Exploring Kindness as a JRA

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By Alessia Goglio

Being a Psychology undergraduate here at Sussex enabled me to explore different domains of interest in this fascinating subject and to develop my passion for “Positive Psychology”, the field that studies what is good in life.  Among the topic explored in this field, there is kindness: a construct that had been shown to not only improve life satisfaction and well-being but also friendships and relationships.

Kindness is a topic of growing interest in our university and one of the five core values of the Sussex 2025 Strategic Framework. Therefore, when I was given the amazing opportunity to work as a Junior Research Associate during summer 2018, I decided, with the help of my supervisor Professor Robin Banerjee and my mentor Jessica Cotney, to conduct a mixed-methods research investigating this positive construct.

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My JRA experience at the EDGE Lab

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By Alexandra Schmidt

Over the summer I had the pleasure to be part of the Junior Research Associate scheme and conduct my first own piece of research in the EDGE lab. I got interested in the scheme when I visited the poster exhibition of the previous year’s JRA students and was amazed to see all the exciting and interesting research everyone was conducting.

For my project, I wanted to look at resilience and factors which may protect at-risk individuals from potential maladaptive outcomes, such as depression.

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Grouping by attainment in schools: can psychological interventions help turbo-charge poor students’ performance?

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By Ian Hadden

Last month I attended the impressive – and buzzy – sell-out researchED 2018 annual conference in London.

The highlight for me was a fascinating piece of research presented by Becky Francis and Jeremy Hodgen of the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) on grouping secondary school students into classes (‘sets’) by attainment. This is often known as ‘setting’. Read more ›

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Psychology’s Ingenious Bar

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We work hard to provide a great student experience for our students. We also want to make sure that there is always a place where you can tell us how to make your time at Sussex even better. That place is the Ingenious Bar, a drop-in session with the Head of School and/or members of the Management Team to speak about your experience as a psychology student at Sussex: what you like, what you don’t like, and any queries you might have about your course. Anything you tell us will be confidential, and we will try our best to take any suggestions on board.

Who is the Ingenious Bar for?

The Ingenious Bar is for you! Any Psychology student, from undergrad level to PhD, can use the Ingenious Bar.

How does it work? What kind of subjects can I discuss at the Ingenious Bar?

That depends on you. You might want to tell us how much you like your course (we’d love that!), or point out certain things that in your opinion could be better. You might have an idea for a School related initiative or event that the we could sponsor. You might have a query about a module, and your convenor or Academic Advisor is not available. You might be going through a difficult situation and want to talk about how this is impacting your studies (we’ll do our best to support you). In the past, we have received queries about marking criteria, project work, and even parking spaces. Whatever the subject, we want to hear it!

The staff at the Ingenious Bar will try to answer your queries on the spot or refer you to the relevant person. We will make sure to chase it up and get back to you with an answer as soon as possible. Every term we will publish a report here on the School blog, a kind of ‘you said, we did’. The report will not include student names to ensure that all queries remain confidential.

Who will be at the Ingenious Bar?

The Head of the School and the other members of the School’s Management Team will take turns at the desk:

Title Name
Head of School Prof Thomas Ormerod
Deputy Head of School Prof Robin Banerjee
Director of Teaching and Learning Dr Jessica Horst
Director of Student Experience Dr Richard De Visser
Director of Doctoral Studies Dr Sarah King
Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange Prof Martin Yeomans
Director of Recruitment and Admissions Dr Ryan Scott

We are also organising special sessions dedicated to specific themes, from assessment to careers in Psychology, and we will invite guest speakers from other sections of the University.

Check the calendar on this Canvas site to see who will be at the Ingenious Bar and when.

When and where?

Every Monday to Thursday, between 12:30 and 13:30, at the reception desk in the School Office (Pevensey 1, 2A13). The calendar on the UG Psychology module on Canvasshows the days and times when the Ingenious Bar will be open.

