Postdoctoral fellows
Below is a summary of our group's major research activity since 2000, and a description of our laboratory facilities. The summary includes research grants, publications, and PhD completions. Our research projects involve a variety of interesting collaborations with:- recent PhD graduates: Tiffany Lavis, Matt Palmer, James Sauer, Carolyn Semmler, Nathan Weber, and Tick Zweck
- current PhD students: Ambika Nagesh, Tomoko Nishizawa, and Peta Skujins
- researchers from other Australian and overseas universities: Gary Wells (Iowa State), Kip Williams (Purdue), Rod Lindsay (Queen's - Canada), Fiona Gabbert (Abertay), Lorraine Hope (Portsmouth), Amy Bradfield Douglass (Bates), and Lynne ForsterLee (Central Queensland)
Recent visitors to the Eyewitness Laboratory
Professor Gary L Wells, Iowa State University (USA): 2001, 2004
Professor Amina Memon, University of Aberdeen (Scotland): 2004
Professor Rod and Marilyn Lindsay, Queen's University (Canada): 2005
Professor Ron Fisher, Florida International University (USA): 2005
Professor Siegfried Sporer, University of Geissen (Germany): 2005
Professor Martine Powell, Deakin University (Australia): 2006
Professor D Stephen Lindsay, University of Victoria (Canada): 2006
Professor Harlene Hayne, University of Otago (NZ): 2007
Dr Fiona Gabbert, University of Abertay (Scotland): 2008
Dr Lorraine Hope, University of Portsmouth (England): 2008
Dr Amy Bradfield Douglass, Bates College (USA): 2008
Editorial board memberships
Psychology, Public Policy and Law (2007 - )
Applied Cognitive Psychology (2006 - )
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied (2005 - )
Law and Human Behavior (2005 - )
Legal and Criminological Psychology (2005 - )
Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law (2006 - 2008)
'in press' publications
Brewer, N., Weber, N., Wootton, D., & Lindsay, D. S. (in press). Identifying the bad guy in a lineup using deadlined confidence judgments. Psychological Science.
Horry, R., Palmer, M. A., Brewer, N., & Cutler, B. L. (in press). Comparative legal psychology. In D. S. Clarke (Ed.), Comparative law and society. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Palmer, M. A., & Brewer, N. (in press). Sequential presentation encourages less biased criterion setting but does not improve discriminability. Law and Human Behavior.
Palmer, M. A., Brewer, N., & Weber, N. (in press). The information gained from witnesses’ responses to an initial “blank” lineup. Law and Human Behavior.
Sauer, J. D., Brewer, N., & Weber, N. (in press). Using confidence ratings to identify a target among foils. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition.
Young, R., Brewer, N., & Hedley, D. (in press). Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Criminals in waiting? In C. E. Richardson & R. A. Wood (Eds.) Autism Spectrum Disorders: New research. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.
Some oldies, but...
Brewer, N., et al. (1999). Beliefs and data on the relationship between consistency and accuracy of eyewitness testimony. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 13, 297-313.
Brewer, N., & Ridgway, T. (1998). Effects of supervisory monitoring on productivity and quality of performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 4, 211-227.
Braithwaite, H., Brewer, N., & Strelan, P. (1998). Conflict management in police-citizen interactions. Sydney: McGraw-Hill.
Brewer, N., & Wilson, C. (Eds.) (1995). Psychology and policing. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Smith, G. A., & Brewer, N. (1995). Slowness and age: Speed-accuracy mechanisms. Psychology and Aging, 10, 238-247.
Brewer, N., Wilson, C., & Beck, K. (1994). Supervisory behaviour and team performance amongst police patrol sergeants. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 67, 69-78.
White, J. M., & Brewer, N. (1992). Teaching basic skills: The principles of instruction. Melbourne: Macmillan.
Brewer, N., & Smith G. A. (1990). Processing speed and mental retardation: Deadline procedures indicate fixed and adjustable limitations. Memory and Cognition, 18, 443-450.
Brewer, N., & Smith, G. A. (1989). Developmental changes in processing speed: Influence of speed-accuracy regulation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 118, 298-310.
Brewer, N. (1987). Processing speed, efficiency and intelligence. In J.G. Borkowski & J.D. Day (Eds.), Cognition in special children: Comparative approaches to retardation, learning disabilities and giftedness (pp. 15-48). Norwood, NJ.: Ablex.
Brewer, N., & Smith, G. A. (1984). How normal and retarded individuals monitor and regulate speed and accuracy of responding in serial choice tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 113, 71-93.
Brewer, N., & Smith, G. A. (1982) Cognitive processes for monitoring and regulating speed and accuracy of responding in mental retardation: A methodology. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 87, 211-222.
Nettelbeck, T., & Brewer, N. (1981). Studies of mild mental retardation and timed performance. In N.R. Ellis (Ed.), International review of research in mental retardation (Vol. 10, pp. 61-106). New York: Academic Press.
Brewer, N., & Sandow, B. (1980). Alcohol effects on driver performance under conditions of divided attention. Ergonomics, 23, 185-190.
PhD completions (2000 -)
Lavis, T. (2011). The effect of an inaccuracy in eyewitness reports on mock-juror judgments.
Zweck, T. (2011). Metacognitive influences on eyewitness choosing.
Halford, P. (2010). Eyewitness identification in real world conditions.
Palmer, M. (2008). Eyewitness identification from multiple lineups.
