DG
Available to collaborate now · Open to research roles · Willing to relocate

Dharma GopalakrishnanAspiring Research Assistant

Psychology graduate translating behavioural science, mixed-methods research, and careful documentation into evidence-based insights.

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253
Study participants
MA thesis · 2025

About

A psychology graduate who cares about the evidence behind the numbers.

I hold a Master of Arts in Psychology from Auckland University of Technology, where my thesis studied how environmental attitudes translate — or fail to translate — into ecological behaviour across 253 adults.

My work sits at the intersection of behavioural science, mixed-methods research, and clear documentation. I'm now channelling that toolkit toward human–AI interaction, prompt engineering, and the cognition behind language models.

Based in Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau, open to research assistant, behavioural insights, and applied research roles.

Contact

Let's talk research.

Send an email

Experience

Four roles that trained the same instinct: gather evidence, then document it well.

  1. Feb 2026 – May 2026

    Kaiawhina Hauora / Executive Assistant

    Auckland PHO

    • Supported health-sector operations with structured documentation and stakeholder communication.
    • Contributed to a 40% faster reporting turnaround by streamlining internal record-keeping.

  2. Feb 2023 – Dec 2025

    Teaching Assistant in Psychology

    Auckland University of Technology

    • Guided undergraduate students through research methods and statistics, lifting pass rates by 15%.
    • Introduced structured moderation that improved grading consistency by 30% across cohorts.

  3. Jan 2022 – Dec 2022

    Customer Service & Operations Support

    Winstone Wallboards (GIB)

    • Coordinated order flow between customers, sales, and dispatch to reduce turnaround delays.
    • Documented process gaps and proposed fixes adopted by the wider operations team.

  4. Aug 2021 – Dec 2021

    Customer Care Specialist

    2degrees

    • Resolved account and technical enquiries with a focus on clarity and empathy.
    • Consistently ranked in the top quartile for post-call satisfaction scores.

Skills

The methods, tools, and habits I bring into a research team.

Category

Research Methods

  • · Literature Review & Synthesis
  • · Mixed-Methods Research
  • · Thematic Analysis
  • · Participant Recruitment & Ethics Compliance

Category

Data & Analysis

  • · Quantitative Analysis
  • · SPSS
  • · Excel
  • · Data Cleaning & Coding
  • · Research Documentation & Reporting

Category

Applied & Communication

  • · Behavioural Insights & Evaluation
  • · Academic Support & Student Guidance
  • · Stakeholder Communication
  • · Survey Design

Achievements & Certificates

Credentials, coursework, and measured impact.

Certificate

Outskill Generative AI Bootcamp

Applied programme in prompt engineering, LLM workflows, and modern GenAI tooling.

Degree

Master of Arts in Psychology

Auckland University of Technology · 2025

Degree

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Auckland University of Technology · 2021

Impact

30% improvement in grading consistency

Structured moderation frameworks adopted across teaching cohorts.

Impact

15% increase in student pass rates

Through targeted academic guidance in research methods and statistics.

Impact

40% faster reporting turnaround

Health-sector documentation streamlined at Auckland PHO.

Projects & Highlights

Two projects that shape how I think about evidence, users, and care.

Independent venture · 2025 – Present

SnugLoomNZ — Creative Micro-Business

Founded a small textile craft venture producing knitted and loom-woven goods. Applied structured documentation to track patterns, materials, and production time, and used informal surveys plus customer feedback to evaluate preferences and iterate designs.

Product researchOps & documentationCustomer feedback loops
MA Thesis · AUT · 2025

Mind the Gap: Environmental Awareness Dissonance & Ecological Behaviours

Mixed-methods online study with 253 adults randomised into high-, average-, or low-impact feedback conditions. Measured environmental attitudes (23 Likert items), carbon footprint, and delay-discounting choices for transport, investment, and donations. Found weak positive links between attitudes and symbolic low-cost actions, and argued for an Attitude–Behaviour–Context framing where structural supports are needed to convert concern into action.

253 participantsAUTEC 24/146Supervisors: Dr Stef Gomes-Ng, Dr Jay Wood

Resume / CV

The full record — on one page.

Download CV (DOCX)

Dharma Gopalakrishnan

Research Assistant · Behavioural Psychology · AI-Enabled Research & Documentation

Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand · dharma.gopalakrishnan27@gmail.com · linkedin.com/in/dharmagopalakrishnan

Profile

Psychology graduate (MA, Auckland University of Technology) with hands-on experience across quantitative and mixed-methods research, behavioural insights, and academic support. Brings documentation accuracy, ethics-aware research practice, and calm, culturally grounded communication to every project — from health-sector reporting to student academic support. In 2026 completed a Generative AI Bootcamp, extending the research toolkit into prompt engineering, AI-assisted workflows, and automation.

