Babette Rae

Dr. Babette Rae is an Associate Lecturer in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She holds a PhD in Psychology (Science) from the University of Newcastle (2018), alongside a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), both from the same institution. Her research focuses on cognitive science, music cognition, and the psychology of ageing, with particular emphasis on computational models of decision-making and perceptual judgment.

Education:

• PhD in Psychology - Science, University of Newcastle (2018)
• Bachelor of Music, University of Newcastle
• Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), University of Newcastle

Research Interests: Rae’s work bridges cognitive and computational psychology, exploring how cognitive frameworks explain decision-making processes across scales—from neuronal circuits to personality traits. She investigates music cognition, including absolute pitch perception and its links to language, and applies her expertise to ageing populations through creative interventions like songwriting programs. Her research also critiques methodological approaches in psychological experiments, such as the use of game-like features in data collection.

Grants & Funding: She secured $15,115 in grants, including:

• $5,965 (2022) for developing a songwriting intervention manual targeting cognitive decline and wellbeing in older adults (Creative Ageing Research Group).
• $9,150 (2011) investigating absolute pitch perception advantages in tonal language speakers (collaborating with Prof. Scott Brown and Conjoint Assoc. Prof. Shuguang Wang).

Advising & Grants: Rae currently supervises a PhD on late-diagnosed neurodivergence in women and gender-diverse adults. Her grants emphasize translating research into community programs and exploring foundational cognitive questions. She leads teams in interdisciplinary projects combining clinical, computational, and creative psychology.

Labs & Collaborations: She is affiliated with the Creative Ageing Research Group (https://creative-ageing.org/), focusing on ageing and creative interventions.