social psychology phd studentships

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Psychology Headlines

From around the world.

• People's Moral Values Change with the Seasons, Study Finds
• U.K. Reports of Antisemitic Incidents Reach Record High
• U.S. Secretaries of State Urge Musk to Block Election Misinformation
• Sierra Leone Used to Chain Mental Health Patients; Times Are Changing
• Report Details Systemic Racism Within London Police Service
• U.S. Schools Taking Meditation Breaks to Help Students Manage Stress
• B'tselem's report contains testimony from 55 recently released Palestinian detainees, whose graphic accounts suggest a dramatic worsening of prison conditions since the start of the Gaza war 10 months ago. A U.N. report last week also contained shocking allegations of abuse directed against Palestinian…">Israeli Human Rights Group Alleges Abuse of Palestinian Detainees
• Worldwide, Scientists Very Concerned About Climate Change, Survey Finds

Source: Psychology News Center

Social Psychology

Information about the Social Psychology Graduate Major

The graduate program in Social Psychology features a distinguished faculty and numerous research opportunities in laboratory and field settings within a culturally diverse and multifaceted metropolitan area. Our faculty areas of expertise are broad and center on basic research on close relationships and intergroup relations. In addition, faculty interests include political psychology, evolutionary psychology, family psychology, stress and coping, and issues pertaining to culture, ethnicity, and gender. A distinctive feature of our program is our long tradition of interest in social problems and the applicability of rigorous, theory-driven research to addressing them.

Doctoral students in our program gain familiarity with social psychology through a two-quarter course sequence during the first year of graduate work. In subsequent years, students are required to take three additional seminars on topics of their choosing. Students concentrate on a single research project in the first and second years (Psych 251) culminating with the receipt of the Master’s degree. As training progresses thereafter, social psychology students typically work with their primary advisor or co-advisor to develop an increasing focus on their own particular topics in research and expertise in the associated methods.

Methodological and statistical training covers experimental design and procedures, survey and field research methods, and univariate and multivariate techniques, including use of structural equation modeling and hierarchical linear modeling. Although not required, but social psychology students can also minor in quantitative methods, health psychology, or diversity science.

Above and beyond individual research supervision and coursework, most social psychology faculty members run weekly lab meetings with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars. Seminars and colloquia presentations by distinguished visiting speakers, students, and faculty are also offered and round out the course of studies.

Along with the regular Social faculty in the Psychology Department, the Social faculty include a number of social psychology affiliates who are faculty members in other departments and schools, including the Anderson School of Management, Communications, Political science, the Geffen School of Medicine, and the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.

The program encourages connections and interaction with faculty and students in other disciplines (e.g. Anthropology, Communications, Political Science, Psychiatry, and Sociology) which enables students to incorporate interdisciplinary study in a wide range of social and health sciences into their graduate education in social psychology.

More Social Psychology info

• For a list of Required Courses please see the  Psychology Handbook

Welcome to the Social Psychology Graduate Program at the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Our faculty have diverse interests in the social and affective processes that contribute to health, wellness, relationships, morality, and intergroup relations.

The Ph.D. program in Psychology is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and judgment needed to become active contributors at the highest-level to research, teach, and provide public and professional service in the community.

The Social Psychology doctoral program maintains a flexible curriculum that allows students to develop their full potential as researchers and theorists. Students design a course of study that will best suit their unique trajectory. Learn more about our application process and curriculum .

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• Social Psychology

Students and faculty in Social Psychology seek to understand human experiences and behaviors in social settings. Our research and teaching span levels of analysis--from the neural and physiological underpinnings of social cognition, through individual and group behavior, to the social and cultural contexts within which people think, feel, and act.  Much of our work is done at intersections--with other areas of psychology, such as cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychology; with other departments, such as Economics and Sociology; and with Harvard professional schools, such as the Law School, the Business School, the Medical School, and the Kennedy School of Government.

Overall, we seek to develop new understanding about how people perceive themselves and others, how people relate to one another, and how social psychological knowledge can be used to make constructive differences in people's lives.

Social Psychology Brownbag Lunches

• Clinical Science
• Cognition, Brain, & Behavior
• Developmental Psychology

Social Psychology Faculty

• Mahzarin R. Banaji
• Mina Cikara
• Fiery Cushman
• Daniel Gilbert
• Joshua D. Greene
• Mark L. Hatzenbuehler
• Ellen Langer
• Jason P. Mitchell

Ph.D. Social Psychology

Our PhD program in Social Psychology is research-intensive, and designed as a five-year PhD program to prepare students for scholarly careers in academic and other research settings. We train graduate students to become productive social psychologists who will contribute to the field through the advancement of theoretical understanding and empirical research in social psychology, and by effectively teaching courses within the domain of social psychology. Formal course requirements are minimized and collaborative research with one or more faculty is emphasized.

Preparing You For Success

We offer a robust, dedicated, and active program that leads to successful students.   With four core faculty and a group of around 10 graduate students, the Social/Personality Program is relatively small by national standards, however, this allows for faculty and graduate students to develop deeply collaborative and productive working relationships.

Seminars are also small and highly productive. We are selective with graduate student admissions, and our students develop strong bonds with their mentors and cohort. By graduation, our students are well-prepared for the academic job market, as shown by the fact that most currently have a permanent or visiting faculty position. 

Recent Alumni Job Placements & Awards

• Hannah Buie, Ph.D. (2023), Assistant Professor of Psychology, Western Carolina University
• Dylan Horner, Ph.D. (2023), Assistant Professor of Psychology, Minot State University
• Harrison Schmidt, Ph.D. (2023), Assistant Professor of Psychology, Skidmore College
• Jake Taylor, Ph.D. (2023), Research Administration Coordinator, Memorial Hermann - Rockets Sports Medicine Institute
• Ciara Atkinson, Ph.D. (2022), Evaluation Specialist, University of Arizona Department of Campus Recreation
• Eva-Maria Stelzer, Ph.D. (2020), Research Analyst Health, Hubert Burda Media
• Isaac Young, Ph.D. (2020) visiting assistant professor, Beloit College, Wisconsin
• Peter Helm, Ph.D. (2019) postdoc, University of Missouri
• Uri Lifhsin, Ph.D. (2017) postdoc, IDC, Herzylia, Israel
• Advanced User Experience Researcher, State Farm
• Peter Leavitt, Ph.D., (2016) Assistant Professor at Indiana State University
• Elizabeth Focella, Ph.D., (2012) Senior Consultant at Opinion Dynamics
• Rebecca Covarrubias, Ph.D., (2012) Associate Professor at U.C. Santa Cruz
• Melissa Soenke, Ph.D., (2012) Associate Professor at Cal State Channel Islands
• Megan Robbins, Ph.D., (2011) Associate Professor at U.C. Riverside
• Dave Weise, Ph.D., (2011) Senior Lecturer and Psych Advisor at Texas Christian University
• Shannon Holleran, Ph.D., (2010) Lecturer, Owens Community College, Ohio
• Daniel "Spee" Kosloff, Ph.D., (2009) Associate Professor at Cal State Fresno
• Chad Forbes, Ph.D., (2009) Associate Professor, and Social Psychology Program Director at the University of Delaware
• Mark Landau, Ph.D., (2007) Full Professor at the University of Kansas

Although our program is relatively young, we also take great pride in the accomplishments of the alumni of our program, three of whom have garnered early career awards: APA (Mark Landau, PhD. in 2007), International Society for Self and Identity (Jamie Arndt, Ph.D. in 1999; Mark Landau), the Society of Experimental Social Psychology (Eddie Harmon-Jones, Ph.D. in 1995) and the Society for Psychophysiological Research (Eddie Harmon-Jones).

Updated: 05/25/23

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The University of Arizona is a highly interdisciplinary environment, and the social psychology students have a history of successful collaboration with students and faculty in the clinical and cognitive neuroscience psychology programs and in other departments on campus (e.g., Family Studies and Human Development, Communications, Management, Marketing, Public Health).

Our program is especially enhanced by clinical students who are mentored by our social faculty and by clinical faculty who mentor our social students. Whenever a social student is interested in psychophysiology, perception, clinical, or other topics in psychology, there is usually a great opportunity for collaboration with faculty from our other departmental programs.

Updated: 09/29/22

Department of Psychology

You are here, social/personality psychology.

