The mission for the School of Psychology is to teach and conduct applied psychological
research related to the improvement of Quality of Life. The Applied Social Psychology
and the Cognitive Psychology groups collaborate in research on road accidents, driving
behaviour, and psychological functioning. This has involved recent research on impairment
of performance and psychological impairment in relation to (i) fatigue disorders, (ii)
shiftwork, (iii) stress; and (iv) drug use. The Biological Psychology group is involved
in major programmes in behavioural pharmacology, hormones and behaviour.
The School is housed in a purpose-designed building with specialist facilities including
the Leeds Advanced Driving Simulator.
This facility is one of the most advanced driving simulators in Europe.
Professor Bob Hockey obtained his PhD in Experimental Psychology at the University of
Cambridge in 1969. After significant appointments at a number of institutions including the
MRC/ESR Social and Applied Psychology Unit (Sheffield) and the University of Hull, he
was appointed this year as Chair in Human Performance in the School of Psychology,
University of Leeds. Professor Hockey has extensive experience in research and modelling
of fatigue, stress and workload. His research interests relate to the valid measurement of
these constructs.
Samantha Jamson has a joint appointment at the
Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) and
the Department of Psychology,
University of Leeds and is a member of the British Psychological
Society. She has worked on a variety of research projects using the driving simulator and
instrumented cars as evaluation tools, in particular focusing on issues such as behavioural
adaptation. Such projects include evaluations of Transport Telematics applications
(Variable Message Signs, in-car feedback displays, automatic speed control) as well as more
traditional implementations such as novel road markings and alignment.
Other areas of interest include the training of complex skills in applied settings and mental
workload measurement techniques.
Dr. Nicoleta Liliana Read received her MD from Cluj Medical University in 1992, her BA
(Psychology) from Babes-Bolyai University, her MSc from the University of Manchester and her
PhD (Cognitive Psychology and Psychiatry) from the
University of Leeds, with a dissertation
entitled 'Driving competence in healthy and demented elderly'. She has been a Senior Research
Fellow in the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds until recently,
when he was recruited to become the UK Government´s Research Manager for Driver
Impairment research. Her research interests related to driving include age and cognitive
impairment, medication and fatigue effects, chronic medical conditions, and sustained mobility.
She has worked on a variety of research projects in the field of transport safety and medicine.
Chris Wood has an appointment at the Department of Psychology,
University of Leeds and is a member of the British Psychological Society. He has worked on a number of research
projects since obtaining his BSc in Psychology and Neuroscience in 1997. Chris is now completing his MSc in
'Information Technology' and is currently working of the Leeds School of Medicine Intranet.
His research interests related to driving are the effects illness and drugs
(both licit and illicit) on driving performance.
