Dr. Robin Kramer

Address:

School of Psychology
Adeilad Brigantia
Bangor University
Gwynedd LL57 2AS
United Kingdom
Room: Lloyd Building 009

Telephone:

 +44 (0) 1248 38 8581
Email: psp837 (at) bangor.ac.uk

Current Research:

My research falls under evolutionary psychology, specifically focusing on signalling. I am investigating what information we can perceive about others from their faces and the way that they walk. I am particularly interested in the information conveyed by static, neutral faces, and have explored these across race and species.

Education:

2008-2012 PhD in Psychology, Bangor University
2004-2005 MSc in Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems, Sussex University
2000-2003 BA in Experimental Psychology, Oxford University

Experience:

2011-present Research Officer in the School of Psychology, Bangor University
2007-2008 Research Assistant in the Affect and Social Interaction Laboratory, Bangor University
2005-2007 Laboratory Manager and Research Associate in the Percepts and Concepts Laboratory, Indiana University - Bloomington

Teaching Assistant:

Research Foundations
Research Skills in Psychology
Evolutionary Psychology
Evolution and Human Behaviour

Publications:

Jones, A., Kramer, R. S. S., & Ward, R. (in press). Signals of personality and health: The contributions of facial shape, skin texture and viewing angle. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.

Kramer, R. S. S., & Ward, R. (2011). Different signals of personality and health from the two sides of the face. Perception, 40, 549-562. [Link]

Kramer, R. S. S., King, J., & Ward, R. (2011). Identifying personality from the static, nonexpressive face in humans and chimpanzees: evidence of a shared system for signaling personality. Evolution and Human Behavior, 32, 179-185. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. S., & Ward, R. (2010). Internal facial features are signals of personality and health. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 63, 2273-2287. [PDF]

Kramer, R., & Ward, R. (2010). Looking healthy may win you elections. PsyPAG Quarterly, 75, 12-16. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. S., Arend, I., & Ward, R. (2010). Perceived health from biological motion predicts voting behaviour. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 63, 625-632. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. (2008). Three-dimensional ant nest excavation using stigmergic rules. In B. Hardy-Vallée & N. Payette (Eds.), Beyond the Brain: Embodied, Situated and Distributed Cognition (pp. 141-157). Newcastle, U.K.: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. S., & Parkinson, B. (2005). Generalization of mere exposure to faces viewed from different horizontal angles. Social Cognition, 23, 125-136. [PDF]

Presentations:

Kramer, R. S. S. (2011, November). Facial signals of personality in humans and chimpanzees. Invited speaker at the School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, England.

Kramer, R. S. S. (2011, July). Signals of personality from human and chimpanzee faces: A shared system across species. In R. S. S. Kramer (Chair), Evolutionary Psychology. Symposium conducted at the 26th Annual Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group Conference, Bangor, Wales.

Kramer, R. S. S., King, J., & Ward, R. (2011, June). Identifying personality from the faces of humans and chimpanzees: Evidence for a shared signalling system. Poster session presented at the Human Behavior & Evolution Society Conference, Montpellier, France. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. S., King, J., & Ward, R. (2011, April). Identifying personality from the faces of humans and chimpanzees: Evidence for a shared signalling system. Poster session presented at the Primate Society of Great Britain Spring Meeting, Liverpool, England. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. S., King, J., & Ward, R. (2011, March). Signals of personality from the faces of humans and chimpanzees: Evidence for a shared signalling system. Poster session presented at the European Human Behaviour & Evolution Association Conference, Giessen, Germany. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. S., & Ward, R. (2011, January). Different signals of personality and health from the two sides of the face. Poster session presented at the 4th Biennial Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience Conference, Deganwy, Wales. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. S. (2010, November). Signals of personality from the faces of humans and chimpanzees. Invited speaker at the School of Psychology, Keele University, Keele, England.

Kramer, R. S. S. (2010, July). Personality and health from the two sides of the face. Paper presented at the 25th Annual Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group Conference, Sheffield, England.

Kramer, R. S. S., & Ward, R. (2010, May). Observer effects on gait: How minimal social contexts change walking and perceptions of walkers. Poster session presented at the Vision Sciences Society 10th Annual Meeting, Naples, FL. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. S., & Ward, R. (2010, March). Signalling personality and health: Accurate perception from both full faces and internal features. Poster session presented at the European Human Behaviour & Evolution Association Conference, Wroclaw, Poland. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. S. (2009, July). I see who you are: Health and personality from the face. In R. S. S. Kramer (Chair), Evolutionary Psychology. Symposium conducted at the 24th Annual Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group Conference, Cardiff, Wales.

Kramer, R. S. S. (2009, June). The politics of motion: Predicting voting from health signals. Paper presented at Truth and Lies: An Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Conference, Bangor, Wales.

Kramer, R. S. S., Arend, I., & Ward, R. (2009, April). Perceived health from biological motion predicts voting behaviour. Poster session presented at the European Human Behaviour & Evolution Association Conference, St. Andrews, Scotland. [PDF]

Kramer, R. S. S. (2006, August). Three-dimensional ant nest excavation using stigmergic rules. Paper presented at Cognitio 2006 - Beyond the Brain: Embodied, Situated and Distributed Cognition, Montréal, Canada.

Kramer, R. S. S. (2006, June). Modeling environment excavation: Subterranean ant nests through stigmergic rules. In P. M. Todd (Chair), Modeling Environment Construction. Symposium conducted at Artificial Life X: The Tenth International Conference on the Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems, Bloomington, IN.

Press Coverage:

My research on a shared system for signalling personality in humans and chimpanzees led to widespread coverage, including:

Radio: Interview on Science Café (BBC Wales; 28/6/11)
Magazine: Bilder der seele. (2011, February 28). Der Spiegel, 9, 122. [PDF]
  Bower, B. (2011, February 12). Chimps wear personalities on face. Science News, 179(4), 8. [PDF]
Internet: Choi, C. Q. (2011, January 25). Sussing out simians: Humans can accurately size up a chimp’s personality after viewing its face. Scientific American. [Link]

My consultancy with 192.com regarding trust and deception during first encounters received extensive print and online coverage, including:

Magazine: Duffield, L. (2010, December 21). Fair play in the dating game. Choice, 40, 60-63. [PDF]
Internet: Kumar, R. (2010, September 9). One in five have been ripped off online. This is Money. [Link]

My research on the perceived health of politicians influencing voting led to numerous online reports, as well as:

Radio: Interview on Science Café (BBC Wales; 25/4/10)
  Interview on The Paul Franks Show (BBC West Midlands; 15/4/10)
  Live interview on Good Evening Wales (BBC Wales; 9/3/10)
Television: Research discussed on Daily Planet (Discovery Channel; 10/3/10)
  Research discussed on The Andrew Marr Show (BBC One; 7/3/10)
Newspaper: Williamson, D. (2010, March 12). A healthy majority prefer to see politicians on the run. Western Mail, p. 7. [PDF]
  Trewyn, H. (2010, March 9). Picture of health could swing poll. Daily Post, p. 6. [PDF]
  Parkhouse, S., & Leach, B. (2010, March 7). Voters might not stick with Gordon. The Sunday Telegraph, p. 4. [PDF]

Curriculum Vitae [PDF]

Personal Webpage [Link]