Professor Lucy Johnston
Position
Professor
Recently Lucy and colleagues Assoc. Prof. John Dalrymple-Alford and Dr Ewald Neumann are participants in the new Research Institute announced recently by the University. The New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour will be a multidisciplinary centre dedicated to the study of human language. Its researchers, led by Associate Professor Jennifer Hay, will cover fields such as linguistics, speech production and perception, language acquisition, language disorders, special cognition, memory, brain imaging, cognitive science, bilingual education and interface technologies. Involving researchers from many schools across four colleges, the advisory panel was not only impressed by the institute's science but also by the interdisciplinary nature of the proposed research. The institute will be hosted by the College of Arts. This is an exciting development for UC, and we wish them well over the next three years as the Institute gets underway and delivers exciting research.
Qualifications
BA Hons (Oxford)
PhD (Bristol)
Room
465
Contact Details
Phone: +64 3 364 2967
Internal Phone: 6967
Email: lucy.johnston@canterbury.ac.nz
Postal address:
Department of Psychology
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch
New Zealand
Background
Lucy Johnston received her BA (Hons.) in 1987 from the University of Oxford and her Ph.D. in 1991 from the University of Bristol . After lecturing at the University of Wales , College of Cardiff from 1991 to 1993, she took up a position as a lecturer in social psychology at the University of Canterbury . In 1997 she was promoted to Senior Lecturer and in 2005 to Associate Professor. She spent 3 months as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Connecticut in 2004. Her research interests are in social cognition, stereotyping and social perception.
Thesis Supervision / Research / Publications / School Administration
Undergraduate Courses
PSYC
106: Introductory Psychology: Social, Personality and Development
Lucy and Professor Garth Fletcher teach the social psychology component
of this course in alternate years; for 2008 Professor Garth Fletcher will be teaching.
PSYC 209: Sensation, Perception and Language
Lucy contributes a number of lectures on Direct Perception to this
course.
PSYC 332: - Social Psychology - Course Coordinator
Graduate Courses
PSYC 454: - Contemporary Issues in Social Cognition and Stereotyping - Course Coordinator
PSYC 455: - Social Perception - Course Coordinator
Thesis Supervision
Lucy's preference is to have students working in areas closely related to her own research programme - see research interests page on this website, therefore happy to supervise research on Social Perception, and Stereotyping (including applications of stereotyping to the workplace), and to supervise students in the area of Sport Psychology, provided that there is some overlap with social psychology. Research involving Virtual Reality (immersive virtual environments) is also welcomed.
Supervision Style:
There has to be flexibility here, each student will respond best to a different type of interaction style with their supervisor. However, Lucy does have some preferences about style:
- Expects her thesis students to be completing an empirical piece of research.
- Is a fairly "hands-on" type of supervisor; regular reports (written and/or verbal) and regular meetings regarding progress. She operates an open door policy - "if I'm free students should feel free to approach me to discuss their research (or anything else)." The best way to make initial contact is, however, via e-mail.
- Expects thesis students to be self-motivated. It is primarily up to the student to keep their research moving.
- 3-4 days to turn around for any piece of written work (proposals, drafts etc.) given to her for comments.
Ongoing Student Projects/Theses:
PhD:
- Tracey McLellan: Dementia and the recognition of emotion
- Sanna Malinen: Implicit Attitudes: Their malleability and impact on behaviour
- Brad Miles: Artistic virtuosity as a sexually selected fitness indicator: A social psychological approach
- Amali Weerasinghe (Computer Science): Use of an affective model to enhance learning
MA:
- Meredith Blampied: Sensitivity to facial expressions of emotion in children with and without autism.
- Laura Halliday: How do you know they are happy?: Identifying aspects of facial expressions that specify underlying emotional states.
MSc (Applied Psychology):
- Rebecca James: Reducing implicit endorsement of the stereotype that males are better suited to science careers than women: A comparison of alternative methods.
- David Nye: The Impact of the Inclusion of Minority Seeking and Equal Employment Opportunity Statements in a Recruitment Advertisement on Perceptions of Organisational Attractiveness by Asian and Caucasian Job Seekers.
Recently Completed Projects/Theses:
PhD:
- Lynden Miles: Smiles, Affordances and Social Interaction
MA:
- Josephine Baker: Coping strategies, identity development and the perception of social support as a function of attachment style
- Kirsty Pillay: Adolescent Risk-taking: The relationship between risk judgments and risk behavior
- Frances Williams: The Impact of Chronic Pain on relationship satisfaction and depression
- Sonja Blackburn: The relationship between perfectionism, self-awareness, negative affect and binge eating: An application of Escape Theory to Binge Eating
- Leah Havighurst: Detecting self-experienced accounts using the Aberdeen Report Judgment Scale
- Simon Bate: The under representation of female coaches in field hockey
- Heather Curtis: Do students who attend Maori language classes have higher collective self esteem, subjective vitality, and academic aspirations than students who do not attend such classes?
