Ciara Staunton

I began my career in UCC in 2002 as a demonstrator in the Department of Computer Science. Following that, I became a research assistant in the Counselling & Health Studies Unit on a project investigating causes of homelessness. Since those early days, I have held many roles in the School of Applied Psychology. But I have now found my home at the wonderful Centre for Adult Continuing Education (ACE) where I am both a lecturer and a Senior Coordinator. My work at ACE is varied, diverse and always interesting. We have new projects and initiatives on the go at all times. However, my passion and area of expertise lies within the field of forensic and criminal psychology. I obtained my Degree in Applied Psychology from UCC in 1999, an MSc. in Applied Forensic & Legal Psychology from Leicester University in 2001 and my PhD in Forensic Psychology from UCC in 2009. I also completed a H.Dip in Computer Science in UCC in 2001. My research focus has always been around the topic of sexual violence. For my MSc., I investigated the crime of rape and contributing factors to attrition rates within the Irish Criminal Justice System. My PhD research was more focused to methods of assessment for deviant sexual arousal patterns. This included understanding and measuring female sexual arousal patterns. I currently coordinate a number of programmes including the Diploma in the Psychology of Criminal Behaviour, Diploma in Substance Misuse and Addiction Studies and the Certificate in Arts (Psychology). I offer a Short Course on The Criminal Mind which is great for all those True Crime fanatics. I also contribute a module on Mental Health and Well-Being to the Certificate in Mental Health Promotion. https://www.ucc.ie/en/ace-dpcb/ https://www.ucc.ie/en/ace-dsmas/

My research interests are concentrated within the area of forensic psychology and criminology with a particular emphasis on victims and offenders of sexual crime, deviant sexual interest and rape myths. I am also interested in the area of psychophysiology, i.e. the interrelationships between the physiological and psychological aspects of behaviour. Essentially psychophysiology refers to the use of physiological measures of central (e.g. EEG, ERP) or peripheral nervous system functions to enhance our understanding of psychological processes and behaviours. The application of instrumentation to the study of emotions was the starting point of my doctoral studies. My PhD was based on psychophysiological strategies for psychological assessment in forensic settings. My research covered three distinct yet related areas: emotional responsivity; deception detection and sexual arousal with a particular focus on female sexual offenders. Sex offenders are recognised as a growing challenge in the forensic literature and in criminal justice. Although sexual interest peaks during adolescence, peak physiological arousal occurs later in the lifespan and this is especially the case for women. In particular there is a need for an assessment tool that can be used in a forensic context which is comparable to the measures currently employed for male offenders such as the penile plethysmograph (PPG). I have investigated the relationship between subjective and objective measurements of female sexual arousal using the labial photoplethysmograph (LPG) and my research provided some preliminary support for its use as an objective measure of sexual interest. I am keen to further develop this strand of research to better understand the processes involved in female sexual interest, arousal and its measurement. I am particularly interested in and supervise dissertations in the area of rape myths and the influence they have w

I deliver lectures and modules on numerous forensic psychological and criminological topics for the Diplomas in the Psychology of Criminal Behaviour, Substance Misuse and Addiction Studies and the Certificate in Mental Health in the Community. I offer a ten week short course on The Criminal Mind which is a great starting point for those interested in the area. My teaching topics and interests include criminal behaviour, forensic psychology, psychology and crime, sexual offenders, sexual offences, victims of crime, mental health, mental disorder and crime, psychophysiology and psychophysiological assessment.