Biography
I completed a BA in Applied Psychology at University College Cork and graduated in 2011. Following this, I came to the University of Limerick and completed an MSc in Psychological Science (Applied & Social Psychology Stream), graduating in January 2013. Shortly afterwards, I began a PhD, supervised by Dr. Eric R. Igou (University of Limerick) and Dr. Wijnand A. P. van Tilburg (University of Essex). For my PhD, I investigated the effects of boredom and disbelief in free will on hedonic and interpersonal behaviours using existential psychological perspectives. I graduated with a PhD in 2017. In January 2018, I began a post-doctoral research fellowship at the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG), a research centre funded by Science Foundation Ireland, the European Regional Development Fund, the Geological Survey of Ireland, and industry partners at University College Dublin. I worked on a project about the public's perception of geosciences and related activities, supervised by Dr. Geertje Schuitema (University College Dublin). In August 2018, I began a lecturing position in the University of Limerick.
Research Interests
My research interests are in social, existential, hedonic, and personality psychology. In general, I'm interested in how people engage in hedonic and interpersonal behaviours as a means to escape from threats to meaning in life and variables that promote or hinder these tendencies. I'm also interested in research on social and gender identities.
Professional Activities
Award
- 2021 - Societal Relevance of Social Psychology Grant
- 2018 - James M. Flaherty Research Scholarship
- 2018 - Research Funding
- 2017 - PhD Scholar's Bursary
- 2014 - Residential Scholarship
- 2014 - Structured PhD Research Support Funds
- 2014 - Diversity Travel Award
- 2013 - Fee Waiver
Publications
Peer Reviewed Journals
Bored stiff: The relationship between meaninglessness, sexual sensation seeking, and promiscuous attitudes via boredom susceptibility
Moynihan A.B.;Igou E.R.;van Tilburg W.A.P.
(2021)
Bored stiff: The relationship between meaninglessness, sexual sensation seeking, and promiscuous attitudes via boredom susceptibility
In Personality And Individual Differences;
DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110295
[ULIR]
Existential escape of the bored: A review of meaning-regulation processes under boredom
Moynihan, A. B., Igou, E. R., & Van Tilburg, W. A. P
(2021)
Existential escape of the bored: A review of meaning-regulation processes under boredom
In European Review Of Social Psychology;
pp. 161-200
DOI: 10.1080/10463283.2020.1829347
From social curse to social cure: A self-help group community intervention for people affected by leprosy in Nepal
Jay S.;Winterburn M.;Choudhary R.;Jha K.;Sah A.K.;O'Connell B.H.;O'Donnell A.T.;Moynihan A.B.;Muldoon O.T.
(2021)
From social curse to social cure: A self-help group community intervention for people affected by leprosy in Nepal
In Journal Of Community &Amp; Applied Social Psychology;
DOI: 10.1002/casp.2510
Psychometric Properties and Correlates of Precarious Manhood Beliefs in 62 Nations.
Bosson et al.,
(2021)
Psychometric Properties and Correlates of Precarious Manhood Beliefs in 62 Nations.
In Journal Of Cross-Cultural Psychology;
pp. 231-258
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022121997997
Country-level and individual-level predictors of men's support for gender equality in 42 countries
Kosakowska-Berezecka, N. et al.
(2020)
Country-level and individual-level predictors of men's support for gender equality in 42 countries
In European Journal Of Social Psychology;
DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2696
Values influence public acceptability of geoengineering technologies via self-identities
Moynihan A.B.;Schuitema G.
(2020)
Values influence public acceptability of geoengineering technologies via self-identities
In Sustainability (Switzerland);
DOI: 10.3390/su12114591
Lost in the crowd: Conformity as escape following disbelief in free will.
Moynihan, A. B.; Igou, E. R.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.
(2019)
Lost in the crowd: Conformity as escape following disbelief in free will.
