bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving exam performance in an undergraduate statistics course for at-risk students through peer tutoring
Authors: Elbulok-Charcape Milushka , Grandoit Evan , Berman Lorin , Fogel Joshua , Fink Lauren , Rabin Laura
Published: January 2023

Peer tutoring is an effective method of improving undergraduate students’ academic performance, especially for those at-risk for poor grades. Peer tutoring has seldom been explored in undergraduate statistics, a difficult but required course for many college majors. The current study investigated the benefits of peer tutoring for 180 demographically-diverse undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology statistics course at an urban public university. We investigated the predictive value of attendance at peer tutoring sessions for in-class examination performance. We also studied the role of help-seeking and self-efficacy. Results indicated that peer tutoring attendance was associated with higher grades for in-class examination among at-risk students. Help-seeking and self-efficacy were not associated with in-class examination scores. Peer tutors can help at-risk students increase scores in statistics courses. Departments offering undergraduate introductory statistics courses should allocate resources to allow for funding of peer tutoring programs.
On the other side: Learning about being a service user or carer during simulation training on a clinical psychology doctorate programme
Authors: Nel Pieter W. , Nolte Lizette
Published: January 2023

Training clinical psychologists to be able to work with those who will use their services in ways that are not ‘othering’ or stigmatising and that facilitate a safe, compassionate and accepting place from where psychological therapy can be undertaken, is an essential task for trainers. Although simulation training is widely used in some healthcare professions, it is a relatively new method in clinical psychology training. In this article we describe a simulation training exercise as one effective way to achieve the goals described above.
Pre-registration in the undergraduate dissertation: A critical discussion
Authors: Pownall Madeleine
Published: January 2023

Over recent years, psychology has become increasingly concerned with reproducibility and replicability of research findings (Munafò et al., 2017). One method of ensuring that research is hypothesis driven, as opposed to data driven, is the process of publicly pre-registering a study’s hypotheses, data analysis plan, and procedure prior to data collection (Nosek et al., 2018). This paper discusses the potential benefits of introducing pre-registration to the undergraduate dissertation. The utility of pre-registration as a pedagogic practice within dissertation supervision is also critically appraised, with reference to open science literature. Here, it is proposed that encouraging pre-registration of undergraduate dissertation work may alleviate some pedagogic challenges, such as statistics anxiety, questionable research practices, and research clarity and structure. Perceived barriers, such as time and resource constraints, are also discussed.
Examining how the presence, absence and numerical value of a grade affects students’ perceptions of assessment feedback
Authors: Lancaster Gary , Bayless Sarah , Punia Ricky
Published: January 2023

We explored whether the academic grade a student sees influences how positively or negatively they interpret written assessment feedback. Specifically, an experimental design was used where N = 94 psychology students each read an identical passage of neutrally worded feedback. Depending upon which of three experimental conditions they had been allocated to, they also saw with the feedback either a grade of (i) 75 per cent (High Grade; N = 33); (ii) 45 per cent (Low Grade: N = 31) or (iii) No Grade (control condition; N = 30). Next, they answered seven questions relating to their perceptions of the feedback they had read. As predicted, those in the High Grade and No Grade conditions provided significantly more positive perceptions of the neutral feedback compared to those in the Low Grade condition. Implications for those within higher education, who are responsible for deciding how and when grades and feedback are released to students, are discussed.
Teaching the social psychology of interpersonal relationships in an online setting
Authors: Talbot Catherine , Pownall Madeleine
Published: January 2023

Research demonstrates the pedagogical value in stressing the ‘real world’ applicability of subject-specific content in a psychology programme. The move to online teaching prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic has given way to more creative uses of technology to enhance the student experience. In this paper, we demonstrate the value in applied approaches to teaching psychology content, in a way that acknowledges and responds to students’ lived experiences. We share a case study of an online seminar, in which students first reflect on their social connections in an online context, before participating in a mock interactive experiment that demonstrates the theory of proximity and familiarity in developing interpersonal relationships. The use of creative, interactive methods to connect social psychology theory to students’ lived experiences of learning during Covid-19 may be a useful avenue for future teaching.
Higher Education Psychology Teacher of the Year: Finalist Case Study 2021
Authors: Harris Richard
Published: January 2023

A psychological literacy approach to teaching aims to improve students’ cultural awareness and has several benefits including the development of higher order skills.

I embedded a psychological literacy approach into a new final year module. This was achieved using group and active learning, and assessed using a scientific blog.

Student feedback highlighted several positives with this teaching approach, including the relevance of the module content to global issues, and the use of group learning as an effective way to extend knowledge.

