Dr Robert A. Nash
Reader in Psychology | Aston University
Birmingham, UNITED KINGDOM
Dr Nash studies human memory, cognition, and social influence.
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Biography
Dr Robert A. Nash studies human memory, cognition, and social influence, with a particular interest in applications of these topics to issues in legal and educational psychology. His research focuses on themes such as: people's ability to remember past events and experiences, and information they have learned; factors that can shape or distort what we remember/believe; how people engage with, and respond to, feedback about their performance and memories; and, how we can help people to remember more effectively.
Areas of Expertise (5)
Educational Psychology
Cognition
Memory and Recognition
Human Memory
Social Influence
Education (2)
University of Warwick: PhD, Psychology 2010
University of Warwick: BSc, Psychology 2006
Affiliations (4)
- Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition : Governing Board
- Legal & Criminological Psychology : Associate Editor
- Psychology, Crime & Law : Editorial Board
- Higher Education Academy : Senior Fellowo
Links (3)
Media Appearances (4)
Are memories reliable? Expert explains how they change more than we realise
The Conversation online
2018-12-17
Your memory probably isn’t as good as you think it is. We rely on our memories not only for sharing stories with friends or learning from our past experiences, but we also use it for crucial things like creating a sense of personal identity. Yet evidence shows that our memory isn’t as consistent as we’d like to believe. What’s worse, we’re often guilty of changing the facts and adding false details to our memories without even realising.
Why you should doubt your memories.
TedX Talk online
2017-10-01
Sometimes even the truth can create false memories. Join Rob Nash on a comical and thought provoking journey of how our memories can often let us down. In this post truth world, perhaps we should all remember that our memories lie to us too.
How authentic are photographic memories?
The Conversation online
2017-02-14
Since the invention of photography itself, people have used photograph-themed metaphors when thinking and talking about memories and remembering. When we want to retain memories of everyday events for example, we take “mental snapshots”, and when we think back to momentous events, we regard them as “flashbulb moments”. But are memories ever truly like photographs?
Remember: a bad memory is actually good for you
The Conversation online
2016-03-16
It’s not uncommon to hear people wishing that they had a better memory. “If only I weren’t so forgetful”, they complain. “If only I could reliably remember my computer password, and that my neighbour’s name is Sarah, not Sandra.” If this sounds familiar then I know how you feel.
Articles (5)
Educators’ perceptions of responsibility-sharing in feedback processes
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education2020 Many policies and processes in higher education reinforce a conception of feedback as being the transmission of information, thus placing primary responsibility on educators for delivering this information ‘well’ whilst neglecting the essential responsibilities of learners. In this study, 216 university educators described the responsibilities of students, and of educators themselves, in the feedback process. We analysed their responses using both content analysis and a novel linguistic analysis of the specific words used.
Weak memory for future-oriented feedback: investigating the roles of attention and improvement focus
Memory2019 Recent research showed that people recall past-oriented, evaluative feedback more fully and accurately than future-oriented, directive feedback. Here we investigated whether these memory biases arise from preferential attention toward evaluative feedback during encoding. We also attempted to counter the biases via manipulations intended to focus participants on improvement.
Individual differences in self-reported use of assessment feedback: the mediating role of feedback beliefs
Educational Psychology2019 Feedback can rarely enhance learning unless it is used; however, few studies have examined individual differences in students’ engagement with feedback. The present study explored (a) the extent to which personality variables and achievement goal orientation are associated with students’ self-reported use of feedback; and (b) whether beliefs about feedback (utility, accountability, self-efficacy, and volition to implement feedback) mediate these associations.
Building Feedback Literacy: Students’ Perceptions of the Developing Engagement With Feedback Toolkit
Frontiers in Education2019 Developing the requisite skills for engaging proactively with feedback is crucial for academic success. This paper reports data concerning the perceived usefulness of the Developing Engagement with Feedback Toolkit (DEFT) in supporting the development of students' feedback literacy skills. In Study 1, student participants were surveyed about their use of feedback, and their perceptions of the utility of the DEFT resources.
Reasons to Doubt the Reliability of Eyewitness Memory: Commentary on Wixted, Mickes, and Fisher (2018)
Perspectives on Psychological Science2018 Wixted, Mickes, and Fisher (this issue) take issue with the common trope that eyewitness memory is inherently unreliable. They draw on a large body of mock-crime research and a small number of field studies, which indicate that high-confidence eyewitness reports are usually accurate, at least when memory is uncontaminated and suitable interviewing procedures are used.
