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Professor Darren Langdridge

Profile summary

Professional biography

I am Professor of Psychology at the Open University and a UKCP accedited existential psychotherapist. I was Head of Department from 2011 - 2014.

Research interests

  • Men and masculinities
  • Psychology of health and well-being
  • Phenomenological methodology
  • Existential psychotherapy and mental health
  • The use of art as a means of engaging publics

I have completed qualitative (phenomenological) research on a wide variety of topics including the construction of diverse sexual identities, young gay men’s expectations of fatherhood, sharing of genetic origins information following third-party assisted conception, the motivation for parenthood, and also on HIV/AIDS. More recently, I have been focusing my research on two themes: (i) the experience of male survivors of sexual assault, and (ii) anti-microbial stewardship.

I also have interests in psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic theory and research and am a UKCP accredited existential psychotherapist maintaining a small private practice. This enables me to bring together my theoretical work on existentialism, phenomenology and hermeneutics with people practically engaged in constructing and reconstructing their identities.

I am particularly interested in supervising doctoral students wishing to conduct research on men and masculinities and who wish to employ phenomenological methodologies or critical discursive methods in their work.

I founded and was co-editor of the Taylor & Francis journal Psychology & Sexuality until 2017, when we handed over the editorial responsibilities.

A repository of research publications and other research outputs can be viewed at The Open University's Open Research Online.

Teaching interests

I have been a leading figure in the production of the counselling programme at the OU, opening up a new teaching area for the institution. I have made production and presentation contributions to a very large number of modules in psychology and counselling.

Impact and engagement

I have interests in engaging publics with academic research. To this end, I have acted as academic consultant on the OU/BBC television co-production Prejudice and Pride and co-lead the Art of Relationships project, which was designed to engage the public with social scientific research.

External collaborations

I maintain a small private psychotherapy and consulting practice under the company name Existenz.

Publications

Male survivors’ experience of sexual assault and support: A scoping review (2023-04-04)
Langdridge, Darren; Flowers, Paul and Carney, Dan
Aggression and Violent Behavior, 70, Article 101838

Lay theories of decreasing homophobia in the UK among an older heterosexual cohort (2023)
Langdridge, Darren; Lynden, Jenny and Dennis, Amelia
Psychology and Sexuality, 15(3) (pp. 384-397)

Citizenship studies: on the need for tradition and critique (2022-06)
Langdridge, Darren
Citizenship Studies, 26(4-5) (pp. 550-555)

A qualitative examination of affect and ideology within mass media interventions to increase HIV testing with gay men garnered from a systematic review (2021-01-17)
Langdridge, Darren; Flowers, Paul; Riddell, Julie; Boydell, Nicola; Teal, Gemma; Coia, Nicky and McDaid, Lisa
British Journal of Health Psychology, 26(1) (pp. 132-160)

[Book review] Stephanie N. Arel and Dan R. Stiver, eds. Ideology and Utopia in the Twenty-First Century: The Surplus of Meaning in Ricoeur's Dialectical Concept (2021-01)
Langdridge, Darren
Utopian Studies, 32(1) (p 132)

Working with group-level data in phenomenological research: a modified visual matrix method (2021)
Langdridge, Darren; Gabb, Jacqui and Lawson, Jamie
Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(2) (pp. 271-293)

History, culture and practice of puppy play (2020-06-01)
Lawson, Jamie and Langdridge, Darren
Sexualities, 23(4) (pp. 574-591)

Art as a pathway to impact: Understanding the affective experience of public engagement with film (2019-05-01)
Langdridge, Darren; Gabb, Jacqui and Lawson, Jamie
The Sociological Review, 67(3) (pp. 585-601)

Understanding the relationship between pet owners and their companion animals as a key context for antimicrobial resistance-related behaviours: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (2019-02-18)
Dickson, A.; Smith, M.; Park, J.; King, C.; Currie, K.; Langdridge, D.; Davis, M. and Flowers, P.
Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine (RHPB), 7(1) (pp. 45-61)

A visual affective analysis of mass media interventions to increase antimicrobial stewardship amongst the public (2019-02)
Langdridge, Darren; Davis, Mark; Gozdzielewska, Lucyna; McParland, Joanna; Williams, Lynn; Young, Mairi; Smith, Fraser; MacDonald, Jennifer; Price, Lesley and Flowers, Paul
British Journal of Health Psychology, 24(1) (pp. 66-87)

LGBQ resilience: a thematic meta-synthesis of qualitative research (2019)
Bartos, Sebastian E. and Langdridge, Darren
Psychology & Sexuality, 10(3) (pp. 234-247)

The psychology of puppy play: a phenomenological investigation (2019)
Langdridge, Darren and Lawson, Jamie
Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48(7) (pp. 2201-2215)

