– Life as a Research Psychologist –
Dr. Amanda Gummer is a research psychologist, passionate about children’s play.
She is the CEO of the research consultancy Fundamentally Children and Dr. Gummer’s Good Play Guide – a consumer-facing review site for children’s toys, apps, learning and baby products.
She is the independent chair of the Association of Play Industries, is an NED for Families in Focus CIC, and is on the advisory board of a small number of mission-led startups.
Education & Experience
Amanda has a PhD in neuropsychology, the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education and over 20 years experience working with children and families.
Thought Leadership
Widely considered as the UK’s go to expert on play, parenting and child development, her book ‘Play’ was published in May 2105 and has been translated into different languages with extracts being published in the USA’s Toy Industry Association’s Genius of Play initiative for which she is an expert ambassador.
Amanda has an increasing international profile and was commissioned by the Toy Association to create the STEAM toy accreditation framework. She is the UK Chapter chair for Women in Toys – an international networking group within the toy and licensing industries.
Sought Out Voice
Amanda is regularly in the media and continues to take an active role in research, presenting papers at various international conferences.
She is often involved in government policy around children’s issues, presenting her Balanced Play Model at the European Parliament in September 2019.
Reasons to Listen
This will be a talk worth listening to for:
- those interested in finding out more about what opportunities exist within the field of research psychology
- those seeking career and entrepreneurial inspiration
- those who are interested in learning more about how to leverage academic experience and knowledge for use within the commercial sector
Listeners will come away with insights on:
- why she left academia for the world of entrepreneurship
- Dr. Gummer’s professional pathway towards becoming a research psychologist
- how the combination of a specialized degree, a couple of unique experiences and a simple question set Dr. Gummer up with a professional purpose
- how Dr. Gummer ultimately became known as the UK’s leading expert on children’s development and play
- what it’s like actually working with children, testing toys and carrying out commissioned work on behalf of brands
- where Dr. Gummer’s sense of fulfillment comes from within her work
- a memorable story
- some of the challenges tech presents with regards to the evaluation of new toys
- much more!
A Memorable Quote from the Episode:
“We work with people who want to do the best thing for kids and want to make children’s lives better through their brands, their products and making the world more playful.”
-Dr. Amanda Gummer
Check out the Video Conversation:
For those who desire to view video highlights of the conversation, you can do so via Youtube.
Discover More
For those interested in learning more about Dr. Gummer and her work, you can find and follow her at Fundamentally Children and Dr. Gummer’s Good Play Guide. Her organizations can also be found on the following platforms:
Keep Listening!
I hope you enjoyed the episode. For more, check out additional episodes here!