This module demonstrates the advantages of a psychological literacy approach to education delivered through group and active learning.
Membership, golf and a story about Anna and me: Reflections on research in elite sport
Authors: Douglas Kitrina , Carless David
Published: January 2023

While insider research has provided valuable insights across numerous fields including health and medicine, trauma and abuse, injury and rehabilitation, mental health, and same-sex attraction, insider approaches are rare in high performance sport. In this paper we share and reflect on a case from our own insider research in elite sport with the intention of: (i) highlighting the importance of insider perspectives in psychological research in sport; and (ii) providing ‘food for thought’ for others embarking on sport-related studies. We suggest that long-term, open, caring, reciprocal relationships make it possible to hear alternative stories which facilitate a deeper, more complex understanding of athletes’ lives. On this basis, we suggest insiders have an important and unique role to play in sport and psychology research.
Qualitative investigations of mega-sport events: Exploring individual, group-based and collective emotions in response to elite athletic success
Authors: Sullivan Gavin
Published: January 2023

Mega-sport events such as the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Football World Cup and the Olympics are occasions when winning and losing create intense emotions in participants and observers. The wealth of existing theoretical and empirical material produced by social and psychological researchers on these topics might appear to reduce the potential for qualitative researchers to contribute to and even lead further research efforts. This paper introduces three areas in which qualitative psychology can contribute to understanding events during the London 2012 Olympic games and their impact: individual pride and related emotions experienced by elite athletic performers; explorations of the diverse forms of viewer impact and possibilities for group-based emotion; and instances of collective emotion (e.g. such as widespread pride, patriotism and nationalism in the host nation). Examples of projects that could be conducted are provided. An overarching framework is presented for qualitative research that engages with and critiques relevant quantitative research findings, establishes links to existing qualitative research results, and is reflexive about issues such as methodological plurality.
‘There will always be a part of you that longs to return’: The usefulness of photo elicitation in exploring experiences of an Ironman triathlon
Authors: Wakefield Caroline , Watt Sal
Published: January 2023

This study draws on an approach of creative analytic practice to investigate the achievement of completing an Iron Man triathlon through photo elicitation. Seven selected photographs formed the basis of a participant reflection, particularly focusing on the representation and symbolisation of the photographs in relation to the participant’s experiences. Five key premises emerged from the participant’s reflection; life-changing event, personal challenge, sense of achievement, change in well-being and sense of loss. These are discussed in relation to the use of photo elicitation as a visual method of capturing real-life lived experiences. Future research is needed to further examine the under-researched qualitative element of Iron Man triathlons and other endurance events.
The ‘innocent collection of details’ and journal requests to make qualitative datasets public post-consent: Open access data, potential author response and thoughts for future studies
Authors: Branney Peter , Woolhouse Maxine , Reid Kate
Published: January 2023

‘There are some circumstances where, for example, in a talk to a support group there is a risk of revealing your identity through a combination of apparently innocent details − such as a job title, a rare diagnosis, age group and family status’ (Participant Information Sheet; see, Branney et al., 2017)
‘Jamie’s Sugar Rush’: A critical analysis of discourses around health, food, and responsibility
Authors: Wilson Adele , Woolhouse Maxine
Published: January 2023

In recent decades, there has been widespread concern pertaining to an ‘obesity epidemic’. This has been accompanied by considerable media attention documenting the causes, dangers, and ‘solutions’ to this apparent ‘health crisis’. Discourses circulating in the media about health, food, and eating practices are commonly taken up and reproduced by individuals and thus constitute our subjectivities. Previous work has identified that such discourses intersect with class and gender identities and therefore a key aim of this research was to identify some contemporary discourses available to us around the ‘obesity epidemic’, paying particular attention to the classed and gendered dimensions of these. The source analysed was ‘Jamie’s Sugar Rush’, a television programme about sugar and health, presented by celebrity chef turned health campaigner, Jamie Oliver. The data were analysed using a poststructuralist style of discourse analysis. It was found that obesity and poor health were constructed as a ‘risk’ to all and framed as a consequence of poor lifestyle ‘choices’. Although the food industry was somewhat acknowledged as responsible for the ‘childhood obesity epidemic’, it was predominantly individuals – and more specifically mothers – who were positioned as responsible for their health and that of their children, through the provision of healthy, home-cooked meals. It is argued that this positions ‘healthy’ individuals as those who have made ‘good, middle-class choices’. Conversely, those deemed ‘unhealthy’ are positioned as blameworthy whilst simultaneously detracting from wider structural factors that privilege some individuals over others. These discourses were underpinned by patriarchal gender roles and neoliberal ideologies.
Dispositive analysis – Overview and proposed approach
Authors: Khan Sumana , Holland Fiona , Williams Sophie , Montague Jane
Published: January 2023

