I am a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.

I teach courses in psychological research methods and statistics.

My research investigates the social, cognitive, and physical underpinnings of human sociality. Recently I have become particularly interested in how people percieve the minds of animals and what guides moral intuitions about animals.

Background

I grew up in rural Iowa before becoming a serial urbanite in early adulthood. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida in 1999 and a Masters Degree in Communication at the University of Maryland in 2002, where I studied humour, persuasion, and attitude change in the Department of Communication.

My studies in communication sparked an interest in human and animal social behaviours. Consequently, I decided to continue my graduate education in psychology. I received a Masters Degree in Psychology at the University of Northern Iowa in 2005.

By way of a more lengthly story (and an adventurous supervisor), I received a PhD in psychology from the University of Queensland in 2012. I previously worked in the School of Psychology at Massey University.