Head of Department
Email jamin.halberstadt@otago.ac.nz
Tel 64 3 479 7644
Professor Jamin Halberstadt is a member of the Social Perception Area of Research Excellence, the Memory Theme, the Otago Lifespan Development Research Group, and was a founding member of the OZONE young researcher advisory group. He has supervised 8 PhD students (4 still in progress), and has been named an outstanding research supervisor 4 times by the Otago University Student Association.
Internationally, he is a Fellow of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology and serves as an Associate Editor of the Society’s journal. He has published over 50 research articles and chapters in top international journals, and presents regularly at international conferences. In 2012 he will begin a term as an Associate Editor of the journal Psychological Science.
Jamin joined the Department in 1997. He has over 20 years of research experience, and has taught over 15 years at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
Teaching
Research Interests
- Social cognition
- Social categorisation
- Facial attractiveness
- Emotion perception
- Decision making
Find out more about Professor Halberstadt's research interests
Publications
Silva Luna, D., Bering, J. M., & Halberstadt, J. B. (2022). The value and distinctiveness of awe in science communication: Comparing the incidence and content of ‘awesome’ representations in science and non-science picture books. International Journal of Science Education, Part B. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/21548455.2022.2048119
Mohammed, H., Daniel, B. K., Skilbeck, M., Kumar, Jr, R., Halberstadt, J. B., & Farella, M. (2022). A qualitative meta-synthesis of research into patients' past experiences and perceptions of orthodontic treatment outcomes. European Journal of Orthodontics. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/ejo/cjac008
Davey, S., Halberstadt, J., & Bell, E. (2022). Where is an emotion? Greater interference in a gut-focused visceroception group undertaking an emotional stop-signal task. New Ideas in Psychology, 65, 100933. doi: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2022.100933
Davey, S., Halberstadt, J., & Bell, E. (2021). Where is emotional feeling felt in the body? An integrative review. PLoS ONE, 16(12), e0261685. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261685
Bering, J. M., Smith, S., Stojanov, A., Halberstadt, J. B., & Hughes, R. J. M. (2021). The "ghost" in the lab: Believers' and non-believers' implicit responses to an alleged apparition. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/10508619.2021.1975400
Jong, J., & Halberstadt, J. (2016). Death anxiety and religious belief: An existential psychology of religion. Londun, UK: Bloomsbury, 232p.
Authored Book - Research
Halberstadt, J., & Jong, J. (2014). Scaring the bejesus into people: The role of religious belief in managing implicit and explicit anxiety. In J. P. Forgas & E. Harmon-Jones (Eds.), Motivation and its regulation: The control within. (pp. 331-350). New York, NY: Psychology Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
Jahanitabesh, A., & Halberstadt, J. (2014). Do you see what I see? Rumination, construal and emotion perception in depression. In S. R. Nasato (Ed.), Advances in social cognition research. (pp. 181-198). New York: Nova Science.
Chapter in Book - Research
Owen, H. E., & Halberstadt, J. (2014). Truth in text: The influence of language complexity and style on perceived self-reflection and truthfulness. In S. R. Nasato (Ed.), Advances in social cognition research. (pp. 199-213). New York: Nova Science.
Chapter in Book - Research
Secher, J., Jackson, J., & Halberstadt, J. (2014). Anger: Causes, experience and outcomes of the mercurial emotion. In S. R. Nasato (Ed.), Advances in social cognition research. (pp. 151-179). New York: Nova Science.
Chapter in Book - Research
Halberstadt, J., & Winkielman, P. (2013). When good blends go bad: How fluency can explain when we like and dislike ambiguity. In C. Unkelbach & R. Greifeneder (Eds.), The experience of thinking: How the fluency of mental processes influences cognition and behaviour. (pp. 133-150). Hove, East Sussex: Psychology Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
Yamaguchi, M., & Halberstadt, J. (2011). It's all about me: Maladaptive self-focused attention as a mediator of the relationship between extrinsic goals and well-being. In I. Brdar (Ed.), The human pursuit of well-being: A cultural approach. (pp. 95-106). New York: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-1375-8
Chapter in Book - Research
Catty, S., & Halberstadt, J. (2008). The use and disruption of familiarity in intuitive judgements. In H. Plessner, C. Betsch & T. Betsch (Eds.), Intuition in judgement and decision making. (pp. 295-308). New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Chapter in Book - Research
Halberstadt, J., & Wilson, T. D. (2008). Reflections on conscious reflection: Mechanisms of impairment by reasons analysis. In J. E. Adler & L. J. Rips (Eds.), Reasoning: Studies of human inference and its foundations. (pp. 548-596). Cambridge University Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
Yamaguchi, M., & Halberstadt, J. (2008). Attainment of intrinsic and extrinsic goals revisited: The interaction of goal and well-being dimensions. In B. P. Reimann (Ed.), Personality and social psychology research. (pp. 93-105). New York: Nova Science.
Chapter in Book - Research
Fernando, K., & Halberstadt, J. (2007). Effects of explanation on emotion attribution. In F. R. Lewis (Ed.), Focus on nonverbal communication research. (pp. 199-213). Nova Science.
