Prof Tom Dickins
| Name | Prof Tom Dickins |
|---|---|
| Job title | Professor of Behavioural Science |
| Research institute | |
| Primary appointment | Psychology |
| Email address | t.dickins@mdx.ac.uk |
| ORCID | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5788-0948 |
| Contact category | Researcher |
Biography
Biography Tom was born in Liverpool, many moons ago, and raised variously in Merseyside and ever so briefly in Canada. At 18 years he ventured to London to complete a BSc (Hons) Psychological Sciences (CNAA) degree at the Polytechnic of East London. From there to UCL and Imperial College London to take an MSc in History and Philosophy of Science. A three year hiatus commenced, mostly taken up working for the Liverpool Institute of Higher Education, and then a PhD at Sheffield. This last developed a theoretical model for the evolution of symbolic communication. Since all of that youthful activity Tom has worked at the universities of Greenwich, London Guildhall, Nottingham Trent, East London and Middlesex. He has been in post at Middlesex since September 2012 as professor of behavioural science. Tom has also achieved a PG Cert in Ecological Survey Techniques from Oxford, to augment field skills. To learn more: https://tomdickins.net/
Teaching Module leader for PSY3055 Evolutionary Approaches to Behaviour Lectures for PSY2008 Contemporary Issues in Psychology Occasional lectures for various undergraduate and MSc modules in Psychology, and also Natural Sciences. Final year project supervision; MSc thesis supervision. Animal Behaviour and Ecology Field Trip lead. Science in Context seminar series for the postgraduate research student training portfolio.
Employment
Education and qualifications
BSc (Hons) Psychological Sciences
Polytechnic of East London
MSc History and Philosophy of Science
University and Imperial Colleges, London
PhD Evolutionary Psychology
University of Sheffield
PGCE Ecological Survey Techiques
University of Oxford
Grants
Prizes and Awards
Evidence to public body
External activities
Research outputs
Sibling aggression between Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridacyla) chicks
Mead, A. and Dickins, T. 2023. Sibling aggression between Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridacyla) chicks. Journal of the Lundy Field Society. 8, pp. 87-98.The role of information in evolutionary biology
Dickins, T. 2023. The role of information in evolutionary biology. Acta Biotheoretica. 71 (3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10441-023-09468-4Evolutionary biology: Contemporary and historical reflections upon core theory
Dickins, T. and Dickins, B. (ed.) 2023. Evolutionary biology: Contemporary and historical reflections upon core theory. Cham, Switzerland. Springer.Gull-human interactions in an urban population of Herring Gulls Larus argentatus and Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus
Beasley, E. and Dickins, T. 2023. Gull-human interactions in an urban population of Herring Gulls Larus argentatus and Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus. Bird Study. 70 (1-2), pp. 55-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2023.2166458Why is greater income inequality associated with lower life satisfaction and poorer health? Evidence from the European Quality of Life Survey, 2012
Nettle, D. and Dickins, T. 2022. Why is greater income inequality associated with lower life satisfaction and poorer health? Evidence from the European Quality of Life Survey, 2012. The Social Science Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2022.2117888Global sex differences in hygiene norms and their relation to sex equality
Eriksson, K., Dickins, T. and Strimling, P. 2022. Global sex differences in hygiene norms and their relation to sex equality. PLOS Global Public Health. 2 (6), pp. 1-17.Lessons from behaviorism: the problem of construct-led science
Dickins, T. and Rahman, Q. 2022. Lessons from behaviorism: the problem of construct-led science. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 45. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X2100008XMeasuring heritability: why bother?
