Psychology (Peer-reviewed publications)

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The role of screen time and screen activity in the non-verbal reasoning of a 5-year olds: cross-sectional findings from a large birth cohort study
(SAGE Publications, 2020-04) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M. Egan
Family and home environment factors have been outlined in previous literature as important variables that affect early reasoning development. However, little research has focused on the association between screen use in the home environment and non-verbal reasoning ability. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine the role of both screen time and various screen activities (e.g., television, video or educational games) in non-verbal reasoning ability in 9,001 5-year-old children using a large birth cohort study (Growing Up in Ireland). Interviews conducted with parents related to the children's screen use and various family factors, while reasoning ability was measured using a standardised task (Picture Similarities Task, British Ability Scales II). A hierarchical multiple regression examined the role of screen use in non-verbal reasoning, while also statistically controlling for family factors such as parental education and employment status. Screen use variables made a significant contribution to the regression model, even after family factors were accounted for, although the effect sizes were very small. Playing educational games, video games or engaging in over three hours screen use per day were all significant predictors of non-verbal reasoning scores in the final adjusted model. The results of this study suggest that screen use may play a small role in the development of non-verbal reasoning in young children. The findings highlight the need for further studies in this area and may have implications for current debates in screen time research. Keywords: Early childhood; Screen Time; Non-Verbal Reasoning; Video games; Growing Up in Ireland This is the
Screen time in early childhood: a review of prevalence, evidence and guidelines
(OMEP Ireland, 2020-06) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M. Egan
Much of the research on screen time to date has focused on TV watching and the amount of time spent on screens. However, due to the high level of variation in current screen activities in relation to features, parental scaffolding opportunities, portability, and interactivity (e.g., tv, smartphones, tablets) it is no longer possible to consider the singular effect of all screen types on the developing child. Recent research in the field suggests that the quality of the content, parental engagement and monitoring, and the inclusion of interactive elements are all factors that influence the effect screen use has on early development, in addition to the amount of time spent on the screen. This article discusses the prevalence of screen use in early childhood, as well as the quality of the research evidence base examining the role of screen use in various aspects of child psychological development. The article concludes by considering current definitions and guidelines for screen use in childhood.
Screen-time and vocabulary development: evidence from the growing up in Ireland study
(Barnados, 2018-12) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M. Egan
Screen time has long been of interest to psychologists, parents, and those working with young children. The last few decades have seen a considerable amount of research exploring the effects of television viewing on children’s development. However, what “screen time” is has changed since the introduction of touchscreen devices over the last decade. Research indicates that children are becoming proficient at using these devices at a young age. Marsh et al. (2015) found that by 3 years of age, nearly two-thirds of the 2,000 children in their study were able to effectively navigate a tablet, including the ability to turn it on and off, drag and swipe, and open and exit apps. McClure, Chentsova-Dutton, Barr, Holochwost, and Parrott (2015) and Rideout (2011; 2013) also noted the rise in toddlers’ touchscreen use from 10% using touchscreens daily in 2010, to 38% using them daily in 2013. In contrast, daily television viewing decreased in the same time period from 79% of toddlers to 63%. The potential ways in which young children can interact with screens has changed over the last 10 years. Touchscreens allow for increased opportunities for early learning as operational barriers, such as using a mouse or keyboard, are less prevalent (Merchant, 2015). However, the increased range of screen types with which young children can interact (e.g., television, smart phone, tablet), and the increased range of activities (e.g., cartoons, video games, educational games, online video chat) present a challenge to researchers and policy makers hoping to draw on a strong evidence base to inform policy and practice. Previous research examining the impact of screen time on early childhood development, much of which focuses on television viewing, raises questions as to whether or not these findings extend to other types of screens and activities. Therefore, it is important to differentiate between screen time, type, and content when measuring the effect of screen use on children’s development. This distinction may provide a more nuanced classification of screen use, rather than just screen “time”, appropriate to the variety of screen uses young children today engage in. As different elements of screen use are considered separately, their impacts on various aspects of development, such as social interaction, attention, reasoning, and notably language development, can be explored and understood.
