The Big 5: Recent Episodes
Genavee Brown
In this podcast, we take a voyage into the minds of pschology researchers, alumni, and students who study at Northumbria University. Each week I’ll speak to a guest who is either a student, alumni, or researcher in the Northumbria Psychology Department. By asking them 5 big questions, we’ll learn about their time studying psychology and hopefully learn some big facts about human behaviour and experience.
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On this episode, Dr Mark Moss reflects on his early career in the discipline of chemistry and what inspired him to retrain to become an academic psychologist. Mark also discusses his philosophy on teaching and research in University settings, while providing insights on some of his challenges and achievements over the course of his career so far.
Show Notes
You can follow the Big Five Podcast on Spotify via the following link https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/daniel-rippon
You can also follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @thebig5_psych
You can get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com
Photo by Adobe StockOn this episode, Sandra Gawel (Research Participation Lead & PhD Researcher) provides guidance for students on how to obtain opportunities to join departmental research teams in the Psychology department at Northumbria University. Sandra also provides an overview on how to get involved in the Volunteer Research Assistant Scheme at Northumbria University and some of the key benefits of being part of a research team alongside undergraduate & postgraduate studies.
If you are a student studying Psychology at Northumbria University and you would like to get involved in departmental research projects, then you can either contact Sandra Gawel at s.gawel@northumbria.ac.uk or Dr Michael Craig michael2.craig@northumbria.ac.uk.
Show Notes
You can follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com
Photo by Adobe Stock
On this episode, Dr Andrew McNeill reflects on his 10 years of being part of the Psychology department at Northumbria University.
We discuss Andrew’s research that has focused on victimhood, how people express their views on social media and the application of health monitoring systems.
Andrew also reflects on his progression from studying Psychology at Undergraduate level, obtaining a lectureship at Northumbria University and securing a position as a Lecturer in Psychology & Qualitative Research Methods at Queens University Belfast.
Show Notes
You can follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com
Photo by Adobe Stock
On this week’s episode, PhD student Dan Rogerson tells us about his research into gender and sexuality in sport. We discuss Trans inclusion in sport as well as analyse trans and female discrimination in sport.
Show Notes
You can follow Dan on X @daniel_rogerson
You can follow the podcast on Instagram and X @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com.
You can also find our latest video podcast on YouTube
Photo by Adobe StockOn this week’s episode, Lecturer and Scientist Liz Renner tell us about her research into human cognition. We discuss the difference between human and primate cognition and how this results in different cultures between the two groups.
Show Notes
You can follow Liz on X @lizrrenner
You can follow the podcast on Instagram and X @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com.
You can also find our latest video podcast on YouTube
Photo by Adobe StockOn this week’s episode, PhD student Jordan Dawson tells us his research into sexism and hate crimes. We discuss the impact of online sexism and what changes can companies implement to reduce this influx of hatred.
Show NotesYou can follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com.
You can also find our latest video podcast on YouTube
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On this week’s episode, Dr. Gillian Pepper, Matthew Wright and Dr. Michael Smith tell us about the creation and the judging process of the Northumbria Psychology Sustainability Research Prize. We discuss the impact of the prize and the importance of sustainability.
Show NotesYou can follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com.
You can also find this podcast on YouTube
Photo by Skylar Kang on Pexels.comOn this week’s episode, Dr. Glenn Williams, tells us about his research on dialects, also known as langauge variants. We discuss how studying dialects can help us understand how we learn and use second languages.
Show notes: If you’d like to follow Glenn’s research, you can check out his website.
You can follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com.
Photo by DS stories on Pexels.comWelcome back for Season 3! On this inaugural episode Dr. Tamlyn Watermeyer tells us about her work on detecting dementia years before symptoms develop using a simple online task. We also learn about how to stave off dementia and keep our brains healthy from birth onward! (Spoiler: Life long learning is key, so listening to podcasts helps! )
Show notes: If you’d like to follow Dr. Watermeyer’s research please check out her researcher page here.
For more info on how to keep your brain healthy check out this helpful article from the Alzheimer’s society.
