introduce
new technologies into a classroom setting.
McCann, Maire
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Assessing for ADHD: A mixed method
service evaluation of parents’ experiences
of the assessment process
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
is presently classified as a developmental
disorder, characterised by excessive levels
of impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention
by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR; American
Psychiatric Association, 2000). ADHD is a
complex disorder, and as such the assessment
process can be lengthy and challenging. The
current study explored parents’ experiences
of the assessment process, to answer three
questions relating to; parental conflicts and
difficulties, the service’s adherence to National
Institute for Clinical Excellence professional
guidelines (NICE, 2009), and helpful and
less helpful parts of the service’s assessment
process. A 22-item questionnaire, based on
the Experience of Service Questionnaire
(Commission for Health Improvement, 2002),
gave a measure of specific aspects of the
assessment, and a basic rating of parents’
overall perception of the process. Semistructured interviews provided rich qualitative
data on parents’ experiences across all three
aims of the Service Evaluation. Statistical
analysis of the quantitative data revealed
high satisfaction with professional conduct,
with significantly lower satisfaction with
organisational aspects of the assessment
experience. Themes from the theoretical
thematic analysis of the qualitative data
are also reported, along with specific
recommendations for the service
McCormack, Valerie
Institute of Art, Design And Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
A study of the impact of birth order and
self-esteem on utilizing student social
support
This study examines the role of birth order
and self-esteem on utilizing student support
services within third-level education.
Student support services consist of student
welfare, health centre, career advice,
counselling services and accommodation.
It was anticipated that later born students’
would be more open to using student social
support services. The second hypothesis
stated anticipated that students with higher
self-esteem scores will be more likely to
appraise student social support services. The
relationship between ordinal position and
self-esteem was found to be not significant,
with first born, middle youngest and only
sharing a similar self-esteem and likelihood
to use student support services score. The
hypotheses presented in this present study
were not supported and the implications of the
findings are discussed.
McEnery, Fionnuala
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
The Stakes are high
The aim of the present study was to explore
the prevalence of problem gambling and
types of gambling among Irish university
McGlinchey, Caomhan
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
Tuned for speed: Using the direction
aftereffect to investigate functional
specialization for speed in the human brain
Perception is the process of attaining
awareness or understanding of the
environment by organizing and interpreting
sensory information. The direction aftereffect
(DAE) is a well-known phenomenon in which
adaption to a prior unidirectional stimulus
promotes an exaggerated perceived difference
between the original stimulus and a second
unidirectional stimulus moving in a different
direction. The DAE increases with the quality
of the stimulus i.e. with increasing dot density,
a stronger DAE is observed. Furthermore,
research has indicated that the brain is
speed- tuned, which means that functional
specialization extends to local motion
processing centres for speed in the brain. This
research examined whether the DAE escalates
alongside dot density of a stimulus, and
uses the DAE to test whether increasing dot
density at two contrasting speeds (fast/ slow)
produces the same effect. It was found that
while the DAE does escalate with increasing
dot density at one speed, it does not when dot
density constitutes two contrasting speeds.
Thus it is argued that functional specialization
does extend to local areas for the perception
of discrepant speeds.
McKenna, Carmel
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Social support of introverts and extroverts
and their attitudes towards mental illness
and help-seeking
Previous research has focused on people’s
attitudes towards many different aspects of
life such as mental illness and help seeking.
However little research has focused on the
attitudes introverts and extroverts have
towards particular variables such as social
support networks, mental illness and help
seeking. The aim of the current study was to
investigate whether there was a relationship
between social support of introverts and
extroverts and their attitudes towards mental
illness. Also, the study examined whether
there was a relationship between the attitudes
of introverts and extroverts towards mental
illness and their attitudes towards helpseeking. Overall 100 undergraduate and
postgraduate students were tested using four
questionnaires. These questionnaires included
the Eysenck Personality questionnaire- R, the
Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social
Support, the Attitudes towards Mental Illness
Scale and the Inventory of Attitudes towards
Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS).
This research used a correlational design to
test for relationships between variables. The
results obtained from the current research are
interpreted according to the aims of the study
and previous research.
McLoughlin, Shane
Institute Of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
Undergraduate psychology education:
An investigation of the effects of critical
thinking on susceptibility to emotion
contagion
Emotion contagion, which is “the tendency
to automatically mimic and synchronize
expressions, vocalizations, postures, and
movements with those of another person’s
and, consequently, to converge emotionally”
(Fischer, Shaver & Carnochan, 1990), is an
important cue for social functioning. This may
include taking on hedonic emotional states
(e.g., excitement) and potentially distract from
the pursuit of enduring positive emotion (e.g.,
fulfilment). This study aimed to test (i) whether
a contra-hedonic behaviour, critical thinking,
had a positive relationship with students’ year
of study; (ii) whether susceptibility to emotion
contagion was inversely related to students’
year of study; and finally (iii) whether both
critical thinking had a positive relationship
with students’ year of study and emotion
contagion had an inverse relationship with
students’ year of study. The Critical Reasoning
Test (Herbert Smith, 2011) was used to
measure critical thinking skills. The Emotional
Contagion Scale (Doherty, 1997) was used to
measure susceptibility to emotional contagion.
Participants were students from each of three
years of an undergraduate psychology course
(N=60), who were purposively selected.
Results are discussed and implications
considered.
McMichael, Alan; Hyden, Deborah
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
Individual differences in perceiving natural
emotion
The ability to recognise emotions from facial
expressions is a key component of Salovey
and Mayer’s (1990) measure of emotional
intelligence. However, most studies of emotion
recognition use static posed stimuli of facial
expressions, and yet it is now widely accepted
that posed stimuli lack ecological validity.
Furthermore, it is argued that the temporal
component in natural facial expression may
have an evolutionary advantage, especially
for females. This arguably undermines
previously reported influences of individual
differences on emotion recognition. This study
aimed to address these issues by exploring
whether gender and/or emotional intelligence
affects the perception of emotion in prerecorded video clips of natural dynamic facial
expressions. Participants (n = 64) completed
the Schutte et al (2008) self-report emotional
Intelligence Test (SREIT) and rated their
perception of emotions displayed in a set
of 12 clips of dynamic natural stimuli. This
comprised six clips of elicited fear and six clips
of elicited amusement. The stimuli encoders
were all male. Participants rated their
perception of the displayed emotion using an
adaptation of the Rottenberg, Ray and Gross
(2007) emotion rating scale. The results are
reported, and the theoretical implications are
discussed in relation to previous research.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
McDonnell, Dean
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Postgraduate
Attitudes towards the use of artificial
intelligence in psychotherapy
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for
therapeutic purposes began with Natural
Language Programmes (NLP) such as
ELIZA (Weizenbaum, 1966). These NLP
programs emphasised the idea that the
human brain is a type of computer processor,
that language is an algorithmic processes
running inside the mind (Carr, 2010).The
research focuses on using AI for the ultimate
aim of designing a programme specifically
for therapists to conduct additional methods
of therapy. Technology is often used as a
tool for therapists with regards to analysis,
diagnosis, communication (Shapiro & Wright,
2003) and as such, this research evaluates
the attitudes towards a hybrid model of
computerised therapy. Christensen, Bohmer,
and Kenagy (2011) suggest that officials often
fight technological alternatives because they
apparently threaten the occupations of current
staff. This research aims to provide healthcare
professionals with an additional tool, not to
eliminate the use of professional therapists.
students. Gambling is seen as a high-stakes
practice in relation to mental health. This study
explored the association between depression
and student gambling in an Irish context.
The relationship between impulsivity and
motivational orientations was also examined
in order to identify individual differences
in gambling behaviour that can serve as
important determinants of problem gambling.
The research involved an independent group
design analyzing gambling prevalence among
males and females. Approximately 500 Irish
students completed an online survey. The
age range of participants was 18 - 51 years.
A correlational design was used to investigate
the association between levels of impulsivity,
autonomy orientation and the dependent
variable, gambling behaviour. By conducting
multiple linear regression analysis of the data,
impulsivity and orientation were examined
as mediators in the relationship between
depression and problem gambling. Results
are discussed in relation to methodological
issues and suggestions for future research
were made in order to understand the profile
of at-risk gamblers within an Irish university
population.
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The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
McPadden, Evita
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
In difficult times what do you do and who
do you go to for help? An investigation of
young people’s help-seeking behaviour
The present study assessed help-seeking
behaviours in a sample of young people.
Specifically to explored whether intended
behaviour differed from actual help seeking;
whether levels of psychological distress
correlated with help-seeking; what were
barriers to seeking help; and if males and
females differed in help–seeking behaviour.
A sample of young people aged between
18 and 25 (n = approx. 120) completed
a questionnaire examining psychological
distress, perceived barriers to seeking
help, and intended and actual help-seeking
behaviour. It was hypothesised that helpseeking behaviour would correlate with scores
on the DASS (which was used to measure
depression, anxiety and stress), that male and
females would differ in seeking help, and that
intended and actual help-seeking would differ.
Results are discussed. Methodological issues
and implications include the need for further
research and a more accessible mental health
service for this age group.
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Meagher, Paul
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Measuring and comparing psychosocial
factors between teenage early school
leavers and formal second level students
Community Training Centres (CTCs, formally
called Community Training Workshops) and
Youth Reach centres were created in order
to meet the needs of a growing number
of marginalised youths in Irish society.
These centres were designed to cater for
educationally disaffected teenagers ranging
in age from 15 years to 20 years (with older
individuals in exceptional circumstances).
Learners are taught in small groups of no more
than 12 individuals in an informal atmosphere
and a holistic approach is used. The ethos of
CTCs is one where interventions are made
on an individual and group basis. There may
be an informal appearance whereby training
and education is designed to be flexible
enough to suit a learner centred approach.
The emphasis is on constructive engagement
which is both challenging and caring.
Consistent boundaries, rules and activities
combined with a sense of community should
exist with exemplar behaviour by teachers
and the creation of an environment that
both enables and encourages the learner to
examine and question in appropriate ways and
exhibit modified constructive behaviours. This
research aims to measure and compare levels
of self esteem between two groups, teenage
learners in CTCs (n=40) and teenagers
studying in formal second level education
(n=40). Both groups are based in North Dublin.
Meehan, Orla
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
It’s the font that counts
The aims of the present study were (1) to
investigate the effect of processing fluency
on recall of newly acquired information, by
manipulating font style and (2) to investigate
gender differences in regard to the effect of
font style manipulation on fluency. The study
sample was thirty male and thirty female
students. Participants were asked to learn four
personality and four physical characteristics
of three fictional characters, with each
category of characteristics appearing in either
a ‘hard to read’ or ‘easy to read’ font on two
separate pages. Presentation order was
counterbalanced across participants. Having
carried out an unrelated task, participants were
then asked to recall all eight characteristics
for each of the three fictional characters. The
analyses involved t-tests and ANOVAs to
investigate recall of characteristics presented
in each font and to explore gender differences
in memory recall as a result of the font style
manipulation. Results are discussed in relation
to methodological strengths and weaknesses
of the study. Results are also discussed in
relation to educational implications.
Meehan, Alan
University College Cork
Undergraduate
A dynamic assessment of working
memory in an institutionalised older adult
population
Dynamic assessment is a developing
approach in psychology, purporting the
Vygotskian notion that static assessments
of intelligence and cognition are inadequate,
and that the social context of these skills
should be assessed in order to reveal the
true cognitive potential of individuals. Most
dynamic assessment work has been focused
on children with intellectual difficulties.
This study attempted to investigate the
applicability of dynamic assessment to an
elderly population, who often suffer from
difficulties with working memory, due to aging
or health problems. Six participants from a
nursing home setting were recruited, all with
varying degrees of cognitive skill, measured
using the Mini Mental State Examination.
Working memory was assessed in pre-test
using components of two measurement
batteries. A total of six hours of an intervention
attempting to improve working memory and
teach memory skills and strategies was carried
out, followed by a post-test to examine the
change in working memory function. Results
showed improvement in working memory,
even in those with mild dementia, highlighting
the potential for dynamic assessment in
older adults. Qualitative observational data
also provided an experiential account of the
dynamic assessment process, including the
participants’ perceptions, thoughts and feelings
surrounding the intervention and its outcomes.
Meleady, Jane
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
A ‘mood-as-input’ account of perseverative
checking: The relationship between stop
rules and mood
The mood-as-input hypothesis (Martin
& Davies, 1998) proposes that task
perseveration is influenced by the interaction
between an individual’s stop rules for a
task and their concurrent mood. It predicts
that the configuration of negative mood
and ‘as many as can’ stop rules results in
greater levels of perseveration. The aim of
the present experimental study was to test
the mood-as-input hypothesis when applied
to perseverative checking, in a nonclinical
population using an analogue checking task.
Participants were 80 university students, who
were randomly assigned to either the negative
or positive mood condition. Mood was induced
by listening to music. Participants were then
randomly administered one of two stoprules, namely ‘as many as can’ or ‘feel like
continuing’, creating a 2X2 factorial design.
They were also given an analogue checking
task designed to measure perseveration
typical of obsessive-compulsive behaviour.
Finally participants completed the ObsessiveCompulsive Inventory Revised (Foa et al.,
2002) and visual analogue mood scales at
different stages throughout the experiment.
ANOVAs were performed to investigate the
efficacy of the mood manipulation, the effects
of mood group and stop rule on perseveration
and changes in mood across the checking
task. Results are discussed in relation to
methodological and theoretical strengths and
weaknesses and directions for future research.
Mills, Rónán
Open University
Postgraduate
An experimental test for a cognitive
processing bias, which predisposes
interpretation of objects as existing for a
purpose
Research in the United States suggests
adults possess a bias towards teleological –
or purpose based – explanations of natural
phenomena. This promiscuous teleology
(PT) appears persistent within populations
scientifically educated however there is a
lack of cross-cultural research exploring this
phenomenon. The first objective of this study
was to investigate PT with an Irish sample. All
participants judged a series of statements on
why different phenomena occur as ‘good’ (i.e.
correct) or ‘bad’ (i.e. incorrect). Participants
in experimental conditions were required
to respond under speeded and moderately
speeded conditions, whilst those in a control
condition were not pressured to respond.
