Matthew Dry

Research Interests

Cognitive Science Decision Making Educational Psychology Educational Technology and Computing Pharmacology & Pharmacy Vision Science Neuroscience, Behaviour and Brain Health

Dr Matthew Dry

Senior Lecturer

School of Psychology

College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Dr Matthew DrySenior Lecturer - School of PsychologyMatt completed his PhD in Psychology in 2007 at the University of Adelaide, and then took up a post-doctoral research position at the University of Leuven in Belgium. He has been a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide since 2011. His research has focused on the mathematical modelling of cognitive and perceptual processes, psychopharmacology, and (more recently) pedagogical research into tertiary education teaching and learning.

Honours project opportunities

Project 1: Predictors of academic achievement.

Supervisor Name: Dr Matt Dry

Project description: Investigating the role of personality, intellectual ability and factors such as stress, motivation, metacognition, creativity, perfectionism, etc on academic outcomes such as grades, satisfaction, post-graduate employment etc.

Availability: Semester 1.  

Special requirements: Bachelor of Psychological Science Honours students only

 

Project 2: Human performance on the Traveling Salesperson

Problem (TSP).

Supervisor Name: Dr Matt Dry

Project description: The TSP is a computationally difficult optimization problem - understanding the cognitive processes underlying human performance on this task provides insight into our ability to perform computationally difficult tasks with apparent ease.

Availability: Semester 1

Special requirements: Bachelor of Psychological Science Honours students only

Date Position Institution name
2011 - ongoing Lecturer Level C University of Adelaide

