Social Psychology Research Lab (SPRL)
Principles: SPRL intends to connect academic research with students and society and identify possible answers to today’s challenges embedded in different socio-cultural contexts based on collaboration and ethos. The Lab focuses on researching about social processes, mental health, interpersonal relationships, and psychological well-being.
The SPRL is located at Middlesex University Dubai and resides in the heart of Dubai, an international hub, which connects the Middle East with rest of the world. Social Psychology Research Lab prioritizes student learning and growth. Students who demonstrate outstanding research skills will be given the opportunity to work in the lab and get involved in research projects.
Recent projects and collaborations: Recent research projects have examined mental health and faith in institutions related to COVID-19, religious practices and death anxiety, cross-cultural friendships and multicultural attitudes in the UAE, longitudinal psychological health of surrogates, perception of marital relationships, and experiences of mothers with children with autism.
We have established key international collaborations with academics at University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Columbia University, University of Amsterdam, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and University of Limerick. SPRL is a forum for knowledge exchange between academics from psychology and related disciplines.
Head & Founder of SPRL
Dr Nishtha Lamba
e. n.lamba@mdx.ac.ae
t. +971 (0)4 568 7093
International research collaborators
The lab is collaborating with academics at:
Neuroscience, Ethics, and Society
University of Oxford
Social Psychology Lab
University of Amsterdam
Centre for Family Research
University of Cambridge
Department of Psychology
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Data Science Institute
Columbia University
Department of Psychology,
University of Limerick
Members of the lab are publishing in impact-oriented journals. Our research highlights under-represented samples in psychological sciences and mental health of vulnerable populations.
Recent publications of academic year 2021-22
• Lamba, N., Van Tonder A, Shrivastava, A., Raghavan, A. (2022). Exploring experiences of mothers with children with Autism in the United Arab Emirates. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 120, 104138.
• Lamba, N. Bhatia, A., Srivastava, A., Raghavan, A. (2021). Religious factors affecting death anxiety in older adults practicing Hinduism. Death Studies, 1-9.
• Khokhlova, O. Lamba, N., Bhatia, A. Vinogradova, M. (2021). Biowarfare conspiracy, faith in government, and compliance with safety guidelines during COVID-19: An International Study. Mind & Society. 20(2), 235-251.
• Mohideen, F.A. , & Khokhlova. O. (2022) . Elder Financial Abuse based on victim-perpetrator relationship as perceived by Asian young adults. Family relations (in press).
Upcoming publications
• Lamba, N., Jadva, V. (2021). Prenatal bonding and maternal health during pregnancy and post-birth amongst urban poor women in India. Family Relations (under peer review).
• Lamba, N., Khokhlova, O., Bhatia, A. (2021). Exploring media-induced secondary trauma during COVID-19: a global perspective. Journal of Community Psychology (under peer review).
• McHugh, C., Zhang, R., Karnatak, T., Lamba, N., Khokhlova, O. (2021). Just wrong? Or just WEIRD? Investigating the prevalence of Moral Dumbfounding in non-western samples. Journal of cross-cultural psychology (under peer review).
• Shrivastava, Anita; Azhar, Humna; Hyland, Lynda. "A personal journey of studying positive psychology: Reflections of undergraduate students in the United Arab Emirates. " Teaching of psychology (Major revisions submitted)
• Natoli , P. . . . . . . Lamba, N. Multi-National Evaluation of the Measurement Invariance of the Level of Personal ity Functioning Scale – Brief Form 2.0: Comparison of Student and Community Samples Across Seven Countries. Psychological Assessment (under review)
Recent conferences and invited talks
• Factors associated with perception of marital rape in India. 4th European Conference on Domestic Violence. (September 2021; oral presentation). Nishtha Lamba & Olga Khokhlova
• To have and to hold. Marital rape perception in Russian women. 4th European Conference on Domestic Violence. (September 2021; oral presentation). Olga Khokhlova & Nishtha Lamba
• Exploring media-induced secondary trauma during the pandemic: a global context. 34th International Conference on Psychiatry and Mental Health (August 2021; invited keynote). Nishtha Lamba
• Describing research process. Young Leaders of Active Citizenship. (July 2021; invited talk presentation). Nishtha Lamba
• Religious factors affecting death anxiety in older adults practicing Hinduism. Research seminar. Middlesex University Dubai (Feb 2021; oral presentation/webinar). Nishtha Lamba, Aditi Bhatia, Anita Shrivastava
• Exploring media-induced secondary trauma during the pandemic: a global context. Research seminar. Middlesex University Dubai (April 2021; oral presentation/webinar). Nishtha Lamba
Special Needs Education Workshop for shadow teachers and learning support assistants administered by Miss Angelique Van Tonder and Dr Nishtha Lamba at ERPBSS 2022. It was attended by 135 shadow teachers and learning support assistants who work with children with special needs in the UAE. Feb, 2022
Hosted special track sessions ‘Impact-based studies on under-represented samples’ at ERPBSS 2022. In this special track, we showcased impact-based research administered on populations that are usually under-represented in social sciences. Academics from the UAE, UK, India, and Indonesia presented their distinct theoretical or methodological driven research work on gender stereotyping, elder financial abuse, recent military rule in Myanmar, the psychological and economic impact of the pandemic, identity and hijab, ‘third culture’ children, and anomalies in online data collection. Feb, 2022
Student Research Conference 2022
The Social Psychology Research Lab (SPRL) is organising a virtual Student Research Conference on 11th February 2022 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM UAE.
