
Dr Daniel Carragher
Lecturer
School of Psychology
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
I am a Lecturer and Research Fellow in the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. My research examines how we perceive human faces. I'm interested in how we recognise faces, their emotional expressions, make first impressions from facial appearance, and perform identity matching tasks. My work also examines that factors that help or hinder performance on these types of tasks. I have a diverse array of other research interests in the field of cognitive psychology more broadly, including the lateralisation of visuospatial attention, ensemble coding, and the wisdom of the crowd effect.
My recent research interests centre around how we identify human faces. That is, if we are shown two faces, how are we able to tell whether they show the same person or two different people? This type of face matching task is surprisingly common in the real world, yet the average person is somewhat error prone when making these decisions. Recently, I have been investigating how humans perform these face matching tasks when assisted by facial recognition technology. I have also led a number of projects about how COVID-19 face masks affect identification accuracy of both humans and algorithms. My previous research has also included studying the first impressions we make from facial appearance, how we process complex visual scenes, and asymmetries in visuospatial attention.
Honours Projects 2025
I'll likely be offering several honours projects in 2025 that revolve around human performance on one-to-one face matching tasks when assisted by (simulated) facial recognition technologies. These tasks are common in every day life, such as when you are asked to show photo ID (e.g., a driver's licence) at a store or when travelling through airports. Yet humans often struggle to decide whether photo ID matches the person presenting it for inspection! You can find links to my most recent work in this area through the link to Google Scholar on my profile (below).
Please contact me via email for further information.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2025 - ongoing DECRA Research Fellow University of Adelaide 2021 - ongoing Lecturer University of Adelaide 2020 - 2021 Post-doctoral Researcher University of Stirling 2019 - 2019 Post-doctoral Researcher Monash University 2019 - 2019 Casual Lecturer Flinders University 2016 - 2019 Casual Tutor Flinders University -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2015 - 2019 Flinders University Australia PhD 2011 - 2014 Flinders University Australia Bachelor of Psychology (hons) -
Research Interests
Computer Perception, Memory and Attention Computer-Human Interaction Experimental Psychology Forensic Psychology General Psychology & Cognitive Sciences Human Factors Psychology Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Sensory Processes, Perception and Performance Vision Science Neuroscience, Behaviour and Brain Health
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Journals
Year Citation 2024 Carragher, D. J., Sturman, D., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2024). Trust in automation and the accuracy of human–algorithm teams performing one-to-one face matching tasks. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 9(1), 17 pages.
Scopus32024 Bartlett, M. L., Carragher, D. J., Hancock, P. J. B., & McCarley, J. S. (2024). Benchmarking automation-aided performance in a forensic face matching task. Applied Ergonomics, 121, 104364.
Scopus12024 Carragher, D. J., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2024). The Wisdom of the Crowd Can Unmask Faces. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 38(5), 10 pages.
Scopus12024 Mueller, M., Hancock, P. J. B., Cunningham, E. K., Watt, R. J., Carragher, D., & Bobak, A. K. (2024). Automated face recognition assists with low-prevalence face identity mismatches but can bias users. British Journal of Psychology, 18 pages.
Scopus12024 Ritchie, K. L., Carragher, D. J., Davis, J. P., Read, K., Jenkins, R. E., Noyes, E., . . . Hancock, P. J. B. (2024). Face masks and fake masks: the effect of real and superimposed masks on face matching with super-recognisers, typical observers, and algorithms.. Cogn Res Princ Implic, 9(1), 5.
Scopus4 Europe PMC12023 Carragher, D. J., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2023). Simulated automated facial recognition systems as decision-aids in forensic face matching tasks.. Journal of experimental psychology. General, 152(5), 1286-1304.
Scopus16 WoS2 Europe PMC12022 Carragher, D. J., Towler, A., Mileva, V. R., White, D., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2022). Masked face identification is improved by diagnostic feature training. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 7(1), 1-12.
Scopus14 WoS7 Europe PMC72022 Carragher, D. J. (2022). Examining the cheerleader effect. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(6), 316.
Scopus1 WoS12021 Hsieh, J. Y. J., Gwinn, O. S., Brooks, K. R., Stephen, I. D., Carragher, D. J., & Nicholls, M. E. R. (2021). The “cheerleader effect” in facial and bodily attractiveness: A result of memory bias and not perceptual encoding. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74(5), 972-980.
Scopus8 WoS6 Europe PMC32021 Ciricugno, A., Bartlett, M. L., Gwinn, O. S., Carragher, D. J., & Nicholls, M. E. R. (2021). The effect of cognitive load on horizontal and vertical spatial asymmetries. Laterality, 26(6), 706-724.
Scopus8 WoS5 Europe PMC42021 Carragher, D. J., Thomas, N. A., & Nicholls, M. E. R. (2021). The dissociable influence of social context on judgements of facial attractiveness and trustworthiness.. British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953), 112(4), 902-933.
Scopus15 WoS8 Europe PMC52020 Carragher, D. J., Thomas, N. A., Gwinn, O. S., & Nicholls, M. E. R. (2020). The cheerleader effect is robust to experimental manipulations of presentation time. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 32(5-6), 553-561.
Scopus9 WoS72020 Carragher, D. J., & Hancock, P. J. B. (2020). Surgical face masks impair human face matching performance for familiar and unfamiliar faces.. Cognitive research: principles and implications, 5(1), 59.