Year Citation
2024 Tape, N., Dry, M., Monaghan, B., Tan, N., & Turnbull, D. (2024). The Scale of Perfectionism and Excellencism (SCOPE): an adolescent-based validation study for the measurement of perfectionism and excellencism. Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 41(1), 3-11.
DOI Scopus6 WoS7
2023 Short, C., Crutzen, R., Stewart, E., O'Rielly, J., Dry, M., Skuse, A., . . . Vincent, A. (2023). Exploring the Interplay between message format, need for cognition and personal relevance on processing messages about physical activity: A two-arm randomised experimental trial. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30(3), 320-333.
DOI Scopus2 WoS4 Europe PMC3
2022 Freeling, B. S., Dry, M. J., & Connell, S. D. (2022). Climate Donations Inspired by Evidence-Based Fundraising. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1-8.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2021 Connell, S., Freeling, B., Doubleday, Z., Dry, M., & Semmler, C. (2021). Better writing in scientific publications builds reader confidence and understanding. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-8.
DOI Scopus19 WoS19 Europe PMC8
2021 Tape, N., Branson, V., Dry, M., & Turnbull, D. (2021). The impact of psychological well-being and ill-being on academic performance: a longitudinal and cross-sectional study. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 38(2), 206-214.
DOI Scopus6 WoS5
2020 Comley, R. E., & Dry, M. J. (2020). Acute tolerance to alcohol-induced impairment in cognitive performance.. Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 28(6), 11 pages.
DOI Scopus4 WoS2 Europe PMC2
2020 Comley, R. E., & Dry, M. J. (2020). Acute behavioral tolerance to alcohol.. Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 28(1), 112-129.
DOI Scopus15 WoS16 Europe PMC14
2019 Branson, V. M., Dry, M. J., Palmer, E., & Turnbull, D. (2019). The Adolescent Distress-Eustress Scale: Development and Validation. SAGE Open, 9(3), 14 pages.
DOI Scopus31 WoS28
2019 Jarrad, T., Dry, M., Semmler, C., Turnbull, D., & Chur-Hansen, A. (2019). The psychological distress and physical health of Australian psychology honours students.. Australian Journal of Psychology, 54(4), 302-310.
DOI Scopus11 WoS8
2019 Branson, V., Palmer, E., Dry, M. J., & Turnbull, D. (2019). A holistic understanding of the effect of stress on adolescent well-being: a conditional process analysis. Stress and Health, 35(5), 626-641.
DOI Scopus27 WoS26 Europe PMC22
2019 Branson, V., Turnbull, D., Dry, M. J., & Palmer, E. (2019). How do young people experience stress? A qualitative investigation of the indicators of distress and eustress in adolescents. International Journal of Stress Management, 26(3), 321-329.
DOI Scopus13 WoS10
2018 Nikoloudakis, I. A., Crutzen, R., Vandelanotte, C., Quester, P., Dry, M., Skuse, A. J., . . . Short, C. E. (2018). Can you elaborate on that? Addressing participants’ need for cognition in computer-tailored health behavior interventions. Health Psychology Review, 12(4), 437-254.
DOI Scopus27 WoS26 Europe PMC22
2018 Dry, M., Due, C., Powell, C., Chur-Hansen, A., & Burns, N. R. (2018). Assessing the utility of an online adaptive learning tool in a large undergraduate psychology course.. Psychology Teaching Review, 24(2), 24-37.
2014 Dry, M., & Fontaine, E. (2014). Fast and efficient discrimination of traveling salesperson problem stimulus difficulty. The Journal of Problem Solving, 7(1), 84-97.
DOI Scopus9
2012 Dry, M., Preiss, A., & Wagemans, J. (2012). Clustering, randomness, and regularity: spatial distributions and human performance on the Traveling Salesperson Problem and Minimum Spanning Tree Problem. The Journal of Problem Solving, 4(1), 1-17.
DOI
2012 Dry, M., Burns, N., Nettelbeck, T., Farquharson, A., & White, J. (2012). Dose-related effects of alcohol on cognitive functioning. PLoS One, 7(11), 1-8.
DOI Scopus117 WoS108 Europe PMC76
2012 Yi, S., Steyvers, M., Lee, M., & Dry, M. (2012). The Wisdom of the Crowd in Combinatorial Problems. Cognitive Science, 36(3), 452-470.
DOI Scopus117 WoS95 Europe PMC35
2012 Navarro, D., Dry, M., & Lee, M. (2012). Sampling assumptions in inductive generalization. Cognitive Science, 36(2), 187-223.
DOI Scopus46 WoS32 Europe PMC15
2011 Verheyen, S., De Deyne, S., Dry, M., & Storms, G. (2011). Uncovering contrast categories in categorization with a probabilistic threshold model. Journal of Experimental Psychology-Learning Memory and Cognition, 37(6), 1515-1531.
DOI Scopus14 WoS12 Europe PMC6
2011 Verheyen, S., Stukken, L., De Deyne, S., Dry, M., & Storms, G. (2011). The generalized polymorphous concept account of graded structure in abstract categories. Memory & Cognition, 39(6), 1117-1132.
DOI Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC4
2010 Dry, M. J., & Storms, G. (2010). Features of graded category structure: generalizing the family resemblance and polymorphous concept models. Acta Psychologica, 133(3), 244-255.
DOI Scopus22 WoS23 Europe PMC15
2010 Dry, M. J., Kogo, N., Putzeys, T., & Wagemans, J. (2010). Image descriptions in early and mid-level vision: What kind of model is this and what kind of models do we really need?. British Journal of Psychology, 101(1), 27-32.
DOI Scopus2 Europe PMC1
2009 Dry, M. J., & Storms, G. (2009). Similar but not the same: A comparison of the utility of directly rated and feature-based similarity measures for generating spatial models of conceptual data. Behavior Research Methods, 41(3), 889-900.
DOI Scopus22 Europe PMC9
2008 de Deyne, S., Verheyen, S., Ameel, E., Vanpaemel, W., Dry, M. J., Voorspoels, W., & Storms, G. (2008). Exemplar by feature applicability matrices and other Dutch normative data for semantic concepts. Behavior Research Methods, 40(4), 1030-1048.
DOI Scopus120 Europe PMC58
2008 Dry, M. (2008). Using relational structure to detect symmetry: A Voronoi tessellation based model of symmetry perception. Acta Psychologica, 128(1), 75-90.
DOI Scopus22 WoS22 Europe PMC8
2006 Dry, M., Lee, M., Vickers, D., & Hughes, P. (2006). Human performance on visually presented traveling salesperson problems with varying numbers of nodes. The Journal of Problem Solving, 1(1), 20-32.
2006 Pile, K., & Dry, M. (2006). Decision making and confidence given uncertain advice. Cognitive Science, 30(6), 1081-1095.
DOI Scopus34 WoS32 Europe PMC6
2006 Vickers, D., Lee, M., Dry, M., Hughes, P., & McMahon, J. (2006). The aesthetic appeal of minimal structures: Judging the attractiveness of solutions to traveling salesperson problems. Perception & Psychophysics, 68(1), 32-42.
DOI Scopus22 WoS19 Europe PMC8
2003 Vickers, D., Lee, M., Dry, M., & Hughes, P. (2003). The roles of the convex hull and the number of potential intersections in performance on visually presented traveling salesperson problems. Memory & Cognition, 31(7), 1094-1104.
DOI Scopus46 Europe PMC16

Year Citation
2025 Dry, M. (2025). Emotions Now: The Psychology of Emotion. In Shakespeare for Everyone the Emotional Worlds of Shakespeares Works (pp. 143-152). Routledge.
DOI

