
Dr Nicole Nelson
Senior Lecturer
School of Psychology
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
- My Research
- Career
- Publications
- Grants and Funding
- Teaching
- Supervision
- Professional Activities
- Contact
Current studies available for child participants can be found here: https://linktr.ee/developwelllab
My Research
Dr Nicole Nelson examines how children and adults learn about and understand emotional expressions and other non-verbal information. Her research examines how we integrate facial, postural, and vocal expression cues, how children attend to and learn about new emotions and non-verbal information, and what our emotional expressions look like during daily interactions. Dr Nelson received her PhD from Boston College, was an NSF-funded Postdoctoral Fellow at Brock University in Canada, and after several years at the University of Queensland, in 2021 she joined the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2021 - ongoing Lecturer/Assistant Professor University of Adelaide 2021 - ongoing Honorary Research Senior Fellow University of Queensland 2014 - 2020 Lecturer/Assistant Professor University of Queensland 2012 - 2014 Postdoctoral Follow Brock University -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2011 Boston College United States PhD 2003 University of Washington United States Bachelor of Science -
Research Interests
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Journals
Year Citation 2025 Vidas, D., Nelson, N. L., & Dingle, G. A. (2025). Efficacy of the Tuned In music emotion regulation program in international university students. Psychology and Health, 40(1), 105-125.
Scopus4 Europe PMC22025 Fong, F. T. K., Thong, C., & Nelson, N. L. (2025). Children use process of elimination to associate a novel expression with a novel cause. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 253, 106205.
2025 Jones, A. K., Nelson, N. L., Gautam, S., & Redshaw, J. (2025). Children infer counterfactual information from others’ facial expressions. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 259, 13 pages.
2024 Dixson, B. J. W., Nelson, N. L., Moses, E., Lee, A. J., & Pegna, A. J. (2024). Perceptions of facial trustworthiness and dominance modulate early neural responses to male facial sexual dimorphism. Evolution and Human Behavior, 45(6), 11 pages.
Scopus32024 Moses, E., Nelson, N., Taubert, J., & Pegna, A. J. (2024). Oxytocin differentially modulates the early neural responses to faces and non-social stimuli.. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 19(1), 10 pages.
Scopus3 Europe PMC32023 Pegna, A. J., Framorando, D., Yu, Z., Buhmann, Z., Nelson, N., & Dixson, B. J. W. (2023). Hierarchical status is rapidly assessed from behaviourally dominant faces.. Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience, 23(5), 1267-1280.
Scopus5 Europe PMC12023 Van Der Zant, T., Vanman, E., & Nelson, N. (2023). Familiarity with individuals' genuine dynamic expressive behaviour increases accuracy of emotional arousal judgements. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE, 4(1), 1 page. 2022 Dixson, B. J. W., Spiers, T., Miller, P. A., Sidari, M. J., Nelson, N. L., & Craig, B. M. (2022). Facial hair may slow detection of happy facial expressions in the face in the crowd paradigm. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 13 pages.
Scopus11 WoS1 Europe PMC52022 Vidas, D., Nelson, N. L., & Dingle, G. A. (2022). Music listening as a coping resource in domestic and international university students. Psychology of Music, 50(6), 030573562110669.
Scopus7 WoS22022 West, M. J., Angwin, A. J., Copland, D. A., Arnott, W. L., & Nelson, N. L. (2022). Effects of emotional cues on novel word learning in typically developing children in relation to broader autism traits. Journal of Child Language, 49(3), 503-521.
Scopus2 WoS1 Europe PMC12021 Vidas, D., Larwood, J. L., Nelson, N. L., & Dingle, G. A. (2021). Music Listening as a Strategy for Managing COVID-19 Stress in First-Year University Students. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 9 pages.
Scopus58 WoS24 Europe PMC192021 Nguyen, T. T., & Nelson, N. L. (2021). Winners and losers: Recognition of spontaneous emotional expressions increases across childhood. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 209, 1-11.
