Martha Newson

Dr. Martha Newson is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Greenwich, affiliated with the School of Human Sciences and the Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences. Her research bridges evolutionary theory, anthropology, psychology, and criminology, focusing on social cohesion, rituals, and identity fusion in tightly bonded groups like football fans.

Martha’s work spans diverse populations, including fundamentalist Indonesian Muslims, London’s ravers, and hardcore football fans across Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, and the UK. She integrates physiological measurements (e.g., hormonal samples from World Cup fans) and police records to study cooperation and conflict. Her findings challenge stereotypes about fandom-related violence, emphasizing altruism over hostility in fused groups.

Previously, she held roles as a Future Leaders Fellowship research fellow at the University of Kent (2020-2022) and a postdoc at the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion, Oxford (2017-2020). She remains a Research Affiliate at Oxford and has provided consultancy to global brands like Manchester City and Hyundai. Her media contributions include Discovery’s Why We Hate, BBC/Sky TV features, and coverage in The Guardian, The Independent, and international outlets.