Overview
I am interested in social cognition and its evolved bases. I am currently developing a new line of research on group decision-making. This work takes an information-processing perspective to explore why some teams overperform and others underperform relative to their individual members.
Additional Contact Information
r.ward@bangor.ac.uk
Teaching and Supervision
I am the organiser and instructor for the module Social Influence. In this module, we explore the evolved bases for influence, and look at both established techniques for influence, and what we might call "defence" aginst those techniques.
Opportunitiees for project supervision focus on teamwork, and what separates effective from ineffective teams.
Research Interests
I am interested in evolutionary perspectives on human social behaviour. My current research investigates collective intelligence and team decision-making, using experiemntal and modelling approaches. I am interesting in exploring how our findings might apply in real-world settings, including emergency responding, multi-discinplinary teams, and patient-clinician dyads.
Postgraduate Project Opportunities
Self-funded projects. I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students relating to my interests in social cognition. Please contact me at r.ward@bangor.ac.uk to discuss.
Publications
2024
- PublishedIntegrating social cognition into domain-general control: Interactive activation and competition for the control of action (ICON)
Ward, R. & Ramsey, R., Feb 2024, In: Cognitive Science. 48, 2, e13415.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2022
- PublishedA Generalised Semantic Cognition Account of Aesthetic Experience
Bara, I., Binney, R. J., Ward, R. & Ramsey, R., 13 Aug 2022, In: Neuropsychologia. 173, 108288.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedMetacognition during unfamiliar face matching
Kramer, R., Gous, G., Mireku, M. O. & Ward, R., Aug 2022, In: British Journal of Psychology. 113, 3, p. 696-717
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2020
- PublishedChallenges and opportunities for top-down modulation research in cognitive psychology
Ramsey, R. & Ward, R., Sept 2020, In: Acta Psychologica. 209, 103118.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedPhysically attractive faces attract us physically
Kramer, R. S. S., Mulgrew, J., Anderson, N. C., Vasilyev, D., Kingstone, A., Reynolds, M. G. & Ward, R., 31 May 2020, In: Cognition. 198, 104193.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedPutting the nonsocial into social neuroscience: A role for domain-general priority maps during social interactions
Ramsey, R. & Ward, R., 1 Jul 2020, In: Perspectives on Psychological Science. 15, 4, p. 1076-1094
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2019
- PublishedGenuine Personality Recognition from Highly Constrained Face Images
Anselmi, F., Noceti, N., Rosasco, L. & Ward, R., 13 Sept 2019.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review - PublishedPersonality in faces: Implicit associations between appearance and personality
Jones, A. L., Tree, J. & Ward, R., Apr 2019, In: European Journal of Social Psychology. 49, 3, p. 658-669
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2018
- PublishedCues to mental health from men’s facial appearance
Ward, R. & Scott, N., Aug 2018, In: Journal of Research in Personality. 75, August, p. 26-36
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedfMRI repetition suppression reveals no sensitivity to trait judgments from faces in face perception or theory-of-mind networks
Butler, E., Ward, R., Downing, P. & Ramsey, R., 14 Aug 2018, In: PLoS ONE. 13, 8, e0201237.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2017
- PublishedPhysical attraction to reliable, low variability nervous systems: Reaction time variability predicts attractiveness
Butler, E., Saville, C., Ward, R. & Ramsey, R., Jan 2017, In: Cognition. 158, p. 81-89
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedThe role of serotonin in personality interference: tryptophan depletion impairs the identification of neuroticism in the face
Ward, R., Sreenivas, S., Read, J., Saunders, K. & Rogers, R. D., Jul 2017, In: Psychopharmacology. 234, 14, p. 2139-2147
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2016
- PublishedAn adaptive perspective on revealed and concealed cues to empathy
Ward, R. A., Ward, R. & Shingler, P., 8 Jan 2016, In: British Journal of Psychology. 107, 1, p. 30-32
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedThe Pleistocene protagonist: An evolutionary framework for the analysis of film protagonists
Pelican, K.-A., Ward, R. & Sherry, J., 1 Sept 2016, In: Journal of Screenwriting. 7, 3, p. 331-349 19 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedThe influence of facial signals on the automatic imitation on hand actions
Butler, E., Ward, R. & Ramsey, R., 26 Oct 2016, In: Frontiers in Psychology.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2015
- PublishedConnectivity between the superior colliculus and the amygdala in humans and macaque monkeys: virtual dissection with probabilistic DTI tractography
Rafal, R. D., Koller, K., Bultitude, J. H., Mullins, P. G., Ward, R. A., Mitchell, A. S. & Bell, A. H., 1 Sept 2015, In: Journal of Neurophysiology. 114, 3, p. 1947-1962
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedCosmetics Alter Biologically-Based Factors of Beauty: Evidence from Facial Contrast
Ward, R. A., Jones, A. L., Russell, R. & Ward, R., 1 Jan 2015, In: Evolutionary Psychology. 13, 1, p. 210-229
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedSelf-representation of facial appearance
Ward, R. A., Ward, R. & Sreenivas, S., 1 Aug 2015, In: Perception. 44, 1, p. 281
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedStaring nervous system stability in the face: reaction time variability predicts attractiveness
Ward, R. A., Butler, E. E., Saville, C. W., Ward, R. & Ramsey, R., 1 Aug 2015, p. 61-62.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review - PublishedThe late positive potential: A neural marker of the regulation of emotion-based approach-avoidance actions?