Traditionally, discourse analysis methodologies such as the Foucauldian discourse analysis have had a linguistic focus. However, apart from the discursive form, knowledge is also built into and transmitted through non-discursive means, such as actions and object materialisations. The dispositive is a heterogenous ensemble of speech, action and object materialisations, linked by a common thread of knowledge, acting as a single unit to fulfil a strategic function. The dispositive can be considered the operational building block of a discourse; dispositive analysis gives an insight into the mechanisms of discourse construction by social actors. No methodology has been developed yet to do a dispositive analysis. This paper explores the theoretical foundations of the dispositive and proposes a possible methodology. Dispositive analysis can be adopted by researchers who wish to study the mechanisms of discourse construction. Dispositive analysis can also provide a platform for researchers to do multi-method qualitative studies where the links between social constructions and individual experiences can be explored.
‘It’s not only business or embarrassment’: Justifying non-attendance of cervical screening on social media discussions
Authors: Burke Shani , McGeechan Grant , James Becky
Published: January 2023

This research applied discursive psychological analysis to discussions about cervical screening on Facebook and Twitter. The analysisfocused on how people justify not attending cervical screening. Previous research lias identified barriers to attending cervical screening such as embarrassment, fear of pain, and the procedure being too triggering for survivors of sexual assault. Findings identified three discourses around how social media users positioned attendance and non-attendance: (i) practical barriers such as the length of time waiting for results; (ii) psychological barriers such as cervical screenings being triggering for survivors of sexual assault; (iii) taking accountability for non-attendance. Findings are discussed in light of how non-attendance to cervical screenings is accounted for, which campaigners could consider when promoting the importance of attending cervical screening.
Using artwork and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the experience of coping with body dysmorphic disorder
Authors: Craythorne Shioma-lei J. , Shaw Rachel L. , Larkin Michael
Published: January 2023

Body dysmorphic disorder (body dysmorphia; BDD) is a mental health condition characterised by experiencing impairing preoccupations about aspects of one’s appearance. The psychological process of coping with BDD is a highly personal and varied experience that has not yet been explored in qualitative research. It can be extremely difficult to put into language the subtle and ambiguous phenomena that one experiences when attempting to convey what it is like to live with its symptoms. Our arts-based phenomenological design invited participants to provide both visual and narrative data. Participants created artwork to represent their experiences of coping with BDD on a bad day and on a more manageable day, then took part in a semi-structured follow-up interview. In this study, we used a multimodal hermeneutic-phenomenological approach combining Boden and Eatough’s (2014) Framework for the Analysis of Drawings, and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 1996) to explore an individual’s experiences of coping with BDD.
'It was really good, she sort of took some words what happened, like what I would say’: Adapting dyadic interview techniques to capture the stories of marginalised voices in research
Authors: Head Annabel , Ellis-Caird Helen , Rhodes Louisa , Mengoni Silvana
Published: January 2023

Qualitative research continues to rely heavily on verbal language from solely the participant, which often omits the lived experiences of many people across a range of populations. This paper describes adaptations to an established research methodology, dyadic interviewing, which aims to open up possibilities of hearing unheard voices. Namely, we present an extension to the dyadic interview method as outlined by Caldwell (2014), in which the clinical systemic technique of Internalised Other interviewing is used to further focus in on the perspective of the participant. This method has been used by the authors in a research project with people with intellectual disabilities (Head et al., 2018), which gave people who may not have otherwise participated an opportunity to have their voices heard. A critical analysis of the use of the method is presented, with practical advice on its use. The authors argue that the methodology could be used with a number of populations in clinical and social research.
Using multimodal methods to explore groups with multifaceted roles: The case of prison officers
Authors: DeValiant Georgina , Kougiali Zetta , McGrath Laura
Published: January 2023

This article explores the ways in which creative, multimodal methods are well-suited to research with groups holding multifaceted roles within complex systems. The potential benefits of using imaginative methods in qualitative inquiry will be discussed in relation to the participants, organisation and researcher. The first author’s ongoing doctoral project is discussed, which employs a creative, multimodal method combining vlogs and interviews for data collection to explore prison officers’ (POs) emotional experiences of their complex work roles. The PO role is multifaceted and requires the balancing of competing demands, such as discipline and rehabilitation, within the complex prison environment. Given the intricacies of the PO role and prison system, the question of why multimodal methods are particularly well-suited to research with this group shall be explored. The article will begin with an overview of the complexities of the PO experience, and then consider how multimodal methods might address these multiplicities.
The impact of technology enhanced learning on students with specific learning difficulties
Authors: Coxon Astrid , Achtypi Alexia , Aricò Fabio R. , Schildt Jeremy
Published: January 2023

