PMRG People

About us Seminar Schedule People
	Sean Hammond, BA, MA, PhD Dr Hammond joined UCC in 2001 after a period as Senior Clinical Scientist and Head of the Clinical Decision Making Support Unit at Broadmoor Hospital in the UK. He is a member of the Psychological Measurement and Health and Wellbeing Research Groups. Sean’s background is in psychometrics and assessment particularly in a forensic and clinical setting. He manages a programmatic PhD team in the broad area of Forensic Assessment and has particular interests in implicit measurement, the viability of biosignals in forensic-clinical assessment, idiographic models of change and the statistical modelling of assessed responses. Teaching areas: Developmental Psychopathology, Abnormal Psychology, Research Methods and Data Analysis, Human Sexuality
	Prof. John Groeger, BA, MA, PhD, C.Psychol., FBPsS Ages ago now, I began a PhD using sleep and sleep-like states as a means of collecting speech errors which arise from the failure of overt monitoring, but quickly retreated from the complexities involved. During the time I later spent as Professor of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Surrey (1995-2008), I began what has been my most rewarding collaboration to date, as a founding member of the Surrey Sleep Research Centre (2004). This has allowed me to work with colleagues whose knowledge of sleep and circadian physiology, genetics and molecular biology, while developing my own knowledge of, and methods for, quantifying the effects of sleep, sleep loss, sleep problems and central nervous system medications on cognitive performance. Along the way I developed the Cognitive Performance Test Battery (CPTB), a well validated suite of tests of a broad range of cognitive function, and was part of the team that discovered that structural variants of a particular gene, PER3, is associated with diurnal preference, sleep pressure and a catastrophic deterioration of executive function during the circadian trough. Through continued collaboration with my Surrey colleagues, and the generous sponsorship of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and US Air Force Office of Scientific Research, I am currently engaged in two very large Surrey-based projects which are identifying other biomarkers of susceptibility to sleep loss and its effects on cognitive function. Science Foundation Ireland recently awarded me a research grant, to study how teenage drivers, who have different variants of the PER3 gene, cope with overnight sleep loss when driving our state of the art driving simulator and when performing tests of cognitive function selected from CPTB. Recent sleep and executive function related publications can be found below. Recent relevant publications Groeger, J.A., Zijlstra, F.R.H., & Dijk, D-J. (2004). Sleep quantity, sleep difficulties and their perceived consequences in a representative sample of some two thousand British adults. Journal of Sleep Research, 13, 4, 359-71. Groeger, J.A. & Dijk, D-J. (2005). Consolidating consolidation? Sleep stages, memory systems and procedures. Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 28, 73-74. Groeger, J.A. (2006). Youthfulness, inexperience and sleep loss: the problems young drivers face and those they pose for us. Injury Prevention. 12(Suppl I):19–24. Viola, A.U., Archer. S.N, James, L.M, Groeger, J.A., Lo, J.C.Y., Skene, D.J., von Schantz, M., & Dijk, D.J. (2007). PER3 Polymorphism Predicts Sleep Structure and Waking Performance. Current Biology, 17, 1-6. Walsh, J.K., Snyder, E., Randazzo, A.C., Stone, K., Groeger, J.A., Eisenstein, R., Feren, S.D., Dickey, P., Schweitzer, P.K., (2008). Slow Wave Sleep enhancement with gaboxadol reduces daytime sleepiness during sleep restriction. Sleep, 31(5):659-72. Groeger, J.A., Viola, A.U., Lo, J.C.Y., Archer. S.N, von Schantz, M., & Dijk, D.J. (2008). Early Morning Executive Functioning During Sleep Deprivation is Compromised by a PERIOD3 Polymorphism. Sleep, 31(8): 1159-67. Dijk, D.J., Groeger, J.A., Stanley, N., & Deacon, S. (2010). Age-related reduction in daytime sleep propensity and nocturnal Slow Wave Sleep: Implications for insomnia. Sleep, 33(2):211-223.
