Professor Eric Vanman
Professor

Eric Vanman

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 56213

Background

Eric Vanman is a Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland, Australia. He obtained his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Southern California in 1994. After that, he worked as a post-doctoral fellow in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience at USC and then a year as a research scientist at Texas A&M in the Environmental Psychophysiology Laboratory. He had short-term appointments at Emory University after that. In 2000, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor at Georgia State University, where he worked as a lecturer until 2007. He then left Georgia State as an Associate Professor to take up his current position. His research interests lie in the social neuroscience of emotion and intergroup prejudice, and his studies have incorporated several kinds of psychophysiological and neuroimaging methods. His latest projects focus on social robots and social media.

Availability

Professor Eric Vanman is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Information and Computing Sciences Psychology

Qualifications

  • Masters (Coursework), University of Southern California
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Southern California

Research interests

  • How Do We Really Feel About Robots?

    Can we have empathy for robots? Why do we fear them? Is it a good idea to design robots that look like humans? This is the newest line of research in our laboratory.

  • How Stressful is it to Use Social Media?

    We have studied how constantly keeping up with friends via social media such as Facebook can have both positive and negative benefits. We found in once recent study, for example, that giving up Facebook for five days was associated with negative feelings about being socially disconnected, but stress (as measured via salivary cortisol) decreased during the same time period.

  • Why Do We Cry? How Do People Respond to Others Who are Crying?

    We are currently investigating the functions of crying by asking people to cry in the laboratory and taking various behavioural and physiological measurements while they do. In other studies, participants view pictures or videos of people who are crying to examine how we respond to those showing tears.

  • Why Do We Have Less Empathy for People in Other Groups?

    It is well known now that we naturally have less empathy for people who belong to different social groups to our own. This line of research investigates some of the reasons why such empathic biases occur.

Research impacts

Professor Vanman is primarily known for his studies on racial prejudice. His research has indicated that the activation of facial muscles, specifically those that create frowning and smiling expressions, is linked to prejudiced and discriminatory behaviour, even in the absence of detectable facial displays of emotion. His early work on unconscious bias and its connection to psychophysiological measures laid the foundation for research on implicit measures that have been prominent in this research area for the last three decades. Recently, his research has focused on studying the mechanisms of empathy using a social neuroscience approach. He has investigated factors that may contribute to a lack of empathy for individuals who are different from us but has also extended this to human-robot interaction.

Engagement with the media is an effective way to communicate the knowledge we have acquired in our research to the general public. Prof Vanman has appeared on several radio and television programs for Australian and international media, often as an expert commenting on recent news events. For example, ABC’s Catalyst program featured his lab's research on crying, in which a documentary crew came to the laboratory. In 2022, he appeared on SBS’s Insight program to talk about what we know about “catfish”—people who use false identities to develop close relationships with others while online.

Search Professor Eric Vanman’s works on UQ eSpace

86 works between 1996 and 2024
All (86) Journal Article (68) Book Chapter (8) Conference Publication (8) Book (1) Other Outputs (1)

1 - 20 of 86 works

2024

Book Chapter

Negative valence specific deficits in judgements of musical affective quality in alexithymia

Larwood, Joel L., Vanman, Eric J. and Dingle, Genevieve A. (2024). Negative valence specific deficits in judgements of musical affective quality in alexithymia. No Words for Feelings. (pp. 66-75) London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003426905-4

Negative valence specific deficits in judgements of musical affective quality in alexithymia

2024

Journal Article

The role of external factors in affect-sharing and their neural bases

Gamble, Roger S., Henry, Julie D., Decety, Jean and Vanman, Eric J. (2024). The role of external factors in affect-sharing and their neural bases. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 157 105540, 1-16. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105540

The role of external factors in affect-sharing and their neural bases

2024

Book Chapter

The intragroup level: moral emotions, empathy, and acceptance of others as ingroup members—a social neuroscience perspective

Vanman, Eric J. (2024). The intragroup level: moral emotions, empathy, and acceptance of others as ingroup members—a social neuroscience perspective. The Routledge international handbook of the psychology of morality. (pp. 168-178) edited by Naomi Ellemers, Stefano Pagliaro and Félice van Nunspeet. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003125969-26

The intragroup level: moral emotions, empathy, and acceptance of others as ingroup members—a social neuroscience perspective

2023

Journal Article

A functionalist approach to seeking anonymity: examining the role of motives, cost, and individual differences

Nitschinsk, Lewis, Tobin, Stephanie J. and Vanman, Eric J. (2023). A functionalist approach to seeking anonymity: examining the role of motives, cost, and individual differences. Social Psychological and Personality Science. doi: 10.1177/19485506231217523

