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Dr Rachel Msetfi

Formerly at Lancaster University

Rachel Msetfi

PhD supervision

Depression, Causal learning, Perception of control, time perception, context processing

Research Interests

My area of research examines the processes involved in human learning and the factors that can affect learning, particularly in those who are depressed. I am particularly interested in the processes underlying how people learn about control. Psychologically healthy people tend to feel 'in control' of their lives whereas depression and anixety, for example, is associated with a sense of helpless and lack of control. In spite of this depressed people are often reported to be more 'realistic' about how much control they have over events. My recent research suggested that depressed people are not actually realistic but fail to integrate context or background information which would have a beneficial effect on their perception of control. Current research investigates the reasons for this tendency.

Published and in press

Chase, H., Crockett, M., Msetfi, R. M., Murphy, R. A., Clark, L., Sahakian, B. & Robbins, T. (2010). 5-HT Modulation by Acute Tryptophan Depletion of Human Instrumental Contingency Judgements. Psychopharmacology.

Baker, A. G., Msetfi, R. M., Hanley, N. & Murphy, R. A. (2010). Depressive realism: Sadder but not wiser. In M. Haselgrove & Hogarth, L. (Eds). Clinical Applications of Learning Theory. Psychology Press.

Smith, A. E., Msetfi, R. M. & Golding, L. (2010). Client self rated adult attachment patterns and the therapeutic alliance: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review. 30, 326-337.

Msetfi, R. M., Murphy, R. A., Kornbrot, D. E., & Simpson, J. (2009). Impaired context maintenance in mild to moderately depressed students. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 62 (4), 653-662.

Simpson, J., Cove, J. Fineberg, N., Msetfi, R. M. & Ball, L. J. (2007). Reasoning in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 46, 397-411.

Msetfi, R. M., Murphy, R. A., & Simpson, J. (2007). Depressive realism and the effect of the intertrial interval on judgements of zero, positive and negative contingencies. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 60 (3), 461-481.

Kornbrot, D. E., Msetfi, R. M., & MacRae, A. W. (Eds). (2006). Fechner Day 2006. Proceedings of the 22nd Meeting of the International Society for Psychophysics. St Albans, UK: International Society for Psychophysics.

Murphy, R. A., Vallee-Tourangeau, F., Msetfi, R.M. & Baker, A. (2005). Signal-outcome contingency, contiguity and the depressive realism effect. In A. J. Wills (Ed.), New Directions in Human Associative Learning, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Msetfi, R.M., Murphy, R. A., Simpson, J. & Kornbrot, D. E. (2005). Depressive realism and outcome density bias in contingency judgements: The effect of the inter-trial interval. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 134 (1), 10-22.

Under review

Pilkington, A., Watson, R., & Msetfi, R. M. (2010, Under review). The relationship between acculturation and psychological well being in South Asian populations: A systematic review. British Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Pilkington, A., Msetfi, R. M., & Watson, R. (2010, Under review). Factors affecting intention to access psychological services amongst British Muslims of South Asian origin. Mental Health Religion and Culture.

Smith, A. E., Msetfi, R. M., Golding, L., & Smith, I. (2010, Under revision). Attachment patterns, supervisory style and the supervisory working alliance in clinical psychology supervisor-trainee dyads. Psychotherapy Research.

Reports:

http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr05/realism.html

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