Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology
I am a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and Registered Health Psychologist and Sport and Exercise Psychologist with the UK Health Professions Council.
I am the Course Manager for the BSc in Health Psychology; the Course Director of the MSc in Health Psychology and the Deputy Course Director for the MSc in Physical Activity, Nutrition and Health Promotion at the University of Bedfordshire (UoB).
My research interests include health promotion, disease prevention and behaviour change interventions, particularly with children, and in the area of weight management and addiction. I am able to offer tailored behaviour-change intervention training through the consultancy and training unit (CTU) to a variety of health professionals.
My PhD focused on the psychological and parental influences of children’s health behaviours looking specifically at why some children perform healthy behaviours (healthy eating, physical activity) while others choose those that are known to be detrimental to health (smoking and alcohol use).
I have experience working as a Health Psychologist in Specialist Obesity Services at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital. In this role I supported individuals in their weight loss process with adherence to treatment protocol (pre and post-surgery for a surgical clinic or in conjunction with pharmacological and dietary interventions in a medical clinic), working with cognitions and beliefs around areas such as personal control, happiness and time management.
I have recently run projects on the connections between dieting, binge eating and weight concerns and the use of positive psychology (particularly happiness) and implementation intentions to assist people in losing weight. I am currently working on a proposal to continue research on weight management with a view to producing self-help literature.
Qualifications
- 2010 SPSS AMOS training
- 2009 SHADO website-manager training for the British Psychological Society DHP website
- 2009 Promoting Behaviour Change: Effective Behavioural Interventions training
- 2008 Diploma in NLP (Neuro-linguistic-programming)
- 2007 and 2008 Motivational Interviewing Training
- 2002 - 2007 PhD, Roehampton University “Children's health perception and health behaviour: An intervention approach”
- 2005 Primary Certificate in Health Coaching, Counselling and Training, Centre for Coaching
- 2000 - 2001 MSc Health Psychology, University of Luton, Thesis “The Relationship Between Dietary Restraint, Binge Eating, Emotional Eating, Body Mass Index and Dieting Status in a Female Non-Clinical Population”
- 1996 - 2000 BA (Hons) Psychology University of Luton, Dissertation 'Perceptions of Binge Eating'
Teaching Role
Unit Co-ordination
- MSc Professional Skills for Health Psychologists
- MSc Public Health
- MSc Lifestyle and Individual Differences
- MSc Health Psychology in Context
- BSc Applied Health Psychology
- MSc Professional Skills for Health Care Providers (non-GBC students)
- MSc Psychological Approaches to Public Health (non-GBC students)
Teaching Areas
- Health Promotion and Education
- Behaviour change interventions
- Communication Skills (Cognitive behavioural therapy, Motivational interviewing, Neurolinguistic programming)
- Eating Disorders
- Obesity
- Children's Perceptions of Health
- Public Health
- Substance Abuse/Addiction
- Teaching and Training Skills
- Consultancy Skills
Research Interests
- Health promotion, disease prevention and public health
- Health behaviour and wellbeing interventions and the use of positive psychology and happiness
- Predictive value of control beliefs and cognitions on health behaviours
- Intention-behaviour relationship in health behaviour
- Children's health perception and health behaviour (healthy eating, exercise, smoking and alcohol use)
- Parental influence on health behaviours
- Obesity and weight management
- Binge eating and dietary restraint
- Message framed approach to health promotion interventions
Recent Research Projects
- Weight management using happiness and implementation intentions.
- In collaboration with the Sport and Exercise department at the Bedford campus - testing three kinds of intervention aimed at enhancing children’s physical activity levels.
- Alcohol awareness in adolescents
- Fruit and vegetable and physical activity intervention in school-aged children of Dubai.
- Using the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect as an intervention to enhance mood and motivation to be physically active.
Service to the Academic/Professional Community
- Past Chair of Publicity and Liaison Sub-Committee for the Division of Health Psychology
- UK National Delegate for the European Health Psychology Society.
- International Society for Coaching Psychology Council Member
Recent Conference Presentations
- Chater, A., Martin, J. & Smith, L. Behaviour change techniques used in randomised controlled trials with children to prevent and treat obesity: A systematic review. BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference (Southampton, September, 2011)
- Murray, N. & Chater, A. Physical activity engagement for type 2 diabetes control - can we predict who is at risk of non-performance? 25th Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society (Crete, September 2011)
- Bradley, E., Chater, A. & Kozub, S. Exploring predictors of dance behaviour change amongst Year 6 children. 1st International Congress of Dance in Health (Bedfordshire, June 2011)
- Chater, A. & Bobalova, P. Putting happiness into health: A study investigating the influence of happiness and relationship status on the engagement of health protective behaviours. BPS Annual Conference (Glasgow, May 2011)
- Nilsson, L., Chater, A. & Guppy, A. Predicting and promoting physical activity and healthy eating among adolescents living in UAE. Childhood and Adolescent Obesity: A Whole-System, Strategic Approach Conference (Abu Dhabi, March 2011)
- Denton, S., Kerr, C., Savory, L., Bailey, D. & Chater, A. Examining the relationships between a revised Modified Social Learning Theory for children and objectively measured physical activity behaviours in 10-14 year olds [The HAPPY Study]. BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference (Belfast, September, 2010)
- Cook, E., Gaitán, A. & Chater, A. Losing weight through simple pleasures. A qualitative investigation `into the triggers and resources obese women identify that assist their weight loss process. BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference (Belfast, September, 2010)
- Denton, S., Kerr, C., Savory, L., Bailey, D. & Chater, A. Investigating the predictability of a revised theory of planned behaviour on objectively measured physical activity behaviours [HAPPY Study]. European Health Psychology Society Annual Conference (Romania, Sept, 2010).