Photo by fauxels on Pexels.comOn this episode, Millie Dobinson tells us about her experience as an intern at a market research company. She talks about the skills she’s developed and the benefits of students taking part in internships.
Show notes: If you’re a student who wants to find out more about internship placements for next year please contact scott.houghton@northumbria.ac.uk
You can follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com.
This is our last episode of this season. The podcast will be going through some changes next year, so stay tuned…
Photo by Du01b0u01a1ng Nhu00e2n on Pexels.comOn this episode, Georgia Punton tells us about her PhD work on how sleep affects how we are able to control our thoughts. Her work links sleep deprivation and hallucinations and posits that hallucinations may be more likely for everyone when we are sleep deprived.
Show notes: To find out more about Georgia’s work you can follow here on Twitter @georgiapunton.
If you’d like to participate in Georgia’s latest study you can. Please participate on a computer/laptop with Chrome/Firefox browser and with headphones on by following the link here.
You can follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comOn this episode of The Big 5, Dr. Sarah Allen discusses her research on trauma informed teaching and student support in higher education. We discuss the types of trauma that students have experienced and how it can affect their learning and adaptation to university life.
Show notes: For more on Sarah’s work you can visit her website here.
You can follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com.
Photo by Matthew Barra on Pexels.comOn this episode, Dr. Santosh Vijaykumar tells us about the sea of health misinformation on the internet and how researchers are working to understand and combat misinformation. We also discuss CHIRP, the Cognitive and Health Infodemics Research Programme, an interdisciplinary research group at Northumbria University studying misinformation from multiple perspectives.
Show notes: If you’re intersted in getting involved in Santosh’s research you can email him at santosh.vijaykumar@northumbria.ac.uk.
You can find out more about CHIRP on their website.
Follow the show on our IG and Twitter @thebig5_psych
You can also get in touch with the podcast team on gmail: thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com.
Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.comOn this episode, Dr. Laura Farrugia and Professor Gavin Oxburgh tell us about their work on effective police questioning and the app they are developing to help police officers become better questioners.
Show notes: You can find out more about Laura’s work here.
You can find out more about Gavin’s work here.
Remember you can find out more about the show and find new episode updates at @thebig5_psych on Twitter and Instagram.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comOn this episode Dr. Amanda Rotella tells us about her research on social competition and how we use social signals to choose our friends, romantic partners, and preferred colleagues. We talk about how and why these judgements are useful and why they’re adaptive in a biological market where we have limited resources and choices.
Show notes: You can keep up with Amanda’s research on Twitter @amRotella and on her website.
You can find the show transcript here.
Photo by Steve Johnson on Pexels.comOn this episode we celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month with Richard Rawlings who tells us about his research exploring the ways in which LGBTQ+ people use dating apps to form connections in rural and urban settings. We discuss resilience and how both the city and country offer different challenges and opportunities for queer people to find connection.
Show notes: Follow Richard’s research updates on his website.
Richard and his supervisors would like to thank all the LGBTQ+ participants who contributed to his research and the knowledge they shared about their experiences of place and finding connection.
Show transcript can be found here.
Dr. Carolina Are is an Innovation Fellow at the Centre for Digital Citizens. The Centre for Digital Citizens is a joint initiative with colleagues at Newcastle and Northumbria University from computing, design, law, and psychology who study how to make the internet a safer place for everyone. Carolina’s work centres on understanding why certain people are deplatformed and how to encourage social media platforms to prevent unnecessary deplatforming.
Show notesTo follow Carolina’s research check out her website bloggeronpole.com or follow her on Twitter @bloggeronpole
(Fittingly, my work computer wouldn’t let me access Carolina’s website…)
You can find the show transcript here.
WE HAVE NEW SOCIALS! We’re on Twitter and Instagram @thebig5_psych. Give us a follow and we’ll be posting about new episodes and will respond to comments.
We also now have a gmail account that you can use to contact us thebig5.nupodcast@gmail.com.
Many thanks to my intern Maria Kouppi for mixing this episode and setting up the socials.
This week Juli tells us about her work as a student representative and the importance of having students who can advocate for student needs. We also discuss the wonderful opportunities that arise from student rep work.
