Getting into the Mind-set of Psychology Research
Dr Liz Kirk from the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Psychology has successfully secured two research grants enabling her to provide “hands-on” research experience to two exceptional students.
BPS Undergraduate Research Assistant Award
Through the Undergraduate Research Assistant Award from the British Psychological Society (BPS), Dr Kirk has been able to employ Emily Stears, an outstanding second year psychology undergraduate during the summer vacation. Emily is working as a research assistant on a project entitled “An exploration of the relationship between symbolic gesture and pretend play in infancy”.
British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust Grant
As well as employing an undergraduate, Dr Kirk can also now employ an exceptional psychology graduate as a research assistant. Through a new research grant funded by a collaboration between the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust, Lisa Wheatley, who has just completed her degree this year with First Class honours, will work on a four month research project entitled “The relationship between symbolic gesture, maternal mind-mindedness and theory of mind.” This research follows up on the baby participants from a previous PhD study into baby-signing and who are now six years old!
Great opportunity
Dr Kirk said: “These research grants provide a fantastic opportunity for enthusiastic and capable students to be involved in research projects. It gives them the chance to gain an insight into scientific research and consider it as a career. And it really gives their CVs a distinctive edge.”