Dr Rick O'Gorman
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Email
rogorman@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 872128
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Location
4.712, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
By appt.
Profile
Biography
Dr Rick O'Gorman initially studied psychology for his BSc at University College Cork, Ireland. He then completed an MA at University College Dublin on non-verbal behaviour. After a brief sojourn for fieldwork in the Gambia, he commenced a PhD at the State University of New York, Binghamton, in the US. His PhD examined social norms from an evolutionary perspective, working with David Sloan Wilson. After completing his PhD in 2003, Dr Rick O'Gorman moved to Essex to work with Marco Perugini on implicit attitudes, before moving to the University of Kent to work with Mark van Vugt on leadership. He joined the psychology group at Sheffield Hallam University as a lecturer in 2007 before moving to our Department in August 2009.
Qualifications
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BSc
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PGCE
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MA
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PhD
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Cooperation and altruism
Why are humans cooperative? What are the limits, how do we decide whether to help or not?
Computer modelling of social phenomenon
Applications of social cognition techniques to evolutionary questions
A lot of social psychology and social cognition does not have an evolutionary psychology framework. We can take concepts and findings and explore them suing evolutionary psychology to think about them differently.
Biosocial psychology
Can we use biology to understand human behaviour? For example, can we use eye-pupils to understand attitudes to incest? Does what we look at tell us about social priorities?
Evolutionary psychology
I am interested in using evolutionary psychology to ask novel questions about human behaviour. As examples: Does the sex of our siblings affect our adult behaviour (drawing on research on incest)? Is disgust different from anger (drawing on theories about emotions)? Are political attitudes shaped by evolutionary priorities (applying findings from EP to social attitudes)?
Current research
Volunteering before and during the pandemic
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Applied Psychology (PS118)
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Evolutionary Psychology: How natural and sexual selection helped shape the human mind (PS490)
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Enhancing employability and career planning (PS417)
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MSc Psychology Research Project (PS900)
Previous supervision
Degree subject: Biosocial Research
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 29/11/2023
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 8/4/2020
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 8/7/2019
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 17/12/2018
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 10/12/2018
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 12/10/2018
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Master of Science (by Dissertation)
Awarded date: 5/10/2018
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 9/7/2018
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 20/7/2017
Publications
Journal articles (20)
Webb, ALM., Hibbard, PB. and O'Gorman, R., (2020). Contrast normalisation masks natural expression-related differences and artificially enhances the perceived salience of fear expressions. PLoS One. 15 (6), e0234513-e0234513
O'Gorman, R., Redhead, DJ., von Rueden, C., Gurven, M. and Kaplan, H., (2019). The dynamics of men’s cooperation and social status in a small-scale society. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 286 (1908), 20191367-20191367
Redhead, DJ., Cheng, JT., Driver, C., Foulsham, T. and O'Gorman, R., (2019). On the dynamics of social hierarchy: A longitudinal investigation of the rise and fall of prestige, dominance, and social rank in naturalistic task groups. Evolution and Human Behavior. 40 (2), 222-234
Webb, ALM., Hibbard, PB. and O'Gorman, R., (2018). Natural variation in female reproductive hormones does not affect contrast sensitivity.. Royal Society Open Science. 5 (2), 171566-171566
O'Gorman, R. and Roberts, R., (2017). Distinguishing Family from Friends. Human Nature. 28 (3), 323-343
Bode, NWF., Miller, J., O'Gorman, R. and Codling, EA., (2015). Increased costs reduce reciprocal helping behaviour of humans in a virtual evacuation experiment. Scientific Reports. 5 (1), 15896-
O'Gorman, R., (2014). Homogeneity of mind can yield heterogeneity in behavior producing emergent collaboration in groups. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 37 (03), 267-268
Barkow, JH., O'Gorman, R. and Rendell, L., (2012). Are the New Mass Media Subverting Cultural Transmission?. Review of General Psychology. 16 (2), 121-133
Perugini, M., Conner, M. and O'Gorman, R., (2011). Automatic Activation of Individual Differences: A Test of the Gatekeeper Model in the Domain of Spontaneous Helping. European Journal of Personality. 25 (6), 465-476
