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Professor Gemma Briggs

Profile summary

  • Central Academic Staff
  • Professor of Applied Cognitive Psychology
  • Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
  • School of Psychology & Counselling
  • Psychology
  • gemma.briggs

Web links

Professional biography

Qualifications

DPhil in Applied Cognitive psychology (University of Sussex)
BA (Hons) in Applied Psychology (University of Susssex)

Professional affiliations

British Psychological Society (BPS)
Society of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC)

Senior Fellow of the HEA (2017)

I joined the OU in 2007, after completing my PhD at the University of Sussex.

Research interests

I am an applied cognitive psychologist and my research interests revolve around the practical applications of psychological theory. I am particularly interested in how attention and perception can be affected when dual tasking (for example whilst driving a car and talking on the phone) as well as the effect this has on an individual’s eye movements. My work also crosses into forensic psychology as I’m interested in perceptual factors when witnessing crimes, with a particular focus on eye movements, weapon focus, inattention- and change blindness.

I am a member of the Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative (HERC) and part of the centre's Forensic Cognition Research Group where I work closely with Prof Graham Pike, Dr Hayley Ness, Dr Jim Turner, Dr Catriona Harvard, Dr Virginia Harrison,  Dr. Zoe Walkington and Dr Helen Kaye.

Teaching interests

Having co-chaired production at undergraduate (DE200) and Postgraduate (DD802) level, most recently I have been a production team member on a new level 1 module (D120) and am now working on production of our new level 2 optional module (D250). I was a Head of Discipline in the School between 2020-2024.

Since joining the University I have also been involved in production on the following modules: Investigating Forensic psychology (DD802) - co chair, Evaluating Psychology (DD803), Investigating psychology 2 (DE200) - co chair, Forensic psychology: crime, offenders and policing (D872), Forensic psychology: witnesses, experts and evidence on trial (D873), Applying psychology (DSE232). I have also worked on presentation in the following modules: Investigating Psychology 2 (DE200) - co chair Cognitive psychology (DD303) - ALE Chair Exploring psychology (DSE212), Exploring psychology: online project (DZX222), Research methods dissertation in social sciences (D845).

And have been Qualification Lead for:

MSc in Forensic Psychological Studies (F73), MSc in Psychology (F74), BSc Forensic Psychology (Q82), MSc in Forensic Psychology and Criminology (F49), Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Psychological Studies (E34).

Impact and engagement

I have been extensively involved in a range of impact, knowledge exchange and public engagement activities, including (most recently):

I have been an invited speaker for various road safety charities, including Brake, RoSPA and Road Safety Wales. I have given extensive knowledge exchange talks to policy makers, industry leaders and practitioners, and have acted as a consultant for government run road safety organisations. I work closely with policing partners and members of industry to inform education and strategy around distracted driving and have been interviewed on radio and television numerous times.

 

 

 

 

 

Research groups

NameTypeParent Unit
Applied Cognitive Psychology Research GroupGroupFaculty of Social Sciences

Publications

‘Why aren’t you using Bluetooth?!’: Officer understanding of the dangers of handheld and handsfree mobile phone-use by drivers (2024)
Briggs, Gemma; Savigar-Shaw, Leanne and Wells, Helen
The Police Journal ((Early access))

Taking the right course: the possibilities and challenges of offering alternatives to prosecution for drivers detected using mobile phones while driving (2022-08)
Savigar-Shaw, Leanne; Wells, Helen and Briggs, Gemma
Accident Analysis & Prevention, Article 106710(173)

The Inconvenient Truth About Mobile Phone Distraction: Understanding the Means, Motive, and Opportunity for Driver Resistance to Legal and Safety Messages (2021-11)
Wells, Helen; Briggs, Gemma and Savigar-Shaw, Leanne
The British Journal of Criminology, 61(6) (pp. 1503-1520)

The impact of attentional set and situation awareness on dual tasking driving performance (2018-08)
Briggs, Gemma F. and ,
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 57 (pp. 36-47)

To see or not to see? Comparing the effectiveness of examinations and end of module assessments in online distance learning (2018)
Turner, Jim and Briggs, Gemma
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(7) (pp. 1048-1060)