What are the ‘active ingredients’ of interventions targeting the public's engagement with antimicrobial resistance and how might they work? (2018-11)
McParland, Joanna L.; Williams, Lynn; Gozdzielewska, Lucyna; Young, Mairi; Smith, Fraser; MacDonald, Jennifer; Langdridge, Darren; Davis, Mark; Price, Lesley and Flowers, Paul
British Journal of Health Psychology, 23(4) (pp. 804-819)

A Mobile App Delivering a Gamified Battery of Cognitive Tests Designed for Repeated Play (OU Brainwave): App Design and Cohort Study (2018-10-30)
Thirkettle, Martin; Lewis, Jen; Langdridge, Darren and Pike, Graham
JMIR Serious Games, 6, Article e10519(4)

Effectiveness of interventions to improve the public's antimicrobial resistance awareness and behaviours associated with prudent use of antimicrobials: a systematic review (2018-06-01)
Price, Lesley; Gozdzielewska, Lucyna; Young, Mairi; Smith, Fraser; MacDonald, Jennifer; McParland, Joanna; Williams, Lynn; Langdridge, Darren; Davis, Mark and Flowers, Paul
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 73(6) (pp. 1464-1478)

BDSM under Security: Radical Resistance via Contingent Subjectivities (2018)
Parchev, Ofer and Langdridge, Darren
Sexualities, 21(1-2) (pp. 194-211)

Transgression and (Sexual) Citizenship: The Political Struggle for Self-determination within BDSM Communities (2018)
Langdridge, Darren and Parchev, Ofer
Citizenship Studies, 22(7) (pp. 667-684)

Editorial from the outgoing editors of psychology & sexuality (2017-04-03)
Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg-John
Psychology & Sexuality, 8(1-2) (pp. 1-3)

Recovery From Heart Attack, Biomedicalization, and the Production of a Contingent Health Citizenship (2017)
Langdridge, Darren
Qualitative Health Research, 27(9) (pp. 1391-1401)

Actively dividing selves: S/M and the thrill of disintegration (2014)
Langdridge, Darren
Psychology of Sexualities Review, 5(1) (pp. 29-39)

Gay fathers, gay citizenship: on the power of reproductive futurism and assimilation (2013-11-09)
Langdridge, Darren
Citizenship Studies, 17(6-7) (pp. 728-741)

On the biomedicalisation of the penis: the commodification of function and aesthetics (2013-09)
Flowers, Paul; Langdridge, Darren; Gough, Brendan and Holliday, Ruth
International Journal of Men's Health, 12(2) (pp. 121-137)

Men's grief, meaning and growth: a phenomenological investigation into the meaning of loss (2012)
Spaten, Ole Michael; Byrialsen, Mia Nørremark and Langdridge, Darren
Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, 11(2) (15pp)

Decision-making in mental healthcare: a phenomenological investigation of service user perspectives (2012)
Wharne, Simon; Langdridge, Darren and Motzkau, Johanna
The Humanistic Psychologist, 40(2) (pp. 153-165)

Becoming a subject: a memory work study of the experience of romantic jealousy (2012)
Langdridge, Darren; Barker, Meg; Reavey, Paula and Stenner, Paul
Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 13, Article 5(2)

Living with the 'Enemy': HIV and Inter-species Relating (2012)
Langdridge, Darren and Flowers, Paul
Sociology, 47(4) (pp. 827-840)

Family building in donor conception: parents' experiences of sharing information (2010)
Blyth, Eric; Langdridge, Darren and Harris, Rhonda
Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 28(2) (pp. 116-127)

Whatever happened to non-monogamies? Critical reflections on recent research and theory (2010)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
Sexualities, 13(6) (pp. 748-772)

II. Bisexuality: working with a silenced sexuality (2008)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
Feminism & Psychology, 18(3) (pp. 389-394)

Phenomenology and critical social psychology: directions and debates in theory and research (2008)
Langdridge, Darren
Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(3) (pp. 1126-1142)

‘Can’t really trust that, so what can I trust?’: a polyvocal, qualitative analysis of the psychology of mistrust (2008)
King, Nigel; Finlay, Linda; Smith, Jonathan A; Ashworth, Peter; Langdridge, Darren and Butt, Trevor
Qualitative Research in Psychology, 5(2) (pp. 80-102)

Offending the other: deconstructing narratives of deviance and pathology (2007-09)
Flowers, Paul and Langdridge, Darren
British Journal of Social Psychology, 46(3) (pp. 679-690)

Gay affirmative therapy: A theoretical framework and defence (2007-06)
Langdridge, D
Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy, 11(1/2) (pp. 27-43)

Analyzing additional variables in the theory of reasoned action (2007)
Langdridge, D.; Sheeran, P. and Connolly, K. J.
Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37(8) (pp. 1884-1913)

