Dr Thomas Vaughan-Johnston

(he/him)

PhD

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

Teaching

Teaching

Present Teaching Roles

I serve as module coordinator and primary lecturer for core undergraduate courses, achieving consistently strong student feedback (e.g., 4.5/5 overall satisfaction for Thinking About Human Behaviour in 2024/25). My role includes designing assessments, delivering lectures, leading seminars, and providing pastoral support for this module.

I also presently deliver six "double lectures" in Social Psychology, covering prejudice/stereotyping, emotions, and conformity/obedience, all areas that align with my research expertise.

Beyond formal teaching, I regularly supervise undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral research, guiding students through every stage of the research process from conceptualisation to dissemination. Several of these projects have developed into publishable work.

Teaching Experiences

In previous roles, I have taught across the full undergraduate and postgraduate spectrum, with a particular focus on social and developmental psychology, behavioural science, and the application of psychological principles to real-world issues. This experience has included large introductory lectures, advanced specialist topics, and small-group tutorials, engaging students at every stage of their academic journey.

Undergraduate: Introductory psychology, developmental and social psychology, advanced topics in social psychology, and conceptual issues in behavioural science.

Postgraduate: Advanced topics in behavioural science, and power and influence in social contexts.

I have also co-coordinated large modules, contributed to interdisciplinary teaching, and designed resources to support student learning, such as supplementary readings, quizzes, and interactive activities, often cited in student feedback as particularly valuable.

Across these courses, I combined clear explanation with interactive activities, such as collaborative discussions, structured debates, and technology-assisted engagement, encouraging students to think critically and apply concepts beyond the classroom.

Academic Affiliations Involving Teaching Roles

• Cardiff University – Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Social Psychology (2023–present)

• Durham University – Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Social Psychology (2021–2023)

• Queen’s University, Canada – Graduate Instructor and Teaching Assistant (2014–2021)

Relevant Training and Expertise

My teaching draws on a decade of experience in higher education across the UK and Canada, supported by formal pedagogical training and extensive public speaking experience. I bring to the classroom:

• Expertise in social and personality psychology, persuasion, attitudes, and communication.

• Experience designing and evaluating inclusive learning environments.

• Teaching innovation including creative exercises, incorporating quizzes into lectures, and other novelties I will be trialing in the 25/26 academic year.

• Engagement with wider educational practice, including invited workshops on authentic listening and teaching oracy.

Student Feedback and Approach

Student feedback consistently highlights my clarity, organisation, approachability, and enthusiasm. Comments frequently note my efforts to provide accessible learning materials, adapt to diverse needs, and create an inclusive classroom environment. I see teaching not just as the transfer of knowledge, but as the fostering of curiosity, independence, and critical thinking: qualities that prepare students for both academic and professional success.

Biography

• Cardiff University – Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Social Psychology (2023–present)

• Durham University – Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Social Psychology (2021–2023)

• Queen’s University, Canada – Graduate Instructor and Teaching Assistant (2014–2021)

Honours and awards

• 2025 | Small Research Grant (co-investigator) | BA/Leverhulme. £10,000
  “The two faces of ambivalence: Unmasking cross-cultural differences in social perceptions of dispositional attitudinal ambivalence." PI: Prof. Geoff Haddock.

• 2023-2025 | Research Accelerator Award (co-investigator) | Durham University | £10,000, awarded twice.
  “Shy bairns get nowt: Articulacy, the curriculum, and beyond: an interdisciplinary collaboration on empowering communication.” PI: Prof. Arlene Holmes Henderson.
  
• 2018-2021 |  SSHRC CGS-Doctoral | Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council | £22,000 x 3 years
  
  
• 2017-2018 |  Ontario Graduate Scholarship | Ontario Provincial Government | £6,000 x 1 year  
  
• 2015-2026 |  SSHRC CGS-Masters | Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council | £6,000 x 1 year 

Supervisions

• Persuasion, especially involving properties of the voice, and the role of individual differences (e.g., how people's lay beliefs, personality, social identities, affect responses to persuasion).
  
  
• Self-enhancement and self-esteem.
  
  
• Methods, such as how replication success is shaped by methodological choices made by original and replication researchers.

Current supervision

Benedict Holden