Personal profile
Research interests
I am a social psychologist with research interests in topics such as obedience; identity & citizenship; and representations of peace & conflict. My research has been underpinned by rhetorical and discursive approaches to social psychology, and I am increasingly interested in the application of discursive methods to the research process itself.
Biography
I joined Heriot-Watt University in December 2019, having previously been at York St John University from 2005-2019. I hold a PhD in Psychology (2006), MSc Psychological Research Methods (2002) and BSc (Hons) Psychology (2001), all from Lancaster University.
Roles & Responsibilities
Selected internal roles:
- 2025 - present: Associate Executive Dean (Research & Impact), School of Social Sciences
- 2023 - present: Chair of the School of Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee
- 2019 - 2025: Director of Doctoral Programmes, School of Social Sciences
Selected external roles:
- 2020 – 2025: Member of the Dean of Graduate Studies Network, Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences.
2020 – 2025: Member of the Executive Group, Scottish Graduate School of Arts & Humanities. - 2020 – 2022: Joint Editor-in-Chief, British Journal of Social Psychology.
- 2010 – present: Member of the ESRC Peer Review College.
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Change Through Time: A Methodological Framework for Longitudinal Discursive Research
Marsh, A., Gibson, S. & Demasi, M., 27 Feb 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Qualitative Psychology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Radically Open Science: Shaping discursive accounts of cognition in experimental debrief
Munshi, S., Gibson, S. & Alexander, M., 8 Sept 2025.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
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Social influence
Gibson, S. & Smart, C., 18 Apr 2025, The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology. Gough, B. (ed.). 2nd ed. Palgrave Macmillan, p. 331-358 28 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
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In memoriam: Dr Francesco Foroni
McKeown, S., Khan, S., Gibson, S. & Smith, L. G. E., Jan 2024, In: British Journal of Social Psychology. 63, 1, p. 1-2 2 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial
Open Access -
Analysing your data
Gibson, S. & Hugh-Jones, S., Nov 2023, Doing Your Qualitative Psychology Project. Sullivan, C., Gibson, S. & Riley, S. (eds.). 2nd ed. London: Sage, p. 159-186 28 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
Prizes
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BPS Social Psychology Section Mid-Career Award
Gibson, S. (Recipient), 2025
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Heriot-Watt University Student Union Learning & Teaching Oscars 2025: Best Supervisor (PhD)
Gibson, S. (Recipient), 2025
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Stanley Milgram’s Obedience Experiments: Lessons from the Archive
Gibson, S. (Speaker)
29 Jan 2026Activity: Talk or presentation › Public lecture
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Towards an Interactionally-Based Open Science: Exploring the Discourse and Rhetoric of Psychological Experiments
Gibson, S. (Speaker)
28 Mar 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Discourse, rhetoric and obedience: Insights, debates and future directions.
Gibson, S. (Speaker)
9 Sept 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Experiments in action: Using discursive and rhetorical psychology to enhance the research process.
Gibson, S. (Speaker)
8 Oct 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Methods for studying methods: Using discourse analysis to explore the research process.
Gibson, S. (Speaker)
21 Sept 2024Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk