Professor Geoffrey Ward
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Email
gdward@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 873799
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Location
3.709, Colchester Campus
Profile
Biography
Geoff grew up in Slough, Berkshire, where he attended Langley Grammar School and studied science subjects at A-level. His interest in Biology and Chemistry prompted him to read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, with the aim of specialising in Biochemistry. Unexpectedly, he found that he was more inspired by one of his second year options, Experimental Psychology, which he took in the final year as his Part II. This proved to be a successful switch because he was awarded the Passingham Prize in Experimental Psychology from the University of Cambridge in 1989. After a year off, working for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods (MAFF), he studied for his doctorate in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford where he examined the roles of memory and attention in planning and problem-solving under the supervision of Prof. Alan Allport. Geoff was appointed as Lecturer in Psychology in 1993, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer (2000), Reader (2002) and then Professor (2005). He was the Head of the Department of Psychology between January 1st, 2014- 31st December 2016. Externally, he has served as committee member and then Secretary of the Cognitive Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society, and he has been an Associate Editor of Memory & Cognition (2009-2014) and has recently been on the Editorial Board of Psychological Bulletin (2020-2022). He has two main areas of current research: (1) examining verbal working memory and episodic memory, especially immediate serial and free recall, and (2) examining the possibility of augmenting human memory through technology.
Qualifications
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BA hons Natural Sciences (Part II: Experimental Psychology) University of Cambridge, (1989)
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D. Phil. Experimental Psychology University of Oxford, (1993)
Appointments
University of Essex
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Lecturer, Psychology, University of Essex (1/10/1993 - 31/8/2000)
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Senior Lecturer, Psychology, University of Essex (1/9/2000 - 31/8/2005)
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Professor, Psychology, University of Essex (1/9/2005 - present)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Similarities and differences between different memory tasks, especially immediate serial recall and free recall
General properties of episodic memory
Memory structures and processes
The use of technology to enhance human memory
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Cognitive Psychology and Economics (EC956)
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Understanding Our Place in the World (PS101)
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Growing in the World (PS102)
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Experiencing Emotion (PS103)
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Thinking and the Mind (PS104)
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The Social World (PS105)
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The Social Brain (PS106)
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Cognitive Psychology (PS425)
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Topics in Human Memory (PS491)
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MSc Psychology Research Project (PS900)
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Advanced Cognitive Psychology (PS952)
Previous supervision
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 18/11/2015
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 17/10/2014
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 1/3/2013
Publications
Publications (1)
Mason, A., Brown, G., Ward, G. and Farrell, S., (2022). The role of episodic sampling in evaluation
Journal articles (48)
Mason, A., Brown, GDA., Ward, G. and Farrell, S., (2024). The role of episodic memory sampling in evaluation.. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. 31 (3), 1353-1363
Ward, G. and Beaman, PC., (2024). The Working Memory Model and the relationship between immediate serial recall and immediate free recall. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 78 (2), 310-336
Ward, G. and Tan, L., (2023). The Role of Rehearsal and Reminding in the Recall of Categorized Word Lists. Cognitive Psychology. 143, 101563-101563
Jarjat, G., Ward, G., Hot, P., Portrat, S. and Loaiza, V., (2021). Distinguishing the Impact of Age on Semantic and Non-Semantic Associations in Episodic Memory. Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 76 (4), 722-731
Cortis Mack, C., Harding, M., Davies, N. and Ward, G., (2019). RECAPP-XPR: A smartphone application for presenting and recalling experimentally controlled stimuli over longer timescales. Behavior Research Methods. 51 (4), 1804-1823
Ward, G. and Tan, L., (2019). Control processes in short-term storage: Retrieval strategies in immediate recall depend upon the number of words to be recalled. Memory and Cognition. 47 (4), 658-682
