Amanda Roberts is a principal lecturer in the School of Psychology, University of East London. She completed her first degree at University College London (BSc Psychology), before moving to Cardiff University to conduct her PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience. Amanda took up her first permanent full-time post at Kings College London, before moving to Queen Mary University and then to UEL. Her research covers specific areas in mental health and related areas, including forensic psychology and criminology, and is predominately based on epidemiological and psychological theory.

• School’s Quality Assurance and Enhancement
• Member of the Field Executive
• Module leader for PY3115: Forensic Psychology
• Module leader for PY3138: The Psychology of Criminal Conduct 1
• leader for PY3139: The Psychology of Criminal Conduct 2
• Module leader for PYM802: Applied Psychology MSc Forensic Psychology
• PhD and Professional Doctorate Supervision
• Project supervision (level three and MSc)
• Recruitment officer for the School of Psychology
• Member of the University Ethics Committee
• Member of the School of Psychology Ethics Committee
• Member of the Postgraduate External Advisory Panel

Amanda’s research covers specific areas in mental health and related areas, including forensic psychology and criminology, and is predominately based on epidemiological and psychological theory. Her main body of research aims to examine the risk for antisocial behaviour at the individual and population level and to evaluate mental health interventions for public protection. Specific emphasis is placed on fighting and weapon use and its relationship with drugs and alcohol. Her future research interests are in personality disorders in offenders, especially on neuropsychological aspects concerning the aetiology and course of personality disorders, and men’s health and modern lifestyles, including risk factors for antisocial behaviour, violence and extensive pornography use.

• BSc Psychology
• Graduate Diploma in Psychology
• MPhil/PhD
• MSc Applied Psychology
• MSc Psychology

• PY2106: Psychology of Mental Health
• PY2120: Animal Behaviour field trip
• PY2128: Psychology in the Justice System
• PY3114: Evolutionary Approaches to Behaviour
• PY3115 and PYM802: Forensic Psychology
• PY3125: Addictive Behaviours
• PY3138: The Psychology of Criminal Conduct 1
• PY3139: The Psychology of Criminal Conduct 2

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

1. Dawkins, L., Turner, J., Roberts, A., & Soar, K. (2013). ‘Vaping’ profiles and preferences: an online survey of electronic cigarette users. Addiction. doi:10.1111/add.12150
2. Roberts, A.D.L., Charler, M.-L., Papadopoulos, A., Wessely, S., Chalder, T., & Cleare, A.J. (2010). Does hypocortisolism predict a poor response to cognitive behavioural therapy in chronic fatigue syndrome? Psychological Medicine, 40, 515–522. doi:10.1017/S0033291709990390
3. Roberts, A.D.L., & Coid, J. (2010). Personality disorder and offending behaviour: findings from the national survey of male prisoners in England and Wales. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, 21(2), 221–237. doi:10.1080/14789940903303811
4. Coid, J., Yang, M., Ullrich, S., Roberts, A., Moran, P., Bebbington, P., et al. (2009). Psychopathy among prisoners in England and Wales. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 32, 134–141. doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2009.02.008
5. Coid, J., Yang, M., Ullrich, S., Roberts, A., & Hare, R.D. (2009). Prevalence and correlates of psychopathic traits in the household population of Great Britain. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 32(2), 65–73. doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2009.01.002
6. Godfrey, E., Cleare, A., Coddington, A., Roberts, A., Weinman, J., & Chalder, T. (2009). Chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents: do parental expectations of their child’s intellectual ability match the child’s ability? Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 67, 165–168. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2009.02.004
7. Papadopoulos, A., Ebrecht, M., Roberts, A.D.L., Poon, L., Rohleder, N.T., & Cleare, A.J. (2009). Glucocorticoid receptor mediated negative feedback in chronic fatigue syndrome using the low dose (0.5 mg) dexamethasone suppression test. Journal of Affective Disorders, 112(1–3), 289–294. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2008.05.001
8. Roberts, A., Zhang, T., Yang, M., & Coid, J. (2008). Personality disorder, temperament and childhood adversity: findings from a cohort of prisoners in England and Wales. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, 19, 460–483. doi:10.1080/14789940801936597

Grants

1. Men’s Health:
   Awarded grant (May 2005–2007) to run and manage a national survey by the Maurice and Jacqueline Bennett Charitable Trust. This is a questionnaire-based survey assessing antisocial and risk-taking behaviours, substance use, sexual behaviour and attitudes, as well as physical and mental health in young adult men of England and Wales.
2. China:
   Awarded Royal Society Grant (May 2004) for International Exchanges seminar and workshop in West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu. The core topic was personality studies in forensic and general populations, including current research and future directions in both China and UK, instruments measuring personality deviation/disorders and their assessments, and treatments for behaviour and personality disorders.