Ideology and Utopia: Social Psychology and the Social Imaginary of Paul Ricoeur (2006-10)
Langdridge, Darren
Theory and Psychology, 16(5) (pp. 641-659)

Voices from the margins: Sadomasochism and sexual citizenship (2006-09)
Langdridge, Darren
Citizenship Studies, 10(4) (pp. 373-389)

Solution Focused Therapy: A Way Forward for Brief Existential Therapy? (2006-07)
Langdridge, Darren
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 17(2) (pp. 359-370)

Editorial: Special feature on same sex marriage (2006-07)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
Lesbian and Gay Psychology Review, 7(2) (pp. 115-119)

Imaginative variations on selfhood: Elaborating an existential-phenomenological approach to dream analysis (2006-01)
Langdridge, Darren
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 17(1) (pp. 2-13)

Actively dividing selves: S/M and the thrill of disintegration (2005-11)
Langdridge, Darren
Lesbian and Gay Psychology Review, 6(3) (pp. 198-208)

Between ideology and utopia: Re-thinking conflict and reconciliation in psychotherapy (2005-07)
Langdridge, Darren
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 16(2) (pp. 221-235)

Understanding the reasons for parenthood (2005-05)
Langdridge, D.; Sheeran, P. and Connolly, K.
Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 23(2) (pp. 121-133)

The erotic construction of power exchange (2005-01)
Langdridge, Darren and Butt, Trevor
Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 18(1) (pp. 65-73)

The Child's Relations with Others (2005-01)
Langdridge, D.
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 16(1) (pp. 87-99)

The fundamental attribution error: a phenomenological critique (2004-09)
Langdridge, Darren and Butt, Trevor
British Journal of Social Psychology, 43(3) (pp. 357-369)

The hermeneutic phenomenology of Paul Ricoeur: Problems and possibilities for existential-phenomenological psychotherapy (2004-07)
Langdridge, Darren
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 15(2) (pp. 243-255)

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Investigation of the Construction of Sadomasochistic Identities (2004-02)
Langdridge, D. and Butt, T.
Sexualities, 7(1) (pp. 31-53)

The construction of self: The public reach into the private sphere (2003-10)
Butt, Trevor and Langdridge, Darren
Sociology, 37(3) (pp. 477-494)

Hermeneutic phenomenology: arguments for a new social psychology (2003)
Langdridge, Darren
History and Philosophy of Psychology, 5(1) (pp. 23-46)

Regulation of assisted conception services in Europe: Implications of the new reproductive technologies for 'the family' (2001-02)
Langdridge, D. and Blyth, E.
Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 23(1) (pp. 45-64)

Sexual Citizenship and Social Change: A Dialectical Approach to Narratives of Tradition and Critique (2024-03-22)
Langdridge, Darren
ISBN : 9780199926312 | Publisher : Oxford University Press | Published : New York

Existential Counselling and Psychotherapy (2012-11)
Langdridge, Darren
ISBN : 9781849207683 | Publisher : Sage | Published : London

Introduction to Research Methods and Data Analysis in Psychology, 2nd Edition (2009)
Langdridge, Darren and Hagger-Johnson, Gareth
ISBN : 131982036 | Publisher : Pearson Education | Published : Harlow

Phenomenological Psychology: Theory, Research and Method (2007-01)
Langdridge, Darren
ISBN : 131965239 | Publisher : Pearson Education | Published : Harlow, UK

Beyond Prejudice as Antipathy: Understanding kinder, gentler forms of discrimination (2022)
Dixon, John and Langdridge, Darren
In: Tileagă, Cristian; Augoustinos, Martha and Durrheim, Kevin eds. The Routledge International Handbook of Discrimination, Prejudice and Stereotyping (pp. 213-230)
ISBN : 9780429274558 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : London

Working with group-level data in phenomenological research: A modified visual matrix method (2021)
Langdridge, Darren; Gabb, Jacqui and Lawson, Jamie
In: Reavey, Paula ed. A Handbook of Visual Methods in Psychology: Using and Interpreting Images in Qualitative Research (Second Edition) (pp. 301-322)
ISBN : 9781138491793 | Publisher : Routledge

Existential dream analysis (2018-10-23)
Langdridge, Darren
In: du Plock, Simon ed. Case Studies in Existential Therapy: translating theory into practice (pp. 56-70)
ISBN : 9781910919286 | Publisher : PCCS Books | Published : Monmouth

Benevolent Heterosexism and the “Less-than-Queer” Citizen Subject (2018-04)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Hammack Jr., Phillip L. ed. The Oxford Handbook of Social Psychology and Social Justice. Oxford Library of Psychology (pp. 205-219)
ISBN : 9780199938735 | Publisher : Oxford University Press

Phenomenology (2017-04-12)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Gough, Brendan ed. The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology (pp. 165-183)
ISBN : 978-1-137-51017-4 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan UK