Participants in the experimental conditions
judged significantly more scientifically
unwarranted teleological explanations (e.g.,
“Water condenses to moisten the air.”) correct
than participants in the control condition.
Significantly, participants were not more
error-prone on control item explanations (e.g.,
unwarranted physical explanations such as
“People have hands because they buy them.”)
in experimental conditions. The second
objective of this study was to establish whether
individual differences could predict PT. Locus
of Control, measured for each participant using
a psychometric test, did not correlate with
PT. Possible interpretations of these results,
alongside their implications for cognitive
development, concept formation and scientific
literacy are discussed.
Mongey, Danielle
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Examining the effects of different
questioning methods in response accuracy
among primary school children
The effect of different question types on
the reliability of child recall accuracy is a
concern in both the legal and educational
fields. Research into the effect of questioning
techniques in childhood has been conducted
predominantly within the paradigm of
eyewitness testimony in legal situations (e.g.,
Bothwell, Brigham & Deffenbacher, 1987;
Poole & White, 1991,1993) The aim of this
study is to investigate this phenomenon
in an educational setting. Specifically, the
relationship between different questioning
techniques (open, closed and misleading) and
rates of response accuracy was investigated
following the presentation of a short video
clip. The study also examined the link
between self confidence, self perception and
response accuracy. The sample consisted
of approximately 120 children between the
ages of 9 and 12 years. Participants viewed a
pre-selected video clip and were then required
to answer a series of open-ended, closed,
misleading and control (non-misleading)
questions relating to the clip. They also
completed subscales from the Harter’s Self
Perception Scale to measure their Scholastic
Competence and Global Self-Worth. The
results of this study and their implications
for the field of educational psychology are
discussed.
Moran, Eleanor
Trinity College, Dublin
Postgraduate
Attachment and psychological well-being
among children and adolescents
The present study aims to investigate the
relationship between attachment style and
psychological well-being in children and
adolescents. The study also examines
whether the attachment style of the parent is
transmitted to the child. It explores the theory
that parent’s attachment style is related to their
child/adolescent’s internal working models
which facilitates their behaviour. One hundred
primary and secondary school children and
adolescents will participate in this study along
with their parents. The participants completed
the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, the General
Health Questionnaire (12), the Strengths
and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Ego
Resiliency Scale, in order to examine different
aspects of their mental health and to gain a
better view of overall psychological well-being.
The Attachment Questionnaire for Children
and the Adult Attachment Questionnaire
were used to examine attachment styles.
Regression analysis was used to analyse
the data and the findings are discussed in
terms of practical implications. Strengths and
limitations of the study are also discussed and
suggestions made for future research.
Morrissey, Kellie
University College Cork
Undergraduate
“Realness” in chatbots: Establishing
quantifiable criteria
Chatbots are software programs which aim
to mimic intelligent conversation. Drawing
from seminal research by Turing (1950),
Weizenbaum (1966), and others, annual
“Turing tests” such as the Loebner Prize and
the Chatterbox Challenge attest to an enduring
interest in creating a bot that can replicate
intelligent conversation. However criteria
used in such competitions have been widely
criticised. Using a Critical Incident Technique
Kirakowski, O’Donnell and Yiu (2009) name
eight factors which users rate as important
for “naturalness” when conversing with
chatbots. The present study aims to build on
this research in order to establish quantifiable
and reliable criteria by which to judge chatbots
and aid in the design and testing of new
chatbots. A repeated measures design was
Mulhall, Kathleen
University College Cork
Undergraduate
Enhancing wellbeing amongst a population
of Irish university students through a
gratitude and altruism intervention
This controlled quasi-experiment examined
the effects of cultivating gratefulness and
altruism on happiness, satisfaction with life,
perceived stress and resilience levels in
Irish college students. The aim of this study
was to investigate whether the differences
between Time 1 and Time 2 on key measures
would be significantly different across three
different conditions. More specifically, it was
hypothesized that the two intervention groups,
the helping behaviour diary and the gratitude
diary conditions, would demonstrate significant
differences on these dependent variables
in comparison with the no-treatment control
group employed. Two groups of students
were randomized to keeping a gratitude
diary for two weeks (n = 20) and to keeping
a helping behaviour diary (n = 25) for two
weeks. A separate no-treatment control
group (n = 25) was employed. Contrary to
what was hypothesized, the three conditions
demonstrated no significant differences on
scores for resilience, stress, happiness or
life satisfaction between Time 1 and Time
2 of the study. However, all the hypotheses
approached significance (p < .05) and
limitations of the study as well as directions for
future research are discussed.
Mullen, Georgina
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
A qualitative exploration of transgender
identity affirmation
While transgender people are increasingly
visible in society, there is very little research
which offers an insight into the issues pertinent
to transgender people. Thus, this qualitative
study aims to identify and explore the sources
of transgender identity affirmation and support
in an Irish context. Participants consisted
of seven transgender individuals living in
Dublin, ranging in age from 21-51 years.
One-on-one semi structured interviews were
carried out and data were analysed using
thematic analysis. Preliminary results suggest
that identity was affirmed through childhood
experiences, family support, and community
support. The Irish healthcare system
was found not to meet the needs of most
participants. Primary analyses also indicated
that, while participants experienced difficulties
regarding their gender, they sought support
and now feel that the difficulties they encounter
are worth it to live as their true identity. Results
are discussed regarding transgender identity
affirmation, implications for Social Identity
Theory, and the Irish context. Applications
are suggested based on the importance of
understanding the support certain social
structures and health care provisions can
offer transgender people. Further research
is suggested regarding the experiences of
transgender people in Ireland.
Murphy, Donnchadh
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Professionals’ perspectives on the factors
that influence social inclusion in children
with disabilities in mainstream education
While there have been a number of studies
investigating factors that affect the social
inclusion of children with disabilities in
inclusive education, much of these findings
lack reliability and fail to consider potentially
confounding variables. This research seeks to
address the limitations in the current literature
by identifying and understanding factors that
contribute to social inclusion in children with
disabilities. Participants were ten mainstream
school based professionals, each with at
least one year experience working directly
with children with disabilities. This research
used semi-structured interviews to collect
data; these interviews were transcribed
anonymously and analyzed for themes.
Particular attention was given to identifying
potential leading questions and removing the
consequential data. Initial findings suggested a
possible explanation of the age and gender of
peers, as well as understanding the potential
means by which school staff can influence the
social acceptance of children with disabilities.
The implications of the findings are dicussed.
Murphy, Shane
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Manipulating brief and immediate relational
responding
One of the most important elements of
understanding implicit attitudes, more
specifically brief and immediate relational
responses (BIRRs), is understanding
how they are formed, manipulated and
altered. The current study examined one
such characteristic of BIRRs, specifically
coherence. Put simply, coherence is the
extent to which altering one BIRR elicits a
simultaneous change in other BIRRs. This
was accomplished through repeated training,
specifically negation training. The Implicit
Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) was
then used to measure the effect of the training
by comparing the results of the control and
target groups. The data showed a significant
response in two of the IRAP trial types,
including the target trial type. This raises some
important questions in relation to the nature of
implicit attitudes, specifically in relation to the
effect of manipulation.
Murphy, Gillian
University College Cork
Undergraduate
Eye movements of experienced and novice
drivers when navigating curves
Hazard perception is a crucial aspect of
safe driving and hazard which contributes
significantly to road traffic accidents is bends.
There is conflicting evidence for the type
of visual search strategies employed when
navigating bends and this study set out to
investigate whether experienced drivers differ
from novice drivers in their eye-movements.
Using a high-fidelity driving simulator, 42
participants first completed a “button press”
hazard perception task, where they watched
a set simulation from the driving seat and
pressed a button when they considered an
event hazardous. They then conducted a
driving task, encountering similar hazards
while they were actively driving the vehicle.
Throughout both of these tasks participants’
eye-movements were monitored using a
non-contact infrared eye tracking system.
The drivers’ evaluations in the button-press
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Moran, Orla
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Do artists differ from non-artists in terms of
perceptual and cognitive abilities?
The main aim of the present study was
to investigate whether or not artists excel
compared to non-artists in perceptual tasks
that require holistic or local processes. The
secondary aim of the study was to examine
whether or not gender plays a role in
perceptual and cognitive abilities. Two samples
participated in the study. The first was a group
of artists, which consisted of 20 architecture
students over the age of 18, with a gender
ratio of 1:1, Male to Female. The second was
a group of non-artists, which consisted of 20
students with no artistic experience, over the
age of 18, with a gender ratio of 1:1, Male to
Female. Participants completed four sets of
paper-and-pencil perception tasks, including
group embedded figures test, mental rotation
tasks and tasks involving visual illusions, and
two drawing tasks, where participants drew,
as accurately as possible two simple objects;
a pair of scissors, and a stapler. A two by two
ANOVA was carried out to analyse the data
obtained in the study. Results are discussed
and issues in the methodology identified.
utilised, with participants (n = 20) interacting
with 10 chatbots for a period of five minutes
per chatbot (5 = winners of recent chatbot
competitions, 5 = entrants which failed to
place). Participants evaluated chatbots using
an inventory comprised of items extended
from Kirakowski, O’Donnell and Yiu’s factors.
Through exploratory and confirmatory factor
analyses, it was expected that the eight
factor structure of the original paper would be
replicated. The research represents a primary
attempt at defining criteria for assessing the
success of such programs. Implications for
chatbot usability, applications and weak AI are
also discussed.
S19
task were compared to investigate whether
experienced drivers classified curves as
more hazardous than novice drivers. The
driving behaviour was investigated also, with
handling skill being compared through various
measures (edge-crosses, standard-deviation
of speed). Finally eye-movements were
analysed in order to identify differences in the
saccades and fixations that are associated
with skill acquisition. The implications of these
experience related differences are discussed
in relation to driver training.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Murtagh, Robert
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
The Functional Acquisition Speed Test:
Assessing its utility as a measure of
socially sensitive and non-socially
sensitive biases
The aim of this research was to assess
the utility of a recently developed implicit
test, the Functional Acquisition Speed Test
(FAST), for identifying pre-existing stimulus
associations in a participant’s personal
history. Thirty-four participants completed a
FAST which attempted to assess race bias
through participants’ implicit associations. A
further thirty-two participants took part in a
FAST which attempted to assess participants’
stimulus associations relating to fear of
spiders. The two FAST tests differed only
in the target stimuli employed. The critical
test blocks of the FAST required participants
to learn to produce a common response to
presumably compatible stimuli, and in a further
test block, to form separate responses for
the stimulus pairs of interest. Differences in
learning trials to criterion across the two blocks
were indicative of specific pre-existing stimulus
relations. Results are discussed in relation to
previous research concerning implicit testing
and stimulus relations.
S20
Nic Fhlannchadha, Siobhan
University College Dublin
Postgraduate
Who owns Irish and who decides what is
right?
Irish is a threatened language undergoing
accelerated change. A body of research points
to areas of convergence between Irish and
English, particularly on later-acquired features
such as grammatical gender. Previous
research by the author has indicated variable
performance on such systems even among
adult native speakers. Crystal (2009) argues
that accelerated change is common as
threatened languages come under increasing
pressure from the dominant language. Such
increasing pressure and awareness of change
tends to be accompanied by concern about
falling standards and language attenuation,
such as described by Ó hIfearnáin (2007). This
in turn raises the question of how standards
are determined for the language (what is the
right way to say it?) which revolves around
language ownership, and who profits from
it. In order to investigate these issues, a
qualitative study of ten fluent Irish speakers
raised outside of the Gaeltacht was carried
out. Participants were asked to reflect on their
language use, their confidence with regard to
writing and speaking the language with native
speakers, their attitudes to change in the
language, and the existance of elite varieties
of the language. The results of the exploratory
study will inform the author’s future research
into the development of the Irish language.
Ní Chonaire, Aisling
Trinity College, Dublin
Undergraduate
Conceptualising recovery: What the eating
disorder experts say
As there continues to be disparity in the
operationalisation and criteria for eating
disorder (ED) recovery, this study aimed to
conceptualise the criteria for ED recovery.
Professionals working in the field of EDs,
or who have worked in the field, were
qualitatively interviewed using a semistructured method. Participants ranged from
having worked with EDs on an infrequent basis
to having over thirty years’ experience in the
specific area. Two clinical nurse specialists,
two psychiatrists, four psychotherapists
and a consultant clinical nutritionist were
interviewed. Interviews lasted between 17
minutes and two hours, ten minutes. The
interview schedule consisted of a number of
questions related to the individual’s own work
experience in the area of EDs, their views on
how to conceptualise recovery from an ED and
how to assess recovery from an ED. Thus far,
results have not been thematically analysed.
However, it appeared that defining criteria in
order to conceptualise recovery from an ED is
not a straightforward procedure and recovery
may be largely subjective an experience.
Ní Dhuibhir, Tríona
Trinity College, Dublin
Postgraduate
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and
adolescents
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
is a “third wave” behavioural therapy which
has grown in empirical evidence in recent
years (Ruiz, 2010). ACT has been found to
be effective with a broad range of psychiatric
disorders and behavioural health issues.
However, much of the research on ACT to
date has been concerned with adults. This
ongoing study aims to examine the effects
of ACT on Irish adolescents in a school
setting. Participants are assigned to either
an Experimental Group who attend four ACT
workshops or a Non-workshop Control Group.
A mixed methods approach was utilised to test
the impact of the intervention on participants.
All participants completed questionnaires at
three time intervals (pre and post test, and at
one month follow up). A factorial mixed ANOVA
design was used in the statistical analysis.
