Biological Psychology
Research on: addiction, reward, motivation, emotion, learning, memory, ageing, dementia, appetite and taste
Research
We’ve been pushing the boundaries of biological, developmental, clinical, cognitive and social psychology since the 1960s.
Our REF 2021 results
We are pleased to share the results of the School of Psychology in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF 2021).
All faculty in the School with significant responsibilities for research were submitted to REF 2021 in Unit of Assessment 4 (Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience).
Overall, our research was assessed to be 50% ‘world leading’ (4*), with a further 38% assessed as ‘internationally excellent’ (3*). The rigorous assessment positions Psychology research at Sussex 18th out of nearly 100 institutions in the Times Higher Education REF 2021 rankings.
These results highlight strengths across our School in relation to our research outputs, the impacts of our research and the quality of our research environment.
The results of REF 2021 were published on 12 May 2022.
See all REF results at Sussex and read the stories behind the research we submitted.
Explore our research
With a team of 70+ academics, we're one of the largest research-intensive psychology Schools in the UK. We have notable strengths in areas as diverse as addiction, mammalian communication, ageing and dementia, child development, cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, consciousness, health psychology, memory and attention, mental health and resilience, self-affirmation, synaesthesia, acculturation, crowd behaviour, and visual perception.
Explore the four research groups that make up the School of Psychology and see what our people are working on to make an impact:
Cognitive Psychology
Research on: thinking, memory, language, sensation, perception, attention, communication, consciousness and senses
Developmental and Clinical Psychology
Research on: mental health, cognitive development, social development, wellbeing and communication
Social and Applied Psychology
Research on: self-affirmation, emotion regulation, body image, culture, self and identity, crowds, consumers, health and prosocial behaviour
Research Centres
We are home to the following research centres:
- Cultural and Societal Diversity
- Mental Health
- Open Science and Research Reform
- Sussex Addiction research and Intervention Centre
- Sussex Kindness
We also jointly lead the following Centres of Excellence:
- Sussex Neuroscience