Professor Brendan Gough, Director of Research

Professor Brendan Gough

Director of Research

Brendan is a critical social psychologist and qualitative researcher interested based at Leeds Beckett University. He has published 100+ papers on gender identities and relations, mostly in the context of gender, lifestyle and wellbeing. His research projects have been funded by ESRC, NIHR, EU, WHO and some charities.

His most recent books are: (In)Fertile Male Bodies: Masculinities and Lifestyle Management in Neoliberal Times (2022, with Esmee Hanna; Emerald) and Contemporary Masculinities: Embodiment, Emotion and Wellbeing (2018, Palgrave). He is co-founder and co-editor of the journal Qualitative Research in Psychology and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the journal Social & Personality Psychology Compass.

In 2016 he was awarded a fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Current Teaching

Brendan teaches qualitative research methods to MSc Psychology students and supervises student projects at BSc and MSc level.

Research Interests

Current projects include men’s experiences of infertility, men’s accounts of mental health issues, and men’s grooming and appearance-related practices.

Professor Brendan Gough, Director of Research

Ask Me About

  1. Men’s grooming
  2. Men’s experiences of infertility
  3. Qualitative research methods
  4. Body image
  5. Gender
  6. Mens health
  7. Psychology

Selected Outputs

  • Academy of Social Sciences Fellowship2016
  • Qualitative Research in Psychology : co-founder and co-editor
  • Social & Personality Psychology Compass : co-Editor-in-Chief
  • ‘An amazing shoot!’: Manchester Village Spartans rugby players bare all to support Worldwide Roar

    Sports Media LGBT+ - online

    The research team, consisting of Professor Brendan Gough and Dr Gabriel Knott-Fayle of Leeds Beckett University, UK, and Dr Michael Kehler of University of Calgary, Canada, are interested to gain an insight into the participants’ motivations for contributing to the Worldwide Roar, their experiences of taking part, their perspectives on the issues the project seeks to tackle, and what impact contributing to the project has on them personally.

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  • Research Excellence Framework 2021

    BPS Policy Unit Blog - online

    Most importantly, the much welcomed news of the timely appointment of Professor Brendan Gough as a qualitative methods expert to Unit of Assessment (UoA) 4: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience.

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  • Gough B (In press) The psychology of men's health: Maximizing masculine capital. Health Psychology, 32 (1), pp. 1-4.

    https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030424

  • Gough B (In press) Interrogating and recuperating masculinities in therapeutic practice. European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling, 24 (2), pp. 224-236.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/13642537.2022.2090591

  • Hanna ES; Gough B (In press) Men’s accounts of infertility within their intimate partner relationships: an analysis of online forum discussions. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology

    https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2017.1278749

  • Milnes K; Turner-Moore R; Gough B (In press) Towards a culturally situated understanding of bullying: viewing young people’s talk about peer relationships through the lens of consent. Journal of Youth Studies

    https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2021.1965106

  • Gough B; Robertson S; Luck H (2021) Engendered Expressions of Anxiety: Men's Emotional Communications With Women and Other Men. Front Sociol, 6 pp. 697356.

    https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2021.697356

  • Hanna E; Gough B (2021) Male infertility as relational: An analysis of men's reported encounters with family members and friends in the context of delayed conception. Families, Relationships and Societies, 10 (1), pp. 51-65.

    https://doi.org/10.1332/204674320X15880008069980

  • Gough B (2021) Imagining a vibrant [post]Qualitative Psychology via ‘Experimentation’. Methods in Psychology, 4 pp. 100049.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metip.2021.100049

  • Seymour-Smith S; Gough B; Matthews CR; Rutherford Z (2020) Food assessment: a discursive analysis of diet talk in interviews with older men who are obese. Psychology and Health

    https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2019.1701673

  • Hanna E; Gough B (2020) The social construction of male infertility: a qualitative questionnaire study of men with a male factor infertility diagnosis. Sociology of Health and Illness, 42 (3), pp. 465-480.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13038

  • Gough B; Madden M; Morris S; Atkin K; McCambridge J (2020) How do older people normalise their drinking? : An analysis of interviewee accounts. Appetite, 146 pp. 104513.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2019.104513

  • Hanna E; Gough B; Markham S (2020) Masculinities in the construction industry: A double-edged sword for health and wellbeing?. Gender, Work and Organization

    https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12429

  • Gough B; Milnes K; Turner-Moore R (2019) Young masculinities across five European countries : performing under pressure. Journal of Youth Studies

    https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2019.1695763

  • Prodgers L; Gough B (2019) The invisible paradox of inflammatory bowel disease: An analysis of men's blogs. Journal of Health Psychology, pp. 1359105319884595.

    https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105319884595

  • Jankowski G; Gough B; Fawkner H; Halliwell E; Diedrichs P (2018) Young men’s minimisation of their body dissatisfaction. Psychology and Health

    https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2018.1496251

  • Hanna ES; Gough B; Hudson N (2018) Fit to father? Online accounts of lifestyle changes and help-seeking on a male infertility board. Sociology of Health and Illness, 40 (6), pp. 937-953.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12733

  • Mcdonald M; Gough B; Wearing S; Deville A (2017) Social Psychology, Consumer Culture and Neoliberal Political Economy. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour

    https://doi.org/10.1111/jtsb.12135

  • Gough B (2016) Reflexivity in qualitative psychological research. Journal of Positive Psychology, pp. 1-2.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1262615

  • Hanna ES; Gough B (2016) Men's emotions and support needs in relation to infertility. Journal of Fertility Counselling, 23 (3), pp. 14-16.

