Dean Petters

Dean Petters is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, specializing in Cognitive Psychology and Attachment Theory. He holds a PhD in Cognitive Science (2006) from the University of Birmingham, focusing on computational modelling of infant-mother attachment using autonomous agents. His research has been recognized with the prestigious Bowlby-Ainsworth Award (2019) for contributions to attachment theory.

His teaching spans cognitive psychology (emotion, decision-making, consciousness, cyberpsychology) and attachment theory (social development, caregiving, therapeutic applications). He has held academic leadership roles, including Programme Team Leader for Psychology at Arden University and Faculty Academic Lead for Technology-Enhanced Learning at Birmingham City University.

Key research areas include computational models of emotion, developmental object recognition, and technology-enhanced learning. His publications explore interdisciplinary topics such as the Church-Turing thesis' implications for cognitive science, and the integration of 4E cognition with attachment theory.

Notable awards include the Bowlby-Ainsworth Award, celebrating contributions to Bowlby and Ainsworth's foundational work. His work bridges artificial intelligence, developmental psychology, and human-computer interaction, with a focus on simulating attachment dynamics through computational systems.