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

1. Coid, J., Yang, M., Roberts, A., Ullrich, S., Moran, P., Bebbington, P., … Singleton, N. (2007). Violence and psychiatric morbidity — Author’s reply. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 177–178. doi:10.1192/bjp.190.2.177b
2. Roberts, A.D.L., & Coid, J. (2007). Psychopathy and offending behaviour: findings from the national survey of prisoners in England and Wales. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, 18(1), 23–43. doi:10.1080/14789940601012698
3. Yang, M., Ullrich, S., Roberts, A., & Coid, J. (2007). Childhood institutional care and personality disorder traits in adulthood: findings from the British National Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77(1), 67–75. doi:10.1037/0002-9432.77.1.67
4. Coid, J., Yang, M., Tyrer, P., Roberts, A., & Ullrich, S. (2006). Prevalence and correlates of personality disorder among adults aged 16 to 75 in Great Britain. British Journal of Psychiatry, 188(5), 423–431. doi:10.1192/bjp.188.5.423
5. Coid, J., Yang, M., Roberts, A., Moran, P., Bebbington, P., Brugha, T., et al. (2006). Violence and psychiatric morbidity in the national household population: a report from the British Household Survey. American Journal of Epidemiology, 164(12), 1199–1208. doi:10.1093/aje/kwj339
6. Coid, J., Yang, M., Roberts, A., Ullrich, S., Moran, P., Bebbington, P., et al. (2006). Violence and psychiatric morbidity in the national household population of Britain: public health implications. British Journal of Psychiatry, 189(1), 12–19. doi:10.1192/bjp.189.1.12
7. Roberts, A.D.L., Wessley, S., Chalder, T., Papadopoulos, A., & Cleare, A.J. (2004). Salivary cortisol response to awakening in chronic fatigue syndrome. British Journal of Psychiatry, 184(2), 136–141. doi:10.1192/bjp.184.2.136
8. Pearce, J.M., Roberts, A.D.L., Redhead, E.S., & Prados, J. (2000). The influence of passive preexposure on escape from a Morris pool. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 26(2), 186–195. doi:10.1037/0097-7403.26.2.186
9. Roberts, A.D.L., & Pearce, J.M. (1999). Blocking in the spatial domain. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 25, 225–235. doi:10.1037/0097-7403.25.2.225
10. Pearce, J.M., Roberts, A.D.L., & Good, M. (1998). Hippocampal lesions disrupt a cognitive map but not vector encoding. Nature, 396, 75–77. doi:10.1038/23941
11. Roberts, A.D.L., & Pearce, J.M. (1998). Control of spatial behaviour by an unstable landmark. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 24, 172–184. doi:10.1037/0097-7403.24.2.172
12. Redhead, E.S., Roberts, A., Good, M., & Pearce, J.M. (1997). Interaction between piloting and beacon homing by rats in a swimming pool. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 23, 340–350. doi:10.1037/0097-7403.23.3.340