The Social/Personality Psychology program at Yale University has trained research scholars for more than sixty years. Under the influence of Carl Hovland in the 1940’s and 1950’s, the Yale program was concerned primarily with persuasion and attitude change. This group of psychologists, some of whom continue to be active in the Department even today, set the course for the Yale program through their investigation of problems such as the links between frustration and aggression, public opinion formation, and the cognitive basis of social behavior. During these years and the decades that followed, the program remained committed to training students interested in both laboratory-based methods as well as field research. The Social/Personality program has focused on advancing both basic knowledge about intrapersonal and interpersonal processes, while at the same time encouraging applications of these theoretically driven investigations.     Since its inception, the character of the Social/Personality program has been unique in combining four training goals. First, we believe that training students in scientific fundamentals is the most effective way to influence progress in the field of psychology. Second, in addition to a strong emphasis on traditional laboratory experiments as the primary tool of the Social/Personality psychologist, the training focus has also encompassed diverse methodologies such as field experimentation, survey techniques, computer simulation, and case studies (where the “case” might be an individual, group, or organization). Third, the program attempts to foster an awareness among students of the use of applied contexts to test theoretically based ideas. Finally, the faculty in Social/Personality Psychology is committed to an integration of personality processes and interpersonal influences in the study of human behavior. We believe that meaningful analyses of human behavior can best be accomplished when researchers investigate interactions between intrapersonal processes (e.g., emotion, social cognition, motivation, attitudes, and belief systems) and social behavior (e.g., persuasion, communication, decision making, stereotyping, political behavior, health behavior, and intergroup cooperation or conflict).     We believe that young investigators are best trained by a program emphasizing carefully supervised independent research with one or more members of the faculty. Although students receive classroom training in the essentials of general psychology theory, research methods, history, and the current literature, they are encouraged from their first days at Yale to develop a program of collaborative research with members of the faculty. There are only a few course requirements, and students are expected to construct a program consistent with their own research interests that includes elective courses in other areas of psychology and in other social science fields. The Social/Personality area meets as a group every Monday for research presentations and discussion. Individuals interested in specific areas of specialization such as political psychology, health psychology, emotion, or social cognition can attend additional weekly meetings of like-minded faculty and students.

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MPhil/PhD Psychological and Behavioural Science

• Graduate research
• Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science
• Application code L7ZP
• Starting 2024
• Home full-time: Closed
• Overseas full-time: Closed
• Location: Houghton Street, London

This programme offers the chance to undertake a substantial piece of work that is worthy of publication and which makes an original contribution to the field of psychological and behavioural science. 

Project specifics are to be developed with academic faculty, and may explore topics in social psychology, health and communities, organisational psychology, evolutionary psychology, communication, and behavioural science. Our research addresses theoretical concerns within psychological and behavioural science, and is applicable in practical contexts (eg, organisations, developing countries, public policy).

You will have the opportunity to undertake fieldwork in many settings including experimental laboratories, organisations and countries outside of the UK. You will be encouraged to present at international conferences and publish in international journals. Part-time positions for research, teaching and editorial assistance are often available, offering you valuable experience and publication opportunities.

Find out more about our PhD programme, read our FAQs and see our current PhD student profiles on the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science  website .

Programme details

For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for mphil/phd psychological and behavioural science.

The minimum entry requirement for this programme is an upper second class honours (2:1) bachelor’s degree (or equivalent), plus high merit (65+) in master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant area.

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet our minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission. Where an offer of admission is considered, this is always subject to an interview.

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our  Information for International Students  to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Assessing your application

We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of members of staff at the School, and we recommend that you investigate  staff research interests  and contact potential supervisors  before applying.

We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including your:

- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications) - statement of academic purpose - references - CV - research proposal - sample of written work.

 See further information on supporting documents

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE, but we recommend that you do.  See our English language requirements .

When to apply

The application deadline for this programme is 25 April 2024 . However, to be considered for any LSE funding opportunity, you must have submitted your application and all supporting documents by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section for more details.

Fees and funding

Every research student is charged a fee in line with the fee structure for their programme.The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for MPhil/PhD Psychological and Behavioural Science

Home students: £4,786 for the first year Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year

The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend. The fees for overseas students are likely to rise in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, 4 per cent per annum).

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

Fee status​

The amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Scholarships, studentships and other funding

The School recognises that the  cost of living in London  may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for  LSE PhD Studentships . Selection for the PhD Studentships is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline. Funding deadline for LSE PhD Studentships: 15 January 2024

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.  Find out more about financial support.

External funding 

There may be other funding opportunities available through other organisations or governments and we recommend you investigate these options as well.

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students . 

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page.

Programme structure and courses

The MPhil/PhD programme can include taught courses on both methodology and theory. The precise courses you may be required to attend will vary and exemptions may apply depending on your prior experience and qualifications. These matters should be discussed and agreed with your supervisor in your first formal supervision meeting. 

If you are studying full-time, then after 15 months of studying, you will be upgraded to PhD status if you satisfy certain requirements.

(* denotes a half unit)

Transferable skills courses

Current Research in Psychological and Behavioural Science - Compulsory (not examined) Weekly seminars including plenary and specialist sessions in the Autumn Term, Winter Term and Spring Term. 

Training courses

Students are asked to complete 10 hours of research training each year.  Courses are agreed with supervisors depending on a student's needs. Taught classes can be accessed within the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science as well as in departments across LSE, including Methodology.  Methodology courses available include Qualitative Research Methods, Survey Methodology, Applied Regression Analysis and Multivariate Analysis and Measurement. Training courses are offered through our PhD academy and with affiliate institutions. Access is  subject to agreement with the relevant course convenors  (eg according to space considerations).

For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page.

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s  Calendar , or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the  updated graduate course and programme information page.

Supervision, progression and assessment

Supervision.

The supervisor you work with will be a specialist in your chosen research field, and will guide you through your studies. Prospective applicants should have the support of a potential supervisor before making a formal application to Graduate Admissions, to ensure an alignment of research interests. If contacting faculty, please be selective, and let faculty know if you are in contact with more than one member of staff.

Progression and assessment 

Degrees must be completed within a maximum of four years. The time taken to complete any research degree depends on your progress and individual needs and you must remain registered with the School until your thesis has been submitted.

You register for the MPhil in the first instance, and will need to progress satisfactorily to be upgraded to PhD status.

The first year Extended Essay and the second year Upgrade chapters (see below) are examined by a three-person thesis committee, which includes your supervisor, as well as two other academic colleagues. Targets for progress First year:  Extended Essay of 6,000 words, submitted on first day of Winter Term. Second year:  Upgrade viva. Two draft chapters or papers of 10,000 words each (total of 20,000 words), submitted on first day of Winter Term. These chapters form the basis of an oral examination by a three-person thesis committee, usually four to six weeks after submission. Success in this examination results in upgrade from MPhil to PhD status. Third year:  Completed first draft by end of three years.

PhD formats: thesis and series of publishable articles

The Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science allows for two formats of PhD:

Thesis (aka monograph) format

This is the traditional PhD format. It entails candidates in effect producing several chapters examining a single subject in an integrated way. This is akin to the format and structure of a book.

Article format

This format entails candidates producing distinct papers which are combined with integrative material to address a single subject. The defining feature of this format is basically that some of the "chapters" can be articles which either have been published or prepared for publication. This format tends only to be suitable for PhD projects which comprise a series of distinct (but inter-related) empirical studies. 

Extra guidelines for article format PhD The thesis should comprise three to six publishable articles framed by an introduction, critical integrating discussion and conclusion. Articles should be co-authored with supervisors (as are all papers written on your PhD topic while being under supervision). Articles and chapters both count as "papers" – the most important part is that they are publishable quality. They do not have to have been submitted, and even if they have been submitted and accepted this does not automatically entail that the Committee will find them suitable within the larger context of the project.

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians   – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service  – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders  – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service  – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as  student counselling,  a  peer support scheme  and arranging  exam adjustments.  They run groups and workshops.  

IT help  – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.   

LSE Faith Centre  – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.   

Language Centre  – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers  ­ – with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library   –   founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE  – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU)  – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding.  

PhD Academy   – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice   – this   offers discounted private dental services to LSE students.  

St Philips Medical Centre  – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre  – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers   – we have a  Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy)  and an  Adviser to Women Students  who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

Student societies and activities

Your time at LSE is not just about studying, there are plenty of ways to get involved in  extracurricular activities . From joining one of over 200 societies, or starting your own society, to volunteering for a local charity, or attending a public lecture by a world-leading figure, there is a lot to choose from. 

The campus 

LSE is based on one  campus  in the centre of London. Despite the busy feel of the surrounding area, many of the streets around campus are pedestrianised, meaning the campus feels like a real community. 

Life in London 

London is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city. It's also an academic city, with more than 400,000 university students. Whatever your interests or appetite you will find something to suit your palate and pocket in this truly international capital. Make the most of career opportunities and social activities, theatre, museums, music and more. 

Want to find out more? Read why we think  London is a fantastic student city , find out about  key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners . Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about  London on a budget . 

Student stories

Apurv chauhan.

MPhil/PhD Social Psychology Sitamarhi, India 

If you are a social psychologist, the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at LSE is the place you want to be. The Department is a vibrant community of scholars where some of the world leading research in societal psychology unfolds. Not only do academics partake in theoretical advancements, but they also hold a firm commitment towards solving real world problems at the grass root level. 

