Professor Markus Bindemann

Professor of Psychology Deputy Head of School
Telephone
+44 (0)1227 823087
Professor Markus Bindemann

About

Professor Markus Bindemann obtained a BSc in Psychology from the University of Stirling in 2001, followed by a PhD at the University of Glasgow in 2004. After several postdoctoral positions, he joined the School of Psychology at the University of Kent in January 2010.

Professor Bindemann has specific expertise in face and person perception and has published extensively in international journals of psychology. He has published over 100 research papers and book chapters and edited four special issues on face perception (2013, 2017, 2018, 2020). He has a wide-ranging network of international collaborators and is 2017 book Face Processing: Systems, Disorders and Cultural Differences and his 2021 book Forensic Face Matching: Research and Practice featured contributions from scientists around the world. 

Research interests

Professor Bindemann's research focuses on visual perception problems in Cognitive Psychology, such as forensic face matching, eyewitness identification, and person detection in natural scenes. In collaboration with colleagues from other fields, he also researches the potential of pupillary response for the measurement of deviant sexual interest, and species identification in biodiversity conservation. His research features cutting-edge techniques such as eye-tracking, remote-controlled drones, and virtual reality.

Key publications

  • Trifonova, I.V., McCall, C., Fysh, M.C., Bindemann, M., & Burton, A.M. (2024). First impressions from faces in dynamic approach-avoidance contexts. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 50(6), 570-586. doi: 10.1037/xhp0001197
  • Prunty, J., Jenkins, R., Qarooni, R., & Bindemann, M. (2024). Cognitive templates for human face detection. Cognition, 249, 105792. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105792
  • Fysh, M.C., Baker, E., Rockett, J., Allen, J., McCall, C., Burton, A.M., & Bindemann, M. (2024). Queues, crowds, and angry mobs: Matching faces in a busy airport. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 77(6), 1137-1362. doi: 10.1177/17470218231203939 

The Kent Face Matching Test

Markus also developed the Kent Face Matching Test (KFMT), which is available as a research tool for researchers to download at https://www.kent.ac.uk/school-of-psychology/kentfacematch/index.html

Its corresponding paper can be found at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjop.12260

Teaching

  • PSYC6330 Applying Psychology
  • PSYC6391  Brain and Cognition
  • PSYC8470 Forensic Cognition: Theory, Research and Practice
  • PSYC8500 Advanced Cognitive (Neuroscience) Methods in Practice
  • PSYC8640 Current Issues in Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology 

Supervision

Markus has an extensive record of successful PhD supervision. His past and current students, for whom he was or is the primary supervisor in Psychology, are listed below.

He welcomes enquiries about studying for a PhD under his supervision from exceptional students whose research interests relate to his own.

Current PhD students

  • Laura Hunt (Kent GTA Scholarship, 2021-)
  • Anthony Lucas (Self-funded, 2022-)
  • Kyara Oesterreich (Kent GTA Scholarship, 2023-)
  • Niall Brenock (+3 ESRC SeNSS funding, 2024-) 

Past PhD students

  • Hamood Alenezi (Saudi Arabia Government Scholarship, 2011-2014)
  • Andrew Russ (Kent GTA Scholarship, 2011-2015)
  • Alejandro Estudillo (Kent GTA Scholarship, 2012-2015)
  • Kaewmart Pongakkasira, (Thai Royal Government Scholarship, 2012-2015)
  • Janice Attard (Kent GTA Scholarship, 2013-2016)
  • Gail Austen (Kent 50th Anniversary Scholarship, 2013-2017)
  • Matt Fysh (Kent GTA Scholarship, 2014-2017)
  • Emma Garcia (Kent GTA Scholarship, 2015-2018)
  • Natalie Gentry (ESRC South East DTC funding, 2015-2019)
  • Hannah Tummon (ESRC South East DTC funding, 2016-2019)
  • Jacqueline Claydon (Kent GTA Scholarship, 2019-2022)
  • Alice Nevard (Kent GTA Scholarship, 2020-2023)
  • Leia Brasnell (1+3 ESRC SeNSS funding, 2019-2023)

