Dr. Gabriela Roman

  • Assistant Research Professor
Dr. Gabriela Roman

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About

I hold an MPhil in Criminological Research and PhD in Developmental Psychology, with both degrees awarded by the University of Cambridge. I am also linked to the Institute’s Centre for Analytic Criminology, as an Affiliated Researcher.

My research lies at the intersection of affective and cognitive science, with a focus on arousal-modulated cognitions in adverse environments. To support my work, I developed “the method of cascades” (methodofcascades.com), which integrates existing data collection and analysis methodologies into a single paradigm designed to investigate: (1) the momentary causality that arises from ordered events within the flow of experience; (2) how cognitions (including self-ascribed feelings), physiological arousal, brain patterns and behaviour act in synergy to create experiential cascades; and (3) how repeated experiential flows can give rise to enduring patterns through integrative mental processes.

My work also relies on quantitative longitudinal methodologies, in particular longitudinal structural equation modelling, an area where I have been teaching courses to academics and researchers since 2013 (e.g. mpluswizard.com; mpluscambridge.com; mpluswebinarium.com).

Teaching

I deliver lectures, marking and supervisions for the Institute’s MSt in Applied Criminology, Penology and Management. I occasionally provide support to the other programmes.

Research

VR-EthOS (“Virtual reality exposure therapy for officer support”)

VR-EThOS is a randomised control trial aimed at leveraging virtual reality to support recovery and emotional resilience in police officers exposed to incidents of assault. Co-Investigators (alphabetical):  Barak Ariel, Matt Bland, Emmanuel Sowatey and Justice Takebe.

 

VR-TACTIC (“virtual reality for thoughtful arousal and cognition training for interactions with citizens”)

VR-TACTIC is a two-stage project focused on promoting adaptive policing. The first phase is a naturalistic observation reliant on the ‘method of cascades’ (methodofcascades.com). The second is a randomised control trial employed to investigate examine whether arousal and cognition training, delivered with the aid of immersive virtual reality, shows benefits in terms of tactical decision-making, conflict de-escalation (without de-policing effects), officer wellbeing, and positive action outcomes. Co-Investigators (alphabetical): Barak Ariel and Justice Tankebe.

 

Affiliative reward and callous-unemotional traits

This project is seated within developmental psychology and investigates the pathways through which adolescents internalise parenting actions in order to derive emotional rewards, and how this then sets the stage for the emergence of callous-unemotional traits and resultant antisocial behaviours (i.e. aggression and rule-breaking). Co-Investigators: Anca Dobrean and Stelian Florean.