On completion of the workshops focus groups
will be conducted with participants from the
workshop group. The current presentation
will describe ACT and review the ACT
literature with particular emphasis on ACT and
adolescence. Finally the methodology of this
ongoing study will be discussed.
O’Callaghan, Eimear
National University of Ireland, Galway
Postgraduate
Stigma derived from words; Investigating
the differences between having knowledge
or understanding of a diagnostic label
Despite the presupposition that wider levels
of literacy and knowledge of disorders would
reduce social stigma and exclusion, research
has yet to sufficiently demonstrate this. This
study investigates the effect of presenting
participants with their inaccurate schemas
about Asperger’s Syndrome prior to providing
accurate information. Participants were
recruited by email and completed online
questionnaires which utilised social distance
scales and tiered vignettes. The vignettes
contained positively, negatively or neutrally
charged descriptors of persons who partially
fit the DSM IV criteria for both giftedness and
Asperger’s Syndrome. Participants chose
which label best suited the person, specifically
either typically developing, gifted, or having
Asperger’s. The level of prior contact with
an individual with Asperger’s was measured
and questions pertaining to knowledge of
Asperger’s Syndrome were asked. Social
distance scales measured the stigma of labels
before and after the vignettes’ presentation.
The charges of the words were hypothesised
to influence the attribution of labels, and that
revealing the vignettes to describe both the
commonly positively perceived label of gifted
and negatively perceived label of Asperger’s,
would change their understanding by viewing
similarities rather than differences. The
findings are discussed with reference to the
power of charged words and out-group biases.
O’Cleirigh, Daire
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
Mindfulness and group performance
Mindfulness has been defined as the process
of ‘intentionally bringing one’s attention to the
internal and external experiences occurring
in the present moment’ (Baer, 2003, p.125).
The practice of mindfulness has demonstrated
positive results in regards to a wide range of
physical and psychological problems including
stress (Klatt, Buckworth, & Malarkey, 2009),
chronic pain (Kabat-Zinn, 2000), and social
phobia (Bogels, Sijbers & Voncken, 2006).
With much investigation done on the effects
of mindfulness in the area of healthcare,
research in other areas remains lacking. Dane
(2011) highlighted the role mindfulness plays
within performance-related processes and
how outcomes remain largely unexplored. The
purpose of this current study is to address the
gap in the research by examining the effects
of mindfulness training on task performance,
further highlighting increased group cohesion
as a possible mechanism of action. This study
also aimed to add qualitatively to the research
by examining Irish attitudes towards the
concept of mindfulness.
O’Connell, Muiris
National University of Ireland, Galway
Undergraduate
A study of the effectiveness of different
styles of road safety campaigns in relation
to intended behaviour change
Road trauma remains one of the most
significant global public health issues of the
21st century. Models of health behaviour
change attempt to explain and predict
individuals’ health behaviour and these models
have sometimes been incorporated in road
safety campaigns. The effectiveness of these
campaigns is ambiguous but often relies on
message framing. The literature generally
pinpoints two styles of advertising; those with
a message of guilt and those with fear. The
history of road safety campaigns suggests that
fear results in positive and negative outcomes,
and little is known about the difference in
behavioural outcomes between guilt and
fear. The study uses three groups; Fear, Guilt
and Neutral group. Overall 60 participants
randomly assigned to one of the three groups
completed personality measures, were then
exposed to one of the videos, after which
the Intention to take Driving Risks Scale was
completed. The expected outcome of the
study was that both the fear and guilt framed
advertisements would be more effective than
the neutral advertisement. Moreover, the study
hypothesises that guilt would be more effective
at eliciting intention to change behaviour than
fear. The desired results would signify that
guilt is more effective and emphasis must be
removed from fear appeals.
O’Connell, Robert
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Immediate early gene activation during
spatial learning
Immediate early gene (IEG) expression
facilitates long-term structural and functional
changes in the neuron and is associated with
synaptic plasticity and learning as a marker
of neural activity. IEGs are rapidly activated
in response to a neural event and have been
used to map brain structures involved in many
tasks. The current study aimed to examine
the extent of IEG activation in the rat brain
during spatial learning, hypothesising that IEG
expression would be greater in subjects who
had participated in spatial learning tasks than
those who had not. This was accomplished
using a between-groups experimental design
to investigate IEG activation in subjects
trained in the Morris Water Maze compared
to a non-learning caged control group.
Examining area CA1 of the hippocampus and
the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), it was
found that IEG expression was significantly
higher in the trained group in ACC but not in
CA1. It is concluded that IEGs can be used to
successfully map neural correlates of spatial
learning in the rat brain.
O’Dwyer, Joseph
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Traditional vs cyber-bullying: Associations
with cognitive mechanisms and
interpersonal variables in a European and
Asian Sample
Though an extensive amount of research has
been conducted on traditional playground
bullying (e.g., Olweus, 1993), very little
academic research has been conducted on
electronic or cyber-bullying. This study aims to
investigate the associations among traditional
and cyber-bullying, cognitive mechanism,
specifically moral disengagement and
interpersonal variables specifically, empathy,
self-compassion and acceptance of others.
Using a sample of European and Asian
nationalities who are over the age of eighteen,
participants will be given Smith’s Traditional
Ó’Súilleabháin, Páraic
National University of Ireland, Galway
Undergraduate
Type D personality and cardiovascular
reactivity: A psycho-physiological
perspective
Recent research suggests that Type D
personality (the joint tendency towards high
levels of both negative affectivity and social
inhibition) is associated with an increased
risk of negative health, possibly as a result
of maladaption to stress. Incorporating a 2
× 2 × 2 mixed-factorial design, the present
study examined cardiovascular reactivity
to two laboratory induced stressors, in a
sample of healthy college students. The two
between-subjects factors were Personality
(Type D versus non-Type D) as measured by
the DS14 and Gender (Male versus Female).
The within-subjects factor was Stressor Type
(social [speech task] versus asocial [mental
arithmetic]). Measures of systolic blood
pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure
(DBP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded
over a 10-minute resting baseline period, a
6-minute speech stressor and a 6-minute
mental arithmetic stressor. Results and
discussion are pending research completion.
O’ Byrne, Alison
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
The Self-esteem and future aspirations
of adolescents with specific learning
difficulties
Self-esteem during adolescence is constantly
under threat of falling to extremely low levels,
based on a variety of factors. One of the
most influential factors is the experience
an individual has in their educational
environments. Academic performance/
achievement during adolescence for many
schools in Ireland is paramount to the success
of that person in later life. This creates a
massive surge of focus being put on exams,
without intervention being made for those
who are unable to perform and reflect
their intellectual abilities in this traditional
way. Alternative learning schemes have
been put in place in a number of schools
across the country in order to cater for the
different learning styles, but a question still
remains about how effective they are and
the emotional and psychological effects that
they may or may not pose. The current study
endeavours to distinguish between three
groups of adolescents separated based on
their institution of learning. It is hypothesised
that the group with the most support will have
higher future aspirations and the group who
are the highest achieving academically will
have lower self-esteem. Both qualitative and
quantitative measures where used to obtain
the data.
O’ Callaghan, Orla
National University of Ireland, Galway
Undergraduate
Investigating the presence and prevalence
of symptoms of ADHD in children with
autism
The aim of this study is to investigate if
children with autism are presenting with
symptoms of ADHD, and what factors increase
the likelihood of these symptoms being
present. Specifically the intention is to look
at the presence of these ADHD symptoms,
how common they are, and the groups
that it occurs in the most. This research
is important because it will provide vital
information that can expand our knowledge
on this relatively new topic. The data were
acquired through the parents of the children
acting as informants. The inclusion criteria
include the child being between the ages of
6 – 18 years old and having been diagnosed
with autism. The parents who participate
were required to complete a number of
questionnaires about their son or daughter.
These included a participant information
questionnaire, the Conners-3 ADHD Index, a
Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS), and a
Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL).
It was hypothesized that a large number of
the sample would present with symptoms of
ADHD. The results of this study could highlight
the need for treatment of ADHD symptoms in
children with autism and this could be hugely
beneficial to effected children and families.
O’Brien, Emma
Trinity College, Dublin
Postgraduate
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
E-course for anxiety
The aim of this research is to investigate the
effect of Acceptance and Commitment Training
(ACT) on anxiety levels when delivered in
an online E-Course format. The research will
record the participants’ levels of mindfulness,
acceptance and action, the extent to which
they live according to values and their anxiety
levels. The participants receive materials from
the E-Course weekly for eight weeks, along
with a battery of measures, to be completed
before and after the completion of the ACT
E-Course. The results are compared against
a Waiting-list Control Group and statistical
analyses such as MANOVAs, ANOVAs,
correlation and multiple regression are used to
interpret the data collected.
O’Brien, Niamh
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Examining the relationship between mental
health, religious doubt and spiritual outlook
The association between psychological wellbeing and religion is an issue of increasing
interest to researchers. While experiencing
doubts about traditional religious teachings
appears to form a natural part of development
in adolescents and young people, such doubts
are sometimes correlated with mental health
problems. Existing findings are inconsistent
however, and it therefore seems important
to explore mental health and religious doubt
relationship further. In recent years the role
of spirituality has been researched in relation
to religion and mental health, and studies
suggest links with positive emotions, resilience
and recovery. This study examined the
relationship between mental health, religious
doubt and spiritual outlook in a sample of 150
young people over the age of 18. Participants
completed an online survey measuring anxiety
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
O’Connell, Sean
University College Dublin
Postgraduate
Investigation of expert-novice differences
in the visual cues used in the judgment of
sky-diving performance
Expertise, or the growth of specialist
knowledge and skills through effortful
experience, is currently a “hot topic” in
cognitive psychology. Research in the areas
of cognitive-perceptual expertise and sport
psychology are recently becoming more
advanced with cognition and sport overlapping.
A factor that has been lacking is in capturing
perceptual-cognitive expertise in sport. Despite
the large amounts of such research, however,
nothing is known at present about the visual
cues used by experts in judging, and making
predictions about, skydiving skills. Therefore,
the present study will fill a gap in the research
literature on expertise by using eye-tracking
technology to investigate the visual cues used
by expert judges of skydiving performance.
The researcher showed the participant slides
on a projector of a person in mid-skydive i.e.,
free-fall. The participant had to judge if the
person was about to become unstable and
fail the skydive. The data was collected using
an eye tracker to measure where and what
the participants actually focuses on despite
verbally explaining this. The researcher
conducted this on 12 participants from three
groups; Expert (1000+ jumps), Advanced
(500+ jumps) and Intermediate (100+ jumps).
and Cyberbullying Scale (Smith, Mahdavi,
Carvalho, Fisher, Russell, & Tippett, 2008), the
Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1980),
the Moral Disengagement Scale (Bandura,
Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 1996),
the Acceptance of Others Scale (Fey, 1955),
and the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form
(Raes, Pommier, Neff, & Van Gucht, 2011). It
was expected that high moral disengagement
is significantly related to low empathy, low
self-compassion and one’s attitude towards
acceptance of others and is a contributing
factor of bullying behaviour. Low interpersonal
variable scores are significantly related to
bullying behaviour. High interpersonal scores
determine no involvement in aggressive
bullying behaviour. Cyber-bullying’s unique
characteristic should be significantly related
to high moral disengagement and low
interpersonal variables compared to traditional
bullying. Gender differences were examined
and findings are interpreted based on previous
research.
S21
and depression, religious doubt and spiritual
experience. Initial findings suggested higher
levels of anxiety than depression in this
sample. Participants expressed some degree
of uncertainty around traditional religious
writings and considerable support for the
idea that religion might foster intolerance.
In addition a notable level of spiritual
experience characterised the current sample.
Methodological constraints and implications
for mental health practitioners are discussed.
Recommendations for prospective future
research in the area are also made.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
O’Brien, Elizabeth
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Music-dependent memory in free and cued
word recall
Context-dependent memory theory suggests
that increased congruency between learning
and recall contexts should be associated with
optimised recall. As such, less congruence
between learning and recall contexts implies
lower recall performance. Music is often a
context of intentional learning. This study
examines the effect of music as a contextualcue in a study task. Participants were shown
an E-Prime presentation of 20 words while
listening to Music A. Two recall tasks were
carried out, free recall (FR) (written), and
cued recall (CR) (using an E-Prime task with
distracter words). Participants were asked
to recall words in one of three conditions.
According to context-dependent memory
theory, the conditions should show differences
in recall performance. The results and their
implications are discussed in the presentation.
S22
O’Connell, Orlaith
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
The Importance of the parent-child
relationship in interventions for
autistic spectrum disorders: Clinicians’
perspectives
The current study investigated clinicians’
perspectives on the importance of the parentchild relationship in interventions designed
to support the development of children
with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs).
A qualitative method was adopted and the
researcher developed a semi-structured
interview, which was administered to 10
clinicians involved in the assessment and
treatment of ASDs (8 = clinical psychologists,
2 = speech and language therapists). Content
analysis of qualitative data revealed that
clinicians typically view the parent-child
relationship as important to consider in
interventions for ASDs. However, clinicians
varied in the extent to which they believed the
parent-child relationship should be the critical
focus of therapeutic approaches. Clinicians’
views on the benefits of interventions that
target the parent-child relationship were
assessed. Challenges to working with the
parent-child relationship, such as compatibility
with other interventions, parental concerns,
lack of resources and time constraints, were
also discussed within the interviews. The
implications of the findings for understanding
the process of selecting interventions for
children with ASDs are discussed.
O’Connor, Sarah
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Numerical estimation in children:
Examining changes in mathematical
ability and representations of number after
feedback
The present study examined the estimation
abilities of typically developing children on
a number line estimation task. The main
aim of the study was to ascertain whether
providing feedback on participants’ responses
influenced their representation of numbers.
Additionally, the impact of the intervention
on mathematical ability was investigated. A
sample of 48 Primary 4 students was randomly
assigned to one of two groups: Control (n
= 21) or Feedback (n = 27). Both groups
completed a short computer-based number
line estimation task, followed by a session
where the Feedback group were informed of
their estimation accuracy. The Control group
was not given any indication of their accuracy
during this session. A final task assessed both
groups’ estimation abilities post feedback.