Grenfell-Essam, R., Ward, G. and Cortis Mack, C., (2019). Temporal isolation effects in immediate recall. Journal of Memory and Language. 109, 104049-104049
Cortis Mack, C., Dent, K. and Ward, G., (2018). Near-Independent Capacities and Highly Constrained Output Orders in the Simultaneous Free Recall of Auditory-Verbal and Visuo-Spatial Stimuli. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 44 (1), 107-134
Cinel, C., Cortis Mack, C. and Ward, G., (2018). Towards augmented human memory: Retrieval-induced forgetting and retrieval practice in an interactive, end-of-day review. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. 147 (5), 632-661
Oberauer, K., Lewandowsky, S., Awh, E., Brown, GDA., Conway, A., Cowan, N., Donkin, C., Farrell, S., Hitch, GJ., Hurlstone, M., Ma, WJ., Morey, CC., Nee, DE., Schweppe, J., Vergauwe, E. and Ward, G., (2018). Benchmarks for Models of Short Term and Working Memory. Psychological Bulletin. 144 (9), 885-958
Oberauer, K., Lewandowsky, S., Awh, E., Brown, GDA., Conway, A., Cowan, N., Donkin, C., Farrell, S., Hitch, GJ., Hurlstone, MJ., Ma, WJ., Morey, CC., Nee, DE., Schweppe, J., Vergauwe, E. and Ward, G., (2018). Benchmarks provide common ground for model development: Reply to Logie (2018) and Vandierendonck (2018).. Psychological Bulletin. 144 (9), 972-977
Cortis Mack, C., Cinel, C., Davies, N., Harding, M. and Ward, G., (2017). Serial position, output order, and list length effects for words presented on smartphones over very long intervals. Journal of Memory and Language. 97, 61-80
Grenfell-Essam, R., Ward, GD. and Tan, L., (2017). Common Modality Effects in Immediate Free Recall and Immediate Serial Recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 43 (12), 1909-1933
Niforatos, E., Cinel, C., Cortis Mack, C., Langheinrich, M. and Ward, G., (2017). Can Less be More?. Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies. 1 (2), 1-22
Harvey, M., Langheinrich, M. and Ward, G., (2016). Remembering through lifelogging: A survey of human memory augmentation. Pervasive and Mobile Computing. 27, 14-26
Tan, L., Ward, GD., Paulauskaite, L. and Markou, M., (2016). Beginning at the Beginning: Recall Order and the Number of Words to Be Recalled.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 42 (8), 1282-1292
Clinch, S., Davies, N., Mikusz, M., Metzger, P., Langheinrich, M., Schmidt, A. and Ward, G., (2016). Collecting Shared Experiences through Lifelogging: Lessons Learned. IEEE Pervasive Computing. 15 (1), 58-67
Cortis, C., Dent, K., Kennett, S. and Ward, G., (2015). First things first: Similar list length and output order effects for verbal and nonverbal stimuli.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 41 (4), 1179-1214
Davies, N., Friday, A., Clinch, S., Sas, C., Langheinrich, M., Ward, G. and Schmidt, A., (2015). Security and Privacy Implications of Pervasive Memory Augmentation. IEEE Pervasive Computing. 14 (1), 44-53
Grenfell-Essam, R. and Ward, G., (2015). The effect of selective attention and a stimulus prefix on the output order of immediate free recall of short and long lists.. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology / Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale. 69 (1), 1-16
Spurgeon, J., Ward, GD., Matthews, WJ. and Farrell, S., (2014). Can the effects of temporal grouping explain the similarities and differences between free recall and serial recall?. Memory & Cognition. 43 (3), 469-488
Spurgeon, J., Ward, G. and Matthews, WJ., (2014). Why do participants initiate free recall of short lists of words with the first list item? Toward a general episodic memory explanation.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 40 (6), 1551-1567
Spurgeon, J., Ward, G. and Matthews, WJ., (2014). Examining the relationship between immediate serial recall and immediate free recall: Common effects of phonological loop variables but only limited evidence for the phonological loop.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 40 (4), 1110-1141
Grenfell-Essam, R., Ward, G. and Tan, L., (2013). The role of rehearsal on the output order of immediate free recall of short and long lists.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 39 (2), 317-347
Grenfell-Essam, R. and Ward, G., (2012). Examining the relationship between free recall and immediate serial recall: The role of list length, strategy use, and test expectancy. Journal of Memory and Language. 67 (1), 106-148
Moreton, BJ. and Ward, GD., (2010). Time scale similarity and long-term memory for autobiographical events. Psychonomic Bulletin & Revie. 17 (4), 510-515
Ward, G., Tan, L. and Grenfell-Essam, R., (2010). Examining the relationship between free recall and immediate serial recall: The effects of list length and output order.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 36 (5), 1207-1241
Bhatarah, P., Ward, G., Smith, J. and Hayes, L., (2009). Examining the relationship between free recall and immediate serial recall: Similar patterns of rehearsal and similar effects of word length, presentation rate, and articulatory suppression. Memory & Cognition. 37 (5), 689-713
Bhatarah, P., Ward, G. and Tan, L., (2008). Examining the relationship between free recall and immediate serial recall: The serial nature of recall and the effect of test expectancy. Memory & Cognition. 36 (1), 20-34
TAN, L. and WARD, G., (2008). Rehearsal in immediate serial recall. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. 15 (3), 535-542