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are experiencing a radical uptake of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) practices. However, there is a lack of robust research exploring how the changing landscape of HEI teaching impacts students who have a specific learning difficulty (SpLD). To address this, we conducted semi-structured interviews with nine undergraduate students with SpLDs, to explore their lived experiences and perspectives on TEL in HEI. The interviews were transcribed, analysed thematically, and four key themes developed. Participants accepted TEL as part of HEI teaching but expressed that it was not always fully integrated or sensitive to students’ learning needs. Staff readiness to implement TEL was also mentioned as an element that influenced students’ learning experiences. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to how the integration of TEL and its use by students can be improved to create a more inclusive learning environment.
Context and physical activity: The influence of others
Authors: Carron Albert V. , Burke Shauna M.
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this article is to review six sources of evidence that might provide insight into what context (e.g. alone versus with others) ought to be emphasised in the promotion of physical activity. In summary, the review of these sources contributes to six conclusions: (a) adults and university students prefer to exercise with others but outside of a structured class setting, although adults also equally prefer to exercise completely alone; (b) context does not appear to play a large role in the propensity to meet recommended guidelines for aerobic physical activity; (c) theoretical propositions support social contexts as superior to individual contexts; (d) adherence to physical activity programmes is superior in social contexts; (e) social support is a strong correlate of sustained physical activity; and (f) protocols adopted in other areas attempting to promote behavioural change suggest that social contexts are superior.
Roles and influences of Olympic athletes’ entourages in athletes’ preparation for career transition out of sport
Authors: Park Sunghee , Lavallee David
Published: January 2023

The aims of the present study were to examine roles and influences of Korean and Irish athletes’ entourages (i.e. people associated with the athlete who promote their sporting career) in the process of athletes’ career transitions. Both Olympians (N=4) and their entourages (N=7) from the Republic of Ireland and South Korea were invited to the study. Data were collected through individual interviews and analysed via thematic analysis. The findings indicated that athletes had a low degree of readiness for retirement and had relatively small social support networks. The findings also revealed that Ireland and Korea have different sport contexts and the existence of the support programme influenced athletes’ career transition experiences.
Golf coaches’ receptivity to sport psychology
Authors: O’Flanagan Eamonn , Breslin Gavin , Sharp Lee-Ann
Published: January 2023

Golf coaches play a vital role in preparing golfers for tournaments yet no academic peer reviewed research has been conducted on the receptivity to sport psychology support with this population. We investigated the receptivity of professional golf coaches towards sport psychology and sport psychology services. All 24 Provincial golf coaches from within the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) participated. Coaches completed an adapted Sport Psychology Services at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Institutions questionnaire, and a subsample (N=6) took part in an interview. Findings showed a high level of receptivity of provincial golf coaches towards sport psychology. The main type of support preferred was performance orientated, with higher ranked services of interest reported as improving focus (91.7 per cent) and managing emotions during competition (87.5 per cent). Coaches’ indicated specific requirements for education on sport psychology whilst also identifying the potential role of the sport psychologist. In addition, coaches’ responses outlined different circumstances which sport psychologists should expect to encounter and navigate through within the golf coaching population. Based on these findings we propose the first model providing guidance on potential barriers and opportunities for sport psychologists in advance of consulting with golf coaches.
Application of feedback principles to marking proformas increases student efficacy, perceived utility of feedback and likelihood of use
Authors: Thomas Laura B. , Oliver Emily J.
Published: January 2023

Pedagogical and psychological literature identifies numerous factors contributing to feedback effectiveness, including type, frequency and specificity (e.g. Gibbs & Simpson, 2004). Despite this wealth of research, feedback practice at universities is often reported as problematic or poor by students (National Student Survey; Williams & Kane, 2008, 2009) despite lecturers perceiving their feedback as useful (Carless, 2006; Maclellan, 2001). The present research employed a quantitative counterbalanced experimental design to compare the perceived utility of a pedagogically informed feedback proforma, designed to provide detailed, timely and constructive feedback to standard practice. Results suggest that the presentation of feedback is important to students; more functional and comprehensible feedback increases the likelihood of students using the feedback provided, and can reduce likely marking time per script without compromising perceived feedback quality. Further to this, post-submission feedback proformas increase students’ confidence in their ability to complete the assignment when provided alongside the assignment title. In summary, the research supports the application of principles of feedback in the provision of summative feedback to enhance students’ likelihood of use, perceived value of the feedback received, and confidence.
Organisational culture in sport: A conceptual, definitional and methodological review
Authors: Wagstaff Christopher R.D. , Burton-Wylie Suzanna
Published: January 2023