Participants also completed a number of
paper-based tests of mathematical ability,
namely the Arithmetic from the Wechsler
(2008) and the Math Fluency and Calculation
from the Woodcock-Johnson ІІІ (2001). In line
with previous research, feedback on estimates
produced a significant representational
shift. This change occurred abruptly after
one feedback trial. However, no change
was observed in mathematical ability post
feedback. Overall, this study has implications
for future research in number line estimation
and the development of mathematical
interventions.
O’Connor, Kate
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
The role of the media in influencing
perceptions, fears and attitudes towards
crime
The aim of this study was to investigate
the media’s role in influencing the public’s
perceptions, fears and attitudes towards crime.
As the majority of the public have little direct
experience of crime, they therefore must rely
on other sources for information about crime
and related issues. It has been suggested that
reliance on various media types may influence
the public’s perceptions, fears and attitudes
towards crime and the criminal justice system.
The hypothesis under examination is whether
those who rely on television or newspapers as
their main source of information about crime
differ to those who rely on internet sources,
in terms of attitudes towards crime and
perceptions of crime. Participants consisted
of 60 university students; 35 females and
25 males; ranging in age from 18-43 years.
Participants were administered a questionnaire
devised from measures used in similar
research. The questionnaire consisted of four
sections. Section one assessed media reliance
and usage, section two required participants
to estimate crime prevalence, section three
assessed punitive attitudes, and section four
assessed the level to which participants are
fearful of crime. Results will be discussed.
O’Donoghue, Caoimhe
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Mindfulness training in different
psychological arenas: An experimental
analysis of brief therapeutic interventions
Mindfulness meditation practices have
increasingly been incorporated into
psychotherapeutic interventions, which are
used in both mental health and medical
settings. Despite its increase in popularity,
many have questioned the mechanisms
behind mindfulness, and the most favourable
method for its treatment delivery. The current
study involved a comparison of mindfulness
practices by examining the relative impact
of three brief therapeutic interventions on
experimentally-induced distress. Thirty-three
participants were assigned to one of three
conditions: Sensations Focus, Thoughts Focus
and Objects Focus. The research predicts
that; (a) participant distress levels would
increase in one or more of three measures
(anxiety, discomfort and stress), as a result
of the experimental manipulation, and (b) all
therapeutic interventions would decrease
participant distress levels, in one or more
measures. On the basis of these predictions,
this study aimed to explore whether a
difference existed between intervention
effectiveness. The results supported both
hypotheses. Although the conditions did not
differ notably or significantly in their outcomes,
Sensations Focus appeared to be the most
effective in distress reduction across all three
distress measures. The findings contribute to
the ongoing debate about whether there are
important differences between the arenas of
mindfulness focus.
O’Donoghue, Catherine
Trinity College, Dublin
Undergraduate
Moral Foundation Theory and its relevance
in the Irish context
Moral Foundation Theory (MFT) proposes
that there are five morality modules which are
innate in the human mind; Harm, Fairness,
In-group, Authority and Purity. It has been
found that right wing people tend to endorse
all five foundations, while left wing people have
a narrower morality, focusing more on rights
of the individual and tend to reject In-group,
Authority and Purity which are more grouplevel based moralities. The present study
asked if this is true for an Irish population.
The right/left wing dichotomy has not been
as relevant or salient in the Irish context.
The two main political parties came from a
division within Irish nationalism and without
an industrial revolution until the 1960s the left/
right divide was not as pertinent in the Irish
context. One hundred and seventy one Irish
participants were surveyed online. The pattern
as predicted by MFT was indeed found in an
Irish population, adding some further support
to the theory. MFT has also been used to
explain political divisions and the culture war
in the US and its use to Irish political divisions
was also explored. Nationalism was found to
be linked high scores in In-group and Purity
modules. MFT may help explain political
divisions in the Irish context.
O’Dowd, Shula Castle
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Postgraduate
The solitude of the long distance lurker:
Exploring loneliness, social support and
gender in members of online communities
The on-going growth of online networks
and communities constantly leads to new
research questions. Interpersonal computermediated communication gives rise to queries
regarding the psycho-social wellbeing of users
and the factors that affect it. In this study it
was hypothesised that level of participation,
i.e. active (posters) or passive (lurkers), in
online communities would impact on levels
of loneliness and social support. It was also
hypothesised that the gender of members
would affect both variables and that loneliness
and social support levels would be negatively
correlated. To investigate the relationships
between loneliness and social support in
posters and lurkers, and men and women, an
online survey was conducted. Results showed
significant differences between posters and
lurkers on both loneliness and social support,
confirming a significant negative relationship
between social support and loneliness scores.
However there were no significant differences
between men and women on the same
variables. It was discovered that there were
significant differences between a subset of
the posting group known as prolific posters
and other types of posters. Results imply that
posting rather than lurking has a beneficial
effect on loneliness scores and perceived
levels of social support, excepting a minority
subset of posters self-described as prolific.
O’Dwyer, Paul
University College Dublin
Postgraduate
Scouting as a context for positive
development in early adolescents in Ireland
Research shows that extracurricular activities
can act as a context for positive development
in early adolescence. This study explored
whether participation in the Scout Movement
in Ireland offered young people in the 12- to
15-year-old age group any unique positive
developmental outcomes compared to
participation in two other extracurricular
settings: one a team-based sport; and the
other a non-team based extracurricular activity.
The researcher conducted interviews with
eight adult leaders who are active in Scouting
Ireland. Participants discussed their views on
adolescent development, how membership
of Scouts can foster this, and what they
perceived to be the issues facing young
people within this age range in Ireland today.
The interview transcripts were analysed using
content analysis, and inter-rater reliability was
calculated in order to verify results. In a later
phase of the study, the researcher intends
to use quantitative methodology in order to
explore whether participation in the Scouts
has a measurable benefits over the two other
aforementioned activity classifications across
six areas of development: social, physical,
intellectual, character, emotional and spiritual,
which are referred to as the SPICES model
by Scouting Ireland. The implications of the
findings are discussed.
O’Dwyer-Duggan, Eleanor
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Investigating the attitudes of Chinese
females towards the use of skin-whitening
products
The yearning for lighter skin has become
a global phenomenon, particularly in Asian
cultures, and is marked by the increasing
growth in the sales of skin-whitening products
(Li et al., 2008; Glenn, 2008). The aim of the
present study was to examine the attitudes of
Chinese females towards the use of skinwhitening products and to investigate motives
for the practice of skin-whitening. Participants
consisted of 60 Chinese females, currently
O’Gorman, Ruth
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Sexuality and social interaction: How
sexual orientation relates to social anxiety
The aim of the study was to examine
the relationship between sexual orientation
and social interaction anxiety; comparing
heterosexual participants with lesbian, gay
and bisexual identifying participants. Social
interaction anxiety and its relationship to
identity disclosure (‘Outness’) on the part
of LGB participants was also examined.
Participants consisted of 114 college students;
48 heterosexual participants, and 66 lesbian,
gay and bisexual participants, with a mean
age of 21.76 years. Participants completed
measures of social interaction anxiety
(SIAS), Outness (Outness Inventory) and
demographic information including selfidentity of sexual orientation and gender, and
a Kinsey-type scale of sexual attraction. Key
hypotheses suggest that LGB participants will
display higher social interaction anxiety than
heterosexual peers and that social interaction
anxiety in some LGB participants may be
negatively correlated with Outness. Parametric
analyses were used to analyse relationships
between sexual orientation, gender, and social
interaction anxiety. Outness and SIAS scores
were also analysed. Results are discussed
with reference to methodology and implications
for future practice and research.
O’Gorman, Kate
Trinity College, Dublin
Undergraduate
An exploratory investigation the lives of
farm youth in Ireland
This study examines the lives of children
between the ages of 11 and 12 years growing
up on farms in rural Ireland. In order to
achieve this, semi-structured interviews were
conducted with 18 children, eight individual
interviews and two focus groups consisting
of five children each. The interviews and
focus groups were transcribed and thematic
analysis conducted. It was expected that
results would be in line with the limited
number of international studies and national
studies which suggest that children growing
up on farms lead distinctly different lifestyles
and hold different perceptions in relation to
where they live, friendship patterns and future
aspirations. It was expected that the thematic
analysis would yield themes pertaining to
the notions of extra responsibility, isolation,
rejection of farming for future aspirations and
perhaps the role that nature and/or animals
play in the lives of the children. It has also
been suggested that an agrarian way of life is
superior to an urban lifestyle. The results are
discussed.
O’Grady, Sinead
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Social appraisal of adult ADHD: Stigma
and the influence of the participant’s social
desirability bias
A significant proportion of past research
suggests that individuals with ADHD
experience both social rejection and stigma
from the general public. This study aimed
to determine whether young Irish adults
appraise a target adult with ADHD negatively
compared to individuals with physical and
ambiguous weaknesses. It investigated
whether young adults’ levels of perceived
stigma towards individuals with ADHD and
their level of social desirability bias had any
effect on their reported social acceptance or
rejection of the target adult with ADHD. One
hundred participants, ranging in age from
18-25 years, were provided with vignettes
depicting three target individuals with ADHD,
asthma and perfectionism and completed
social desirability appraisals of each of the
individuals, as well as the Crowne-Marlowe
Social Desirability Bias Questionnaire. The
ADHD Stigma Questionnaire was also utilised
to assess participants’ perceived level of
stigma associated with ADHD. Preliminary
results indicated that young Irish adults
may, overall, have a less negative attitude
towards individuals with ADHD compared
to young American adults. The results of
this study are discussed with regard to
methodological strengths and weaknesses,
and recommendations for future research are
identified.
O’Malley, Kevin
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Exploring the effects of religiosity and
social interaction on levels of modern
homonegativity
Based on Allport’s premise that increased
levels of contact result in reduced intergroup
prejudice, the aim of the present study was
to investigate the relationship between
Religiosity, Social Interaction with LGBT
individuals and Homonegativity. Of particular
interest was whether or not increased levels of
social interaction would mediate the influence
of religiosity in determining homonegative
attitudes. The sample consisted of 145
Irish university students (49 males & 96
females) ranging in age from 18 to 47 years.
Homonegativity was measured using Morrison
and Morrison’s (2002) Modern Homonegativity
Scale. Religiosity (intrinsic/extrinsic) was
measured using Allport and Ross’ (1967)
Religious Orientation Scale. Social Interaction
was determined via “amount of contact”,
“frequency of contact”, “number of gay or
lesbian individuals known” and “hours-perweek spent interacting with gay or lesbian
individuals”. ANOVA and regression analyses
were used and findings are discussed
in relation to theoretical strengths and
weaknesses, methodological issues, social
implications and directions for future research.
O’Riordan, Cáitlin
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Age-related differences in students’
perception and understanding of addiction
Previous studies comparing the addiction
beliefs of adolescents and adults (e.g., Chen
& Anthony, 2003; Chassin et al., 2007) have
found age-related differences in the weighting
of appetitive and compulsive aspects
of addiction. This study aims to assess
whether young adults’ addiction beliefs are
closer to those of older adults or to those of
adolescents. It also assesses how closely
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
O’Dwyer, Ian
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Investigating the relationship between
students’ personal and social variables and
attitudes towards multicultural Ireland
The aim of this study was to examine whether
social and personal variables combined with
the current economic downturn have resulted
in negative attitudes towards multiculturalism.
Also this study attempted to determine
if social anxiety has a negative effect on
the other social and personal variables.
All instruments were self-administered,
paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Using a
correlation design, with a student sample of
200 participants, the present study examined
if there was a significant relationship between
these variables and attitudes towards
multiculturalism. Gender differences were
observed as well as differences between
participants from urban and rural settings.
Therefore social and personal variables could
be used as predictors of negative attitudes
towards multiculturalism.
living and studying in Ireland. A five-point
likert style questionnaire designed to elicit
attitudes and motivations towards the use
of skin-whitening products, and what whiter
skin represents to the participant, was used,
coupled with an open-ended question. Data
were analysed using correlations, and content
analysis was conducted on data from the
open-ended question. Analysis also explored
the interaction between the variables. Findings
are discussed in relation to previous research,
methodological and theoretical concerns, and
practical implications.
S23
those concepts match those of medical
professionals (i.e. the DSM-V proposed
revision and ICD-10 definitions and diagnostic
criteria of addiction). The data were collected
from two age groups (18-21 years and 30
years and older) using an online questionnaire
and were analysed using a range of statistical
procedures. Results are discussed with
reference to methodological issues and
suggestions for future research, including
public health implications of tailoring addiction
education messages to reflect the target
audiences’ conceptualisation of addiction.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
O’Sullivan, Christina
University College Cork
Undergraduate
An examination of the choking
phenomenon in public speaking
This study examines the cognitive
phenomenon of choking, or performance
decrements under pressure, in the arena of
public speaking. Research concerning sport
has supported explicit monitoring theories of
choking which stipulate that when experts at a
specific skill perform in pressurised situations,
the pressure raises their self-awareness and
this causes them to consciously control skill
processes that are proceduralised. This explicit
monitoring of skill processes disrupts the
automatic nature of the skill execution. There
were 32 participants involved in the study;
these participants were recruited through
university debating societies. The participants
were assigned expert or novice status
based on their debating experience. There
were four conditions; Expert-experimental,
Expert-control, Novice-experimental and
Novice-control. In the Experimental Condition,
directions were given to participants to
increase their awareness of the processes
involved in delivering a speech i.e. speak
clearly, make eye contact. It is hypothesised
that this manipulation will result in performance
decrements in experts but not novices; as
experts use implicit knowledge to perform
a skill effectively but this manipulation may
lead to them re-investing explicit knowledge,
which disrupts the automaticity of their skill
execution. In comparison novices still rely on
explicit knowledge for skill execution.
