Professor Jason Tangen
Professor

Jason Tangen

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Phone: 
+61 7 336 56774

Background

I'm a Professor of Cognitive Science at The University of Queensland, originally hailing from Alberta, Canada. I received my BASc in Philosophy and Psychology from The University of Lethbridge, my PhD in Psychology from McMaster University, and held a postdoctoral fellowship at UNSW before joining UQ in 2006.

Much of our work is at the intersection of cognitive science and artificial intelligence, exploring how generative AI can enhance learning and cognition. We're excited about the potential for these tools to provide personalised feedback, correct misconceptions, and create more engaging educational experiences.

But we’re not just focused on AI. We also explore the quirks of human thinking, particularly the biases that shape our judgments in contexts ranging from daily life to high-stakes decision-making. By unraveling these mental shortcuts, we aim to develop strategies that enable clearer thinking, more effective reasoning, and ultimately, wiser choices in the face of complexity and uncertainty.

I've been lucky to work with some truly brilliant students and collaborators over the years. It's a pleasure to come to the lab every day and tackle these fascinating questions together.

Availability

Professor Jason Tangen is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Cognitive and computational psychology Psychology

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, McMaster University

Research interests

  • AI-Assisted Learning and Cognition

    AI technologies — large language models and adaptive tutoring systems — offer promising avenues for enhancing learning outcomes and supporting cognitive processes. Our research explores the potential of personalised AI feedback to correct misconceptions, deepen understanding, and effect lasting changes in beliefs and knowledge. We’re investigating AI-driven dialogues’ efficacy in rectifying misconceptions in cognitive psychology and related fields, with implications for educational settings and public comprehension of complex issues. This work not only advances AI-assisted learning but also informs human cognition. Studying human-AI interactions yields insights into the cognitive mechanisms underpinning knowledge acquisition, belief updating, and conceptual change. Central to our inquiry is AI’s unique persuasive power in educational contexts — we’re examining its learning benefits alongside its implications for critical thinking in an increasingly AI-driven world. This dual focus allows us to harness AI’s potential while remaining mindful of its broader impact on cognitive development.

  • Cognitive Biases and Decision-Making

    Our research examines the wide range of cognitive biases that shape human judgment and decision-making across various domains. We study visual biases in forensic science and complex cognitive biases in everyday reasoning, exploring how these mental shortcuts influence our thinking. Our work on fingerprint identification revealed how contextual information can influence even expert decision-making, challenging assumptions about objectivity in forensic analysis. Currently, we’re investigating how different types of expertise and cognitive strategies might help overcome biases in critical areas such as financial forecasting, medical diagnosis, and public health policy-making. By combining insights from cognitive science with AI-driven approaches, we aim to improve human reasoning and problem-solving in real-world scenarios. Our goal is to connect theoretical understanding with practical application, promoting more rational decision-making in high-stakes environments where clear thinking is paramount.

  • Insight Experiences and Belief Formation

    Our team is developing a comprehensive framework to study insight or “Aha!” moments – those sudden realisations that can dramatically shift understanding and shape beliefs. We’re expanding on the Eureka heuristic by examining multiple facets of insight experiences, including their depth, “mystical” qualities, and the challenge of putting them into words. Our research explores how these dimensions relate to an individual’s propensity to experience insights. We’re particularly curious about the role these sudden revelations play in forming and maintaining beliefs, especially those related to conspiracy theories and paranormal phenomena. By measuring various aspects of insight experiences and tracking their influence on belief systems, we aim to uncover the cognitive processes driving belief formation and change. This work not only advances our understanding of how people arrive at new ideas but also offers potential strategies for promoting critical thinking and addressing misinformation. Through our novel methods, we aim to reveal how these “lightbulb moments” shape our worldview and influence our decisions.

  • Resilience in High-Stakes Professions

    Our collaboration with the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Ambulance Service focuses on understanding resilience in forensic investigators and first responders. This multi-phase project explores how these professionals maintain their well-being and performance despite frequent exposure to traumatic events. We’re combining in-depth qualitative interviews, specially designed cognitive tasks, and advanced physiological measures to pinpoint the traits and skills that contribute to resilience. By examining how these professionals process and respond to challenging stimuli, we’re uncovering the cognitive strategies that allow them to thrive in high-stress environments. This research has far-reaching implications, potentially informing recruitment practices, refining training programs, and developing targeted support strategies for professionals in high-stress fields. Our findings could lead to interventions that not only enhance individual well-being but also improve public safety by ensuring that these critical professionals can perform at their best under challenging circumstances.

Research impacts

Our research team aims to promote rational thinking and counter misinformation across diverse domains. We created one of the world’s largest online courses on critical thinking, now being used in Ukraine to combat Russian disinformation. Our team advises forensic analysts on presenting evidence, lawyers on cross-examination techniques, and judges on excluding unreliable testimony. Additionally, we train senior police managers in high-stakes decision making and bias mitigation, and collaborate with bdna, a tech firm helping law enforcement worldwide reduce cognitive bias in investigations.

