Dr Carolyn J Choudhary

Lecturer in Psychology E-mail: cchoudhary@qmu.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 474 0000 Fax: +44 (0)131 474 0001 Research publications: follow this link QMU eResearch for list of publications held electronically

Summary Biography

Carolyn Choudhary joined the Psychology Department at Queen Margaret University as lecturer in January 2010.

Prior to returning to university to study Psychology in 2000 (graduating in 2004 with a BSc Hons from the University of Stirling) Carolyn had previous careers as a Senior Manager in the NHS and in high school teaching. She has a previous first degree - a BSc Joint Honours in Physical Education and Geography - and an MA (by thesis) in Exercise Physiology (both at the University of Birmingham) plus a PGCE teaching qualification. The MA research entitled “Fitness, Fatness and Funtime of Schoolgirls” developed a protocol for a bicycle ergometer test of cardio-respiratory endurance for a Council of Europe project. This was then used to test fitness levels in schoolgirls along with an assessment of their body fat and aspects of lifestyle impinging on activity and diet. Perhaps not surprisingly (even in the 1980’s) levels of fitness were inadequate to give protection for health and a considerable incidence of obesity was found.

Carolyn was awarded a Faculty Studentship for her PhD at the University of Stirling (2004-8) entitled 'Why laterality matters in trauma: sinister aspects of memory and emotion', supervised by Prof Ronan O'Carroll. [This thesis is stored electronically here at the Stirling Online Research Repository.] After completing this she undertook research posts, as Research Assistant on a project 'Stress in telephone helpline (NHS24) nurses: a study of theoretical determinants, physiological aspects and behavioural consequences' with Prof Derek Johnston at the University of Aberdeen (2008-9) and then Research Fellow and Project Manager at the Cancer Care Research Centre, Department of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Stirling for 'The IMPACT project: Improving management of primary adverse reactions to chemotherapy' (2009-10).

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Research Interests

Carolyn Choudhary is interested in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and effects of psychological trauma which may be related to lateralisation. Main areas of research interest are:

1. Prevalence of PTSD in left handers
Left handers seem to be more at risk for PTSD following experience of a trauma - in a large study, the prevalence in left handers was found to be almost double that in right handers: 8% of right handers but 15% of left handers met all diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

2. Are 'normal' left handers different to right handers in ways that are relevant to effects of PTSD?
This research has focussed on memory for emotional events and the emotional Stroop task. People with PTSD exhibit subtle verbal memory deficits on tasks of cognitive function and show considerable interference effects on a trauma-related emotional Stroop task; research has shown these tasks also appear to be compromised in healthy left, but not right handers, after exposure to a fearful situation (watching a scary movie).

3. Mechanisms underlying the classic and emotional Stroop tasks
- and other similar cognitive tasks - that may have relevance to clinical/health issues

4. Origins of left handedness
Why is a relatively constant proportion (approximately 10%) of the population left handed?

Due to Carolyn's diverse background she also has a general interest in health care issues.

Recent publications are available here in QMU eResearch (QMU’s open access repository) and are listed further below in Publications section.

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Teaching & Admin

Primarily Carolyn teaches Individual Differences -
Year 2 - Personality block in X2016 Core Areas
Year 3 - X3033 Individual Differences Module

Also contributes to:
Year 1 - X1017 Key Studies - in line with interests in associative learning and lateralisation of the brain
Year 3 - X3030 Critical Conceptual & Historical Psychology - in line with interests in the history of PTSD

Carolyn also takes on the role of Admissions Tutor for the department.

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Allan J L, Farquharson B, Choudhary, C J, Johnston D W, Jones M C, Johnston M (2009). Stress in telephone helpline nurses: Research protocol for a study of theoretical determinants, physiological correlates and behavioural consequences. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65, 10, 2208–2215. Access here

Choudhary, C J, O Carroll R E (2007). Left hand preference is related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 20, 3, 365-369. Access here

Choudhary, C J, (2006). Four perspectives on PTSD (Book Review). The Psychologist, 19, 9, 555.

Hudson, C J (1983). Fitness testing in schools. Bulletin of Physical Education, 19, 2, 41-43.

Selected conference presentations:

Choudhary, C.J. (2008). Left handedness and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in clinical populations. British Psychological Society Scottish Branch Annual Conference, 21-22 November 2008, Clydebank.

Choudhary, C.J. (2007). Effects of fear induction on the emotional Stroop task: are left and right handers different? British Psychological Society Psychobiology Section Annual Scientific Meeting, 3-5 September 2007, Windermere, Lake District.

Choudhary, C.J., O’Carroll, R.E. (2007). Left hand preference is related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. (Oral presentation.) 10 th European Conference on Traumatic Stress, 5-9 June 2007, Opatija, Croatia.

Choudhary, C.J. (2005). Left handed preference is related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a non-clinical sample. British Psychological Society Scottish Branch Annual Conference, 25-26 November 2005, Perth.

Choudhary, C.J. (2005). Left handed preference is related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a non-clinical sample. British Psychological Society Psychobiology Section Annual Scientific Meeting, 14-16 September 2005, Windermere, Lake District.

Choudhary, C.J. (2005). Asymmetry, avoidance & approach: personality and pathology in primates. Invited talk at Animality! Personality in animals. An International Symposium on the Importance of Personality and Temperament in Understanding Behaviour , 10-11 February 2005, University of Stirling.

Choudhary, C.J. (2004). Sex differences in physiological arousal and effects on local-global processing. BPS Scottish Branch Undergraduate Student Conference, Glasgow. Proceedings of the British Psychological Society, 12, 2, 139.

Choudhary, C.J., Seymour, H.C. (1987). Creating the Health Promoting Hospital. Healthy Cities Session, International Hospital Federation Congress 31 May – 5 June 1987, Helsinki, Finland.

Hudson, C.J. (1983). Fitness testing in schools. Action-Based Health-Related Fitness. A one day conference – 20 April 1983, Loughborough University

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