Dr Rick O'Gorman
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Email
rogorman@essex.ac.uk -
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 糖心Vlog 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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Enhancing employability and career planning (PS417)
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Evolutionary Psychology: How natural and sexual selection helped shape the human mind (PS490)
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Criminal Mind (PS518)
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 (22)
McAleavey, D., O'Gorman, R. and Clair, A., (2025). . Human Ethology. 40 (1), 2-17
McCulloch, K., Dalmaijer, ES., Rieger, G. and O'Gorman, R., (2025). Differences in Pupil Size During Self-Reported Experiences of Disgust, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Happiness. Biological Psychology, 109044-109044
Webb, ALM., Hibbard, PB. and O'Gorman, R., (2020). . PLoS One. 15 (6), e0234513-e0234513
von Rueden, C., Redhead, DJ., O'Gorman, R., Gurven, M. and Kaplan, H., (2019). . 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). . Evolution and Human Behavior. 40 (2), 222-234
Webb, ALM., Hibbard, PB. and O'Gorman, R., (2018). . Royal Society Open Science. 5 (2), 171566-171566
O'Gorman, R. and Roberts, R., (2017). . Human Nature. 28 (3), 323-343
Bode, NWF., Miller, J., O'Gorman, R. and Codling, EA., (2015). . Scientific Reports. 5 (1), 15896-
O'Gorman, R., (2014). . Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 37 (03), 267-268
Barkow, JH., O'Gorman, R. and Rendell, L., (2012). . Review of General Psychology. 16 (2), 121-133
Perugini, M., Conner, M. and O'Gorman, R., (2011). . European Journal of Personality. 25 (6), 465-476
O'Gorman, R., Henrich, J. and Van Vugt, M., (2009). . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 276 (1655), 323-329
Wilson, DS., Van Vugt, M. and O'Gorman, R., (2008). . Current Directions in Psychological Science. 17 (1), 6-9
O'Gorman, R., Wilson, DS. and Miller, RR., (2008). . Evolution and Human Behavior. 29 (2), 71-78
O'Gorman, R., Sheldon, KM. and Wilson, DS., (2008). . Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice. 12 (1), 17-26
Conner, MT., Perugini, M., O'Gorman, R., Ayres, K. and Prestwich, A., (2007). . Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 33 (12), 1727-1740
Richetin, J., Perugini, M., Prestwich, A. and O'Gorman, R., (2007). . International Journal of Psychology. 42 (3), 166-173
Perugini, M., O'Gorman, R. and Prestwich, A., (2007). . Experimental Psychology. 54 (2), 134-147
Eldakar, OT., Wilson, DS. and O'Gorman, R., (2006). . Evolutionary Psychology. 4 (1), 274-286
O'Gorman, R., Wilson, DS. and Miller, RR., (2005). . Evolution and Human Behavior. 26 (5), 375-387
Wilson, DS. and O'Gorman, R., (2003). . Human Nature. 14 (3), 277-304
O'Gorman, R., (1999). . 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). . 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). . 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). . 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). . 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). . 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). . In: Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology: An Encyclopedia. Editors: McGee, RJ. and Warms, RL., . Sage. 154- 158. 9781412999632
O'Gorman, R., (2010). . 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). . 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 糖心Vlog
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
糖心Vlog (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.
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