Known as “The Australian Study,” our groundbreaking work on fingerprint examiner accuracy and reliability was cited by the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, presented to leading international agencies including the FBI, Scotland Yard, and the Dutch Police, and referenced in expert reports by Australian police forces and the FBI. This research was also used to develop the Australian Federal Police’s innovative “Rapid Lab” intelligence process.

Our team is actively working to strengthen forensic science practices and their use in the justice system. We have designed competency tests that all Australia/New Zealand fingerprint experts must pass to testify in court, and developed a global resource promoting empirical studies in forensic science. Our work has been cited in landmark reports by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and President’s Council, and is informing new Victorian and NSW Supreme Court rules on forensic testimony.

We lead research projects helping industry partners solve challenging, high-impact problems, such as testing banknote security features for the Reserve Bank of Australia, developing passport loss reporting incentives for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and providing quarterly command training for Queensland Police Service leaders. In recognition of our collaborative efforts, we received a UQ Award for Excellence in HDR Industry Engagement and Leadership.

Search Professor Jason Tangen’s works on UQ eSpace

103 works between 2003 and 2024
All (103) Journal Article (58) Book Chapter (2) Conference Publication (41) Other Outputs (2)

101 - 103 of 103 works

2003

Conference Publication

Judging relationships between events: How do we do it?

Allan, Lorraine G. and Tangen, Jason M. (2003). Judging relationships between events: How do we do it?. 44th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, 6-9 November 2003.

Judging relationships between events: How do we do it?

2003

Conference Publication

Judgement of Causality: Contingency Learning (∆P) or Signal Detection (d')

Allan, L. G., Siegel, S. and Tangen, J. M. (2003). Judgement of Causality: Contingency Learning (∆P) or Signal Detection (d'). Gregynog Associative Learning Symposium, Wales, United Kingdom, 15-17 April 2003.

Judgement of Causality: Contingency Learning (∆P) or Signal Detection (d')

2003

Conference Publication

A watched pot never boils: Temporal expectation in human contingency judgements

Tangen, J. M. and Allan, Lorraine G. (2003). A watched pot never boils: Temporal expectation in human contingency judgements. 13th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 12-14 June, 2003.

A watched pot never boils: Temporal expectation in human contingency judgements

Current funding

  • 2019 - 2024
    Creating perceptual experts in Australia's policing and security agencies
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2024
    Telling prints apart vs telling prints together: Inter- vs intra-print variability in fingerprint analysis
    National Institute of Forensic Science
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Breaking with the past: Responding to the challenge of identity change
    UQ Development Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    Training and communicating perceptual expertise in forensic science
    UQ Collaboration and Industry Engagement Fund - FirstLink
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2017
    COMPASS - passport processing research project
    Commonwealth Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
    Open grant
  • 2014
    Provision of Behaviour Change Research Services for Lost and Stolen Passports
    Commonwealth Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2013
    The Perception of Banknote Security Features
    Reserve Bank of Australia
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2016
    Forensic reasoning and uncertainty: Identifying pattern and impression expertise
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012
    Enhancing Realism in Psychological Research.
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2012
    Assessing error in forensic identification: The development of scientific and legal standards of evidence
    UQ Collaboration and Industry Engagement Fund
    Open grant
  • 2010
    UQ Travel Awards Category 1, Rick Mehta
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2011
    Learning and Deciding Under Low Levels of Awareness: Representation Issues and Memory Processes
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009
    UQ Travel Awards Caregory 2, Dr Jason Tangen
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2009
    Intrusive variance in casual learning
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2007
    UQ Travel Award - Jason Tangen
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2007
    Editing outliers and distorting data: The role of variability in human contingency judgements
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Jason Tangen is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Available projects

  • Tangen Lab Research

    If you'd like to join the lab, please read through some of our projects descriptions and papers to see if you're interested in the research questions we're asking.

  • Tangen Lab Research

    If you'd like to join the lab, please read through some of our projects descriptions and papers to see if you're interested in the research questions we're asking.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Holding up a mirror to The Cognitive Reflection Test: Investigating the roles of intuition, reflection and insight in test performance

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Balancing Efficiency with Equity: Exploring the Impact of AI-Driven Tutors on Learning in Higher Education

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    AI Tutors As 'Metacognitive Pumps' For Learning and Calibrating Confidence

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Michael Noetel

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Resilience in traumatic work situations.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Samuel Pearson

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Improving adolescents' rationality to improve career decision-making skills and promote wellbeing

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Michael Noetel

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Arousal Coherence: Feeling our way through uncertainty

    Associate Advisor

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Jason Tangen directly for media enquiries about:

  • Bias
  • Categorisation
  • Cognition
  • Decision Making
  • Discrimination
  • Education
  • Evidence
  • Expertise
  • Forensics
  • Identification
  • Insight
  • Instruction
  • Judgement
  • Learning
  • Memory
  • Metascience
  • Misinformation
  • Performance
  • Problem Solving
  • Rationality
  • Reasoning
  • Thinking
  • Training
  • Validation

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communications@uq.edu.au