- Deborah McFadyen: Date rape: Social perception of rape myths and stereotypes
- Fran Vertue: Positive Emotion and Ingratiation Strategies in Female Adolescents
- Linda Makhija: The moderating effects of organisational self-esteem, sex, and status on the conflict style of employees
- Nicholas Love: Changing social stereotypes: The impact of inconsistent information on stereotypes of and affective reactions to target groups
- Rebekah Gunns: Victim selection and kinematics: A point-light assessment of vulnerability to attack
- Serena Butt: The social implications for children attending children's health camps
MSc:
- Konstantin Zakahrov (Computer Science): Machines respecting human nature: Recognition and support of affective states in an ITS
- Geri Henry : Weight maintenance and the Relapse Prevention Model
- Stephen Kearney : Dispositional Differences in Confirmatory Biases in Information-Seeking about Stereotyped Targets
- Lynden Miles: Social loafing in team sports: An evaluation of the Collective Effort Model
- Richard Grundy: An investigation into physiognomic perception: Accurate judgments of psychopathic traits and criminality from facial photographs
MSc (Applied Psychology):
- Yvette Keys: Virtual businesses
- Jeremy Brocklehurst: The Spontaneous Categorisation of Targets Based on the Genuine versus Posed Smile Distinction
- Shane Crowhen: Identifying Organizational Stressors and Measuring Strains in Professional Rugby Players
- Patricia Evers: What Impact do Diversity Statements in Recruitment Advertisements have on Immigrant Job-Seekers Perceptions of Organisational Attractiveness?
- Katrina Maxwell: The Impact of Facial Expressions on Evaluations of Job Applicants for Differing Job Types in the Screening Phase of the Occupational Selection Process
- Elizabeth Vining: The Impact of Facial Expressions on Evaluations of Job Applicants for Differing Job Types in the Screening Phase of the Occupational Selection Process
- Emily Stephens: The impact of flexi-time on employee's levels of job satisfaction, work-life conflict and their perceptions of the work environment
- Katherine Aitkin: The effects of academic self-efficacy on university students' stress levels and coping styles in response to academic demands.
- Sanna Malinen: Sex-based bias in evaluations: The effect of an EEdO-statement and the role of implicit attitudes
- Anna Johnstone : All work and no play: The relationship between organizatuonal climate and workaholism
- Rachel Petersen : Motivation as a moderator between LMX and self efficacy, implications for the individual and the workplace
- Rebecca Holloway: Motivated activation and inhibition of conflicting stereotypes: Perceived legitimacy of selection decisions made by female managers
- Jane Perkin: The effect of implicit person theories on interpretations of academic success and failure
- Sarah McNab: Equal Employment Opportunity Statements in Job Advertisements: their Impact on Applicants' Perceptions of Organisations
- Jeff Gibb: Assessing the impact of negative deviations from clients cognitive scripts about professional service
- Sharon Reid: Gender Harassment in the workplace: An investigation into sex differences and different media used by a perpetrator
- Catherine Fuller: The Glass Ceiling: Perspectives from Year 13 females
- Brad Norris: Self-motivation and its influence on goal setting behavior and exercise adherence
- Julian Carson: Equal opportunity in employment policies: Their impact on sex discrimination in personnel decisions
- Erik Fraser: The effect of subjective ease of recall of group differences and similarities on stereotypic judgments, as a function of prejudice level
Honours Projects:
- Katherine Brinsmead-Stockham ( University of Bath ): The influence of motivational factors on adaptive person construal
- Victoria Peace ( University of Bath ): (Don't) Say Cheese: How the veracity of a positive facial expression can influence commercial product evaluations
- Clare Carter ( University of Bath ): Interaction between implicit and explicit forces on behavior
- Katie Arden ( University of Bath ): Adaptive person construal: A function of fertility
Research Interests
Main areas of research interest and some ongoing projects are detailed below.
Stereotyping/Prejudice/Discrimination
Ongoing research projects:
Behavioral Mimicry: In many social interactions we take-on the mannerisms (gestures, postures, speech styles) of our interaction partners, without awareness that we are so doing. Generally such mimicry improves the flow of social interactions and increases social rapport. In our studies. We are investigating to what extent do stereotypic features of an individual and their relationship with the perceiver inhibit or promote mimicry? Does mimicry of, or by, stigmatized others leads to enhanced liking and rapport, as previously documented for non-stigmatized dyads? (Johnston, 2002; Yabar, Johnston , Miles, and Peace, in press). This work is currently being conducted with Dr Yanelia Yabar (Open Polytechnic of New Zealand), and Dr Lynden Miles (a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Psychology Department). This work includes use fo immersive virtual environments (“virtual reality”).