In this article we present a review of organisational culture relevant to sport psychology. In doing so, we outline the various ways scholars have conceptualised organisational culture, definitions of organisational culture and methods used to study this concept. In an attempt to stimulate reflection, discourse and action the review concludes with considerations for researchers and practitioners.
Stripped: Experiences of women working in the exotic dancing industry
Authors: Byrne Sakura
Published: January 2023

The current discourse-analytic study sought to explore the experiences of women working in the exotic dancing industry from a non-pathological, non-deviant perspective, focusing on venues with a predominantly heterosexual/bi male clientele. Three main interpretative repertoires emerged from the data: dominant discourses/resistance, empowerment/disempowerment and embodiment/disembodiment. These repertoires highlighted three key tensions found within the women’s narratives which demonstrated that dancers oscillated between subject and object positions throughout their experiences. This study proposes that dancers’ experiences can be seen as a magnified version of the positions and tensions that women in patriarchal society experience, meaning that the study of exotic dancers’ experiences may enable us to see how the subjugation of women and female sexuality continues to operate in today’s society and, by highlighting this continued subjugation, may open a space for resistance.
Professor Zucker’s invitation as a keynote speaker to the Division of Clinical Psychology Annual Conference: A response
Authors:   The British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women and Psychology of Sexualities Sections
Published: January 2023

The British Psychological Society’s Division of Clinical Psychology invited Professor Zucker as a keynote speaker at their Annual Conference (1–3 December 2010). Professor Zucker is considered an authoritative figure in the controversial diagnosis and ‘treatment’ of children with Gender Identity Disorder (GID). He is also the Chair for the American Psychiatric Association’s Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Work Group for the DSM-5, which has proposed contentious revisions such as the inclusion of Paraphilic Coercive Disorder (PCD).

Professor Zucker considers a diagnosis of GID when a child displays ‘gender incongruence’ such as rejecting toys or clothes considered to be associated with their gender (e.g. a girl’s rejection of feminine clothes).

PCD is proposed as an addition, the diagnosis being suggested when an individual has ‘sought sexual stimulation from forcing sex on three or more non-consenting persons on separate occasions’. There are concerns that this pathologises rape, as well as the potential for misuse in the legal system.

Professor Zucker’s invitation as a keynote speaker has presented concerns regarding the DCP and the Society’s position on GID and the other issues raised.

Below is a copy of a joint statement by the Society’s Psychology of Women and Psychology of Sexualities Sections.
‘Coming out’ during adolescence: How do parental attitudes towards non-heterosexuality affect the mental health and well-being of their lesbian, gay, or bisexual offspring?
Authors: Arnold Sarah
Published: January 2023

The developmental context of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adolescents remains significantly underresearched, despite reliable evidence that parents significantly affect the mental health and well-being of their offspring. This literature review suggests that negative parental attitudes towards non-heterosexuality are associated with youth homelessness, psychological conflict and mental health problems in LGB adolescents. Conversely, sexuality-specific family acceptance and support during adolescence appears to be associated with positive mental health outcomes and higher levels of well-being in LGB offspring. The review highlights the need for parent-based psychological interventions which facilitate parental acceptance and encourage active support of non-heterosexual offspring. Recommendations for future research are offered.
Moving beyond heterosexism? The good, the bad and the indifferent in accounts of others’ reactions to important life events
Authors: Peel Elizabeth
Published: January 2023

Latterly the psychology of sexualities has diversified. There has been increased engagement with queer theory and a heightened focus on sexual practices alongside continued interrogation of heteronormativity via analyses of talk-in-interaction. In this article, I offer an argument for juxtaposing the incongruent in order to further interrogate manifestations of heterosexism in lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) people’s lives. In this case, accounts of others’ reactions to a happy event and to a sad experience. By drawing on two contrasting data corpuses – 124 people planning or in a civil partnership and 60 women who had experienced pregnancy loss – there is increased potential for understanding variation in ‘normative’ and/or heteronormative interpretations of LGBTQ lives. I suggest that, despite significant legal and structural gains for LGBTQ communities in a number of Western countries in recent years, and lively internal debates within the psychology of sexualities field, critical examination of manifestations of heterosexism should remain a central focus.
Same-sex sexual identity development in an Indian context
Authors: Pandya Apurva kumar , Pandya Siddhi , das Nair Roshan
Published: January 2023