Professional

Grants and awards

2023-26ESRC Research Grant ‘High-Fidelity Avatars for Behaviour and Cognition Research. With Mike Burton, University of York, UK.  
£695,790
2022-25Royal Society Newton International Fellowship 'A decision-making account of unfamiliar face identification’. With Kristen Baker (PI). 
£131,250
2019-22Leverhulme Trust Research Grant
‘Face detection by humans’. With Rob Jenkins, University of York, UK.
£248,611
2019-22ESRC Research Grant
'Person identification at passport control within realistic context'. With Mike Burton and Cade McCall, University of York, UK.
£503,503
2018-19British Academy Visiting Fellowship
'The construct validity of forensic face-matching ability'. With Andrea Hildebrandt, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universitaet, Germany.
£25,827
2017University of Guelph-Humber Research Grant Fund 
'Critical examination of configural processing in familiar face recognition'. With Adam Sandford, University of Guelph-Humber, Canada.
$6,507 (Canadian)
2016-17British Academy UK's International Challenges Grant
'Does Brexit trigger racism? An experiment among British and European residents in the UK'. With Fernanda Lopez, University of Kent.
£15,637
2016-17Faculty Research Fund, University of Kent
'Avoidance of eye-contact in social anxiety: An eye-tracking study'. With Lydia Kearney, University of Kent.
£2,475
2016-17Faculty Research Fund, University of Kent
'The eyes have it: Pupillary response as a measure of self-identification for forensic settings'. With Amir-Homayoun Javadi, University of Kent.
£4,182
2013Faculty Internationalisation Fund, University of Kent
UG and PG recruitment in Norway.
£2,390
2013Research Seed Fund, University of Kent
'The Kent Face Matching Test'.
£1,000
2012National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers (NOTA) Research Grant
'Comparing multiple indirect measures of sexual interest with an implicit but direct eye-tracking and pupil dilation paradigm'. With Caolite Ó Ciardha, University of Kent.
£5,000
2011Faculty Small Grant, University of Kent
'Recognising different photo-ID cards of the same person'.
£1,000
2009Research Promotion Fund, University of Essex
'Individual variation and observer consistency in unfamiliar face identification'.
£4,500
2009Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fund, University of Essex
'Establishing Café Scientifique'.
£3,037
2007-09ESRC research grant
'Human face detection in natural scenes'. With Mike Burton, University of Glasgow, UK.
£152,571
2007Wellcome Trust Value in People (VIP) Award
'Controlling attention to faces'.
£18,245
2001ESRC Postgraduate Studentship
'The role of attention in face processing'. University of Glasgow, UK.
£33,415
Scholarship/Internship 
2016-19ESRC +3 Studentship, Hannah Tummon.£56,185
2015-18ESRC +3 Studentship, Natalie Gentry.£55,274
2012EPS Undergraduate Research Bursary 
'Gaze-contingent elimination of attention biases in smokers'. With Julien LeBlond.
£2,000
2012BPS Undergraduate Research Assistantship
'Can a gaze-contingent eye-tracking paradigm reverse undesirable attention biases in smokers?'. With Julien LeBlond.
£1,600
2011-15Thai Royal Government 1+3 Studentship, Kaewmart Pongakkasira.£102,094
2010-14Saudi Arabia Government 1+3 Studentship, Hamood Alenezi.£100,996
2010EPS Undergraduate Research Bursary
'Examining the two-perpetrator disadvantage in eyewitness identification'. With Katherine Gillatt.
£2,000
2008EPS Undergraduate Research Bursary
'Interactions of eye-gaze and facial expression'. With Nicola Forsberg.
£1,600

Professional memberships

  • Experimental Psychology Society (EPS)
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