- Abdul-Aziz, B. & Chater, A. Exploring the determinants of healthy eating and physical activity: A cross-cultural perspective. European Health Psychology Society Annual Conference (Romania, Sept, 2010).
- Chater, A. & Cook, E. In pursuit of control and happiness: The psychological way to lower Body Mass Index, but hold the dieting! 11th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine (Washington, D.C., August, 2010).
- Cook, E. & Chater, A. Can making people happy help them to lose weight? A pilot study. BPS Annual Conference (Stratford Upon Avon, April, 2010)
- Chater, A. & Loew-Dyke, N. Can liking your body, valuing your health and feeling in control influence attitudes towards eating and health preventive behaviours? And does gender make any difference? BPS Annual Conference (Stratford Upon Avon, April, 2010)
- Cook, E. & Chater, A. Enhancing levels of happiness and personal self control to assist people in their weight loss process? An intervention approach. BPS PsyPAG Annual Conference (Cardiff, July, 2009).
- Chater, A. & Cook, E. Who protects their health? Factors that influence health preventive behaviours and body mass index. BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference (Bath, September, 2008)
- Triantafillidou, A., Asimakopoulou, K., Ardino, V. & Chater, A. Lay beliefs on Assisted Reproduction Technology in the UK and Greece: A Repertory Grid Study. BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference (Bath, September, 2008)
- Chater, A., Vögele, C. & Worrell, M. Age and gender differences in children’s health perceptions and health behaviours. Included in a symposium on Gender and Health at XXIX International Congress of Psychology (Berlin, July, 2008)
- Chater, A., Worrell, M., & Vögele, C. Children’s health perceptions and health behaviours. BPS Health Psychology Annual Conference (Nottingham, September, 2007)
- Chater, A., Worrell, M., & Vögele, C. Predicting and promoting health behaviours: An intervention approach. BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference (Nottingham, September, 2007)
- Wood, L., Atkinson, L., McLean, F-A., & Chater, A. ‘XS’: A Computer game intervention to reduce alcohol use in adolescents. BPS Division of Health Psychology Conference on Intervention Design (London, July 2007)
Recent publications
Journals
- Chater, A., Stein, S. & Chowdhury, U. (in press). Selective eating and autistic spectrum disorder. Community Practitioner.
- Jenkinson, E., Thomas, E., Coulson, N. & Chater, A. (in press). Using Twitter to Promote Health Psychology. Health Psychology Update.
- Johnston, M., Weinman, J. & Chater, A. (2011). A healthy contribution: A special feature to mark the founding of the Society’s Health Psychology Section 25 years ago. The Psychologist, 24, (12), 890-892.
- Florence, I & Chater, A. (2011). From cure to prevention: Ian Florence talks to Angel Chater about her love affair with health psychology. The Psychologist, 24, (12), 932-933.
- Jenkinson, E. & Chater, A. (2011). Health Psychology: Working in Health. Psychology Review, 16, (4), 14-15.
- Cook, E. & Chater, A. (2010). Are happier people, healthier people? The relationship between perceived happiness, personal control, BMI and health preventive behaviours. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education, 48, (2), 58-64.
- Cleanthous, S. & Chater, A.(2010). Investigating the knowledge of Health Psychology in A level psychology students and a review of existing literature. Health Psychology Update, 18, (2), 39-42.
- Cook, E., Gaitán, A. & Chater, A. (2010). From unhelpful to helpful: The role of Implementation-Intentions in a weight-loss intervention. Health Psychology Update, 19, (1), 11-17.
- Chater, A., Harcourt, D. & Turner-Cobb, J. (2009). Health Psychology in the media. Health Psychology Update, 18, (2), 38-40.
- McPherson, K. & Chater, A. (2009). An interview with…Dr Angel Chater. Health Psychology Update, 18, (2), 34-37.
- Chater, A., Vögele, C. & Worrell, M. (2008). Age and gender differences in children’s health perceptions and health behaviours. International Journal of Psychology, 43, (3/4), 48. (Special edition for conference proceedings and abstracts).
- Hagger, M., Martin, J., Harcourt, D., Chater, A., Buckley, E., Cain, S., & Rumsey, N. (2008). Division of Health Psychology Sub-committees (Part 1). Health Psychology Update, 17, (3), 21-26.
- Chater, A. & Cook, E. (2008). Who protects their health? Factors that influence health preventative behaviors and body mass index. Psychology and Health, 23, 80-81. (Special edition for conference proceedings and abstracts).
- Wood, L., Atkinson, L., McLean, F-A., & Chater, A. (2007). ‘XS’: A Computer game intervention to reduce alcohol use in adolescents. Health Psychology Update, 16, (4), 40-43.
Books
- Stein, S. & Chater, A. (2006). Rainbow Grid: Anticipating the lifespan needs of children and adolescents at risk. Bedfordshire: Durocobrivis Publications.
Contact Details
Dr Angel Chater
Department of Psychology
University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
UK
T: +44 (0)1582 489217
E: angel.chater@beds.ac.uk