Scopus4 WoS2 Europe PMC22021 Van Der Zant, T., Reid, J., Mondloch, C. J., & Nelson, N. L. (2021). The influence of postural emotion cues on implicit trait judgements. Motivation and Emotion, 45(5), 641-648.
Scopus2 WoS12021 Van Der Zant, T., & Nelson, N. L. (2021). Motion Increases Recognition of Naturalistic Postures but not Facial Expressions. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 45(4), 587-600.
Scopus8 WoS32021 Butler, J. R., & Nelson, N. L. (2021). Children overclaim more knowledge than adults do, but for different reasons. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 201, 104969.
Scopus7 WoS5 Europe PMC12020 Kapitány, R., Nelson, N., Burdett, E. R. R., & Goldstein, T. R. (2020). The child’s pantheon: Children’s hierarchical belief structure in real and non-real figures. PLoS ONE, 15(6), e0234142.
Scopus9 WoS5 Europe PMC22020 Fong, F. T. K., Mondloch, C. J., & Nelson, N. L. (2020). Interactive situations reveal more about children's emotional knowledge. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 198, 104879.
Scopus9 WoS4 Europe PMC22020 Barker, M. S., Nelson, N. L., & Robinson, G. A. (2020). Idea formulation for spoken language production: the interface of cognition and language. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 26(2), 226-240.
Scopus27 WoS16 Europe PMC152020 Vidas, D., Calligeros, R., Nelson, N. L., & Dingle, G. A. (2020). Development of emotion recognition in popular music and vocal bursts. Cognition and Emotion, 34(5), 906-919.
Scopus5 WoS3 Europe PMC42020 West, M. J., Angwin, A. J., Copland, D. A., Arnott, W. L., & Nelson, N. L. (2020). Cross-modal emotion recognition and autism-like traits in typically developing children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 191, 104737-1-104737-13.
Scopus6 WoS32020 Barker, M. S., Bidstrup, E. M., Robinson, G. A., & Nelson, N. L. (2020). “Grumpy” or “furious”? arousal of emotion labels influences judgments of facial expressions. PLOS ONE, 15(7), e0235390.
Scopus10 WoS6 Europe PMC42019 Nelson, N. L., & Mondloch, C. J. (2019). Children's perception of emotions in the context of live interactions: Eye movements and emotion judgements. Behavioural Processes, 164, 193-200.
Scopus13 WoS8 Europe PMC32019 Dixson, B. J. W., Kennedy-Costantini, S., Lee, A. J., & Nelson, N. L. (2019). Mothers are sensitive to men's beards as a potential cue of paternal investment. Hormones and Behavior, 113, 55-66.
Scopus30 WoS26 Europe PMC122019 Craig, B. M., Nelson, N. L., & Dixson, B. J. W. (2019). Sexual Selection, Agonistic Signaling, and the Effect of Beards on Recognition of Men’s Anger Displays. Psychological Science, 30(5), 728-738.
Scopus44 WoS33 Europe PMC142019 Mondloch, C. J., Gerada, A., Proietti, V., & Nelson, N. L. (2019). The influence of subtle facial expressions on children's first impressions of trustworthiness and dominance is not adult-like. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 180, 19-38.
Scopus19 WoS16 Europe PMC72019 Coy, A. L., Nelson, N. L., & Mondloch, C. J. (2019). No experimental evidence for emotion-specific gaze cueing in a threat context. Cognition and Emotion, 33(6), 1144-1154.
Scopus7 Europe PMC32019 Nelson, N. L., Kennedy-Costantini, S., Lee, A. J., & Dixson, B. J. W. (2019). Children's judgements of facial hair are influenced by biological development and experience. Evolution and Human Behavior, 40(6), 551-556.
Scopus8 WoS132018 Nelson, N. L., Nowicki, E., Diemer, M. C., Sangster, K., Cheng, C., & Russell, J. A. (2018). Children can create a new emotion category through a process of elimination. Cognitive Development, 47, 117-123.
Scopus13 WoS72018 Vidas, D., Dingle, G. A., & Nelson, N. L. (2018). Children’s recognition of emotion in music and speech. Music and Science, 1, 205920431876265.