Shuker, D. and Dickins, T. 2022. Measuring heritability: why bother? Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 45. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X21001606Adult Kittiwake expelling chick from nesting ledge
Mead, A., Neller, K., Horrod-Wilson, W. and Dickins, T. 2021. Adult Kittiwake expelling chick from nesting ledge. British Birds. 114 (12), pp. 766-766.The modern synthesis: evolution and the organization of information
Dickins, T. 2021. The modern synthesis: evolution and the organization of information. Springer.Humans discriminate individual large-billed crows and individual cats by their respective vocalizations
Schalz, S., Meekings, S. and Dickins, T. 2021. Humans discriminate individual large-billed crows and individual cats by their respective vocalizations. International Journal of Comparative Psychology. 34, pp. 1-12.Ecological psychology, radical enactivism and behavior: an evolutionary perspective
Dickins, T. 2021. Ecological psychology, radical enactivism and behavior: an evolutionary perspective. Behavior and Philosophy. 49, pp. 1-23.Data and context
Dickins, T. 2021. Data and context. Biosemiotics. 14 (3), pp. 633-642. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12304-021-09454-8The Life-cycle of artificial contexts
Augusto, J. and Dickins, T. 2021. The Life-cycle of artificial contexts. Modeling and Using Context. 4 (Sp Iss), pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.21494/ISTE.OP.2021.0685A reply to fairness, generosity and conditionality in the welfare system: the case of UK disability benefits by Ellioy Johnson and Daniel Nettle: inequality and existential threat
Dickins, T. 2021. A reply to fairness, generosity and conditionality in the welfare system: the case of UK disability benefits by Ellioy Johnson and Daniel Nettle: inequality and existential threat. Global Discourse: An interdisciplinary journal of current affairs. https://doi.org/10.1332/204378920X16067940365026Hygiene norms across 56 nations are predicted by self-control values and disease threat
Eriksson, K., Dickins, T. and Strimling, P. 2021. Hygiene norms across 56 nations are predicted by self-control values and disease threat. Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology. 2, pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2021.100013A not-so proximate account of cleansing behavior
Sigger, J. and Dickins, T. 2021. A not-so proximate account of cleansing behavior. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 44. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X20000564Food shopping under risk and uncertainty
Dickins, T. and Schalz, S. 2020. Food shopping under risk and uncertainty. Learning and Motivation. 72, pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101681Humans discriminate individual zebra finches by their song
Schalz, S. and Dickins, T. 2021. Humans discriminate individual zebra finches by their song. Biolinguistics. 14 (SI), pp. 130-144.Ancestral primacy of same-sex sexual behaviour does not explain its stable prevalence in modern populations
Dickins, T. and Rahman, Q. 2020. Ancestral primacy of same-sex sexual behaviour does not explain its stable prevalence in modern populations. Nature Ecology and Evolution. 4 (6), pp. 782-783. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1187-5Stashing behaviour in a Herring Gull
Dickins, T. and Thompson, M. 2020. Stashing behaviour in a Herring Gull. British Birds. 113 (4), pp. 235-235.Avian communities of Lundy 2008-2016
Dickins, T. and Twigger, L. 2020. Avian communities of Lundy 2008-2016. Journal of the Lundy Field Society. 7, pp. 163-180.Conflation and refutation: Book review of T. Uller and K. N. Laland. eds. 2019. Evolutionary causation: biological and philosophical Reflections. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. 352: pp. ISBN: 978‐0‐262‐03992‐5. $60.00/£50.00
Dickins, T. 2020. Conflation and refutation: Book review of T. Uller and K. N. Laland. eds. 2019. Evolutionary causation: biological and philosophical Reflections. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. 352: pp. ISBN: 978‐0‐262‐03992‐5. $60.00/£50.00. Evolution. 74 (2), pp. 508-514. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.13916Applying PCT to hand hygiene
Sigger, J. and Dickins, T. 2019. Applying PCT to hand hygiene. Annual Meeting (IAPCT). University of Manchester, UK 11 - 13 Sep 2019 International Association for Perceptual Control Theory. pp. 8-8The ecology of cooperation: considerations for litter research
Gellard, C., Dickins, T. and Coulson, M. 2019. The ecology of cooperation: considerations for litter research. Journal of Litter and Environmental Quality. 3 (1), pp. 38-50.Selfish-gene theory and levels of selection
Dickins, T. 2018. Selfish-gene theory and levels of selection. in: Callan, H. (ed.) The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology Wiley. pp. 1-11Pragmatic considerations and social benefits: an analysis of engagement with a fly-tipping reduction project
Dickins, T. 2018. Pragmatic considerations and social benefits: an analysis of engagement with a fly-tipping reduction project. Journal of Litter and Environmental Quality. 2 (1), pp. 37-47.Clutch size in Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) on Lundy
