Darren Langdridge

• PhD
• Professor at The Open University

Phenomenological psychology has been growing rapidly in popularity over the last 20 years. In this chapter, I outline the fundamentals of phenomenology and argue that it offers a powerful alternative to mainstream psychology with considerable emancipatory potential. I do this by firstly discussing how the phenomenological focus on the description o...

Background The pressing need for better antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is invariably reliant on educational interventions in some form. Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of post-qualification educational interventions for AMS behaviour change among health professionals. Methods Seven databases were searched for articles published between...

There has been enormous change in social and state acceptance regarding sex and sexualities over the last 30 years or so in the West, with an apparent new acceptance and openness towards diverse sexual practices and sexualities. Much of this change has come about through community claims for rights grounded in critical social theory and the languag...

Drawing from arguments within sexuality/gender studies, I argue that we need to move away from the rigid binary thinking and ideological blindness that pervades much contemporary politics, and be more ‘queer’, if you will. To this end, we need to move beyond a focus predominantly on critique and recognise the need for both tradition and critique wi...

Objectives Increasing appropriate HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) is crucial to HIV prevention. Mass media interventions are effective in promoting testing, but to date, there has been little examination of their active content. Design We conducted a qualitative analysis of intervention materials (n = 69) derived from a systemati...

This article presents a phenomenological investigation into the experience of engaging in a sexual practice known as “puppy play,” where participants role-play being puppies or handlers (those that look after or own puppies), often within a dominance/submission sexual context. Only one previous study has been conducted on this phenomenon, and the p...

Lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and queer (LGBQ) individuals face well-known difficulties, ranging from slurs to legal exclusion and homophobic hate crimes. However, LGBQ individuals and communities often thrive. Thriving under adverse conditions is understood by psychology through the lens of resilience, i.e., one’s ability to ‘bounce back’ after bei...

In this article we explore the history, culture and practice of the phenomenon known as ‘puppy play’. Puppy play is a practice in which people take on the persona of a dog (or handler), with participants often wearing specialist gear to further enhance the experience of being a puppy. We argue that puppy play is best understood sociologically as a...

Objectives: Drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are diffuse and complex including a range of interspecies behaviours between pet owners and their animals. We employed interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the relationship between pet owners and their companion animals in relation to AMR. Design: Cross sectional, qualitativ...

The need for social as well as academic impact in social science research is now well established. Art is increasingly being explored as a means of generating social impact, most commonly as a way to engage publics with research findings, but to date with little exploration of the process of engagement itself. In this study, we set out to explore t...

Table S1. Study characteristics.

Table S2. Behavioural domains, Theoretical Domains Framework constructs, behaviour change technique groupings and individual BCTs identified from intervention descriptions.

Objectives In an innovative approach to improve the contribution of health psychology to public health we have analysed the presence and nature of affect within the visual materials deployed in antimicrobial stewardship interventions targeting the public identified through systematic review. Design A qualitative analysis focused on the affective c...

There has been – and continues to be – a tension within the political strategies of sexual minority communities claiming citizenship. Whilst attempting to forge a political self-determination based on being (dissident) sexual subjects, members of sexually diverse communities have frequently engaged in political practices that normalize their divers...

A common criticism of phenomenological methods has been that there is singular focus on individual experience at the cost of broader group level phenomena. In contrast, psychoanalytically informed psychosocial methods have continued to develop novel ways of exploring group level material. A notable recent methodology is the visual matrix method (Fr...

Objectives Changing public awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a global public health priority. A systematic review of interventions that targeted public AMR awareness and associated behaviour was previously conducted. Here, we focus on identifying the active content of these interventions and explore potential mechanisms of acti...

Phenomenological psychology refers to an approach to psychology that draws on phenomenological, existential, and hermeneutic philosophy. The focus in all such work is on making sense of the meaning structures of the lived experience of a research participant or psychotherapeutic client. That is, in Husserl’s terms—the founder of phenomenological ph...

Background: Mobile phone and tablet apps are an increasingly common platform for collecting data. A key challenge for researchers has been participant "buy-in" and attrition for designs requiring repeated testing. Objective: The objective of this study was to develop and assess the utility of 1-2 minute versions of both classic and novel cogniti...

BACKGROUND Mobile phone and tablet apps are an increasingly common platform for collecting data. A key challenge for researchers has been participant “buy-in” and attrition for designs requiring repeated testing. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to develop and assess the utility of 1-2 minute versions of both classic and novel cognitive t...

