Jack Loughnane (Graduated)

Proposed PhD Title: Social identity change: Group compatibility as a predictor of identity integration and intergroup attitudes.

Supervisors: Dr Jenny Roth & Dr Ronni Greenwood

Project Description:

My research investigates the role of the perceived compatibility of groups that people belong to in the context of identity change and how this effects both people’s identity and intergroup relations. The theoretical framework that I utilise for my research is potentially applicable to any type of social identity change but I am particularly interested in examining identity changes that occur following political decisions e.g. Brexit. Brexit may lead to people living in Northern Ireland no longer seeing themselves as EU-citizens. Previous research indicates that the feeling of belonging to this inclusive group of EU citizens has played a role in maintaining peace between different groups that were central to the conflict in Northern Ireland. Therefore, Brexit potentially poses a threat to the achieved peace in the region, resulting from the loss of identity with EU-citizens. It is important then that we understand what happens when people no longer feel part of the overarching, inclusive group that the EU represents. The present project will investigate how the loss of this group membership effects people’s identities and the implications for relationships between the region’s subgroups.

Funding:

PhD Studentship Award 2019, Department of Psychology, University of Limerick

Papers:

Loughnane, J., Roth, J., Rauner, M., & Strack., F. From Student to Employee: Group Compatibility Predicts Group Identification and Intergroup Attitudes. Manuscript accepted for publication at the international journal Identity https://doi.org/10.1080/15283488.2021.1896522.

Awards:

In collaboration with my supervisor, Dr Jenny Roth and our collaborator, Dr Wijnand van Tilburg (University of Essex, UK), we attracted Seedcorn funding (€2,822) from the European Association of Social Psychology (EASP) for parts of my PhD project (August 2020).

Conferences:

• Loughnane, J., & Minescu, A. (2020, July 14-16) Reducing Minority Group Prejudice in Ireland [Conference Presentation]. 43rd ISPP annual meeting, virtual. Selected by program chairs for the Conference Within a Conference.

• Loughnane, J., Roth, J., Rauner., M., Strack, F., & Van Tilburg, W. (October 9-10) Social Identity Change: Group compatibility affects group identification and intergroup attitudes [Conference Presentation]. Early Doctoral Exchange Network (EDEN) conference, virtual.
• Loughnane, J., Roth, J., Rauner., M., & Strack, F. (February 11-13) From Student to Employee: Group Compatibility Predicts Group Identification and Intergroup Attitudes. International conference of Social and Personality Psychology (SPSP), virtual.
• Accepted as a presenter at the General Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology (EASP) in 2021.

Teaching:

Teaching assistant on undergraduate modules, Department of Psychology, University of Limerick

PS4041 Practical Psychology 1

PS4052 Practical Psychology 2

PS4062 Introduction to Psychology Applied to Nursing and Midwifery

Memberships:

Migration Research Lab

Centre for Social Issues Research

International Society of Political Psychology

Society for Personality and Social Psychology