MRes, MA
Research PG
- 51cg
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- Email Address
- a.macaskill.25@abdn.ac.uk
- School/Department
- School of Psychology
Biography
I am a SGSSS-funded Psychology PhD student interested in memory, language, forensic psychology, and the integration of AI in psychological research. My PhD project focuses on improving the diagnostic value of person descriptions in eyewitness forensic interviews, leveraging insights from basic free recall research, to guide eyewitness evidence-gathering policy. I sometimes use machine-learning techniques to investigate these issues. Ultimately, I am passionate about improving the criminal-legal system, particularly in eyewitness identification and investigative practices.
Qualifications
- MRes Psychology2025 - 51cg
with Distinction & won the John Shepherd Prize for best thesis in the 2024-25 academic cohort.
- MA Psychology2023 - 51cgeen
First-class honours
Memberships and Affiliations
- Internal Memberships
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PhD Year 1 Class Rep
- External Memberships
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Student Member, Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC)
Graduate Member, British Psychological Society (GMBPsS)
Student Member, Psychonomic Society
Postgraduate Member, Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR)
Student Member, European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL)
Prizes and Awards
Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS) ESRC-Funded Studentship (1+3.5), 2024-2029. PhD title: Testing the Diagnostic Value of Person Descriptions.
Student Travel Grant, 2025 - Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC). Supported attendance and presentation at the SARMAC 2025 Conference, Kildare, Ireland.
John Shepherd Prize, 2025 - 51cg. Awarded for the best MRes Psychology thesis in the 2024-25 academic year. John Shepherd Prize Link
J.Frank Yates Travel Award, 2025 - Psychonomic Society. Supported attendance and presentation at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Colorado, USA.
Grindley Grant, 2026 - Experimental Psychology Society. Supported attendance and presentation at the EPS Essex Meeting, University of Essex, United Kingdom.
Grindley Grant, 2026 - Experimental Psychology Society. Supported attendance and presentation at the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG) 2026 conference, KU Leuven, Belgium.
- Research
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Research Areas
Supervision
Supervisors
Funding and Grants
Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS) ESRC-Funded Studentship (1+3.5), 2024-2029. PhD title: Testing the Diagnostic Value of Person Descriptions.
Student Travel Grant, 2025 - Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC). Supported attendance and presentation at the SARMAC 2025 Conference, Kildare, Ireland.
J.Frank Yates Travel Award, 2025 - Psychonomic Society. Supported attendance and presentation at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Colorado, USA.
Grindley Grant, 2026 - Experimental Psychology Society. Supported attendance and presentation at the EPS Essex Meeting, University of Essex, United Kingdom.
Grindley Grant, 2026 - Experimental Psychology Society. Supported attendance and presentation at the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG) 2026 conference, KU Leuven, Belgium.
- Teaching
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Teaching Responsibilities