Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Personal profile
Research Interests
My research explores themes of belief and identity. I’m interested in how we make sense of ourselves and of our place in the world.
My work encompasses clinical delusions, political belief formation, religion, and morality. I also dabble in some other topics, for instance I have some recent projects on swearing (both in the sense of profanity and in the sense of solemn vows).
Background
I grew up in a small town in Western Australia. I studied undergraduate psychology at UWA in Perth and completed a PhD at Macquarie University in Sydney, with Max Coltheart and Robyn Langdon.
I held postdoctoral positions in Boston (Tufts University, with Daniel Dennett), Zürich (University of Zürich, with Ernst Fehr) and Oxford (University of Oxford, with Harvey Whitehouse). I’ve been at Royal Holloway since 2010, where I head up the Morality and Beliefs Laboratory (MaB-Lab).
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
-
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
-
‘So Help Me God’? Does oath swearing in courtroom scenarios impact trial outcomes?
McKay, R., Gervais, W. & Davis, C. J., Nov 2023, In: The British Journal of Psychology. 114, 4, p. 991-1014 24 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
The sound of swearing: Are there universal patterns in profanity?
Lev - Ari, S. & McKay, R., Jun 2023, In: Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. 30, p. 1103–1114 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Delusions as epistemic hypervigilance
McKay, R. & Mercier, H., Apr 2023, In: Current Directions in Psychological Science. 32, 2, p. 125–130 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Collectively jumping to conclusions: Social information amplifies the tendency to gather insufficient data
Sulik, J., Efferson, C. & McKay, R., 2021, In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. 150, 11, p. 2309-2320 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile302 Downloads (Pure) -
The heart trumps the head: Desirability bias in political belief revision
Tappin, B., Van Der Leer, L. & McKay, R., 29 May 2017, In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. 146, 8, p. 1143-1149 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1529 Downloads (Pure)
Projects
- 8 Finished
-
Collective Delusions: Social Identity and Scientific Misbeliefs
McKay, R. (PI)
1/01/23 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
-
Sex on the mind? Testing whether intuitive biases underly male sexual overperception
Bellamy, A. (PI) & McKay, R. (PI)
1/09/22 → 31/01/23
Project: Research
-
Delusion, science denial and fake news: The cognitive underpinnings of socially destructive misbeliefs
Sulik, J. (PI) & McKay, R. (CoI)
1/04/19 → 31/07/19
Project: Research
-
Adolescent Decision-Making Under Ambiguity
Lloyd, A. (Student), Sebastian, C. (PI), McKay, R. (Mentor) & Balsters, J. (Mentor)
1/10/18 → 30/09/21
Project: Research
-
Public Understanding of Science in a Post-Truth World
McKay, R. (PI)
1/10/17 → 31/03/19
Project: Research
Activities
- 7 Editor of research journal
-
Journal for the Cognitive Science of Religion (Journal)
McKay, R. (Editor)
2012 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editor of research journal
-
Religion, Brain & Behavior (Journal)
McKay, R. (Editor)
3 May 2024Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editor of research journal
-
Philosophical Psychology (Journal)
McKay, R. (Member of editorial board)
1 Jan 2022Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editor of research journal
-
Religion, Brain & Behavior (Journal)
McKay, R. (Member of editorial board)
18 Apr 2018 → 3 May 2024Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editor of research journal
-
The British Journal of Psychology (Journal)
McKay, R. (Editor)
18 Apr 2018 → 17 Apr 2024Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editor of research journal
Prizes
-
American Psychological Association’s William C. Bier Award.
McKay, R. (Recipient), 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)