Image of Dr Alexandra Seddon

Dr Alexandra Seddon

School of Psychology

Faculty of Health

Alex is currently lecturing on Psychology courses associated with Cognitive and Biological Psychology, Mental Health and Well-being, Research Methods, Health Psychology and working as a personal tutor. Alex’s current research is focused on the associations between media multitasking ability and executive functioning, with future research interests in well-being and technology use. Prior to Alex’s current role, Alex undertook a post-doctoral research project evaluating the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)Senior Employment Advisor/ Employment Advisor training courses, working with the LJMU Nursing and Allied Health IAPT team and the Work and Health Unit (a cross-governmental unit sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Department for Health and Social care) .

Alex Seddon’s PhD looked at: Media multitasking and executive functioning in young adults


Project overview:
Media-multitasking is the concurrent consumption of media through multiple streams .It is a behaviour that is most widespread amongst young adults and has been associated with biases in cognitive processes known as executive functions. The initial aim of the project was to determine the relationship between self-reported frequency of media-multitasking and executive functions. This first study has been completed and the following results were found. There were no relationships between self-report media-multitasking and individuals executive function ability. However, individuals’ trait anxiety was associated with frequency of self-reported media-multitasking, with increased frequency associated with higher levels of anxiety. The second aim of the project will examine which executive functions are the best predictors of media-multitasking performance measured in the lab. The second aim of the project is currently ongoing. Finally, the latter stage of the project aims to test (using an experimental approach) whether prolonged media-multitasking fatigues executive functions (relative to serial engagement with different media). The overall findings from this project will elucidate the cognitive processes involved in media-multitasking, furthering our theoretical understanding.

Degrees

2019, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, PhD
2015, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, Health Psychology M.Sc
2011, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, Applied Psychology B.Sc (hons)

Academic appointments

Lecturer, Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, 2019 - present
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, School of Nursing and Allied Health, Liverpool John Moores University, 2019 - 2019
Teaching Support Officer, Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, 2016 - 2018
Clinical/Clerical Research Assistant, Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, 2015 - 2015

Dataset

Seddon A, Law A, Adams A-M, Simmons F. 2024. Proximal effects of media-multitasking on executive functioning-Data DOI

Seddon A, Law A, Adams AM, Simmons F. 2020. Individual differences in media multitasking ability: the importance of cognitive flexibility DOI Public Url

Journal article

Seddon AL, Law AS, Adams AM, Simmons FR. 2021. Individual differences in media multitasking ability: the importance of cognitive flexibility Computers in Human Behavior Reports, DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Seddon AL, Law AS, Adams AM, Simmons FR. 2018. Exploring the relationship between executive functions and self-reported media-multitasking in young adults Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 30 :728-742 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Jochems SP, Piddock K, Rylance J, Adler H, Carniel BF, Collins A, Gritzfeld JF, Hancock C, Hill H, Reine J, Seddon A, Solorzano C, Sunny S, Trimble A, Wright AD, Zaidi S, Gordon SB, Ferreira DM. 2017. Novel Analysis of Immune Cells from Nasal Microbiopsy Demonstrates Reliable, Reproducible Data for Immune Populations, and Superior Cytokine Detection Compared to Nasal Wash PLOS ONE, 12 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Montgomery C, Seddon AL, Fisk JE, Murphy PN, Jansari A. 2012. Cannabis-related deficits in real-world memory Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 27 :217-225 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Thesis/Dissertation

Seddon A. 2019. Media Multitasking and Executive Functioning in Young Adults Law A, Adams AM, Simmons F. Author Url Public Url

Report

Seddon A, Rea K, Evans J, Smith G. 2019. Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Employment Advisor Training: Evaluation of a new online learning course for Employment Advisors, piloted on Senior Employment Advisors

Membership of professional bodies:

Chartered Psychologist, British Psychological Society. 2019

Teaching qualification:

Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 2016

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