S24
Palmer, Philip
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Does SEN1500 alleviate behavioural
deterioration induced following ICV 7PA2
CM injections in a rat model of Alzheimer’s
disease
Recent studies suggest that oligomers of
amyloid-β (Aβ) are capable of inducing the
early memory impairment that is associated
with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and may
be responsible for the cognitive deficits
occurring prior to the onset of detectable
neurodegeneration. This study investigated
the capacity of a novel 5-aryloxypyrimidine,
SEN1500, a small molecule which is orally
bioavailable and capable of penetrating
the CNS, to prevent 7PA2 cell derived Aβ
oligomer-induced deficits in learned behaviour.
SEN1500 was derived from RS-0406, and
may be more potent in terms of bioavailability,
CNS penetration and Aβ binding. Intact male
Sprague-Dawley rats were tested using the
alternating-lever cyclic-ratio schedule of
food reinforcement. Subjects were injected
intracerebroventricularly (ICV) with 7PA2 CM
and orally administered doses of SEN1500. At
doses of 5 and 20 mg/kg, SEN1500 produced
significantly fewer lever switching errors (LSE)
relative to ICV 7PA2 CM controls; there was
no significant difference with the 1 mg/kg
SEN1500 dose. SEN1500 also significantly
reduced the number of incorrect lever
perseverations (ILP) induced by ICV 7PA2
CM injection at all doses. SEN1500 therefore
reduced the behavioural deficits induced by
the ICV injection of 7PA2 CM and may prove a
useful pharmacotherapeutic compound in the
clinical treatment of AD.
Parsons, Jenna
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Postgraduate
The affect of information provided in
a social network profile on romantic
attraction
The aim of this study is to explore the effect
information provided on a social network
profile has on making judgments about a
profile owner. Semi-structured interviews
examined the use of social networks in
romantic relationships. College students
participated in a factorial experiment to
examine the relationship between selfgenerated, system-generated and othergenerated information provided on a social
network profile and the participants’ ratings on
a romantic attraction scale. Participants viewed
a social network profile which varied in relation
to comments displayed by the profile owner,
comments displayed by their friends, number
of friends, and gender of the profile owner.
They then completed the Romantic Attraction
Scale (Campbell, 1999) to determine romantic
attraction. It was predicted that participants
would rate romantic attraction higher when
the comments displayed on the profile were
positive, and that friends comments would be
a more prominent factor in romantic attraction
than number of friends or comments made by
the profile owner. This research implicates that
people should be more aware of the impact of
carefully constructing a social network profile,
and who they allow to view their profile
Paul, Natasha
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Acceptance and reappraisal of negative
emotions: An online replication of a novel
expressive writing paradigm
Positive psychology is predominantly focused
on positive emotions, however North, Pai,
Hixon and Holahan (2011) propose a strategy
by which relating to negative emotions may
ultimately increase psychological health. The
aim of this study was to examine whether
acceptance and positive reappraisal of a
negative event is more effective at fostering
well-being than using the coping strategies
of either acceptance or reappraisal alone.
Approximately 80 individuals from a nonclinical population, recruited through a social
networking website, were randomly assigned
to one of four conditions in which they wrote
online on four consecutive days. Participants
in the three treatment conditions (Emotional
Disclosure, Positive Reappraisal, Acceptance
and Positive Reappraisal) were instructed to
write about the most prominent problem in
their lives at the moment, while those in the
Placebo Control condition wrote about their
daily life activities. Baseline, post-intervention
and one week follow-up measures of wellbeing including positive and negative affect,
happiness, depression, and psychological
acceptance were completed by all participants.
A series of 4x3 Group x Time repeated
measures ANOVA with tests of simple effects
were conducted to assess between and within
condition interaction on each measure. Results
are discussed in relation to the efficacy of
these three coping strategies, methodological
and theoretical strengths and weakness,
practical implications and directions for future
research
Phakoe, Ntsoaki
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
A study on the effect sleep has on
teenagers’ personality, levels of
aggression, mental health and self-esteem
The aim of this research is to examine the
relationship between sleep and personality,
levels of aggression, self-esteem and mental
health. This will highlight how important sleep
is to adolescents due to the fact that they
are not aware of how important it is during
pubertal development (Carskadon, 1991). A
questionnaire was completed by a sample of
100 adolescents; 50 males and 50 females
between the ages of 13 and 16 years who
are currently in second level education.
The participants completed a questionnaire
which is made up of the Eysenck Personality
Questionnaire (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1975), the
Rosenberg Self Esteem (Rosenberg, 1965),
the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire
(Buss & Perry, 1992), the General Mental
Health Scale (Goldberg & Williams, 1988)
and a sleep questionnaire devised by the
experimenter. Analyses examined if sleep
was associated with personality, levels of
aggression, perceived self-esteem and mental
health. The results are interpreted in line with
the previous research, recognising that the
study could contribute to awareness of how
sleep is important for adolescents.
Phelan, Rebecca
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Investigating the relationship between
perfectionism and autistic traits
Autistic traits and perfectionism are topics
which have been widely researched
throughout psychological history. However
research has yet to investigate how these
issues interact. The present study aims to
explore the relationship between autistic traits
and perfectionism. The sample consisted of
100 male and female university students over
the age of 18 years. The data were collected
using a self-report online survey which will
contain two scales, the Autism Quotient Scale
(AQ, Baron-Cohen, Wheelwright, Skinner,
Martin & Clubley, 2001) and the Perfectionistic
Self-Presentation Scale (PSPS, Hewitt,
Flett, Sherry, Habke, Parkin, et al., 2003).
The data were analysed using quantitative
statistics. It was predicted that there would be
a positive correlation between autistic traits
and perfectionism. The results of the study
are discussed in terms of methodological
strengths such as the use of valid and reliable
questionnaires, methodological weaknesses
including limited sample size and practical
implications such as how different autistic traits
interact with different levels of perfectionism.
Philpott, Laura
University College Cork
Postgraduate
The interplay between emotion regulation
and wellbeing during the transitory period
of primary to secondary school
Emotion regulation (ER) can be defined as ‘the
management and control of emotional states
by various processes’ (Eysenck & Keane,
2010) and has been found to be a global
risk factor for poor mental health outcomes
(Walton & Fleuri, 2009). Alexithymia refers to
a limited ability to identify and communicate
one’s feelings and has been associated with
physical health complaints and negative mood
states. The present study investigates the
role alexithymia and emotion regulation play
in students’ satisfaction with life during the
transitory period from primary to secondary
school. A correlational cross-sectional design
was employed. Approximately 350 participants
were recruited from 6th class in primary
schools and 1st year in secondary schools in
Ireland. Self-reporting measures used included
the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire,
the Toronto Alexithymia Questionnaire
and the Multidimensional Students’ Life
Satisfaction Scale. Subscales from the
TALIS Teacher Questionnaire on teacher
self-efficacy, classroom environment and
school environment were used, and teachers’
approaches to teaching social, personal health
education were also investigated. Important
implications that can be drawn from the
results relevant to educational policies and to
designing interventions in schools to enhance
children’s and adolescent’s mental health
are discussed. Additionally, the possibility of
introducing these interventions to optimize
emotion regulation which in turn would
optimize wellbeing and academic achievement
are also addressed.
Price, Kelly
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Postgraduate
Personality caught in the social net: Social
network phishing
Phishing is a well-documented social
phenomenon whereby an individual poses as
a trustworthy source to lure an unsuspecting
user to give up sensitive, personal details
willingly; these data are deceitfully utilised
in identity theft, cash transfer and fraudulent
credit card transactions. This mixed methods
study focuses on the correlation of phishing
and social network users’ personality
traits. Participants were asked to complete
questionnaires measuring conscientiousness,
impulsivity and trust in online firms; additionally
they were asked to rate the legitimacy of social
network email and web login page stimuli
where some samples were genuine and
others were phish. The findings indicate some
individuals are more susceptible to social
network phish when compared to other social
network users; not all users identify all trust
factors (present or missing) in social network
emails and web sites; and individuals mistake
authentic social network emails and web
pages as phish.
Quigley, Kevin
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
How mindless are we?
The present study is an extension of the
1978 study by Langer and the purpose was
to examine individuals’ mindlessness in
social situations. The experiment involves
confederates offering participants four different
reasons for a small request (Real Reason,
No Reason, Placebic Reason, and Nonsense
Reason). Two confederates take part in the
study, one female aged 22 years and one male
aged 20 years. Participants were individuals
who used the photocopiers or printers in a
university building on days on which the study
took place. Results are hypothesised to be
the same as found by Langer, i.e. the Real
Reason and Placebic Reason will be equally
effective and both more effective than No
Reason (Langer, 1978). The present study
also includes a Nonsense Reason not included
by Langer. The purpose of the Nonsense
Reason is to test the ‘because’ heuristic,
which Langer offered as an explanation for her
results. If the Nonsense Reason is as effective
as the Placebic and Real Reasons then the
‘because’ heuristic is supported by the results
of the present study.
Rai, Laura
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Using chunked sequences in a music
memory task to investigate expert music
memory
A range of neuroimaging studies suggest
that musical training may be related to the
development of specific music-related memory
abilities. In a landmark study by Chase and
Simon (1973), ‘chunking’ was proposed as a
feature of expert memory in chess players.
Chunking theory has garnered a wide range of
research activity, however little research has
considered its application to musicians as an
expert population. The purpose of the current
study was to determine the existence of expert
music memory using a recognition-recall
paradigm; the Music Memory Task (MMT).
Participants were presented with a study
music piece followed by the MMT. Their task
was to determine whether a variety of music
clips belonged to the previously presented
musical piece or a novel piece of music. Music
clips were divided into chunked and nonchunked items. Accuracy and response times
on the MMT were compared between Musician
and Non-Musician groups (n = 30). Differences
between groups are discussed within the
context of expert memory research.
Reay, Diarmid; Robinson, Michael
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Real-time processing of social and
mechanical events in adults with
Asperger’s Syndrome
Impaired social understanding is a core deficit
in Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). This deficit is
often explained by an impaired understanding
of others intentions or theory of mind (ToM).
Alternately a difficulty integrating individual
pieces of information into an overall meaning
has been proposed to explain the social
difficulties observed in AS (Weak Central
Coherence, WCC). Impaired ToM predicts that
AS participants will have difficulty anticipating
the outcomes of social events, whereas WCC
predicts difficulties with social and non-social
events. AS and Control participants were
presented with videos showing social and
mechanical events while their brain activity
was measured using EEG. A still frame was
presented after each video and the participants
had to indicate whether it was congruent or
incongruent with the preceding scenario. The
N400 event-related potential was taken as a
measure of how well participants could infer
the congruency of the final frame with the
preceding video scenario. It was hypothesised
that a ToM deficit would result in a smaller
N400 in AS participants than controls for social
scenarios only. However, if a WCC deficit
was present, AS participants would show a
smaller N400 than controls for both social and
mechanical scenarios. Results are discussed.
Reinhardt, Ben
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
An empirical investigation into the
distinction between self as process
and self as context in Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
is an empirically validated psychological
intervention which aims to improve
psychological flexibility based on a theoretical
account of language and cognition called
Relational Frame Theory (RFT). RFT
highlights how human language can entangle
the sufferer in negative psychologies. The
concept of self has played a central role in the
inception of ACT’s underlying heuristic model
which articulates conceptually specified and
testable mid-level processes related to ACT
and RFT, however only one aspect of self (Self
as Context) is found in the current ACT model
of mental health. This study aimed to explore a
distinction between Self as Context and Self as
Process in order to decipher the potential utility
of the latter in the ACT model. This involved
24 participants (12 male, 12 female, Mean
age = 24 years) being randomly assigned to
the experimental conditions. Each condition
subjected the participants to the same
stress induction procedure followed by an
intervention respective to the condition, whilst
distress and appraisal ratings were recorded
throughout. Participants were requested to
practice their allocated interventions and were
called back a week later to repeat the same
experimental sequence. Results revealed
no significant difference between conditions
although differences were to be noted on
individual ratings between the conditions which
does support the development of a revised
approach.
Reynolds, Deirdre
University College Dublin
Postgraduate
Is breastfeeding predictive of the child’s
emotional well-being and protective against
obesity at nine years of age?
The aim of the study is to examine whether
breastfeeding is predictive of the child’s
emotional well-being and protective against
obesity at 9 years of age. This study analyses
data from the Growing up In Ireland (GUI)
national longitudinal dataset.
Rooney, Sarah
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Help-seeking: Why your emotions matter
The aim of this research project is to
explore the relationship between emotional
competence, social support, gender and
intentions to seek help in a college sample.
The sample size is 90 student participants,
over 18 years of age, with an equal number
of males and females. Participants were
assessed in relation to their help seeking
intentions, emotional competence, and social
support, with the use of a quantitative survey
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Quigley, Catherine F
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Stress and attitudes towards seeking help
in parents of children with autism spectrum
disorders
There is currently a lot of research available
regarding children with autism spectrum
disorders (ASD) and the treatments and
interventions they require. However, there is
currently little research focusing on the parents
and caregivers of these children and what
services they may need in order to cope with
the additional burdens ASD entails. This study
investigates the levels of Perceived Stress and
Attitudes Towards Help Seeking Behaviours
in parents of children with or without ASD and
any correlations between these measures.
This quasi experiment takes the two naturally
selected groups and compares their scores
on the Perceived Stress Scale (1988),
Autism Parenting Stress Index (2010) (ASD
parents only), Attitudes Towards Seeking
Professional Psychological Help: Shortened
Form (1995) and the Modified Attitudes
Towards Seeking Professional Psychological
Help: Short Form (2003) to determine any
significant difference between their results.
It then looks at any significant associations
between these variables in both groups
as well as in the sample as a whole. The
sample will be a recruited online as well as
convenient sampling from schools and internet
forums. The results will be interpreted in
relation to previous research. Possible future
ramifications of this study will be discussed.
