Overview
My work explores diversifying consciousness for flourishing.
I investigate how perceptions of Normality and its challenging trigger mechanisms with layered impact on individual and collective potential for transformation.
My PhD research explores the the pluripotency of psychedelic-induced psychological transformations (Economic and Social Research Council funded project with Celia Morgan and Gosia Gocłowska; 2021-2024).
I am interested in mechanisms that unlock mental plasticity (trauma - growth) and their role in shaping the subjective nature of individual and shared 'Reality'.
I look at the personal, inter-personal and group dynamics underlying Normality and evaluations of those that challenge it.
The meaning of diversity for the individual, deeper inter-personal connection and socio-psychological inclusion, become drivers to my interest in Cognitive, Social, and Developmental Psychology, and their intersecting applications for mental health and social policy.
I adopt a philosophical approach as a psychologist with the guiding principle that "the past informs and constrains us through the probable; it does not have to restrain us, from the possible."
At Exeter's Psychology department I have worked with Professor Rutland’s Developmental Intergroup Processes lab, looking at children’s and adolescents’ social-moral reasoning and the role norms play across development.
On the Bystander project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the team looks at children’s and adolescents’ bystander reactions to, and evaluations of, the social exclusion of immigrant peers. I focussed on the way children and adolescents reason about their evaluations of the exclusion and those who challenge it, through the lens of the Social Reasoning Development (SRD) model.
Broadly, my research centres and circles around:
- Untangling the cognitive mechanisms behind prejudice, perspective change, and open-mindedness
- Identifying links that bring us closer to connection with 'the other', and within
- Creating transformation through identity-transcending empowerment
I joined the University of Exeter in September 2019, moving from London where I was working as a Research Consultant for a Human Resources consultancy, exploring the role of technology partnerships for employee wellbeing and flourishing company cultures.
Qualifications
Associate Fellow Higher Education Academy (AFHEA, ASPIRE Associate Fellowship)
MSc Psychology of Education (UCL Institute of Education, Distinction)
Ptychion (Degree) in Philosophy, Pedagogy & Psychology (Psychology pathway; University of Ioannina, Greece)
Research
Research interests
"One can't always choose the subject matter, but they can become weavers to their narrative."
My research interests are expanding in the field of psychedelic research, viewing the substances as elicitors of diversifying experiences that enable psychological transformation.
I am currently studying the pluripotency of psychedelic-induced psychological transformations (ESRC studentship with Celia Morgan - University of Exeter & Malgorzata Goclowska, Gosia - University of Bath).
Within this research I study the state of 'Mental Plasticity' elicited by the psychedelic-induced mystical experience, and its 'magical' potential for:
-untangling the web of the subjective nature of our reality that holds us prisoners to our memory
-reconnecting us to the depths of meaning lost in increasingly complex, yet nuance-blind digital worlds.
With a background of (ancient) Greek language, philosophy and education studies, I believe in the value of interdisciplinary approaches to psychology research.
At UCL and Exeter University, I have worked on projects studying social-cognitive flexibility and the role of morality and social conventions in children's reasoning about exclusion.
I am impassioned to increase neurodiversity awareness by addressing norms of judgment, silencing, and challenging identity-based division.
I value a philosophical approach in science and personal life: challenging assumptions at an inter&intra-personal and intergroup level. Always looking to have open and honest discussions to form collaborations and create avenues for change.
Publications
Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year
Publications by category
Journal articles
Palmer SB, Filippou A, Argyri EK, Rutland A (In Press). Minority- and Majority-Status Bystander Reactions To, and Reasoning About, Intergroup Social Exclusion. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
Palmer SB, Gönültaş S, Yüksel AŞ, Argyri EK, McGuire L, Killen M, Rutland A (2023). Challenging the exclusion of immigrant peers.
International Journal of Behavioral Development,
47(1), 9-20.
Abstract:
Challenging the exclusion of immigrant peers
The present study examined age-related differences in bystander reactions within the context of peer exclusion of national ingroup (British) and immigrant outgroup (Australian or Turkish) peers. The immigrant peers were from nations that varied in terms of their perceived intergroup status in Britain. Participants were British children (n = 110, 8–11 years) and adolescents (n = 193, 13–16 years) who were presented with one of three scenarios in which a British national, Australian immigrant, or Turkish immigrant peer was excluded by a British peer group. Participants indicated their bystander responses. Perceived similarity and bystander self-efficacy were examined as possible correlates of bystander reactions. Findings revealed that children were more likely to directly challenge the social exclusion when the excluded peer was British or Australian compared with when they were Turkish. In contrast, adolescents did not differentiate in their response—they were equally likely to directly challenge the exclusion regardless of the excluded peer’s nationality. Importantly, when the excluded peer was Turkish, moderated mediation analysis showed that, with age, there was higher bystander self-efficacy for challenging the exclusions. In turn, higher bystander self-efficacy was related to higher direct challenging. These novel findings demonstrate the importance of intergroup relations, perceived similarity, and bystander self-efficacy in the emergence of age-related differences in bystander reactions to the exclusion of immigrant peers.
