My research combines theories and methods from evolutionary psychology, social psychology and social network analysis to provide important new insights into the dynamics of social relationships. I also use this research approach to investigate how social relationships may be affected by the use of communication technologies such as Facebook and mobile phones. Another strand of my research focuses on social bonding in non-human primates, examining communication and social networks in both wild and captive chimpanzees.
In terms of educational background, I studied Human Sciences at the University of Oxford before going on to complete an MSc in Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Liverpool. For my PhD I moved to the University of Sussex, where I examined social referencing and visual perspective taking in Barbary macaques and chimpanzees. My postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford focused on the structure and dynamics of social networks in humans. I conducted an 18-month longitudinal study investigating how students' social networks change during the transition from school to University, using a combination of questionnaire and mobile phone bills to track communication and changes in social relationships over time.
I am module leader for Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology (Level 4). I also teach on the Level 4 modules Research Methods and Statistics, Psychological Themes and Studying Psychology.