Dr Christopher Berry

I am based in the School of Psychology and am Programme Lead for the MSc Research Methods in Psychology and MPsych (Hons) Psychology programmes. My research is primarily concerned with furthering our understanding of human memory and using formal models to achieve this.

Qualifications and Background

Professional membership

Member of the Experimental Psychology Society (EPS)

Teaching interests

Research interests

My research is primarily concerned with furthering our understanding of human memory and using formal models to achieve this. A complete understanding how memory works will ultimately have implications for how we treat memory impairments (e.g., in ageing or amnesia), and also for maximising everyday cognitive function. Formal models are a means of implementing and testing competing theories in a rigorous and transparent manner. My specific areas of investigation are: implicit (unconscious) memory; the role of attention in memory; signal detection theory; the relation between repetition priming, recognition memory, fluency, and source memory; deception; mathematical modelling.

I am a member of the Learning and Memory Research Group in the School of Psychology.

Grants & contracts

ESRC Research Grant (2016 - 2020). Modelling explicit and implicit memory: linking priming, recognition, and source memory. Principal Investigator, £264,974.

ESRC Research Fellowship (Dec 2007 - Jan 2011). Testing formal single- and dual-system models of recognition, priming and fluency. Principal Investigator, £226,607. (Fellowship mentor: Professor D. Shanks; Collaborator: Professor R. Henson.)

Wellcome Trust Value in People Award (Jan 2011 - April 2011). £5,106.

Other academic activities

Publications

Spanton, R. W., & Berry, C. J. (2022). Does variability in recognition memory scale with mean memory strength or encoding variability in the UVSD model? Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. [PDF] [DOI] [OSF]

Lange, N. & Berry, C. J. (2021). Explaining the association between repetition priming and source memory: No evidence for a contribution of recognition or fluency. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74, 1806-1817. [PDF] [DOI] [OSF]

Ward, E. V., Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Moller, P. L., & Czsiser, E. (2020). Aging predicts decline in explicit and implicit memory: A lifespan study. Psychological Science, 31, 1071-1083.[PDF] [DOI] [OSF]

Spanton, R. W., & Berry, C. J. (2020). The unequal variance signal detection model of recognition: investigating the encoding variability hypothesis. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 73, 1242-1260. [DOI] [PDF] [OSF]

Rothen, N., Berry, C. J., Seth, A. K. Oligschlager, S., & Ward, J. (2020). A single-system account of the memory advantage in synaesthesia. Memory & Cognition, 48, 188-199. [PDF] [OSF]

Lange, N., Berry, C. J., & Hollins, T. H. (2019). Linking repetition priming, recognition and source memory: a single-system signal detection account. Journal of Memory and Language,109. [PDF] [OSF]

Berry, C.J., Ward, E.V., & Shanks, D. R. (2017). Does study duration have opposite effects on recognition and repetition priming? Journal of Memory and Language, 97, 154-174. [PDF] [OSF Prereg] [OSF Data]

Hollins, T. J., Lange, N., Berry, C. J., & Dennis, I. (2016). Giving and stealing ideas in memory: Source errors in recall are influenced by both early-selection and late-correction retrieval processes. Journal of Memory and Language, 88, 87-103. [PDF]

Wright, G., Berry, C. J., Catmur, C., & Bird, G. (2015). Good liars are neither ‘dark’ nor self-deceptive. PLoS ONE, 10, e0127315. [PDF]

Berry, C. J., Kessels, R.P.C., Wester, A.J., & Shanks, D. R. (2014). A single-system model predicts recognition memory and repetition priming in amnesia. Journal of Neuroscience, 34, 10963-10974. [PDF]

Ward, E. V., Berry, C.J., Shanks, D. R. (2013). Age effects on explicit and implicit memory. Frontiers in Cognition, 6:639. [PDF]

Wright, G., Berry, C. J., Bird, G. (2013). Deceptively simple… The “deception‐general” ability and the need to put the liar under the spotlight. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 7:152. [PDF]