  • Robertson S; Gough B; Hanna E; Raine G; Robinson R; Seims A; White A (2016) Successful mental health promotion with men: evidence from 'tacit knowledge'. Health Promotion International

    https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daw067

  • Hanna ES; Gough B (2016) Emoting infertility online: A qualitative analysis of men's forum posts. Health

    https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459316649765

  • Hanna E; Gough B (2016) Searching for help online: An analysis of peer-to-peer posts on a male-only infertility forum. Journal of health psychology

    https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105316644038

  • Gough B (2016) Men's Depression Talk Online: A Qualitative Analysis of Accountability and Authenticity in Help-Seeking and Support Formulations. PSYCHOLOGY OF MEN & MASCULINITY, 17 (2), pp. 156-164.

    https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039456

  • Gough B; Seymour-Smith S; Matthews CR (2016) Body dissatisfaction, appearance investment, and wellbeing: How older obese Men orient to "aesthetic health". Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 17 (1), pp. 84-91.

    https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000012

  • Jankowski G; Braybrook D; Gough B; Robertson S (2015) New Perspectives on the Maturing Field of Men’s Health: Introduction to a Special Conference Issue. International Journal of Men's Health, 14 (3),

    http://www.mensstudies.info/OJS/index.php/IJMH/article/view/730

  • Hanna E; Gough B (2015) Experiencing male infertility: A review of the qualitative research literature. SAGE Open, 5 (4),

    https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015610319

  • Gough B; Lyons A (2015) The Future of Qualitative Research in Psychology: Accentuating the Positive. Integrative psychological & behavioral science, 50 (2), pp. 234-243.

    https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-015-9320-8

  • Gough B; Deatrick JA (2015) Qualitative health psychology research: diversity, power, and impact. Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 34 (4), pp. 289-292.

    https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000206

  • Hall M; Grogan S; Gough B (2015) Bodybuilders' accounts of synthol use: The construction of lay expertise online. Journal of health psychology, 21 (9), pp. 1939-1948.

    https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314568579

  • Hall M; Grogan S; Gough B (2015) 'It is safe to use if you are healthy': A discursive analysis of men's online accounts of ephedrine use. Psychology & health, 30 (7), pp. 770-782.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2014.994632

  • Beestin L; Hugh-Jones S; Gough B (2014) The impact of maternal postnatal depression on men and their ways of fathering: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Psychology & health, 29 (6), pp. 717-735.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2014.885523

  • Rutherford Z; Gough B; Seymour-Smith S; Matthews CR; Wilcox J; Parnell D; Pringle A (2014) 'Motivate': the effect of a Football in the Community delivered weight loss programme on over 35-year old men and women's cardiovascular risk factors. Soccer and Society, 15 (6), pp. 951-969.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2014.920628

  • Stead M; Jones L; Docherty G; Gough B; Antoniak M; McNeill A (2013) ‘No-one actually goes to a shop and buys them do they?’: attitudes and behaviours regarding illicit tobacco in a multiply disadvantaged community in England. Addiction, 108 (12), pp. 2212-2219.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/add.12332

  • Bennett E; Gough B (2013) In pursuit of leanness: The management of appearance, affect and masculinities within a men’s weight loss forum. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine, 17 (3), pp. 284-299.

    https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459312454149

  • Hall M; Gough B; Seymour‐Smith S (2013) Stake Management in Men's Online Cosmetics Testimonials. Psychology & Marketing, 30 (3), pp. 227-235.

    https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20600

  • Gough B; Antoniak M; Docherty G; Jones L; Stead M; McNeill A (2013) Smoking, self-regulation and moral positioning: A focus group study with British smokers from a disadvantaged community. Psychology and Health, 28 (10), pp. 1171-1191.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2013.799160

  • O'Hara L; Gough B; Seymour-Smith S; Watts S (2013) 'It's not a disease, it's a nuisance': Controlling diabetes and achieving goals in the context of men with Type 1 diabetes. Psychology and Health

    https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2013.800516

  • Gough B; Madill, A. (2012) Subjectivity in psychological science: from problem to prospect. Psychological Methods, 17 (3), pp. 374-384.

  • Hall, M; Gough B; Seymour-Smith, S (2012) ‘I’m METRO, NOT gay’, a discursive analysis of men’s make-up use on YouTube. Journal of Men’s Studies, 20 (3), pp. 209-226.

  • Sloan C; Gough B; Conner M (2010) Healthy masculinities? How ostensibly healthy men talk about lifestyle, health and gender. Psychology and Health, 25 (7), pp. 783-803.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440902883204

  • Gough B; Fry G; Grogan S; Conner M (2009) Why do young adult smokers continue to smoke despite the health risks? A focus group study. Psychology & Health, 24 (2), pp. 203-220.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440701670570

  • Madill A; Gough B (2008) Qualitative research and its place in psychological science. Psychological methods, 13 (3), pp. 254-271.

    https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013220

  • Gough B (2018) Contemporary Masculinities Embodiment, Emotion and Wellbeing. Springer.

  • (2017) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan UK.

  • Gough B; McFadden M; McDonald M (2013) Critical Social Psychology An Introduction. Palgrave Macmillan.

  • Gough B; Robertson S (2010) Men, Masculinities and Health. Palgrave MacMillan.