Research impact
As part of the School’s world-leading research, we collaborate with national and international partners in the health sector, industry, schools and education, local community, and government to provide real impact in the field of psychology.
Research impact is the contribution research makes beyond the publication of academic papers – it is the way that the findings of our research and the evidence we generate are used to make a difference in the world. They include new ways of thinking, new ways of doing things, a change in values or culture, a new treatment, device or other intervention or a new product. This effect of research, beyond academia, is what makes investment in research so critical to society.
Our state-of-the-art research facilities and outstanding community of internationally recognised academics has led to societal impact in key areas.
Involving patients in patient safety
Patients can be reluctant to be involved in safety, particularly when it means challenging a healthcare professional because they want to be ‘good patient’. Our research exploring the different ways patients can be involved in safety has been world leading. We found that most patients are willing to provide feedback on the safety of their care and that this information can be used to improve care. Within this programme (funded by NIHR) we developed a Patient Measure of Safety (PMOS) and collected data from over 2,400 patients on safety concerns. We were able to demonstrate that patients can provide valuable feedback about safety in an inpatient setting and that when this feedback is used by teams they were able to make improvements to safety. These tools are now used internationally (14 countries, 17 publications describing use) for research and service improvement). Recent research working with clinicians and patient volunteers has led to revisions to the toolkit, now called the Yorkshire Patient Experience Toolkit (PET), which can be found here.
Reducing smoking initiation in adolescents
Smoking remains an important cause of premature death. The best way to minimise its impact is to ensure that individuals do not initiate smoking. Most smoking initiation occurs before the age of 18. Our research developed and tested an intervention to reduce smoking initiation in adolescents by providing persuasive messages and the following of implementation intentions about how to refuse that offer of a first cigarette. A randomised controlled trial in over 6000 adolescents showed the intervention to be effective in reducing initiation rates in 12–16-year-old adolescents. The intervention has been taken up and used by several hundred schools across the UK helping to reduce smoking initiation. This ‘INTENT’ programme is supported by a non-profit organisation (Evidence to Impact) who ensure the quality of the intervention is maintained.
Why we eat what we eat
What if we could measure what people really want to eat—not just what they say they like? The Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire (LFPQ) does just that, helping scientists and companies understand the complex drivers of food choice by distinguishing between “liking” (how pleasant a food is) and “wanting” (how motivated someone is to eat it). Developed at the University of Leeds and now translated into over 20 languages, the LFPQ has become a gold-standard tool for appetite research used by academics, healthcare providers, and global food and drug companies. Now, a new web-based version is being developed to make this powerful tool accessible to even more researchers and industries around the world—opening the door to more personalised, effective strategies for tackling obesity, designing healthier products, and understanding why we eat what we eat.