	Raegan Murphy, BA, BA (Hons), MA, PhD, PGCTLHE Dr Raegan Murphy joined the Department in January 2008, after having left her native country, South Africa, where she was a lecturer at the University of Pretoria. She is a registered Research Psychologist in South Africa, Psychologist with the PSI and chartered Psychologist with the BPS. She is a member of the Psychological Measurement group, is the Undergraduate Board of Studies Chairperson and sits on the both the Departmental Ethics and Research Committees. She manages the Departmental Test Library. She is currently completing a Diploma in Teaching and Learning at UCC and is focusing on the teaching of statistics within the tertiary sector. She currently co-ordinates and lectures AP2010 Individual Differences and AP6016 Research Methods and Data Analysis. She lectures on AP2030 Advanced Research Methods; personality in AP1044/1045, AP1001 Developmental Psychology as well as sections on AP551 and AP554 (MA Counselling Psychology). Her interests are the study of intelligence, the nature of psychological measurement and psychometric assessment. She is a member of a number of international organisations and has presented in the US, UK, Ireland and South Africa. A list of her presentations can be found below as well as her publications with attendant links to all. Currently, she is working on her book ‘Dynamic Assessment, Intelligence and Measurement’ (Wiley). Presentations O'Sullivan & Murphy The Impact of Nature on subjective well-being Presented at PSI Conference Wexford 2009. R. Murphy (PhD) & N. Cassimjee (PhD) Performance of a multi-ethnic South African group on the computerised version of the SRAVEN Paper presented at the PSI Conference Wexford 2009. Cassimjee, N., Murphy, R., Maree, D., & Le Grange, Z. (2008, August). The relationship between neuropsychological performance, acculturation and personality: A pilot study. Paper presented at the 14th South African Psychology Congress. Johannesburg, South Africa. Kirakowski, J., & Murphy, R. (2009). A comparison of current approaches to usability measurement. Paper presented at the 2009 International Usability Professionals' Association conference. Portland, Oregon, USA. Maree, D.J.F., Cassimjee, N., & Murphy, R. (2007, August). Response latency, attention and change detection with the phenomenon of change blindness. Paper presented at the 13th South African Psychology Congress. Durban South Africa. Murphy, R. (2008, November). Crossing boundaries and strengthening links: The research-teaching hybrid in psychology. Paper presented at the National Academy’s 2nd Annual conference in teaching and learning in higher education. Waterford, Ireland. Murphy, R., & Cassimjee, N. (2009, April). Sociodemographic influences on neuropsychological performance in South Africa. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference. Brighton, England. Murphy, R., & Cassimjee, N. (2008, November). Neuropsychological performance, acculturation and personality: A South African study. Paper presented at the Psychological Society of Ireland Annual conference. Carlow, Ireland. Murphy, R. & Kirakowski, J. (2009, June). CUE 8 Team results. Paper presented at the 2009 International Usability Professionals' Association conference. Portland, Oregon, USA. Murphy, R., & Maree, D.F.J. (2007, August). Content analysis of dynamic assessment questionnaires. Paper presented at the 13th South African Psychology Congress. Durban South Africa. Murphy, R., & Maree, D.F.J. (2007, July). Exploring a meta-theoretical framework for dynamic assessment and intelligence. Paper presented at the XI International Association for Cognitive Education and Psychology Conference, Tennessee, United States of America. Murphy, R., & Maree, D.J.F. (2006, September). Meta-analysis of dynamic assessment research in South Africa. Paper presented at the 12th South African Psychology Congress. Johannesburg, South Africa. Murphy, R., & Maree, D.J.F. (2003, September). A review of South African research in the field of dynamic assessment. Paper presented at the 9th South African Psychology Congress. Johannesburg, South Africa. Murphy, R., te Nijenhuis, J., & van Eeden, R. (2008, December). The Flynn effect in South Africa. Paper presented at the Ninth Annual Conference of the International Society for Intelligence Research (ISIR), Georgia, United States of America. te Nijenhuis, J., Cho, S.H., Murphy, R., & Lee, K.H. (2008, December). The Flynn effect in South Korea. Paper presented at the Ninth Annual Conference of the International Society for Intelligence Research (ISIR), Georgia, United States of America. Peer-reviewed articles Murphy, R. & Maree, D. J. F. Revisiting core issues in dynamic assessment. South African Journal of Psychology, 39(4), pp. 420-431 Murphy, R., & Maree, D.J.F. (2006). A review of South African research in the field of dynamic assessment. South African Journal of Psychology, 36(1), 168-191. Murphy, R., & Maree, D.J.F. (2006). Meta-analysis of dynamic assessment research in South Africa. Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology, 6(1), 32-60. Murphy, R., (2008). Dynamic assessment precursors: Soviet ideology and Vygotsky. Irish Journal of Psychology, 29(3-4), 193-233. Compilations Murphy, R. (Ed.) (2007). SLK 110/120 (First year psychology text book). London: Thomson Learning. ISBN: 1844807312 and 9781844807314
	David O’Sullivan, PhD David joined UCC in 2000 from the University of York, where he earned a PhD. He is a member of the Psychological Measurement Research Group. Within this area he is interested in violent behaviour. Teaching areas: Data Analysis, Forensic Psychology, Special Education.