A functionalist approach to seeking anonymity: examining the role of motives, cost, and individual differences

2023

Journal Article

Why do people sometimes wear an Anonymous mask? Motivations for seeking anonymity online

Nitschinsk, Lewis, Tobin, Stephanie J., Varley, Deanna and Vanman, Eric J. (2023). Why do people sometimes wear an Anonymous mask? Motivations for seeking anonymity online. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1461672231210465. doi: 10.1177/01461672231210465

Why do people sometimes wear an Anonymous mask? Motivations for seeking anonymity online

2023

Journal Article

A functionalist approach to online trolling

Nitschinsk, Lewis, Tobin, Stephanie J. and Vanman, Eric J. (2023). A functionalist approach to online trolling. Frontiers in Psychology, 14 1211023, 1-6. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1211023

A functionalist approach to online trolling

2023

Journal Article

Empathic conservatives and moralizing liberals: political intergroup empathy varies by political ideology and is explained by moral judgment

Casey, James P., Vanman, Eric J. and Barlow, Fiona Kate (2023). Empathic conservatives and moralizing liberals: political intergroup empathy varies by political ideology and is explained by moral judgment. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1461672231198001. doi: 10.1177/01461672231198001

Empathic conservatives and moralizing liberals: political intergroup empathy varies by political ideology and is explained by moral judgment

2023

Journal Article

Familiarity with individuals' genuine dynamic expressive behaviour increases accuracy of emotional arousal judgements

Van Der Zant, Tamara, Vanman, Eric and Nelson, Nicole (2023). Familiarity with individuals' genuine dynamic expressive behaviour increases accuracy of emotional arousal judgements. Affective Science, 4 (1).

Familiarity with individuals' genuine dynamic expressive behaviour increases accuracy of emotional arousal judgements

2023

Journal Article

A meta-analysis of the effects of social media exposure to upward comparison targets on self-evaluations and emotions

McComb, Carly A., Vanman, Eric J. and Tobin, Stephanie J. (2023). A meta-analysis of the effects of social media exposure to upward comparison targets on self-evaluations and emotions. Media Psychology, 26 (5), 612-635. doi: 10.1080/15213269.2023.2180647

A meta-analysis of the effects of social media exposure to upward comparison targets on self-evaluations and emotions

2023

Journal Article

Empathy moderates the relationship between cognitive load and prosocial behaviour

Gamble, Roger S., Henry, Julie D. and Vanman, Eric J. (2023). Empathy moderates the relationship between cognitive load and prosocial behaviour. Scientific Reports, 13 (1) 824, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-28098-x

Empathy moderates the relationship between cognitive load and prosocial behaviour

2022

Journal Article

The effect of heuristic cues on jurors' systematic information processing in rape trials

Nitschke, Faye T., McKimmie, Blake M. and Vanman, Eric J. (2022). The effect of heuristic cues on jurors' systematic information processing in rape trials. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 46 (4), 484-500. doi: 10.1177/03616843221118018

The effect of heuristic cues on jurors' systematic information processing in rape trials

2022

Journal Article

The effect of heuristic cues on jurors’ systematic information processing in rape trials

Nitschke, Faye T., McKimmie, Blake M. and Vanman, Eric J. (2022). The effect of heuristic cues on jurors’ systematic information processing in rape trials. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 46 (4), 1-17. doi: 10.1177/03616843221118018

The effect of heuristic cues on jurors’ systematic information processing in rape trials

2022

Journal Article

The dark triad and online self-presentation styles and beliefs

Nitschinsk, Lewis, Tobin, Stephanie J. and Vanman, Eric J. (2022). The dark triad and online self-presentation styles and beliefs. Personality and Individual Differences, 194 111641, 111641. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111641

The dark triad and online self-presentation styles and beliefs

2022

Other Outputs

A meta-analysis of the effects of social media exposure on self-evaluations and emotions.

McComb, Carly, Vanman, Eric and Tobin, Stephanie (2022). A meta-analysis of the effects of social media exposure on self-evaluations and emotions.. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/2e4fc9f

A meta-analysis of the effects of social media exposure on self-evaluations and emotions.

