Dr Sally Stares

I am a social psychologist, with particular interests in survey methods, public opinion, and public perceptions of new technologies. I returned to LSE after nine years as a lecturer/senior lecturer at City, University of London in their Sociology Department’s Q-Step Centre, teaching quantitative methods to social scientists at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and relaunching their MSc in Research Methods for social scientists. I did my first degree in Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University and moved to LSE to take the MSc in Social Research Methods and a PhD in Social Psychology. I have worked on research projects on various topics, but the constant element in my career has been teaching quantitative methods, particularly at introductory and intermediate levels to those who are new to this approach.

Research Interests

My primary substantive interest is in science, technology and society, and mostly relates to public perceptions of new technologies. I am an editorial board member for the journal Public Understanding of Science. Most recently I have been working on public perceptions of self-driving vehicles and of automated video journalism, and public perceptions of the criminal standard of proof in criminal trials.

Methodologically my main expertise is in survey question design and analysis (particularly application of latent variable models) for measuring attitudes, perceptions and similar constructs.

Past work on other topics includes an EU funded project on a community-based diversity-aware chat app; typologies of poverty in Scotland; quantitative data work for the Global Civil Society Yearbook; and research methods advisory roles for the Social Mobility Commission, Mo Ibrahim Foundation, and African Leadership Centre (Kings College London/University of Nairobi).