Senior Lecturer

My research focuses primarily on using quantitative empirical approaches to explore social psychological aspects of national and European identities. Theoretically, I tend to employ a hybrid perspective using elements of social identity theory (SIT), self-categorisation theory (SCT) and ideas from research on social representations. A particular focus of my research has been exploring the manner in which British citizens construe the relationship between national and European levels of social identity. In exploring these issues, it is hoped that wider theoretical debates in social psychology concerning the motivations underlying identity and self, multiple group memberships and intergroup relations can be touched upon and moved forward.

Specific Interests: Using the study of national and European identities as a vehicle for exploring social identity theory and ideas about the self concept.
The social psychology of European integration - in particular, how British citizens construe the relationship between national and European identities..
Social identity theory (SIT) - in particular, the relationship between individualism-collectivism and social identity, identification with large-scale social categories, and attempts to develop further integration of SIT with theories of the self and self-concept, especially in relation to the temporal nature of self.
The construction of British national identity by members of ethnic minority groups.

Amlôt, R., Loewenthal, K. M., Lewis, C. A., Rogers, M. B., Cinnirella, M., & Ansari, H. (2006). Aspects of terrorism and martyrdom: Seminar two - What factors influence the process of embracing concepts of terrorism and martyrdom? In M. B. Rogers, C. A. Lewis, K. M. Loewenthal, M. Cinnirella, R. Amlôt, & H. Ansari (Eds.) (2006), Proceedings of the British Psychological Society Seminar Series Aspects of Terrorism and Martyrdom, eCOMMUNITY: International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction.

Ansari, H., Cinnirella, M., Rogers, M. B., Loewenthal, K. M., & Lewis, C. A. (2006). Perceptions of martyrdom and terrorism amongst British Muslims In M. B. Rogers, C. A. Lewis, K. M. Loewenthal, M. Cinnirella, R. Amlôt, & H. Ansari (Eds.) (2006), Proceedings of the British Psychological Society Seminar Series Aspects of Terrorism and Martyrdom, eCOMMUNITY: International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction.

Cinnirella, M. & Green, B. Does cyber-conformity vary cross-culturally? Exploring cultural effects on conformity using a computer-mediated Asch paradigm. In press, accepted for publication in Computers in Human Behavior.

Cinnirella, M., & Hamilton, S. Are all Britons reluctant Europeans? Exploring European identity and attitudes to Europe amongst British citizens of South Asian ethnicity. In press, accepted for publication in Ethnic and Racial Studies.

Lewis, C. A., Rogers, M. B., Amlôt, R., Loewenthal, K. M., Cinnirella, M., & Ansari, H. (2006). Aspects of terrorism and martyrdom: Seminar three - Exploring organisational contributory factors and socio-religious outcomes of terrorism and martyrdom. In M. B. Rogers, C. A. Lewis, K. M. Loewenthal, M. Cinnirella, R. Amlôt, & H. Ansari (Eds.), Proceedings of the British Psychological Society Seminar Series Aspects of Terrorism and Martyrdom, eCOMMUNITY: International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction.

Loewenthal, K.M. & Cinnirella, M. (2003). Religious issues in ethnic minority mental health with special reference to schizophrenia in Afro-Caribbeans in Britain: a systematic review. In D. Ndegwa & D. Olajide (editors) Main Issues in Mental Health and Race, London: Ashgate.

Loewenthal, K.M., MacLeod, A.K., & Cinnirella, M. (2002). Are women more religious than men? Evidence from a short measure of religious activity applicable in different religious groups in the UK. Personality and Individual Differences, 32, 133-139.

Nigbur, D., & Cinnirella, M. National identification, type and specificity of comparison, and their effects on descriptions of national character. In press, accepted for publication in European Journal of Social Psychology.

Rogers , M. B., Lewis, C. A., Loewenthal, K. M., Cinnirella, M., & Ansari, H. (2006). Aspects of terrorism and martyrdom: Seminar one - What roles are played by religious beliefs and identity in supporting views of violent activists as terrorists or martyrs? In M. B. Rogers, C. A. Lewis, K. M. Loewenthal, M. Cinnirella, R. Amlôt, & H. Ansari (Eds.) (2006), Proceedings of the British Psychological Society Seminar Series Aspects of Terrorism and Martyrdom, eCOMMUNITY: International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction.

Zawisza, M. & Cinnirella, M. Non-traditional Male Gender Portrayal as a Persuasion Tool in Advertising. In press, accepted for publication in Social Influence.