Sauer, J. (2008). Using multiple confidence assessments to discriminate studied from unstudied faces.
Barnes, J. (2006). The influence of persuasive message factors in client presentation.
Keast, A. (2005). Children's eyewitness identification performance.
Weber, N. (2004). Confidence-accuracy calibration in face recognition.
Semmler, C. (2004). The effects of post-identification feedback on eyewitness confidence.
Tuckey, M. (2003). Schema influences on eyewitness memory.
Skinner, N. (2002). The dynamics of threat and challenge appraisals.
Research grants (2000 - )
Brewer, N. Multiple confidence estimates as indices of eyewitness memory: Effects of retention interval. 2009, $13,478, Flinders Research Grant.
Brewer, N., Gabbert, F., & Hope, L. Interviewing eyewitnesses: Enhancing output quantity and diagnosing accuracy. 2009-11, $152,000, Australian Research Council, £81,281 (UK) ESRC Linkage International Collaboration Grant.
Brewer, N,. Weber, N., & Lindsay, D. S. Identifying the bad guy with deadlined confidence judgments. 2010-13, Australian Research Council Discovery Project, $424,000.
Brewer, N., Wells, G. L., & Weber, N. Eyewitness identification: Metacognitive influences on choosing behaviour. 2005-09, $371,000, Australian Research Council Discovery Project.
Douglass, A. B., Brewer, N., & Semmler, C. The dynamic interaction between investigator and eyewitness: Effects on memory reports and interviewer behavior. 2009-11, $200,000, National Science Foundation (USA).
Gerrie, M., & Brewer, N. The role of eyemovements in eyewitness identification. 2009-11, $300,000, Fast-Start Marsden Grant (through Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
Hope, L., Gabbert, F., & Brewer, N. Interviewing eyewitnesses: Enhancing output quantity and diagnosing accuracy. 2009-10, $162,360, ESRC (UK) Bilateral Australia.
Nixon, R. D. V., & Brewer, N. Children's memory for traumatic events. 2007-09, $201,189, Australian Research Council Discovery Project.
Semmler, C., Brewer, N., & Bradfield Douglass, A. The distortion of eyewitness identification testimony. 2010-12, $230,000, Australian Research Council Discovery Project.
Young, R., & Brewer, N. Dimensions of Autism Spectrum Disorder. 2009, $2,214, Faculty of Social Sciences Research Support grant.
Brewer, N., Young, R., Weber, N., Ma-Wyatt, A., Semmler, C., & McKinnon, R. A multi-function eyetracker facility. 2008, $120,000, Australian Research Council - LIEF.
Nixon, R., & Brewer, N. Children’s memory for traumatic events. 2007-09, $201,189, ARC Discovery Grant.
Zajac, R., Brewer, N., Powell, M., & Henaghan, M. “That’s him!” Reducing mistaken identifications from photographic lineups. 2007-08, $170,000, Fast-Start Marsden Grant (through University of Otago, New Zealand).
Brewer, N., Wells, G. L., & Weber, N. Eyewitness identification: Metacognitive influences on choosing behaviour. 2005-09, $371,000, ARC Discovery Grant.
Brewer, N. Bias in eyewitness identification tests. 2007, $13,000, Flinders Research Grant.
Brewer, N., & Williams, J. Determinants of tribunal outcomes for Indigenous footballers. 2006-07, $27,560, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
Brewer, N. Distinguishing guilty from innocent suspects in eyewitness identification using multiple confidence judgments. 2005, $11,000, Flinders University Research Grant
Brewer, N., Williams, K. D., & ForsterLee, L. The dynamics of witness confidence effects on juror judgments. 2003-04, $138,000, ARC Large Grant.
Brewer, N. Does eyewitness identification decision time reliably indicate identification accuracy? 2004, $1,950, Flinders University Research Budget.
Brewer, N. The strategic regulation of grain size in eyewitness testimony reports. 2003, $6,044, Flinders University Small Grant.
Brewer, N., & Wells, G. L. When does confidence predict eyewitness identification accuracy? 2001-03, $112,700, ARC Large Grant.
Brewer, N., & Williams, K. D. Witness confidence and juror decision making. 2002, $15,238, Flinders University Small Grant.
Brewer, N., & Semmler, C. Improving juror comprehension with a flowchart. 2001, $10,000, Law Foundation of South Australia.
Brewer, N. Confidence-accuracy calibration in eyewitness identification. 2000, $9,691, ARC Small Grant.
Young, R., & Brewer, N. The detection of autism in young, pre-verbal children. 2002, $3,546, Flinders Medical Centre Foundation Project Grant.
Young, R., & Brewer, N. The detection of autism in young, pre-verbal children. 1999-2001, $37,500, Channel 7 Children's Medical Research Foundation of South Australia.
Brewer, N., Fisher, R., Luszcz, M., & Bond, N. The relationship between consistency and accuracy of eyewitness testimony. 1998-2000, $142,000, ARC Large Grant.
Laboratory facilities
We have excellent laboratory facilities for on-line experimentation. They comprise a suite of 20 cubicles, each with a PC for stimulus presentation and data recording, plus a larger room for researchers. Three of the cubicles also have a wall-mounted video camera, VCR and monitor. We are supported by the School's excellent computing, electronic and mechanical support staff. PhD students have beautifully appointed offices with the occasional beanbag (in purple) and relatively new PCs. We have digital video recorders and cameras, scanner, access to a video-editing suite, etc.