A framework for approaching screen time research in early childhood: a RECIPE for success
(Edward Elagar Publishing, 2025-11-18) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M Egan
Children’s screen time has long been of interest to researchers and parents alike. Since the rise in electronic and handheld device use over the last two decades, there has been a range of research addressing various screen activities in older cohorts, such as adolescents’ engagement with social media and video games (e.g., Przybylski & Weinstein, 2017). However, fewer studies have explored the influence of screen time and various screen activities in the home on early psychological development (Burns & Gottschalk, 2020; Li et al., 2020). While research on the topic of early screen use has begun to gather pace in the last five years, the existing research on this cohort has produced mixed findings on whether early screen use has benefits, drawbacks, or any influence at all on early psychological development (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017; Li et al., 2020). In order to make sense of this diversity of research and the complexity of its findings, it is important to recognise that while much screen time research reports on its influence on developmental outcomes, few researchers in this area consider screen time from a developmental or theoretical approach. This, in turn, has an influence on the ability to draw robust theory-driven and evidence-based conclusions on what effect, if any, screen use has on early psychological development. For example, factors such as the screen activity or content mostly being engaged in, the children’s developmental stage, and whether an adult is present during screen time are not always considered by screen use researchers, despite such factors having been shown to matter since some of the earliest developmental writings (e.g., Piaget, 1936; Vygotsky, 1978).
“I feel I should put that work in”: discourses of effortfulness and essentialism among post-Brexit applicants for Irish citizenship
(Wiley, 2024-09-01) Scully, Marc
This article explores the post-Brexit increase in applications for Irish passports through descent, and in so doing, seeks to develop a social/political psychology of diasporic citizenship. It draws on a focus group and 10 individual interviews, all conducted in 2018–19; participants were all based in England and had applied, or were in the process of applying, for Irish passports through descent in the aftermath of Brexit. Analysis, using perspectives from discursive psychology, attended to both rhetoric and narratives of citizenship in participants' talk about the application process and identification with Ireland and Irishness. Participants draw on discourses of both effortfulness and essentialism in working up claims to Irish identity, with effortfulness in acquiring transnational knowledge being particularly central in rhetorically legitimizing less secure claims. The analysis thus builds on previous political psychological work highlighting the centrality of “effortfulness” to contemporary constructions of citizenship, particularly in the United Kingdom (Anderson & Gibson, 2020; Gibson, 2009). It is furthermore suggested that explicitly labeled “noneffortfulness” can act as a rhetorical marker of belonging. The implications of these findings for concepts of diasporic citizenship and debates around jus soli versus jus sanguinis citizenship in both Ireland and Britain are discussed.
Listening to the experiences of students from refugee backgrounds in Irish post primary schools: implications for schools
(Irish Learning Support Association, 2024) Gallagher, Sophie; O'Brien, Trevor; Scully, Marc
This study sought to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of refugee youth regarding their education in Ireland. By listening to the experiences of the young people, the study aimed to identify supportive and hindering factors within education. This article draws on data from a qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study which explored the experiences of education for refugee youth. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2021 with nine post primary school students in the Republic of Ireland, all of whom were of first generation refugee or asylum seeker status. While several broad themes were identified within the research, the theme considered in this article is the young people’s perceptions of ‘How does school work?’. Issues pertaining to school policy, practices, and concerns around flexibility, the impact of varied supports, and the role of teachers are explored. The findings highlight teachers’ limited understanding of these students’ experiences and also the value of sustaining first languages while adapting to life in Ireland. The findings extend the limited empirical literature on educational experiences of refugee youth from their own perspective and have implications for practice, professional learning and policy in the Irish context.
An introduction to local and global health behaviors using a Collaborative Online International Learning exchange
(University of Groningen Press, 2023-11) Higgins, Niamh; Smith, Lisa
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) uses technology to facilitate the engagement of students from different countries in collaborative coursework and sharing of cultural perspectives. This practice paper describes an original COIL exchange between students enrolled in health psychology modules at higher education institutions in Ireland (n = 35), and the United States of America (n = 20). The exchange consisted of a ten-week initiative, during which students engaged in synchronous and asynchronous coursework. This paper provides course instructors with strategies for designing and implementing a COIL virtual exchange as well as strategies for increasing student engagement. We believe COIL is a valuable teaching approach that helps students learn module specific material, understand multicultural viewpoints, and enhance their professional skill set.
