Anne Templeton

Senior Lecturer

Background

2023 Senior LEcturer in Social Psychology, Universiy of Edinburgh

2022 UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, University of Edinburgh

2018 Lecturer in Social Psychology, University of Edinburgh

2017 Research Associate, University of Kent

Qualifications

PhD, University of Sussex

MSc, University of Surrey

MA (hons), University of St Andrews

Undergraduate teaching

I previously acted as a personal tutor to first and second year students and supervised 3rd an 4th year dissertations. I am the Course Organiser of Identities & Collective Behaviour.

 

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

No

Current PhD students supervised

Waleed Alhajri

Sam Vo

Sayaka Hinata

Kayleigh Smith

Research summary

I am a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow leading the project ‘Simulating the impact of first responder communication strategies on citizen adherence in emergencies’. My over-arching research interest is applying the social identity approach to intra and intergroup processes. My research primarily focusses on crowd psychology and using principles of social identity to improve crowd safety in emergencies and at mass events. I do this through exploring a) the role of social identities on feelings of safety and well-being, b) processes underlying communication between psychological crowd members and safety personnel, and c) incorporating the role of social identities into computer models of collective movement. You can learn more about my research group's activities at our website: https://www.identitiesandcollectivebehaviour.com/.

 

Knowledge exchange

Please see the Identities and Collective Behaviour research group website for details of our activities: https://www.identitiesandcollectivebehaviour.com/.

Current project grants

ESRC SGSSS Collaborative studentship, ‘Understanding the drivers of safety at major sporting events’, Principal Investigator (£68,774)
UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, ‘Simulating the impact of first responder communication strategies on citizen adherence in emergencies’, Principal Investigator (£1,377,119)
Chief Nursing Office Directorate, ‘Reducing COVID-19 transmission by identifying barriers and avenues to safe behaviours in hospitals’, Principal Investigator (£278,106)
DCMS, ‘Factors associated with attendee adherence to COVID-19 guidance during the 2021 DCMS Events Research Programme’, Principal Investigator (£72,350)
ESRC SGSSS Steers studentship, ‘Incorporating decision-making in environmental emergencies into behavioural computational models for crisis planning’, Principal Investigator (£63,662)
Resuscitation Council, ‘A psychologically calibrated brief intervention to enable bystander CPR’ Co-Investigator (£31,130)
MHCLG: ‘Means of Escape in Residential Buildings’, Co-Investigator (£377,280)
ESRC, Perceived threats and 'stampedes': a relational model of collective fear responses, Co-Investigator (£802,432)

Past project grants

DSTL research grant, ‘Improving crowd resilience – using social identity to enhance threat detection and response to threats’, PI (£79,369)
GCRF, Facilitating safe evacuee response in sudden onset emergencies, PI (£3,000)

Conference details

Please see my research group website for updates about our presentations and outputs: https://www.identitiesandcollectivebehaviour.com/presentations-colour

Organiser

I was the conference chair of the BPS SPS 2021 annual conference.

In the press

Communication and collaboration in a crisis (2021). Royal Society Edinburgh Getting Curious panel discussion. Accessible at: https://www.rse-curious.com/communication-and-collaboration-in-a-crisis/

Enhancing security culture at publicly accessible locations. Security & Policing Home Office Event. March 10 2021.

How to create the perfect atmosphere in a stadium. (2018). BBC. Accessible at https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/how-to-create-the-perfect-atmosphere-in-a-stadium/p06bg8xf

Understanding Hajj crowds could help stop another crush. (2015). Reuters. Accessible at https://uk.reuters.com/video/2015/12/30/understanding-hajj-crowds-could-help%20sto?videoId=366851964&videoChannel=4000&channelName=Technology 

Templeton, A., & Drury, J. (2015). Here’s how to make the Hajj safer - by better understanding crowd psychology. The Conversation. Accessible at https://theconversation.com/heres-how-to-make-the-hajj-safer-by-better-understanding-crowd-psychology-48128

2021-2022 - I am part of a subgroup within the Scottish Government COVID-19 Behavioural Insights team evaluating the social psychological processes behind COVID-19 transmission in hospitals. This involved reporting to stakeholders such as the COVID-19 Nosocomial Review Group to relay identified barriers and avenues for development related to staff adherence of COVID-19 guidance.

2021 - I was an observer for the Science Board of the UK Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport during the Events Research Programme. This involved conducting research to identify barriers attendees faced when navigating the COVID-19 guidance, and collaborating with the board to produce reports to government, including their Phase 1 report which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/events-research-programme-phase-i-findings/events-research-programme-phase-i-findings.

2020 - I acted as a research advisor to the Sports Grounds Safety Authority to identity ticketholder experiences and reasons for (non)adherence to the COVID-19 guidance during the UK government-led pilot sporting events.