O'Gorman, R., Henrich, J. and Van Vugt, M., (2009). Constraining free riding in public goods games: designated solitary punishers can sustain human cooperation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 276 (1655), 323-329
Wilson, DS., Van Vugt, M. and O'Gorman, R., (2008). Multilevel Selection Theory and Major Evolutionary Transitions. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 17 (1), 6-9
O'Gorman, R., Wilson, DS. and Miller, RR., (2008). An evolved cognitive bias for social norms. Evolution and Human Behavior. 29 (2), 71-78
O'Gorman, R., Sheldon, KM. and Wilson, DS., (2008). For the good of the group? Exploring group-level evolutionary adaptations using multilevel selection theory.. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice. 12 (1), 17-26
Conner, MT., Perugini, M., O'Gorman, R., Ayres, K. and Prestwich, A., (2007). Relations between implicit and explicit measures of attitudes and measures of behavior: evidence of moderation by individual difference variables.. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 33 (12), 1727-1740
Richetin, J., Perugini, M., Prestwich, A. and O'Gorman, R., (2007). The IAT as a predictor of food choice: The case of fruits versus snacks. International Journal of Psychology. 42 (3), 166-173
Perugini, M., O'Gorman, R. and Prestwich, A., (2007). An ontological test of the IAT: Self-activation can increase predictive validity.. Experimental Psychology. 54 (2), 134-147
Eldakar, OT., Wilson, DS. and O'Gorman, R., (2006). Emotions and actions associated with altruistic helping and punishment. Evolutionary Psychology. 4 (1), 274-286
O'Gorman, R., Wilson, DS. and Miller, RR., (2005). Altruistic punishing and helping differ in sensitivity to relatedness, friendship, and future interactions. Evolution and Human Behavior. 26 (5), 375-387
Wilson, DS. and O'Gorman, R., (2003). Emotions and actions associated with norm-breaking events.. Human Nature. 14 (3), 277-304
O'Gorman, R., (1999). Sex Differences in Spatial Abilities: An Evolutionary Explanation. Irish Journal of Psychology. 20 (2-4), 95-106
Book chapters (9)
Redhead, DJ., Cheng, JT. and O'Gorman, R., (2021). Higher Status in Group. In: Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Editors: Shackelford, TK. and Weekes-Shackelford, VA., . Springer. 1- 6. 978-3-319-19649-7
Redhead, DJ., Cheng, J. and O'Gorman, R., (2021). Individuals That Impose Costs. In: Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Editors: Shackelford, TK. and Weekes-Shackelford, VA., . Springer. 4084- 4089. 978-3-319-19649-7
O'Gorman, R., (2021). Jerome H. Barkow. In: Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Editors: Shackelford, TK. and Weekes-Shackelford, VA., . Springer. 4280- 4284. 978-3-319-19649-7
Redhead, DJ., Cheng, J. and O'Gorman, R., (2021). Status Competition and Peer Relationships in Childhood. In: Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Editors: Shackelford, TK. and Weekes-Shackelford, VA., . Springer. 1- 9. 978-3-319-19649-7
McCulloch, K. and O'Gorman, R., (2018). Pathogen Risk. In: Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Editors: Shackelford, TK. and Weekes-Shackelford, VA., . Springer. 1- 4. 978-3-319-16999-6
O'Gorman, R. and Silke, A., (2015). Terrorism as Altruism: An Evolutionary Model for Understanding Terrorist Psychology. In: Evolutionary Perspectives on Terrorism and Political Violence. Editors: Taylor, M., Roach, J. and Pease, K., . Taylor & Francis Group. 149- 163. 978-1-13-877458-2
Barkow, JH., O'Gorman, R. and Rendell, L., (2013). Cultural transmission. In: Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology: An Encyclopedia. Editors: McGee, RJ. and Warms, RL., . Sage. 154- 158. 9781412999632
O'Gorman, R., (2010). The Evolutionary Logic of Terrorism: understanding why terrorism is an inevitable human strategy in conflict. In: The Psychology of Counter-Terrorism. Editors: Silke, A., . Routledge. 62- 75. 9780415558396
Van Vugt, M., Johnson, DDP., Kaiser, RB. and O'Gorman, R., (2008). Evolution and the Social Psychology of Leadership: The Mismatch Hypothesis. In: Leadership at the Crossroads (Vol 1 Leadership and Psychology). Editors: Hoyt, CL., Goethals, GR. and Forsyth, DR., . Praeger. 262- 282. 978-0-275-99760-1
Conferences (4)
Hammond, A., Lowry, R., Blower, N., Poerio, GL., O'Gorman, R., Chiu, F. and Warsap, G., Documenting The Hidden: Uncovering The Lived Experience Of Young People In Post-COVID 19 Essex
Webb, ALM., Hibbard, PB. and O'Gorman, R., (2017). The Effect of Emotional Expression on the Luminance Contrast of Faces
Webb, A., Hibbard, P. and O'Gorman, R., (2015). Variation in female reproductive hormones does not affect contrast sensitivity
Ayres, K., Conner, M., Perugini, M., O'Gorman, R. and Prestwich, A., (2008). Moderators of implicit/explicit attitudes and eating behaviour
Media (1)
Blower, N., Poerio, GL., O'Gorman, R., Lowry, R., Hammond, A. and Chiu, F., WE'RE IN THIS TOO (Documenting The Hidden) documentary film. Video
Grants and funding
2020
Sustaining Post-COVID Volunteer Engagement in England
University of Essex (ESRC IAA)
2019
Examining the Role of Personal Ethics in Athlete and Stakeholder Perceptions of Anti-Doping
World Anti-Doping Angency
2010
EOARD via Queens University Belfast
EOARD (European Office of Aerospace Research and Development)
The Experimental Study of Cultural Transmission: When and who do people copy?
EOARD (European Office of Aerospace Research and Development)
Contact
Academic support hours:
By appt.
