Psychology
Profile
Background
In 2003 I graduated from The University of Stirling with a First Class Bsc (Hons) in Psychology and The Alan Baddeley Award for best final year project. My final year project examined the effect of Gender Role Socialisation and Self Awareness on pain responses in males and females. The project was framed on Wickland and Duval’s (1972) Theory of Objective Self Awareness and was principally supervised by Dr Jim Anderson.
Since graduating I have enjoyed time travelling as well as being employed on a number of research assistantships that include; Computational Neuroscience (University of Stirling and Glasgow), Biomedical Science (University of Strathclyde), Experimental Models of Behaviour and Evolution (University of Stirling), Investigative Interviewing (University of Aberdeen); Infant and Child Development (University of Stirling).
I am currently a PhD student in the Psychology Department’s International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology (ICRFP).
Teaching responsibilities
I have acted as laboratory demonstrator/support tutor on Practicals 3 module and research demonstrator/support tutor for Biopsychology labs. Both involved Level 2 undergraduate students.
Research interests
- Eye movement behaviour
- Face processing and recognition
- The perceptual and cognitive processes involved in ‘concealed face recogntiion’ (CFR)
- Involuntary and voluntary memory-based eye movements
Doctoral Research:
My doctoral research explores the development of novel approaches to the detecting ‘concealed face recognition’ (CFR), with a particular focus on eye movements when lying about recognition.
Using an Eye Movement-based Concealed Knowledge Test (EM-CKT), I study changes in eye movement behaviour when both lying and telling the truth about recognising different types of familiar faces. My research is framed around cognitive load theory of deception (Vrij et al, 2006) and the role of meta-cognitive processes when attempting to strategically monitor and control our behaviour when lying (Koriat & Goldsmith, 1996). It also incorporates research on involuntary and memory-based eye movements to familiar/relevant faces (Hannula and Ranganath, 2009).
Publications
Millen, A. & Anderson, J. (2010). Neither infants nor toddlers catch yawns from their mothers. Biology Letters, published online before print December 1, 2010, doi:10.1098/rsbl.2010.0966.
Caldwell, C. A. & Millen, A. E. (2010). Human cumulative culture in the laboratory: effects of (micro) population size. Learning and Behaviour, 38, 310-318.
Caldwell, C. A. & Millen A. E. (2010). Conservatism in laboratory microsocieties: Uncertainty accentuates group-specific traditions. Evolution and Human Behaviour, 31, 123-130.
Caldwell, C. A & Millen, A. E. (2009). Social learning mechanisms and cumulative cultural evolution: Is imitation necessary? Psychological Science. 20, 1478-1483.
Caldwell, C. A & Millen, A. E. (2008). Studying cumulative cultural evolution in the laboratory. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 363, 3529–3539.
Caldwell, C. A & Millen, A. E. (2008). Experimental models for testing hypotheses about cumulative cultural evolution. Evolution and Human Behavior, 29, 165-171.
Presentations and Posters
Millen, A., Hope, L., Hillstrom, A. & Vrij, A. (2011). Using memory-dependent eye movements and confidence judgements to detect deception during concealed face recognition. Paper accepted to The Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC). New York, USA, July 27-29.
Millen, A., Hope, L., Hillstrom, A. & Vrij, A. (2011). Eye can see right through you: Using eye movements and confidence judgements to detect deception during concealed face recognition. Paper accepted to The 20th Annual Division of Forensic Psychology Conference 2011. Portsmouth, UK, July 22-24.
Millen, A., Hope, L., Hillstrom, A & Vrij, A. (2011). Tracking the truth: Cognitive load, eye movement-based memory effects (EMME) during concealed face recognition. Paper accepted for The American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS). Florida, Miami, March 3-5.
Millen, A ., Hope, L., Hillstrom, A & Vrij, A. (2010). Tracking the truth: Cognitive load, eye movement-based memory effects (EMME) and meta-cognition during concealed face recognition. Paper presented at The Post Graduate Research Society Presentation Day. University of Portsmouth, England, October 6.
Millen, A ., Hope, L., Hillstrom, A & Vrij, A. (2010). You can’t hide your lying eyes? Investigating physiological and behavioural measures of deception. Poster presented at The Post Graduate Research Society Presentation Day. University of Portsmouth, England, July 1.
Odinot, G. Memon A., La Rooy. D., & Millen, A. (2010). Eyewitness memory across repeated cognitive interviews: Hypermnesia, reminiscence, consistency and interviewer effects. In A. Memon (Chair), Positive developments in interviewing. Symposium presented at the meeting of the European Association of Psychology and Law, Gothenburg, Sweden 15-18 June.
Memon, A., Odinot, G., La Rooy, D. & Millen, A. (2010). Eyewitness memory across repeated cognitive interviews: Hypermensia, reminiscence and interviewer effects. In E. Krackow (Chair), Improving and Evaluating Eyewitness Reports. Symposium presented at the meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society, Vancouver, Canada, March 18-20.
Millen, A ., Hope, L., Hillstrom, A. & Vrij, A. (2009). Detecting deception in face recognition: Eye movements and reaction times. Paper presented at The International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology (ICRFP). Department of Psychology, Portsmouth: England, December 14.
Memon, A., Clifford, B., Millen, A. E. & Zaragoza, M. (April 2009). Using reality monitoring to distinguish the accounts of eyewitnesses who have and have not been misled. Paper presented at Second Annual Conference of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group, Teeside.
Millen, A & Caldwell, C. (April, 2008). Cumulative cultural evolution in laboratory microsocieties. Poster presented at The British Psychological Society Annual Conference. Royal Dublin Society, Ireland.