Dr Michelle Ryan's research focuses on gender discrimination and she has a particular interest in the psychology surrounding the appointment of women to leadership positions.
Dr Darren Croft's primary research interest lies in understanding the structure,
function and implications (ecological and evolutionary) of social
interactions in animals.
Professor Ian McLaren's interests include learning, memory, cognition and control with an emphasis on computational modelling.Our research
Psychology at Exeter is a leading centre of psychological research, ranking 11th in the UK for world leading activity2. We have active programmes of research in many fascinating areas of human and animal behaviour, specialising in visual perception, social psychology, organisational psychology, economic and consumer psychology, environmental psychology, psychopathology, human cognition, cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology.
Our researchers work to ensure that new knowledge and expertise is quickly and effectively applied, helping to shape social and economic policy, enhance business practice or improve the health and well-being of the population. From playing a central role in creating new professional guidelines for treating depression, to working with large organisations such as the Ministry of Defence and National Health Service, our leading academics ensure the impact of our research is far reaching.
Each year we attract around £1.3 million in external research funding from UK Research Councils and charities. In addition, our research is supported by links with government organisations (including the MET office, NHS, and the armed forces) and the commercial sector (including IBM, Microsoft, CIPD).
Our research is organised into four groups:
Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour
The Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour is one of the few international groups with research strengths in behavioural ecology, sensory ecology, animal cognition and applied ethology.
Clinical research group
The Clinical research group works to advance theoretical knowledge and clinical practice through applied research. In partnership with the National Health Service, the group focuses on mood disorders through the Mood Disorders Centre.
Cognition research group
The Cognition research group focuses on learning and memory, attention and executive control, language processing, developmental and comparative perspectives and consciousness. The group contains two specialist research centres: The Centre for Clinical Neuropsychology Research and Exeter Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience.
Social, Economic, Environmental and Organisational research group
The Social, Environmental and Organisational research group has established an international reputation for their work in social identity theory, organisational psychology, group behaviour, environmental psychology and social cognition. This research group also contains the centre for research on Identity and the Psychology of Self in Society (IPSIS).
Research degrees
We welcome people to study for an MPhil and PhD in the School of Psychology. An MPhil/PhD offers an exciting opportunity to work with internationally leading researchers at the cutting-edge of research, within a close-knit and supportive environment. Find out more about our research programmes.
1RAE 2008 based on percentage of research categorised as 4* (world leading)
