Profile
I gained my Human Psychology BSc from Aston before heading off to the University of Surrey where I studied for a Social Psychology PhD with Adrian Coyle, Peter Hegarty and Evanthia Lyons. In 2008 I was privileged to attend the International LGBT Summer Institute at the University of Michigan (USA). Since then I've taught qualitative research methods, critical psychology and social psychology at Surrey. The University of Winchester offered me a position as an associate lecturer where I also taught qualitative research methods. I've also been a visiting tutor at Goldsmiths. Ten years later I'm happy to be back at Aston University once more!
Teaching
-
Level 1: PY1128 - Studying Psychology in Higher Education; PY1125 Psychology Practicals
-
Level 2: PY2238/3352 - Social Psychology (Convenor)
-
Level 3: PY3003 - Human Aggression (Convenor)
-
Postgraduate (Health Psychology MSc, MRes) Masters level qualitative methods in PYM701, PYM707, PYM708, PYM714, PY4010, PY4100, PY4020.
Supervision / Examination
I supervise and examine qualitative psychological research at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Recent/Current Supervision (2011-12 at Aston):
| UG |
"Male attitudes to rape and rape myths" |
| UG |
"Ideologies associated with recreational drug use in the LGBT community" |
| UG |
"Why do attitudes differ towards victims and perpetrators depending on gender?" |
| UG |
"Do stigmatising views change amongst final year psychology students who have had contact on placements with people with mental illness?" |
| UG |
"The differences in attitudes, prejudice and stereotypes in people who are familiar and unfamiliar with mental health disorders" |
| UG |
"What is the media representation of transgender/transexual people in contemporary UK newspapers?" |
| UG |
"Are individuals' attitudes towards gender discrimination an accurate reflection of modern values of gender equality?" |
| UG |
"To what extent can the theory of planned behaviour be used to predict students' intake of excessive alcohol?" |
| UG |
"Young adults' attitudes toward changing gender roles" |
| MSc |
"Living in the media’s shadow?: Mass media’s gendered body ideals and their effect on health behaviours" |
| MSc |
"Exploring awareness in south Asian students of the risk factors associated with Coronary Heart Disease" |
| MSc |
"Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual attitudes to alcohol and drugs within the LGB culture" |
Previous Supervision (2011 at Surrey):
| UG |
“A Woman’s Spiritual Awakening Within Alcoholics Anonymous” |
| UG |
“Young Christians’ Accounts of Peer Influence and Religion” |
| UG |
“Young Women’s Understandings of Cross Sex Friendships using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis” |
| MSc |
“Trainee clinical psychologists’ experiences of professional development” |
| MSc |
“Case formulation in group settings: experiences of helpful and facilitating action to support nursing staff access reflective practice” |
| MSc |
“An exploratory investigation of clinical psychologists’ conceptualisation of the supervisory relationship” |
Doctoral examination: Practitioner Doctorate in Psychotherapeutic & Counselling Psychology (PsychD) at the University of Surrey, September 2011: examiner for two doctoral portfolios by viva voce (with Prof Simon Du Plock and John Waite).
Research Interests
Social psychology: sexual and gender identities, friendship, liberalism, consumerism and commodification, social media, intergroup conflict and prejudice.
Methods: Discourse analysis, thematic analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Selected Output
Shepperd, D., Coyle, A., & Hegarty, P. (2010). Discourses of friendship between heterosexual women and gay men: Mythical norms and an absence of desire. Feminism & Psychology, 20 (2), 205-224.
Adams, J., Blair, K.L., Borrero-Bracero, N.I., Espín, O.M., Hayfield, N.J., Hegarty, P., Hermann-Green, L.K., Hsu, D.M.H., Maurer, O., Manalastas, E.J., McDermott, D.T., Shepperd, D. (2010). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Psychology: An international conversation between researchers. Psychology and Sexualities, 1 (1), 75-90.
Shepperd, D. (2009). Juxtaposing different perspectives. [Review of the book 'An introduction to masculinities']. The Psychologist, 22 (12), 1039.
Shepperd, D. (2007, October). Gay men and heterosexual women: Discourses of normativity. Invited address at the meeting of the Sexualities and Identities Research Group, London South Bank University.
Shepperd, D., Coyle, A., & Hegarty, P. (2006, September). Accounts of difference and similarity in friendships between heterosexual women and gay men: A discourse analytic approach. Paper presented at the meeting of the British Psychological Society Social Section, Birmingham, UK).
Shepperd, D., Hegarty, P., Coyle, A., & Lyons, E. (2004, August). Friendships between heterosexual women and gay men: Resistance to heteronormativity. Paper presented at the International Conference of Critical Psychology, Bath.
Shepperd, D. & Hegarty, P. (2004). Building partnerships between lesbian, gay and bisexual psychologists and the lesbian, gay and bisexual voluntary sector. Lesbian & Gay Psychology Review, 5 (3), 127.
Shepperd, D., & Percy, C. (2002, July). Fag hags and feminism: Gender political tensions in relations between gay men and straight women. Paper presented at the meeting of the British Psychological Society Psychology of Women Section, Birkbeck College, University of London.
Main University navigation links
