Dr Julie Kirkham

Julie is programme leader for the MSC Family and Child Psychology and module leader for: PS7304 Child and Adolescent Development and PS7309 Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental disorders on this course. At undergraduate level, Julie contributes to teaching on PS4016 Applications of Psychology in Education, PS4011 Psychology of the Unusual, PS6001 Developmental Psychology, PS6011 Understanding Developmental Disorders and PS6007 Psychopathology. She is also a dissertation supervisor at Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels on the MSc Family and Child Psychology and MSC Psychology Conversion courses.

Julie has research interests in the following areas:

• Children’s development in language, graphic symbolism and symbolic play and the inter-relationships between these symbolic systems.
• Children’s development and learning in alternative education systems
• Children’s art and aesthetic understanding
• The role and status of play during early years education
• Fantasy proneness, creativity and associated individual differences throughout the lifespan
• Children’s imaginary companions and their developmental correlates

Stewart, S. L. K., & Kirkham, J. A. (2020). Predictors of individual differences in emerging adult theory of mind. Emerging Adulthood, 10(2), 558-565. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696820926300

Schepman, A., Kirkham, J. A., Rodway, P., Lambert, J., & Locke, A. (2018). Shared meaning in children’s evaluations of art: A computational analysis. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 12(4), 440–452. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000159

Kirkham, J, A., Lloyd, J., & Stockton, H. (2018). Development and validation of the retrospective childhood fantasy play scale. Imagination, Cognition and  Personality, 38(3), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276236618794880 

Schepman, A., Rodway, P., & Kirkham, J. A. (2017). Shared meaning in representational and abstract artworks. Paper presented at the Visual Science of Art Conference, 25– 27th August, Humboldt Graduate School, Berlin

Rodway, P., Kirkham, J., Schepman, A., Lambert, J & Locke, A. (2016). The development of shared liking of representational but not abstract art in primary school children and their justifications for liking. Frontiers in Human NeuroScience, 10(21). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00021

Hallam, J., Egan, S., & Kirkham, J. A. (2016). An investigation into the ways in which art is taught in an English Waldorf Steiner school. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 19, 136-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2015.07.003

Schepman, A., Rodway, P., Pullen, S. J., & Kirkham, J. A. (2015). Shared liking and association valence for representational art but not abstract art. Journal of Vision, 15(5). https://doi.org/10.1167/15.5.11

Kirkham, J. A., & Kidd, E. (2015). The effect of Steiner, Montessori and National Curriculum education upon children’s pretence and creativity. The Journal of Creative Behaviour, 51(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.83

Kirkham, J. A., Stewart, A., & Kidd. E. (2013). Concurrent and longitudinal relationships between development in graphic, language and symbolic play domains from the fourth to the fifth year. Infant and Child Development, 22(3) 297-319. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.1786

Conference Presentations

Evans, G & Kirkham, J. A. (2019). An investigation into self-compassion, coping strategies and well-being in individuals experiencing fibromyalgia. Paper presented at BPS Clinical Psychology conference, 23-24th January 2019

Schepman, A., Rodway, P., Kirkham, J. A. (2017). Shared meaning in representational and abstract artworks. Paper presented at the Visual Science of Art Conference, 25th-27th August, Humbolt Graduate School, Berlin

Kirkham, J, A.  & Fletcher, L. (2016). Relationships between the cognitive and affective aspects of pretend play and creativity and expressive language in 4-5 year old children. Presented at the BPD Developmental Section Annual Conference, 14-16th September, Hilton, Belfast.

Kirkham, J, A., Rodway, P., Schepman, A., Locke, A., & Lambert, J. (2015). The development of aesthetic judgments of abstract and realistic artworks from 4 to 10 years. Paper presented at the BPS Developmental and Social Section Annual Conference, 9- 11 September 2015, Palace Hotel, Manchester

Hallam, J., Kirkham, J. A, & Egan, S. (2015) . An investigation into the ways in which art is taught in an English Waldorf Steiner school. Paper accepted at the BPS Developmental and Social Section Annual Conference, 9- 11 September 2015, Palace Hotel, Manchester

Hallam, J., Kirkham, J. A., & Egan, S. (2015) . An investigation into the ways in which art is taught in an English Waldorf Steiner school. Paper presented at the Applied Qualitative Research in Psychology Conference, 23rd July 2015, University of Derby.

Lloyd, J., Rohner, R. P., Kirkham, J, A., & Yilmaz, M. (2014). The PARQ-AO: A valid and reliable tool for assessing perceived parental acceptance in parent-adult offspring relationships. 5th International Congress on Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection,  Chisinau, Moldova, 24-27 June, 2014.

O’Neill, L., Carroll, J., Yilmaz, M., & Kirkham, J. A. (2014). Enhancing the student experience through electronic voting systems using mobile phones. Paper presented at the HEA STEM Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Edinburgh, 30 April – 1 May 2014).

Kirkham, J, A., Kidd, E, J., & Stewart, A, J. (2009). The relationship between development in graphic, language and symbolic play domains during the fourth year. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Conference, 1- 4 April 2009.

Kirkham, J, A., Kidd, E, J., & Stewart, A, J. (2009). The effect of Steiner, Montessori and Mainstream education upon children’s graphic, language and pretend play development. Paper presented at the BPS Educational Psychology Conference, 30 October – 1st November 2009.

Kirkham, J, A., Kidd, E, J., & Stewart, A, J. (2008). The relationship between development in graphic, language and symbolic play domains during the fourth year. Paper presented at the BPS Developmental Psychology Conference, 1-3 September 2008.

Julie gained a first-class degree in Psychology and Criminology at Staffordshire University. Following this she completed an MRes degree in Psychological Research Methods at the University of Manchester for which she was awarded a distinction. Julie also completed a PhD in developmental psychology at Manchester University which investigated the relationship between development in graphic, language, and symbolic play domains during early and middle Childhood. Julie’s postgraduate study was funded by an ESRC research scholarship.

During her PhD Julie taught modules relating to developmental psychology and childhood studies at Edgehill University. After completion of her doctorate, she lectured for a year on the Education and Childhood Studies undergraduate degree schemes at Aberystwyth University, specialising in modules relating to research methods and children’s play. Julie joined the Psychology department at Chester in October 2011.