About

I completed my undergraduate degree as a CAMS student (now JHS), here at Derby in 1998 (BSc (Hons) Psychology with Health and Society). As part of this programme, I also completed modules in the Social History of Fashion. After gaining some practical work experience drawing on my psychology skills, both within and outside academia, I moved to the Open University to complete a PhD using conversation analysis to explore older women's talk about their relationships. I continued lecturing on a sessional basis including roles at the Open University in Milton Keynes, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, De Montfort University in Leicester and here at the University of Derby.

I am Head of Psychology within the School of Human Sciences. My teaching and research interests are based within critical approaches to social psychology, particularly in relation to gender, identity and the use of qualitative methods. I currently teach both undergraduate and postgraduate students and supervise a number of PhD students. I engage externally with our accrediting body, the British Psychological Society, as the Conference Officer for the East Midlands Branch. I am an active member of the university's Human Sciences Research Centre. My external engagement includes reviewing qualitative submissions for a number of journals as well as being an external examiner for qualitative PhD vivas and for a programme at another institution.

Research interests

My research interests are diverse but have several common links. I am particularly interested in the development and construction of personal and social identity, with specific regard to its relational context. I am also interested in the ageing process, taking a more positive view of ageing and its contexts than is often the case in Psychology. With regard to both of these topic areas, my focus is on their construction within mundane, everyday settings.

I have been funded internally for several small research projects. These have included exploring pedagogic developments in supporting distance and online learning students alongside colleagues from several other institutions; cross-faculty research looking at the effects of collaboration on how a witnessed crime is remembered in talk; psychological research exploring homophobic bullying in secondary schools from the perspectives of school staff; and an exploration of individuals' experiences when they cease taking medication for mental health issues. More recently I have been involved in projects exploring (1) women's experiences of breast cancer; (2) the construction of informal/unpaid care, using qualitative data generated in collaboration with a local charitable organisation; and (3) the understandings of compassion in a number of contexts.

Recent publications

Phillips, E., Montague, J., & Archer, S. (2017). “A peculiar time in my life”: Making sense of illness and recovery with gynaecological cancer. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Wellbeing, 12(1).

Baker, I.S., Montague, J., & Booth, A. (2017). A controlled study of psychometry using psychic and non-psychic claimants with actual and false readings using a mixed methods approach. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 81(2), 109-123.

Archer, S, Holland, F.G., & Montague, J (2016). ‘Do you mean I’m not whole?’ Exploring the role of support in women’s experiences of mastectomy without reconstruction. Journal of Health Psychology pp 1-12.

Elmore, N., Burt, J., Abel, G., Maratos, F. A., Montague, J., Campbell, J., & Roland, M. (2016). Investigating the relationship between consultation length and patient experience: a cross-sectional study in primary care. British Journal of General Practice, 66(653), e896-e903.

Phillips, E., Montague, J., & Archer, S. (2016). Worlds within worlds: A strategy for using interpretative phenomenological analysis with focus groups. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 13(4), 289-302.

Montague, J. (2016). Behaving in Acceptable Ways. Royal Opera House programme for Royal Ballet's production of Frankenstein.

Archer, S., Phillips, E., Montague, J., Bali, A., & Sowter, H., (2015). I’m 100% for it! I’m a convert!”: Women’s experiences of a yoga programme after treatment for gynaecological cancer; an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 23, 1 55-62.

Large, K. & Montague, J. (2015). A thematic analysis investigating the factors affecting students' decision making regarding their eating behaviours, Social Psychological Review, 17(1).

Holland, F., Archer, S.A., & Montague, J., (published online ahead of print, 2014). Younger women’s experiences of deciding against delayed breast reconstruction post-mastectomy following breast cancer: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Health Psychology. DOI: 10.1177/1359105314562085.

Archer, S.A., Montague, J., & Bali, A., (2014). Exploring the experience of an enhanced recovery programme for gynaecological cancer patients: a qualitative study. Perioperative Medicine, 3(2): (04 Apr 2014).

