Dr. Sharon Coen
School of Health and Society
Current positions
Senior Lecturer in Media Psychology
Biography
I obtained my ‘Laurea’ degree in Psychology at the Universita’ degli Studi di Padova, where I worked under the supervision of Professor Anne Maass on my Master level project entitled ‘Attitude measures and behaviour: Which connection? A study about religious intergroup relations’. In 2007 I obtained my PhD in Social Psychology at the University of Sussex where I worked under the supervision of Professor Rupert Brown. My thesis was entitled: ‘Collective Guilt and Shame in Intergroup relations. The effects of group based guilt and shame on intergroup attitudes and prosocial behaviour’. Between October 2007 and January 2012 I worked at Christ Church University in Canterbury as a Lecturer and then a Senior Lecturer in Psychology. In 2010 I obtained a PGCLT-HE qualification at Canterbury Christ Church University.
Areas of research
Journalism, Social Media, Collective Action, Climate Change, Political empowerment/helplessness
Convenor
- Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology (Level 4 core module)
- Media Psychology (Level 6 option)
- Research methods in Media Psychology (MSC Media Psychology)
- The Psychology of Media Communication (MSC Media Psychology)
Co-convenor
- Social Psychology
Contributor
- Further research Methods in Psychology
Supervision
- I supervise both UG and PG dissertations
My research interests tap onto four main themes: Social psychology (Intergroup emotions, overt and covert forms of prejudice and discrimination, stereotype threat, linguistic biases, transmission of values across generations), Media psychology (Cognitive, emotional and behavioural consequences of exposure to media messages, with particular focus on the role played by media in affecting public's involvement in politics and citizenship-related issues. Consequences of tabloidisation of the News, Analysis of media's coverage of political, environmental and racial issues), Political psychology (Psychological processes underlying peoples' dis-engagement with politics. Predictors of collective action) Environmental psychology (Psychological processes underlying peoples' pro-environmental behaviour, Identity and environment, Media coverage of climate change)
Memberships
- Chartered Psychologist - BPS
- Member of ICA, EASP, IGC
- Honorary Secretary – BPS Social Psychology Section