 

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Student view: studying Psychology at Sussex

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By Leila Davis

When I began studying psychology at Sussex in 2015, my biggest fear was how I would cope with the research and statistical aspect of the course, and generally whether I could cope with degree level work. It was only when I began studying on the course and started worrying about my ability that I realised there was an abundance of help available, and all I needed to do was ask.

Leila in the photo booth at the Finalist Party in June 2018

From then on, whenever an assignment or topic left me feeling worried or overwhelmed, I would take advantage of the following resources: forums, my academic advisor, office hours, course convenors, drop-in sessions, tutors and mentors. I have used every single one of these resources, and each time I have received the help I was looking for. Read more ›

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Keep calm and manage impulsivity

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By Aleksandra Herman

Have you ever gone grocery shopping to get some bread and milk, and you found yourself leaving the shop with a bag full of items that you never intended (and needed) to buy? Or maybe you’ve committed to keeping a diet, but found it impossible to resist another helping of that delicious chocolate cake? Or perhaps instead of analysing all available information before making an important decision, you tend to make a choice on impulse?

We all behave impulsively, to some extent, on a daily basis. Sometimes, acting impulsively is harmless or even advantageous, for example when there is little time to react, or when the matter is of little importance (e.g. ‘what am I having for dinner tonight?’). Keeping a healthy balance is important though: Too much impulsivity leads to negative consequences and has been associated, among other things, with alcohol abuse, addictions, overeating or dangerous sexual behaviours (e.g. unprotected sex). Increased levels of impulsivity are also characteristic features of certain neuropsychiatric conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  Read more ›

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Final Year “Retreat” Programme 2018-19

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It’s back and it’s bigger and better than ever – drawing on student feedback from the January and September 2017 events, we’ve put together 3 events over your final year to provide extra support on careers, wellbeing, and the dissertation. Find out more and sign up below!  Read more ›

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Depression and Cognitive Ageing

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By Amber John

Depression is a common mental health problem which is experienced by people of all ages. It is estimated that each year around 1 in 5 people in the UK will experience depressive symptoms. Depression encompasses lots of different kinds of symptoms which can range from mild to severe. This can include psychological symptoms (such as a continuous low mood, feelings of hopelessness and guilt and lacking motivation), physical symptoms (such as changes in sleeping patterns, weight and appetite changes, and loss of energy), and social symptoms (such as withdrawal from friends and family, or underperforming at school or work). For more information on recognising symptoms of depression, follow this link to the NHS website, which can describe this in more depth: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/clinical-depression/symptoms/  Read more ›

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The dangers of over-hyping ‘sugar addiction’.

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By Jenny Morris

Sugar seems to be frequently vilified in the media. Just a quick google search and headlines report ‘Sugar can destroy your brain’, ‘Sugar is as addictive as cocaine’ and ‘Sugar addiction ‘should be treated as a form of drug abuse’. It’s frequently referred to as an addictive drug, which supports people who build successful careers out of teaching people to avoid the perils of sugar. But how well founded are these claims and should you really cut sugar out of your diet?

Firstly, it’s important to understand that we absolutely need sugar in our diets. Glucose is an essential substance for cell growth and maintenance. The brain accounts for only 2% of our body weight yet uses approximately 20% of glucose derived energy, it’s vital to consume sugar to support basic cognitive functions. Disruption of normal glucose metabolism can have dangerous effects, resulting in pathological brain function. Yet there is concern that overconsumption may lead to a multitude of adverse health effects.  Read more ›

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An appetite for bringing research into practice at ResearchED

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By Ian Hadden

ResearchED is getting big. A ‘grassroots movement’ started by a former teacher, it aims to bridge the gap between research and practice in education. Since I’m researching how simple, well-timed social psychological interventions can help kids from low-income families thrive at school, I went along to their London event last September see what it was all about. That is, me and an awful lot of other delegates. On a Saturday. Standing room only.  Read more ›

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