Kimberly Collins

I graduated with an Honours degree in Psychology (First class) from the University of Stirling in June 2007.  For my final year honours project, supervised by Professor Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon,  I carried out an investigation of a new play-based format of rapport building with six year old school children for use in child forensic interviews.

In 2008 I completed my MSc in Psychological Research Methods (distinction) as part of my 1 + 3 ESRC PhD studentship also supervised by Professor Doherty-Sneddon.  My Masters thesis looked at the impact of recording mode on information documented from children during forensic interviews.

My main interest is childrens' communication and the ways in which this can be improved during adult-child interactions.  My research looks specifically at these interactions during child forensic interviews, as these produce a variety of cognitive, social and emotional barriers that can negatively impact upon children's communication.  My PhD research investigates the use of rapport to facilitate communication between interviewers and children.  Very little research has been carried out on the rapport building phase and the most effective ways of achieving rapport with children.  The research explores rapport's communicative impact and various rapport building methods with the aim of adapting rapport protocol for compatibility with specific age groups.  I am also looking at the theoretical reasons why rapport may improve communication, e.g. reduced anxiety levels, balancing of power asymmetry etc.

I am an executive board member and the student representative for the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG).  The iIIRG is a world wide network of academics and practitioners committed to improving investigative interviewing practice and research

I carried out my master's placement at the Playfield Institute in Fife. It aims to provide information and support to frontline workers involved in the prevention and promotion of children and adolescent's mental health and wellbeing.  It achieves this through three main services: training, information, and research and development.  If you are at all interested in working with and/or carrying out research with children or adolescents with mental health problems then please check out their website.  They offer a variety of training courses and have an information service which offers info, support and resources for those working with young people.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time

there and think that if you are at all passionate about working with young people then its definitely worth having look!

I have taught and marked coursework for 1st year tutorials, 2nd year essay tutorials, 2nd year research methods practicals and 3rd year developmental tutorials.    I provide lectures on PSY911 Introductory Psychology, PSY9A3 Social Communication and PSY9A0 Developmental Psychology on attachment, the development of social relationships, the development of communication and its interaction with children's cognition, the developmental underpinnings of children's evidence, children's drawings and research methods in developmental psychology.  I have also been peer mentor for the Masters in Child Development.  In terms of department administrative duties for the past 4 years I have been a postgraduate representative on the postgraduate committee and I am involved in coordinating the department's research activities with local school and nurseries.

Collins, K., Doherty-Sneddon, G., & Doherty, M.J. (submitted).  The communicative impact of a collaborative play rapport building technique during child interviews.  Article submitted to the Journal of Applied Psychology.

Collins, K., Doherty-Sneddon, G., & Doherty, M.J. (in prep).  Practitioners' perspectives on rapport building during child forensic interviews.

Collins, K., Doherty-Sneddon, G., & Doherty, M.J. (in prep). It's all to play for: Rapport building protocol during child foensic interviews.

Collins, K., Doherty-Sneddon, G., & Doherty, M.J. (in prep). The impact of rapport practice on child witness recall and anxiety.

Peer reviewed conference proceedings

Collins, K., Doherty-Sneddon, G., & Doherty, M.J. (2010, June). It's all to play for: An alternative approach to rapport building during child investigative interviewing.  Paper to the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group Conference, Stavern, Norway.

Collins, K., Doherty-Sneddon, G., & Doherty, M.J. (2010, June).It's all to play for: An alternative approach to rapport building during child investigative interviewing. Poster to the European Association of Psychology and Law Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Collins, K. & Doherty-Sneddon, G. (September, 2009). Playing with rapport: the communicative impact  of  rapport building with children and adolescents during interviews. Paper to the British Psychological Society, Developmental Section Conference, Nottingham, UK.

Collins, K. & Doherty-Sneddon, G. (September, 2009). Playing with rapport: the communicative impact  of  rapport building with children and adolescents during interviews. Paper to European Association of Psychology and Law Conference, Sorrento, Italy.

General presentations

Collins, K. & Doherty-Sneddon, G. (June, 2009). Playing with rapport: the communicative impact  of  rapport building with children and adolescents during interviews. Paper to Psychology Department Postgraduate Talks- won 1st prize for best presentation.

Collins, K. & Doherty-Sneddon, G. (April, 2009). Playing with rapport: the communicative impact  of  rapport building with children and adolescents during interviews. Paper to SGRS Postgraduate Conference, University of Stirling, UK - won 3rd prize for best talk.