Professor Ben Newell

Ben Newell is Professor of Behavioural Science in the School of Psychology at UNSW Sydney, and Director of the  UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response (ICRR). His research focuses on the cognitive processes underlying judgment, choice and decision-making and the application of this knowledge to environmental, medical, financial and forensic contexts. His role in the new Institute is to drive an interdisciplinary research agenda bringing together expertise from behavioural science, climate science, economics and governance to address the risks and opportunities of climate change. He has published multiple articles on the psychology of human judgment and decision making, including those that lie at the intersection of psychology and climate change, with particular focus on the understanding of uncertainty and risk. Ben is lead author of the books Straight Choices: The Psychology of Decision Making, and Open Minded: A Search for Truth about the Unconscious Mind. Ben is a member of the Academic Advisory Panel of the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA), and the Chief Medical Officer’s advisory group for the National Health and Climate Strategy.

More Information about Ben: https://www2.psy.unsw.edu.au/users/bnewell/

More Information about the Institute for Climate Risk & Response: https://www.unsw.edu.au/research/icrr

Supervision Opportunities/Areas

I am interested in prospective students/postdocs with interests in any of the areas described above.

Advice for prospective students

The best thing about being an academic is having the opportunity to think about and solve problems that are inherently interesting, important and have the potential to influence society positively. Even better, you get to do this with other people who share your passion – research students! If any of the areas described above appeal to you, or you’d like more details then please contact me.

TEACHING & OUTREACH

Courses I teach

PSYC3211 Cognitive Science

PSYC3011 Research and Applications of Psychology

PSYC7403 Experimental Psychology and Law

CLIM1001 Introduction to Climate Change

Professional affiliations and service positions

Director UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response.

Fellow of the Psychonomic Society

Member of the Experimental Psychology Society

Member of the Cognitive Science Society

Member of the Society for Judgment & Decision Making

Academic Advisor to the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government