Overview

This research stream focuses on measuring attitudes, stigma, biases and behavioural responding, using multiple measurement approaches. Additionally, this stream looks at the interaction between attitudes and behaviour, how attitudes influence behaviour and our understanding of human behaviour as a whole.

Research within this stream measures attitudes through a variety of methods and from a number of different psychological perspectives. These methods include self-report measures and scales, as well as implicit measures and measures of relational responding. Attitudes towards a wide variety of topics are investigated through research carried out under this stream. You can see the range of topics in the publication lists of NCI researchers. Of particular interest is attitudes and stigma towards mental illness. The Stigma and Mental health Ireland (SAMI) lab is dedicated to investigating this topic, with the aim of providing key data for Government policies and campaigns targeting mental health stigma. You can read more about their work in the SAMI lab section.

Research within this stream also focuses on when and why people engage in certain behaviours, and considers the impact that behaviour has on distinct outcomes for the individual and those around them. Research may examine behavioural difficulties, health behaviour, or behavioural processes that facilitate learning such as relational responding. Measures of relational responding are based on relational frame theory (RFT), which falls under a branch of psychology known as contextual behavioural science (CBS). NCI has a number of researchers who take a contextual behavioural approach to their research, and you can read more about their work in the NCI CBS lab section.