Quick Careers Facts for the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science

Median salary of our PG students 15 months after graduating: £33,000

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

• Financial and Professional Services              
• Education, Teaching and Research            
• Consultancy      
• Real Estate, Environment and Energy 
• Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2020-21 were the fourth group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling and who were working in full-time employment.

Students who successfully complete the programme often embark on an academic career. 

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Support for your career

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the  support available to students through LSE Careers .

Find out more about LSE

Discover more about being an LSE student - meet us in a city near you, visit our campus or experience LSE from home. 

Experience LSE from home

Webinars, videos, student blogs and student video diaries will help you gain an insight into what it's like to study at LSE for those that aren't able to make it to our campus.  Experience LSE from home . 

Come on a guided campus tour, attend an undergraduate open day, drop into our office or go on a self-guided tour.  Find out about opportunities to visit LSE . 

LSE visits you

Student Marketing, Recruitment and Study Abroad travels throughout the UK and around the world to meet with prospective students. We visit schools, attend education fairs and also hold Destination LSE events: pre-departure events for offer holders.  Find details on LSE's upcoming visits . 

How to apply

Virtual Graduate Open Day

Register your interest

Related programmes, mphil/phd social policy.

Code(s) L4ZA

MSc Social and Cultural Psychology

Code(s) L7U1

MRes/PhD in Management - Organisational Behaviour

Code(s) N2Z3

MPhil/PhD Gender

Code(s) Y2ZG

MPhil/PhD Sociology

Code(s) L3ZS

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TIPS FOR APPLYING TO THE NYU PH.D. PROGRAM IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

This page provides a guide to help you through the process of applying to the  Ph.D. Program in Social Psychology . We begin with the most important points:

Application deadline: December 1st

The requirements for an application are listed  here .

We do not require or consider GRE scores.

We welcome applications from diverse backgrounds. Our priorities are to maximize opportunities for first generation students and disadvantaged individuals including but not limited to identities based on gender, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, immigration background, undergraduate major, and others.

You will need to have research interests aligned with one or more of our  faculty .

Check out our YouTube channel for tips on constructing a strong application.

• In early Fall each year we hold a Virtual Preview Day to introduce potential applicants to our Programs and give tips about applying to graduate school. The Fall 2023 event has passed, but videos of past events, including introductions to several faculty labs and some Q&A with the participants may be viewed here .

If this guide doesn’t answer all of your questions, feel free to contact our Program Administrator or about applying to our program. (We will also be posting videos about applying to our program shortly - stay tuned.)

Should I apply to the NYU Social Psychology Ph.D. program?

We study all sorts of research areas, including social cognition, social judgment and decision making, close relationships, intergroup dynamics, stereotyping and prejudice, goals and motivation, diversity science, political psychology, person perception, and social neuroscience, among others. You should apply if you’re interested in these topics and you want to work with one or more of our  faculty . Our program is centered on basic research in these areas. We do not provide training in Clinical Psychology.

We believe science is better when it is a collaboration among people with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. Our priorities are to maximize opportunities for first generation students and disadvantaged individuals as noted above. We strive to increase the diversity and create an inclusive professional environment among our student body and faculty. For more information about support for a diverse and inclusive space that allows all people to develop their whole selves in our graduate programs, see these resources .

Related programs

Our program has overlap in research areas with the NYU Cognition & Perception Ph.D. program and several other schools and departments (Stern School of Business, Applied Psychology, Political Science, Center for Neural Science, Philosophy) and many of our  faculty  have affiliations with other departments. It is possible for graduate students to work with faculty in multiple programs, departments, or schools. You should apply to the Social Psychology Ph.D. program if your primary mentor would be a faculty member in the program. 

Who is a typical successful applicant?

There is not necessarily a typical applicant. We admit students who majored in Psychology as undergraduates, but we also admit students who majored in other disciplines. We admit students whose interests only became evident after graduating from college. We admit students who attended large research universities and small liberal-arts colleges. Although a strong college transcript is helpful, we can look past some bad grades if you provide evidence that you will be successful in our program. Each year our program admits 5-10 out of over 200 applicants, so the process is highly competitive. 

Our highest priority in ranking applications is a clear demonstration that the applicant has the creativity, skills, and research interests to do important and innovative research in an area aligned with the interests of our faculty. For all applicants, but especially those coming from another field, the best way to demonstrate potential for success is to have experience with related research (e.g., as a volunteer, research assistant, or other involvement). Each lab has different priorities for skills and experience; whereas one lab may value conducting questionnaire research online, another lab may emphasize computational skills or brain-imaging experience, and so on. You are welcome to contact potential faculty mentors before submitting your application to determine whether you are a good fit for their lab.

In our program, most students are admitted with the expectation that they will join a specific lab. If your interests are broader, you should specify all the faculty members with whom you are interested in working, and that is perfectly fine. But, it is important to clearly indicate in your application the research areas and labs that are of interest to you, because no one is admitted unless at least one faculty member says that they would be interested in having you join their lab.

All students accepted into our program are guaranteed funding for five years of graduate study. Full funding (academic year plus summer) can come from a mix of funding sources including the graduate school, faculty research grants, student pre-doctoral fellowships and teaching assistantships. NYU offers a minimum annual stipend, but most of our students make additional salary through these other sources.

What will I need to write and gather to apply?

The requirements are outlined  here  and you can start applying  here . We neither require nor consider GRE scores in our evaluation of applicants. 

Instead of the GRE, we require a Quantitative and Programming Skills Preparation resume (1 page or less, single spaced). In this document, please describe your preparation in the following areas: math, statistics, logic, computer programming, data processing, and other quantitative skills that are relevant to the program and the specific faculty research labs you are interested in. In each of these areas, you might describe university courses taken and brief description of content covered, independent courses taken, Massive Open Online Courses completed (ie. MOOCs here ), academic research experiences in labs that provided opportunities for data analysis, professional development opportunities that offered statistical training (ie. Job or career responsibilities that included database management, programming skills, data analysis), certifications in programming languages, statistics workshops completed (ie. Deep Dive workshops here ).

Applicants may not have received training in all of the following; it is not necessary to demonstrate preparation in all of the following areas. Applicants may have received training in other relevant areas and are encouraged to use additional headings as is appropriate to their own training.

You will need official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools you attended. The application includes a statement of purpose, an optional personal statement, and your CV.

The statement of purpose should describe why you are applying to our Ph.D. program. This might include experiences that inspired your interest in social psychology, such as a description of your research experience. This should not just be a list, but a description of the research questions you have worked on, how to draw a conclusion from the results, and your involvement in the work. You should include a clear indication of your current research interests, including the faculty member(s) with whom you are most interested in working. You might also mention your goals beyond the Ph.D. The statement is typically two double-spaced pages.

The optional Personal History Statement is more personal than the statement of purpose. If you wish, you can describe your personal journey that led to your application to our program. The purpose of the Personal History Statement is to get to know you as an individual and as a potential graduate student. Please speak to any aspects of your lived experiences and/or attributes which motivate you to pursue a graduate degree and how these will enrich the Graduate School of Arts and Science's learning environment. You may consider discussing any of the following questions: (1) Have you worked in public service, community service and/or other outreach services which impacted your decision to pursue graduate education? (2) Do you plan on conducting research and/or working in areas that will explore and/or expand upon under-studied or under-developed areas of academia and/or serve under-privileged populations, under-represented minority populations, or other diverse populations? (3) How will your planned studies broaden ways to promote equity and inclusion and/or positively impact the NYU community?

The CV is a resume of where you’ve been and what you’ve done. It should include your education, employment, research experience (paid, volunteer, coursework), and skills (e.g., in data collection, analysis, computer packages, programming languages, etc.). It should list research talks you’ve given or posters you’ve presented at school or scientific conferences and any publications (published, under review, or in preparation). To illustrate your research experience, you may attach a paper or poster to your application. Of course, many successful applicants will not have publications or talks to list, but if you have them, please include them.

You will also need to include at least three letters of recommendation. Letters are most effective if they come from someone who can talk about your abilities in a research environment (e.g., your faculty mentor or research supervisor). A professor from a course in which you did well is less effective, because we are more interested in your ability to move on to independent research than in your skills in taking a class. Letters from an employer in a non-research, non-academic setting are the least useful. If you worked mainly with a doctoral student or postdoc in a larger lab, a letter from this person, perhaps co-signed by the lab faculty member, can be very effective. Although we prefer letters from faculty in our field, if you did research in another field (e.g., Political Science), a letter from that mentor will still provide evidence of your ability to do research, read the literature, work independently, and so on. Finally, make sure that your recommenders follow through and upload their letters.

What do successful essays look like?

Here  is a collection of successful essays from previous applicants to NYU’s Psychology Ph.D. programs.