Conference Papers

1. Roberts, A.D.L. (2006). Pornography and men’s health. Paper presented at the 6th Annual Jeddah Psychiatry Symposium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
2. Roberts, A.D.L. (2005). Personality disorder, victimisation and childhood disadvantage. Paper presented at the 9th International ISSPD Congress — Controversial Issues in Personality Disorders, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
3. Roberts, A.D.L. (2004). Personality disorder in the population of Great Britain. Paper presented at the 4th Biennial Conference for Forensic Developmental Neuropsychiatry and Learning Disability, Norwich.
4. Roberts, A.D.L., Coid, J., & Yang, M. (2004). Psychopathy and offending behaviour: results from a cross-sectional survey of prisoners in England and Wales. Paper presented at the Safer Society conference, Edinburgh.
5. Roberts, A.D.L., Coid, J., & Yang, M. (2004). Violence and personality disorder: results from an epidemiological study of adults aged 16–74 in Great Britain. Paper presented at the British and Irish group for the study of personality disorders, Cardiff.
6. Roberts, A.D.L., Coid, J., & Yang, M. (2003). Violence and personality disorder: results from an epidemiological study of adults aged 16–74 in Great Britain. Paper presented at the 8th International ISSPD Congress — Controversial Issues in Personality Disorders, Florence.
7. Roberts, A.D.L., Coid, J., & Yang, M. (2003). Violence in the national household population of Britain: correlates with psychiatric morbidity. Paper presented at the 3rd European Congress on Violence in Clinical Psychiatry, London.

Reports

1. Coid, J., Yang, M., Ullrich, S., Zhang, T., Roberts, A., Roberts, C., et al. (2007). Predicting and understanding risk of re-offending: The Prisoner Cohort Study. London: Ministry of Justice.
2. Coid, J., Ullrich, S., Yang, M., Zhang, T., & Roberts, A. (2005). Measuring dangerousness and severity of personality disorder: the Prisoner Cohort Study. London: Home Office.

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS)
• Member of the Division of Forensic Psychology, BPS
• Member of the UK Household Longitudinal Study Consultation group: Psychological Attributes, Cognitive Abilities and Behaviour
• Member of the Risk and Public Protection Research Group (RPPRG), Forensic Psychiatry Research Unit at St Bartholomew’s Hospital

Violence and psychiatric morbidity in a national household population: a report from the British household survey

This study measured the prevalence of self-reported violence and associations with psychiatric morbidity in a national household population, based on a cross-sectional survey in 2000 of 8,397 respondents in Great Britain. Diagnoses were derived from computer-assisted interviews, with self-reported violent behavior over the previous 5 years. The 5-year prevalence of nonlethal violence in Britain was 12% (95% confidence interval: 11, 13). The risk of violence was substantially increased by alcohol dependence (odds ratio ¼ 2.72, 95% confidence interval: 1.85, 3.98), drug dependence (odds ratio ¼ 2.63, 95% confidence interval: 1.45, 4.74), and antisocial personality disorder (odds ratio ¼ 6.12, 95% confidence interval: 3.87, 9.66). Low prevalences of these conditions (7%, 4%, and 4%, respectively) contrasted with their relatively high proportions of attributed risk of violence (23%, 15%, and 15%). Hazardous drinking was associated with 56% of all reported violent incidents. Screening positive for psychosis did not independently increase risk (odds ratio ¼ 3.20, 95% confidence interval: 0.35, 29.6). The study concluded that psychiatric morbidity makes a significant public health impact on violence exerted primarily by persons with any personality disorder, substance dependence, and hazardous drinking. Population interventions for violent behavior are appropriate for hazardous drinking as are targeted interventions for substance dependence and antisocial personality disorder.

Psychopathy and offending behaviour: findings from the national survey of prisoners in England and Wales

There is debate about whether the psychopath’s criminal behaviour is a consequence of abnormal personality traits or a symptom of psychopathy. The aim of this study was to examine independent associations between offending behaviour over the lifetime and psychopathy in a representative sample of male and female offenders.

A two-stage survey was carried out among prisoners in all prisons in England and Wales. Psychopathy was measured using the PCL-R in the second stage among 497 male and female prisoners. Independent relationships between the four factors of psychopathy and lifetime offences were examined using multiple regression. Two models of association were compared to test the effects of the fourth (antisocial) factor.

Factor 1 (interpersonal) was not associated with any category of serious offending behaviour. Affective deficiency (Factor 2) was independently associated with violent and acquisitive offending in men. The contribution of the antisocial factor to associations with total PCL-R scores, together with its strong intercorrelations with Factor 3 (lifestyle), suggest that it is an integral component of the psychopathy construct. The findings also demonstrate the dilemma of colinearity between the third and fourth factors of psychopathy and their relationship with criminal behaviour, especially in men.