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University of Essex homepage Departments Psychology Research Units and Facilities
Department of Psychology

Facilities and our research labs

Supported by our expert team of psychologists, our facilities and lab units serve academics and students across different levels of study in enabling high standards for both teaching and research experience.

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Pioneering research in psychology

Home to a number of research labs and housing a range of specialist facilities and equipment used for non-invasive research, the Department of Psychology at Essex is where innovation meets insight.

Our labs and equipment

Both staff and students at the Department of Psychology enjoy access to a wide range of well-equipped specialist labs, where portable equipment enables the combination of various methodologies for investigating psychological phenomena, fostering innovation and versatility in research. 

At Colchester campus and adjoining the main building, our Centre for Brain Science houses the facilities with additional psychology labs within the department. This includes experimental labs and specialist equipment such as EEG, TMS, and eye-tracking hardware, providing robust support for gathering and analysing qualitative data through platforms like Qualtrics.

Our research mission and expertise

Our research mission, 'Understanding Our Place in the World,' is driven by three key themes: thinking, interacting, and experiencing the world. The Department of Psychology leverages staff expertise across diverse areas of psychology to drive high-quality, multi-method research that tackles pressing societal issues from multiple perspectives. We are committed to giving you the best access to equipment in higher education, housed entirely within our purpose-built psychology facility with dedicated labs, suites and classrooms.

Our team brings a wealth of expertise and in-depth knowledge, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, expert services. With diverse backgrounds and a versatile skillset, our technicians are equipped to support your psychological investigations and analysis. Seamlessly integrated into both research and educational programs, our staff is available to assist with accessing equipment and testing facilities, enhancing our student's learning and research experience. 

Specialist facilities

The Babylab

Focusing on infant development, the Babylab aims to explore and understand how young children perceive and interact with the world. The Essex Babylab is the leading infant lab in the east of England and works to understand how babies and infants grow and develop, from learning to understand language through to becoming social, and how best to support new parents.

Our advanced eye-tracking system reveals their visual preferences, while our baby-friendly EEG system records natural brain activity in response to various tasks, offering invaluable insights into early cognitive development. The team is dedicated to sharing neuroscience evidence with the public to support new parents.

Learn more about the BabyLab

Our Neuroscience Labs

Our neuroscience labs encompasses both cognitive and social research, featuring both individual and group testing spaces, equipped with advanced technology to record (electro)-physiological responses such as ECG and EEG with the following aims in mind:

  1. Measure brain activity with fNIRS
  2. Stimulate neural responses using TMS and FUS
  3. Utilize cutting-edge eye-tracking technology for comprehensive research
The neuroscience labs:
  • Sleep Lab (in the Department of Psychology) and the iSpace Lab (Shared with the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering) are for conducting sleep research or studying behaviour in a natural setting with specialised facilities for both fields.
  • Cognitive Perception Lab: Equipped with static eye-trackers, video head tracking, and precision colour monitors, this lab is ideal for threshold measurements and calibration of both screen-presented and paper stimuli.
  • Visual Perception Lab: Featuring head-mounted eye-trackers, a tele-spectroradiometer, intuitive colorimeter, optometric trial lenses, monochromator, photometers, and clinical optometric test equipment for cutting-edge visual research.
  • Psychoacoustic Hearing Labs: Home to four high-spec double-walled soundproof booths, perfect for conducting hearing experiments or providing controlled environments for various studies.

Essex ESNEFT Psychological Research Unit (EEPRU)

Established in 2022 between the University of Essex and the East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), this research unit aims to explore how our understanding, experiences, and interactions shape the management of illness, in support of the Department of Psychology's research mission of 'Understanding Our Place in the World' while also examining the crucial role social interactions play in this process.

Learn more about the EEPRU

Our suites

  • Our observation suite features a dedicated testing room equipped with a one-way mirror and video recording capabilities, providing a seamless way to monitor experiments from the observation room.
  • Our group testing suites offer interconnected cubicles, allowing for real-time behavioural studies with multiple participants, ideal for dynamic group research.

Minecraft Psychology Lab

The Minecraft Psychology Lab features single and multiplayer game setups using Minecraft to explore human behaviour. This interactive, engaging environment enhances teaching and supports research by providing highly customizable worlds to study topics like social interactions, creativity, and problem-solving.

Learn more about the Minecraft Psychology Lab

Minecraft lab
Minecraft and the power of play

As the world's first video game psychology lab, students and researchers have the unique opportunity to explore, experiment, and build studies in the block-based multiplayer sandbox, offering an immersive environment to study human behaviour in a virtual world. Focusing on problem-based learning, this innovative approach enhances understanding and equips students with valuable skills to set their career in motion.

Read the story about the world's first video game psychology lab Understanding the digital world with Minecraft

Explore our research activities

Our mission The Centre for Brain Science The Babylab The Essex ESNEFT Psychological Research Unit (EEPRU) Our latest news from the Department of Psychology
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Unlock your potential with our Psychology degrees

Dive into the intricate world of human behaviour in our fast-evolving society with access to our exceptional research labs and facilities including our Centre for Brain Science as part of our student learning and research environment. By exploring cognition, emotion, and social dynamics, our Psychology degrees offer profound insights into understanding individuals, cultivating empathy, and promoting personal growth in the face of emerging technologies and shifting cultural landscapes.

Explore the subject
Our Collaborative Labs
The Brain Computer Interfaces and Neural Engineering (BCI-NE) Lab
The Sports Psychology Lab
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