S25
method. It was hypothesised that those who
have low levels of emotional competence
would be less likely to seek help from informal
sources. It was also expected that those
with greater emotional competence would
have more social support and will therefore
be more likely to seek informal help, and
finally that males will be less likely to seek
help than females. Correlational analysis and
analysis of variance were used to analyse
data. Methodological issues are discussed in
relation to the strengths and weaknesses of
the study.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Ruddy, Ciara
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
The effect of psychological factors on
physical wellbeing
The objective of this study was to investigate
key predictors associated with wellbeing.
Research has shown that the nervous system
is closely linked to the immune defences,
explaining why psychological states such as
stress often have physical effects on the body.
A 141-item questionnaire was administered to
first year undergraduate students who were
recruited through opportunistic methods. The
questionnaire investigated sources of stress,
coping, and the impact of stress on wellbeing.
Predictor variables investigated were
optimism, support, self-efficacy, intelligence,
positive future thinking, and birth order. Course
satisfaction was one of a number of outcome
measures used to measure wellbeing. The
expected findings are that thinking style in
relation to stress and outlook on life has an
impact on overall wellbeing. The findings
should offer insight into the sources of stress
and coping mechanisms employed in an
undergraduate student population.
S26
Russell, Aileen
Trinity College, Dublin
Undergraduate
Positive effects of parental cancer
Presently, there is a dearth of research that
focuses attention on the biopsychosocial
issues that affect the children of parents
with cancer. Consequently, this present
study hopes to examine the more positive
influences of parental cancer, with focus on
the phenomenon of Tedeschi and Calhoun’s
concept of Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) and
the role that various support resources can
play in the amelioration of PTG development.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted
with seven young Irish females who have had
or currently have a mother with cancer. Results
indicated a growth in four of the five domains
of PTG, while participants simultaneously
reported a severe paucity in the knowledge
to external support, a much defined need
for more knowledge about cancer both as
a disease and a step by step development.
Those who received adequate support
indicated higher levels of PTG developments.
The present findings are indicative of a need
for more accessible information; implicit in this
is the need to discuss cancer openly, while
external support resources are documented
to be inadequate. Prospective studies should
examine methods to identify variables that can
help adolescents and young adults accentuate
posttraumatic growth while attenuate the
adverse effects of having a parent with cancer.
Ruxton, Dean
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Learning styles, attitudes towards
assessment and academic performance
The present study investigated the links
between students’ approaches to studying,
their attitudes towards assessment, and
academic performance in both the Leaving
Certificate (LC) and at university level.
Participants were 100 undergraduate
students; all aged at least 18 years. Academic
performance consisted of both participants’
reported LC points score and their current
GPA. The Approaches and Study Skills
Inventory for Students (ASSIST, 1997)
was used to measure differences between
participants’ approaches to studying,
and indicated either a deep, strategic or
surface-apathetic approach in reference to
engagement with material. Preference for
assessment method was measured using
a seven-point scale of preference for six
common forms of assessment method. A
third scale was constructed which measured
participants’ attitudes towards the LC and CAO
points system. The main expectation of the
present study was to observe a difference in
performance between the LC and university
level exams in relation to the approach to
studying taken and preference for certain
assessment types. Parametric corrolational
analysis and ANOVA were used and results
are discussed in relation to limitations of the
study, social and educational implications and
directions for future research.
Ryan, Kieva
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
Computer mediated romance: An
exploratory study into the intimacy
levels and computer-mediated romantic
behaviours of couples
Recently, the growing use of technology as
a means of communication has encouraged
research into the characteristics, advantages,
and disadvantages of computer-mediated
communication (CMC). Previous research
has explored the phenomenon of online
dating, often comparing online relationships
to offline relationships; however, the ‘offline’
couple has, thus far, been overlooked. The
majority of modern couples are utilising social
networking, email, and instant messaging
as communication tools, adding an online
component to many relationships. Initial
exploratory research was conducted in the
form of focus groups (n = 9). This research
informed the development of a questionnaire,
distributed via a social networking site to
individuals engaged in romantic relationships.
Miller’s Social Intimacy Scale (Miller &
Lefcourt, 1982) was incorporated into the
questionnaire to determine intimacy scores
of participants. The present study explores
the use of CMCs by individuals involved in
romantic relationships, and to identify whether
there is a difference in intimacy levels for
couples who rarely, often, and regularly use
CMCs to communicate.
Sammon, Noelle
National University of Ireland, Galway
Undergraduate
The effect of attention on suspect
identification and change blindness
detection in an eyewitness study
The present study examined the effect of
attention on eyewitness identification and the
detection of change blindness. Specifically, it
addressed whether there was a difference on
eyewitness identification and change blindness
detection when attention was focused on a
video clip or when it was divided between the
video clip and a distractor. Undergraduate
students were assigned to one of two
conditions. The Control Group were asked to
the watch the video clip and the Experimental
Group were asked to watch the same video
clip while simultaneously completing a music
listening task. The two main hypotheses
were tested in this study were (i) that divided
attention will impact on participant’s ability to
successfully identify the correct suspect rather
than the innocent suspect or a foil and (ii) that
divided attention will significantly impact on
participant’s ability to detect the change in a
change blindness scenario when compared
to those in the control condition. Statistical
analyses were conducted on the data and
results are discussed with reference to the
experimental hypotheses.
Sharma, Sonita; Chada, Natasha
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Prosodic representations in developmental
dyslexia
Individuals with dyslexia have difficulty learning
novel words, which has been attributed to a
difficulty with representing the fundamental
sound units of language (phonological
processing). However, recent evidence shows
that sensitivity to stress-patterns in language
(prosody) is important for reading, independent
of phonological skill. This aim of this study is
to examine the representations of phonology
and prosody when dyslexic adults learn novel
words. Fifteen participants with dyslexia and
15 control participants were required to learn
non-word labels paired with an associated
image. EEG was used to measure a neural
correlate of phonological and prosodic learning
by manipulating the phonetic and prosodic
similarity of a set of test non-words to the
non-words that participants have just learned.
Manipulating the matching or mismatching
of the labels with the presented image
measured the participants’ representations for
these objects by using a neurophysiological
marker of expectancy. Provisional results are
discussed in terms of their implications for
theories of developmental dyslexia and the
design of literacy interventions.
Sheridan, Daniel
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Attitudes towards mental illness in
relation to gender, self-compassion, and
satisfaction with life
Many researchers in the arena of mental
health such as Eker (1989) assert that
lay people have their own definitions of
mental illness and possess certain attitudes
towards those they recognise as mentally
ill, therefore, giving rise to stigmatising
attitudes. Furthermore, the research literature
surrounding the of topic mental illness
claims that the negative attitudes maintained
towards those who suffer with mental
health problems is largely due to a lack of
education on the aetiology of mental illness,
hence, the imperativeness for research to
continue in this area. The aim of the present
study was to investigate the attitudes held
by psychology students (n = 60) and law
students (n = 40) towards those with mental
illnesses. Participants’ self-compassion and
satisfaction with life were also assessed
in order to establish possible correlations
between attitudes towards mental illness and
levels of self-care. A set of scales including
The Community Attitudes towards Mental
Illness (CAMI) were employed and distributed
to participants from both academic fields. The
results of this study are interpreted in terms of
previous research and may have implications
for future policies and theories.
Shier, Keith
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
The influence of cultural exposure on
recognition of emotional facial expression
in East Asians
It had been held for a long time that emotional
facial expressions were universal and reliably
recognised both intra and inter-culturally. More
recent research has suggested that while there
are elements of emotional facial expressions
that show universal characteristics, there are
also many aspects unique to certain cultures.
Much research has demonstrated that
Western Caucasians (WC) and East Asians
(EA) differ widely in their social display rules
and social cues and that these are heavily
involved in both the production and recognition
of emotional facial expressions. This study
investigates differences in emotional facial
recognition in WC & EA living in Ireland and
attempt to assess how influential a factor
cultural exposure is for EA adapting to Western
facial expressions of emotions on the basis of
accuracy and latency. The study used video
footage of expressions as defined by the
Facial Action Coding System (FACS). Based
on previous research it was predicted that WC
participants would be significantly faster and
more accurate at recognising the expressions.
It was also predicted that EA who have greater
levels of exposure to western society will
be significantly faster and more accurate in
recognising the expressions.
Stafford, Lorcan
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
Investigating puns in advertising: The
impact on recognition and recall in
advertising
There has been a lot of research examining
the prevalence of humour in advertising.
Beard (2005) reported that one in every five
television advertisements contains humour
appeals and Van Mulken,Van Enschot-Van Dijk
and Hoeken (2005) reported that participants
preferred pun to non-pun advertising slogans.
Stewart, Angela
Waterford Institute of Technology
Undergraduate
The mediating role of cognitive
reserve, personality and depression in
neuropsychological functioning and
successful cognitive aging
An individual’s capacity to manage pathology
is related to the level of cognitive reserve
(CR) that they have accumulated in their
lifetime. In relation to cognitive declines
occurring naturally with age, and in relation
to pathologies such as Alzheimer’s Disease,
variations in the clinical manifestations and
functional consequences reported have
been linked to individual differences in CR
(Stern, 2011). The present correlational study
investigates the relationship between CR,
cognitive function, personality type, and a
measure of depression, anxiety and stress
in a cognitively healthy sample aged 18-85.
CR assessed by the CR Index Questionnaire
(Nucci, Mapelli & Mondini, 2011) and the
Cognitive Reserve Questionnaire (SoléPadullés et al., 2009) is examined in relation
to measures of sustained attention assessed
using the Stroop Task (Stroop, 1935), Fluid IQ,
measured by Raven’s Progressive Matrices
(Raven, 1962), working memory measured by
the N-Back task (Kirchner in 1958) personality
type ,measured by the Big Five Inventory
(Costa & McCrae, 1992), and depression,
anxiety and stress as measured by the DASS
(Lovibond & Lovibond,1995). Initial results are
discussed in relation to relevant theoretical
and methodological issues.
Stewart, Ruth
National University of Ireland, Galway
Postgraduate
An investigation into the impact of health
messages on children’s knowledge,
attitudes and behaviour towards healthy
eating
The principal aim of this study is to examine
children’s understanding, attitudes and
behaviour towards the risks associated
with unhealthy eating. Past research has
determined that children have difficulty
identifying the relationship between health
and diet as they are routinely exposed to
contradictory messages about health (Noble,
Corney, Eves, Kipps, & Lumbers, 2001).
This study develops an intervention based
on prospect theory to investigate whether or
not gain or loss framed health messages will
enhance knowledge, attitude and behaviour
towards healthy eating in a population of
children aged 10 to 12 years. A 2 (within
factor: time) x 3 (between factor: group) mixed
factorial design was employed. A video based
intervention was utilised, in which participants
were randomly assigned to conditions of either
(a) a gain-framed health message video, (b)
a loss-framed health message video, or (c) a
control video. The intervention incorporated
repeated exposure to the video over a period
of four weeks to assess the impact of the
intervention over time. The main hypothesis
predicted that there would be a significant
increase in knowledge, attitude and behaviour
from pre-intervention to post-intervention
within the gain-framed condition compared to
the loss-framed and control conditions.
Steyaert, Dave
Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
Dun Laoghaire
Undergraduate
The effect of trait anxiety on the
interpretation of emotion in facial
expressions and emotional prosodies
Anxious individuals have shown a bias in past
research to classify others emotional states
negatively. However, previous studies have
focused on studying the effects of anxiety on
interpretation of emotion in facial expressions
and voices in isolation. The current study
examines the effect trait anxiety has on
individuals interpretation of emotion in a face
or voice when accompanied by a to-beignored emotional stimuli. Forty participants
were split into High- and Low-trait Anxiety
groups, each viewing thirty face-voice pairings.
Participants were asked to attend to both the
face and voice in each trial, but to classify the
emotion in only one. The emotions present
in the stimuli were happy or angry and signal
clarity of the facial expressions and voices
was reduced using white noise to imitate
the natural environment. The research is
focused on the effect of to-be-ignored negative
emotional stimuli on participant’s interpretation
of positive emotion in faces and voices. It was
predicted that there would be no difference
between the groups in their interpretation
of congruent emotional stimuli, and that the
participants in the High Trait Anxiety group
would be more likely to mistakenly classify
happy facial expressions and voices as angry
when accompanied by to-be-ignored angry
emotional stimuli.
Strickland, Kait
University College Dublin
Postgraduate
Literacy and academic achievement in
children from Irish-speaking homes
Although Irish is the first official language
of Ireland, only 3% of the population report
using it in their communities and households.
The Irish government have emphasized the
critical importance and benefit of language
transmission within the home. Children raised
with Irish will go on to become bilingual in
Irish and English, and a body of research
has pointed to the cognitive benefits of
bilingualism. The current study uses the rich
dataset on nine year olds from Growing Up in
Ireland (GUI), the national longitudinal study
of children, in order to examine the group of
999 GUI children whose parents reported
that Irish is the language spoken most often
with the child at home. The study aims to
enhance our understanding of the impact
of this choice on children’s experience. The
presentation considered differences within
the Irish-speaking group, as well as how they
differ from their English-only peers, exploring
relationships between home and school
variables such as income, achievement and
attitudes toward school. Additionally, data on
home literacy environments were examined.
Preliminary results indicated that children in
the Irish-speaking group live in homes with
enhanced literacy support, are more likely to
score above average on Drumcondra reading
assessments, and show more favourable
attitudes to school.
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Smith, Katie
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
An investigation of the impact of
personality factors on ratings of
attractiveness of self and others
The aim of the present study was to
investigate the impact of personality factors
on ratings of attractiveness of self and others.
Participants consisted of fifty undergraduate
psychology students. Personality was
assessed using the Big Five Inventory (John,
Donahue & Kentle, 1991; John, Naumann,
& Soto, 2008). Participants were required to
rate sixteen male and sixteen female faces
for attractiveness on a scale of one to ten.
