Lucy Stafford
PhD Student

Profile

Biography

I completed my integrated Masters degree in Psychology at the University of York in 2022, before completing my Masters in Social Research in 2023 as part of the ESRC 1+3 funding I received for my PhD. I held various research assistant positions during these degrees.

My integrated Masters project was concerned with interoception, body image, and antenatal attachment in the perinatal period. My Masters in Social Research project investigated the qualitative links between gastric interoceptive sensibility and body image. I will be adding to this project during my PhD.

Outside my PhD project on gastric interoception, I am also interested in the perinatal bodily experience, body representation and cognition in eating disorders, and online data integrity.

Career

• PhD in Psychology, University of York, (2023- Present)
• MA Social Research, University of York, (2022-2023)
• Graduate Research Technician in Education, University of York, (2022-2023), supervised by Dr Cylcia Bolibaugh and Dr David O'Reilly, (paid)
• Graduate Research Technician in Psychology (fieldwork), University of York and Nyabyeya Forestry College (Uganda), (2022-2022), supervised by Prof. Katie Slocombe and Dr Bailey House, (paid)
• A-level Psychology Tutor, Up Learn, (2021-present)
• Undergraduate Research Assistant in Psychology, University of York, (2021-2022), supervised by Prof. Katie Slocombe and Dr Bailey House, (paid)
• Undergraduate Research Assistant in Psychology, University of York, (2021-2021), supervised by Prof. Elizabeth Meins, (voluntary)
• Undergraduate Research Assistant in Psychology, University of York, (2020-2021), supervised by Prof. Katie Slocombe, (voluntary)
• MSci in Psychology, University of York, (2018-2022)

Departmental roles

• Year 1 Post-graduate Research Rep
• Graduate Teaching Assistant (2023-present)
• Peer mentor (2021-2022)
• PsychOut Editor (2020-2021)

Research

Overview

Gastric interoception, body image, and food choices

Projects

My project aims to better conceptualise gastric interoceptive sensibility and use virtual reality to investigate its connection to body image and the food choices made in a supermarket environment.  Previous research has failed to comprehensively investigate gastric interoceptive sensibility, establish a direct connection between gastric interceptive sensibility and body image, and has not examined the relative contribution of gastric interoceptive sensibility and body image to food choices. My project builds on this previous research through (1) psychometric development and  validation, (2) manipulation of gastric interoception and body image to examine their direct impact on each other, (3) manipulation of gastric interoception and body image to examine their direct impact on food choices, and (4) computational modelling techniques to investigate how gastric interoceptive sensibility and body image influence the decision making underlying food choices.

Research group(s)

• Mind and Body Lab
• Cognition and Mental Health Lab

Grants

• 1+3 ESRC Advanced Quantitative Methods

Collaborators

• Dr Catherine Preston (supervisor)
• Dr Alex Pike (supervisor)

Teaching

Publications

Selected publications

• Stafford, L., Munns, L., Crossland, A., Kirk, E., Preston, C. (under review). Bonding with Bump:
  interoceptive sensibility moderates the relationship between pregnancy body satisfaction and
  antenatal attachment
• Stafford, L., Preston, C., Pike, A., C. (in preparation). The threat of Artificial Intelligence to online
  qualitative research: an experiential account

External activities

Overview

• Body Representation Network Early Career Researchers Coordinator (2023-present)
• North East Body Meeting 2023 organiser (2023-present)
• North East Body Meeting poster presenter (2023)