Social support, social participation, and cardiovascular reactivity to stress in the midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study (Pre-published)
(Elsevier, 2020-06-26) Creaven, Ann-Marie; Higgins, Niamh; Ginty, Annie; Gallagher, Stephen
This study tested two hypotheses of associations between dimensions of social connectedness and cardiovascular reactivity to acute stress: (1) high social support predicts diminished cardiovascular responses to stress (i.e., the stress-buffering model of social support), and (2) diminished cardiovascular responses predict lower social participation, a form of motivated behaviour. Participants (N = 606) in the main Midlife in the United States study completed measures of social support and social participation and underwent psychophysiological stress testing. In unadjusted analyses, social support was positively, rather than inversely, associated with reactivity. Results withstood adjustment for several control variables, but not for depressive symptoms, which was associated with diminished reactivity. Further, diminished reactivity was associated with lower social participation, but not in fully adjusted models. No robust evidence was observed for either the stress-buffering model, or for an association between diminished reactivity and lower social participation. The implications for our understanding of links between social connectedness and cardiovascular reactivity are discussed.
T-REX- the teachers’ research exchange. Overcoming the research-practice gap in education (Pre-published)
(Springer, 2020-04-19) McGann, Marek; Ryan, Marie; McMahon, Jennifer; Hall, Tony
This paper introduces the Teachers Research Exchange (T-REX), an online community of practice that is currently being deployed on a pilot basis nationwide in Ireland as a response to the research-practice gap . The system includes collaborative, educational, and technical components. The technical aspect is the social networking and sharing platform for educational research stakeholders of all kinds. Tools for collaboration and learning available on the platform are designed for a range of users from different professional backgrounds. Crucially, these resources are complemented by a programme of structured collaborative activities to foster a novel community of practice involving pre-service teachers, practising teachers, researchers in higher education, and other educational research stakeholders. Several examples of current use are outlined to illustrate the potential for this model to support collaboration between otherwise siloed professional groups.
Two kinds of theory- what psychology can learn from Einstein (Pre-published)
(SAGE Publications, 2020-04-24) McGann, Marek; Speelman, Craig P.
A century ago, Einstein distinguished between two kinds of theory—theories of principle and constructive theories. These have separate but complementary roles to play in the advancement of knowledge, in the manner in which they relate to data and in how they are developed. The different kinds of theory carry implications for what kinds of data we produce and for how they are put to use. We outline Einstein’s distinction and the model of theory formation that it involves. We then use the distinction to look at some of the discussion of scientific practice in psychology, particularly recent work on the need for more theoretical, rather than purely methodological, sophistication. We argue in agreement with Einstein that the distinction is a useful one and that adopting it as a tenet of theoretical development requires a renewed commitment to a natural history of psychology.
Convergently emergent- ecological and enactive approaches to the texture of agency (Pre-published)
(Frontiers Media, 2020-08-07) McGann, Marek
Enactive and ecological approaches to cognitive science both claim a “mutuality” between agents and their environments – that they have a complementary nature and should be addressed as a single whole system. Despite this apparent agreement, each offers criticisms of the other on precisely this point – enactivists claiming that ecological psychologists over-emphasize the environment, while the complementary criticism, of agent-centered constructivism, is leveled by ecological psychologists at enactivists. In this paper I suggest that underlying the confusion between the two approaches is the complexity of agency, which comes in different forms, at different scales or levels of analysis. Cognitive science has not theorized the relationship between these different forms in a sufficiently disciplined manner, and a task therefore remains of finding a way to map the complex territory of agency.
Perspectives of applied collaborative sport science research within professional team sports (Pre-published version)
(Taylor & Francis [Routledge], 2018) Perry, John; Malone, James J.; Harper, Liam D.; Jones, Ben; Barnes, Chris; Towlson, Chris
The purpose of the study was to examine the perspectives of both academics and practitioners in relation to forming applied collaborative sport science research within team sports. Ninety-three participants who had previously engaged in collaborative research partnerships within team sports completed an online survey which focused on motivations and barriers for forming collaborations using blinded sliding scale (0-100) and rank order list. Research collaborations were mainly formed to improve the team performance (Academic: 73.6 ± 23.3; Practitioner: 84.3 ± 16.0; effect size (ES = 0.54), small). Academics ranked journal articles' importance significantly higher than practitioners did (Academic: Mrank = 53.9; Practitioner: 36.0; z = -3.18, p = .001, p < q). However, practitioners rated one-to-one communication as more preferential (Academic: Mrank = 41.3; Practitioner 56.1; z = -2.62, p = .009, p < q). Some potential barriers were found in terms of staff buy in (Academic: 70.0 ± 25.5; Practitioner: 56.8 ± 27.3; ES = 0.50, small) and funding (Academic: 68.0 ± 24.9; Practitioner: 67.5 ± 28.0; ES = 0.02, trivial). Both groups revealed low motivation for invasive mechanistic research (Academic: 36.3 ± 24.2; Practitioner: 36.4 ± 27.5; ES = 0.01, trivial), with practitioners have a preference towards 'fast' type research. There was a general agreement between academics and practitioners for forming research collaborations. Some potential barriers still exist (e.g. staff buy in and funding), with practitioners preferring 'fast' informal research dissemination compared to the 'slow' quality control approach of academics.