Where can I get further help in crafting my application and getting answers to my questions?

Contact the Program Administrator Esther Song.

Ask for a  consultation with one of our faculty or graduate students

We will also be posting videos about applying to our program here shortly - stay tuned.

What happens next?

After applications arrive on December 1st, we strive to have at least 2 faculty look at every application. We typically receive over 200 applications. The most competitive applications will be examined by additional faculty (often those they indicated as being interested in working with), and then the program faculty in addition to several graduate students meet to decide on whom we will invite to our Open House. Usually, this is a visit to New York on a Friday (usually in February) and those who can't visit (typically international students) are asked to join online interviews instead. This year, these events will be fully online. The dates will be announced here shortly. Invitations are usually made in mid-December, although this can happen in early January as well.

The Open House is an opportunity for us to get to know you better and vice versa. There will be an introduction to the Program, interviews with several faculty members, meetings with students and postdocs in your research area and meetings specifically with lab members of a lab you are considering joining. In a normal year there will be times to socialize in person with current graduate students and with faculty. This year, we will try to approximate that as best we can online.

Once the Open House is over, program faculty in addition to several graduate students meet again to determine whom to ask the graduate school to offer admission. We are limited by the graduate school on the number of applicants we are allowed to admit (based on financial considerations within the department, i.e., by comparing the number of continuing students we have to the available funds to support students from the graduate school and existing supports for current graduate students from faculty grants, training grants and students' pre-doctoral fellowships). We choose whom to admit subject to those constraints, as well as selecting other applicants who will remain on a waiting list.  Given that there are often many more qualified applicants than we have space to admit, those on the wait-list are equally qualified as those offered first.

Admitted students have until April 15th to let us know whether they will accept our offer. Those on the waiting list will only be admitted once we hear that a sufficient number of others have turned us down. As such, offers to those on the waitlist, if they happen at all, typically don't materialize until early April.

Social psychology

Psychology phd specialization.

Develop innovative solutions to social challenges and societal issues through ASU's PhD program in psychology, specializing in social psychology.

How to apply

PhD program details

Specialization description

Degree awarded: psychology, phd.

Social psychology is one of six degree specializations offered through ASU's PhD program in psychology. Working with recognized leaders in the field, students explore human social behavior through topics like:

• Cultural change
• Human-computer interactions

Several faculty members combine social psychological theory with practical applications to societal issues, giving the program an international reputation for its dual emphasis on theory and practice. The Department of Psychology fosters collaboration, engaging students in research and coursework across all disciplines, preparing graduates to tackle real-world challenges like cultural biases and human interactions.

Important dates

• September 1: Fall 2025 application opens.
• December 5: Fall 2025 application deadline.

Students must submit ASU’s graduate application and the Department of Psychology’s Slideroom application to be considered for admission.

Faculty and research labs

In the Robert B. Cialdini Social Psychology Research Labs , students work alongside highly productive faculty who are experts in social psychology.

Dr. Athena Aktipis

The cooperation lab.

The Cooperation Lab studies the tension between cooperation and conflict in social living. Using methods like human food sharing and cooperation in multicellularity and cancer, they explore decision-making and principles shaping cooperation, focusing on the benefits and threats of social living and its evolution.

Explore the lab

View faculty profile

Dr. Adam Cohen

Carma: culture, adaptation, religion, morality, anthropomorphism lab.

The CARMA Lab, co-directed by Drs. Adam Cohen and Kathryn Johnson , explores how culture, religion and morality shape behavior. They examine the influence of religious beliefs on social interactions, cultural and individual factors in belief systems and the impact of ecology on social norms. They also study stereotypes, food taboos and programming machines with human values.

Dr. Douglas Kenrick

Evolutionary social psychology co-laboratory.

Led by Drs. Douglas Kenrick, Steven Neuberg , Vaughn Becker  and Michael Varnum , the Evolutionary Social Psychology Co-Laboratory applies evolutionary psychology to study various topics such as motivation, emotion, health, prejudice, aggression and cultural change. 

Dr. Virginia Kwan

Culture and decision science network lab.

The Culture and Decision Science Network studies how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by culture. They look at how individuals perceive themselves and others, how they think within and outside their culture, and how they engage in digital and physical life.

Dr. Steven Neuberg

Evolution, ecology, and social behavior lab.

The Evolution, Ecology, and Social Behavior Lab integrates social-cognitive, evolutionary and ecological approaches to investigate the origins, nature and nuances of prejudices, stereotypes and discrimination; the ways that fundamental motivations shape cognition and social behavior; and a wide range of other issues, too.

Dr. Tamera Schneider

Health psychophysiology lab.

The Health Psychophysiology Lab researchers stress resilience, health persuasion and the science of broadening participation, particularly in STEM disciplines.

Dr. Michelle "Lani" Shiota

Splat: shiota psychophysiology laboratory for affective testing.

The SPLAT Lab addresses human emotion with emphasis on positive emotions, emotion regulation, emotion in close relationships and emotional mechanisms of behavior change. A growing body of research applies social psychology and affective science to trainings and interventions related to substance use disorder and perception of people experiencing addiction.

Dr. Michael Varnum

Culture and ecology lab.

The Culture and Ecology Lab focuses on understanding how ecological factors shape behavior, cultural variation and cultural change. The lab uses a wide range of methods to address these questions ranging from traditional experimental and quasi-experimental approaches to analyses of archival and big data.

Dr. Deborah Wu

Incoming faculty: january 2025, idea: identity development, emotions and attitudes lab.

The IDEA Lab examines how social identities and emotions shape our experiences, attitudes and behaviors. Specifically, the lab investigates the antecedents and consequences of stereotyping and prejudice, with the ultimate goal of creating interventions to improve intergroup attitudes. The lab utilizes multiple methods, including longitudinal, experimental and psychophysiological approaches.

Courses and electives

Core and skill courses (24 credits).

Core courses.  Two required advanced social psychology courses, in addition to topical seminars offered by faculty in the social psychology area.

Skill courses. Six required courses that integrate quantitative methodologies and professional development into students' work.

Electives (6 credits)

Elective breadth courses. Graduate-level courses in the developmental, biological, cognitive or clinical bases of human behavior designed to provide students with a broader perspective. Pending course availability, a teaching seminar offered by a member of the social psychology faculty may be considered as an additional elective.

Research (42 credits)

Research activities. Milestone courses, involving independent study and regular meetings with a faculty member to discuss assignments and conduct research.

Dissertation (12 credits)

Dissertation.  Supervised research including literature review, research, data collection and analysis, and writing.

Graduate students in the social psychology training area are required to complete 84 credit hours. The coursework is customized for each student, considering their prior training, research goals and mentor and committee guidance. The program typically takes five years to complete, with an opportunity to earn a master's degree en route to the PhD. Throughout the program, students aim to make unique scholarly contributions through their research.

Student Handbook

Plan of study (iPOS)

In the initial year of residence, students take the first required advanced social psychology course, a seminar on current topics and quantitative methodology classes. They also start participating in research, working with multiple faculty members.

In the second year, students take the second required social psychology course and further their statistical skills through quantitative classes. They defend an independent research project as a master’s thesis and complete electives within and outside the department.

In the third year, students focus on a major area paper, which may be a topic review, grant proposal or meta-analysis. This leads to an oral exam covering the paper and other topics, advancing the student to PhD candidacy upon successful defense.

Year 4 and 5

In the final two years, students continue research and complete their doctoral dissertation. They may gain teaching experience through a graduate seminar and participate in bi-weekly research meetings for idea exchange and feedback.

The social psychology specialization offers training that enables students to become world class researchers, teachers and practitioners. Although most graduates pursue faculty positions, many have also found opportunities in industry and the nonprofit sector.

Faculty members serve as both educators and mentors, contributing to the ongoing success of the discipline through their graduates' accomplishments.

Get in touch

• For questions about the specialization, email the social psychology area head, Dr. Michael Varnum, directly at [email protected] . 

Other specialized areas of study

Behavioral neuroscience and comparative psychology, clinical psychology, cognitive science, developmental psychology, quantitive research methods.

School of Psychological Science

Scholarships for phd and msc by research applicants, further information.

• Postgraduate master's loan
• Postgraduate Master's Loans - A Complete Guide
• Funding for postgraduate study

General application process

• Make contact with a  potential supervisor or supervisors  to gain their support in the application.
• If you do not have funding, you can be considered for scholarship opportunities
• Self-funded students currently receive £600 pa for research costs, and the School Research Committee will contribute towards the costs of presenting your research at conferences.
• Your nominated supervisor(s) and Director of Postgraduate Research Studies assess your online application. The assessment process is likely to include an interview.
• If successful, you will receive an offer letter from the Faculty of Life Sciences. This is not an offer of a scholarship.
• If you applied for a scholarship - and are eligible - you will be included in the selection process along with other candidates. We will notify you of the outcome.