Abstract.
Gönültaş S, Ketzitzidou Argyri E, Yüksel AŞ, Palmer SB, McGuire L, Killen M, Rutland A (2022). British Adolescents Are More Likely Than Children to Support Bystanders Who Challenge Exclusion of Immigrant Peers.
Front Psychol,
13Abstract:
British Adolescents Are More Likely Than Children to Support Bystanders Who Challenge Exclusion of Immigrant Peers.
The present study examined British children's and adolescents' individual and perceived group evaluations of a challenger when a member of one's own group excludes a British national or an immigrant newcomer to the school (Turkish or Australian) from participating in a group activity. Participants included British children (n = 110, Mage in years = 9.69, SD = 1.07, 44 girls, aged 8-11) and adolescents (n = 193, Mage in years = 14.16, SD = 0.92, 104 girls, aged 13-16), who were inducted into their group and heard hypothetical scenarios in which a member of their own group expressed a desire to exclude the newcomer from joining their activity. Subsequently, participants heard that another member of the ingroup challenged the exclusionary act by stating that they should be inclusive. Children's and adolescents' individual evaluations of the bystander who challenged the social exclusion of an immigrant peer were more positive than their perceived group evaluations, recognizing that groups are often exclusionary. Only adolescents but not children differed in their individual and perceived group evaluations in the social exclusion of British peers. When the newcomer was an immigrant peer, adolescents were more likely to evaluate the challenger positively in both their individual and perceived group evaluations compared to children. Further, children, compared to adolescents, were more likely to reason about social and group norms to justify their evaluations only when the excluded peer was an immigrant but not when the excluded peer was British. Adolescents were more likely to reason about fairness, rights, and equality. The findings indicate that exclusionary group norms surrounding immigrants begin in childhood. Interventions that focus on changing group norms to be more inclusive could be effective in reducing prejudicial attitudes toward immigrants in childhood.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Farooq A, Ketzitzidou Argyri E, Adlam A, Rutland A (2022). Children and Adolescents' Ingroup Biases and Developmental Differences in Evaluations of Peers Who Misinform.
Front Psychol,
13Abstract:
Children and Adolescents' Ingroup Biases and Developmental Differences in Evaluations of Peers Who Misinform.
Previous developmental research shows that young children display a preference for ingroup members when it comes to who they accept information from - even when that information is false. However, it is not clear how this ingroup bias develops into adolescence, and how it affects responses about peers who misinform in intergroup contexts, which is important to explore with growing numbers of young people on online platforms. Given that the developmental span from childhood to adolescence is when social groups and group norms are particularly important, the present study took a Social Reasoning Developmental Approach. This study explored whether children and adolescents respond differently to a misinformer spreading false claims about a peer breaking COVID-19 rules, depending on (a) the group membership of the misinformer and their target and (b) whether the ingroup had a "critical" norm that values questioning information before believing it. 354 United Kingdom-based children (8-11 years old) and adolescents (12-16 years old) read about an intergroup scenario in which a peer spreads misinformation on WhatsApp about a competitor. Participants first made moral evaluations, which asked them to judge and decide whether or not to include the misinformer, with follow-up "Why?" questions to capture their reasoning. This was followed by asking them to attribute intentions to the misinformer. Results showed that ingroup preferences emerged both when participants morally evaluated the misinformer, and when they justified those responses. Participants were more likely to evaluate an ingroup compared to an outgroup misinformer positively, and more likely to accuse an outgroup misinformer of dishonesty. Adolescents attributed more positive intentions to the misinformer compared with children, with children more likely to believe an outgroup misinformer was deliberately misinforming. The critical norm condition resulted in children making more positive intentionality attributions toward an ingroup misinformer, but not an outgroup misinformer. This study's findings highlight the importance of shared group identity with a misinformer when morally evaluating and reasoning about their actions, and the key role age plays in intentionality attributions surrounding a misinformer when their intentions are ambiguous.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Yüksel AŞ, Palmer SB, Argyri EK, Rutland A (2022). When do bystanders get help from teachers or friends? Age and group membership matter when indirectly challenging social exclusion.