Thinking aloud: An exploration of cognitions in professional snooker (Pre-published version)
(Elsevier, 2018) Perry, John; Welsh, James C.; Dewhurst, Stephen A.
Objectives: Presently, there is no exploration into the cognitive processes of super-elite and elite professional snooker players during real-time performance. Therefore, this study explored the cognitions of seven professional snooker players during real-time solo practice performance. Design: A Think Aloud (TA) protocol analysis. Method: This involved players verbalizing and explaining their thoughts within naturalistic practice environments. Player’s verbalizations were recorded during each solo practice performance, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed via protocol analysis. Results: Analyses revealed an array of continuous reactive-adaptive cognitions relating to stressors and coping strategies during performance, as well as general snooker-specific related thoughts. Specifically, the results highlighted key stressor themes which were coded as: Table Conditions, Distractions, and Mistakes. Our main finding was: Shot Preparation being essential to problem-focused coping, with Rationalizing integral to emotion-focused coping. Further results highlighted the visualperceptual and cognitive expertise of players, with regards to identification of problem balls and cueball spatial awareness, insofar as unearthing the deliberate structure to practice routines. Conclusions: The study’s original and novel findings lend further support to the transactional process of coping. Whilst accordingly, the utilization of TA significantly contributed to our limited understanding of super-elite and elite real-time cognitions in professional snooker and self-paced sports generally. Future research should continue to dissect the sport-specific nuances that underpin real-time performance, not only during practices, but within competitive play. TA is an appropriate methodology to use in the domain-specific sport of snooker.
A personalised exercise programme for individuals with lower limb amputation reduces falls and improves gait biomechanics: A block randomised controlled trial (Pre-published version)
(Elsevier, 2018) Perry, John; Schafer, Zoe A.; Vanicek, Natalie
Background: Lower limb amputees (LLAs) are at increased risk of falling due to the inherent asymmetry resulting from their limb loss, muscle weakness and other neuro-musculoskeletal limitations. Research question: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a personalised exercise programme on falls prevention and gait parameters in LLAs. Methods: Fifteen LLAs, recruited from their local prosthetic services centre, were block randomised, by age and level of amputation, into two groups: exercise group (transfemoral, n = 5; transtibial, n = 2) and control group (transfemoral, n = 5; transtibial, n = 3). The exercise group completed a 12-week programme, focusing on strength, balance, flexibility and walking endurance, delivered in group sessions at the University, and combined with a personalised home exercise programme. Temporal-spatial, 3D kinematic and kinetic gait parameters were collected at baseline and post-intervention. Falls incidence was also followed up at 12 months. Results: The exercise group experienced significantly fewer falls in the one-year period from baseline, compared with the average annual falls rate, obtained at baseline (P = 0.020; d = 1.54). Gait speed in the exercise group increased by 0.21 m∙s−1, to 0.98 m∙s−1 (P < 0.001; d = 0.91), through increased intact limb cadence. In the pre-swing phase, there were significant increases in intact limb peak vertical force, and affected limb peak propulsive (anterior) force for the exercise group. Power absorption and generation significantly increased at both the intact and affected hip joints (H3) and the intact ankle (A1 and A2) for the exercise group, resulting in significant group*time interactions. Significance: This is the first study to document the clinically meaningful benefits of an exercise intervention for falls prevention and gait performance in LLAs. Specialised exercise programmes for community-dwelling LLAs should be implemented as a method to reduce falls and improve walking performance in this population.
Predicting cooperation in competitive conditions: The role of sportspersonship, moral competence, and emotional intelligence (Pre-published version)
(Elsevier, 2017) Perry, John; Clough, Peter J.
Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to examine the predictive capabilities of sportspersonship, moral competence, and emotional intelligence on cooperation in varying competitive conditions.Design: An experimental study was conducted, examining responses in a prisoner's dilemma game with manipulated conditions.Method: Forty-three participants were randomly assigned to an accumulative or competitive condition, in which they contested 10 rounds of choosing to cooperate or defect. Results: Whether the condition was accumulative or competitive did not significantly predict cooperation. In the final round of each contest however, cooperation was significantly reduced. Sportspersonship predicted a significant amount of cooperation percentage, while final round cooperation was predicted by emotional intelligence. Conclusions: Cooperation is in part determined by individual levels of sportspersonship in all conditions except when actions are free of future consequence. In such conditions, emotional intelligence appears to be a stronger indicator of cooperation. The implications of the study are that researchers and practitioners should consider how to develop sportspersonship and emotional intelligence to boost cooperation in various domains.
