Methodological Approach

I am interested in post-positivist and critical realist methodologies that identify and subvert existing power structures and consider the role of history and social context in shaping the social world and our understanding of it, including PDT, FDA and the various approaches to CDA. My education spans psychology and philosophy, and I like to bring epistemological and ontological questions from the philosophy of science and mind to bear on my research.

Lab

I am part of the Altruistic Minds Lab, run by my supervisor, Dr. Matti Wilks. We meet bi-weekly to discuss topics in moral psychology, from the moral circle to the moral treatment of animals to morality and ethics in AI. We welcome external speakers where possible!

Knowldge, Skills and Experience

I am experienced in qualitative data collection (interviews, focus groups, free text survey questions, written and pictorial reflections) and analysis (particularly critical discourse studies, post-structuralist discourse theory, discursive psyschology and thematic analysis) within social psychology, health and education research. I have explored reflection and threshold concepts in medical and dental education, and how prospective donors and renal staff discuss non-directed kidney donation in the UK. I am trained to a post-graduate level in qualitative methods, univariate and multivariate statistics in R, Bayesian statistics in R and research skills and design.

Works

  • Heath, M., & Auburn, T. ‘I’m not exceptional’: How unspecified kidney donors construct their identity and altruism. [Undergraduate dissertation].
  • Leyland, R., Heath, M., Collett, T., Drake, E., & Neve, H. 'How far I’ve come': The value of reviewing past reflections. Reflective Practice, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2024.2406969
  • Neve, H., Hanks, S., Heath, M. & Smith, W. (2020). ‘Today’s shook me up a lot inside…it’s definitely changed me’: Emotional responses and transformative learning through working with disadvantaged communities. Education for Primary Care, 31(6), 358-364. https://doi.org/10.1080/14739879.2020.1819170
  • Leyland, R., Heath, M., Neve, H., & Maynard, V. (2020). Structured reflection on shared decision making. The Clinical Teacher, 17, 1-7.https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.13233
  • Lloyd, H., & Heath, M. (2018). A spotlight on safeguarding in trainee selection: The Plymouth programme’s experience of Safer Recruitment. Clinical Psychology Forum, 306, 25-29. https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/12975