Background: A global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) awareness intervention targeting the general public has been prioritized. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions that aim to change AMR awareness and subsequent stewardship behaviours amongst the public. Methods: Five databases were searched between 2000 and 2016 for inter...

In this article, I explore the experience of recovery from a heart attack through an analytic autoethnography. I discuss the tensions inherent in biomedical subjectivities of health and ill-health during cardiac recovery through three key themes: (a) the transfer of responsibility and becoming a subject “at risk,” (b) technologies of biomedicine an...

Phenomenological psychology has been growing rapidly in popularity over the last 20 years. In this chapter, I outline the fundamentals of phenomenology and argue that it offers a powerful alternative to mainstream psychology, with considerable emancipatory potential. I do this by first discussing how the phenomenological focus on description of the...

In recent decades, BDSM communities have engaged in a political struggle for rights by separating their practices from the oppressive gaze of legal and medical praxis, seeking to legitimize BDSM discourse and actions under the slogan of ‘safe, sane and consensual’. The espousal of principles governed primarily by health and safety nonetheless carri...

There is a scarcity of research on men’s experience of bereavement (Reiniche, 2006), particularly in relation to qualitative research that focuses on the meaning of such an experience. This paper seeks to address this scarcity by presenting the findings from a phenomenological study of the lifeworlds of a small number of bereaved men. The study loo...

Edelman's new ethics of queer theory is focussed on the all-pervasive image of the child, which he argues provides the foundation for the hegemonic politics of ‘reproductive futurism’ (L. Edelman, 2004. No future: queer theory and the death drive. Durham, NC: Duke University Press). His searing criticism raises important questions for sexual citize...

Work exploring inter-species relating has offered a critique of the anthropocentrism evident within much social sciences research and also suggested that the coming together of the human and animal Other may offer up potential for an opening-up of human existence. In this paper we explore this theoretical move and push it to the limits by examining...

This paper explores contemporary understandings and representations of the penis. It presents an overview of recent trends which re-frame long-standing penile anxieties within a new hybrid world of health and aesthetics. It explores these apparent changes through the lens of biomedicalisation. By focusing on constructions of masculinities in crisis...

This contemporary introduction provides a comprehensive survey of past and present existential ideas, philosophers and practice. Darren Langdridge makes existential therapy accessible through clear language, numerous case studies, chapter summaries, activities and further reading lists.The three parts cover all the key areas taught on existential t...

Criticism of orthodox models of prejudice reduction is particularly relevant for lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals, particularly when considering stage models of coming-out. If social change is to be effected regarding endemic homonegativity and heterosexism, then it is argued that a radical rethink is needed to the understandable but misinformed de...

As Victorian asylums closed down in the United Kingdom, community mental health services were set up to support patients in exercising choice and freedom; in finding a place in society. The success of these services has been questioned, so further policies have been introduced in an effort to protect rights and improve social inclusion. However, ca...

In this article we aim to contribute to psychosocial debates around selfhood by focusing empirically upon memories of jealousy and the ways in which potential subjectivities are both opened up and closed down. The paper presents a phenomenological narrative analysis of our research on jealousy produced through a memory work group. We identify three...

Virtual worlds are three-dimensional (3D) persistent multi-user online environments where users interact through avatars. The affordances of virtual worlds can be useful for business-to-consumer e-commerce. Moreover, affordances of virtual worlds can complement affordances of websites to provide consumers with an enhanced e-commerce experience. We...

Virtual worlds are three-dimensional (3D) online persistent multi-user environments where users interact through avatars. The literature suggests that virtual worlds can facilitate real world business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce. However, few real world businesses have adopted virtual worlds for B2C e-commerce. In this paper, we present results fr...

Virtual worlds are three-dimensional (3D) persistent multi-user online environments in which users interact through avatars. Virtual worlds support many kinds of activities, including education, socialising, gaming and e-commerce. Our research focuses on how virtual worlds can be used to facilitate business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce involving re...

Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy focuses on common problems such as anxiety and depression, exploring how different therapeutic approaches understand and work with them. Counselling and psychotherapy are considered within the wider context of their history and the mental health systems in which they are often located. In addition to this...

In this paper we attempt to draw attention to the widespread variation in legislation and regulation of assisted conception services throughout Europe and the implications that this may have for what is understood as 'a family'. At present, access to assisted conception services appears to rely on a 'traditional' notion of the family with the conse...