Adolescents consider the future differently depending on the domain in question: Results of an exploratory study in the United Kingdom (Pre-published version)
(Elsevier, 2017) Perry, John; McKay, Michael T.; Cole, Jon.C.; Magee, Jennifer
The study of Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) construct has increased substantively in recent years. Underlying these developments is the presumption that consideration of the future is uniform across all domains, and not a domain-specific construct. Building on work undertaken previously, the present study used 30 researcher-derived items to assess the domain specificity of consideration of the future in three large samples of adolescents in the United Kingdom. A psychometrically valid and reliable 18-item scale measuring consideration of the future in four domains emerged. Domain specificity was supported on two levels: a good fitting multidimensional model of CFC; and low to moderate factor correlations for the four domains measured by the 18-item scale. The study suggests that adolescents are considerate of future outcomes to different degrees, depending on the domain, and the implications of this with regard to future research are discussed.
Sources of sport confidence, imagery type and performance among competitive athletes: The mediating role of sports confidence (Pre-published version)
(Edizioni Minerva Medica, 2015) Perry, John; Levy, Andrew R.; Nicholls, Adam R.; Larkin, Derek; Davies, Jean
Aim. This study explored the mediating role of sport confidence upon (1) sources of sport confidence- performance relationship and (2) imagery- performance relationship. Methods. Participants were 157 competitive athletes who completed state measures of confidence level/ sources, imagery type and performance within one hour after competition. Results. Among the current sample, confirmatory factor analysis revealed appropriate support for the nine-factor SSCQ and the five-factor SIQ. Mediational analysis revealed that sport confidence had a mediating influence upon the achievement source of confidence – performance relationship. In addition, both cognitive and motivational imagery types were found to be important sources of confidence, as sport confidence mediated imagery type- performance relationship. Conclusion. Findings indicated that athletes who construed confidence from their own achievements and report multiple images on a more frequent basis are likely to benefit from enhanced levels of state sport confidence and subsequent performance.
Psychological approaches to enhancing fair play (Pre-published version)
(Nova Science Publishers, 2013) Perry, John; Clough, Peter J.; Crust, Lee
This article reviews approaches to studying sportspersonship, moral behavior in sport and broader morality theory to offer practical strategies to enhance fair play. By identifying stages and levels of morality and reviewing research supporting the relationship between goal orientations and moral behavior, we propose five practical strategies. Namely, we suggest that developing a mastery climate, developing a moral community, role taking, reflection and power transfer can be effectively used to progress performers from pre-conventional to a conventional level of morality and ultimately, establish principled morality in sport.
Enaction and psychology (pre-published version)
(American Psychological Association (APA), 2013) McGann, Marek; De Jaegher, Hanne; Di Paolo, Ezequiel
The enactive approach to cognitive science aims to provide an account of the mind that is both naturalistic and nonreductive. Psychological activity is viewed not as occurring within the individual organism but in the engagement between the motivated autonomous agent and their context (including their social context). The approach has been developing within the fields of philosophy, artificial life, and computational biology for the past two decades and is now growing within the domain of psychology more generally. In this short paper we outline the conceptual framework of the enactive approach. Illustrative research questions and methods for investigation are also broached, including some existing examples from theoretical, behavioral, and computational modeling research. It is suggested that an enactive psychology provides the basis for the conceptual framework of the enactive approach.
Doing it and meaning it (and the relationship between the two) (pre-published version)
(John Benjamins, 2005) McGann, Marek
A number of related approaches to cognition and consciousness have been gaining momentum in the literature in recent years, emphasizing the active, embodied nature of the mind and grounding mental states and processes in the interaction between mind, body and world. These approaches are here gathered under the title "enactive". Given a working hypothesis, that there is a meaningfulness to our conscious states that seems fundamental to those conscious states, implications of this enactive approach to mind are outlined. It is argued that taking such an enactive approach implies a fundamental role for motivational states and goals, which currently lack an explicit explanation in consciousness studies or Cognitive Science more generally. An enactive framework for considering goals is sketched, and two of the more dramatic implications for our understandings and investigations of consciousness are outlined.

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