About

I joined the University of Derby in 2021 as a Lecturer in Forensic Psychology. I have studied in Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK, and I have prior experience delivering group therapy at Ashworth High Secure Hospital.

Teaching responsibilities

I am currently module leader on two undergraduate modules: Applied Psychological Practice in Context (L4) and Psychological Perspectives of Serious and Dangerous Offenders (L6). I am also a module tutor on Offenders with Mental and Intellectual Disabilities (L6) and The Psychology of Intimate Partner Abuse (L6).

Research interests

• Image-based sexual abuse
• Personality and offending behaviour
• Involuntary celibates ('incels') and misogynistic extremism
• Sex offending
• Female offenders
• Sexual homicide
• Serial homicide

Membership of professional bodies

• British Psychological Society
• BPS Division of Forensic Psychology
• UK Higher Education Academy (Fellow)
• European Association of Psychology and Law
• International Society for Correctional and Forensic Psychology
• International Society for Research on Aggression
• International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services

Qualifications

• BA (Hons.) Psychology (minors in Criminology and Sociology) - University of the Fraser Valley
• MSc in Forensic Psychology - Maastricht University
• PGCert in Teaching in Higher Education - Edge Hill University
• PhD in Psychology - Edge Hill University

Recent conferences

• Mooney, R., Wall, H., Humphries, J., & Heim, D. (2023, July 4-7). Personality-based drivers of offending behaviour. European Association of Psychology and Law Annual Conference, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
• Hargreaves, M., & Mooney, R. (2023, July 4-7). They walk among us: Predictors of incel ideology endorsement. European Association of Psychology and Law Annual Conference, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
• Mooney, R. (2021, June 16-17). Association(s) between Five Factor Model and Dark Triad traits and offending behaviour in adults: A systematic review. International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services 2021 Virtual Conference
• Mooney, R. (2019, June 18-20). Understanding interpersonal relationships and psychopathy in forensic psychiatric and student samples. British Psychological Society Division of Forensic Psychology Annual Conference, Liverpool, UK
• Mooney, R. (2018, June 19-21). Personality, belief in a just world, and attitudes toward criminal responsibility defences: A preliminary study. British Psychological Society  Division of Forensic Psychology Annual Conference, Newcastle, UK
• Mooney, R. (2016, May 27-28). Attitudes towards Canada’s insanity defence. Connecting Minds Biennial Undergraduate Research Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Recent publications

• Mastroni, L., & Mooney, R. (in press). “I one-hundred thousand percent blame it on QAnon”: The impact of QAnon belief on interpersonal relationships. Journal of Social & Personal Relationships
• Mooney, R. (2022). Dark Triad traits, engagement with learning and perceptions of employability in undergraduate students. Industry and Higher Education, 37(4), 524-536. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422222114082
• Cross, L., Kaye, L. K., Savostijanovs, J., McLatchie, N., Johnston, M., Whiteman, L., Mooney, R., and Atherton, G. (2022). Gendered violence and sexualized representations in video games: (Lack of) effect on gender-related attitudes. New Media & Society, 26(3), 1648-1669. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221075736
• Yaksic, E., Harrison, M., Konikoff, D., Mooney, R., Allely, A., De Silva, R., Matykiewicz, B., Inglis, M., Giannangelo, S. J., Daniels, S., and Sarteschi, C. M. (in press). A heuristic study of the similarities and differences in offender characteristics across potential and successful serial sexual homicide offenders. Behavioural Sciences and the Law
• Yaksic, E., Bulut, T., Drakulic, C. L., Mooney, R., De Silva, R., Geyer, P., Wills, A., Comerford, C., and Ranger, R. C. (2021). How much damage do serial homicide offenders wrought while the innocent rot in prison? A tabulation of preventable deaths as outcomes of sentinel events. Psychology, Crime & Law, 27(1), 76-88
• Mooney, R., Ireland, J. L., and Lewis, M. (2019). Understanding interpersonal relationships and psychopathy. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, 30(4), 658-685
• Mooney, R. (2019). Personality, belief in a just world, and attitudes toward criminal responsibility defences: A preliminary study. Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, 5(1), 1-12
• Mooney, R., and Sebalo, I. (2019). Violence risk assessment. In J. L. Ireland, C. A. Ireland, & P. Birch (Eds.), Violent and sexual offenders: Assessment, treatment and management (2^nd ed., pp. 3-17). London: Routledge