In the Global South, the HIV pandemic has drawn social scientists’ attention towards issues related to sexuality. However, Western models of sexuality are often used to understand Indian sexualities. Indian research has yet to explore how people come to adopt a same-sex sexual identity. Based on interview data, we describe this process through five developmental markers of same-sex sexual identity formation in an Indian socio-cultural context. These processes included: awareness, exploration, partial acceptance, commitment, and integration. Our study examines how participants made sense of their sexual being and adopted a same-sex sexual identity, and discusses the implications for counselling, HIV prevention interventions, and future research.
The erotic imagination: An existential phenomenological perspective
Authors: Butt Trevor
Published: January 2023

Sexual fantasies, particularly those with a sadomasochistic component, are difficult to research and not well understood. Psychoanalysis has provided some of the most interesting accounts of such fantasies. However, even the richest and most empathic of these are couched in the vocabulary of pathology and within the context of normative genital maturity. In this article, the work of Robert Stoller is reconsidered from the theoretical perspective of existential phenomenology. It is argued that a recognition of the ambiguity of experience and perception helps make sense of the erotic imagination in a way that does not pathologise it.
The ground upon which we stand: Teaching sexuality through race
Authors: Riggs Damien W.
Published: January 2023

In this paper I outline some of my own practices for teaching about non-heterosexual sexualities in tertiary education in Australia, and I suggest that one approach to teaching in this context requires non-indigenous educators to locate ourselves and our students within a relationship to ongoing histories of colonisation and the fact of Indigenous sovereignty. I also suggest that teaching about the intersections of multiple identity positions requires educators to incorporate specific teaching practices that render visible social norms, and which highlight the relationship between privilege and disadvantage. Finally, I outline the possible benefits of coming out in the classroom on multiple levels, and suggest that coming out as a white, queer educator can assist in modelling forms of engagement for dominant group students that account for their social location.
Psychology of Sexualities: Past, present and future directions
Authors:   Adam Jowett in conversation with Elizabeth Peel (Chair of the Psychology of Sexualities Section)
Published: January 2023

Professor Elizabeth Peel, the Chair of the Psychology of Sexualities Section, has been involved in the Section since its inception. She was the Editor of the Section’s previous publication, the Lesbian and Gay Psychology Review, and has gone on to publish prolifically in the field. Liz has published three books in the psychology of sexualities field including Out in Psychology (Clarke & Peel, 2007) which won a distinguished book award in 2012 from the American Psychological Association’s Division 44 and the first undergraduate textbook in lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) psychology (Clarke et al., 2010) which won a British Psychological Society book prize in 2013. She has also won several prizes from the Section including the 2012 research prize. Her latest book focuses on ageing and sexualities with Rosie Harding (Peel & Harding, 2016). In March 2015, I interviewed Elizabeth about her role as Chair of the Section and her views on the current state of the field. What follows is an edited version of our conversation.
The story behind the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia and this year’s theme of ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing’
Authors: Bedos Joel
Published: January 2023

The Executive Director of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia Committee discusses the history of the day and this year’s theme ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing’.
Moving beyond the binaries
Authors:   Adam Jowett in conversation with Martin Milton
Published: January 2023

Martin Milton is a Professor of Counselling Psychology at Regent’s University London and also works in independent practice as a Chartered Counselling Psychologist and psychotherapist. Martin has previously served on the inaugural committee of the Section when it was first established as the Lesbian and Gay Psychology Section and was keynote speaker at our 2015 AGM event. He is also a former Chair of the British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Counselling Psychology. In 2012 Martin received the BPS Award for the promoting of equality of opportunity. He has published widely on the topic of sexuality in the context of counselling and psychotherapy and his most recent book was entitled ‘Sexuality: Existential perspectives’ (Milton, 2014). I interviewed Martin in January 2016 about how he became involved in the Section, his career as both an academic and practitioner and the relationship between homophobia and mental health. What follows is an edited version of our conversation.
Increasing intimacy and pleasure while reducing risk: Reasons for barebacking in a sample of Canadian and American gay and bisexual men
Authors: Marcus Natania , Gillis Joseph Roy
Published: January 2023

Recent advancements in HIV treatment and prevention call for a re-imagination of our definition and understanding of bareback sex. The present online study used content analysis to examine 256 gay and bisexual men (GBM)’s definitions, reasons, contexts and feelings about barebacking in Canada and the US. Themes were related to defining barebacking, psychosexual benefits and narratives of risk. Findings suggest that barebacking increases relational intimacy, and that GBM use harm reduction strategies (such as seropositioning and PrEP) to reduce risk of HIV transmission. Previous literature has pathologised the act without considering how GBM who bareback may enhance pleasure and intimacy while reducing HIV risk. HIV-prevention efforts should focus on increasing access to PrEP, adherence to ARVs and efficacy of harm reduction strategies for GBM who bareback.
An exploration of bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual women’s body dissatisfaction, and body hair and cosmetics practices
Authors: Hayfield Nikki , Halliwell Emma , Clarke Victoria
Published: January 2023

