Main profile

Honorary Research Fellow / Associate Tutor, MSc Psychological Studies

School of Education

University of Glasgow

Glasgow

United Kingdom

Summary biography: 

After my first degree in Psychology which I completed at the University of Glasgow (1980-1984) I moved to London to train as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte, Haskins and Sells. I learned very quickly that this was not the best move I ever made in my life and so after one year working as a trainee CA, I resolved to return to Psychology by hook or by crook. This took longer than anticipated but by 1987 I enrolled part-time as a PhD student in Psychology at Strathclyde University, investigating the role of dietary restraint in eating behaviour. The following year, I secured an ESRC scholarship to undertake the PhD full-time 1988-91.

1991-2005 I worked full time as a Psychology Lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland (then known as, Paisley University). I did a lot of teaching, learning and business psychology consultancy while at Paisley. My specialist areas of teaching: Research Methods and Statistics, Individual Differences, Social Psychology. I became a Chartered Psychologist in 1994 (https://www.bps.org.uk/users/dr-renee-bleau). I completed the BPS Psychometric Testing qualifications (Levels A and B). I am now qualified in the use of personality instruments: 16PF5, OPQ and MBTI. I did a PGCE in Tertiary Level Teaching Methods in-house (ie at Paisley Uni) 1993-95. I did an MSc in Occupational Psychology (by distance learning) at Birkbeck College, University of London, 1995-97. I worked as a business psychology consultant under the auspices of the university, providing services to a variety of clients, at home and overseas: British Aerospace, Fife Careers Service, Northcote Surgery, Cyprus Airways, the Falkland Islands Government Air Service (it's a long way to Stanley from Paisley!)

2005-2010 I lived in Dubai, UAE; then Houston, Tx, USA. In Dubai I worked part-time as a psychology lecturer at the University of Wollongong, Dubai and part-time as a Psychological Assessor for Innovative Human Resources Solutions, working with a variety of clients and gaining valuable cross-cultural experience: Kuwait Oil Company, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, Ducab (Dubai), the Jumeirah Group and Nestlé Middle East. I also undertook further study while living in Dubai through the Open University (obtaining Masters level modules in Ethnography and Discourse Analysis). Then in Houston, Texas I had the opportunity to take on the role of psychological observer in a school for children with special social and emotional needs, both in the classroom and in a weekly child group-therapy environment. I also became credentialed in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies (then known as the Houston-Galveston Psychoanalytic Institute) undertaking an Academic Fellowship in psychoanalytic studies.

On my return to the UK in June 2010, I enrolled (part-time) on the MLitt Philosophy Conversion course (Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Perception, Philosophy of Language, Metaphysics, Dissertation on the Metaphysics of Mind) at the University of Glasgow and graduated in November 2012.

Recently I presented at the British Psychological Society 2013 Annual Conference in Harrogate, UK - http://www.bps.org.uk/events/conferences/annual-conference-2013. Title: "An alternative theory of mental causation: invoking EJ Lowe's (Self-Body) Substance Dualism to account for intentional action." Drawing on EJ Lowe's (Lowe, 1996) ontological account of human beings, I argued against contemporary accounts that the Self does not exist, defended by some neuroscientists (e.g. Bruce Hood (2012) The Self Illusion) and some philosophers (e.g. Julian Baggiani (2011) The Ego Trick). That the Self is to be considered an illusion is also currently a "hot topic" view in popular science circles ... the front cover of New Scientist (23 Feb 2103) carries the title: The Self - the greatest trick your mind ever played (http://www.newscientist.com/special/self). On the contrary however, I presented a critical evaluation of EJ Lowe's (Self-Body) Substance Dualism and conclude that Lowe's claim is justified, namely that the Self is an entity distinct from the Body or any distinguished part of the Body such as the Brain. On Lowe's account both the Self and the Brain have distinct causal roles in intentional action. Why does this matter? Well, if Lowe is right, the idea that neuroscience will eventually explain everything about us because we simply "are" our brains, is wrong.

Currently (since December 2011) I am employed in the School of Education, teaching and supervising on the MSc Psychological Studies Conversion course. I am in the Social Justice, Place and Lifelong Education Research group (http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/education/research/researchgroups/socialjus...). I am under contract with Oxford University Press to write a series of textbooks in basic statistics for Psychology students (I served as the UK LTSN Psychology Specialist Coordinator in Research Methods and Statistics, 2000-2003). Future plans include applying for interdisciplinary research funding with philosophers (metaphysics/epistemology) to investigate further the ontological commitments of academic psychologists and to determine which kinds of research methods are needed to produce credible knowledge in the area of Social Psychology.

-----

Chartered Psychologist (1994)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2007)
Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society
International Associate of the American Psychological Association
Member of the British Society for the Philosophy of Science

Member of The Society of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology

Division of Occupational Psychlogy - Scotland Committee member and DOP-S Liaison for the 2015 DOP Annual Conference Organising Committee

I have reviewed journal articles for The Psychology Learning and Teaching Journal and Addiction.

For further information, see: http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/education/staff/reneebleau/