Dickins, T., Neller, K. and Spencer, R. 2018. Clutch size in Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) on Lundy. Journal of the Lundy Field Society. 6, pp. 35-54.Bird communities in the buffer lands of Epping Forest
Dickins, T. and Froud, A. 2017. Bird communities in the buffer lands of Epping Forest. Essex Naturalist. (34), pp. 154-164.General intelligence does not help us understand cognitive evolution
Shuker, D., Barrett, L., Dickins, T., Scott-Phillips, T. and Barton, R. 2017. General intelligence does not help us understand cognitive evolution. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 40. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X16001771Kleptoparasitism in gulls Laridae at an urban and a coastal foraging environment: an assessment of ecological predictors
Spencer, R., Russell, Y., Dickins, B. and Dickins, T. 2017. Kleptoparasitism in gulls Laridae at an urban and a coastal foraging environment: an assessment of ecological predictors. Bird Study. 64 (1), pp. 12-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2016.1249821Average clutch size for a Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) colony on Lundy
Dickins, T. 2016. Average clutch size for a Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) colony on Lundy. Devon Birds. 69 (1), pp. 7-13.An equitable marriage: a focal study of a barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) nest on Lundy
Dickins, T. 2016. An equitable marriage: a focal study of a barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) nest on Lundy. Journal of the Lundy Field Society. 5, pp. 89-100.Evolution and prenatal development: an evolutionary perspective
Coall, D., Callan, A., Dickins, T. and Chisholm, J. 2015. Evolution and prenatal development: an evolutionary perspective. in: Lerner, R. and Lamb, M. (ed.) Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science: Volume 3 Socioemotional Processes Wiley. pp. 57-105The gradual extinction of transferred avoidance stimulus functions
Garcia-Guerrero, S., Dickins, T. and Dickins, D. 2014. The gradual extinction of transferred avoidance stimulus functions. The Psychological Record. 64 (3), pp. 581-599. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-014-0062-7Why does relative deprivation affect mental health? The role of justice, trust and social rank in psychological wellbeing and paranoid ideation
Wickham, S., Shryane, N., Lyons, M., Dickins, T. and Bentall, R. 2014. Why does relative deprivation affect mental health? The role of justice, trust and social rank in psychological wellbeing and paranoid ideation. Journal of Public Mental Health. 13 (2), pp. 114-126. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-06-2013-0049Science in the wild
Dickins, T. 2014. Science in the wild. The Psychologist. 27 (5), pp. 332-333.The niche construction perspective: a critical appraisal
Scott-Phillips, T., Laland, K., Shuker, D., Dickins, T. and West, S. 2014. The niche construction perspective: a critical appraisal. Evolution. 68 (5), pp. 1231-1243. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12332Differences in aggression and nest behavior between herring gulls (Larus argentatus) and lesser black-backer gulls (Larus fuscus) on Lundy
Spencer, R. and Dickins, T. 2014. Differences in aggression and nest behavior between herring gulls (Larus argentatus) and lesser black-backer gulls (Larus fuscus) on Lundy. Journal of the Lundy Field Society. 4, pp. 85-104.Early-life conditions and age at first pregnancy in British women
Nettle, D., Coall, D. and Dickins, T. 2011. Early-life conditions and age at first pregnancy in British women. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 278 (1712), pp. 1721-1727. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.1726Epigenetic adaptations: a reply to Suter, Boffelli and Martin
Dickins, T. and Rahman, Q. 2013. Epigenetic adaptations: a reply to Suter, Boffelli and Martin. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 280 (1771), pp. 20131820-20131820. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.1820Evolution, development and learning - a nested hierarchy?
Dickins, T. and Levy, J. 2001. Evolution, development and learning - a nested hierarchy? in: Correctionist models of learning and evolution: the 6th Neural Computation and Psychology Workshop Springer. pp. 263-270Is empirical imagination a constraint on adaptationist theory construction? (Commentary)
Dickins, T. and Dickins, D. 2002. Is empirical imagination a constraint on adaptationist theory construction? (Commentary). Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 25 (4), pp. 515-516. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X02320090What can evolutionary psychology tell us about cognitive architecture?
Dickins, T. 2003. What can evolutionary psychology tell us about cognitive architecture? History and Philosophy of Psychology. 5 (1), pp. 1-16.General Symbol Machines: The first stage in the evolution of symbolic communication
Dickins, T. 2003. General Symbol Machines: The first stage in the evolution of symbolic communication. Evolutionary Psychology.On sociosexual cognitive architecture (commentary)
Dickins, T. 2005. On sociosexual cognitive architecture (commentary). Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 28 (2), pp. 280-281. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X05280056Can there ever be a non-specific adaptation? A response to Simon J. Hampton.
