Dr Jo Saunders

Senior Lecturer

Psychology

Personal statement

I joined the School in 2012 after spending 8 years at Swansea University as a Lecturer and, before then, as an ESRC Research Fellow at St. Andrews.

My research focuses on why we forget. Some of this research has been theory driven examining the underlying processes of why we forget some memories but not others. Research has also focused on the practical applications including the accuracy and completeness of eyewitness memory and memory in sub-clinical disorders.

I am also interested in the mechanisms of change underlying third-wave therapies, such as Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and examining whether distress predicts the development, and maintenance, of psychological difficulties.

Qualifications

PhD in Psychology, University of St. Andrews

BSc (Hons) Psychology, University of St. Andrews

Publications

The relative contribution of shape and colour to object memory: Reppa Irene, Williams Kate E, Greville W James, Saunders Jo; Memory and Cognition Vol 48, pp. 1504-1521 (2020); https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-020-01058-w
Episodic memory and age-related deficits in inhibitory effectiveness: MacLeod Malcolm D, Saunders Jo; Experimental Aging Research Vol 43, pp. 34-54 (2017); https://doi.org/10.1080/0361073X.2017.1258220
Mnemic neglect : selective amnesia of one's faults: Sedikides Constantine, Green Jeffrey D, Saunders Jo, Skowronski John J, Zengel Bettina; European Review of Social Psychology Vol 27, pp. 1-62 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2016.1183913
The social and cultural context of remembering : implications for recalling childhood sexual abuse: Fivush Robyn, Saunders Jo; Applied Cognitive Psychology Vol 29, pp. 843-845 (2015); https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3194
Reshaping memories through conversations : considering the influence of others on historical memories of abuse: Saunders Jo, Fivush Robyn; Applied Cognitive Psychology Vol 29, pp. 789-790 (2015); https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3185
Disruptions to processing of self referential emotional material are associated with positive symptoms of schizotypy: Saunders Jo, Vallath Smriti, Reed Phil; Psychiatry Research Vol 229, pp. 809-813 (2015); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2015.07.086

More publications

Teaching

C8105/C8106: Research Methods & Statistics

C8106: Introduction to Development

C8305: Development (Course Leader)

C8445: Practical Aspects of Memory (Course Leader)

I am also the Disability Contact for the School.

Research interests

Theories of forgetting

Intentional and unintentional forgetting

Odour memory

Eyewitness memory

Psychogenic amnesia/fugue, trauma memory and dissociation

Recovered memories and repression

Amnesia in offenders

Psychopathology (depression, anxiety, OCD, psychosis and schizotypy, personality disorders, repressive coping)

Self-protective memory (i.e., mnemic neglect)

Third-wave therapies

Social psychiatry

Professional activities

Applied Cognitive Psychology (Journal): Peer reviewer; 22/12/2017
External Examiner of Doctoral Thesis: Examiner; 2017
Applied Cognitive Psychology (Journal): Guest editor; 11/2015
The Carnegie Trust (External organisation): Member; 1/6/2014
Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (External organisation): Member; 1/6/2014
Journal of Experimental Psychopathology (Journal): Editorial board member; 1/8/2013

More professional activities

Projects

The development of emotional regulation in adolescence: Saunders, Jo (Academic); 01-Jan-2014 - 30-Jan-2017
Can we improve eyewitness memory?: Saunders, Jo (Academic); Carnegie Trust Internship to Adele Ahmet; 17-Jan-2013 - 20-Jan-2013
Aromachology: Interactions between odour and verbal memory: Saunders, Jo (Principal Investigator); Leverhulme Trust; 01-Jan-2010 - 30-Jan-2012
British Academy Travel Grant: Saunders, Jo (Academic); Travel grant to attend SARMAC in Japan; 20-Jan-2009 - 25-Jan-2009
Memory for objects: Retrieval competition in memory between visual object properties: Reppa, Irene (Principal Investigator) Saunders, Jo (Principal Investigator); Leverhulme Trust; 01-Jan-2007 - 31-Jan-2010
Imagery and forgetting: The role of images in retrieval-induced forgetting: Saunders, Jo (Principal Investigator); Leverhulme Trust; 01-Jan-2006 - 31-Jan-2007

More projects

Address

Psychology
Graham Hills Building

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