Talk Overview

Most people experience the desire for revenge. Cultural sources, from Greek tragedies to contemporary television shows, highlight humans’ fascination with revenge. Yet revenge is demonised and misunderstood. Revenge has been a force for good. Evolutionary psychologists argue that revenge evolved to promote cooperation in lawless, early human societies. The threat of revenge deterred people from violence and stealing. This enabled humans to cooperate, facilitating the growth of agriculture, towns, cities, and nation states. Evidence for the evolution of revenge can be found in twin studies and animal studies. Destigmatising revenge could improve violence prevention research and mental health support for victims of crime or injustice.

About the Speaker

I grew up in Northern Ireland, before moving to England to complete a law degree at the University of Cambridge. Whilst studying law, I became interested in the psychological aspects of crime and violence. This led me to pursue a master’s degree in psychology at Queen’s University Belfast in 2021, where I developed a passion for research. I am currently undertaking a research PhD in the School of Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast. My research focuses on crime victims’ experiences of revenge. I am interested in how fantasies of revenge could impact crime victims’ mental health.

I am also interested in the risk factors that could lead to individuals taking revenge, for example experiencing certain emotions or having particular personality traits, such as narcissism. During my PhD, I’ve had the opportunity to present my research at international conferences. I also gave a talk on the science of revenge at the Northern Ireland Science Festival 2023. Supporting people who are struggling with their mental health is really important to me, so in my spare time, I volunteer for the Samaritans. I also enjoy singing and hiking, and I’m currently learning to scuba dive.