Show notes:
You can get in touch with Juli on her LinkedIn page.
To find out more about the role of a student rep, check out this info on the NU Students’ Union website.
If you would like to become a student rep, you can let your personal tutor or one of your lecturers know. You can also contact your program leader (andrew.mcneil@northumbria.ac.uk) to register your interest.
The transcript of today’s episode can be found here.
Photo by Lukas on Pexels.comOn this episode of The Big 5 Dr. Harry Clelland tells us about his work on using different types of language to communicate statistics. His work has the potential to inform medical professionals and health communicators about the best way to communicate risk to patients and the public.
Show notes:
To find out more about the Metascience project Harry will be working on, you can check out their website here.
You can find the show transcript here.
Photo by Ricardo Esquivel on Pexels.comOn this episode of The Big 5, Dr. Lisa Thomas tells us about her path to becoming a university lecturer and the strong women role models who supported her journey.
Show notes:
You can stay up to date with Lisa’s research on Twitter @drlthomas
If you’re interested in continuing your academic career you can look for jobs and PhDs on jobs.ac.uk
The show transcript can be found here.
Photo by Sasha Prasastika on Pexels.comOn this episode, Dominik Polasek tells us about his summer as a visiting research assistant at Harvard University’s Sleep Lab. We also discuss how to get involved in research in the department and find your own international internship.
Show notes:
If you’d like to learn more about sleep research at Harvard you can check out their website here.
To learn more about our sleep research at Northumbria, check out this page.
If you’re a NU Psychology student and want to find out more about getting involved in research, look out for Dr. Michael Craig’s monthly updates on Volunteer Research Assistantships or email him at michael2.craig@northumbriapsy
To follow Dominik’s continued research you can follow him on LinkedIn or Instagram @dominikpolasek
If you’re a student from the Czech Republic looking for funding to come to Northumbria University, check out The Kellner Foundation at their website here.
Here you can find the transcript for this episode.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comOn this special Halloween episode, Claire Murphy-Morgan tells us about the links between art and psychology, treating eating disorders remotely, and the online communities that are discussing parapsychology. We talk all things parapsychology: ghosts, near-death experiences, and spooky Wikipedia editors.
Show notes:
If you’d like to keep up with the Remote Healthcare for Eating Disorders throughout COVID-19 project you can check out their website or follow the project on Twitter @RHEDC_Project.
You can also follow Claire’s work on parapsychology on Twitter @ClaireMorganM.
To stay updated on episodes you can follow me on Twitter @BrownGenavee.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comOn this episode, Anna Maughan tells us about her work on conspiracy theories and how emotions may play a role in who is susceptible to them. We also discuss the possible negative effects of medical conspiracy theories.
Show notes:
You can follow Anna’s work on Twitter @annafmaughan.
You can read one of Anna’s papers on Covid-19 Misinformation here.
If you’d like to stay up to date with the podcast, you can follow me on Twitter @browngenavee.
You can now subscribe to The Big 5 on Spotify.
The show transcript can be found here.
On this episode Connor Leslie tells us about her work on agression detection from both an evolutionary and forensic psychology perspective. Connor discusses the importance of detecting agression for preventing violence. Look out for those aggressive behaviors and try to avoid them on the International Day of Non-violence! #internationaldayofnonviolence
Show notes:
To follow Connor’s research check her out on Twitter @ConnorLeslie91.
Want to know more about motion capture and psychology research of a more non-violent nature? Check out these studies from members of our department:
Which dance moves make men look like a good partner?
Which dance moves should women use?
To stay up to date on the show, follow me @BrownGenavee.
Photo by CoWomen on Pexels.comOn this episode Charl Emmerson, PhD student at Northumbria, tells us about her research on workplace bullying. Charl will be attending the 13th Internation Association of Workplace Bullying Conference in San Diego, California to share her work with fellow researchers, but you can get a sneak peak in this episode Charl discusses what can cause bullying at work and the costs of bullying to employees and employers.
You can follow Charl on Twitter @CharlEmmerson or on LinkedIn to stay updated on her research.
If you’re concerned that you might be suffering from bullying at work you can read more about it here and access support here.
