I am interested in adaptive perspectives on human social behaviour. 

r.ward@bangor.ac.uk

I teach a module on Evolution and Human Social Behaviour. In my case, my teaching interests led to my research, rather than the other way round. After teaching this module for a few years, I found the material so fascinating that I changed my entire research programme.

Project supervision is currently along two lines, both related in my mind to adaptive perspectives on human social behaviour. The first is facial appearance and the judgements we draw from that, described further on my website. A new and developing line of research is about teamwork, and what separates effective from ineffective teams. 

I am interested in evolutionary perspectives on human social behaviour. My research is mainly focised on facial appearance, and the face as part of a social signal system. We all know that humans are are quick to a fault to make judgements about others on the basis of mere appearance. But why are we are so willing to make these judgements, and what does facial appearance actually reveal about us? In my view, the most surprising from my research is that facial appearance, at least as captured in "passport-style" photographs, can actually allow some accurate social judgements.

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.

2022

• Accepted/In pressA Generalised Semantic Cognition Account of Aesthetic Experience
  Bara, I., Binney, R. J., Ward, R. & Ramsey, R., 5 Jun 2022, (Accepted/In press) In: Neuropsychologia.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
• E-pub ahead of printMetacognition during unfamiliar face matching
  Kramer, R., Gous, G., Mireku, M. O. & Ward, R., 4 Jan 2022, (E-pub ahead of print) In: British Journal of Psychology.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2020

• PublishedChallenges and opportunities for top-down modulation research in cognitive psychology
  Ramsey, R. & Ward, R., Sep 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 Sep 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 Sep 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 Sep 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 Sep 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 Sep 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. (ed.) & Riddoch, M. J. (ed.), 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. (ed.) & Hommel, B. (ed.), 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. (ed.), 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

• Visuomotor principles in pack design.

  01/10/2009 – 01/08/2012 (Finished)

• Investigating Mechanisms Of Attention

  01/07/2008 – 31/08/2009 (Finished)

• Spatial Coding & Feature Binding In The

  07/03/2005 – 31/07/2009 (Finished)