Imagery-inducing distraction leads to cognitive tunnelling and deteriorated driving performance (2016-04-02)
Briggs, Gemma F.; Hole, Graham J. and Land, Michael F.
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 38 (pp. 106-117)

Emotionally involving telephone conversations lead to driver error and visual tunnelling (2011)
Briggs, Gemma; Hole, Graham and Land, Michael
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 14 (pp. 313-323)

Can I do two things at once? Attention and dual tasking ability (2015)
Briggs, Gemma and Hole, Graham
In: Capdevila, Rose; Dixon, John and Briggs, Gemma eds. Investigating Psychology
Publisher : The Open University | Published : Milton Keynes

Is seeing believing?: visual perception and attention for dynamic scenes (2015)
Briggs, Gemma and Davies, Simon
In: Capdevila, Rose; Dixon, John and Briggs, Gemma eds. Investigating Psychology 2
Publisher : The Open University | Published : Milton Keynes

Investigating Psychology: an integrative approach (2014)
Capdevila, Rose; Dixon, John and Briggs, Gemma
In: Capdevila, Rose; Dixon, John and Briggs, Gemma eds. Investigating Psychology 2: From social to cognitive
Publisher : Open University Press

Conclusion: the challenges and opportunities of an integrative approach (2014)
Capdevila, Rose; Briggs, Gemma and Dixon, John
In: Capdevila, Rose; Dixon, John and Briggs, Gemma eds. Investigating Psychology 2: From biological to developmental
Publisher : The Open University Press

Investigating Psychology 2 (Volumes 1-3) (2015)
Capdevila, Rose; Dixon, John and Briggs, Gemma eds.
Publisher : Open University | Published : Milton Keynes

Testing the weapon focus effect: change blindness and eyewitness identification (2016)
Briggs, Gemma; Turner, Jim and Pike, Graham
In : European Association of Psychology and Law Conference (EAPL 2016) (5-8 Jul 2016, Toulouse, France)

Identity, citizenship and engaging with the criminal justice system (2015-08)
Briggs, Gemma and Pike, Graham
In : European Association of Psychology and Law Conference (EAPL 2015) (4-7 Aug 2015, Nuremberg, Germany)

Emotionally involving telephone conversations lead to driver error and visual tunnelling (2011-06-27)
Briggs, Gemma; Hole, Graham and Land, Michael
In : 9th Conference of The Society for Applied Research in Memory & Cognition (SARMAC IX) (27-29 Jun 2011, New York City, NY, USA.)

Comparing types of sequential lineups (2009-07-26)
Pike, Graham; Brace, Nicola; Briggs, Gemma and Turner, Jim
In : The 8th Biennial Conference of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (26-30 Jul 2009, Kyoto, Japan)

Change blindness during an identification parade (2009-07-26)
Brace, Nicola; Pike, Graham; Turner, Jim and Briggs, Gemma
In : The 8th Biennial Conference of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (26-30 Jul 2009, Kyoto, Japan)

Can composite construction contaminate witness memory? (2009-07-26)
Turner, Jim; Briggs, Gemma; Pike, Graham and Brace, Nicola
In : The 8th Biennial Conference of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (26-30 Jul 2009, Kyoto, Japan)

The effect of imagery induced distraction on driving performance: implications for mobile telephone use behind the wheel (2008)
Briggs, Gemma; Hole, Graham and Land, Michael
In : BPS XXV Annual Cognitive Section Conference (7-10 Sep 2008, University of Southampton)

Emotionally involving telephone conversations lead to driver error and visual tunnelling (2007)
Briggs, Gemma; Hole, Graham and Land, Michael
In : BPS XXIV Annual Cognitive Section Conference (20-22 Aug 2007, University of Aberdeen)

Using third-party audio-visual materials in module production: learning design, cost effectiveness and student satisfaction on DD210 and DE200 (2017-02-10)
Turner, Jim and Briggs, Gemma
OU Scholarship Exchange

To see or not to see? The effectiveness of seen and unseen exams and end of module assessments in level 2 psychology modules (2017-02-06)
Briggs, Gemma and Turner, Jim
OU Scholarship Exchange