Dr Rebecca Graber

Dr Rebecca Graber is a health and social psychologist interested in how young people’s supportive social relationships facilitate psychological resilience in the face of adversity – how people grow, adapt and make meaning from challenging circumstances. She is particularly interested in the role of friendships in fostering resilience, and exploring how ‘social support’ works – and what psychologists mean by that term.

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How I like to teach

I particularly enjoy teaching using techniques to facilitate critical discussion, creative thinking and collaborative learning. Getting to know and support students from a range of backgrounds is one of the best parts of this job!

My research interests

My research, teaching and project supervision broadly covers:

  • psychological resilience and wellbeing in the face of socioeconomic disadvantage, health risks, and childhood disadvantage
  • young people’s friendships, social development and social relationships and the self and
  • understanding and promoting healthier patterns of risk behaviours (such as alcohol use) in young people.

I enjoy using multiple methods and critical perspectives to explore subjective experience, with a dual focus on developing rich, novel theory and using that to guide effective, feasible practice. I have an interest in developing qualitative analytical methods, and in effective teaching and learning practices for developing knowledge and skill in qualitative analysis.

Research activity

Current research projects

  • Alcohol refusal skills videos – refinement and feasibility - Medical Research Council, Public Health Intervention Development Scheme

Previous research projects

  • Resilience and friendships
  • Young people's alcohol refusal strategies - European Foundation for Alcohol Research
  • Adolescent Friendship and Resilience Study – University of Leeds

Research centres and groups

Social media

 

Contact me

Applied Social Science
Falmer
映客直播
BN1 9PH

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 643228
Email: R.Graber@brighton.ac.uk

Biography

I studied for my PhD at the University of Leeds between 2009 and 2013. I began my career as a researcher at the University of Sussex in 2012 and then became a lecturer at the University of 映客直播 in 2015 before becoming a senior lecturer in psychology in 2017.

Research output