Previous scholarship opportunities

Looking for 'not' where there isn't one: development of counterfactual language in young children

Application Deadline: 28 th April 2022

Primary Supervisor: Dr Nina Kazanina

About the Project

Understanding how children develop understanding of complex language is important for the study of both typical and atypical development. We focus on a class of linguistic expressions such as "I wish John came yesterday" for which the surface form is misleading: whereas the sentence states "John came yesterday", the real meaning is "John did not come yesterday, which I regret”. One could describe such expressions as having a hidden negation in them, or counterfactual. The project explores when and how children learn which expressions have a hidden negation component and whether this process is influenced by their cognitive control and theory-of-mind development.

Please use the link provided on this page to apply online:  PhD Psychology | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol

When making your application, please indicate the supervisor name and the project title on the form. Ensure you provide all supporting documents as per the programme admissions statement.

An upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in psychology or a related discipline is required for entry to this programme. English language requirements: please refer to the entry requirements as detailed on the postgraduate prospectus.

Funding Notes

This studentship is funded by the University of Bristol Studentship scheme

To be eligible to apply, you must be an international (non-UK) student

The studentship is for 4 years

Tuition and bench fees are included

The studentship includes a stipend of £15,609 per year to support living costs

Kazanina, N., Baker, S., & Seddon, H. (2020). Actuality bias in verb learning: The case of sublexically modal transfer verbs. Linguistics, 58(5), 1413-1446.

Rouvoli, L., Tsakali, V., & Kazanina, N. (2019). If they had been more transparent, the child would have discovered them more easily: How counterfactuals develop. In Proceedings of the 43rd Boston University Conference on Language Development, ed. Megan M. Brown and Brady Dailey (Vol. 549, p. 560).

Be still, my churning stomach: Exploring supplement interventions on the gut-brain axis to help NHS workers overcome daily disgust

Supervisor: Dr Edwin Dalmaijer

Disgust is a potent emotion that cleaners, nurses, and many others face every day. While disgust typically does not habituate (or only very limitedly), recent work suggests it can be overcome by a combination of disgust exposure and a drug that normalises gastric rhythm. This project will investigate the physiological response of stomach and brain using electrogastrography and electroencephalography while participants experience disgust on and off this drug. It will then test whether brief courses of domperidone (dopamine antagonist), tryptophan (serotonin precursor), or ginger (serotonin agonist) can inspire long-term disgust reductions for NHS staff.

This project offers hands-on experience with eye tracking, physiological recordings of the brain and the gut, psychopharmacology, and translation of basic science into a societally relevant application. The ideal candidate has an affinity for cognitive and affective science, interoception, and gut-brain interactions. Experience with programming (particularly in Python) is a plus, but not a requirement.

An upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in psychology or a related discipline is required for entry to this programme. For English language requirements, please refer to the entry requirements as detailed on the postgraduate prospectus.

'- Dalmaijer, E.S., Lee, A., Leiter, R., Brown, Z., & Armstrong, T. (2021). Forever yuck: Oculomotor avoidance of disgusting stimuli resists habituation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 150(8), p. 1598–1611. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001006

- Nord*, C.L., Dalmaijer*, E.S., Armstrong, T., Baker, K., & Dalgleish, T. (2021). A causal role for gastric rhythm in human disgust avoidance. Current Biology, 31(3), p. 629-634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.087

Developing a smartphone-based tool to assess and provide personalised normative feedback on portion size – the key to successful clinical intervention for the treatment of obesity?

Application Deadline: 28th April 2022

Primary Supervisor: Dr Dani Ferriday

A longstanding technical problem in human dietary research has been assessing amount of food consumed. Laboratory measured portion size is highly accurate but cannot be applied on a population basis and lacks ecological validity. By contrast, self-report diet diaries can be applied across a population but it is difficult to extract precise portion size estimates. This PhD project will validate a smartphone-based portion size assessment tool with a novel 'live feedback' feature (participants will be informed how their portion compares with population norms). This project will be supervised by Dr Dani Ferriday with co-supervision from Dr Laura Johnson, Professor Julian Hamilton-Shield (second supervisor), and Professor Jeff Brunstrom. Dr Laura Johnson (Director of Research at NatCen Social Research) will host a three-month placement to analyse population normative data in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey dataset. Professor Julian Hamilton Shield (second supervisor) will provide access to the Care of Childhood Obesity Clinic in Bristol to trial the tool in a clinical context. Professor Jeff Brunstrom has technical expertise in programming and the development of online psychophysical tools.

Goal maintenance and inhibition in atypical development

Primary Supervisor: Prof Christopher Jarrold

Controlled behaviour requires us to maintain our goals in mind while inhibiting inappropriate actions prompted by the environment. These ‘executive functions’ are widely studied in human psychology and child development, and may develop atypically in a number of conditions such as autism and Down syndrome. However, few studies manipulate goal maintenance and inhibitory demands within a single task, raising concerns about the reliability of previous work in this area . In this project you will develop novel ways of measuring executive function that systematically combine maintenance and inhibitory demands and that can be applied to a range of developmental conditions.

Keywords: Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology

Please use the link provided on this page to apply online:   PhD Psychology | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol

Jarrold, C., Wang, T., & Li, K. (2021). A novel approach to measuring the developmental interactions between working memory and inhibitory control in young cChildren. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4588

Smith, E., Hedge, C., & Jarrold, C. (2019). A novel framework to measure executive function in Down Syndrome with applications for early clinical diagnosis of dementia. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 124, 354-373. doi:10.1352/1944-7558-124.4.354

How does becoming a new parent affect our wellbeing?

Primary Supervisor: Prof Claire Haworth

Little is understood about how parenthood impacts positive aspects of our wellbeing, such as life satisfaction and meaning in life. This project will explore 1) how parenting perturbs our basic psychological needs of competence, relatedness and autonomy; 2) how parenting may have different impacts on hedonic versus eudaimonic aspects of our wellbeing; and 3) how genetic and environmental predictors can be used to explore resilience to the transition to parenthood. The project will use data on 1000s of young adults available in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, with the opportunity for further data collection in other samples.

Keywords: Health Psychology, Mental Health and Wellbeing

Nelson, S. K., Kushlev, K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2014). The pains and pleasures of parenting: When, why, and how is parenthood associated with more or less well-being? Psychological Bulletin, 140, 846-895.

Technology, Democracy, and Cognition

Primary Supervisor: Prof Stephan Lewandowsky

Democracy is at risk around the world. The reasons for this decline are complex, but the role of misinformation, spread via social media, cannot be ignored. Social media has been linked to increasing polarization and other outcomes that are detrimental to democracy, but it has also been heralded as “liberation technology”. This paradox—that the internet is both saviour and executioner of democracy—can be understood by through the lens of cognitive science and analyzing the pressure points between human cognition and online technology. This project involves a systematic exploration of those pressure points.

Kozyreva, A.; Lewandowsky, S. & Hertwig, R.

Citizens Versus the Internet: Confronting Digital Challenges With Cognitive Tools

Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2020, 21, 103-156

Lewandowsky, S. & Pomerantsev, P.

Technology and democracy: a paradox wrapped in a contradiction inside an irony

Memory, Mind & Media, 2022, 1

The company one keeps: Understanding social context effects in 'other-race' face recognition

Primary Supervisor: Dr Susanne Quadflieg

The so-called ‘other-race’ effect in face perception is one of the best replicated phenomena in psychology. Though well known to generalize across populations and research paradigms, little is known about the effect’s real-world prevalence and context-dependency. It remains particularly unclear how getting to know strangers in social situations (e.g., accompanied by same-race or cross-race friends) modulates our ability to remember their faces. Drawing on contemporary models of motivated perception and relational impression formation, the current project therefore aims to scrutinize how recognizing others depends on the social circumstances of our first encounter with them. The project will rely on experimental techniques from behavioural science in order to clarify how social context can benefit (or hinder) facial recognition. It may, for example, involve quantitative studies that expose adult perceivers to different types of relationship photographs as commonly found on social media platforms (e.g., on Instagram) in order to investigate how viewers’ memories for other people’s faces depends on the photographs’ racial diversity. The project is ideal for a person who is interested in receiving advanced training in experimental and social psychology. The successful applicant will be based at the School of Psychological Science at the University of Bristol and train under the primary supervision of Dr. Susanne Quadflieg.

