Summary

I am a Research Fellow for the Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth.

As a behavioural economist, I study the psychological mechanisms behind decision-making and how to influence them to achieve positive societal outcomes, such as reducing economic crime, minimizing pollution, and promoting social fairness.

Through experimental research, I aim to gain a nuanced understanding of human behavior to enhance business practices and inform government policies. My research spans behavioural and experimental economics, behavioural interventions, creative and sports industries research, deviant behavior, corporate social responsibility, environmental psychology, gender biases, moral reasoning, and social decision-making. I am currently applying these skills to addressing the global plastics crisis.

My passion lies in designing experiments with real-world applications and fostering collaborations with policymakers and industry stakeholders. My research is driven by a commitment to achieving real-world impact, such as policy changes for a fairer and safer society and understanding biases and heuristics in decision-making.

Biography

Before academia, I spent over a decade in the music industry, directing a marketing consultancy and later working at a trade body. As a company director, I developed skills in management, securing funding, event management, charity collaboration, project coordination, and financial administration. This experience has been invaluable in my academic career, enhancing my ability to bid for research projects, collaborate with peers, present at conferences and work with journalists. Notably, my associations with the Intellectual Property Office and various creative industry trade bodies have led to support for two successful Government funding bids. 

I hold a PhD in The Role of Moral Reasoning and Gender on Digital Piracy Intervention Efficacy, where I discovered that men and women respond differently to behavioural interventions designed to reduce intellectual property crime. I also earned a MSc degree in Behavioural Decision Making Science from Kingston University and an MA in audio technology at London College of Music and Media

Research interests

• Behavioural change
• Decision making
• Moral reasoning
• Gender equality
• Individual differences
• Sustainable consumer behaviour
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and brand influence
• Persuasive and dissuasive messages
• Attitudes and behaviours towards plastics such as reuse, recycling and messaging
• Deviant behaviour
• Business ethics
• Consumer ethics

Teaching responsibilities

I teach on the following undergraduate modules in Economics at the University of Portsmouth:

• Issues in Economics
• Economics and Finance of Sport 
• Psychology and Altruism in Economics and Finance

And of the following undergraduate modules for Criminology and Cyber Security degrees:

• Cyberlaw, governance and human rights
• Cyberspace, Subcultures and Online Deviance

Media availability

I am happy to take calls and emails from the media on my research, and am aware of the need to respond to journalists in a timely manner. Please email Kate.Whitman@port.ac.uk.

Interested journalists can contact the University's Media and Communications team for support and advice on all media engagement, including out of hours.