In European Journal Of Social Psychology;
pp. 503-520
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2499
[ULIR]
Bored Like Hell: Religiosity Reduces Boredom and Tempers the Quest for Meaning.
Van Tilburg, W. A. P.; Igou, E. R.; Maher, P. J.; Moynihan, A. B.; Martin, D. G.
(2018)
Bored Like Hell: Religiosity Reduces Boredom and Tempers the Quest for Meaning.
In Emotion;
pp. 255-269
[ULIR]
Boredom Increases Impulsiveness: A Meaning-Regulation Approach
Moynihan, A. B.; Igou, E. R.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.
(2017)
Boredom Increases Impulsiveness: A Meaning-Regulation Approach
In Social Psychology;
pp. 293-309
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000317
[ULIR]
Free, Connected, and Meaningful: Free Will Beliefs Promote Meaningfulness Through Belongingness
Moynihan, A. B.; Igou, E. R.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.
(2016)
Free, Connected, and Meaningful: Free Will Beliefs Promote Meaningfulness Through Belongingness
In Personality And Individual Differences;
pp. 54-65
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.11.006
[ULIR]
Eaten Up by Boredom: Consuming Food to Escape Awareness of The Bored Self.
Moynihan, A. B.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.; Igou, E. R.; Wisman, A.; Donnelly, A. E.; Mulcaire, J.
(2015)
Eaten Up by Boredom: Consuming Food to Escape Awareness of The Bored Self.
In Frontiers in psychology;
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00369
[ULIR]
Conference Contributions
Boredom Symposium, Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science Annual Conference
Moynihan, A. B.; Igou, E. R.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.
(2019)
Boredom Symposium, Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science Annual Conference
Waterloo, Canada.
Transfer of Knowledge Conference of the European Social Cognition Network (ESCON)
Igou, E. R.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.; Moynihan, A. B.
(2018)
Transfer of Knowledge Conference of the European Social Cognition Network (ESCON)
Cologne, Germany
Transfer of Knowledge Conference of the European Social Cognition Network (ESCON)
Moynihan, A. B.; Igou, E. R.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.
(2018)
Transfer of Knowledge Conference of the European Social Cognition Network (ESCON)
Cologne, Germany
Geological Survey of Ireland Meeting.
Hooks, T.; Schuitema, G.; Moynihan, A. B.
(2018)
Geological Survey of Ireland Meeting.
Dublin, Ireland.
Transfer of Knowledge Conference of the European Social Cognition Network (ESCON)
Moynihan, A. B.; Igou, E. R.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.
(2016)
Transfer of Knowledge Conference of the European Social Cognition Network (ESCON)
Lisbon, Portugal
Engaging the Wandering Mind: Exploring the Cognitive, Neural, and Applied Aspects of Boredom Workshop
Moynihan, A. B.; Igou, E. R.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.
(2015)
Engaging the Wandering Mind: Exploring the Cognitive, Neural, and Applied Aspects of Boredom Workshop
Waterloo, Canada.
Transfer of Knowledge Conference of the European Social Cognition Network (ESCON)
Moynihan, A. B.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.; Igou, E. R.; Wisman, A.; Donnelly, A. E.; Mulcaire, J.
(2014)
Transfer of Knowledge Conference of the European Social Cognition Network (ESCON)
Louvain-la-Neuve, Belguim
Midwestern Psychological Association's Annual Meeting.
Moynihan, A. B.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.; Igou, E. R.; Wisman, A.; Donnelly, A. E.; Mulcaire, J.
(2014)
Midwestern Psychological Association's Annual Meeting.
Chicago, United States of America.
P.S.I & N.I.B.P.S Psychology, Medicine, and Health Annual Conference.
Moynihan, A. B.; Van Tilburg, W. A. P.; Igou, E. R.; Wisman, A.; Donnelly, A. E.; Mulcaire, J.
(2014)
P.S.I & N.I.B.P.S Psychology, Medicine, and Health Annual Conference.
Limerick, Ireland