Ward, E. V., Berry, C.J., Shanks, D. R. (2013). An effect of age on implicit memory that is not due to explicit contamination: Implications for single and multiple-systems theories. Psychology and Aging, 28, 429-442. [PDF] [APA]

Shanks, D. R. & Berry, C. J. (2012). Are there multiple-memory systems? Tests of models of implicit and explicit memory. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 65, 1449-1474. [PDF]

Wright, G., Berry, C. J., Bird, G. (2012). “You can’t kid a kidder”: Association between production and detection of deception in an interactive deception task. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (6) 87. [PDF]

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Speekenbrink, M., & Henson, R. N. A. (2012). Models of recognition, repetition priming, and fluency: Exploring a new framework. Psychological Review, 119, 40-79. [PDF] [APA] [Spotlight]

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Li, S., Sheridan Rains, L., & Henson, R. N. A. (2010). Can ‘pure’ implicit memory be isolated? A test of a single-system model of recognition and repetition priming. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 64, 241-255. [PDF] [APA]

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., & Henson, R. N. A. (2008). A unitary signal-detection model of implicit and explicit memory. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12, 367-373. [PDF] [Demo]

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., & Henson, R. N. A. (2008). A single-system account of the relationship between priming, recognition, and fluency. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 34, 97-111. [PDF]

Berry, C. J., Henson, R. N. A., & Shanks, D. R. (2006). On the relationship between repetition priming and recognition memory: Insights from a computational model. Journal of Memory and Language, 55, 515–533. [PDF]

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., & Henson, R. N. A. (2006). On the status of unconscious memory: Merikle and Reingold (1991) revisited. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 32, 925–934.[PDF] [APA]

Conference Presentations and Invited Talks

Berry, C. J., & Shanks, D. R. (2023, April). On the rapidity and completeness of forgetting in everyday amnesia: Signal detection accounts. Talk to be presented at the Meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society, Plymouth, UK.

Spanton, R. W. & Berry, C. J. (2023, April). Is implicit memory better for correctly recalled items? Evidence from cued and free recall tasks. Talk to be presented at the Meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society, Plymouth, UK.

Spanton, R. W. & Berry, C. J. (2022, July). Variability in recognition memory scales with mean memory strength and encoding variability in the UVSD model. Talk presented at the Meeting of Mathematical Society, Toronto, Canada.

Spanton, R. W. & Berry, C. J. (2022, July). Variability in recognition memory scales with mean memory strength and encoding variability in the UVSD model. Talk presented at the Meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society, Stirling, UK.

Lange, N., & Berry, C. J., Hollins, T. J. (2019, April). The association of repetition priming and source memory is not driven by recognition memory. Tagung Experimentell Arbeitender Psychologen (TEAP), London, UK.

Spanton, R. W. & Berry, C. J. (2019, April). The unequal variance signal-detection model of recognition memory: Tests of the encoding variability hypothesis. Tagung Experimentell Arbeitender Psychologen (TEAP), London, UK.

Ward, E. V., Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R. (2019, April). Explicit and implicit memory in aging: Effects of attention and processing style. 5th International Conference on Aging & Cognition, Zurich, Switzerland.

Spanton, R. W. & Berry, C. J. (2019, January). The unequal variance signal-detection model of recognition memory: Tests of the encoding variability hypothesis. Meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society, London, UK.

Lange, N., & Berry, C. J. (2019, January). Linking repetition priming, recognition, and source memory: a single-system model. Meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society, London, UK.

Lange, N., & Berry, C. J., Hollins, T. J. (2018, November). Linking repetition priming, recognition, and source memory: a single-system model. 59th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, New Orleans, USA.

Berry, C. J., & Spanton, R. W. (2018, November). The unequal variance signal-detection model of recognition memory: Tests of the encoding variability hypothesis. 59th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, New Orleans, USA.

Berry, C. J. (2016, July). Recognition, priming, and source memory: One system or multiple? Invited talk for symposium 'Multi-process theories of learning,’ the Annual Conference of the Cognition Institute, University of Plymouth, Plymouth.

