Investigate social communication and engagement

Explore the nature of social communication at the annual TechFest festival and discover how as humans age, changes to the brain can influence the way we communicate.

As part of TechFest 2019, University of Aberdeen psychologist, professor Louise Phillips presents Social communication across the generations (September 19) and discusses the impact this can have on the people’s lives.

This engaging presentation allows visitors to find out how changes to the brain, cognition, motivation and health can influence how we communicate with each other.

TechFest is an Aberdeen-based charity which engages young people in the four main STEM subjects and encourages them to follow a career which utilises these skills by demonstrating that they are both fun and relevant in day to day life.

Professor Philips, who is a member of the Experimental Psychology Society Committee, has dedicated her research to adult aging, social cognition, emotional skills, planning and prospective memory, as well as the effects of degenerative diseases on social and emotional process.

She said: “It’s great to be able to spread research on social communication and educate the audience on key areas including adult aging, social motivations, cognition and hearing changes and intergenerational communication.

“From my point of view what I really enjoy doing is not just talking to people about the topic of psychology and social communication but engaging and interacting with the audience, allowing them to challenging my views and research as well as and gaining feedback on my analysis.”

Sarah Chew, managing director of TechFest, said: “Social communication across the generations is a brilliant opportunity for visitors to engage with the subject of psychology, and gain a deeper understanding of the nature of social communication and how the brain changes as we get older.

“None of this would be possible without the help we receive from our sponsors and supporters, in particular our joint principal funders Shell and BP, whose continued backing allows us to engage people of all ages in the fantastic opportunities that STEM can offer.”

TechFest’s public programme, sponsored by Equinor, is expected to attract thousands of visitors from across Aberdeen City and Shire until September 28. To view the public programme, please visit www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk

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