Mary Immaculate College (MIC) Fourth year student Laurence Tuohy has been awarded the prestigious Undergraduate Prize for his Undergraduate Dissertation at the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) All Ireland Student Congress.
Laurence, a student of the Bachelor of Education in Education and Psychology, was recognised for his research into gender stereotypes and educational settings under the supervision of Dr Christopher Shum.
Speaking about his achievement, Laurence said: “I have always had an interest in education, stereotypes, and single-sex versus co-educational schooling, so to be able to conduct research in this area in a meaningful and quantitative way has been incredibly rewarding. For this work to be recognised and honoured with a national award was beyond my imagination, and I feel truly proud. I want to thank all the academic staff at MIC who have inspired me throughout my journey. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s certainly been rewarding. I was encouraged to carefully consider the scale and nature of my research early on, and I would urge all future undergraduates to persevere and pursue topics they are passionate about—because that always shines through.”
Laurence’s dissertation explored counter-stereotypical imagery as a method of reducing occupational gender stereotypes among sixth-class students in both coeducational and all-girls primary schools. The research involved a computerised judgement task, measuring reaction times and stereotype accuracy before and after exposure to counter-stereotypical role images. Findings suggest that such imagery can significantly impact how young students perceive gender roles in the workplace, with important implications for educational practices, textbook design, and career guidance strategies.
Dr Niamh Stack, Head of the Department of Psychology at MIC, commented on the significance of Laurence’s win: “One of the key messages we promote on our psychology programmes here at MIC is the importance not only of conducting research, but also of sharing it with a broad audience. We were delighted to see our BA and B Ed Psychology students presenting at a national level, and Laurence’s award for Best Undergraduate Presentation is a phenomenal achievement for both him and his supervisor Dr Christopher Shum.”
Dr Aoife McLoughlin, Lecturer in Psychology and Acting Programme Coordinator of the B Ed in Education and Psychology, also praised the accomplishment: “We are absolutely delighted for Laurence on this well-deserved recognition. His success at the PSI Student Congress reflects not only his talent and dedication, but also the supportive and inspiring environment we strive to foster for all our Psychology students at MIC.”
L-R: Sophie Blackburn (co-chair of Student Psychology Congress), Laurence Tuohy, Dr Liam Challenor, PSI Head Judge and Amreeta Leddy (co-chair of Student Psychology Congress).