Hollins, T. J., Lange, N., Dennis, I. & Berry, C. J. (2014). I told you so: during recall people give away more answers than they plagiarise. Metacog2014, Clermont-Ferrand, France, September.

Berry, C. J. (2014, March). Modelling Explicit and Implicit Memory. Invited talk presented to the Cognition group, School of Psychology. University of Sussex, Sussex.

Berry, C. J. (2013, October). Modelling Explicit and Implicit Memory. Invited talk presented to the School of Psychology. University of Lund, Sweden.

Berry, C. J., Kessells, R., Shanks, D. R., Henson, R. N. A., & Wester, A. (2013, March). Recognition, priming and fluency in Korsakoff’s syndrome: Testing a single-system model. Annual Conference of the Cognition Institute, University of Plymouth, Plymouth.

Shanks, D. R., Ward, E. V., & Berry, C. J. (2012, Sept). The utility of the explicit/implicit distinction for understanding age-related decline in learning and memory. Symposium on Lifespan Perspectives on Implicit and Explicit Learning, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels.

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Speekenbrink, M., & Henson, R.N.A. (2011, August). Tests of models of repetition priming and recognition. Invited symposium talk, 5th International Conference on Memory, York.

Berry, C. J. (2010, November). Tests of models of repetition priming and recognition. Invited talk to the Memory Group, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge.

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Henson, R. N. A. (2010, July). Testing a single-system model of recognition, priming and fluency. Recognition memory mechanisms symposium, Bristol.

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Henson, R. N. A. (2010, April). Testing a single-system model of recognition, priming and fluency. UCL Neuroscience symposium.

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Li, S., Rains, L. S., Henson, R.N.A. (2010, April). Can 'pure' implicit memory be isolated? A test of a single-system model of recognition and repetition priming. Joint meeting of the Spanish Experimental Psychological Society and the Experimental Psychology Society, Granada, Spain.

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Henson, R. N. A. (2010, March). Are there multiple-memory systems? Tests of models of recognition, priming, and fluency. Meeting of the British Neuropsychological Society, London.

Berry, C. J. (2010, January). A unitary signal-detection model of implicit and explicit memory. Invited talk to the Centre for Cognitive Science and Cognitive Systems, University of Kent.

Shanks, D. R., Berry, C. J., Henson, R. N. A. (2009, November). Testing a single-system model of recognition, priming and fluency. 50th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic society, Boston, USA.

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Henson, R. N. A. (2009, July). Testing models of recognition, priming and fluency. Joint meeting of The Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science (CSBBCS) and the Experimental Psychology Society, York.

Berry, C. J. (2007, November). A model of priming, recognition, and fluency. Invited talk to the Memory Group, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge.

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Henson, R. N. A. (2007, April). A single-system computational model of repetition priming and recognition. Belgian Association of Psychological Science and the Experimental Psychology Society, Cardiff.

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Henson, R. N. A. (2006, January). On the relationship between repetition priming and recognition memory: Insights from a computational model. Meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society, London, UK.

Shanks, D. R., Berry, C. J., Henson, R. N. A. (2005, November). On the status of unconscious memory: Merikle and Reingold (1991) revisited. 46th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Toronto, Canada.

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Henson, R. N. A. (2005, September). On the status of unconscious memory: Merikle and Reingold (1991) revisited. Meeting of the British Psychology Society, Cognitive Division, Leeds, UK.

Berry, C. J. (2005, April). Attention, repetition priming, and recognition memory. Functional Imaging Laboratory, UCL.

Berry, C. J., Shanks, D. R., Henson, R. N. A. (2005, April). Unconscious memory: A failure to replicate key evidence. Meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society, Essex, UK.

Public Engagement

October, 2022. Podcast interview on The Ethics of Digital Immortality and Digital Bodies podcast, by Fuel Digital (fueltheatre.com). Episode title: Are we our memories?

October, 2018. Live Science Residency at the Science Museum, London. How much of what we see do we remember? Collaboration with University of Middlesex and UCL. Blog post

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