Social Psychology Research Lab empowers student researchers at Virtual Research Conference
- Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Over 100 second year Psychology students presented 18 impact-based research projects at the Virtual Student Research Event hosted by the Social Psychology Research Lab (SPRL) on Friday 11th February 2022.
Featuring four research tracks exploring prevalent topics such as Body Image and Nature and Associations between Personality and Eating Disorders, the event provided a powerful platform for Middlesex’s student psychologists to collaborate and share their research with peers and established academics in the field from across the world.
The projects presented were highly impactful and contributed new perspectives to the existing body of research tackling hard-hitting subjects such as how exposure to nature is connected to self-compassion; western media consumption and facial recognition sensitivity of other ethnicities; and whether certain personality traits increase the likelihood of developing eating disorders.
The event began with a fascinating keynote address delivered by Dr Adam P Natoli, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology & Philosophy at Sam Houston State University in Texas, USA. Dr Natoli shared insights from his research into the international application of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale, which measures self- and interpersonal functioning and was originally introduced as a diagnostic framework for personality disorders.
The event also featured opening and closing statements from Middlesex University Dubai leaders 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 Head of Law and Politics; and Dr Anita Shrivastava Kashi, Head of Psychology. All four commended the students on their high quality, innovative research projects.
Dr Nishtha Lamba, Head of SPRL and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Middlesex University Dubai, said: “Through these research projects and this research event, our students gained exposure to and learned about research collaborations, presenting academic research, prioritising research on under-represented samples in psychological sciences, and most importantly about ‘turning knowledge into action’. Several students will be presenting their work at academic conferences.”
Based at Middlesex University Dubai, 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. The Lab focuses on researching social processes, mental health, interpersonal relationships, and psychological well-being.
Learn more about the work of the Social Psychology Research Lab here: https://www.mdx.ac.ae/SPRL