This episode’s transcript can be found here.
On this smoking hot episode, Dr. Faye Horsley tells us about her work on the human fire relationship. She talks about why people use fire and how we can prevent its misuse. She also tells us about her new book: New Perspectives on Arson and Firesetting: The Human-Fire Relationship. Show notes: If you want a … Continue reading The Big 5 Episode 18: Dr. Faye Horsley “Why do some people engage adaptively with fire while others go on to misuse it?”
In this episode, Kristians Nemkovics tells us about studying during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kristians went on a journey to develop new health sleep, study and eating habits. Kristians gives students advice on how to succeed at university. Show notes: For more information on developing good study habits check out this advice from the Amercian Psychological … Continue reading The Big 5 Ep 17 Kristans Nemkovics “I embarked on this journey to find the pillars that are important to succeed in your studies.”
On this episode of The Big 5, Dr. Micheal Smith tells us about a simple way to reduce stress: writing about a positive event in our lives. This episode is our second installment in honor of Stress Awareness Month. Show notes: Want to read more about Micheal’s research? You can find more about him on … Continue reading The Big 5 Episode 16: Dr. Micheal Smith “I sometimes feel stressed in my day to day life. What can I do about it?”
On this episode of the Big 5, Professor Mark Wetherell takes us on a freefalling tour de stress through bears, skydiving, multitasking, and helicopter rescue! We discuss how stress enters the body, the benefits and drawbacks of stress, and how worrying about jumping out of a plane is worse than actually jumping out of one. … Continue reading The Big 5 Episode 15: Dr. Mark Wetherell “We know that we all get stressed, but actually understanding how and when it happens is really important”
On this episode of The Big 5, Dr. Jenny Paterson tells us about how Harry and Meghan are changing attitudes about interracial couples! From the royal wedding to baby Archie and Megxit, Jenny takes us through the ways in which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reduced prejudice. We also discuss the importance of … Continue reading The Big 5 Episode 14: Dr. Jenny Paterson ” Meghan and Harry being in the media had the power to reduce prejudice”
In this episode, student Annabelle Noble, tells us about what it was like to do a paid internship. We talk about the skills she developed and the final work she produced which is currently influencing research practice at Northumbria University. She also gives some great advice to other students about how to make the most … Continue reading The Big 5 Episode 13: Annabelle Noble “[an internship] just gives you some really good employability skills.” (paid internships)
In honor of LGBTQ history month, on this episode Ansel Lawson tells us about their experience as a trans student at Northumbria University and talks about their research on well-being in trans and non-binary people living in the North East, UK. Show notes: Trans, non-binary, or gender diverse and looking for support? Check out Gires … Continue reading The Big 5 Episode 12: Ansel Lawson “A lot of [trans and non-binary] people said that the North East was like freedom to them.”
In honor of LGBTQ history month, on this episode, Dr. Amy Newman tells us about her research on the prevalence of sexual assualt in gender and relationship diverse couples. We also discuss the need for more inclusive laws and sex education. CW: sexual assault, coercive sex, relationship violence. Show notes: Looking for support after a … Continue reading The Big 5 Episode 12: Dr. Amy Newman “We found that bisexual and queer people were significantly more likely to have experienced harmful sexual behaviors”
In this episode, Dr. Lee Shepherd tells us about his work on emotions and sexual objectification. He discusses how it feels to be objectified and why it’s so important to study this issue to prevent objectification from occuring and to help support victims. We also discuss a funded PhD opportunity to study the causes and … Continue reading The Big 5 Episode 10: Lee Shepherd “Anger is appropriate and legitimate when someone has dehumanized you through sexual objectification” (Funded PhD opportunity)
On this episode of The Big 5, Dr. Nicki O’Brien tells us about her innovative work using animated GIFs to teach people about COVID-19 health behaviors like mask wearing and hand washing in Guatemala. She also discusses a funded PhD project starting October 2022. Applications due February 18, 2022. Show notes: To follow Nicki on … Continue reading The Big 5 Episode 9: Nicki O’Brien “Developing visual communication methods for health challenges” (Funded PhD opportunity)