Dr Tim Auburn

Research interests

My research interests centre on discursive psychology and social interaction particularly in relation to institutional contexts such as the criminal justice system. Most recently I have been involved as Principal Investigator with colleagues in the School of Law (Jill Annison and Daniel Gilling), on a 2 year ESRC funded project examining the operation of the Community Justice court at Plymouth. This project is investigating in detail how this court works including its relationship with other public and third sector organisations and how problem solving works as a unique practice within the court. We are applying a number of largely qualitative methods to this investigation including qualitative interviews with key participants, ethnographic observations, and conversation analysis.

More recently in collaboration with Christianne Pollock I have been investigating how children with severe autism interact with their teachers, parents and therapists. I also have research interests in the psychology of place within the field of environmental psychology.

My research interest in conversation analysis and discursive psychology entails the detailed examination of how social interaction unfolds moment to moment. This examination produces an understanding of how particular contexts are brought into being and rendered meaningful through people's engagement with one another. Particular research projects in which I have used this approach are:

• Examining the social organisation of police-suspect interviews.
• The analysis of prison-based sex-offender treatment groups for how treatment is oriented to and accomplished.
• How students construct the experience of a placement year and the effects of this year on their subsequent course of study.

I am also interested in understanding how people can be persuaded to adopt pro-environmental behaviours. A recent project examined how visualising heat loss in domestic residences can be a persuasive prompt for behaviour change.

My other main area of research interest is in place. With Beccy Barnes, who undertook a Ph.D. on Place and Citizenship, I have been interested reconceptualising the traditional environmental psychology idea of place. To this end we have examined how place is 'storied into being' and what follows from or is consequential for, particular versions of place. This research has been published in the British Journal of Social Psychology and the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Research degrees awarded to supervised students

Barnes, R. Losing Ground: Locational Formulations in Argumentation over New Travellers. Ph.D. Awarded December, 2000

Grants & contracts

Plymouth Community Justice Court: A Case Study of Problem Solving Interventions, Reducing Re-offending and Public Confidence. Dr. T. Auburn (PI) School of Psychology, Dr. J. Annison & Dr. D. Gilling, Plymouth Law School, Dr. G. Hanley Santos, Research Fellow. ESRC, August 2012 to August, 2014.

Evaluation of a Magistrates' Court-based Community Advice and Support Service. Funded by Prison Advice and Care Trust, October, 2006 to September, 2007