Ward, R. A., Bamford, S., Broyd, S. J., Benikos, N., Ward, R., Wiersema, J. R. & Sonuga-Barke, E., 22 Jan 2015, In: Biological Psychology. 105, p. 115-123
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2014
- PublishedFacial dimorphism in autistic quotient scores
Ward, R. A., Scott, N. J., Jones, A. L., Kramer, R. S. & Ward, R., 15 Jul 2014, In: Clinical Psychological Science. 3, 2, p. 230-241
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedMiscalibrations in judgements of attractiveness with cosmetics.
Ward, R. A., Jones, A. L., Kramer, R. S. & Ward, R., 22 Apr 2014, In: Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 67, 10, p. 2060-2068
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2012
- PublishedDifferent Cues of Personality and Health from the Face and Gait of Women
Kramer, R. S. S., Gottwald, V. M., Dixon, T. A. M. & Ward, R., 1 Apr 2012, In: Evolutionary Psychology. 10, 2, p. 271-295
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2011
- PublishedIdentifying personality from the static, nonexpressive face in humans and chimpanzees: evidence of a shared system for signaling personality.
Ward, R. A., Kramer, R. S., King, J. E. & Ward, R., 1 May 2011, In: Evolution and Human Behavior. 32, 3, p. 179-185
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedTemporal feature integration in the right parietal cortex
Rafal, R. D., Ward, R. A., Arenda, I., Robert Rafal, R. & Ward, R., 1 Jun 2011, In: Neuropsychologia. 49, 7, p. 1788-1793
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2010
- PublishedLanguage changes implicit associations between ethnic groups and evaluation in bilinguals.
Danziger, S. & Ward, R. A., 1 Jun 2010, In: Psychological Science. 21, 6, p. 799-800
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2009
- PublishedAutomatic activation of motor programs by object affordances in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Ward, R. A., Oguro, H., Ward, R., Bracewell, R. M., Hindle, J. V. & Rafal, R. D., 29 Sept 2009, In: Neuroscience Letters. 463, 1, p. 35-36
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedRepresentation in dynamical agents.
Ward, R. A. & Ward, R., 1 Apr 2009, In: Neural Networks. 22, 3, p. 258-266
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedTo lose the frame of action: A selective deficit in avoiding unpleasant objects following a unilateral temporal lobe lesion
Bamford, S., Turnbull, O., Coetzer, R. & Ward, R. A., 1 Aug 2009, In: Neurocase. 15, 4, p. 261-270
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedVirtual Limbs and Body Space: Critical Features for the Distinction Between Body Space and Near-Body Space.
Short, F. E. & Ward, R., 1 Aug 2009, In: Journal of Experimental Psychology - Human Perception and Performance. 35, 4, p. 1092-1103
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2008
- PublishedPredispositions to approach and avoid are contextually sensitive and goal dependent
Ward, R. A., Bamford, S. & Ward, R., 1 Apr 2008, In: Emotion. 8, 2, p. 174-183
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedSelective attention and control of action: Comparative psychology of an artificial, evolved agent and people.
Ward, R. A. & Ward, R., 1 Oct 2008, In: Journal of Experimental Psychology - Human Perception and Performance. 34, 5, p. 1165-1182
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedSpatial and temporal deficits are regionally dissociable in patients with pulvinar lesions
Arend, I., Rafal, R. D. & Ward, R., 1 Aug 2008, In: Brain. 131, 8, p. 2140-2152
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedThe role of the human pulvinar in visual attention and action: evidence from temporal-order judgment, saccade decision, and antisaccade tasks.
Arend, I., Machado, L., Ward, R., McGrath, M., Ro, T. & Rafal, R. D., 1 Jan 2008, In: Progress in Brain Research. 171, p. 475-483
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2007
- PublishedAn object-based frame of reference within the human pulvinar
Ward, R. & Arend, I. C., 1 Sept 2007, In: Brain. 130, 9, p. 2462-2469
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedAttention and emotion in anosognosia: Evidence of implicit awareness and repression?
Ward, R. A., Nardone, I., Ward, R., Fotopoulou, A. & Turnbull, O. H., 1 Oct 2007, In: Neurocase. 13, 5-6, p. 438-445
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedEmotion recognition following human pulvinar damage.