Gay affirmative therapy: recognizing the power of the social world (2014)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Milton, Martin ed. Sexuality: Existential Perspectives (pp. 160-173)
ISBN : 978-1-906254-70-4 | Publisher : PCCS Books | Published : Ross on Wye

Sexuality and embodiment in relationships (2013-11-22)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
In: Iacovou, Susan and Van Deurzen, Emmy eds. Existential Perspectives on Relationship Therapy (pp. 54-67)
ISBN : 978-0-230-36209-3 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Houndmills

Relationship therapy with lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans clients. (2013-11)
Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg
In: Iacovou, Susan and Van Deurzen, Emmy eds. Existential Perspectives on Relationship Therapy. (pp. 148-160)
ISBN : 978-0-230-36209-3 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Houndmills

Sadism/masochism (2013)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Teo, Thomas ed. Encyclopedia of critical psychology (pp. 1687-1690)
ISBN : 978-1-4614-5582-0 | Publisher : Springer | Published : New York

Introduction (2010-04)
Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren
In: Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren eds. Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy (pp. 1-17)
ISBN : 978-1849204767 | Publisher : Sage | Published : London

Conclusions (2010-04)
Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren
In: Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren eds. Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy (pp. 327-343)
ISBN : 978-1849204767 | Publisher : Sage | Published : London

The therapeutic relationship (2010-04)
Cooper, Mick; Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg
In: Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren eds. Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy (pp. 259-279)
ISBN : 978-1849204767 | Publisher : Sage | Published : London

Situating non-monogamies: introduction (2010)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
In: Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren eds. Understanding Non-Monogamies (pp. 3-8)
ISBN : 978-0-415-80055-6 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon

Existential psychotherapy (2010)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren eds. Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy (pp. 125-143)
Publisher : Sage/The Open University | Published : London, UK

Relating through difference: a critical narrative analysis (2009-09)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Finlay, Linda and Evans, Ken eds. Relational Centred Research for Psychotherapists: Exploring Meanings and Experience (pp. 213-226)
ISBN : 9780470997765 | Publisher : Wiley-Blackwell | Published : Chichester, UK

Silencing accounts of silenced sexualities (2009)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
In: Ryan-Flood, Róisín and Gill, Rosalind eds. Secrecy and Silence in the Research Process: Feminist Reflections. Transformations
ISBN : 978-0-415-33284-2 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon, UK

Are you angry or are you heterosexual? A queer critique of lesbian and gay models of identity development (2008)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Moon, Lyndsey ed. Feeling Queer or Queer Feelings: Radical Approaches to Counselling Sex, Sexualities and Genders. (pp. 36-56)
ISBN : 978-0-415-38520-6 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : London

Situating sadomasochism (2007)
Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg
In: Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg eds. Safe, Sane and Consensual: Contemporary Perspectives on Sadomasochism (pp. 3-9)
ISBN : 9780230517745 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke, UK

Speaking the unspeakable: S/M and the eroticisation of pain (2007)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg eds. Safe, Sane and Consensual: Contemporary Perspectives on Sadomasochism (pp. 85-97)
ISBN : 9780230517745 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke

The time of the sadomasochist: Hunting with(in) the ‘tribus’ (2006-11)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Seidman, S.; Fischer, N. and Meeks, C. eds. Introducing the New Sexuality Studies (pp. 280-287)
ISBN : 415399009 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : London

Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy (2010-03)
Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren eds.
ISBN : 9781849204767 | Publisher : Sage | Published : London, UK

Understanding Non-Monogamies (2010)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren eds.
Routledge Research in Gender and Society
ISBN : 978-0-415-80055-6 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon

Safe, sane and consensual: Contemporary perspectives on sadomasochism (2007)
Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg eds.
ISBN : 9780230517745 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke

A phenomenological analysis of consumers' perceptions of the consumption process in a virtual world (2011-07-27)
Tran, Minh; Minocha, Shailey; Roberts, Dave; Laing, Angus and Langdridge, Darren
In : 30th International Human Science Research Conference: Intertwining body-self-world (27-30 Jul 2011, St. Catherine's College, Oxford)

Investigating affordances of virtual worlds for real world B2C e-commerce (2011-07)
Tran, Minh; Minocha, Shailey; Roberts, Dave; Laing, Angus and Langdridge, Darren
In : 25th BCS Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (4 Jul 2011, Newcastle Upon Tyne)

Work-based learning interventions for antimicrobial stewardship: a systematic review (2023)
Langdridge, Darren; McMullan, Rachel; Virhia, Jennika; Banks, Duncan; Charitonos, Koula; Giri, Santoshi; Olupot-Olupot, Peter and Vaidya, Abhinav
PROSPERO, CRD42023447115

Phenomenological Psychology (2018-04-26)
Langdridge, Darren
Oxford Bibliographies, Oxford University Press