Keywords: Social Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology

The neural substrates of executive function development during the first 2.5 years of life

Primary Supervisor: Dr Karla Holmboe

Executive functions are a set of core cognitive skills that allow us to control our behaviour and make adaptive decisions in everyday life. Given the importance of such skills, it is perhaps not surprising that executive functions in early childhood are key predictors of children’s academic success and socio-emotional wellbeing. In the past, executive functions were considered too complex to be meaningful and measurable in infancy and toddlerhood. However, recent work from my lab has demonstrated that with appropriate tasks we can in fact measure executive functions much earlier than previously thought. In this fully funded PhD, you will use a neuroimaging method called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate the neural substrates of executive functions as they emerge during infancy and toddlerhood. You will have the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Holmboe and her team on a new longitudinal study of 200 infants who will be assessed across four time points using a full battery of executive function tasks alongside eye-tracking and neuroimaging measures. Full training in running fNIRS test sessions with infants and in analysing fNIRS data will be provided. If you are interested in applying for this studentship, please contact Dr. Karla Holmboe at [email protected]

Impact of maternal and paternal mental health on infant executive function development

Maternal depression has a major negative influence on children’s cognitive and emotional development. However, due to limited research in infancy, it is still unclear how and when such impacts emerge and whether they are specific to maternal mental health. Furthermore, previous research has looked extensively at associations with child temperament and later socio-emotional and cognitive outcomes (Fiske et al., 2021; Rigato et al., 2020; Kingston & Tough, 2014), however, relatively little is known about how parental mental health impacts cognitive development during the first 2 years of life. This collaborative project will investigate the impact of parental mental health (anxiety and depression) on infant executive functions, a set of key regulatory skills which include inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility. The early development of these skills is key because executive functions have been shown to be predictive of later academic, social and health outcomes. The project will be jointly supervised by Dr. Karla Holmboe at the University of Bristol and Prof. Ron Rapee at Macquarie University in Sydney, and the student will spend 2 years at each university. Dr. Holmboe specialises in early executive function development and Prof. Rapee specialises in childhood mental health. If you are interested in applying for this position, please in the first instance contact Dr. Holmboe at [email protected].

UoB supervisor: Dr Karla Holmboe ( [email protected] )

MQU supervisor: Professor Ron Rapee ( [email protected] )

Please note that this PhD studentship is fully funded for home fees and stipend at UKRI rate

When making your application, please use the programme title Psychology (PhD) (Macquarie), indicate the supervisor name and the project title on the form. Ensure you provide all supporting documents as per the programme admissions statement.

Application deadline 29th April 2022.

When spelling goes wrong, what does the way we fix it tell us: Exploring the architecture of spelling through interventions

In English words, relationships between letters and sounds are not always regular (e.g., yacht). Even so, knowledge of regular relationships between letters and sounds can influence how successfully people learn to spell “irregular words” – in other words, sub-lexical knowledge can influence orthographic (written) and phonological (spoken) lexical knowledge. The precision and quality of lexical knowledge is also influenced by the way it is taught (for example, writing a word or sounding it out to create a ‘spelling pronunciation’ can lead to better orthographic learning than just seeing and hearing a word). We are interested in exploring what happens to lexical knowledge when people are exposed to competing orthographic and phonological lexical representations and/or competing phoneme-to-grapheme conversions (e.g., when there are two possible spellings for a sound in English, or when bilingual speakers learn competing phoneme-to-grapheme conversions), and what this might tell us about the architecture of our reading and spelling system. This project will investigate interventions with typical and atypical children (and adults) to examine how we acquire and integrate lexical and non-lexical orthographic representations and processes. The funding will enable the student to spend the first two years of the project at the University of Bristol and years 3 and 4 at Macquarie University. If you are interested in applying for this position, please in the first instance contact Dr Polly Barr ([email protected]).

UoB supervisors: Dr Polly Barr ( [email protected] ) & Professor Markus Damian ( [email protected] )

MQ supervisors: Dr Saskia Kohnen ( [email protected] ) & Dr Danielle Colenbrander ( [email protected] )

Application deadline 29th April 2022

Cognitive control of behaviour in neurodivergent populations

This project will apply new experimental methods to the study of cognitive control of behaviour among children with one or more neurodevelopmental conditions. A better understanding of the profile of strengths and weaknesses in this area will inform ways of supporting individuals’ ability to inhibit inappropriate actions and to act in line with their internal goals. Both Prof. Jarrold (University of Bristol) and Assoc. Prof. Porter (Macquarie University, Sydney) have experience of working with neurodivergent populations including autism, Down syndrome, and Williams syndrome. In this project you will benefit from their collective experience but also shape the precise research questions being asked. The funding will enable the student to spend the first two years of the project at the University of Bristol and years 3 and 4 at Macquarie University.

UoB supervisor: Professor Chris Jarrold ( [email protected] )

MQ supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Melanie Porter ( [email protected] )

Decolonising the Psychology Research Methods Curriculum: Cotutelle PhD Studentship (University of Bristol, UK, and Macquarie University, Australia)

This PhD studentship will explore, develop, and test strategies for approaching decolonisation in the psychology research methods curriculum. It will provide four years’ funding (tuition fees plus stipend) for a home (UK), EU or international student to design, undertake and disseminate a programme of research that will have impact on psychology research methods pedagogy in the UK and internationally. Members of historically under-represented, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse populations are strongly encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will spend the first half of their studentship at the University of Bristol (UK), and the second half at Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia). 

The successful candidate will have:

- A first or strong upper second-class honours degree (or international equivalent) in psychology or a related discipline.

- A demonstrated interest in at least one of the following: (a) decolonisation in higher education; (b) psychology research methods pedagogy; (c) programming web applications.

- Extensive knowledge of psychological research methods.

- Strong computational skills, ideally with some experience of programming.

This studentship presents an excellent opportunity to make a meaningful positive contribution to the future of psychology education, whilst simultaneously developing a broad range of research skills. Given the subject matter of the studentship, it is also anticipated that the successful candidate will become involved in a range of teaching and learning activities at both institutions and have a strong commitment to building international collaborations and networks.

In your one-page personal statement, in addition to demonstrating how you are ready to study at a doctoral level, please ensure that you clearly describe and illustrate the knowledge, skills, experiences and personal characteristics that make you a good fit for this specific studentship. In your 250-word research statement please sketch out a programme of research that would address the aims of this project, as outlined above. However, please understand that the actual nature of the project will be shaped in consultation with the project supervisors and other stakeholders during the early months of the studentship.

The deadline for applications is 20 May 2022. Shortlisting will take place in the final week of May, followed shortly thereafter by interviews (which will be conducted online). It is anticipated that the successful candidate will begin their studentship in Bristol in September 2022.

Apply online at: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/2022/life-sciences/phd-psychology-/

When making your application, use the programme title Psychology (PhD) (Macquarie), indicate Dr Peter Allen as supervisor and include the project title on the form. Please ensure you supply all supporting documents to your application as specified in the admissions statement.

For any queries, please contact Dr Peter Allen at [email protected]

Supervisors :

Primary: Prof Stephan Lewandowsky

Secondary: Prof Adam Finn, Dr Emma Anderson, Dr Harriet Fisher

You have the opportunity to

• complete a PhD at an internationally renowned research university
• take part in a contemporary project with high practical relevance
• work in a large collaborative team dedicated to top-tier research and fostering a positive atmosphere
• partake in career development, including mentoring, feedback, and (international) conferences
• develop broad skills through professional engagement and teaching experience

Full Project Detail:

The project is called JITSUVAX. It is funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme and addresses vaccine hesitancy—the delay or refusal of vaccination without medical indication. Hesitancy has been cited as a serious threat to global health by the World Health Organization (WHO), identifying misinformation on the internet as a contributing factor. JITSUVAX leverages those insights to turn toxic misinformation into a potential asset based on two premises: 1. The best way to acquire knowledge and to combat misperceptions is by employing misinformation as a teaching tool, 2. HCPs (health care professionals) form the critical link between vaccination policies and vaccine uptake.

The principal objective of JITSUVAX is to leverage misinformation about vaccinations into an opportunity by training HCPs to neutralize misinformation among HCPs and enabling them to communicate more effectively with patients. The findings from JITSUVAX will be disseminated with the aid of collaborators within WHO and UNICEF to leverage new knowledge for global impact.

The PhD student will be based in Bristol and will conduct laboratory research locally or online. The research will involve a mix of quantitative and qualitative behavioural methods. The project involves additional nodes in Cambridge, France, Finland, Germany, and Portugal with the PhD student potentially spending time at other nodes as the project requires.

Find out more:  https://sks.to/c19vax  &  h ttps://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2021/february/vaccine-hesitancy.html

Entry requirements:  Applicants need a first or upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in Psychology or related discipline (e.g., cognitive science).

Funding information: The studentship provides a stipend at the standard rate (approximately £15,000 per annum) for the duration of the studentship (3 years) plus tuition fees at the UK rate.

Contact details for informal enquiries:  [email protected]

How to apply:   http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/ .

About the Project:  A 3 x year fully funded (stipend and fees) EPSRC PhD studentship for UK/EU students (Conditions may apply to non-UK students) in the area of Relationship Science.