Body image pressures for heterosexual women are well established. However, lesbian body image is less well understood, while bisexual women have largely been overlooked within the psychological literature. Further, women’s investment in ‘traditional’ appearance practices associated with femininity are underexplored. The current study explored differences between 472 heterosexual, lesbian, and bisexual women on measures of body satisfaction, body hair practices, and cosmetics use. While there were no significant differences between body satisfaction scores, lesbian and bisexual women had more positive attitudes to body hair, and were less likely to remove hair from particular parts of their bodies, than heterosexual women. Cosmetics use was highest among heterosexual women, significantly lower among bisexual women, and lowest among lesbians. We argue that these results highlight the importance of exploring the distinctiveness of bisexual, lesbian and heterosexual women’s appearance concerns and appearance practices.
Contingent differences: An historical note on Evelyn Hooker’s uses of significance testing
Authors: Hegarty Peter
Published: January 2023

Evelyn Hooker’s Rorschach experiments are frequently remembered as an early use of the scientific method to gay-affirmative ends in psychology. Hooker determined that the Rorschach responses of gay and straight men were indistinguishable, and hence that the two groups were equivalently ‘well-adjusted’ in psychological terms. Yet Hooker’s conclusions were contingent upon particular methods of significance testing. Hooker’s rationale for the use of unmatched significance tests (which led her to conclude the two groups were similar) shows how her work was embedded within a context where psychological differences between lesbian/gay and straight persons were almost universally taken as evidence of lesbian/gay persons’ psychopathology. Hooker’s discussions of differences among gay men shows some problematic elements of ‘liberal humanist’ thinking. Hooker’s work ought to be favorably remembered more for the challenges that it presented to practices of diagnosing and detecting gay men, than for the particular psychological theory of male homosexuality that she voiced.
Exploring the workplace: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of trans men’s experience
Authors: Parkinson Robin , Flowers Paul , Semlyen Joanna
Published: January 2023

Within the last 15 years there have been significant changes to the lives of many trans people. Academic research in this field is minimal but growing, however research on trans lives and workplace issues is still scarce in the UK. This study explores retrospective accounts of work-related experiences of five purposively recruited post-transition trans men, aged between 29 and 44 living in Scotland. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted by the first author. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Themes relating to the impact of gender identity issues on education, career decisions and subsequent career direction were identified and are presented here: ‘The self at work – beginnings, The self at work – career development and work-life balance’. Considerations for future research and for occupational psychology are outlined
Science evolves through consensus: The evolution of diagnostic criteria in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity
Authors: Drescher Jack , Jowett Adam
Published: January 2023

Jack Drescher, MD, is an American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst known for his work on the history of theorising about, diagnosing, treating and mistreating sexual minorities. Dr Drescher was a member of the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 expert working group on Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders, which revised the DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of gender identity disorder to the DSM-5 diagnosis of ‘gender dysphoria’. He was also a member of the World Health Organization expert working group that recommended replacing ICD-10’s gender identity disorder with ‘gender incongruence’, as well as moving the diagnosis out of the mental disorders section of the latest International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Dr Drescher is also an expert on sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) and served on the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. He has published a number of books in the field includingPsychoanalytic Therapy and the Gay Man(Drescher, 1998a) andSexual Conversion Therapy: Ethical, clinical and research perspectives(Shidlo et al., 2001). In February 2020, I interviewed him about his role in the recent ICD-11 revisions and his views on tackling the practice of conversion therapy. What follows is an edited version of our conversation.(Adam Jowett, Chair of the Psychology of Sexualities Section)
The psychological impact of social distancing on gender, sexuality and relationship diverse populations
Authors: Jowett Adam
Published: January 2023

The following is an article originally published on the British Psychological Society’s blog (www.bps.org.uk/blogs/guest/psychological-impact-social-distancing-gender-sexuality-and-relationship-diverse). Dr Adam Jowett, Chair of the Psychology of Sexualities Section, raises some of the ways social distancing measures may specifically affect gender, sexuality and relationship diverse populations and signposts to relevant sources of support.
LGBTIA-related articles within British Psychological Society Journals: A review of the literature from 1941-2017
Authors: Jowett Adam
Published: January 2023