Scopus272018 West, M. J., Copland, D. A., Arnott, W. L., Nelson, N. L., & Angwin, A. J. (2018). Effects of prosodic and semantic cues on facial emotion recognition in relation to autism-like traits. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(8), 2611-2618.
Scopus15 WoS9 Europe PMC72018 Barker, M. S., Nelson, N. L., O'Sullivan, J. D., Adam, R., & Robinson, G. A. (2018). Energization and spoken language production: evidence from progressive supranuclear palsy. Neuropsychologia, 119, 349-362.
Scopus24 WoS16 Europe PMC102018 Nelson, N. L., & Mondloch, C. J. (2018). Children’s visual attention to emotional expressions varies with stimulus movement. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 172, 13-24.
Scopus11 WoS8 Europe PMC42017 Nelson, N. L., & Mondloch, C. J. (2017). Adults’ and children’s perception of facial expressions is influenced by body postures even for dynamic stimuli. Visual Cognition, 25(4-6), 563-574.
Scopus33 WoS252017 West, M. J., Copland, D. A., Arnott, W. L., Nelson, N. L., & Angwin, A. J. (2017). Effects of emotional prosody on novel word learning in relation to autism-like traits. Motivation and Emotion, 41(6), 749-759.
Scopus7 WoS22016 Nelson, N. L., & Russell, J. A. (2016). Building emotion categories: Children use a process of elimination when they encounter novel expressions. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 151, 120-130.
Scopus29 WoS22 Europe PMC142016 Nelson, N. L., & Russell, J. A. (2016). A facial expression of pax: Assessing children’s “recognition” of emotion from faces. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 141, 49-64.
Scopus37 WoS29 Europe PMC112015 Nelson, N. L., & Russell, J. A. (2015). Children distinguish between positive pride and hubris.. Developmental Psychology, 51(11), 1609-1614.
Scopus7 WoS5 Europe PMC22014 Nelson, N. L., & Russell, J. A. (2014). Dynamic facial expressions allow differentiation of displays intended to convey positive and hubristic pride.. Emotion, 14(5), 857-864.
Scopus25 WoS22 Europe PMC82013 Mondloch, C. J., Nelson, N. L., & Horner, M. (2013). Asymmetries of Influence: Differential Effects of Body Postures on Perceptions of Emotional Facial Expressions. Plos One, 8(9), 16 pages.
Scopus33 WoS27 Europe PMC142013 Nelson, N. L., Hudspeth, K., & Russell, J. A. (2013). A story superiority effect for disgust, fear, embarrassment, and pride. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 31(3), 334-348.
Scopus16 WoS8 Europe PMC52013 Nelson, N. L., & Russell, J. A. (2013). Universality revisited. Emotion Review, 5(1), 8-15.
Scopus196 WoS1542012 Nelson, N. L., & Russell, J. A. (2012). Children's understanding of nonverbal expressions of pride. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 111(3), 379-385.
Scopus20 WoS16 Europe PMC32011 Nelson, N. L., & Russell, J. A. (2011). Preschoolers' use of dynamic facial, bodily, and vocal cues to emotion. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 110(1), 52-61.
Scopus108 WoS86 Europe PMC402011 Nelson, N. L., & Russell, J. A. (2011). Putting motion in emotion: Do dynamic presentations increase preschooler's recognition of emotion?. Cognitive Development, 26(3), 248-259.
Scopus27 WoS212011 Nelson, N. L., & Russell, J. A. (2011). When Dynamic, the Head and Face Alone Can Express Pride. Emotion, 11(4), 990-993.
Scopus16 WoS15 Europe PMC5 -
Book Chapters
Year Citation 2022 Nelson, N., & Widen, S. (2022). Differentiation and Language Acquisition in Children’s Understanding of Emotion. In D. Dukes, A. Samson, & E. Walle (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Emotional Development (pp. 174-187). Oxford University Press.