In contemporary societies such as the UK, young adults increasingly report feelings of social isolation, with feelings particularly high in ardent social media users. The current project therefore aims to adopt an experimental approach to scrutinize the psychological impact of social media use. Drawing on contemporary models of social impression formation and attachment theory, in particular, it aims to investigate how high (vs. low) exposure to overly positive relationship displays as common on social media affects young adults’ own relationship ideals, satisfaction, and investment.

The project will use behavioural science experimental techniques to clarify how social media can benefit (or hinder) close relationship formation and maintenance. For more details, please discuss with the project lead.

Background:  The studentship is based in the lab of Dr Susanne Quadflieg, in collaboration with Dr Angela Rowe, based at the School of Psychological Science at the University of Bristol, UK. In the 2014 REF, it was one of the UK's top ten universities for its research in psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. The supervisory team has an international reputation for their work in social psychology.

The person:  The project is ideal for a person who is interested in receiving advanced training in experimental and social psychology. The person would ideally have an undergraduate or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (Psychology or Computer Science). Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this work, applicants with a different scientific background but a strong interest in the topic will also be considered. Prior experience with statistical computing software (e.g., SPSS, R), behavioural presentation software (e.g., PsychoPy), and/or image processing software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop) would be desirable.

Further details and contact:  Standard EPSRC eligibility rules apply. The post will ideally start in July 2021, but is flexible. This advert will remain open until a suitable candidate is recruited with shortlisting at the end of each month. For informal enquires about this post email:  [email protected]

Funding Notes:  Please make an online application for this project at  http://www.bris.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply . Please select < PhD Experimental Psychology>  on the Programme Choice page. You will be prompted to enter details of this EPSRC-studentship in the Funding and Research Details sections of the form. Please ensure that in this section you write “I would like to be considered for the EPSRC funding award in the School of Psychological Science” and specify the name of the supervisor: Susanne Quadflieg.

Microsoft Funded PhD: Using AI to develop joint attention in blind children

Application information : We are seeking a person with an interest in employing human-computer interaction methodologies to evaluate new AI technologies and their impact on children over time. The ideal person would have an undergraduate or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline such as Computer Science, Psychology or Social Science and would be interested in both quantitative and qualitative methods. Strong background in design and evaluation, experience working with children, disability, or minority population as well as demonstrated capability for research (e.g. through publication) are particularly desirable.

Funding : The post must start by September/October 2020 and will be funded over 4 years. The award covers an enhanced EPSRC stipend, home-based student fees and a substantial budget for consumables, travel and subsistence. The person will also have an opportunity to intern at Microsoft Research.

Eligibility:  Standard EPSRC eligibility rules apply: Normally, to be eligible for a full award a student must have no restrictions on how long they can stay in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the studentship (with some further constraint regarding residence for education). There is limited flexibility of universities to include EU students and international.  

Applicants are encouraged to contact us as soon as possible. For further details or to discuss this contact  Dr Oussama Metatla  including a full CV and any relevant details.

  The Chinese Scholarship Council-University of Bristol Joint Scholarship Scheme

Forty (40) fully-funded PhD scholarships for up to 48 months of research at the University of Bristol.

Eligibility: Chinese students already studying in the UK (or other countries). Chinese students attending their home universities.

Candidates  apply directly to Bristol  

Deadline : Midday (UK time) on 25 January 2021.

University of Bristol Alumni Scholarship Scheme

A  10% discount on postgraduate tuition fees  for University of Bristol graduates.

Students must start the programme within 10 years of graduation and be progressing from the final year of an undergraduate programme or taught masters programme. Eligible programmes include PhD and MSc by Research.

A University of Bristol-Macquarie University Cotutelle PhD Scholarship Programme

Funded PhD opportunity at the University of Bristol

Area: Optimised acquisition and coding for future immersive formats Funder: EPSRC/BBC R&D iCASE award: Supervisor: Professor David Bull, Professor Iain Gilchrist Funding: EPSRC iCASE award with BBC Research and Development

For further information about this studentship, please contact:

[email protected]

Trust, identity, privacy and security in large-scale infrastructures (TIPS-at-scale)

Computational Statistics and Data Science – COMPASS

Fully funded PhD studentships in Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Fully funded PhD studentship in Digital Health and Social Care

Orange Alert

Social psychology graduate program overview.

Sarah E. Burke Associate Professor [email protected]

Intergroup Bias Lab

Accepting new applicants this year.

Brett K. Jakubiak Associate Professor [email protected]

Close Relations and Healthy Living Lab

Jessie B. Joyce Assitant Teaching Professor [email protected]

Laura V. Machia Professor [email protected]

Close Relationships Lab

Leonard Newman Professor [email protected]

Jeewon Oh Assistant Professor [email protected]

Zahra Vahedi Assistant Teaching Professor [email protected]

Our department has eliminated the GRE General Test for admission to the fall 2025 class. Applicants should NOT submit their GRE scores through ETS nor report their scores in the application portal or on their CVs or personal statements.

Please note that our interviews for Fall 2025 will be offered virtually.

The social psychology training program at Syracuse University was established in 1924 by Floyd Henry Allport (1890-1978) and is the oldest of its kind in the world. Consistent with the tradition begun by Dr. Allport, the training program embraces research as a central focus for the training of social psychologists.

The Syracuse University Social Psychology program was developed for students entering with a bachelor's degree in psychology or a graduate degree in related fields. Among the 90 credit hours that are required for the Ph.D. degree, course requirements include 15 credit hours of theoretical social psychology, 9 credit hours of social psychology methodology, 6 credit hours of statistics, 9 credit hours of other psychology courses, 6 hours of thesis and 18 hours of dissertation credits. In addition to course work, students are expected to participate in research with program faculty throughout their graduate training career.

A complete application is due December 1 and includes official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work, three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant's academic and/or professional work, and a personal statement. Your personal statement should briefly (2-3 pages) describe your educational background, relevant professional and/or research experiences, plans for graduate study, and career aspirations. The statement should include a discussion of factors that shaped your interest in applying to Syracuse University. For example, what inspired your decision to pursue doctoral training? What areas of research would you like to pursue as a doctoral student? Which professor(s) in the program are best aligned with your background and research interests?

Brownbag provides a platform for discussion of current topics in social psychology as well as professional development for our graduate students (writing skills, methodological and analytic skills, etc.). Often, we invite speakers from other departments and universities to present their work - all are welcome to attend these meetings! For more information email [email protected] .

The Department of Psychology makes a determined effort to provide at financial support for all graduate students in good standing. For decades, all Psychology graduate students in good standing have been funded. Financial support consists of tuition scholarship, assistantships that provide a competitive stipend, research funding, and the opportunity for summer assistantships.

Tuition Scholarship

Students receive 24 hours of remitted tuition per year (at $1,683 per credit hour), up to 90 credits in total across the span of the graduate career, which funds the full PhD program of study. The tuition scholarship does not cover the costs of student fees or student insurance.

Assistantships

Students receive a competitive stipend that meets or exceeds the cost of living in Syracuse from one of several different sources including teaching assistantships, clinical assistantships, internships or externships, research assistantships, or fellowships. In most cases these are 9-month appointments although some are 12-month positions. Teaching assistants support the education of undergraduate students by teaching lab or recitation sections, grading, providing reviews, proctoring exams, or other activities. Research assistantships support a specific research project, typically one funded by extramural funding agencies such as the NIH. Fellowships provide protected time to pursue independent research projects. Clinical assistantships provide mental health services to community and campus clients. Internships and externships are offered in conjunction with community partners.

Summer Funding

Summer funding opportunities are available in the form of independent teaching, clinical assistantships, research assistantships, or fellowships.

Research Support

The department offers a research fund to support the research and professional development of each student. These funds can be used for the collection or analysis of data, to attend a scientific conference or workshop, or other purposes that will enhance student training.

Cost of Living Comparison

Syracuse is a very affordable city. We encourage you to use a cost of living comparison (like the one at this site ) to compare Syracuse to other cities.

For more information about the program, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page. Please direct requests to: [email protected] .

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Social and Health Psychology Overview

Program of Study

The Doctoral Program in Social and Health Psychology offers courses and research training leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. This program is a good choice for students who are interested in a research career in social psychology, health psychology, or the interface between these two disciplines (e.g., application of social psychology theory to health problems). Social psychology focuses on topics such as social comparison processes, social support processes, prejudice and racism, stereotyping, the representation and processing of social experience, social cognition, and social neuroscience.  Health psychology focuses on identifying, evaluating, and enhancing the psychosocial and behavioral factors that promote health, prevent disease, or affect adjustment to disease. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a departmental close relationships concentration that includes faculty members and students in other areas. Students in our graduate program work collaboratively with faculty members on research projects of mutual interest.

