Ashling Bourke and Sinéad McNally Appointed as Dean’s Research Fellows with ABC

In a significant development for educational and psychological research, Dr. Ashling Bourke and Dr. Sinéad McNally have been appointed as Dean’s Research Fellows with ABC, a prestigious fellowship program supporting groundbreaking studies. Their respective research projects, focusing on different aspects of bullying and social behaviour, are poised to make impactful contributions to understanding and addressing critical issues in education and society.

Dr. Ashling Bourke’s Study on Social Dominance Orientation and Cyberbullying

Dr. Ashling Bourke will be conducting a study on the role of Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and its relationship with empathy in the perpetration of cyber bullying behaviour. SDO is a narrow personality trait encompassing an individual’s tendency to accept and endorse group-based social hierarchies and the extent to which they desire their in-group to be superior to out-groups. Dr. Bourke’s research will examine how this orientation relates to the perpetration of cyberbullying and will investigate the role of empathy as a moderating factor. Her project will involve a rapid systematic review of the literature and a quantitative cross sectional examining cyber bullying behaviour (CBB), the propensity to accept social hierarchy myths (SDO) and cognitive empathy.

Dr. Sinéad McNally’s Research on Autistic Children’s Experiences of Bullying

Dr. Sinéad McNally’s fellowship will focus on exploring the lived experiences of autistic children who face bullying and exclusion within school environments. Her research aims to shed light on the specific challenges that autistic pupils encounter in both primary and secondary educational settings. By delving into the personal narratives and experiences of these children, Dr. McNally seeks to identify actionable supports that can be implemented to enhance the educational experiences of autistic students.

Both fellows are expected to make substantial contributions to their respective fields, and their work under the ABC fellowship will undoubtedly inform future research and practices aimed at reducing bullying and promoting empathy in various social contexts.