Scopus123 WoS76 Europe PMC692019 Carragher, D. J., Thomas, N. A., Gwinn, O. S., & Nicholls, M. E. R. (2019). Limited evidence of hierarchical encoding in the cheerleader effect.. Scientific reports, 9(1), 9329.
Scopus16 WoS13 Europe PMC62018 Carragher, D. J., Lawrence, B. J., Thomas, N. A., & Nicholls, M. E. R. (2018). Visuospatial asymmetries do not modulate the cheerleader effect. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 2548.
Scopus19 WoS17 Europe PMC52018 Carragher, D. J., Thomas, N. A., & Nicholls, M. E. R. (2018). Is trustworthiness lateralized in the face? Evidence from a trust game. Laterality, 23(1), 20-38.
Scopus13 WoS11 Europe PMC6 -
Preprint
Year Citation 2024 Hua, A., & Carragher, D. J. (2024). Validating a New Trial Procedure for Assessing Human-Algorithm Teaming in One-to-One Face Matching Tasks.
DOI2023 Carragher, D. J., & Hancock, P. (2023). The Wisdom of the Crowd Can Unmask Faces.
DOI2023 Carragher, D. J., Sturman, D., & Hancock, P. (2023). Trust in Automation and the Accuracy of Human-Algorithm Teams Performing One-to-One Face Matching Tasks.
DOI2023 Bartlett, M. L., Carragher, D. J., Hancock, P., & McCarley, J. (2023). Benchmarking Automation-Aided Performance in a Forensic Face Matching Task.
DOI2021 Carragher, D. J., Towler, A., Mileva, V. R., White, D., & Hancock, P. (2021). Masked face identification is improved by diagnostic feature training.
DOI2020 Carragher, D. J., & Hancock, P. (2020). Surgical face masks impair human face matching performance for familiar and unfamiliar faces.
DOI2019 Carragher, D. J., Thomas, N., Gwinn, S., & Nicholls, M. (2019). The cheerleader effect is robust to experimental manipulations of presentation time.
DOI
Year | Project | Investigators | Award / Funding Body | Amount (AUD) |
2025 - 2028 | Improving face identification by human-algorithm teams | Carragher, D. J. | Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Australian Research Council (DE250101196) | $478,861 |
2025 | Face representations pilot | Ngiam, W. X. Q., Nelson, N. L., & Carragher., D. J. | Early Grant Development - School of Psychology, University of Adelaide | $8,292 |
2024 | Human-algorithm teaming under time pressure | Carragher, D. J. | Early Career Researcher Small Grants Scheme - School of Psychology, University of Adelaide | $2,874 |
2023 | Human-algorithm teaming for identity verification | Carragher, D. J. | Building Research Leaders - School of Psychology/Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide | $29,000 |
2023 | A novel face identification task | Searston, R. A., & Carragher, D. J. | Early Career Researcher Small Grants Scheme - School of Psychology, University of Adelaide | $5,000 |
Course Co-ordination:
Year | Course | Level |
2022-2024 | Perception & Cognition (PSYCHOL 3023) | Undergraduate (Level III) |
2022-2024 | Advanced Career and Research Skills in Psychology - A (PSYCHOL 3011A) | Undergraduate (Level III) |
2022 | Doing Research in Psychology: Advanced (PSYCHOL 3020) | Undergraduate (Level III) |
Teaching:
Year | Course | Level |
2024 | Honours Thesis in Psychology Part I (PSYCHOL 4300A) | Undergraduate (Level IV / Honours) |
2022 - Present | Advanced Career and Research Skills in Psychology - A (PSYCHOL 3011A) | Undergraduate (Level III) |
2022 - 2024 | Perception & Cognition (PSYCHOL 3023) | Undergraduate (Level III) |
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2024 Principal Supervisor Individual Differences in Face Identification Strategies Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Alysha Jay Hua -
Other Supervision Activities
Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name 2025 - ongoing Principal Supervisor TBA University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Amna Saad 2024 - 2024 Principal Supervisor The Relationship Between Face Perception and Deepfake Detection: An Investigation of Individual Differences University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Devon Ankers 2024 - 2024 Principal Supervisor The Effects of Facial Hair on Unfamiliar Face Identification Performance in a Face Matching Task and a Facial Array Task University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Olivia Bridgland 2024 - 2024 Principal Supervisor A Bearded Disguise: Examining the Role of Beards and Face Masks in Face Matching Performance University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Emily Salvatore 2024 - 2024 Principal Supervisor Investigating the optimal level of human involvement when using automated facial recognition systems University of Adelaide - Master Full Time Rachel Min 2023 - 2023 Principal Supervisor The Effect of Perceived Task Difficulty on Reliance on Automated Facial Recognition Systems as Decision Aids University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Sana Vohra 2023 - 2023 Principal Supervisor The Effect of Perceived Task Role on Reliance on Artificial Intelligence in Unfamiliar Face Matching Tasks University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Jordan Anthony 2023 - 2023 Principal Supervisor The Effects of Making Independent Judgements and Time Pressure on Human Use of Automated Facial Recognition Systems University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Alysha Hua 2022 - 2022 Principal Supervisor The effect of face familiarity on boundary errors University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Rachel Min 2022 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Boundary Errors Elicited by Trait First Impressions University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Eleni Kasimidou 2022 - 2022 Principal Supervisor The Effect of Faces, Facial Expressions and Trait Anxiety on Boundary Judgement Errors University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Kareena Brand
Connect With Me
External Profiles