In the spotlight: Dr Kate Muir
Dr Kate Muir is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, and Programme Lead for the BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology degree.
She is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research concerns broadly the social psychology of language, covering areas including forensic linguistics and social influences on memory.
What's your Bath Spa story?
I’ve worked at Bath Spa since 2020 – I started working here just as we went into the first lockdown in March that year, so it was an unusual start! I don’t think I met any of my colleagues or students in person for a year, which felt really strange.
I started as a Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, and I’m now a Senior Lecturer and the Programme Lead for Forensic Psychology. I have a typical academic role: I teach undergraduate students in Forensic Psychology, oversee the Forensic Psychology programme, and conduct my own research.
What initially attracted you to BSU?
I imagine everyone says this, but the campus was a huge draw. It is so beautiful and peaceful. I love the small community feeling too.
What inspired you to enter your field?
It was a combination of things, really. I remember reading Orwell’s 1984 and being fascinated by the idea that your vocabulary could influence the way you think – later, at university, I would discover this is the concept of linguistic relativity.
I’m also not ashamed to say I was inspired by Esme Weatherwax in the Discworld novels and her use of headology… I was just always interested in what was going on inside people’s heads and why they behaved in the way that they did.
What has been the most memorable moment of your career to date?
I think travelling to Japan for a conference in 2016. I was presenting part of my post-doctoral research with my colleagues, and it was such an incredible experience.
Japan was never somewhere I thought I would go to, and I was nervous to travel so far away on my own. It was so different from anywhere I’d been to before.
I won an award for my presentation, ate loads of great food, learned a few Japanese words, visited temples with my workmates. It was amazing and I felt very privileged to have the opportunity to do it.
Name one thing that makes you feel proud to work at BSU.
The community of staff and students: everyone is so lovely, friendly, and supportive. I love that I know people in all sorts of different disciplines. It really broadens my horizons to talk to people outside of Psychology.
There is no sense of competition at Bath Spa; we are all trying to build each other up and everyone is always willing to help.
What are your top tips for upcoming Psychology students?
Be prepared to work hard and be challenged. University is not like school, or sixth form; you are expected to be much more independent in your studies. No-one is going to chase you to do your reading, or work on your assignments. You need to be self-motivated.
I’d highly recommend working out a schedule and sticking to it, to make sure you keep up with the work and don’t fall behind. Students can be surprised at the amount of work needed to do well at university, and it is better to be prepared!
What current trends do you see influencing your field?
The rapid rise of Generative AI (ChatGPT and the like) is changing everything. In our research, we can use chat bots to run experiments and test hypotheses, and they can be used to generate stimuli.
I am interested in the social psychology of language, and these LLMs (large language models) are influencing the way that we think about communication.
If you can have a conversation with ChatGPT, does this have the same influence on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours as talking to another human?
There are also huge implications for how we teach and assess Psychology, as students integrate the use of GenAI into their assignments. We need to think carefully about whether this is positive or detrimental for students' learning.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I was a bookworm, so I wanted to do something with books. I wanted to be either a writer, librarian, or to run a bookshop.
If you could switch jobs with someone, who would it be?
I’d like to write novels. Can you imagine having nothing to do but dream, and imagine, and write all day? In a cottage by the sea, with a pot of coffee and biscuits to hand. Lovely. I’m a natural introvert, so this appeals to me.
What keeps you busy outside of work?
I’ve got two kids, so I don’t have a lot of free time, really. But that’s okay. My kids are great.
What do you think makes the Psychology department at BSU stand out?
I think the staff: we are all dedicated, kind, knowledgeable, and happy to share our enthusiasm for Psychology with anyone. I love my team!
In one word, what does BSU means to you?
Community.