Research Output per year
Personal profile
Biography
I am an Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Canberra, former Associate Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at ISN Psychology and former Principal ISN Research Fellow at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. My other previous experiences include being the Acting Associate Head of School: Research, Discipline Head: Psychology, and Program Director for the Master of Psychology (Clinical) program in the School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy at the University of South Australia (UniSA). While at UniSA I lectured across both the undergraduate and postgraduate psychology programs, provided research supervision to honours, master’s, and PhD students, and clinical supervision to students in the clinical program. I am still an Adjunct Senior Lecturer the University of South Australia
I completed my degree at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch (NZ) in 1999 as a "mature age" student, graduating in 2002 with a BSc(Hons) 1st class in Psychology. From there, I went on to complete both a PhD and Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology (PGDipClinPsych) concurrently; completing both in 2008. Shortly after completing his qualifications, he started a conjoined position with Central Queensland University as a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology and Queensland Health as a Service Evaluation and Research Coordinator for Evolve Therapeutic Services (ETS). His professional experiences have been varied and diverse, covering university settings, hospital settings, residential treatment facilities, clinical research projects, and clinical practice. He has worked in government organisations, non-government organisation, and privately.
My research interests are in the areas that overlap between social, personality, and clinical psychology. I have two intersecting streams of research that I have been developing to lead toward a program of research investigating psychopathology from an evolutionary psychology perspective. My first stream of research is testing and expanding sociometer theory—an evolutionary theory about the role and function of self-esteem, how it is associated with social acceptance and rejection, and how this might influence subsequent mental health problems (e.g., anxiety, depression). My second stream of research is examining the darker sides of personality, specifically the behavioural and psychological correlates and consequences of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. This second stream of research is also couched in an evolutionary framework and influenced by Life History Theory. These two streams of research, alongside my interest and practice in clinical psychology have led me to start investigating the aetiology of psychopathology from a life history theory perspective.
I completed my degree at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch (NZ) in 1999 as a "mature age" student, graduating in 2002 with a BSc(Hons) 1st class in Psychology. From there, I went on to complete both a PhD and Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology (PGDipClinPsych) concurrently; completing both in 2008. Shortly after completing his qualifications, he started a conjoined position with Central Queensland University as a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology and Queensland Health as a Service Evaluation and Research Coordinator for Evolve Therapeutic Services (ETS). His professional experiences have been varied and diverse, covering university settings, hospital settings, residential treatment facilities, clinical research projects, and clinical practice. He has worked in government organisations, non-government organisation, and privately.
My research interests are in the areas that overlap between social, personality, and clinical psychology. I have two intersecting streams of research that I have been developing to lead toward a program of research investigating psychopathology from an evolutionary psychology perspective. My first stream of research is testing and expanding sociometer theory—an evolutionary theory about the role and function of self-esteem, how it is associated with social acceptance and rejection, and how this might influence subsequent mental health problems (e.g., anxiety, depression). My second stream of research is examining the darker sides of personality, specifically the behavioural and psychological correlates and consequences of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. This second stream of research is also couched in an evolutionary framework and influenced by Life History Theory. These two streams of research, alongside my interest and practice in clinical psychology have led me to start investigating the aetiology of psychopathology from a life history theory perspective.
Research interests
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Personality Psychology
- Dark Triad
- Narcissism
- Sociometer Theory
- Self-Esteem
- Social Psychology
- Life History Evolution
- Life History Theory
- Psychopathology
- Clinical Psychology
- Developmental Psychopathology
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Bachelor, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
External positions
Adjunct, University of South Australia
8 Jan 2018 → …Fingerprint Dive into the research topics where Phil Kavanagh is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Personality
Medicine & Life Sciences
Psychology
Medicine & Life Sciences
Parenting
Medicine & Life Sciences
Social Distance
Medicine & Life Sciences
Education
Medicine & Life Sciences
Machiavellianism
Medicine & Life Sciences
Narcissism
Medicine & Life Sciences
Psychopathology
Medicine & Life Sciences
Network
Recent external collaboration on country level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots.
Research Output 2010 2020
Attitudes toward same-sex family rights: Education facilitating progressive attitude change
Webb, S. N., Kavanagh, P. & Chonody, J. M., 2020, In : Australian Journal of Psychology. p. 1-11 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Parenting
Education
Marriage
Social Stigma
Smoking
Straight, LGB, Married, Living in Sin, Children Out of Wedlock: A Comparison of Attitudes Towards ‘Different’ Family Structures
Webb, S. N., Kavanagh, P. S. & Chonody, J. M., 29 Apr 2019, In : Journal of GLBT Family Studies. p. 1-17 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
family structure
marriage
equality
acceptance
married couple
Testing the unsolved problems hypothesis: The evolutionary life issues-mitigating function of nature exposure and its relationship with human well-being
O, J., Kavanagh, P. S., Brüne, M. & Esposito, G., Aug 2019, In : Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. 44, p. 1-9 9 p., 126396.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
income
signs and symptoms (animals and humans)
testing
synthesis
exposure
4
Citations
(Scopus)
An Integrated Model of Work–Study Conflict and Work–Study Facilitation
Owen, M. S., Kavanagh, P. S. & Dollard, M. F., 1 Oct 2018, In : Journal of Career Development. 45, 5, p. 504-517 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Students
Climate
student
university
Safety
Antisocial personality traits
Kavanagh, P., 2018, Encyclopedia of personality and individual differences. Zeigler-Hill, V. & Shackelford, T. K. (eds.). United States: SpringerResearch output: A Conference proceeding or a Chapter in Book › Chapter