Core Competencies

Research & Analysis

  • Literature Review & Synthesis
  • Quantitative Analysis (SPSS, Excel)
  • Thematic & Qualitative Analysis
  • Survey Design & Participant Recruitment
  • Research Ethics (AUTEC) Compliance

Behavioural & Communication

  • Behavioural Insights & Evaluation
  • Academic Support & Student Guidance
  • Cross-Cultural & Bicultural Communication
  • Stakeholder Coordination

Documentation & Operations

  • Research Documentation & Reporting
  • Data Collection & Cleaning
  • Confidential Records Management
  • Process Documentation & Compliance

AI & Digital Capability

  • Prompt Engineering
  • AI-Assisted Workflows & Automation (n8n)
  • AI Tool Building & Custom Agents
  • AI-Powered Visual Content Creation
Experience

Kaiawhina Hauora / Executive Assistant — Auckland PHO

Feb 2026 – May 2026

  • Coordinated health-sector documentation with 99% accuracy across 4+ clinical teams, supporting compliance in clinical and administrative workflows.
  • Prepared 50–70+ SOP-aligned documents monthly and managed data entry and reporting for community health initiatives, improving monthly report turnaround by 40%.
  • Managed confidential information across multiple systems with zero breaches, supporting stakeholder communication across multidisciplinary teams for programme evaluation.

Teaching Assistant, Psychology — Auckland University of Technology

Feb 2023 – Dec 2025

  • Supported academic delivery for 200+ students through literature reviews, data preparation, assessment marking, and feedback aligned with APA standards.
  • Reviewed 300+ assignments for accuracy, clarity, and ethical alignment; delivered weekly sessions on research methods, ethics, and informed consent.
  • Applied behavioural insights to support learning outcomes, contributing to a 15% increase in assignment pass rates and a 30% reduction in marking discrepancies.
  • Assisted with small-scale research tasks including data cleaning, coding, and literature review support for course-related projects.

Customer Service & Operations Support — Winstone Wallboards (GIB)

Jan 2022 – Dec 2022

  • Managed operational documentation and data accuracy for logistics workflows, reducing processing errors by 25%.
  • Coordinated cross-functional communication to support timely delivery and inventory reporting.
  • Contributed to process improvements that enhanced workflow efficiency across the operations team.

Customer Care Specialist — 2degrees

Aug 2021 – Dec 2021

  • Analysed customer behaviour patterns to identify service gaps, contributing to a 12% improvement in resolution efficiency.
  • Documented case data with high accuracy to support internal reporting and quality assurance processes.
  • Communicated complex information clearly across diverse audiences, strengthening engagement and satisfaction.
Projects

Thesis — Cognitive Dissonance & Pro-Environmental Decision-Making

Designed and ran a mixed-methods study for the MA Psychology programme, combining survey development, behavioural analysis, thematic coding, and statistical interpretation to examine how cognitive dissonance shapes environmental decision-making.

SnugLoomNZ — Founder, Independent Creative Micro-Business (2025 – Present)

Built a small textile-craft venture producing knitted and loom-woven items, with structured documentation of patterns, materials, and production time. Uses informal surveys and customer feedback to guide design iterations, and manages brand storytelling and digital presence through Instagram and Dorik AI.

Generative AI Bootcamp Capstone — Outskill (2026)

Completed a hands-on, project-based programme covering prompt engineering, AI tool building, vibe coding, AI workflow automation (n8n), custom AI agents, and AI-powered visual content creation.

Education

Master of Arts in Psychology — Auckland University of Technology

2023 – 2025

Thesis on cognitive dissonance, environmental impact, and pro-environmental decision-making; completed a full AUTEC ethics submission (consent forms, risk assessments, data protocols).

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology — Auckland University of Technology

2019 – 2021

Coursework in research methods, cognitive psychology, behavioural science, and statistical analysis.

Generative AI Bootcamp — Outskill

Jul 2026

Prompt engineering, AI tools building, vibe coding, AI workflow automation (n8n), custom AI agents, and AI-powered visual content creation.

Volunteer Experience

Communications & Coordination Volunteer — Sri Sathya Sai International Organisation of New Zealand

2020 – Present

Prepared weekly communications for 100+ participants and coordinated schedules across 5+ groups with culturally aligned messaging.

Registrations & Technical Support — Sri Sathya Sai International Organisation

2024 – 2025

Processed registrations for 300+ participants with 100% accuracy; resolved 90%+ access issues during live sessions, reducing repeated queries by 25%.

Founder, Contributor & Participant — “My Divine Conquest” — Sri Sathya Sai International Organisation of NZ

2020 – 2023

Contributed insights and reflective practice across a three-country cohort, supporting shared learning and group cohesion.

Interests
Behavioural research & evaluationEnvironmental & social psychologySustainability & education kaupapaTextile craft & design (SnugLoomNZ)Fragrance layering & sensory aesthetics

Research Interests

Where psychology meets AI.

Behavioural science, human–AI interaction, and the cognition behind language models — my interests span psychology and the systems now shaping how people think.

Behavioural ScienceEnvironmental CognitionHuman–AI InteractionPrompt EngineeringLLM AlignmentMixed-Methods Research

Currently Reading

Research papers on the desk right now.

Collaboration

Let's build the study together.

Open to research assistant roles, applied behavioural science projects, and human–AI research collaborations.

Email DharmaConnect on LinkedIn