This article identifies the quantity and diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and asexual (LGBTIA) related journal articles published within the official British Psychological Society (BPS) journals. A systematic search of BPS journals was conducted using the BPS/Wiley search engine PsychSource. The search was conducted on 1 January 2018 and no timeframe was set for the search. Sixty-nine articles were identified across the BPS journals between 1941–2017. Until the end of the 1970s content focused almost exclusively on assessment and treatment of homosexuality (and to a lesser extent transsexuality), and was published primarily in the British Journal of Medical Psychology (n = 20; 1941–2000). From 1980 onwards, the content of articles mainly focused on anti-gay prejudice and have been published primarily in the British Journal of Social Psychology (n = 31; 1986–2017). The findings demonstrate a shift from a medical model of homosexuality prior to the 1980s, to focusing on homophobia as a social psychological problem. The review highlights a paucity of content relating to LGBTIA issues within the 11 official BPS journals. Within four BPS journals no relevant articles were identified. The range of LGBTIA topics published within these journals are also found to be extremely narrow.
From laughter to action: An investigation into the effects of affiliative comedy
Authors: Johnson Susie , Fasoli Fabio
Published: January 2023

Research on humour and prejudice has predominantly focused on the use of negative, or disparaging humour and its prejudice enhancing effects. This study investigated whether a positive ‘affiliative’ humour, could elicit a reduction in prejudice as measured by attitudes, system justification beliefs and engagement in collective action in favour of transgender individuals. Participants (N=85) were randomly assigned to the humour or control condition before and after which data were collected measuring their levels of prejudice and beliefs. In the humour condition participants were exposed to stand-up comedy performed by transgender comedians. Results showed that brief exposure to humour had no significant effect on prejudice and system justification beliefs. However, participants who reported finding the humour funny and those who reported less discomfort were significantly more willing to engage in collective action to support the transgender community compared to those in the control condition.
‘I prefer to look at women,’ but, ‘watching… male on male relations… I enjoy that’: The pornography, literary and film preferences of mostly straight and mostly lesbian women
Authors: Jakumeit Robin , Shepherd Carol
Published: January 2023

This study is part of a wider research project into non-exclusive sexuality categories and identities of women. This project furthers our understanding of cisgender women who identify as ‘mostly straight’ or ‘mostly lesbian’ by exploring the pornography, literary and film preferences of 32 participants. A thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed that media preferences did not map onto sexual identity categories i.e. ‘mostly straight’ women enjoyed gay male porn. Thematic analysis indicated that sociocultural factors interact with or supersede sexuality and sexual identity in influencing media preferences. Themes emerging included the impact of feminism, the intersection of sexuality and faith, the overt politicisation of LGBT+ media, heteronormative socialisation, and the preferences of straight male partners.
Human fatherhood: A multi-disciplinary perspective
Authors: Jane Machin Anna
Published: January 2023

The term fatherhood is overlain with a complex set of cultural, psychological and historical meanings. Nevertheless, for the majority of history it has implied little more than a role as bread winner and, as such, was afforded little academic focus as compared to that of the mother. However, the increasing numbers of gay men who take up fatherhood and absent fathers who actively pursue contact with their children combined with the general acceptance amongst new fathers of the ‘new fatherhood model’ make it clear that men are both motivated to create and maintain unique bonds with their children in the absence of a relationship with the mother and to adopt, where society allows, an identity centred upon compassion for and active involvement with their children (Finn & Henwood, 2009). Despite this, while the quantity of research into fatherhood has increased in recent years much of it focuses upon the psychological and behavioural impact of absent fathers upon child development within Westernised societies rather than asking a series of key ethological and neurobiological questions aimed at understanding the behavioural, emotional and motivational aspects of this behaviour from the father’s perspective. This paper aims to rectify this imbalance by reviewing the nature of fatherhood from a multi-disciplinary perspective incorporating psychology, anthropology, ethnography and neurobiology. Further, it aims to identify why an understanding of the father’s role is important both from the perspective of academia and society and to suggest future research programmes with the aim of identifying the complex, varying and unique role that fathers play across societies.
British Psychological Society Social Psychology Section Conference
Authors: Montague Jane
Published: January 2023

7–9 September 2010, University of Winchester.
Exploring public attitudes in Northern Ireland
Authors: Devine Paula
Published: January 2023

Allport (1935) contended that attitudes are real and substantial ingredients in human nature, arguing that without them, we cannot account for the constituency of a person’s behaviour, or for the stability of society as a whole. Thus, public attitude surveys provide us with a temperature reading of opinion across our society on key issues that affect our lives. Such surveys also play a potentially important role within the policy making process, both in helping to help shape and to evaluate policy priorities (Devine & Robinson, 2014). This short article highlights the role of ARK in measuring public attitudes in Northern Ireland for over 15 years.