Photographs of males and females were
obtained from the Psychological Images
Collection at Stirling (www.pics.stir.ac.uk.).
Participants were also requested to rate
their own attractiveness on a scale of one to
ten. Analysis involved a correlation looking
at the relationship between extroversion/
introversion and self-ratings of attractiveness.
A between groups design was also used to
compare introverts’ and extroverts’ ratings
of attractiveness for self and others. It was
hypothesised that participants scoring high
on extroversion would have higher ratings of
attractiveness of self and others. Findings are
discussed in terms of methodological strengths
and weaknesses. Suggestions for future
research are also discussed, for example the
use of longitudinal research in the study of
how poor appearance evaluation develops.
It would appear that there is a dearth of
research addressing the effectiveness of puns
in advertising with regard to brand recall and
recognition. The present study aims to address
this gap in the literature. Participants for the
study were 40 college students who were
randomly allocated into one of two groups.
Both groups were given an advertisement
booklet containing six advertisements
and a questionnaire booklet. Three of the
advertisements contained a pun and three did
not contain a pun. The questionnaire booklet
asked participants to state the brand and
product in the advertisements from memory.
Participants were also asked to rate each
advertisement on a Likert scale for how likely
they were to purchase the advertised product
in the future. Finally participants were asked
to indicate if they found the advertisement
humorous or not. Results are discussed.
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The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Suarez, Catalina
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Exploring the relationship between
self-compassion, proactive coping and
subjective well-being
The aim of the present study was to explore
the relationship between positive types of
coping and subjective well-being. The sample
consisted of 248 Irish university students
(106 males; 142 females) who ranged in age
from 18-69 years (M = 23.62; SD = 8.27). A
cross-sectional survey design was used to
explore the relationship between two recently
developed constructs, self-compassion and
proactive coping. Self-compassion (SC) which
involves being kind and compassionate to
oneself in instances of perceived difficulties
was measured using the SC scale. Proactive
coping (PC) which involves enhancing ones
optimal functioning was measured using
the PC scale. The study also examined how
these two constructs influenced participants’
satisfaction with life (SWL). SWL is a cognitive
variant of an individual’s subjective well-being
and was measured using the SWL scale.
Gender differences were also explored.
Correlations and multiple regression analysis
were used to analyse the data. The results of
the study are discussed and methodological
issues regarding data collection addressed.
Recommendations for future research such as
developing interventions aimed at enhancing
ones psychological resources to build
resilience and the self-compassion construct’s
contribution to the positive psychology
movement are also discussed.
S28
Tarrant, Peter
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Impulsivity and alcohol use as predictors of
risky sex behaviours in an Irish university
population
HIV and sexual transmittable diseases are a
significant and growing global health issue
with in excess of 25 million deaths from HIV
since 1981 (UNAIDS, 2008) and an estimated
340 million new cases of sexually transmitted
infections (STIs) annually (WHO, 2007).
The aim of the study was to test whether
both impulsivity and alcohol misuse are
predictors of risky sex behaviours in an Irish
university sample and to potentially identify
mediating factors such as gender, residential
status, age of first sexual intercourse, year
of college, number of sexual partners, and
perception of typical student sexual behaviour.
The participants were 400 Irish University
Students over the age of 17. Data were
collected using an online anonymous survey
with alcohol consumption collected using
the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
(AUDIT) (Saunders et al, 1993) and impulsivity
collected using three of the five subscales
of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale
(Cyders et al, 2007). Data were analysed
using structured equation modelling and the
results were discussed in relation to relevant
theoretical and methodological issues. Given
that adolescents and young adults acquire
half of all new STIs continuing research on
university students’ risky sexual behaviour
can help inform appropriate and effective STI
prevention strategies.
Tiernan, Linda
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
An investigation into possible factors
contributing to parental choice of Irishmedium and English-medium education for
their children
There is a significant body of research
into the benefits of bilingualism. Parental
involvement in education has been shown
to influence children’s achievement, as has
children’s attitudes to each language. An
increase in popularity of Gaelscoileanna
highlights parental desire for their children to
be educated through the medium of Irish. This
context is distinct from international immersion
education, as the majority of Irish children are
educated through a language which is not
the language of their home. The purpose of
this study is to investigate parental attitudes
towards the Irish language, personality, selfefficacy beliefs towards education, and how
these factors may affect choice of medium of
education for their children. A questionnaire
was provided to parents of children attending
Irish medium education and English medium
education, representing a quantitative crosssectional design. Findings are presented from
the following measures: Parental self-efficacy
scale, Attitude/motivation test battery and
OCEAN personality questionnaire. It was
expected that these factors will have an
influence on parental choice of medium of
education for their children. Limitations and
directions for future research are discussed.
Tierney, Tim
University College Cork
Undergraduate
Developmental dyslexia in adults: Mapping
the boundary of the phenotype
Developmental dyslexia is defined as serious,
persistent and unexpected problems with
literacy, i.e. with accurate and fast reading
and spelling of individual words. However,
the phenotype of dyslexia includes problems
other than those already stated. Over the
years various authors have proposed lists of
what they feel constitutes these secondary
symptoms of dyslexia. However these lists
of symptoms have grown too large. Rice and
Brooks (2004) collated a number of these
lists and this study administered the list in the
form of a survey which sampled participants
from a normal adult population and a dyslexic
adult population. Both populations were also
assessed using measures of literacy. It was
expected that the core secondary symptoms
that correlate with the primary symptoms
would be identified and be used to form a
more concise definition of the disorder.
Togher, Naomi
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Investigating whether the use of haptic
technology impacts on spatial navigation
and spatial memory recall
Haptic technology gives feedback to the user
from a haptic-enabled device via their sense
of touch. Previous research has indicated how
haptic feedback can be used as an eyes-free
method to convey spatial information. This
study uses a haptic interaction model that
provides feedback when the user points in
the direction of their destination (Jacob et al.,
2011). Three groups of participants (n = 18)
were instructed to locate a destination point
in an unfamiliar area. One of the groups used
haptic technology to locate the destination
point. The other two groups were shown
photos of the destination point at the start of
the experiment, with one group instructed to
navigate the area freely and the other group
shown photos of the route that they should
take to the destination point. After successfully
locating the destination point, participants
were brought to a new starting point and
instructed to locate the destination point again,
under the same conditions. Participants were
timed and also instructed to draw a map of
the area at the conclusion of the experiment.
The times, map quality and routes taken by
the participants were compared. Results and
implications of the study are discussed.
Tormey, Aoibhinn
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Relationship between smoking
status, nicotine dependence, smoking
expectancies and intention to quit
This study aimed to investigate the relationship
between smoking status, nicotine dependence,
smoking expectancies and intention to quit.
Expectancies are believed to be an important
determinant of smoking behaviour. Negative
expectancies of smoking are related to quitting
and positive expectancies are linked to greater
smoking rates and relapse after quitting.
The tests used were the Fagerstrom Test
for Nicotine Dependence and the Smoking
Consequences Questionnaire. Intention to quit
was measured using the Stages of Change
Model. Data were collected using an online
survey and hard copy format from 100 college
students (n=100). Results are discussed.
Travers, Eoin
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
Semantic inhibitory control and the
consideration of multiple categories in
inductive inference
Previous studies of inductive inference
involving uncertain categorisation (i.e., Murphy
& Ross, 2010) and cross-categorised targets
(i.e., Hayes, Kurniawan & Newell, 2010)
have found that under most circumstances,
participants tend to consider only one
category when making their decisions. While
substantial inter-individual variation was
found, with some participants significantly
more likely than others to consider multiple
categories, this individual differences aspect
has been largely neglected. Elsewhere, recent
research (Crisp-Bright, 2010) has found that
semantic inhibitory control, as measured by a
modified version of the Hayling test, predicts
the recourse to structured, as supposed to
associative, knowledge in categorical inductive
inferences. This study attempts to bring
together these strands; it was hypothesised
that individuals who score highly in semantic
inhibitory control would be more likely consider
both the most likely category and possible
alternatives when dealing with uncertain
categorisation, and to incorporate information
pertaining to both relevant categories when
dealing with cross-categorised targets. The
relation between Cognitive Reflection Task
(Frederick, 2005) performance and the above
variables was also explored.
Travers, Aine
Trinity College, Dublin
Undergraduate
Living between two worlds: A qualitative
study of Travellers and ethnic identity in
Irish education
Rates of Traveller participation in Irish
education are extremely poor. In 2006, the
Traveller Education Strategy was produced,
and recent years have seen some small
improvements in levels of participation and
achievement. However, serious achievement
gaps still exist, and a failure to encourage
Travellers to fully engage with the system
is evident. This study aimed to explore
Travellers’ experiences of the Irish education
system through semi-structured interviews,
adopting a phenomenological perspective.
The interviewer’s approach was reflexive,
and analysis was carried out with a view to
exploring the meanings which interviewees
attached to their experiences. The essence
of the analytic methods employed comprised
a ‘bricolage’ approach, utilising aspects of
linguistic, conversation, and discourse analysis
in exploring the themes. Issues pertaining to
ethnic identity, and the manner in which these
might affect formal educational achievement
were discussed in depth. A number of difficult
experiences of discrimination and unequal
opportunity were described, and insights into
the difficulties of reconciling cultural identity
with a rigid school system were shared. The
problems faced by Travellers in education
have been formulated and discussed to
conclude, and the importance of cultural
recognition for Travellers in the context of
education emphasised.
Treacy, Blaithin
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
Implicit attitudes toward old people among
younger and older adults
The current study examined the implicit and
explicit attitudes of younger and older adults
toward old people using the Fraboni Scale
of Ageism (FSA) and the Implicit Relational
Assessment Procedure (IRAP). During the
IRAP, the participants were presented with
pictures of young and old people along with
various positive and negative target words.
Analysis of results is on-going, however, it is
hypothesised that there will be a stronger proyoung bias amongst the younger participants
relative to the older participants. The IRAP
should reveal faster response latencies for
consistent (e.g. Young People-Positive-True)
compared to inconsistent tasks (e.g. Old
People-Positive-True) for younger participants.
It is also hypothesised that there will be a more
significant pro-young bias on implicit measures
relative to explicit measures. The results and
their implications will be discussed during the
presentation.
Tunney, Conall
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Think positive: An investigation of a
module of the MoodGYM online CBT
programme
It has been shown that online CBT programs
have moderately high levels of efficacy. The
primary aim of the present study was to
evaluate the impact of an online cognitive
behavioural training program on participants’
awareness of positive automatic thoughts.
Twigg, Lucy
Trinity College, Dublin
Undergraduate
Re-entry issues of Irish students returning
from study abroad programs.
The goal of this study was to investigate the
experiences of Irish students returning to
university at home after a year spent studying
abroad in the USA. Research shows that
the re-entry process after a sojourn can
result in reverse culture shock symptoms in
students. However, there is little knowledge
about the occurrence of this phenomenon
in Irish students. Seven participants were
interviewed and the transcripts analysed for
common themes. Results are forthcoming,
but do not appear to show that Irish students
suffer from such serious symptoms as to
require a diagnosis of reverse culture shock.
Most participants reported changes in their
friend and family dynamics after returning
home. Readjustment at home may be linked
to financial situation and expectations about
the return process. Almost all participants
expressed a desire to leave Ireland again in
the future. Results may have implications for
university international departments in terms of
service provision on re-entry.
Twomey, Conal; O’Reilly, Gary; Byrne,
Michael
University College Dublin
Postgraduate
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Helping
Ireland log on
The aim of this article is to review and highlight
evidence-based computerised Cognitive
Behaviour Therapy (cCBT) programmes
that can potentially be used in Ireland for
the treatment of mild-to-moderate mental
health presentations. The authors undertook
a literature search using three databases,
and consulted a recognised, universitydeveloped web portal. For a programme to
be included in this review it had to: (a) have
a least one randomised control trial (RCT)
demonstrating its efficacy; (b) be available on
the internet; and (c) be delivered in English.
Twenty six cCBT programmes that met the
inclusion criteria were profiled. Taken together,
these programmes target various anxiety
disorders (i.e. generalised anxiety disorder,
panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and
posttraumatic stress disorder), depression,
eating disorders, stress, insomnia, pain and
alcohol misuse. cCBT programmes, preferably
administered as part of a stepped-care model,
offer effective, low-cost and low-intensity
interventions for a wide range of psychological
problems. Their use could be beneficial given
how underdeveloped primary care services are
in Ireland.
Uluğ, Özden Melis
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Why do students refrain from voting in the
student representation elections? The case
of the Middle East Technical University in
Turkey
University students have been wishing to
represent themselves for about 150 years.
In Turkey, however, it is widely accepted that
student representation began only 50 years
ago. Even though The Middle East Technical
University (METU) is the home of the first
and the most prestigious student union
ever established in Turkey (ODTÜ-DER),
surprisingly students show little interest in both
the election and representation processes.
In relation to that, most of the research in
the literature focus on the elections and
turnout in the national election at the country
base (e.g. Dalton & Klingemann, 2007),
but no research directly asks why there is
a low turnout in the student representative
elections. Within this context, this study
investigates why students refrain from voting
in the student representation elections and
hypothesizes that students do not vote due
to their (1) “individualism” and “selfishness”,
(2) “pragmatism”, and 3) “apolitical” views.
To assess the students’ perspectives, a
questionnaire was developed and 40 students
were recruited to complete the questionnaires.
The results of the questionnaire supported
the individualistic tendency of the students.
They further supported that the students are
pragmatists and apolitical.
Walker, Rachel
University College Dublin
Undergraduate
Investigating the relationship
between conformity, extraversion and
conscientiousness
Basing methodology on the Asch (1951)
conformity experiment, this study investigated
if conformist behaviour is evident in Irish
students, and if the personality traits;
extraversion and conscientiousness are
predictive of this. Twenty-five participants
with an age range of 18 and 28 years took
part in the study. The participants, in a room
with three confederates, answered a set of
questions based on 20 images, where there
was only one right answer. Confederates
were instructed to give the same deliberate
wrong answers, acting as though they thought
they were the right answers. Conformity was
measured by the number of times a person
answered the same as the confederates.
