Students from eight Scottish universities will meet in Dundee tomorrow to hear presentations at the inaugural the Scottish Undergraduate Psychology Dissertations Conference.
The event's aim is to assist Senior Honours students in strengthening their skills and confidence in public speaking by presenting the results of their research dissertations. The 125-strong audience will hear papers on topics including the effects of the drug Ecstasy, psychological distress in students, the effect of severe strokes on language skills and body image amongst Scottish women.
Dundee's Psychology department has held a similar conference for its own students for the past seven years but at the request of the British Psychological Society Scottish Branch the event has been extended to a Scottish-wide format. Along with Dundee, the Universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Glasgow, Stirling, Paisley, Abertay and St Andrews are taking part.
Event organiser Dr Suzanne Zeedyk said, "This event constitutes a significant teaching initiative, not only in relation to Psychology, but for undergraduate education more generally. Interest in the event has considerably exceeded our expectations, confirming that Dundee's model offers a leading example of innovative teaching practice. The warm, welcoming, professional atmosphere provided by Dundee in this first annual event should set a high standard for future BPS student conferences."
By Jane Smernicki, Press Officer 01382 344768 j.m.smernicki@dundee.ac.uk