Elizabeth Kirk

Elizabeth Kirk is a Senior Lecturer in the Psychology department at Anglia Ruskin University, part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the School of Psychology, Sport and Sensory Science. She joined ARU in 2018 and is affiliated with the ARU Centre for Mind and Behaviour. Her research focuses on gesture's role in language, thought, and developmental processes, with particular emphasis on parent-infant interactions, bilingualism, and the impact of bodily changes on cognition.

Education:

• PhD in Psychology, University of Hertfordshire (2009)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, University of York (2015)

Research Interests:

• Gesture in parent-infant interactions and bilingual language development
• Gestural influence on creativity and eyewitness memory
• Body perception and cognitive development during childhood and pregnancy

Collaborations: Works with researchers at the University of Sheffield, University of York, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, and others. Current projects include investigating gestural misinformation effects and the developmental impacts of bodily changes.

Grants & Awards:

• £8,818 from the British Academy (2017) for body perception research
• £2,500 from York Culture and Communication (2016) for gesture-language studies
• Multiple grants from the British Psychological Society and ESRC

Teaching: Leads modules on Issues in Social and Developmental Psychology, emphasizing practical applications of gesture theory and developmental research methods.