Dr Robert Portman is a Lecturer in Psychology in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law. He completed an undergraduate Psychology w/Criminology degree at the University of Huddersfield in 2015, going on to complete an MSc by Research from the same institution in 2017. He received his PhD from Edge Hill University in 2021, following a successful defence of his thesis. In collaboration with West Lancashire Borough Council, Robert’s PhD work comprised an exploration and intervention development of a social-identity informed peer-support intervention for exercise referral.

Prior to commencing his current post in 2021, Robert worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Edge Hill University, contributing to the delivery of a variety of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Currently, he teaches on ‘Psychological Research Design and Analysis’ and ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing’ modules and supervises undergraduate dissertation and postgraduate MSc students.

Robert is a researcher within the Centre for Applied Psychological Sciences at Teesside University and a member of the Health Section of the British Psychological Society.

Robert’s research interests focus on the social identity approach to health, investigating the factors that influence group attraction, group cohesion and subsequent social identification. His research focusses on the practical application of the social identity approach to facilitating health enhancing behaviour change.