Phillips, E., Elander, J., & Montague, J., (2014). An interpretative phenomenological analysis of men’s and women’s coping strategy selection during early IVF treatment. Journal of Infertility and Reproductive Psychology. DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2014.915391

Membership of professional bodies

I am a member of the British Psychological Society's East Midlands Branch committee, with responsibility for organising our annual conference.

I am a member of the Division of Health Psychology, the Social Psychology Section and the Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section.

I am the Chair of the Singapore Conference on Applied Psychology.

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Qualifications

Undergraduate qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Psychology with Health and Society, University of Derby (2:1)

Research qualifications

• PhD on Older Women's Constructions of their Relationships, Open University

Recent conferences

Holland, F., Montague, J., Phillips, E., & Archer, S., (July 2018). Extending the double hermeneutic: Collaborative IPA with multiple researchers and multiple participants. IPA conference, Glasgow.

Montague, J., Maratos, F., Aziz, H., Wood, W., & Gilbert, P., (June 2018). Compassion in the classroom: Evaluating a compassionate mind training intervention with school staff members. Singapore Conference on Applied Psychology, Singapore.

Montague, J., Kamal, A., & Armstrong-Booth, K., (July 2017), ‘A qualitative study exploring South Asian carers’ experience of caring for people with dementia in the Midlands, UK.’ International Society for Critical Health Psychology Conference, Loughborough, UK.

Locke, A., Childs, C., Montague, J. & Etheridge, L. (August 2016), ‘Social Psychology at the margins: Interdisciplinary dialogues.’ Symposium at BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference, Cardiff.

Kamal, A., Montague, J., & Armstrong-Booth, K. (July 2016), Understanding South Asian Carers’ experience of caring for people with dementia in the Midlands, UK: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. LTA conference, University of Derby.

Montague, J. (April 2016), ‘Experiencing the role of ‘informal carer’: Insights from two projects.’, Invited Research Seminar, University of Lincoln.

Montague, J., Phillips, E., Holland, F.G., & Archer, S.A. (August 2015), ‘Working Collaboratively to Explore Women’s Experiences of Breast and Gynaecological Cancer.’ Symposium at BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference, Manchester

Crooks, S., Hamp, A., Montague, J., Hampson, C., Sheffield, D., & Baraniak, A. (July 2015), Applied Qualitative Conference, University of Derby.

Locke, A., Childs, C., Peach, D., & Montague, J. (May 2015). ‘Applying social psychology to contemporary society.’ Symposium at BPS Annual Conference, Liverpool.

Montague, J. (May 2015), ‘The development of compassion focused therapy.’ Invited Keynote Speaker at 1^st Asian Congress on Applied Psychology, Singapore.

Montague, J. (September 2014), Visualising identities: Unpicking the interwoven threads of one critical social psychologist, BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference, Canterbury.

Montague, J., Holland, F.G., & Linscott, M. (September 2014), Breast cancer identities in the UK media, BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference, Canterbury.

Hudson, S. & Montague, J., (September 2014), ‘An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Exploring the Experiences of Individuals Close to Somebody with an Anxiety Disorder’ BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference, Canterbury.

Inskip, C. & Montague, J., (September 2014), ‘Exploring Experiences of Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Which Factors Best Facilitate Positive Post-Injury Outcomes?’ BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference, Canterbury.

Holland, F.G., Montague, J., & Archer, S.A. (July 2014), Do you mean I’m not whole?’: An interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of younger women’s experiences of electing to not undergo breast reconstruction after mastectomy following breast cancer. Appearance Matters 6 Conference, Cardiff.

Montague, J., Holland, F.G., & Linscott, M. (July 2014), Breast cancer identities in the UK media, LTA conference, University of Derby.

Montague, J., Holland, F.G., & Archer, S.A. (February 2014), The experience of going against ‘the norm’: Younger women making decisions around non-reconstruction, Midlands Health Psychology Conference, Northampton.

International experience

• Conference Chair for 1st Asian Congress on Applied Psychology (2015), Aventis School of Management, Singapore
• Conference Chair for Singapore Conference on Applied Psychology (2018, 2019)

Teaching responsibilities

My teaching responsibilities are based in areas of social psychology such as:

• Gender
• Identity
• Relationships
• Ageing