Niamh O'Reilly (Graduated)

Project Title:    A Social-Cognitive Model of Processes in subclinical Paranoid Ideation: An Empirical Investigation.
Supervisors:     Dr. Eric Igou (primary), Dr. Tim Ritchie (secondary)
Research Interests:
I am interested in the social, emotional, motivational and self-regulatory processes in cognition, specifically reasoning biases. Complementing these interests I also have an interest in understanding psychopathology from a social cognitive perspective. My current research project marries these two interests. Specifically, I have developed a model of social-cognitive processes in subclinical paranoid ideation. The model accounts for social, emotional and self-regulatory factors that lead to the formation and maintenance of paranoid ideation.
Biography:
I graduated with a joint first class honours BA degree in Philosophy and Psychological Studies from NUIGalway. I received an A grade for my final year theses in both philosophy and psychology. My final year psychology thesis focused on dual process models of cognition and my final year philosophy thesis focused on the role of emotion in moral judgement. Researching both of these theses allowed me to develop an understanding of social, emotional and self-regulatory factors in different types of reasoning, and this an area I am fortunate enough to pursue through my current research. 
I graduated with a first class honours postgraduate diploma in psychology also from NUI, Galway. My research project focused on the role of personality in aesthetic judgment.
Teaching:
PS4034: Empirical psychology (Spring semester)
PS4052: Practical psychology (Spring semester)
PS4031: Psychology and everyday life (Autumn semester)