- Centre for Psychological Sciences
About me
Mark Gardner joined the University of Westminster in 2000, and is now Principal Lecturer in Psychology. He is course leader for MSc Psychology, a BPS accredited conversion course.
Mark was trained at University College London. His PhD research examined evidence for imitation in animals under the supervision of Prof Cecilia Heyes. His postdoctoral research, as part of a Wellcome Trust funded project led by Prof Lucy Yardley, examined the role of attention in normal and abnormal balance system function.
Teaching
I currently lead a core module in research methods taken by all undergraduate students on Psychology BSc (Honours) and Psychology and Counselling BSc (Honours). I also co-lead a core module in quantitative research methods taken by postgraduate students on Psychology MSc - our BPS accredited conversion course. My teaching in these, and other, modules focuses on experimental psychology, quantitative methods, and statistics.
Research
The main focus of my research is on the cognitive processes underlying visual perspective-taking. This work examines how we are sensitive to what other people are aware of, an ability that appears to allow humans to track mental states (“Theory of Mind”), with implications for the understanding of autism and schizophrenia.
Key reference: Gardner et al (2018). Vision, 2(1), 3
A second area of interest is whether having a drink helps us think. Fundamental work has investigated the effect of water supplementation on cognitive performance. This research has provided foundations for applied research, for example the association between fluid availability and students' performance in exams.
Key reference: Edmonds et al. (2013). Appetite, 60, 148-153
I also research Higher Education, with a particular interest in interdisciplinary learning, open science, and technologically enhanced learning such as ‘lecture capture’
Key reference: Gardner (2020). Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology.
Publications
For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.