About David Martin
I have worked at the University of Sunderland since 2018, starting as an Academic Tutor before becoming a Lecturer in 2022. Since 2024, I have been working towards my PhD, studying our connection to dark places (i.e. places linked to death and disaster).
Before working at the university, I completed my undergraduate degree in BSc (Hons) Psychology here at Sunderland in 2012 before earning my MSc in Psychological Research Methods at Nottingham Trent University.
I became a Fellow of the HEA in 2019.
Teaching and supervision
Module leader:
- PSYC210 The Psychology of Sensitive Subjects
Other Modules:
- PSYC101 Mind and Social World: Developmental, Social, and Cognitive Psychology
- PSYC102 The Building Blocks of Psychological Research
- PSYC202 Human Development and Cognition: Developmental, Cognitive, and Quantitative Psychology
Interests
My interests largely relate to the field of environmental psychology. Primarily, I am interested in the concept of place attachment (i.e. the emotional connection we form to meaningful places), particularly in relation to dark places (i.e. places linked to death and disaster). Related interests include kenopsia and abandoned places, as well as the feeling of solastalgia.
Other interests include the social aspects of language, gamification, and game theory within social interactions.
Research
In terms of research interests, I'm largely interested in environmental psychology and social cognitions. More specifically, I'm interested in dark tourism – the act of visiting places associated with death and disaster – and abandoned places.