Dr Christopher Watkins

Contact info

c.watkins@abertay.ac.uk

01382 308646

Biography

Fourteen years’ experience developing and teaching accredited curricula, while producing internationally excellent research in Psychology (WoS h index at 09/26 = 17, 40 peer-reviewed papers cited 785 times). Proven track record of research leadership (> half of total papers first-authored, > third of total papers published independent of PhD team) with research-led teaching/mentoring a strong personal motivation (12 student-authored conference outputs and 8 peer-reviewed papers). Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, current Editorial Board Member for Archives of Sexual Behavior, and previous winner of the Ig Nobel Prize for Economics (2020). My papers have attracted international media attention via 275 news articles (Altmetric, e.g., The Atlantic, The Australian, Hindustan Times, BBC, British Medical Journal, Nature, New Scientist, New York Post, Science, South China Morning Post, The Times).

Over six years’ experience of academic leadership (Head of Department 2.5 years; >4 years as Programme Leader, BSc Hons Psychology and Counselling), formulating successful action plans to facilitate staff success in improving NSS scores at first opportunity via the annual module/programme review process (100% overall NSS satisfaction - Forensic Science, 2023; Psychology and Counselling, 2018, the latter a ‘high performing’ programme for six consecutive sessions since 2018). Experience in managing a non-pay budget and deploying and supporting >20FTE staff to maintain strong UK-wide NSS scores as HOD (Psychology: Second/Fifth in UK for Teaching Satisfaction, 2023/4; Fifth in UK for academic support, 2024).

I obtained a BPS-accredited Master of Arts in Psychology (upper second-class honours) from University of Aberdeen (2005-09), before obtaining a Sixth Century Studentship at the same institution (1+3), obtaining a distinction in the master’s year (Postgraduate Diploma in Research Methods in Psychology, 2009-10) and sustaining my PhD in Psychology with no corrections (awarded 07/13, Supervisor Professor Benedict Jones). During this time, I obtained a course certificate in person-centred counselling skills (Centre for Lifelong learning, University of Aberdeen, 2012) and have since obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (with distinction, Abertay University, 11/14). I commenced my first lectureship immediately after submitting my PhD (Abertay University 09/12), with promotions to Senior Lecturer in August 2017, and (interim) Head of Division (Psychology and Forensic Sciences) in February 2022 (permanent from 05/22, demitted end 07/24).

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Teaching
Research

Current Teaching: PSY410 (supervision), PSY420 (Module Lead), PSY314 (GBC core accredited module), PSY101.
Prior Teaching:

Lead/developed new curricula on PSY401, SPS404, PSY1031, PSY315, PSY311, PSY207,

Contributed to modules: PS1111, CE1075 (guest lecturer), PSY301, PSY103, PS0713.

Teaching practices have been recognized via student-led teaching awards (co-won, TEDx Abertay, 2016) and nominations (‘Enhancing student opportunities’, 2018; ‘Outstanding teacher’, 2016; ‘Best feedback on assessments’, 2015). Based on data available from course evaluation forms, I regularly score high for items such as ‘Ease of contacting lecturer’, ‘Timely feedback’, and ‘Valuing students’ opinions’, as well as organisation and management scores when leading a module.

I was previously Programme Leader for our accredited BSc in Psychology and Counselling (09/16 – end T1 AY 2020/1) and previous External Examiner for the same degree programme at the Open University (01/20 – 08/23). I have supervised two PhD students and four MbR students to completion. I have supported scholarship within my field as Section Editor of a large international encyclopaedia and as sole Editor of a handbook due provisionally for publication in 2028, involving over 20 contributors from 13 countries (Handbook of Attraction Research, Edward Elgar Publishing).

I have recently developed an interest in pedagogical research, namely on student career development. I hope to be able to publicise outcomes from this work within the next year.

I am module leader for our work placement module (since 2026), which was commended by our accreditors at their last visit in 2021. I am happy to connect with potential partners who are interested in supporting our students by offering placement opportunities. These are normally in place within a brochure released to students in March, to apply for opportunities run during late September to early December of the same calendar year. The ‘psychological workforce’ is perhaps broader than one tends to think, so if you are unsure whether our students’ skillset/competencies are well suited to specific roles/tasks that need support within your team, feel free to reach out to me directly.

Interests

What pulls us closer toward some people over others? Why do we look up to certain people, even if briefly, at the expense of others? In both cases, do we do this before we know anything substantive about the individual in question?

I am primarily interested in social judgements based on physical characteristics (e.g., face and voice), and what these findings reveal about our orientation toward others in various social and personal relationships. Understanding these issues can shed light on the psychological processes involved at different stages of various personal and social relationships, in ways that may energize them (positively or negatively) over time. Potential collaborators and Research Assistants can contact me directly to discuss further, as well as prospective postgraduate students prior to engaging with the application/proposal process. I am particularly interested in hearing from those who wish to explore applications for funding via our membership of SGSSS as a pocket of excellence (funded 1+3 Postgraduate studentships). Please see my personal website for more details, and typical application deadlines.

Representative publications

Watkins, C. D. (2025). Mate assessment based on physical characteristics: A review and reflection. Biological Reviews, 100, 113-130.

Sculley, J., & Watkins, C. D. (2022). The great porn experiment V2.0: Sexual arousal reduces the salience of familiar women when heterosexual men judge their attractiveness. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51, 3071-3082.

Watkins, C. D., Bovet, J., Fernandez, A. M., Leongomez, J. D., Zelazniewicz, A., Correa Varella, M. A., & Wagstaff, D. (2022). Men say “I love you” before women do: Robust across several countries. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39, 2134-2153.

Watkins, C. D., Nicholls, M. J., Batres, C., Xiao, D., & Talamas, S., & Perrett, D. I. (2017). Own attractiveness and perceived relationship quality shape sensitivity in women’s memory for other men on the attractiveness dimension. Cognition, 163, 146-154.

Watkins, C. D., Jones, B. C., Little, A. C., DeBruine, L. M., & Feinberg, D. R. (2012). Cues to the sex ratio of the local population influence women’s preferences for facial symmetry. Animal Behaviour, 83, 545-553.

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