Bennett, Mark

Mark Bennett is professor of developmental psychology and has published extensively in the area of children's social cognition. He gained his PhD from the LSE in 1982. He is Associate Editor of the British Journal of Developmental Psychology and a former Editor of Infant & Child Development. Currently he serves on the editorial boards of Group Processes & Interpersonal Relations, and Infant & Child Development. In 2006 he was elected to the Academy of Social Sciences. Since 2010 he has been a member of ESRC's Grant Assessment Panel.

Introduction to Developmental Psychology (Year 1)
Social Psychology (Year 3)
Social-Cognitive Development (Level 4)
Theories of Development (MSc) 
Year 3 Co-ordinator
 
External examiner at many universities, including Cambridge, Edinburgh, Strathclyde, & most recently, Mauritius.
 

My research reflects an enduring interest in developmental aspects of social cognition. Initially, this work focused primarily upon developmental change in understanding of psychological phenomena. Latterly, however, my interests have expanded to incorporate social-level phenomena, notably identity. Drawing upon the theoretical frameworks of social identity theory and self-categorisation theory, and largely funded by ESRC, I have examined developments in children's social identities, and their impact upon phenomena such as ingroup favouritism, the perception of outgroup homogeneity, and the acquisition of group-relevant information. In other ESRC-funded research I have addressed developments in children's conceptions of their self-knowledge (with Professor Peter Mitchell, Nottingham) and in their impression management (with Professor Robin Banerjee, Sussex). Currently, in conjunction with Professor Peter Grant (Saskatchewan) and Professor Dominic Abrams (Kent), I am setting up a study of young people's views and intentions concerning Scotland's 2014 Independence Referendum.