Samuel Finnerty

I am a PhD student in Social Psychology in Lancaster University.

Currently, I am researching social and moral psychological factors that affect how people perceive the world around them and how this relates to engagement in various forms of activism, including environmental and animal rights activism.

My background is in social and cultural anthropology where I focused on stigmatisation of people living with HIV/AIDS. Later I applied my knowledge in the NGO sector working for an educational charity focused on providing educational resources and infrastructure in Cambodia and India. I later returned to education where I acquired a Masters degree in Cognitive Science in UCD. Here I focused on bringing together the anthropological, psychological, and philosophical literatures on empathy and stigma.

Now I combine my anthropological training in ethnography and participant observation with quantitative approaches in psychological research to better understand what affects prosocial behaviours and activism.

BA in Anthropology and Philosophy - National University of Ireland Maynooth
Masters in Anthropology and Development - National University of Ireland Maynooth
Masters Degree in Cognitive Science - University College Dublin