Further research linking behavioural mimicry with non-deliberative
synchronization of movement is also being conducted in collaboration
with colleagues in the US (Drs Richardson, Schmidt and Marsh).
Stereotyping and discrimination in the workplace: Recently
supervised a number of projects/theses that have looked at aspects
of stereotyping in the workplace, including the impact of EEO statements
in advertisements (McNab and Johnston, 2002); the impact of including
photographs with job applications (Watkins and Johnston, 2000); motivated
stereotype use (Holloway and Johnston, in press), sexual harassment;
and reactions to sexist comments.
Social Perception
Ongoing projects
Adaptive Person Construal: We are investigating the extent to which sex-based categorization of others is adaptive. Our first research offered some support for this hypothesis as women were faster to categorize men (but not women) in periods of high fertility (ovulation) than in periods of low fertility (menstruation). In addition, however, the results from women taking a contraceptive pill suggested that the impact of fertility on perception could be overcome by motivational factors (Johnston, Arden, Macrae, and Grace, 2002). Subsequent studies have looked at the sensitivity of males to female fertility status (Johnston, Miles, Carter, & Macrae, 2005) and the impact of sexual orientation on female sensitivity (Brinsmead-Stockham, Johnston , Miles, & Macrae, in press). Ongoing work is looking at the impact of various motivational factors on sex-based categorization and is being conducted with Dr Locke ( University of Western Australia ), and Dr Miles and Professor Macrae ( University of Aberdeen).
Implicit effects of facial expression of emotion. Dr Miles recently completed his PhD under Lucy's supervision, investigating implicit perceiver sensitivity to genuine and posed expressions of happiness (smiles). This work is currently being extended to include additional emotions (fear, sadness, disgust, anger) and to consider the sensitivity of various clinical populations (e.g., autism, ADHD, social phobia, traumatic brain injury; dementia) to expressions of emotion. This work is being conducted along with Tracey McLellan (a PhD student in the Psychology Department), Associate Professor John Dalrymple-Alford (Psychology), Dr Catherine Moran (Communication Disorders) and Associate Professor Richard Porter and Dr Caroline Bell (Christchurch School of Medicine).
We are also exploring the underlying brain regions involved in perceiver sensitivity to genuine and posed expressions of emotion using fMRI technology, in collaboration with Dr Watts (Physics and Astronomy).
Kinematic Specification: One set of experiments demonstrated how vulnerability to attack could be specified by walking style (Gunns et al., 2002) and another set of experiments showed how movement training could lead to changes in walking style and also in vulnerability to attack (Johnston et al., 2002). In addition, research has considered the extent to which deceptive intention can be specified in movement (Richardson & Johnston, 2005). Extensions of this research to consider the specification of sex and dominance through auditory kinematic information are currently being explored.
Sport
I have recently supervised a number of theses in various aspects of
sport (e.g., social loafing; under-representation of women; anticipatory
cue detection) and am keen to continue to do so. In addition I am
involved in a lot of participant observation in this area (cycling
and running primarily).
More information on Social Perception Lab
School Administration
Departmental Administrative Duties:
Current:
- Assistant Head of Department 2009
- Reviewer/Mentor in Departmental Performance Review and Development process, 2007
Previous:
- Member of the Departmental Research Committee 1996-99 and 2002-2009, and Committee Convenor 1997-99 and 2006-2009.
- This committee is responsible for the allocation of departmental research grants, ranking of external research grant applications, review of student research proposals and budgets, and development of research policy and guidelines.
- As chair of the committee in 1998 I introduced a new system of review and feedback for student research (MA, MSc and PhD thesis proposals).
- As chair of the committee in 2006 I organized the first Psychology Department Research Day.
- Member of the Departmental Curriculum Committee, 2002-2005.
- This committee has oversight of the department curriculum. It has led a major revision of 100 level courses, to be introduced in 2005, and an ongoing review of the entire undergraduate curriculum.
- On behalf of the committee I developed and ran a seminar, “Getting started on a thesis”, for prospective graduate students in 2003 and 2005.
- HoD’s nominee on Staff-Student Liaison Committee, 1999-2004.
- Departmental Building Committee, 1994-2002; Departmental Representative on the Building Project Control Group for the new floors on the laboratory block.