DOI Scopus2 -
Conference Papers
Year Citation 2014 Mondloch, C. J., & Nelson, N. L. (2014). Looking for Emotion Cues: Allocation of Attention Varies With Age, Emotion, and Whether Stimuli Are Static or Dynamic. In CANADIAN JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHOLOGIE EXPERIMENTALE Vol. 68 (pp. 305). CANADIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC. -
Conference Items
Year Citation 2024 Holdsworth, I., Palmer, K., Rayner, C., Tuza, A., Van Der Zant, T., & Nelson, N. (2024). Characteristics of Adults' Facial Expressions As Seen By Infants. Poster session presented at the meeting of Experimental Psychology Conference 2024. Adelaide, South Australia. -
Preprint
Year Citation 2024 Nelson, N. L., Mondloch, C. J., & Dixson, B. (2024). Facial hair is increasingly associated with dominance, but not trustworthiness in childhood.
DOI
Funding
Career funding total = $287,319 AUD
Year | Grant | Amount | |
2019 | Nelson, N.L., Pegna, A., & Dixson, B.J.W. Title: Neural and Visual Correlates of Emotion Recognition in Faces and Bodies. Strategic Funds Seeding Grant, University of Queensland. | $8000 AUD | |
2017 | Robinson, G.A., Matthews, N., & Nelson, N.L. Title: Mapping Parallels in Language and Emotional Communication Deficits in Healthy and Pathological Ageing. Strategic Funds Seeding Grant, University of Queensland. | $9200 AUD | |
2016 | Robinson, G.A., ...Nelson, N.L., & Vanman, E. Title: A brain physiology laboratory for neuropsychological research in the new Queensland Neuropsychology Research Centre. Major Equipment Initiative Grant, University of Queensland. | $109,606 AUD | |
2015 |
Nelson, N.L. …et al Title: Integrating Measures of Emotion: Facial Expressions, EEG, and EMG using iMotions software Research Equipment Initiative, University of Queensland |
$28,400 AUD | |
2012 - 2014 | Nelson, N.L. Title: Children's Understanding of Cues to Emotion: Attentional Mechanisms and Social Interactions. International Research Fellowship Program Award, National Science Foundation. | $88,984 USD |
Teaching
Course Title and Role | ||||
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Foundations of Health and Lifespan Psychology (PSYCHOL 1006) Lecturer & Course Coordinator |
Sem. 2, 2022 - | |||
Health and Lifespan Developmental Psychology (PSYCHOL 3021) Lecturer & Course Coordinator |
Sem. 2, 2021 - | |||
Skills and Applications (PSYCHOL 1006) Lecturer & Course Coordinator |
Sem. 2, 2021 |
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2025 Principal Supervisor Studies children's knowledge of emotional expressions in interactive contexts. Examines children's expression recognition and production, plus the effects of autistic, socially anxious, and alexithymic traits, and interaction partner familiarity. Master of Philosophy (Medical Science) Master Full Time Miss Imogen Helena Holdsworth 2024 Co-Supervisor Individual Differences in Face Identification Strategies Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Alysha Jay Hua 2024 Co-Supervisor The effectiveness of virtual reality on cognitive load and schema acquisition of STEM students Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Jaclyn Crystal Steffan 2023 Principal Supervisor Naturalistic emotion reasoning in childhood: the role of parents on children’s ability to understand and use emotions to interact with others Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Kye Jayden Palmer 2021 Co-Supervisor Trait and Situational Predictors of Interpersonal Objectification in Male and Female Perpetrators Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Danielle Grace Tetley
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Committee Memberships
Date Role Committee Institution Country 2021 - ongoing Member HM&S Ethics Committee Low Risk Review University of Adelaide Australia 2018 - 2020 Member Higher Degree Research Committee University of Queensland, School of Psychology Australia 2017 - 2018 Member Ethics Committee (Low and Negligible Risk) University of Queensland, Faculty of Health and Behavioral Sciences Australia -
Review, Assessment, Editorial and Advice
Date Title Type Institution Country 2021 - 2022 Action Editor Journal Review Australian Journal of Psychology Australia
Connect With Me
External Profiles