Nicholas Watier

Dr. Nicholas Watier is a faculty member at Brandon University's Department of Psychology, specializing in experimental psychology with focuses on threat perception, visual psychophysics, and face perception. He holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Ottawa (2012) and a BA (Hons) in Psychology from Laurentian University (2006). His research explores visual cues underlying threat appraisals, using experimental and computational methods. He teaches courses such as Fundamentals of Psychological Research, Advanced Statistics, and Perception, emphasizing the conjectural nature of knowledge.

Key research areas include threat perception in media and art (e.g., horror posters, metal album covers), face identification, and cognitive mechanisms. He has received a Canadian Psychological Association award and government grants. His work integrates visual artifacts and experimental paradigms to uncover how humans infer danger from visual stimuli.

Teaching responsibilities span undergraduate and advanced courses, with a focus on fostering critical thinking and statistical literacy. Collaborations include studies on holistic face processing, directed forgetting, and mindfulness effects on cognition. His lab integrates psychophysical and computational approaches to address perceptual and cognitive questions.

• Phone: (204) 727-9731
• Office: Room 1-09, John R. Brodie Science Centre