PHD STUDENTSHIP
We are looking for a candidate to put forward for a PhD studentship. As
part of a programme grant from The Wellcome Trust (title: Communication of
genetic risk information) we are entitled to apply for a studentship. The
stipend is generous (about £12,000. pa). The application can only be made
with a named student. Applicants need a good first degree (2.1 or 1st
class degree) and preferably a relevant MSc and research experience.
The topic of the PhD is as outlined below.
Having selected a candidate, an application will be submitted with a view
to starting in October 2000.
Those interested in applying please send a CV plus a letter of application
stating your interest in this PhD topic to: Professor Theresa Marteau,
Psychology Department, 5th Floor Thomas Guy House, Guy's Campus, London
Bridge, London SE1 9RT
Closing date for applications: 21 February 2000
Further enquiries to Theresa Marteau ([log in to unmask])
PHD OUTLINE
Title Perceptions of genes as causes of illness and health risk behaviour:
implications for behaviour change
There is an increasing emphasis upon the genetic basis of behaviour as well
as illness. This PhD will build upon current and past work of the research
group examining the emotional and behavioural consequences of providing
genetic risk information.
Aims
1. To describe the extent to which people perceive genes to be the cause of
health risk behaviours (eg smoking, drinking high levels of alcohol),
health risks (eg being overweight) and their associated illnesses (eg heart
disease) and the consequences of these and other illness perceptions
predict motivation to change behaviour and behaviour change.
2. To determine whether changing relevant illness perceptions enhances
motivation and changes behaviour.
The PhD will involve a series of descriptive and experimental studies
addressing these two aims. The key theoretical models will be Bandura's
social cognitive theory, Weiner's theory of motivation, and the
self-regulation models of Leventhal, and Carver and Scheier.
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Gwyneth Rees
Postgraduate Research Psychologist
Psychosocial Research Group
Department of Clinical Psychology
First Floor Outpatient Building
Western General Hospital
Edinburgh
EH4 2XU
Fax: 0131 3436869
Tel: 0131 5371838
Email: [log in to unmask]
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