The role of the therapeutic alliance in internet-delivered cognitive-behaviour therapy

My research tested the importance of the client–practitioner relationship to therapeutic outcomes, utilising an Internet-based treatment for panic disorder. Results indicate that, while the relationship remains important when shared online, it matters less than in face-to-face settings. This calls into question conventional models of what makes psychological treatments effective.

Cognitive function in young people with chronic fatigue syndrome

The study was designed to investigate cognitive function in adolescents and young adults with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). CFS patients performed less well on measures of executive function, attention, and memory compared to participants without CFS. Processing speed was similar for both groups and CFS patients achieved higher academic scores.

Improving social functioning in schizophrenia through social cognitive remediation

The researcher developed a 13 week social cognitive training program for people with schizophrenia designed to improve their social functioning, Results demonstrated that participating individuals improved significantly in terms of understanding social situations and their level of performance in their social environment. These gains in social functioning were maintained over time.

Investigating fitness to drive in older drivers with cognitive impairment

This thesis investigated driving behaviour of senior drivers with cognitive impairment in order to gain an understanding of how cognition impacts on driver behaviour and fitness to drive.

Height, aging and cognitive abilities across Europe

Previous research has found that as a marker of childhood circumstances, height is correlated with cognitive functioning at older ages. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and about 17,000 respondents from 11 countries, we find that height is positively and significantly associated with cognitive functioning in later life despite controlling for a myriad of possible confounding factors. A 10 cm increase in height is associated with a 0.04 standard deviation increase in a summary cognitive score (mean 0.02, std. dev. 0.77). We find that being born in a country where the infant mortality rate at the time of birth is high has a negative and significant influence on cognitive functioning in later life. A 10% increase in the infant mortality rate is associated with a 0.1 standard deviation decrease in the summary cognitive score. We also find some evidence that height serves as a protective factor against age related deterioration in cognitive functioning. For persons of average stature, age related decreases in cognition scores are 3–5 percentage points smaller if they move up a quartile in the height distribution. Our results also suggest that there is a significant positive association between height and cognitive abilities across countries for this pre-1950 birth cohort of respondents, with correlations ranging from 0.4 to 0.8.

The effectiveness of the cognitive interview procedure with child witnesses

Two separate studies examined whether the cognitive interview – an interview with embedded mnemonics –enhanced children’s eyewitness accounts. Study 1 found that modifying a mnemonic from a verbal cue to a drawing did not augment memory but protected against suggestive questions. Study 2 found the interview enhanced the coherency of children’s’ account.