The last decade has seen an explosion of interest in consensually non-monogamous relationships. This article critically reviews current research and theory in this area, focusing particularly on polyamory, swinging, and gay open relationships. The sociohistorical context in which these forms of relating emerged is considered and discussed in order...

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative investigation of the experience of parents in the UK who have built their families through donor conception and have told their children about their origins. Key themes identified in the study include parental motivation for disclosure, the relationship between telling the child and telling others,...

Most social scientific work on intimate relationships has assumed a monogamous structure, or has considered anything other than monogamy only in the context of 'infidelity'. Yet, in recent years there has been a growing interest among researchers and the public in exploring various patterns of intimacy that involve open non-monogamy. This volume ga...

Introduction to Research Methods and Data Analysis in Psychology 2e presents quantitative and qualitative research methods and the most widely used techniques for collecting and analysing data. It provides clear and accessible coverage to equip the reader with an understanding of the research process and the practical skills they need to collect an...

About the book: An accessible, practical introduction to carrying out qualitative research in psychotherapy and counselling for practitioners who want or who are required to contribute to the profession’s evidence base. - Gives clear guidance on how to set up and conduct small scale research that is based in clinical practice - Assumes no prior kno...

Gay affirmative therapy (GAT) has recently emerged in an attempt to rectify previously discriminatory psychotherapeutic practice with lesbians, bisexuals and gay men. GAT aims to achieve this by providing a framework for practice which is affirmative of lesbian, gay and bisexual identities. This "positive framework" is clearly challenging for psych...

This paper describes an experiment in carrying out, as a group, a phenomenological analysis of a qualitative interview on the topic of mistrust. One in-depth interview was analyzed phenomenologically by each of the six members of our group. We then shared and discussed our individual analyses to generate a consensual analysis. Finally, additional o...

There has been significant growth in critical approaches to social psychology in recent years. Phenomenological, discursive and psychoanalytically informed perspectives, amongst others, have become increasingly popular alternatives to ‘mainstream’ cognitive social psychology. This paper describes the fundamental philosophy and methodology underpinn...

Narratives of homophobia and the repathologization of gay men now emerge and coalesce in often unconsidered ways. Within this paper, we present a deconstructive analysis of a recent paper published within the British Journal of Social Psychology (Crossley, 2004) and highlight how a narrative of repathology emerges through the selective appropriatio...

This study examined the convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of several variables proposed to augment the theory of reasoned action (TRA), using both principal components analysis (PCA)/multiple regression and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)/structural equation modeling (SEM) among a sample of the UK population regarding their inten...

This is a student friendly and comprehensive introduction to phenomenological theory and methods: the study of phenomena, rather than the science of being. Popular as phenomenology is in qualitative analysis, this text is unique in its inclusion of practical material, something that will enable students to effectively apply this approach to their r...

About the book: Psychological and medical perspectives on sadomasochism (SM) have historically been concerned with understanding it as a form of psychopathology. In the past (but still often today) studies of SM have been concerned with extreme and most often non-consensual acts. More recently, however, there has been growing interest in exploring...

Psychological and medical perspectives on sadomasochism (SM) have historically been concerned with understanding it as a form of psychopathology. In the past (but still often today) studies of SM have been concerned with extreme and most often non-consensual acts. More recently, however, there has been growing interest in exploring the meaning of s...

In recent years we have witnessed a number of new developments in social psychology that set out to offer an alternative to the dominant social cognitive paradigm. Whilst there is undoubtedly growing interest in these alternatives, they have not had the impact that many might have hoped. In this paper, I outline Paul Ricoeur’s work on the social im...

Practitioners of sadomasochism (SM) are currently excluded from full citizenship in the UK. However, in recent years we have seen a growth in stories of sadomasochism and with this a challenge to this exclusion from some within SM communities. Over the last ten years or so we also have witnessed the emergence of feminist, sexual and queer citizens...

Dream analysis has occupied a central place in psychoanalysis for much of its history with a wide body of literature testifying to its utility at least within this particular theoretical perspective. Existential psychotherapy, which has its practical if not theoretical roots in psychoanalysis has however paid much less attention to the topic to, I...

There have been considerable changes in childbearing decision-making in the West over the last 50 years. These changes have produced a concern with understanding and predicting fertility change amongst demographers, sociologists, and psychologists. This paper presents findings from a survey ( n ?=?897) of a representative sample of white married co...