Year Citation
2019 Branson, V. M., Palmer, E., Dry, M. J., & Turnbull, D. (2019). A positive understanding of the effect of stress on psychological health: The role of eustress in adolescent wellbeing. Poster session presented at the meeting of 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology. Melbourne, Australia.
2019 Branson, V. M., Palmer, E., Dry, M., & Turnbull, D. (2019). A positive understanding of the effect of stress on psychological health: The role of eustress in adolescent wellbeing. Poster session presented at the meeting of 13th Florey Postgraduate Research Conference.
2018 Branson, V., Dry, M., Palmer, E., & Turnbull, D. (2018). The Adolescent Distress-Eustress Scale: Development and validation of a novel stress measure. Poster session presented at the meeting of 12th Florey Postgraduate Research Conference.
2017 Branson, V., Turnbull, D., Dry, M., & Palmer, E. (2017). How do young people experience stress? A qualitative investigation of the indicators of distress and eustress in adolescents. Poster session presented at the meeting of 11th Florey Postgraduate Research Conference.
2017 Branson, V., Turnbull, D., Dry, M., & Palmer, E. (2017). The Adolescent Distress-Eustress Scale: Developing a holistic measure of adolescent stress. Poster session presented at the meeting of 38th STAR Conference: Stress, Anxiety and Resilience: Challenges of the 21st Century. Hong Kong.

Year Citation
2016 Oswald, T. K. (2016). Stress and Academic Success at University: Exploring Student Stress, the Nature of the Stress-Academic Success Relationship, and the Association of Stress Mindsets.. (Undergraduate Dissertation, School of Psychology, University of Adelaide).

 

Dry M, Due C, Strelan P, Turnbull D, Clark Y (2016). Office of the DVC(A) for the Indigenous Course Enrichment Project, $2,000. Co-investigator

Dry, M.J., Due, C., Chur-Hansen, A., & Burns, N.R. (2015-16). Office of Learning and Teaching - Seed Grant: Assessing the utility of an online adaptive learning tool in a large undergraduate program. (SD14-4348), $22,000. Principle Investigator.

Short, C., Dry, M.J., Skuse, A., Quester, P. (2015). University of Adelaide Interdisciplinary Research Grant: Maximising the potential of online behaviour change interventions: Determining the antecedents of user engagement. $18,000. Co-investigator.

Dry, M.J., Burns., N.R., & White, J. (2014). School of Psychology RIBG Small Grant: Estimating alcohol intoxication in a wide community sample of social drinkers. $6,953. Principle Investigator.

Nettelbeck, T., Burns, N.R., Dry, M.J., Ma-Wyatt, A., Ward, L. (2014). School of Psychology RIBG Small Grant: Setting up Driving Simulator for School of Psychology. $22,333. Co-Investigator.

Baetu, I., Burns, N.R., Dry, M.J., Dunn, J., Ma-Wyatt, A., Nettlebeck, T.J., Gaughwin, M.D., Buisman-Pijlman, F. (2012). NHMRC Equipment Grant: GSR and ECG recording extension for 64 channel EEG system. (GN9000112), $5,000. Co-Investigator.

Dry, M.J., (2012). Faculty of Health Sciences New Appointment Funding: The effects of low-to-moderate alcohol concentrations on cognitive functioning. $10,000. Principle Investigator.

Program Coordination

Bachelor of Psychological Sciences - Honours, 2019- present

 

Course Coordination

Honours Psychology Research Project - Course Coordinator, 2021- present

Honours Research Methods & Statistics - Course Coordinator, 2020- present

Honours Thesis in Psychology Part 1&2 - Course Coordinator, 2019-present

Psychology 1A - Course Coordinator, 2014-2019

Psychology 1B – Course Coordinator, 2014-2019

Research Methods in Psychology – Course Coordinator, 2013

Foundations of Perception & Cognition – Course Coordinator, 2012; 2015-2019

Teaching

Honours Psychology Research Project - 2021- present

Honours Research Methods & Statistics - 2020-present

Honours Thesis Part 1 & 2, 2019- present

Psychology 1A/B – Memory & Cognition module, 2011-present

Foundations of Perception & Cognition – Memory & Cognition module, 2012-present

Perception & Cognition – Concepts & Categories module, 2011-present

Research Methods in Psychology – Misc. modules, 2012-2015

Doing Research in Psychology – Statistical theory module, 2013 & 2015

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2019 - 2025 Co-Supervisor The Colour of Emotion: Towards a New Data-Driven Model of Affect Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Nathan Leigh Jones
2018 - 2025 Co-Supervisor Age-related changes to sensorimotor control during increases in task complexity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Adam James Georgiou
2016 - 2020 Co-Supervisor The Adolescent Distress-Eustress Scale: Designing, Evaluating, and Utilising a Holistic Measure of Adolescent Stress Doctor of Philosophy/Master of Psychology (Clinical) Doctorate Full Time Dr Victoria Branson
2016 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Acute Behavioural Tolerance to the Effect of Alcohol on Information Processing, Response Inhibition, and Subjective Intoxication Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ross Edward Comley
2011 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Narrative Recall in an Investigative Interview: Insight into Witness Metacognition Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Elizabeth Leonora Fontaine

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