Bruce Burns

Dr. Bruce Burns is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney, where he has been faculty since 2005. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University from 1998 to 2005. His academic journey began with a BSc (hons) from the University of Melbourne in 1987, followed by a PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1994.

Dr. Burns' research primarily focuses on higher-order cognition, with particular emphasis on:

• Decision making and streaks
• Goal specificity in problem solving
• Reasoning and causality (including the Monty Hall dilemma)
• Chess skill and expertise
• Competition as problem solving
• Analogical reasoning
• Motivation and problem solving

His work aligns with the University of Sydney's Faculty of Science Research Strengths in Brain, Behaviour and Cognition, Preventing and Treating Disease & Disorder, and Decision-Making for a Sustainable Future. Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on moral decision-making, Benford's Law applications in cognitive psychology, and analogical reasoning across diverse contexts.

Dr. Burns has received several research grants, including:

• 2022: "Cognitive fitness with a moral compass: Developing a new tool" (Booster Grant)
• 2020: "Cognitive fitness and morality" (Booster Grant)
• 2011: "The role of models in learning with complex tasks" (DFG Research Grant)
• 2009: "Investigating Benfords law and decision making" (Bridging Support Grant)
• 2006: "How streaks of events bias peoples decisions" (Bridging Support)
• 2005: "Hormones and decision making: Riskiness changes across the menstrual cycle" (Early Career Researcher Grant)

Currently, Dr. Burns supervises three research students working on projects related to risk aversion in morality, political psychology of Australians, and human-machine ethics in the age of AI.