Laura Spear

Laura has a background and research interest in all things social and organisational, including group dynamics, team working, social influence, recruitment, selection, assessment, career and organisational design. In addition to her PhD she is also currently working towards Chartered Occupational Psychology status with the BPS.  

Laura's research interests focus around the individual including personality and identity and their impact on our behaviour. As a part-time PhD researcher she is specifically interested in understanding how our group memberships, roles, relationships and social identities impact us as individuals. In her full-time role she is a Senior Research Psychologist at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), part of the Ministry of Defence. 

Thesis title

Indicators of identity: understanding individuals from the perspective of their group memberships

• Laura is a Guest Lecturer on SP311 and SP801
• She has run several careers workshops for the School of Psychology and wider employability activities across the University
• She held a position as an Honorary Research Fellow within the School of Psychology prior to commencing her PhD
• She guest lectures at a number of external University social psychology courses and events

• Dr Tim Hopthrow (First Supervisor)
• Professor Dominic Abrams (Second Supervisor)

Funding

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)