	Derek Dorris, BA, MLitt, PhD Dr Dorris joined UCC in 2007 from University College Dublin where he held an IRCHSS Postdoctoral Fellowship. He is a member of the Psychological Measurement Research Group. His background is in cognitive psychology with specific interests in cognitive self-control or self-regulation, prospective memory, and motor cognition. Teaching areas: Cognitive Psychology, Culture & Cognition, Learning & Behaviour, and Philosophical Foundations of Psychology. Publications: Dorris, D (2009). Self-regulation and the hypothesis of experience-based selection: Investigating indirect conscious control. Consciousness and Cognition, 18, 740-753. Dorris, D (2009). Supporting the self-regulatory resource: does self-regulation incidentally prime nonconscious support processes. Cognitive Processing, 10, 283-291. Dorris, D & Moran, A.P. (2005). Towards a postconscious processes model of mental control: A conceptual analysis. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 17, 425-440.
	Mike Murphy, BA, PhS [NIY]
	Chris Burns, BA, MRes, PhD Dr Burns joined UCC in 2008 from the University of Edinburgh. He is a member of the Psychological Measurement and PAT groups. His background is in the cognitive electrophysiology via event-related potentials (ERP). Chris is broadly interested in the techniques and practises associated with psychophysiological work and “best practises”, and how these measures can be related to more conventional adjunct psychometric methods. Chris also manages Applied Psychology’s Driving Simulation Lab; the Psychological Measurement group shares some of the lab’s facilities, including 2- and 4- camera SmartEye eyetracking facilities, and a 40-channel Neuroscan EEG/ERP system.”
	Maureen Griffin, BA, MA Maureen holds an honours degree in Applied Psychology and an MA in Forensic Psychology. She is currently completing a PhD in the area of Hebephilic Assessment. Her research seeks to provide an accurate picture of the prevalence rates for hebephilic interest and activity as well as a practical methodology for prevalence assessment, an assessment portfolio to enable the accurate evaluation of individual offenders for treatment and risk management and a policy review for probation and policing agencies, health care professionals and those working with children on the management and treatment of hebephilic activity. Maureen currently works as a research assistant on an IRCHSS funded project which is investigating the utility of implicit measurement techniques in the risk appraisal of violent and sexual offenders.
	Lisa Hempenstall, BA, MA Having attained an honours degree in Applied Psychology at UCC, Lisa Hempenstall completed an MA in Forensic Psychology and is currently undertaking a PhD in the domain. Her research focuses upon serial violent and sexual offending with a particular interest in abuse between intimates and familial members. Currently examining the prevalence and characteristics of domestic and familial abuse across Ireland, Lisa is further exploring the commonalities and linkages between crimes committed against family members, intimates and more general or extra-familial criminality. Encompassing factors related to recidivism, juvenile offending and lethality risk, the overall aim of this research is to develop a protocol around an evidence-based supportive framework with the specific objective of informing intervention and management of serial violent and sexual offenders. As an aside from research, Lisa continues to tutor and lecture on a number of courses primarily in Limerick, Cork and Galway. Centred upon addressing the needs of individuals who have experienced or continue to endure violence and abuse, Lisa has set up a charity organization known as the Violence & Abuse Prevention Alliance (VAPA). Offering information, contact details of support services and public forums, the VAPA website includes surveys on conflict and violence as experienced by individuals across Ireland and will be launched in the coming few weeks.
	Ailsing O'Meara Aisling O'Meara first studied Psychology at NUI Maynooth where she obtained her BA degree, following which she completed the MA course in Forensic Psychology at UCC. In 2008 Aisling succeeded in obtaining IRCHSS funding to undertake a research PhD in Forensic Psychology in UCC under the supervision of Dr. Sean Hammond. This research focuses on sadistic personality and derives from Aisling's original undergraduate research in the area of sadism. This research is designed to explore the nature of sadism across all possible modalities. The overarching term “sadistic personality” is the primary focus while areas such as sexual sadism, sadistic humour, interest in sadistic spectator sports, and so forth, are characteristics of the broader domain. The aim of this research is to arrive at an understanding of sadism as a continuum growing from relatively benign fascination with the pain and discomfort experienced by others to a more maladaptive, psychopathological disorder. A model of sadistic interest has now been developed and is being utilised throughout the areas presently under investigation.