- Departmental Coordinating Committee, 1997-99.
- Departmental Personnel Committee, 1996-97. Main tasks include assignment of teaching assistants and guest lecturers; and nomination of visiting Erskine Fellows.
- Member of ad hoc appointment committees for a lectureship in quantitative psychology (2000) and a lectureship in clinical psychology (2001)
- Departmental ERAU (Educational Research Advisory Unit) contact person, 1994-95.
College
Current:
- Member of the College Research Advisory Group (RAG), 2007
Previous:
- Member of the College Research and Postgraduate Committee, 2005-2007
- Elected member of the College Academic Staffing Committee for the promotions round 2006
- Member of a think-tank established by the PVC Science to explore the number and status of academic women in the College of Science, 2004.
University Administration:
Current:
- Deputy Dean, Postgraduate Studies 2009.
- PVC (Science)’s nominee, University Postgraduate Committee, 2008
- Elected member of the University Research Committee, 2006: Member of sub-committee for allocation of Summer Scholarships, 2008, 2009
- Member of the Academic Board; departmental representative, 1997-2004; elected member from the College of Science, 2004-2007; Dean of Science’s nominee 2007-2010.
Previous:
- Assistant Dean of Postgraduate Studies (30% secondment), July 2008-February 2009.
- Member, Academic group, VC interviews 2008
- Co-opted member of School of Communication and Political Science Promotions review Committee, 2008.
- Marshall, Science graduation ceremonies 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009.
- Co-opted member of the ad-hoc College of Engineering Equity and Diversity Group, 2007
- Appointed member of Study Leave Review Group 2006-2008
- Elected academic member of the Academic Promotions Committee, 2005: Member of the subsequent working party to revise the Academic promotions criteria and processes 2006.
- Appointed member of the Human Resources Advisory Committee, 2004-2005
- Member of Academic Staffing Committee (elected from, and by, Academic Board), 1998-2001; 2001-2004; Deputy Chair 2002-2004.
- Member of Staff Policy Committee (elected from, and by, Academic Board), 1999-2002; 2002-2005.
- Member of the University Organization Structure Project Steering Group, October 2002-April 2003. Within the Steering Group I was the Chairperson of the Research Working Group and a member of the People Working Group.
- Member of University Equity and Diversity Advisory Group, 2002-2003.
- Appointed member of working party to review the Graduate Diploma and Diploma of Science, 2003.
- Appointed member of ad-hoc appointment committees for a Professor in Economics (2003). a Professor in Speech and Language Therapy (2002), and an Associate Professor in Civil Engineering (2004).
- Member of interview panel for the appointment of a Research Grants Advisor in the University Research Office, 2003.
- Member of mock interview panel for UC Rhodes Scholar applicants, 2003.
- VC’s nominee and chair of Foundation Board in Sport, 1998-2002.
- Member of Working Party to draft a Code of Conduct for University Staff for inclusion in the HR manual, 2001.
- Member of the HR Working Party looking at Staff Remuneration, 2000.
- Member of the HR Working party drafting the "Canterbury Way Forward", 1999.
Recent Publications (after 2000)
Johnston, L., Miles, L., & Macrae, C.N. (in press) Was that a man? Sex identification as a function of menstrual cycle and masculinity. Applied Cognitive Psychology.
Johnston, L., Miles, L., & McKinlay, A. (in press). A critical review of the Eyes Test as a measure of social-cognitive impairment. Australian Journal of Psychology.
McLellan, T.M., Johnston, L., Dalrymple-Alford, J., Porter, R. (in press). The recognition of facial expressions of emotion in Alzheimer's disease: A review of findings. Acta Neuropsychiatrica.
Zhang, B., Johnston, L., & Bagci Kilic, G. (in press) Assessing the reliability of self and peer rating in student group work. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education.
Brinsmead-Stockham, Johnston, L., Miles, L., Macrae, C.N. (2008). Female sexual orientation and menstrual influences on person perception. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44, 729-734.
Johnston, L., & Miles, L. (2007). Attributions and stereotype moderation. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 36, 13-17.
Johnston, L., & Peace, V. (2007). Where did that car come from: Crossing the road when the traffic comes from an unfamiliar direction. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 39, 866-893.
Malinen, S., & Johnston, L. (2007). The influence of an equity statement on perceivers' implicit and explicit associations between males and science. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 36, 18-24.
Malinen, S., & Johnston, L. (2007). The influence of an equity statement on perceivers' implicit and explicit associations between males and science. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 36, 18-24.
Miles, L. & Johnston, L. (2007). Detecting happiness: Perceiver sensitivity to enjoyment and non-enjoyment smiles. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 31, 259-275.
