Imagination Research Group

Dr Angela Nyhout (she/her), Principal Investigator

Angela is the Principal Investigator of the Imagination Research Group, where her research centres on the development of imagination, hypothetical reasoning, and children’s learning through engagement in hypothetical and fictional worlds. Her current work primarily explores children’s counterfactual reasoning—thinking “what if…?”—alongside their reasoning about fictional worlds and approaches to scientific hypothesis testing, investigating how these skills contribute to learning in childhood and beyond. Angela is also interested in how caregivers and children collaboratively engage in hypothetical and fictional scenarios, with a focus on how caregivers support children in imagining possibilities beyond the here and now. Angela and her students collaborate with schools, museums, and cultural and historical sites to study imagination at play in everyday settings.

Favourite childhood characters: Anne of Green Gables and Ms. Frizzle

Zeynep Genc (she/her), PhD Researcher | Project Lead: Imagination and Morality

Zeynep is a third year PhD student in Psychology. She is interested in understanding how imaginary alternatives affect children’s moral judgments and prosocial behaviours, as well as how children’s knowledge of moral norms shape the possibilities they consider. She likes drinking coffee and spending time by herself. Her favourite animated film is Grave of the Fireflies by Studio Ghibli.

Favourite childhood character: Winnie the Pooh 

Elena Shortland (she/her), Research Assistant

Elena is currently in her Placement Year of BSc (Hons) Psychology with a Placement Year. Her general psychological interest is child development, specifically attachment theory and imagination. Outside of the lab, she helps younger Psychology students consolidate and improve their learning and become more independent as part of the Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme at the University of Kent. Her hobbies include being a committee member and participating in Kent Pole Fitness, crocheting, and hanging out with her friends.

Favourite childhood character: Ariel from The Little Mermaid

Favourite current fictional character: Cat Noir from Miraculous

Favourite type of imaginary being: an elf

Amy Smeeton (she/her), Research Assistant

Amy is currently in her Placement Year of BSc (Hons) Psychology with a Placement Year. Her research interests within child development are imagination, moral reasoning, and fantasy vs reality. Outside of the lab she enjoys teaching pole fitness, playing badminton and volleyball with her friends, and playing video games.

Favourite childhood character: Rapunzel from Tangled

Favourite current character: Cat Noir from Miraculous

Favourite type of imaginary being: a fairy

Alia Awan (she/her), MSc Student | Project Lead: Imagination and Reading

Alia is currently studying MSc Developmental Psychology at Kent. Her interests within child development include mental imagery, problem solving, imagination and creativity, reading (specifically reading comprehension) and different types of play. Beyond research, Alia likes to keep busy working as an ambassador for the University of Kent, visiting schools to teach Psychology, and leading a student-led initiative designed to support undergraduates and postgraduates struggling with statistics. In her downtime she does love to play badminton as well as do arts and crafts.

Favourite childhood character: Winnie the Pooh

Rosina Tolley (she/her), MSc Student | Project Lead: Mental Imagery and Reading

Rosina is currently doing her Masters in Developmental Psychology. Her current general psychological interest focuses on mental imagery, in particular the relationship it has to physiological reactions. Outside of the lab she likes to read, play video games and relax with her friends.

Favourite childhood character: Wall-E

Favourite type of imaginary being: a witch

Sarah Lily Resanovich (she/her), PhD Researcher

Sarah is a second-year PhD student in Psychology. Her PhD explores how leaders can influence environmental behaviour in groups and how imagining group interactions influences our behaviour in environmental social dilemmas. She is also interested in how environmental education can influence how we think about and interact with the natural and built world. In addition to being a member of the Imagination Research Group, Sarah is the manager of GroupLab at The Centre for the Study of Group Processes. In her free time, she likes to read, play board games, and take nature walks to go bird-watching.

Favourite childhood characters:  Clifford the Big Red Dog

Favourite childhood series: Zaboomafoo (the show that inspired her interest in protecting the environment).