The Lab’s international academic collaborations have inspired some of the research ideas. Our students have conducted some excellent impact-based research projects!
We will conduct four parallel sessions, where 106 second-year Psychology students will be presenting 18 research projects in the form of an academic poster. Students will be presenting on a range of research topics such as: Body image and Nature, Faulty Memory on Other Ethnicity Faces, Associations between Personality and Eating Behaviour, and Mechanisms of Prosociality in the Dark Triad.
The Department of Psychology at Middlesex University Dubai values student research engagement, and we believe that this student conference is an important learning experience for them.
The event will also feature opening and closing statements from Dr Cedwyn Fernandes, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Director; Dr Cody Paris, Deputy Director of Academic Planning and Research; Dr Tenia Kyriazi, Deputy Director of Academic Operations; and Dr Anita Shrivastava Kashi, Head of Psychology.
This year, we also have an important keynote address from Dr. Adam P. Natoli, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology & Philosophy at Sam Houston State University, named ‘Personality Functioning Scale – Brief Form 2.0: Comparison Across Seven Countries’.
Book of Abstracts
Programme
- Built collaboration with Youth based mental health startup ‘Mindchamps’.
- Religious factors affecting death anxiety in older adults practicing Hinduism. Research seminar. Middlesex University Dubai (Feb 2021; webinar)
- Exploring media-induced secondary trauma during the pandemic: a global context. Research seminar. Middlesex University Dubai (April 2021; webinar)
Student Research Conference 2021
In collaboration with Department of Psychology, Middlesex University Dubai, Social Psychology Research Lab (SPRL) is organising an online Student Research Event, to be held on 11th Feb, from 11 AM to 1 PM (see weblinks). The Lab’s international academic collaborations have inspired some of the research ideas. This year students have conducted some excellent impact-based research projects! The Department of Psychology values student research engagement and we believe that this student conference is an important learning experience for them.
Along with opening and closing statements from Dr Cedwyn Fernandes, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Director, Dr Cody Paris, Deputy Director of Academic Planning and Research, and Dr Tenia Kyriazi, Deputy Director of Academic Operations, Middlesex University Dubai, the event includes six parallel sessions, where 158 second- and third-year Psychology students, will be presenting 27 research projects, in the form of an academic poster!
Students will be presenting on a range of research topics such as: Young people's preferences around mental health services; Personality and choice of environment and activities; Moral dumbfounding attitudes and behaviour; Understanding misinformation at the time of the pandemic; Effectiveness of peer support messages related to COVID-19; Relationship between social class and self-and-other oriented positive emotions; Student perceptions of teaching styles and implicit biases; and Cross-cultural assessment of emotions experienced and well-being during the pandemic.
SPRL Student Research Event
Head of SPRL
Dr Nishtha Lamba
PhD, University of Cambridge
Senior Lecturer, Psychology
Middlesex University Dubai
LinkedIn & Research Profile
Research Associates
Dr Anita Kashi
PhD, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi
Associate Professor, Head of Psychology Department
Middlesex University Dubai
Research Profile
Olga Khokhlova
PhD candidate, Lomonosov Moscow State University
Adjunct Lecturer, Psychology
Middlesex University Dubai
LinkedIn & Research profile
Research Assistants
Archana Raghavan
Masters student, Psychology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Alumni, Department of Psychology
Middlesex University Dubai
LinkedIn
Hafseena Bind Ashraf
Alumni, Department of Psychology
Middlesex University Dubai
LinkedIn