Blackburn, S., Johnston, L., Blampied , N.M. , Popp, D., & Kallen, R. (2006). An application of Escape Theory to binge eating. European Review of Eating Disorders, 14, 23-31.
Holloway, R., & Johnston, L. (2006). Evaluating the Evaluators: Perceptions of interviewers by rejected job applicants as a function of interviewer and applicant sex. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36, 2635-2648.
Johnston, L. (2006). Reducing stereotype-based judgments: The impact of habitual stereotype use. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 35, 14-20.
Miles, L. & Johnston, L. (2006). Not all smiles are created equal: An investigation of the implicit impact of posed and genuine smiles on the social perceiver. In C.M. Fletcher-Flinn & G.M. Haberman (Eds.), Cognition and Language: Perspectives from New Zealand, pp. 51-64.
Peace, V., Miles, L., & Johnston, L. (2006). It doesn't matter what you wear: The impact of posed and genuine expressions of happiness on product evaluation. Social Cognition, 24, 137-169.
The Global Deception Team (2006). A World of Lies. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 37, 60-74.
Yabar, Y., Johnston , L., Miles, L., & Peace, V. (2006). Implicit Behavioural Mimicry of an In-group and an Out-group Member. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 30, 97-113.
Johnstone, A. & Johnston, L. (2005) All Work and No Play: The Relationship between Organizational Climate and Workaholism. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 34, 181-188.
Johnston, L., Miles, L., Carter, C., & Macrae, C.N. (2005). Menstrual Influences on Person Perception: Male Sensitivity to Fluctuating Female Fertility. Social Cognition, 23, 279-290.
Rudge, A.D., Chase, J.G., Shaw, G.M., Lee, D.S., Wake, G.C., Hudson , I. & Johnston, L. (2005). Impact of Control on Agitation-Sedation Dynamics. Control Engineering Practice (CEP), 13, 1139-1149.
Richardson , M. & Johnston, L. (2005) Person Recognition from Dynamic Events: The Kinematic Specification of Individual Identity in Walking Style. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 29, 25-44.
Chase, J G, Rudge, A D, Shaw, G M, Wake, G C, Lee, D, Hudson, I and Johnston, L (2004). Modeling and Control of the Agitation-Sedation Cycle for Critical Care Patients. Medical Engineering and Physics, 26, 459-473.
Dzendrowskyj, P., Shaw, G., & Johnston, L. (2004). Effects of nursing industrial action on relatives of intensive care patients: A 16-month follow-up. New Zealand Medical Journal, 117.
Johnston, L., & Miles, L. (2004). Assessing contributions to group assignments. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 29. 751-768.
Johnston , L., Hudson , S.M., Richardson , M.J., Gunns, R.E., & Garner, M. (2004). Changing kinematics as a means of reducing vulnerability to attack. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 34, 514-537.
Johnston , L., Arden , K., Macrae, C.N., & Grace, R.C. (2003). The need for speed: The menstrual cycle and personal construal. Social Cognition, 21, 89-100.
Simpson, G., Johnston, L., & Richardson, M.J. (2003). Road crossing in a virtual environment. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 35, 787-796.
Johnston, L. & Miles, L. (2003). Responding to the social world: Attributions and stereotype-based judgments. In J. Forgas, K. Williams & W. von Hippel (Eds.), Social judgments: Implicit and explicit processes, pp. 364-386. Cambridge University Press.
Gunns, R.E., Johnston, L., & Hudson, S.M. (2002). Victim selection and kinematics: A point-light investigation of vulnerability to attack. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 26, 129-158.
McNab, S.M., & Johnston, L. (2002).The impact of equal opportunity statements in job advertisements on applicants' perceptions of organizations. Australian Journal of Psychology, 54, 105-109 .
Locke, V. & Johnston, L. (2001). Stereotypes and prejudice: A social-cognitive approach. In M. Augoustinos and K. Reynolds (Eds.), Us and Them: Stereotyping and prejudice (pp. 107-125). London : Sage
Johnston, L. (2001). Discrimination, social. In Reader's Guide to the Social Sciences. Vol. 1 (pp. 395-396). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, UK .
Johnston, L. (2001). Ingroup and Outgroup. In Reader's Guide to the Social Sciences. Vol. 1 (pp. 814-815). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, UK .
Johnston, L. (2001). Stereotype. In Reader's Guide to the Social Sciences. Vol. II (pp. 1601-1602). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, UK .
Johnston, L. (2001). Stigma. In Reader's Guide to the Social Sciences. Vol. II (pp. 1602-1604). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, UK .