معرفی
Ben R. Newell is a Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Deputy Head of the School of Psychology at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney). In 2023, he was appointed Director of the interdisciplinary UNSW Institute for Climate Risk and Response, reflecting his leadership in applying psychological science to societal challenges. He is a leading figure in judgment and decision-making research, with broad interdisciplinary applications.
His research focuses on the cognitive processes underlying human judgment, choice, and decision-making. Key interests include how people learn from feedback, acquire knowledge, and make decisions under uncertainty. He investigates these processes in real-world contexts such as environmental risk, medical decisions, financial behavior, and forensic reasoning. His work integrates cognitive modeling with behavioral experimentation to understand both biases and adaptive strategies in decision-making.
Recent publications highlight his innovative use of natural language models to validate cognitive theories, experimental studies on saving behavior under income volatility, and investigations into how task context affects effort and boredom. These works reflect a trend toward integrating computational methods with traditional experimental psychology to deepen understanding of decision architecture.
Ben Newell is actively engaged in the academic community, serving on the editorial boards of premier journals including:
- Psychological Science
- Perspectives on Psychological Science
- Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
- Thinking & Reasoning
- Decision
- Journal of Behavioral Decision Making
- Experimental Psychology
He is also a Consulting Editor for Judgment & Decision Making and a member of the inaugural Academic Advisory Panel of the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government, advising on evidence-based policy. He co-authored the influential textbook Straight Choices: The Psychology of Decision Making (3rd ed., 2022) and Open Minded: Searching for Truth about the Unconscious Mind. Though specific advisees are not listed, he mentors students within UNSW’s School of Psychology and leads a research team focused on cognitive and decision sciences. His work at the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk and Response involves interdisciplinary collaboration to improve societal responses to climate-related risks through behavioral insight.
