Contacts
My research and training are in memory and cognition. I completed my PhD at Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand and then from 2012-2015 I spent three years at the University of California, Irvine as a Fulbright Scholar and Postdoc. During this time I studied human memory and forensic science communication/jury decision-making. From 2015-2017 I trained as a Research Associate/Postdoc at the University of Southern California, studying social-cognitive perspectives on assessments of truth and memory. In early 2018 I joined the ANU as a Lecturer in the Research School of Psychology.
Research interests
- Cognitve Biases in Belief and Memory
- False Memories
- Correcting Misinformation
Truthiness and Mistakes in Memory and Belief
Did I lock the door when I left the house? Do I believe that news headline that just appeared on my phone? We are regularly making decisions about what is real and what is not. In my research I examine the cognitive mechanisms that contribute to memory and belief and the ways these processes can go awry. I am especially interested in how people come to believe and remember things are true, even when they are not. And in particular, how people can succumb to truthiness—using feelings and pseudoevidence to decide what is real, instead of drawing on facts.
Groups
- Researcher, Psychology, communication and the arts
Newman, E. J., & Schwarz, N. (in press). Good sound, Good Research: How the audio quality of talks and interviews influences perceptions of the researcher and the research. Science Communication
Silva, R., Chrobot, N, Newman, E. J., Schwarz, N., & Topolinski, S. (2017). Make it Short and Easy: Username Complexity Determines Trustworthiness Above and Beyond Objective Reputation. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2200.
Schwarz, N., & Newman, E. (2017). How does the gut know truth? The psychology of truthiness. APA Science Brief, http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2017/06/gut-truth.aspx
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New York Times: A superhero power for our time: how to handle the truth. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/20/upshot/a-superhero-power-for-our-time-how-to-handle-the-truth.html?_r=0
Sanson, M., Newman, E. J., & Garry, M. (2017). The characteristics of Directive Future Experiences and Directive Memories. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research & Practice. doi:10.1037/cns0000136
Cardwell, B. A., Newman, E. J., Garry, M., Mantonakis, A., & Beckett, R. (2017). Photos That Increase Feelings of Learning Promote Positive Evaluations. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition, doi: 10.1037/xlm0000358
Newman, E. J., Azaad, T., Lindsay, D. S., & Garry, M. (2016) Photos promote rose-colored truthiness for claims about the future. Memory & Cognition, 1-11. doi:10.3758/s13421-016-0652-5.
Schwarz, N., Newman, E., & Leach, W. (2016). Making the truth stick and the myths fade: Lessons from cognitive psychology. Behavioral Science & Policy, 2, 85-95. doi: 10.1353/bsp.2016.0009
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The Washington Post: Democracy requires trust. But Trump is making us all into conspiracy theorists. https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/03/07/democracy-requires-trust-but-trump-is-making-us-all-into-conspiracy-theorists/?utm_term=.1e44036da077
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BBC: Why are people so incredibly gullible? http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160323-why-are-people-so-incredibly-gullible
Cardwell, B. A., Henkel, L. A., Garry, M., Newman, E. J., & Foster, J. L. (2016). Nonprobative photos rapidly lead people to believe claims about their own (and other people’s) pasts. Memory & Cognition, 1-14. doi: 10.3758/s13421-016-0603-1.
Newman, E. J., Garry, M., Unkelbach, C., Bernstein, D. M., Lindsay, D. S., & Nash, R. A. (2015). Truthiness and falsiness of trivia claims depend on judgmental contexts. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 41, 1337. doi: 10.1037/xlm0000099.
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Slate.com: The Science of Truthiness http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/09/truthiness_research_cognitive_biases_for_simple_clear_conservative_messages.html
Thompson, W. C., & Newman, E. J. (2015). Lay understanding of forensic statistics: Evaluation of random match probabilities, likelihood ratios, and verbal equivalents. Law and Human Behavior, 39, 332-349. doi: 10.1037/lhb0000134
Newman, E. J., Sanson, M., Miller, E. K., Quigley-McBride, A., Foster, J. L., Bernstein, D. M., & Garry, M. (2014). People with Easier to Pronounce Names Promote Truthiness of Claims. PLOS ONE, 9, e88671.
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NPR “All things considered:To Command Respect, Try Using Your Middle Initial"http://kwbu.org/post/study-command-respect-try-using-your-middle-initial#stream/0
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Scientific American: What does your name say about how believable you are? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-your-name-says-about-how-believable-you-are/
Michael, R. B., Newman, E. J., Vuorre, M., Cumming, G., & Garry, M. (2013). On the (non)persuasive power of a brain image. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 20, 720-725. doi: 10.3758/s13423-013-0391-6
Fenn, E., Newman, E.J., Pezdek, K., & Garry, M. (2013). The Effect of Nonprobative Photographs on Truthiness Judgments Persists Over Time. Acta Psychologica, 144, 207-211, doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2013.06.004
Newman, E. J., & Loftus, E. F. (2012). Updating Ebbinghaus on the science of memory. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 8, 209–216. doi:10.5964/ejop.v8i2.453
Newman, E. J., & Loftus, E. F. (2012). Clarkian logic on trial. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7, 260-263. doi: 10.1177/1745691612442907
Newman, E. J., Garry, M., Bernstein, D. M., Kantner, J., & Lindsay, D. S. (2012). Nonprobative photographs (or words) inflate truthiness. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 19, 969-974. doi: 10.3758/s13423-012-0292-0
- The Colbert Report: “Who's Honoring Me Now? - Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. ”Scientists discover truth behind Colbert’s “truthiness.” http://bit.ly/QkTbRa
Newman, E. J., Berkowitz, S., Nelson, K. J., Garry, M., & Loftus, E. F. (2011). Attitudes about memory dampening drugs depend on context and country. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25, 675-681. doi:10.1002/acp.1740
Newman, E. J., & Lindsay, D. S. (2009). False memories: What the hell are they for? Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23, 1105-1121. doi: 10.1002/acp.1613
Introduction to Forensic & Criminal Psychology