Frontiers in Psychology,
13Abstract:
When do bystanders get help from teachers or friends? Age and group membership matter when indirectly challenging social exclusion
We examined developmental changes in British children’s (8- to 10-year-olds) and adolescents’ (13- to 15-year-olds, N = 340; Female N = 171, 50.3%) indirect bystander reactions (i.e. judgments about whether to get help and from whom when witnessing social exclusion) and their social-moral reasoning regarding their reactions to social exclusion. We also explored, for the first time, how the group membership of the excluder and victim affect participants’ reactions. Participants read a hypothetical scenario in which they witnessed a peer being excluded from a school club by another peer. We manipulated the group membership of the victim (either British or an immigrant) and the group membership of the excluder (either British or an immigrant). Participants’ likelihood of indirect bystander reactions decreased from childhood into adolescence. Children were more likely to get help from a teacher or an adult than getting help from a friend, whereas adolescents were more likely to get help from a friend than getting help from a teacher or an adult. For both indirect bystander reactions, children justified their likelihood of responding by referring to their trust in their teachers and friends. Adolescents were more likely to refer to group loyalty and dynamics, and psychological reasons. The findings support and extend the Social Reasoning Developmental (SRD) approach by showing the importance of group processes with age in shaping children’s judgments about how to respond indirectly by asking for help from others, when they are bystanders in a situation that involves exclusion. The findings have practical implications for combating social exclusion and promoting prosocial bystander behavior in schools.
Abstract.
Mollaahmetoglu OM, Keeler J, Ashbullby KJ, Ketzitzidou-Argyri E, Grabski M, Morgan CJA (2021). “This is Something That Changed My Life”: a Qualitative Study of Patients' Experiences in a Clinical Trial of Ketamine Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 1-17.
Publications by year
In Press
Palmer SB, Filippou A, Argyri EK, Rutland A (In Press). Minority- and Majority-Status Bystander Reactions To, and Reasoning About, Intergroup Social Exclusion. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
2023
Palmer SB, Gönültaş S, Yüksel AŞ, Argyri EK, McGuire L, Killen M, Rutland A (2023). Challenging the exclusion of immigrant peers.
International Journal of Behavioral Development,
47(1), 9-20.
Abstract:
Challenging the exclusion of immigrant peers
The present study examined age-related differences in bystander reactions within the context of peer exclusion of national ingroup (British) and immigrant outgroup (Australian or Turkish) peers. The immigrant peers were from nations that varied in terms of their perceived intergroup status in Britain. Participants were British children (n = 110, 8–11 years) and adolescents (n = 193, 13–16 years) who were presented with one of three scenarios in which a British national, Australian immigrant, or Turkish immigrant peer was excluded by a British peer group. Participants indicated their bystander responses. Perceived similarity and bystander self-efficacy were examined as possible correlates of bystander reactions. Findings revealed that children were more likely to directly challenge the social exclusion when the excluded peer was British or Australian compared with when they were Turkish. In contrast, adolescents did not differentiate in their response—they were equally likely to directly challenge the exclusion regardless of the excluded peer’s nationality. Importantly, when the excluded peer was Turkish, moderated mediation analysis showed that, with age, there was higher bystander self-efficacy for challenging the exclusions. In turn, higher bystander self-efficacy was related to higher direct challenging. These novel findings demonstrate the importance of intergroup relations, perceived similarity, and bystander self-efficacy in the emergence of age-related differences in bystander reactions to the exclusion of immigrant peers.
Abstract.
2022
Gönültaş S, Ketzitzidou Argyri E, Yüksel AŞ, Palmer SB, McGuire L, Killen M, Rutland A (2022). British Adolescents Are More Likely Than Children to Support Bystanders Who Challenge Exclusion of Immigrant Peers.
Front Psychol,
13Abstract:
British Adolescents Are More Likely Than Children to Support Bystanders Who Challenge Exclusion of Immigrant Peers.
