Dr Helen Fawkner, Course Director

Dr Helen Fawkner

Course Director

Helen received her MSc and PhD from the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Prior to this she completed a BSc (Hons) at Monash University, Australia. Helen is currently the Course Leader for the BSc (Hons) Psychology degree.

Helen's research interests are in the areas of health, applied social, and sport/ exercise psychology. Her own research has a particular emphasis on men's health and body image attitudes. Specifically, Helen is interested in the antecedents to body image attitudes in men (e.g., the role of physical factors, personality attributes and cultural and interpersonal factors), and how these are related to potential adjustive strategies and behaviours (e.g., body adornment, grooming behaviours, cosmetic surgery, steroid, recreational drug, smoking, and alcohol use, eating disturbance, and sexual risk taking).

Helen is currently a member of the Editorial Board for Body Image: An International Journal of Research. Further, she regularly reviews research for Sex Roles, International Journal of Mens Health, Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, Men and Masculinities, Psychology and Sexuality, and Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.

Current Teaching

Helen currently teaches on the following modules:

  • Psychology of Appearance (Year 2 Elective)
  • Psychology of Women (Year 2 Elective)
  • Final Year Research Project

Research Interests

Helen is currently examining factors that might influence body image attitudes in women, and their response to the presentation of idealized images (e.g., religiosity, dress preference).

Dr Helen Fawkner, Course Director

Ask Me About

  1. Body image
  2. Cosmetic Surgery
  3. Psychology
  4. Sport Psychology

Selected Outputs

  • MULVEY MR; FAWKNER HJ; RADFORD HE; JOHNSON MI (2012) Perceptual embodiment of prosthetic limbs by Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). Neuromodulation, 15 (1), pp. 42-46.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1403.2011.00408.x

  • SINGLETON P; FAWKNER HJ; WHITE A; FOSTER S (2009) Men’s experience of cosmetic surgery: A phenomenological approach to discussion board data. Qualitative Methods in Psychology Newsletter, 8 pp. 17-23.

    http://www.bpsshop.org.uk/Qualitative-Methods-in-Psychology-Newsletter-Issue-8-October-2009-P880.aspx

  • MULVEY MR; FAWKNER HJ; RADFORD HE; JOHNSON MI (2009) The use of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) to aid perpetual embodiment of prosthetic limbs. , 72 pp. 140-142.

  • White A; Fawkner HJ; Holmes M (2006) Is there a case for differential treatment of young men and women?. Medical Journal of Australia, 185 (8), pp. 454-455.

    https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2006.tb00647.x

  • White AK; Fawkner H; Holmes M (2006) The Health of Men and Women – A Case for Differential Treatment?. Medical Journal of Australia, 185 (8), pp. 454-455.

  • Fawkner HJ; McMurrary NE; Summers JJ (1999) Athletic injury and minor life events: A prospective study. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2 (2), pp. 117-124.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/s1440-2440(99)80191-1

  • Fawkner HJ (2012) Body image attitudes and gender. In: Rumsey N; Harcourt D ed. Oxford Handbook of the Psychology of Appearance. Oxford: Oxford University Press,

  • Fawkner HJ (2012) Pregnancy and eating disorders. In: Martin CR ed. Perinatal Mental Health: A clinical guide. Keswick: M&K Update Ltd,

  • Fawkner HJ (2012) Body image development- adult men. In: Cash TF ed. Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance. Oxford: Academic Press,

  • Fawkner HJ (2012) Pregnancy and body image attitudes. In: Martin CR ed. Perinatal Mental Health: A Clinical Guide. Keswick: M&K Update Ltd,

  • FAWKNER H (2008) Eating disorders and substance use. In: Martin ed. Identification and Treatment of Alcohol Dependency. London: M&K Publishing,