I am an experimental social psychologist and my research spans two main themes: (1) addictive behaviours and (2) social cognition. In the first theme, I examine the cognitive mechanisms that drive alcohol consumption with a particular focus on attentional bias and inhibitory control. In the second theme, I am interested in evaluating measures of implicit bias and how these relate to other socio-cognitive processes that underpin how we interact with others. 

Spanning both themes, I have a passion for methodology, open science and reproducibility. For example, I conduct work on the reliability of experimental measures with a view to improving ways to measure human behaviour and am involved in several meta-research projects. I also hold a number of open science roles: I am Aston's Local Network Lead for the UKRN (https://www.ukrn.org/local-network-leads/), advise on open science through my editorialship role for Addiction, Research & Theory (https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/iart20/current), and organise ReproducibiliTEA journal club (https://reproducibilitea.org/about/). 

2019-2020: £60,000, Co-Principal Investigator, NHS Health Education England.

2019-2020: £5,000, Co-Principal Investigator, Aston Joint Research Group Fund.

2018-2019: £15,000, Principal Investigator, Vice Chancellor’s Early Career Research Award, University of the West of England.

2018-2019: £6,000, Principal Investigator, Psychological Sciences Research Group Internship Scheme, University of the West of England.

2018-2019: £500, Psychological Sciences Research Group Impact Scheme.

2016-2017: £13,000, Co-Principal Investigator, Research Investment Fund, Edge Hill University.

I teach on the following undergraduate and postgraduate modules:

Developmental and Social Psychology, Year 1 Psychology.

Social Responsibility in Psychology, Year 1 Psychology.

Advanced Research Methods, MSc Health Psychology.

Health Behaviours & Interventions, MSc Health Psychology.

UG and MSc Dissertation Project.

2020-Present: Lecturer in Psychology, School of Health & Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham.

2017-2020: Lecturer in Social Psychology, Department of Health & Social Sciences, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol.

2016-2017: Teaching Associate, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University.

2013-2016: Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University.

Local Network Lead of UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN)

ReproducibiliTEA Journal Club Lead

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA)

E-mail: c.pennington@aston.ac.uk

Phone Number: TBC

Office: SW410H (4^th Floor, South Wing)