Dr Stephanie Rhodes

Stephanie started as an undergraduate student in Psychology from 2007 and never left. She achieved a First Class Degree in 2010. Later that year Stephanie received a PhD studentship within the Institute of Psychology to study the ‘jump to conclusions bias in delusional thinking’. In July 2015, Stephanie successfully completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice in Higher Education and in March 2017; successfully passed her PhD examination with no corrections. Stephanie has worked as a Demonstrator in Psychology since December 2011. 

My key area of interest lies within the realm of cognitive psychology- specifically cognitive biases in delusional thinking. Delusions, whilst previously associated with psychotic illness, have been shown to be prevalent amongst the general healthy population. My PhD research focused upon the factors that may promote biases that may encourage the formation and maintenance of delusional beliefs. I was supervised by Dr. Niall Galbraith and Emeritus Professor Kenneth Manktelow; experts in sub-clinical delusional ideation and cognitive reasoning. 

My current research interests relate to the psychological impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease amongst children, adolescence and young adults. 

Graduate Member of British Psychological Society (MBPsS)

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology ‘Investigating the Domain-Specificity of the Jump to Conclusions Bias in Sub-Clinical Delusional Thinking’, 2017, University of Wolverhampton 

Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice in Higher Education, 2015, University of Wolverhampton. 

Bachelor of Science, First Class Honours in Psychology, 2010, University of Wolverhampton. 

 Rhodes, S.K. (2017). Investigating the domain-specificity of the jump to conclusions bias in sub-clinical delusional thinking. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from WIRE. 

 Rhodes, S.K. (2016, November). Not seen and not heard. Retrieved from https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/not-seen-and-not-heard.  

 Rhodes, S.K., & Jones, C. (2014). The role of affect in delusional thinking and reasoning. In N. Galbraith (Eds.), Aberrant beliefs and reasoning (Current issues in thinking and reasoning). Sussex, UK:Psychology Press.  

 Rhodes, S.K. (2012). Does it pay to be analytical? The Psychologist, 25(5), 390-392. 

Conference Presentations 

Rhodes, S.K. (2016). Rational reasoning in delusional thinking. Poster presented at the University of Wolverhampton’s Annual Research Conference, Wolverhampton, UK, June 2016.  

Doctoral College Funded Residential Conference at Cumberland Lodge, Great Park Windsor. 2014. 

Rhodes, S.K. (2014). Jumping to conclusions in delusional thinking. Unpublished paper presented the 31^st BPS Cognitive Psychology Section Annual Conference, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, 3-5^th September 2014.  

Rhodes, S.K. (2012). Factors that may moderate the emergence of the jump to conclusions bias in sub- clinical delusional ideation. Unpublished paper presented the 7^th International Conference of Thinking, Birkbeck College, London, July 2012.  

Associate Lecturer in Psychology, Open University, October 2016- Present. 

Demonstrator in Psychology, University of Wolverhampton, December 2011 to Present. 

Awards, Grants and Honours

Doctoral College Funded Residential Conference at Cumberland Lodge, Great Park Windsor. 2014. 

Research Poster Prize Winner: Rhodes, S.K. (2014). Jumping to conclusions in delusional thinking. Poster presented at the Research Student Poster Exhibition and Competition, University of Wolverhampton, UK, 17^th June 2014.  

Research Poster Prize Winner: Rhodes, S.K. (2013). Decision making in delusional thinking. Poster presented at the Research Student Poster Exhibition and Competition, University of Wolverhampton, UK, 12^th June 2013.  

Research Poster Prize Winner. Rhodes, S.K. (2012). Don’t judge a research poster by its title. Do people with delusions always jump to conclusions? Poster presented at the Vitae Midlands Hub Postgraduate Research Exhibition and Poster Competition, Coventry University, UK, 12^th July 2012.  

Postgraduate Research Studentship, Research Institute for Healthcare Science and Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, 2010. 

The Bernice McAuley Memorial Prize, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, 2010.