2022

Journal Article

The disinhibiting effects of anonymity increase online trolling

Nitschinsk, Lewis, Tobin, Stephanie J. and Vanman, Eric J. (2022). The disinhibiting effects of anonymity increase online trolling. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 25 (6), 377-383. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2022.0005

The disinhibiting effects of anonymity increase online trolling

2022

Journal Article

The effect of trauma education judicial instructions on decisions about complainant credibility in rape trials

Nitschke, Faye T., McKimmie, Blake M. and Vanman, Eric J. (2022). The effect of trauma education judicial instructions on decisions about complainant credibility in rape trials. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 29 (1), 69-92. doi: 10.1037/law0000353

The effect of trauma education judicial instructions on decisions about complainant credibility in rape trials

2022

Journal Article

Revisiting (dis)fluency: metacognitive difficulty as a novelty cue that evokes feeling-of-interest

Sung, Billy, Vanman, Eric J. and Hartley, Nicole (2022). Revisiting (dis)fluency: metacognitive difficulty as a novelty cue that evokes feeling-of-interest. Psychology and Marketing, 39 (8), 1451-1466. doi: 10.1002/mar.21664

Revisiting (dis)fluency: metacognitive difficulty as a novelty cue that evokes feeling-of-interest

2022

Book Chapter

Gene by environment interactions in intergroup relations

McGovern, Hugh T. and Vanman, Eric J. (2022). Gene by environment interactions in intergroup relations. The neuroscience of intergroup relations: global perspectives on the neural underpinnings of intergroup behaviour, ingroup bias and prejudice. (pp. 76-94) edited by Pascal Molenberghs. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003042426-6

Gene by environment interactions in intergroup relations

2021

Journal Article

Objective vs subjective design newness

Sung, Billy, Hartley, Nicole, Vanman, Eric and Hooshmand, Reyhane (2021). Objective vs subjective design newness. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1482-1502. doi: 10.1108/apjml-12-2020-0897

Objective vs subjective design newness

2021

Journal Article

Tears evoke the intention to offer social support: a systematic investigation of the interpersonal effects of emotional crying across 41 countries

Zickfeld, Janis H., van de Ven, Niels, Pich, Olivia, Schubert, Thomas W., Berkessel, Jana B., Pizarro, José J., Bhushan, Braj, Mateo, Nino Jose, Barbosa, Sergio, Sharman, Leah, Kökönyei, Gyöngyi, Schrover, Elke, Kardum, Igor, Aruta, John Jamir Benzon, Lazarevic, Ljiljana B., Escobar, María Josefina, Stadel, Marie, Arriaga, Patrícia, Dodaj, Arta, Shankland, Rebecca, Majeed, Nadyanna M., Li, Yansong, Lekkou, Eleimonitria, Hartanto, Andree, Özdoğru, Asil A., Vaughn, Leigh Ann, del Carmen Espinoza, Maria, Caballero, Amparo, Kolen, Anouk ... Vingerhoets, Ad (2021). Tears evoke the intention to offer social support: a systematic investigation of the interpersonal effects of emotional crying across 41 countries. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 95 104137, 104137. doi: 10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104137

Tears evoke the intention to offer social support: a systematic investigation of the interpersonal effects of emotional crying across 41 countries

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2026
    Robots as a Social Group: Implications for Human-Robot Interaction
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2025
    Reducing social frailty in late adulthood
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2016
    A brain physiology laboratory for neuropsychological research in the new Queensland Neuropsychology Research Centre
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2013
    A brain stimulation and portable eye-tracking suite for human behavioural research
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2015
    Advancing the science of willpower: Investigating the mechanisms and processes of self-control (ARC Discovery Project administered by Curtin University)
    Curtin University of Technology
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2011
    Emotional and political reactions to representations of terrorism
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    Somatic Markers of Social Prejudice
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2008
    User-friendly equipment for central nervous and cardiovascular psychopshysiology
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Eric Vanman is:
Available for supervision

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Available projects

  • Social Robots: The ROSIE Project

    In collaboration with international partners in Switzerland and Germany, Prof Vanman has received funding to study human-robot interaction from the perspective of intergroup relations. As robots become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, from assisting in homes to collaborating in workplaces, understanding the social dimensions of human-robot interactions becomes crucial. This project, funded by the Australian Research Council, aims to bridge the gap by examining robots through the lens of social psychology, focusing on their acceptance as part of our social fabric.

    The project will explore innovative strategies to enhance empathy towards robots, aiming to improve coexistence and collaboration. Through a series of cutting-edge experiments, the research team will provide invaluable insights for robot designers and pave the way for a more inclusive future where humans and robots work side by side, enriching each other's lives.

  • Catfshing: Antecedents and Consequences

    Prof. Vanman's research team has conducted some initial pilot work involving online interviews with people who catfish. He would welcome a new PhD project focused on conducting an investigation into the motivations of people who catfish, identifying their likely victims, and understanding the consequences for people who have been catfished.

Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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communications@uq.edu.au