The Relationships Zone was a themed psychology zone funded by the British Psychological Society. Sam – the winner in this zone – is studying how the relationships we have with friends and family affect us, Rose researches how reading stories and watching stories on TV can help us understand and interact with people in real life and Maggi is a PhD student studying whether technology influences the relationships children with autism have with other people. Kirsty is studying how teenagers’ social relationships can affect their health and behaviour and Ben is looking at what children think about right or wrong actions.
Around 17 classes in this zone were A Level psychology students, and these smaller class sizes often meant that within Live Chats psychologists were able to spend time writing lengthy answers for students and engaging in really good discussions. The smaller class numbers resulted in a lower than average number of questions asked and students logged in, compared to the other zones in June’s event.
Students in this zone were focussed on the theme of relationships, and psychology in general. Questions were informed and thoughtful, with students asking about the psychologists’ research areas as well as wider discussions about relationships. The psychologists were great at giving detailed answers and looking up things they weren’t sure about to further the discussion, such as in this ASK question, where Rose researches and explains the psychology behind the love triangle in the Twilight books.
