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Peter Hills – Bath Spa University

Personal statement

Peter is a cognitive psychologist by training, having obtained his PhD from Cardiff University in the development of face recognition in 2008. He has published over 60 articles in peer-reviewed journals, having used a plethora of research methods and analysis techniques.

His main research areas are in face recognition and reducing sexual violence and sexual harassment. He has also extended his research profile into domains such as schizotypy and hazard perception in driving.

Peter joined Bath Spa University in July 2023 as the Academic Lead for Portfolio Review and Curriculum Development in the School of Sciences. In this role, he also has responsibility for ensuring the quality of education across the School whilst also supporting the Psychology subject area.

Academic qualifications

  • PhD Psychology, Cardiff University, 2008
  • MSc Social Science Research Methods, Cardiff University, 2004
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology, Cardiff University, 2003

Professional memberships

  • Experimental Psychology Society (EPS)
  • Association of Heads of Psychology Departments (AHPD)
  • Vision Sciences Society (VSS)
  • Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (fHEA)
  • Psychonomic Society

Other external roles

  • Committee Member Association of Heads of Psychology Departments
  • Board Member on the Education and Training Board, British Psychological Society

Research impact

  • Creed, F. & Bermingham, R. (2019). Improving Witness Testimony. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. Contributor to POSTnotes POST-PN-0607.
  • McAlaney, J., Hills, P. J., Cole, T., Skinner, R., & Thomson, S. (2018). Sexual assault and campus culture: A response to Graham Towl's article. The Psychologist, 31(5), 7-8.
  • Hills, P. J. (2007). Are you sitting on your materials? The Psychologist, 20, 81 (February).

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Exploring the carry-over of top-down attentional settings in dynamic conditions
article

Thompson, C, Jalali, M and Hills, P.J (2023) 'Exploring the carry-over of top-down attentional settings in dynamic conditions.' Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. e174702182311550. ISSN 1747-0218

Is the blue wall of silence a fallacy in cases of police sexual misconduct?
article

Sweeting, F, Cole, T and Hills, P.J (2022) 'Is the blue wall of silence a fallacy in cases of police sexual misconduct?' International Journal of Police Science & Management, 24 (3). pp. 285-297. ISSN 1461-3557

Narrative approach to understand people’s comprehension of acquaintance rape: the role of sex role stereotyping
article

Stirling, J.L, Hills, P.J and Wignall, L (2022) 'Narrative approach to understand people’s comprehension of acquaintance rape: the role of sex role stereotyping.' Psychology & Sexuality, 13 (2). pp. 129-146. ISSN 1941-9899

The effect of face masks on forensic face matching: an individual differences study
article

Estudillo, A.J, Hills, P.J and Wong, H.K (2021) 'The effect of face masks on forensic face matching: an individual differences study.' Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 10 (4). pp. 554-563. ISSN 2211-3681

Sensory gating is related to positive and disorganised schizotypy in contrast to smooth pursuit eye movements and latent inhibition
article

Hills, P.J, Vasilev, M.R, Ford, P, Snell, L, Whitworth, E, Parsons, T, Morisson, R, Silveira, A and Angele, B (2021) 'Sensory gating is related to positive and disorganised schizotypy in contrast to smooth pursuit eye movements and latent inhibition.' Neuropsychologia, 161. e107989. ISSN 00283932

Birthweight predicts individual differences in adult face recognition ability
article

Bate, S, Mestry, N, Atkinson, M, Bennetts, R.J and Hills, P.J (2021) 'Birthweight predicts individual differences in adult face recognition ability.' British Journal of Psychology, 112 (3). pp. 628-644. ISSN 0007-1269

Low-frequency rTMS to the parietal lobe increases eye-movement carryover and decreases hazard rating
article

Hills, P.J, Arabacı, G, Fagg, J, Canter, L, Thompson, C and Moseley, R (2021) 'Low-frequency rTMS to the parietal lobe increases eye-movement carryover and decreases hazard rating.' Neuropsychologia, 158. e107895. ISSN 00283932

Carry-over of attentional settings between distinct tasks: a transient effect independent of top-down contextual biases
article

Thompson, C, Pasquini, A and Hills, P.J (2021) 'Carry-over of attentional settings between distinct tasks: a transient effect independent of top-down contextual biases.' Consciousness and Cognition, 90. e103104. ISSN 10538100

Understanding how university students use perceptions of consent, wantedness, and pleasure in labeling rape
article

Hills, P.J, Pleva, M, Seib, E and Cole, T (2021) 'Understanding how university students use perceptions of consent, wantedness, and pleasure in labeling rape.' Archives of Sexual Behavior, 50 (1). pp. 247-262. ISSN 0004-0002

Evidence of inverted gravity‐driven variation in predictive sensorimotor function
article

Meso, A.I, De Vai, R.L, Mahabeer, A and Hills, P.J (2020) 'Evidence of inverted gravity‐driven variation in predictive sensorimotor function.' European Journal of Neuroscience, 52 (12). pp. 4803-4823. ISSN 0953-816X

The effect of passively viewing a consent campaign video on attitudes toward rape
article

Rowe, E.M and Hills, P.J (2020) 'The effect of passively viewing a consent campaign video on attitudes toward rape.' Frontiers in Psychology, 11. e1741. ISSN 1664-1078

Understanding phishing email processing and perceived trustworthiness through eye tracking
article

McAlaney, J and Hills, P.J (2020) 'Understanding phishing email processing and perceived trustworthiness through eye tracking.' Frontiers in Psychology, 11. e1756. ISSN 1664-1078

Consent, wantedness, and pleasure: three dimensions affecting the perceived stress of and judgements of rape in sexual encounters.
article

Hills, P.J, Seib, E, Pleva, M, Smythe, J, Gosling, M-R and Cole, T (2020) 'Consent, wantedness, and pleasure: three dimensions affecting the perceived stress of and judgements of rape in sexual encounters.' Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 26 (1). pp. 171-197. ISSN 1076-898X

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