Ward, R. A., Arend, I. C., Ward, R., Calder, A. J., Parker, M. & Arend, I., 23 Jan 2007, In: Neuropsychologia. 45, 8, p. 1973-1978
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedHemispheric asymmetries in feature integration during visual word recognition.
Ward, R. A., Arend, I. C., Lindell, A. K., Arend, I., Ward, R., Norton, J. & Wathan, J., 1 Nov 2007, In: Laterality. 12, 6, p. 543-558
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2006
- PublishedCognitive conflict without explicit conflict monitoring in a dynamical agent.
Ward, R. A. & Ward, R., 1 Nov 2006, In: Neural Networks. 19, 9, p. 1430-1436
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedConflict monitoring in a dynamical agent.
Ward, R. A. & Ward, R., 1 Jan 2006.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
2005
- PublishedResponse to visual threat following damage to the pulvinar.
Ward, R. A., Danziger, S. & Bamford, S., 29 Mar 2005, In: Current Biology. 15, 6, p. 571-573
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedSelective attention and action in an artificial, evolved agent: Reactive inhibition.
Ward, R. A. & Ward, R., 1 Jan 2005, p. 269-278.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper - PublishedSelective attention and response control following damage to the human pulvinar.
Ward, R. A., Ward, R., Danziger, S., Humphreys, G. W. (Editor) & Riddoch, M. J. (Editor), 1 Jan 2005, Attention and Action. 2005 ed. Psychology Press, p. 325-350
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter - PublishedSuppression of involuntary spatial response activation requires selective attention
Ward, R., Danziger, S., Quirk, R. T., Goodson, L. & Downing, P. E., 1 Feb 2005, In: Visual Cognition. 12, 2, p. 376-394
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2004
- PublishedContributions of the human pulvinar to a distributed network for selective attention.
Ward, R. A., Danziger, S., Ward, R., Owen, V. & Rafal, R., 1 Jan 2004, In: Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience. 4, p. 89-99
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedContributions of the human pulvinar to linking vision and action.
Ward, R. A., Rafal, R. D., Danziger, S., Ward, R., Owen, V. & Rafal, R., 1 Mar 2004, In: Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience. 4, 1, p. 89-99
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2003
- PublishedAttentional functions in dorsal and ventral simultanagnosia.
Ward, R. A., Duncan, J., Bundensen, C., Olson, A., Humphreys, G., Ward, R., Kyllingsbaek, S., Van Raamsdonk, M., Rorden, C. & Chavda, S., 1 Jan 2003, In: Cognitive Neuropsychology. 20, 8, p. 675-701
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2002
- PublishedCoordination and integration in perception and action.
Ward, R. A., Ward, R., Prinz, W. (Editor) & Hommel, B. (Editor), 1 Jan 2002, Common mechanisms in perception and action: Attention and performance: Vol. XIX. 2002 ed. Oxford University Press, p. 555-557
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter - PublishedDeficits in spatial coding and feature binding following damage to spatiotopic maps in the human pulvinar
Ward, R., Danzinger, S., Owen, V. & Rafal, R., 7 Jan 2002, In: Nature Neuroscience. 5, p. 99-100
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedIntegration and independence of perception and action: An introduction.
Ward, R. A. & Ward, R., 1 May 2002, In: Visual Cognition. 9, 4, p. 385-391
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedS-R correspondence effects of irrelevant visual affordance: Time course and specificity of response activation
Phillips, J. C. & Ward, R. A., 1 May 2002, In: Visual Cognition. 9, 4-5, p. 540-558
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedVisual attention in blindsight: sensitivity in the blind field increased by targets in the sighted field.
Ward, R. A., Ward, R. & Jackson, S. R., 1 Mar 2002, In: Neuroreport. 13, 3, p. 301-304
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review - PublishedVisual detection is gated by attending for action: Evidence from hemispatial neglect
Rafal, R. D., Danziger, S., Grossi, G., Machado, L. & Ward, R. A., 10 Dec 2002, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 99, 25, p. 16371-16375
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2001
- PublishedVisual attention is no faster than the eyes.
Ward, R. A., Ward, R. & Shapiro, K. L. (Editor), 1 Jan 2001, The limits of attention: Temporal constraints on human information processing.. 2001 ed. Oxford University Press, p. 199-216
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
2000
- PublishedSymmetry, repetition, and figural goodness: an investigation of the weight of evidence theory.
Ward, R. A., Pothos, E. M. & Ward, R., 15 Jun 2000, In: Cognition. 75, 3, p. B65-78
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Projects
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Collective Knowledge and Team Decision-Making
01/10/2023 – 30/09/2024 (Finished)
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Visuomotor principles in pack design.
01/10/2009 – 01/08/2012 (Finished)
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Investigating Mechanisms Of Attention
01/07/2008 – 31/08/2009 (Finished)
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Spatial Coding & Feature Binding In The
07/03/2005 – 31/07/2009 (Finished)