This study investigated the perceived sources of happiness among young men and women. Rank scores of the perceived reasons for happiness were compared between the two groups and seven significant differences were discerned. Men ranked “sexual activity”, “sports”, being “liked” and having a “good social life” significantly higher than women. Women r...

Plummer (199523. Plummer , K. 1995. Telling sexual stories: Power, change and social worlds, London: Routledge. [CrossRef]View all references) has identified a number of new sexual stories that characterize erotic life in late modern societies. He notes a number of such scripts emerging and flourishing between 1970 and 1990, speculating that sadom...

Conflict is a recurring theme in psychotherapy much as it is in everyday life. In this paper, I seek to introduce the reader to Ricoeur's work on ideology and utopia and suggest that this might form an alternative, though not exclusive, narrative framework (or critical hermeneutic) for understanding interpersonal conflict and reconciliation. Ricoeu...

This paper examines the ways in which a divided self may be actively cultivated for thrill in sadomasochistic scenes. In The Divided Self, Laing (1959/1990) presented an existential theory of schizophrenia and personal alienation describing a process where there is a separation of self/body amongst the ontologically insecure outsider. Whilst Laing’...

The fundamental attribution error (Heider, 1958; Ross, 1977) has been extensively researched and explanations sought within a social cognitive framework. This work is reviewed, and it is noted that there is no unifying theory to account for the extensive catalogue of experimental work. Social cognitive explanations have proposed distinctions betwee...

Plummer (1995) argues that we are living in a time of ‘new sexual stories’. This, combined with arguments that we are seeing the advent of the ‘sexual citizen’, who refuses to be marginalized on account of his or her sexuality, produces new sexual subjectivities that demand recognition and respect. In this article, we report on an investigation of...

Paul Ricoeur is one of the leading living hermeneutic phenomenological philosophers and yet his work has barely been considered in existential-phenomenological theory and practice. This is all the more surprising when one examines his early work and the way in which it bridges the focus on embodied experience emphasised in existentialism and the tu...

The public/private debate has not been a major feature in recent sociological theory. However, Bailey (2000) has argued for a renewed sociological research programme to focus on the sociological private. He outlines three dimensions of this: intimate relationships, the self and the unconscious. This article seeks to address two of these dimensions,...

In this paper we attempt to draw attention to the widespread variation in legislation and regulation of assisted conception services throughout Europe and the implications that this may have for what is understood as 'a family'. At present, access to assisted conception services appears to rely on a 'traditional' notion of the family with the conse...

This study investigates the reasons for parenthood among couples expecting a baby, couples presenting for treatment by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and couples presenting for donor insemination (DI). Rank scores of the reasons for parenthood were compared between the three groups, and only two differences were discerned. First, DI couples ranked 'm...

Recent literature has addressed arguments about the importance of the `welfare of the child' principle (Blyth and Cameron, 1998; Golombok, 1998) in the assessment of the provision of assisted conception services. Two broad positions have emerged concerning the application of this principle: (i) the minimum welfare principle, and (ii) the maximum we...

Whilst there has been substantial growth in brief therapies in recent years there have been limited attempts to specifically theorise the practice of brief existential therapy. Moreover, the recent attempts to provide guidelines for brief existential practice (Strasser and Strasser, 1997) provide only limited advances on 'traditional' open-ended ex...

In The Child's Relations with Others Merleau-Ponty (1964) criticises extant theories of child development and proposes a phenomenological alternative based on an embodied intersubjective development. Through this phenomenological examination of early child development Merleau- Ponty provides a profound challenge to classical dualist theories. Merle...

About the book: Feminist research is informed by a history of breaking silences, of demanding that women’s voices be heard, recorded and included in wider intellectual genealogies and histories. This has led to an emphasis on voice and speaking out in the research endeavour. Moments of secrecy and silence are less often addressed. This gives rise t...

About the book: Psychological and medical perspectives on sadomasochism (SM) have historically been concerned with understanding it as a form of psychopathology. In the past (but still often today) studies of SM have been concerned with extreme and most often non-consensual acts. More recently, however, there has been growing interest in exploring...

[About the book] Most social scientific work on intimate relationships has assumed a monogamous structure, or has considered anything other than monogamy only in the context of 'infidelity'. Yet, in recent years there has been a growing interest among researchers and the public in exploring various patterns of intimacy that involve open non-monogam...