Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Dr Sofia Persson
Senior Lecturer
Sofia is a senior lecturer in Psychology at Leeds Beckett University and a fellow of Advance Higher Education. Her main research interest is rape mythology. More broadly, she is also interested in how myths and stereotypes about women and men's sexual behaviour and psychology are scaffolded in wider society, e.g., through scientific communication.
Sofia has previously worked as a Research Associate at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she also completed her PhD. She has an MSc in Forensic Psychology.
Sofia is the Methods & Open Practices section editor for Social and Personality Psychology Compass, and she reviews for a number of journals.
Sofia is an Open Science advocate, and she is the programme lead for the Open Research and Scholarship (ORES) initiative within the Centre for Psychological Research (PsyCen). She is the UKRN local network lead.
Current Teaching
- Clinical & Forensic Psychology
- The Psychology of Complex Behaviour
Research Interests
Sofia's main research interest is rape mythology and various forms of sexism. Her work has investigated the nature of rape mythology, and how these beliefs are maintained and justified in wider society, e.g., through scientific communication. Her research aligns with transparent and reproducible study practices.
Sofia is particularly interested in how research practices can be improved across her areas of interest, and has published research making concrete recommendations for future research into rape mythology. Her research has also illustrated how Open Science practices can improve the practical implications of research findings in the context of victim blame in rape cases. She has presented her work in academic as well as in public engagement settings.
Ask Me About
- Feminism
- Gender