Hypotheses predicted that conformity would
correlate with low extraversion and high
conscientiousness, and a lack of conformity
would correlate with high extraversion and
low conscientiousness. Extraversion and
conscientiousness were assessed using the
Newcastle Personality Assessor (NPA; Nettle,
2007). Conformist behaviour was found to not
be prevalent, with students scoring overall
mid to high on extraversion scores and low to
mid on conscientiousness scores. A Pearson’s
R Correlation was used to assess whether
high extraversion and low conscientiousness
correlated with more mistakes during the
experiment. The use of confederates and the
relevance of classical methods are discussed.
Walsh, Luke
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
The sense of belonging and psychological
wellbeing in university students: A
European study
The aim of this project is to examine sense
of belonging in a university community and
how it associates with students’ health. It uses
The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
Tuite, Orla
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Undergraduate
The effect of maze configuration on
distance estimation in rodents
For many years the Morris water maze has
been used as the main apparatus to study
the spatial navigation behaviours of rodents.
This experiment manipulated the original
form of the Morris water maze arena from
a circular to a trough-like arena. This arena
was configured in two different ways in order
to examine the effect of this configuration on
the rodent’s distance estimation. The arena
had a removable wall 30cm from the start of
the arena and removable platform submerged
1cm under the water 30cm from the end of
the arena. Over four days (four trials per
day) 14 Wistar rats were trained to acquire
the task of finding the platform. On the fifth
day, the retention phase, the subjects were
separated into a Control Group (n = 7) and an
Experimental Group (n = 7). The removable
wall was left in place for the Control Group,
but was removed for the Experimental Group.
The submerged platform was removed for both
groups. It was predicted that the rodents would
rely on an internal sense of distance estimation
and therefore the Experimental Group would
search 30cm short of the platform’s original
position.
The desired number of participants was 60
university students, randomly assigned to
either the control or test conditions. Both
groups of participants were provided with
log-in codes and instructions to carry out an
online questionnaire. Test group participants
were then referred to a thinking exercise of
the MoodGYM online cognitive behavioural
therapy website. All participants were asked
to complete the online questionnaires once
again after a week. The primary independent
variable in the present study was the use
of an Online Cognitive Training Program
or Control Group. A second independent
variable was gender, though this was an
exploratory variable. Analysis carried out were
2x2 repeated measures ANOVAs. Results
were discussed in relation to the efficacy and
suitability of online therapies for a student
population and in terms of the methodological
issues of the present study.
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The Irish Psychologist April 2012 • Volume 38 Issue 6 Supplement
background literature on sense of belonging
(Hagerty, Williams, Coyne & Early, 1996) and
the Job Demands-Resources Model (Bakker
& Demerouti, 2007). This research uses a
cross-sectional design with focus groups
(n = 5-10 per country) and data sampling
(n = 70-160 per country) taken from seven
European countries. Participants are drawn
from the psychology faculties. Focus groups
were held to discuss the subject of sense
of belonging and questionnaires measuring
sense of belonging, adjustment, burnout/
engagement and more were administered.
The focus groups data were analyzed using
thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
For the questionnaires, structural equation
modeling, ANOVA, MANOVA techniques were
used. It was hypothesised that the results
from the questionnaire would show (i) balance
between demands and resources linked to
psychological wellbeing; (ii) that a sense
of belonging would mediate/moderate the
relationship between organizational culture
and psychological wellbeing; and (iii) that there
would be effects of age, gender and country.
S30
Walsh, Sean
National University of Ireland, Galway
Undergraduate
A comparison of the Revised
Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory and
Original Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory
in the prediction of goal directed behaviour
Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory
(r-RST) is a neurobiological theory of
personality which has many differences
compared to the original theory (o-RST). r-RST
provides one explanation for understanding the
behavioural effects of feedback on individuals
in the workplace. This study compared
the newly developed Jackson-5 scales of
measurement with Carver and White’s (1994)
BIS BAS scales in the prediction of goal
directed behaviour. Results suggest that r-RST
as measured using The Jackson-5 scales is a
better predictor of goal-directed behaviour than
o-RST as measured using Carver and White’s
scales. Furthermore, the results demonstrate
that individual personality differences in
sensitivity to reward and punishment can
account for the variable effects of feedback
sign on individuals. Specifically, individuals
with a high BAS score will perform better on
a task where positive feedback is provided
compared with individuals with a low BAS
score, whereas individuals with a high BIS
score will be more motivated by negative
feedback than those with a low BIS score.
Organisational Behaviour Management (OBM)
can learn from these results especially in
relation to the tailoring of feedback systems to
individual differences in the workplace. These
results may also be relevant in the area of
employee selection.
Warner, Niamh
University College Cork
Undergraduate
The experience of being father to a
premature infant in Ireland
This is an exploratory study of the lived
experiences of fathers of premature babies in
Ireland. Much research has been conducted
into the experience of mothers of babies
born prematurely however little research has
focused solely on the paternal experience
of premature birth. The study also aimed to
identify supports which may be helpful in
maintaining and protecting the psychological
wellbeing of fathers of premature babies. The
study comprised seven interviews with fathers
whose children ranged in age from 1 to 11
years. Data were analysed using Grounded
Theory Methodology (GTM). Preliminary
analysis indicated that the experience of being
a father of a premature baby can lead to a
sense of loss of control and lack of support, a
feeling of being in and coping with a ‘surreal’
experience, and defining parental roles from a
crisis driven perspective. Practical implications
of the findings are considered.
Warren, Mary
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Obsessive compulsive disorder in patients
with eating disorders: A comparison of
clinical and personality characteristics
This investigation was conducted to provide
insight and knowledge into how eating
disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder
relate to one another, and whether they
should be both treated with an obsessive
compulsive quality to them. This was done
by comparing clinical and personality
characteristics such as locus of control,
perfectionism and responsibility, whilst
controlling for demographic variables. The
sample (n = 80) consisted of two independent
groups. There were 40 patients with eating
disorders and 40 participants who were
chosen from the public. The sample was
aged 18- 40 years of age. All participation
was voluntary. Five self-administered, paperand-pencil questionnaires were used. The
participants were also interviewed and asked
to recall various types of behaviour they
have experienced associated with obsessive
compulsive disorder. A self-report inventory
of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms
wasalso compiled from each participant. It
was predicted that there would be significant
differences in participant’s scores depending
on group membership. Results may have
implications for future policies.
Weihrauch, Mareike
Dublin Business School
Undergraduate
Child-animal companionship and its impact
on development of social behaviour during
early childhood
Since Levinsons’ observation in 1954 of the
healing influence of animals on humans,
further research has supported his findings.
The focus had primarily been on so called
animal-assisted therapy but increasingly
studies are looking at the daily influence
of animals on humans, such as in school
programs. It is suggested that children are
especially fascinated and highly influenced
by animals on various levels, like their social
behaviour. Animals can teach children
about how to behave in the social context
as well as nurturing behaviours, which is
seen as crucial for boys. Many studies and
interventions have looked at children and
teenager in schools. Therefore this study
focused on the early impact of child-animal
companionship. Based on previous research
it was hypothesized that children with a pet
at home would show less problematic social
behaviours than children without animals.
Furthermore it was hypothesised that there
would be a significantly greater difference for
boys than for girls. Significant differences were
expected in relation to the different species
of animal as well as the role of siblings. The
data were gathered via the Social Behaviour
Questionnaire in Kindergartens in a German
city and the rural area around it.
Wilkinson, Aran
Queen’s University, Belfast
Undergraduate
A theory of learning affected by the latency
of treatment the structural abnormalities
of congenital hypothyroidism in animal
models
Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the
foremost preventable cause of serious
cognitive impairment in humans, effecting
1 in 4,000 births. Since the late 1970s
most developed countries automatically
screen neonates, because if they remain
undiagnosed until after nine months they
will suffer from a severe and irreversible
mental disability, known as ‘cretinism’ which
is characterised by abnormal physiological
development. Treatment has been effectively
and consistently available for over a century
through T4 (thyroxine) replacement reverses
the effects of CH, if diagnosed early enough.
This study uses male Sprague-Dawley rats as
animal models of CH with the experimental
groups beginning T4 treatment on P-14 &
P-19. Using a water-maze to estimate the
spatial learning and memory (as an aspect
of cognitive ability), there is an expected
significant reduction in performance for the
experimental groups who initiated T4 treatment
at a later point in development. The final
results are expected to show that there should
also be a noticeable difference between the
learning capability of the different groups,
indicating that the underlying cause of the
cognitive deficits caused by CH could be due
to abnormal neural and hippocampal growth.
Wilson, Paul
Queen’s University, Belfast
Postgraduate
Mental chronometry and the relationship
between inhibitory control and intelligence
The information processing theory of
intelligence is predominant in the literature.
Mental chronometry, using the reaction time
(RT) paradigm has been the measure of
choice stretching back 140 years, however
the correlation between speeded measures
and intelligence have proven robust, but weak.
In fact comparative psychology has found
monkeys to have faster RT than humans. A
reason why faster is not always smarter could
be inhibitory control mechanisms which are
commonly measured by RT. Using a cognitive
model of the decision making process, we
combined traditional measures of speed (mean
RT), consistency (RT Standard Deviation) and
accuracy to estimate parameters for quality
of evidence accumulation over time and
response conservativeness. Participants (n
= 119) performed a Stroop Colour Word Task
and Intelligence (IQ) was measured using
the Wide Range Intelligence Test. Using the
traditional measure of inhibitory control, we
found the Stroop effect on mean RT shared
just 9% of variance with IQ. Combining
traditional measures in the cognitive model,
we found the Stroop effect on the response
conservativeness parameter was more
strongly related to IQ, sharing a substantial
27.5% of variance. Results not only show that
inhibitory control may be more important to
cognitive ability than the literature suggests;
but also that the way RT is analysed can affect
the quality and nature of results.
***
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Psychologist
The Irish
f Ireland
Welcome to the special Annual
Student Congress supplement of The
Irish Psychology. We am not sure if this
is the first time the IP has had a
supplement, but we are very happy
that our first one marks such an
important event in the psychology
calendar.
ical Societ
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WELCOME
April 2010
e Psycho
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Psychologist
The Irish
CONTENTS
Be the ‘I’ in PSI
The Annual Congress of Psychology
Students in Ireland is a great testament
to the quality of the student
population in the discipline. Not only
does it showcase the high quality
research
being
conducted
at
undergraduate and postgraduate level
around the country, it is also important
to remember that the event itself is
organised by students. The host
institution, and both the Psychological
Society of Ireland (PSI) and the
Northern Ireland Branch of the British
Psychological Society (NIBPS) provide
support.
Nevertheless,
in
my
experience, the driving force behind
any Student Congress is a (generally
and relatively) small group of
undergraduate and postgraduate
students. The skill that these groups
have shown in the past (and indeed
this year) is a reflection of the quality
of graduates the discipline has on the
island of Ireland. The current
organising committee at the University
of Ulster at Coleraine are to be
congratulated for all their hard work. It
is important to remember that each
year a group has to take on the
responsibility of coordinating the
event, and balancing the work with
their own continuing studies.
And so, what can you expect during
the course of the Congress? Well, we
know from experience that there will
be a great range of presentations over
the course of the event, both from the
keynote speakers Dr Julian Boon
(University of Leicester) and Dr John
Kremer (Queen’s University, Belfast),
and from the student presenters. We
are also reliably informed that the
social aspects of the programme on
Friday and Saturday night will be
enjoyable to say the least!
Looking ahead, we will be inviting the
first-place
winners
of
the
undergraduate and postgraduate
prizes at the Annual Congress to
submit an article to The Irish
Psychologist and we enjoy showcasing
the work of these students each year.
Good luck to everyone involved.
Best wishes
Suzanne, Elizabeth and Dermot
Irish Psychologist Editorial Team
April 2010
Volume 36 Issue 6 Supplement
Welcome
Congress Information...................................................................................... S1
Introducing the PSI Student Affairs Group.................................................... S2
Student Congress Abstracts........................................................................... S4
Article
Ellen Brady, Deirdre Cowman, Ruth Davidson, Aisling Parsons
& Brendan Rooney............................................................................................. S21
Postgraduate Study by Research: The Inside Story
PSI Student Subscriber Application Form..................................................... S26
IT’S YOUR SOCIETY
Supporting PSI’s development benefits
all members. Take the opportunity in
2012 to begin or4continue to contribute
to PSI’s growth.
ONE MORE MEMBER!
22
Introducing colleagues and friends to PSI
brings new energy and enthusiasm to our
Society. For 2012 we are calling on all
members to introduce ‘one more member’
to PSI.
The
Psychological Society of Ireland,
CX House, 2A Corn Exchange Place, Dublin 2
Telephone: 01 474 9160
Web: www.psihq.ie
e Psycho
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f Ireland
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ical Societ
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April 2010
Psychologist
The Irish
Cumann Síceolaithe Éireann 2nd Floor Grantham House Grantham Street Dublin 2
Tel: 01 472 0105 Fax: 01 424 4051 Email: [email protected] Web: www.psihq.ie
The Membership Secretary,
The Psychological Society of Ireland,
2nd Floor Grantham House,
Grantham Street,
Dublin 2
Volume 36 No. 6 Supplement. Page 25
Interested in joining PSI at the Student Congress?
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ical Societ
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Psychologist
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Speak with a member of the Student Affairs Group
about getting this form signed.
April 2010
Cumann Síceolaithe Éireann 2nd Floor Grantham House Grantham Street Dublin 2
Tel: 01 472 0105 Fax: 01 424 4051 Email: [email protected] Web: www.psihq.ie
Volume 36 No. 6 Supplement. Page 26