I have a particular interest in exploring human relationships and their role in shaping our psychological experiences through the lifespan. To this end, attachment theory (as a way of thinking about and understanding relationships) is one of my favoured frameworks. I am equally intrigued by (a) the impacts of our close attachments on our existence and (b) the impacts of broader social and political structures upon our attachment bond formation and psychological experiences.

Research interests

• Human relationships across the lifespan
• Attachment theory
• Human motivation
• Social policy and justice from a psychological perspective

Current projects

• Exploring the role of animals as (a) attachment figures, and (b) facilitators of human-human bonds in the context of foster care (with Ben Rockett)
• Exploring mobile lifestyles in children and adolescents through the lens of human relationships (with Dr Ceri Brown and Georgina Lovett)
• Exploring the provision of sport for underpriveleged children through an attachment theory persepctive (with Ioannis Batlle)
• Understanding personal theories of ability in relation to instructional practices (with Sue Shapcott)
• Exploring the notion of "biographical pain" in elderly people from an attachment theory perpective (with Malcolm Johnson)
• Understanding the impact of educational policy on human motivation (a book "Motivation and Educational policy" us currently under contract with Routledge)

Areas interested in supervising:

• Research projects related to attachment theory
• Research projects related to the development of human motivation
• Research projects exploring human relations in the contexts of sport and/or education