Transition Year students explore Applied Psychology at UCC

31 Mar 2026

• TY students explored gained practical insight into how applied psychology operates in real‑world contexts.
• The programme introduced TY students to the pathways and possibilities within Applied Psychology BA (CK120) and Applied Psychology and Computing BA (CK121) at UCC.

26 Transition Year students from 13 schools across Ireland took part in the School of Applied Psychology’s Transition Year Programme at University College Cork (UCC). The three‑day initiative introduced students to key elements of the Applied Psychology BA (CK120) and Applied Psychology and Computing BA (CK121) degrees, supporting them as they consider future study and career pathways.

The programme provided students with an opportunity to engage directly with core areas of applied psychology and its intersections with technology. Interactive sessions included demonstrations in virtual reality (VR), electroencephalography (EEG), workshops on stress and wellbeing, and an introduction to the psychological mechanisms underpinning deep fakes.

Participants also attended research talks delivered by UCC lecturers and PhD researchers. Presentations included:

• Tadgh Connery – The relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and death anxiety
• Helena Loman – Too Loud?, Too Bright?, Too Much? – Understanding and Responding to Environmental Sensitivity in Secondary Schools
• Ella Doran – Addressing Health Misinformation through Person-Centered Intervention Techniques

These sessions offered students insight into current research activity within the School and demonstrated the breadth of topics addressed within applied psychology.

In addition, students worked in small groups to develop their own mini‑research projects about susceptibility to misinformation concerning the common cold. Guided by staff and postgraduate mentors, they explored health misinformation, applied basic research methods, and prepared presentations. On the final day, each group presented their findings to peers and staff.

Professor Chris McCusker, Head of UCC School of Applied Psychology, said: “This initiative gives students the opportunity to engage directly with the real‑world questions that shape psychology today, how people think, learn, and interact in an increasingly complex world. By working with our lecturers and researchers, they discover how psychological science can make a meaningful contribution to society.”

“We hope the experience encourages them to recognise their own potential and to consider the many pathways that studying psychology can open as they plan the next stage of their education,” Prof. McCusker said.

Across the year, UCC School of Applied Psychology engages with schools and communities across diverse opportunities, including PsychSlam, an annual psychology and science communication for Transition Year students, and Ireland's Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.