The present study examined British children's and adolescents' individual and perceived group evaluations of a challenger when a member of one's own group excludes a British national or an immigrant newcomer to the school (Turkish or Australian) from participating in a group activity. Participants included British children (n = 110, Mage in years = 9.69, SD = 1.07, 44 girls, aged 8-11) and adolescents (n = 193, Mage in years = 14.16, SD = 0.92, 104 girls, aged 13-16), who were inducted into their group and heard hypothetical scenarios in which a member of their own group expressed a desire to exclude the newcomer from joining their activity. Subsequently, participants heard that another member of the ingroup challenged the exclusionary act by stating that they should be inclusive. Children's and adolescents' individual evaluations of the bystander who challenged the social exclusion of an immigrant peer were more positive than their perceived group evaluations, recognizing that groups are often exclusionary. Only adolescents but not children differed in their individual and perceived group evaluations in the social exclusion of British peers. When the newcomer was an immigrant peer, adolescents were more likely to evaluate the challenger positively in both their individual and perceived group evaluations compared to children. Further, children, compared to adolescents, were more likely to reason about social and group norms to justify their evaluations only when the excluded peer was an immigrant but not when the excluded peer was British. Adolescents were more likely to reason about fairness, rights, and equality. The findings indicate that exclusionary group norms surrounding immigrants begin in childhood. Interventions that focus on changing group norms to be more inclusive could be effective in reducing prejudicial attitudes toward immigrants in childhood.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Farooq A, Ketzitzidou Argyri E, Adlam A, Rutland A (2022). Children and Adolescents' Ingroup Biases and Developmental Differences in Evaluations of Peers Who Misinform.
Front Psychol,
13Abstract:
Children and Adolescents' Ingroup Biases and Developmental Differences in Evaluations of Peers Who Misinform.
Previous developmental research shows that young children display a preference for ingroup members when it comes to who they accept information from - even when that information is false. However, it is not clear how this ingroup bias develops into adolescence, and how it affects responses about peers who misinform in intergroup contexts, which is important to explore with growing numbers of young people on online platforms. Given that the developmental span from childhood to adolescence is when social groups and group norms are particularly important, the present study took a Social Reasoning Developmental Approach. This study explored whether children and adolescents respond differently to a misinformer spreading false claims about a peer breaking COVID-19 rules, depending on (a) the group membership of the misinformer and their target and (b) whether the ingroup had a "critical" norm that values questioning information before believing it. 354 United Kingdom-based children (8-11 years old) and adolescents (12-16 years old) read about an intergroup scenario in which a peer spreads misinformation on WhatsApp about a competitor. Participants first made moral evaluations, which asked them to judge and decide whether or not to include the misinformer, with follow-up "Why?" questions to capture their reasoning. This was followed by asking them to attribute intentions to the misinformer. Results showed that ingroup preferences emerged both when participants morally evaluated the misinformer, and when they justified those responses. Participants were more likely to evaluate an ingroup compared to an outgroup misinformer positively, and more likely to accuse an outgroup misinformer of dishonesty. Adolescents attributed more positive intentions to the misinformer compared with children, with children more likely to believe an outgroup misinformer was deliberately misinforming. The critical norm condition resulted in children making more positive intentionality attributions toward an ingroup misinformer, but not an outgroup misinformer. This study's findings highlight the importance of shared group identity with a misinformer when morally evaluating and reasoning about their actions, and the key role age plays in intentionality attributions surrounding a misinformer when their intentions are ambiguous.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Yüksel AŞ, Palmer SB, Argyri EK, Rutland A (2022). When do bystanders get help from teachers or friends? Age and group membership matter when indirectly challenging social exclusion.
Frontiers in Psychology,
13Abstract:
When do bystanders get help from teachers or friends? Age and group membership matter when indirectly challenging social exclusion
We examined developmental changes in British children’s (8- to 10-year-olds) and adolescents’ (13- to 15-year-olds, N = 340; Female N = 171, 50.3%) indirect bystander reactions (i.e. judgments about whether to get help and from whom when witnessing social exclusion) and their social-moral reasoning regarding their reactions to social exclusion. We also explored, for the first time, how the group membership of the excluder and victim affect participants’ reactions. Participants read a hypothetical scenario in which they witnessed a peer being excluded from a school club by another peer. We manipulated the group membership of the victim (either British or an immigrant) and the group membership of the excluder (either British or an immigrant). Participants’ likelihood of indirect bystander reactions decreased from childhood into adolescence. Children were more likely to get help from a teacher or an adult than getting help from a friend, whereas adolescents were more likely to get help from a friend than getting help from a teacher or an adult. For both indirect bystander reactions, children justified their likelihood of responding by referring to their trust in their teachers and friends. Adolescents were more likely to refer to group loyalty and dynamics, and psychological reasons. The findings support and extend the Social Reasoning Developmental (SRD) approach by showing the importance of group processes with age in shaping children’s judgments about how to respond indirectly by asking for help from others, when they are bystanders in a situation that involves exclusion. The findings have practical implications for combating social exclusion and promoting prosocial bystander behavior in schools.
Abstract.
2021
Mollaahmetoglu OM, Keeler J, Ashbullby KJ, Ketzitzidou-Argyri E, Grabski M, Morgan CJA (2021). “This is Something That Changed My Life”: a Qualitative Study of Patients' Experiences in a Clinical Trial of Ketamine Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 1-17.
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