Dr Paul Barrows

About

I am a lecturer and researcher in the School of Science, where I teach a number of modules related to health and clinical psychology.

My research interests are also primarily concerned with clinical and health psychology, but in relation to how contemplative practices - such as meditation and mindfulness - can positively impact our wellbeing and relationships with others and the natural world.

I am also interested in the neuropsychology of processes believed to affect positive transformation, and the development of psychometric tests to quantify and examine constructs related to this area.

Teaching responsibilities

My teaching duties concern health and clinical psychology for online learning. I am module leader for the Psychopathology (5PS512) and Individual Differences (7PS502) modules, and I am also acting as module leader for the Clinical Applications of Psychology (6PS525).

Much of my work involves managing and maintaining materials on Blackboard, but increasingly using MS Teams to organise and manage group work, present webinars and help students work towards their summative assessments.

Professional interests

In my early career, I worked as an analyst programmer, and continue to use my skills to develop novel electronic response formats that can be integrated with online survey tools like Question Pro. These skills have also enabled me to manage and analyse complex datasets, such as geographic data collected for one of our projects looking at the use of green spaces.

I have a strong interest in environmentalism, renewable energy and electric vehicle technology. I am deeply concerned about issues such as climate change and participate in campaigns to lobby politicians and businesses to accelerate their move towards renewable energy sources.

Research interests

For my PhD at the University of Nottingham, my focus was on mood measures in the context of rehabilitation of people with stroke. I developed a novel nonverbal instrument Dynamic Visual Analogue Mood Scales (D-VAMS) to help assess mood in people with communication problems due to stroke.

My research interests are therefore primarily concerned with clinical and health psychology, but with a strong leaning towards psychometrics and scale development. More recently, I have become involved in research into the application of Buddhist philosophical principles to clinical psychology, and how contemplative practices - such as meditation and mindfulness - can positively impact our wellbeing and relationships with others and the natural world.

I am also interested in the neuropsychology of the processes believed to affect positive transformation. I have written a review of EEG and meditation, and have led the creation of a number of psychometric tests to quantify and examine constructs related to this area. More recently, I have been examining the role of cultural orientation, and am currently developing research to better understand the role of the individualism-collectivism dimension in pro-social and pro-nature behaviour.

Membership of professional bodies

Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) - British Psychological Society
Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS) - British Psychological Society
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Qualifications

Undergraduate Qualifications

B.Sc (Hons) Psychology - University of East London

Postgraduate Qualifications

Postgraduate Diploma in Health Promotion and Psychology - University of Nottingham
PhD in Clinical Psychology - University of Nottingham
Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice and Leadership - University of Derby
Apprenticeship Academic Professional Teaching (Level 7) - University of Derby

Recent conferences

I attended a number of conferences to disseminate the findings of my research study and to promote the use of Dynamic Visual Analogue Scales (D-VAMS) to those doing research in the area of stroke rehabilitation and related technology.

Experience in industry

In my early career I worked as an analyst programmer. I worked for a scanning systems company Zeta, system integration at Unisys, and cross-company platform integrationT with finance companies such as Priceline. I was a founding member of U.S. company LendingTree, one of the first online loan application systems, allowing customers to compare offers from multiple banks and other lenders.

International experience

I worked in the I.T. industry as a consultant for Computer People International, doing numerous contracts in the U.S. Tri-state area, including Union Bank of Switzerland, Priceline and LendingTree.

Additional interests and activities

I have had a deep and enduring interest in Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies for many years, which has guided and informed my research interests. I like languages and am currently learning Mandarin.

In the media

Dynamic Visual Analogue Mood Scales

Recent publications

Barrows, P. (TBA) Mindfulness-Based Interventions in the West – Ideological and Cultural Orientation Barriers to Effective Integration. [Under Review].
Wells, C., Van Gordon, W., & Barrows, P. (2026). Meditation awareness training (MAT) for people living with cancer: A thematic analysis of weekly diary reflections. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 1-25.
Wells, C., Van Gordon, W., & Barrows, P. (2025). Letting Go of the “Unwell Self” in Chronic and Life-Challenging Conditions. Mindfulness, 16(11), 3365-3369.
Wells, C., Van Gordon, W., & Barrows, P. (2025). Mindfulness and Buddhist principles in oncology: Risks, misconceptions and recommendations for ethical integration. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 1–16.
Ducasse, D., Leurent, M., Picot, M. C., Aouinti, S., Brand-Arpon, V., Courtet, P., Barrows, P., Shonin, E., Sapthiang, S., Olié, E., & Van Gordon, W. (2025). French Translation and Validation of the Ontological Addiction Scale (OAS). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22 (4).
Barrows, P., & Van Gordon, W. (2024). Converging Views in Buddhism and Quantum Mechanics: Advancing Understanding of the Self, Reality and Mental Suffering. Journal of Concurrent Disorders.
Barrows, P. D. & Van Gordon, W. (2024). Meditation and Mindfulness Insights from EEG: Where Are We Now? Discover Psychology. 4(148).
Barrows, P. D., Van Gordon, W., and Richardson, M. (2024). Self-transcendence through the lens of ontological addiction: correlates of prosociality, competitiveness and pro-nature behavior. Current Psychology. 43(36), 28950-28964.
Barrows, P. D., Shonin, E., Sapthiang, S., Griffiths, M., Ducasse, D. & Van Gordon, W. (2022). The development and validation of the Ontological Addiction Scale. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
Barrows, P. D., Richardson, M., Van Gordon, W. and Hamlin, I. (2021) Nature connectedness, nonattachment and engagement with nature’s beauty predict pro-nature conservation behaviour. Ecopsychology, 14(2), 83-91.
Barrows, P. D. & Van Gordon, W. (2021). Ontological Addiction Theory and mindfulness-based approaches in the context of addiction theory and treatment. Religions. 12(8), 586.
Barrows, P. D., Thomas, S. A., & Van Gordon, W. (2021). Assessing self-reported mood in aphasia following stroke: challenges, innovations and future directions. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 30(1), 105425.
Barrows, P. D., & Thomas, S. A. (2018). Assessment of mood in aphasia following stroke: validation of the Dynamic Visual Analogue Mood Scales (D-VAMS). Clinical Rehabilitation. 32(1), 94-102.
Mears, M., Brindley, P., Barrows, P., Richardson, M., & Maheswaran, R. (2021). Mapping urban greenspace use from mobile phone GPS data. PLOS ONE, 16(7), e0248622.
Muneghina, O., Van Gordon, W., Barrows, P., & Richardson, M. (2021). A Novel Mindful Nature Connectedness Intervention Improves Paranoia but Not Anxiety in a Nonclinical Population. Ecopsychology. 13(4), 248-256.
Van Gordon, W., Sapthiang, S., Barrows, P., & Shonin, E. (2021). Understanding and practicing emptiness. Mindfulness.