A variety of courses are offered so that students can fulfill requirements by selecting the courses that best fit their interests and needs. Within the first three years, students are required to take Statistics.  They also select 3 courses within the Social and Health Area, and three departmental breadth courses. In addition, students have the opportunity to receive training in methodological and quantitative techniques such as structural equation modeling and meta-analysis and they may elect to complete a quantitative concentration . Students may also take courses in other departments of the university. Some students complete a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies. A noteworthy feature of the program is that considerable emphasis is placed on professional socialization. Seminars are offered on topics such as career issues, teaching methods, and grant writing.  Another important feature of our program is its cultural and ethnic diversity.  Every effort is made to recruit members of underrepresented groups.  We strive to integrate cultural and ethnic concerns into all aspects of graduate training.  Students also receive guidance and practice in teaching, including at least two semesters of direct instruction of undergraduates.  A second-year research paper is required. Students are expected to complete a Specialties Project (e.g., literature review, meta-analysis, grant proposal, or research project) and to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. at the end of the third year. The dissertation is ordinarily completed in the fourth or fifth year (see Social and Health Area Requirements for further information).

The Faculty and Their Research

Areas of particular strength in the faculty’s research include the study of close relationships; prejudice, racism, and stereotyping; the representation and processing of social experience, motivation, and self-regulation; social rejection; lifespan development and ageing; the impact of stress and coping on health; women’s health issues, including breast cancer, pregnancy, and childbirth; and methodology.

Antonio Freitas, Professor; Ph.D., Yale, 2002. Social cognition, motivation, self-regulation.

Sheri Levy, Professor; Ph.D., Columbia, 1998. Development, maintenance, and reduction of prejudice among adults and children; social cognition and prosocial behavior.

Marci Lobel, Professor; Ph.D., UCLA, 1989. Stress, coping, and physical health; psychosocial factors in women’s reproductive health; social comparison processes.

Bonita London, Professor; Ph.D., Columbia University, 2006.  Social identity, stereotyping and prejudice, gender- and race-based marginalization, stress and coping, social and motivational factors in academic engagement.

Anne Moyer, Professor; Ph.D., Yale, 1995. Psychosocial issues surrounding cancer risk and treatment, women’s health, research synthesis, research methodology.

Stacey B. Scott, Associate Professor and Area Head; Ph.D., University of Notre Dame, 2009. Stress, emotions, health, lifespan development, longitudinal and intensive measurement designs and analysis.

Everett Waters, (Emeritus); Ph.D., Minnesota, 1977. Social and personality development, parent-child and adult-adult attachment relationships.

Harriet Salatas Waters, (Emerita); Ph.D., Minnesota, 1976. Social cognitive development, parent-child co-construction of event representations, representation of early experience in memory.

Camille Wortman, (Emerita) Professor; Ph.D., Duke, 1972. Reactions to stressful life experiences, particularly bereavement; role of social support and coping strategies in ameliorating the impact of life stress; others’ reactions to those who experience life crises. 

Associated Faculty in Other Stony Brook Departments

Barbara Burkhard, Ph.D., University at Stony Brook, 1976. Child abuse and neglect.

Judith A. Crowell, M.D., University of Vermont, 1978. Child and adolescent psychiatry; the attachment system across the life span; parent-child and adult-adult interactions.

Manuel London, (Emeritus) Ph.D., The Ohio State University, 1974. Performance management, career development, group learning.

Brittain Mahaffey, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, 2013. Perinatal stress and anxiety disorders; behavioral intervention development; telemedicine and e-health interventions.   

Joyce Sprafkin, Ph.D., University at Stony Brook, 1978. Child psychopathology; AHDH; tic disorders; effects of television on child behavior.

Sarah Sternglanz, (Emerita) Ph.D., Stanford University, 1973.  Gender and gender expression  development; including bidirectional associations with school experience, choice of major/career, and media representations. 

Research Facilities

The Social and Health Area maintains active laboratories with state-of-the-art facilities for research and graduate training. At present, researchers are conducting laboratory and field studies on attachment, reproductive health, close relationships, social neuroscience, stress and coping, social/cognitive development, prejudice, social cognition, academic engagement, volunteerism, meta-analysis, and medical decision making. Social and Health Area faculty members also have affiliations with a number of other departments in the university, including Stony Brook University Medical School.

Financial Aid

Ph.D. students who remain in good standing normally receive five years of financial support, which is currently $26,000 for the 9-month academic year . This funding is associated with teaching or research responsibilities. Social and Health students making good progress receive additional summer funding from sources such as summer teaching assignments, work-study programs, and faculty research grants; summer support currently averages $2,500.

Student Group

The Department of Psychology is one of Stony Brook’s largest graduate departments. More than 600 Ph.D. degrees have been awarded since the program began more than forty years ago.

Student Outcomes

The Social and Health program prepares students who are highly competitive for top research and teaching positions in academic institutions, research organizations, policy institutes, government agencies, and health-care settings. Most students graduate with publications in top journals, including Psychological Bulletin, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Health Psychology, and the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Placements include assistant professor positions at Case Western Reserve University, University of Maryland, University of Vermont, Syracuse University, Cornell Medical School, Penn State University, SUNY Oswego, California State University,  Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Pace University, City University of New York, as well as postdoctoral or research positions at Ohio State University, Yale University, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, University of North Carolina,  University of California, the National Institutes of Health, and other institutions.

Stony Brook is located on the North Shore of Long Island in a region of beaches and small historic villages. It is 60 miles east of New York City, conveniently connected by the Long Island Railroad (which stops at the edge of campus). Nearby research facilities at Cold Spring Harbor and Brookhaven National Laboratories provide additional advantages for the scientific community.

The University

Stony Brook University , flagship campus of the SUNY system, is a world-class, student-centered research university. Stony Brook is ranked in the top 1 percent of the world's higher education institutions by the  Times Higher Education World University Rankings . The University has more than 20,000 students, including nearly 8,000 graduate students.

The application deadline is December 15.  For more information, prospective students can visit.  https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/psychology/graduate/application_instructions  or  https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/psychology/graduate/admission_requirements .   Online applications are required.  They should be submitted to the Graduate School at  https://grad.stonybrook.edu/admissions/ . 

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Jarrell E. Daniels

Phd in psychology and social intervention.

Email: [email protected]

Program: PhD in Psychology and Social Intervention

Year entered Program: 2024

Research Interests: Youth violence prevention, inter-group conflict; gang desistance; adolescent development, trauma, resilience; resource scarcity

Principal Advisor(s): Dr. Rezarta Bilali, Dr. Shabnam Javdani

Research Description/Bio: Jarrell E. Daniels is a Ph.D. student in the Psychology and Social Intervention program in the Applied Psychology department. His research focuses on understanding and addressing youth violence through evidence-based interventions and community collaboration. Jarrell examines the complex interplay between resource scarcity, gang involvement and adolescent development. By exploring the ecological and socio-emotional factors that contribute to youth violence, he aims to develop and implement interventions that support vulnerable adolescents and their families. His current research projects include evaluating the effectiveness of the Project Restore gang intervention program, studying positive pathways out of gang membership and the lasting impact of trauma on adolescent behavior, while assessing the role of government-community partnerships in preventing youth violence.  Moreover, Jarrell examines the mechanisms of peer influence, music culture, and social networks in gang dynamics, as well as the effects of systemic factors like poverty and discrimination on adolescent outcomes. His ultimate goal is to inform policy and practice through rigorous research, contributing to safer communities and healthier developmental trajectories for young people. Jarrell holds a BA in Sociology and African American Studies from the School of General Studies at Columbia University.   

Curriculum vitae  

From academia to addiction: understanding the mechanism behind how academic stress fuels social media addiction in PhD students

• Published: 16 August 2024

Cite this article

• Along He 1 &
• Lili Zhu 1  

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PhD life is a challenging phase and often faced with heavy academic stress. Indulging in social media may be one of the coping styles to relieve this stress. However, the underlying mechanisms by which academic stress affects social media addiction among PhD students are not fully understood. In this study, 431 PhD students (male: n  = 243, 56.38%; female: n  = 188, 43.62%; mean age = 27.34 years, SD = 2.70 years) completed online self-report measures of academic stress, anxiety, desire thinking, loneliness, and social media addiction. Grounded in general strain theory and the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, we conducted mediation and moderated mediation model analysis to examine the associations among these variables. The results indicated that academic stress was positively associated with social media addiction and this association was sequentially mediated by anxiety and desire thinking. Furthermore, loneliness moderated and strengthened the positive association between academic stress and social media addiction. We provided empirical support for the feasibility of integrating desire thinking into the I-PACE model. Our research also calls on society to pay attention to the mental health issues affecting these populations and encouraging them to actively participate in offline activities, seek social support, reduce their dependence on social media, and improve stress management and psychological adjustment.

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The data underlying this article will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author.

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He, A., Zhu, L. From academia to addiction: understanding the mechanism behind how academic stress fuels social media addiction in PhD students. Curr Psychol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06457-9

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06457-9

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