معرفی
Dr. Alyson Blanchard is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Salford, School of Health & Society, and a member of the Centre for Applied Health Research. With an unconventional academic path beginning in archaeology, she transitioned to psychology through a self-funded part-time PhD at the University of Liverpool, completed in 2017.
- BA in Archaeology and Prehistory (2.1) from University of Sheffield (1997-2000)
- Learning Conversion Entry Award in Psychology from Staffordshire University (2005-2006)
- Graduate Diploma in Psychology (equivalent 1st) from Liverpool Hope University (2008-2009)
- PhD in Personality and Evolutionary Psychology from University of Liverpool (2011-2017)
Dr. Blanchard's research focuses on personality and individual differences from an evolutionary psychological perspective, with particular expertise in Dark Triad traits (psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism), life history theory, and mate preference research. Her work investigates how these psychological constructs manifest in contemporary contexts including pandemic behavior, political attitudes, and relationship dynamics. She has published 18 journal articles between 2010-2025, with recent work examining the Dark Empath construct, vulnerable dark triad traits, and evolutionary explanations for social phenomena.
Her research output demonstrates consistent productivity with publications across multiple high-impact psychology journals including Personality and Individual Differences and Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. The thematic evolution of her work shows progression from foundational research on digit ratio and psychopathy to more complex investigations of dark traits in contemporary social contexts.
As an educator, Dr. Blanchard serves as Programme Leader for Psychology of Human and Animal Behaviour and teaches across multiple modules focused on individual differences and research methods. Her teaching reflects her research expertise in personality psychology and evolutionary approaches to understanding human behavior.
Dr. Blanchard actively supervises research students and collaborates with international colleagues, as evidenced by her multi-national publications. Her research program represents a distinctive contribution to understanding how evolved psychological mechanisms continue to shape contemporary human behavior in novel social contexts.
