Social Futures Institute
     

Applied psychology unit

Convenors - Professor Paul van Schaik and Professor Anna van Wersch

Contact us
Anna van Wersch

Professor Anna van Wersch
Address: Applied Psychology Group
Social Futures Institute
Teesside University
Middlesbrough
United Kingdom
TS1 3BA
T: 01642 384436
E: a.van-wersch@tees.ac.uk

Our aims, based on the application of research and practical skills informed by the knowledge and expertise of contributors, are to:

  • undertake psychological research applied to cognitive, developmental, educational, environmental, forensic, health and sport and exercise related issues
  • promote intra and inter-disciplinary research on positivistic, experiential, discursive or participatory research investigations
  • provide post doctoral and postgraduate opportunities in applied psychology
  • assess the relationship between diet, nutrition, health and behaviour of children diagnosed with ADHD
  • consult these children and their family on behaviour modification and coping strategies
  • provide psychological counselling facilities
  • provide advice on health psychology
  • disseminate information on applied psychological issues through publications, seminars and workshops.
Research staff

Expertise

Our expertise and knowledge is in the areas of:

  • Cognitive: computer-based learning; decision-making; mental imagery; modelling human behaviour; psychology of human-computer interaction including virtual reality; psychology of music; technology acceptance; website usability.
  • Developmental: aging and society; dementia in later life; ADHD in children; technology and older people.
  • Education: children: memory, language and emotional literacy development; adults: learning styles, personal development and emotional intelligence.
  • Environmental: community and women's working lives; cultural places and inclusion; housing for the elderly; meaning of home and homelessness; psychosocial aspects of working from home.
  • Forensic: child forensic psychology; criminal conduct; moral reasoning and moral disengagement; offenders (assessment, treatment, personality, profiling); psychology of law and justice; rape.
  • Health: adult health and housing; cancer (breast, prostate); complementary medicine and integrated care; empowerment of patients; living with a disability; low back pain; meaning of food and eating disorders; non-medical factors in clinical decision-making; obesity; sex education; sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted diseases; stress, coping and gender.
  • Social: social experiences and perception (court, prison); social networks and women's employment; social psychological aspects of technology acceptance; women and fashion.
  • Sport and exercise: disability and sport; hardiness and mental toughness.
  • Research Methods: action research; attitudinal survey design; data mining from secondary sources; evaluation research (organisational and practice); participatory research methods; qualitative methods and quantitative methods (basic and advanced: design and implementation of computer-based experimentation, using experimental research designs as well as data of analysis of experiments, involving ANOVA and related types of analysis; analysis of structural and measurement models, using multiple regression, logistic regression and factor analysis); web related research.

Current projects

Development and evaluation of an information service for people living with long-term conditions. Teddington: NHS Research for Patient Benefit Programme (RfPB) (£298,030)l Professor Anna van Wersch (Teesside University) and Professor Richard Walker and Dr Sally Corbett (NHS Northumbria Healthcare Trust).

Biopsychosocial Exploration of the Nutri-Energetics System (NES) approach on the health and well-being of people with a variety of physical complaints. (£15,000) Poole: NES.

Biopsychosocial study of the Nutri-Energetics System (NES) approach on the quality of life of a person suffering from Mantle Cell Lymphoma 2009-2010 (£1,500) Poole: NES.

The effects of autobiographical accounts of breast cancer patients and an electronically designed BSE skills program on women’s knowledge, beliefs, and behaviours towards breast self-examination (BSE). £37,800. Teesside University, Professor Anna van Wersch and Professor Paul van Schaik.

The effects of autobiographical accounts of breast cancer patients and an electronic bereavement coping enhancement programme on the psychological profile of women suffering from bereavement. £37,800. Teesside University Professor Anna van Wersch and Professor Paul van Schaik.

Developing a psychological model of users’ experience of human-computer interaction in web-based systems. £37,800. Teesside University. Professor Paul van Schaik, Professor Philip Barker, Professor Chris Colbourn.

Information architecture for the 21st century. £37,800. Teesside University. Professor Paul van Schaik, Professor Mike Lockyer, Professor Philip Barker.

Recalling and recognising faces of other races: a behavioral and eye movement study | Dr Kazuyo Nakabayashi (Teesside University) and Professor Toby Lloyd-Jones (The University of Swansea)

The Main Project

The Development and Evaluation of a Sex Education Programme based on Mutual Respectful Communication

Change in Adult Health Following Medical Priority Rehousing