Chapter in Book - Research
Halberstadt, J. (2007). Proximate and ultimate origins of a bias for prototypical faces: An evolutionary social cognitive account. In J. P. Forgas, M. G. Haselton & W. von Hippel (Eds.), Evolution and the social mind: Evolutionary psychology and social cognition. (pp. 245-262). New York: Psychology Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
Halberstadt, J. B., Rhodes, G., & Catty, S. (2003). Subjective and objective familiarity as explanations for the attraction to average faces. In S. P. Shohov (Ed.), Advances in psychology research: Volume 22. (pp. 35-50). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Chapter in Book - Research
Niedenthal, P. M., & Halberstadt, J. B. (2003). Top-down influences in social perception. In W. Stroebe & M. Hewstone (Eds.), European review of social psychology: Volume 14. (pp. 49-76). East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press Ltd.
Chapter in Book - Research
Niedenthal, P. M., & Halberstadt, J. B. (2000). Emotional response as conceptual coherence. In E. Eich, J. F. Kihlstrom, G. H. Bower, J. P. Forgas & P. M. Niedenthal (Eds.), Counterpoints: Cognition and Emotion. (pp. 169-203). New York: Oxford University Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
Niedenthal, P. M., & Halberstadt, J. B. (2000). Grounding categories in emotional response. In J. P. Forgas (Ed.), Feeling and Thinking: The Role of Affect in Social Cognition. (pp. 357-386). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
Halberstadt, J. B., Niedenthal, P. M., & Setterlund, M. B. (1996). Cognitive organization of different tenses of the self mediates affect and decision making. In L. L. Martin & A. Tesser (Eds.), Striving and Feeling: Interactions Among Goals, Affect, and Self-Regulation. (pp. 123-150). Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates.
Chapter in Book - Research
Niedenthal, P. M., & Halberstadt, J. B. (1995). The acquisition and structure of emotional response categories. In D. L. Medin (Ed.), The Psychology of Learning and Motivation. (pp. 23-64). New York: Academic Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
Davey, S., Halberstadt, J., & Bell, E. (2022). Where is an emotion? Greater interference in a gut-focused visceroception group undertaking an emotional stop-signal task. New Ideas in Psychology, 65, 100933. doi: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2022.100933
Journal - Research Article
Silva Luna, D., Bering, J. M., & Halberstadt, J. B. (2022). The value and distinctiveness of awe in science communication: Comparing the incidence and content of ‘awesome’ representations in science and non-science picture books. International Journal of Science Education, Part B. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/21548455.2022.2048119
Journal - Research Article
Bering, J. M., Smith, S., Stojanov, A., Halberstadt, J. B., & Hughes, R. J. M. (2021). The "ghost" in the lab: Believers' and non-believers' implicit responses to an alleged apparition. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/10508619.2021.1975400
Journal - Research Article
Davey, S., Halberstadt, J., & Bell, E. (2021). Where is emotional feeling felt in the body? An integrative review. PLoS ONE, 16(12), e0261685. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261685
Journal - Research Article
Lang, M., Xygalatas, D., Kavanagh, C. M., Boccardi, N., Halberstadt, J., Jackson, C., … Gomez, A. (2021). Outgroup threat and the emergence of cohesive groups: A cross-cultural examination. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/13684302211016961
Journal - Research Article
Rozado, D., Al-Gharbi, M., & Halberstadt, J. (2021). Prevalence of prejudice-denoting words in news media discourse: A chronological analysis. Social Science Computer Review. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/08944393211031452
Journal - Research Article
Stojanov, A., Halberstadt, J., Bering, J. M., & Kenig, N. (2021). Examining a domain-specific link between perceived control and conspiracy beliefs: A brief report in the context of COVID-19. Current Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12144-021-01977-0
Journal - Research Article
Swan, T., & Halberstadt, J. (2021). Anxiety enhances recall of supernatural agents. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/10508619.2021.1898808
Journal - Research Article
Swan, T., & Halberstadt, J. (2021). God’s plan? The role of emotional repression in forming and sustaining religious beliefs. Religion, Brain & Behavior. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/2153599X.2021.1980424
Journal - Research Article
Alogna, V. K., & Halberstadt, J. (2020). The divergent effects of prayer on cheating. Religion, Brain & Behavior, 10(4), 365-378. doi: 10.1080/2153599X.2019.1574881
Journal - Research Article
Atkinson, L., Murray, J. E., & Halberstadt, J. (2020). Older adults' emotion recognition ability is unaffected by stereotype threat. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 605724. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.605724
Journal - Research Article
Colombo, M. S., Bremer, C., Gross, J., Halberstadt, J., & Hayne, H. (2020). “What was his name, again?”: A new method for reducing memory-based errors in an adult false-belief task. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 16(2), 300-316. doi: 10.5964/ejop.v16i2.1998