Tan, L. and Ward, G., (2007). Output order in immediate serial recall. Memory & Cognition. 35 (5), 1093-1106
Bhatarah, P., Ward, GD. and Tan, L., (2006). Examining the relationship between free recall and immediate serial recall: the effect of concurrent task performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 32 (2), 215-229
Ward, G., Avons, SE. and Melling, L., (2005). Serial position curves in short‐term memory: Functional equivalence across modalities. Memory. 13 (3-4), 308-317
Ward, G. and Maylor, EA., (2005). Age-Related Deficits in Free Recall: The Role of Rehearsal. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A. 58 (1), 98-119
Avons, SE., Ward, G. and Melling, L., (2004). Item and Order Memory for Novel Visual Patterns Assessed by Two–Choice Recognition. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A. 57 (5), 865-891
Ward, G. and Tan, L., (2004). The Effect of the Length of To-Be-Remembered Lists and Intervening Lists on Free Recall: A Reexamination Using Overt Rehearsal.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 30 (6), 1196-1210
Ward, G., Woodward, G., Stevens, A. and Stinson, C., (2003). Using overt rehearsals to explain word frequency effects in free recall.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 29 (2), 186-210
Ward, G., (2002). A recency-based account of the list length effect in free recall. Memory & Cognition. 30 (6), 885-892
Ward, G., Roberts, MJ. and Phillips, LH., (2001). Task-Switching Costs, Stroop-Costs, and Executive Control: A Correlational Study. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A. 54 (2), 491-511
Avons, SE., Ward, G. and Russo, R., (2001). The dangers of taking capacity limits too literally. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 24 (1), 114-115
Tan, L. and Ward, G., (2000). A recency-based account of the primacy effect in free recall.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 26 (6), 1589-1625
Russo, R., Ward, GD., Geurts, H. and Scheres, A., (1999). When unfamiliarity matters: Changing environmental context between study and test affects recognition memory for unfamiliar stimuli. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 25 (2), 488-499
Kerr, JR., Avons, SE. and Ward, G., (1999). The effect of retention interval on serial position curves for item recognition of visual patterns and faces.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 25 (6), 1475-1494
Ward, G. and Churchill, EF., (1998). Two tests of instance-based and abstract rule-based accounts of invariant learning. Acta Psychologica. 99 (3), 235-253
Kerr, J., Ward, G. and Avons, SE., (1998). Response bias in visual serial order memory.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 24 (5), 1316-1323
Ward, G., Churchill, EF. and Musgrave, P., (1997). An investigation of cued recall of multiattribute stimuli.. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 23 (5), 1247-1260
Ward, G. and Allport, A., (1997). Planning and Problem solving Using the Five disc Tower of London Task. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology A. 50 (1), 49-78
Valentine, T., Bredart, S., Lawson, R. and Ward, G., (1991). What's in a name? access to information from people's names. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology. 3 (1), 147-176
Books (1)
(2005). The Cognitive Psychology of Planning. Psychology Press. 9780203493564
Book chapters (6)
Ward, G., (2024). Rehearsal Processes. In: Oxford Handbook of Human Memory, Volume I: Foundations. Editors: Kahana, MJ. and Wagner, AD., . Oxford University Press. 614- 649. 9780197746141
Clinch, S., Cortis Mack, C., Ward, G. and Steads, M., (2021). Technology-Augmented Perception and Cognition.. In: Technology-Augmented Perception and Cognition. Editors: Dingler, T. and Niforatos, E., . Springer Nature. 71- 124. 3030304574. 9783030304577
Thorn, A. and Page, M., (2008). Interactions Between Short-Term and Long-Term Memory in the Verbal Domain. In: Interactions Between Short-Term and Long-Term Memory in the Verbal Domain. Psychology Press. 44- 62. 9780203938966
Morris, R. and Ward, GD., (2004). Introduction: 'Plans' and 'Planning'. In: The Cognitive Psychology of Planning. Editors: Morris, R. and Ward, GD., . Taylor & Francis Group. 978-0-415-64677-2
Ward, GD., (2004). Planning and Executive Control of Thought and Action. In: The Cognitive Psychology of Planning. Editors: Morris, R. and Ward, GD., . Taylor & Francis Group. 89- 110. 978-0-415-64677-2
Ward, GD., (2001). A Critique of the Working Memory Model. In: Working Memory in Perspective. Editors: Andrade, J., . Taylor & Francis Group. 219- 239. 978-0-415-21199-4
Conferences (4)
ElAgroudy, P., Khoshdani, P., Dingler, T., Ward, G., Woźniak, PW. and Schmidt, A., (2021). Prisoner of Words: Lessons Learnt from Mobile Gamification of Lab Memory Experiments
Agroudy, PE., Machulla, T., Rzayev, R., Dingler, T., Funk, M., Schmidt, A., Ward, G. and Clinch, S., (2016). Impact of reviewing lifelogging photos on recalling episodic memories
Wolf, K., Abdelrahman, Y., Landwehr, M., Ward, GD. and Schmidt, A., (2016). How to browse through my large video data
Schmidt, A., Davies, N., Langheinrich, M. and Ward, G., (2014). Déjà vu -- technologies that make new situations look familiar
Reports and Papers (1)
Ward, G., (2022). Rehearsal Processes
Grants and funding
2016
PACTMAN: Trust, Privacy and Consent in Future Pervasive Environments
Engineering & Physical Sciences Res.Council
2013
RECALL - Enhancing Human Memory Recall
European Commission