Journal - Research Article
Ruffman, T., Halberstadt, J., Murray, J., Jack, F., & Vater, T. (2020). Empathic accuracy: Worse recognition by older adults and less transparency in older adult expressions compared to young adults. Journals of Gerontology Series B, 75(8), 1658-1667. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbz008
Journal - Research Article
Stojanov, A., & Halberstadt, J. (2020). Does lack of control lead to conspiracy beliefs? A meta-analysis. European Journal of Social Psychology, 50, 955-968. doi: 10.1002/ejsp.2690
Journal - Research Article
Stojanov, A., Bering, J. M., & Halberstadt, J. (2020). Does perceived lack of control lead to conspiracy theory beliefs? Findings from an online MTurk sample. PLoS ONE, 15(8), e0237771. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237771
Journal - Research Article
Swan, T., & Halberstadt, J. (2020). The fitness relevance of counterintuitive agents. Journal of Cognition & Culture, 20(3-4), 188-217. doi: 10.1163/15685373-12340081
Journal - Research Article
Alogna, V. K., Bering, J., Balkcom, E., & Halberstadt, J. (2019). Religious intuitions and the nature of “belief”. Studia Humana, 8(3), 58-68. doi: 10.2478/sh-2019-0025
Journal - Research Article
Balkcom, E. R., Alogna, V. K., Curtin, E. R., Halberstadt, J. B., & Bering, J. M. (2019). Aversion to organs donated by suicide victims: The role of psychological essentialism. Cognition, 192, 104037. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104037
Journal - Research Article
Cardwell, B. A., & Halberstadt, J. (2019). Religious believers do not distinguish good from poor reasons for God’s existence. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 29(3), 147-160. doi: 10.1080/10508619.2018.1564446
Journal - Research Article
Jackson, C. M., Jackson, J. C., Bilkey, D., Jong, J., & Halberstadt, J. (2019). The dynamic emergence of minimal groups. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 22(7), 921-929. doi: 10.1177/1368430218802636
Journal - Research Article
Jackson, J. C., van Egmond, M., Choi, V. K., Ember, C. R., Halberstadt, J., Balanovic, J., … Gelfand, M. J. (2019). Ecological and cultural factors underlying the global distribution of prejudice. PLoS ONE, 14(9), e0221953. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221953
Journal - Research Article
Jahanitabesh, A., Cardwell, B. A., & Halberstadt, J. (2019). Sadness and ruminative thinking independently depress people's moods. International Journal of Psychology, 54(3), 360-368. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12466
Journal - Research Article
Morris Trainor, Z., Jong, J., Bluemke, M., & Halberstadt, J. (2019). Death salience moderates the effect of trauma on religiosity. Psychological Trauma, 11(6), 639-646. doi: 10.1037/tra0000430
Journal - Research Article
Stojanov, A., & Halberstadt, J. (2019). The conspiracy mentality scale: Distinguishing between irrational and rational suspicion. Social Psychology, 50(4), 215-232. doi: 10.1027/1864-9335/a000381
Journal - Research Article
Swan, T., & Halberstadt, J. (2019). The Mickey Mouse problem: Distinguishing religious and fictional counterintuitive agents. PLoS ONE, 14(8), e0220886. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220886
Journal - Research Article
Barton, D. N., & Halberstadt, J. (2018). A social Bouba/Kiki effect: A bias for people whose names match their faces. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 25(3), 1013-1020. doi: 10.3758/s13423-017-1304-x
Journal - Research Article
Jackson, J. C., Jong, J., Bilkey, D., Whitehouse, H., Zollmann, S., McNaughton, C., & Halberstadt, J. (2018). Synchrony and physiological arousal Increase cohesion and cooperation in large naturalistic groups. Scientific Reports, 8, 127. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-18023-4
Journal - Research Article
Jackson, J. C., Jong, J., Bluemke, M., Poulter, P., Morgenroth, L., & Halberstadt, J. (2018). Testing the causal relationship between religious belief and death anxiety. Religion, Brain & Behavior, 8(1), 57-68. doi: 10.1080/2153599X.2016.1238842
Journal - Research Article
Jong, J., Ross, R., Philip, T., Chang, S.-H., Simons, N., & Halberstadt, J. (2018). The religious correlates of death anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Religion, Brain & Behavior, 8(1), 4-20. doi: 10.1080/2153599X.2016.1238844
Journal - Research Article
Segal, K., Jong, J., & Halberstadt, J. (2018). The fusing power of natural disasters: An experimental study. Self & Identity, 17(5), 574-586. doi: 10.1080/15298868.2018.1458645
Journal - Research Article
Carr, E., Huber, D. E., Pecher, D., Zeelenberg, R., Halberstadt, J., & Winkielman, P. (2017). The ugliness-in-averageness effect: Tempering the warm glow of familiarity. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 112(6), 787-812. doi: 10.1037/pspa0000083
Journal - Research Article
Jackson, J. C., Bilkey, D., Jong, J., Rossignac-Milon, M., & Halberstadt, J. (2017). Strangers in a stadium: Studying group dynamics with in vivo behavioral tracking. Social Psychological & Personality Science, 8(5), 509-518. doi: 10.1177/1948550617709112
Journal - Research Article