Dickins, T. 2005. Can there ever be a non-specific adaptation? A response to Simon J. Hampton. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour. 35 (3), pp. 329-340. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5914.2005.00275.xThe self-reported importance of olfaction during human mate choice
Sergeant, M., Davies, M., Dickins, T. and Griffiths, M. 2005. The self-reported importance of olfaction during human mate choice. Sexualities, Evolution and Gender. 7 (3). https://doi.org/10.1080/14616660500173685The phylogeny and ontogeny of adaptations (commentary)
Dickins, T. 2006. The phylogeny and ontogeny of adaptations (commentary). Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 29 (3), pp. 283-284. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X06279068Evolutionary health psychology
Dickins, T. 2006. Evolutionary health psychology. Health Psychology Update. 15 (1), pp. 4-10.Aggression, empathy and sexual orientation in males
Sergeant, M., Dickins, T., Davies, M. and Griffiths, M. 2006. Aggression, empathy and sexual orientation in males. Personality and Individual Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.07.002Synthesis in the human evolutionary behavioural sciences
Sear, R., Lawson, D. and Dickins, T. 2007. Synthesis in the human evolutionary behavioural sciences. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1556/JEP.2007.1019Designed calibration: naturally selected flexibility, not non-genetic inheritance (commentary)
Dickins, T. and Dickins, B. 2007. Designed calibration: naturally selected flexibility, not non-genetic inheritance (commentary). Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 30 (4), pp. 368-369. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X07002269Mind the gap(s)? in theory, method and data: Re-examining Kanazawa (2006)
Dickins, T., Sear, R. and Wells, A. 2007. Mind the gap(s)? in theory, method and data: Re-examining Kanazawa (2006). Journal of Health Psychology. 12 (2), pp. 167-178. https://doi.org/10.1348/135910707X174339Social dominance and sexual orientation
Dickins, T. and Sergeant, M. 2008. Social dominance and sexual orientation. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 6 (1), pp. 57-71. https://doi.org/10.1556/JEP.2008.1003Mother Nature's tolerant ways: why non-genetic inheritance has nothing to do with evolution
Dickins, T. and Dickins, B. 2008. Mother Nature's tolerant ways: why non-genetic inheritance has nothing to do with evolution. New Ideas in Psychology. 26 (1), pp. 41-54. https://doi.org/10.101/j.newideapsych.2007.03.004Patterns of physical and psychological development in future teenage mothers
Nettle, D., Dickins, T., Coall, D. and De Mornay Davies, P. 2013. Patterns of physical and psychological development in future teenage mothers. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. 2013 (1), pp. 187-196. https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eot016Reciprocal causation and the proximate–ultimate distinction
Dickins, T. and Barton, R. 2012. Reciprocal causation and the proximate–ultimate distinction. Biology and Philosophy. 28 (5), pp. 747-756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-012-9345-zTwo more things for consideration: sexual orientation and conduct disorder (commentary)
Dickins, T. and Sergeant, M. 2009. Two more things for consideration: sexual orientation and conduct disorder (commentary). Behavioral and Brain Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X09990252Birthweight and paternal involvement predict early reproduction in British women: evidence from the National Child Development Study
Nettle, D., Coall, D. and Dickins, T. 2009. Birthweight and paternal involvement predict early reproduction in British women: evidence from the National Child Development Study. American Journal of Human Biology. 22 (2), pp. 172-179. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.20970Animal behaviour fieldwork: introducing psychology students to the process of science
Dickins, T. and Donovan, M. 2012. Animal behaviour fieldwork: introducing psychology students to the process of science. HE Academy STEM Conference. London, UK 12 - 13 Apr 2012 12-13 April 2012Changes in art: market forces or evolution? A response to Colin Martindale
Dickins, T. 2009. Changes in art: market forces or evolution? A response to Colin Martindale. Empirical Studies of the Arts. 27 (2), pp. 159-165. https://doi.org/10.2190/EM.27.2.gTeenage pregnancy in the United Kingdom: a behavioral ecological perspective
Dickins, T., Johns, S. and Chipman, A. 2012. Teenage pregnancy in the United Kingdom: a behavioral ecological perspective. Journal of Social, Evolutionary, and Cultural Psychology. 6 (3), pp. 344-359.The extended evolutionary synthesis and the role of soft inheritance in evolution
Dickins, T. and Rahman, Q. 2012. The extended evolutionary synthesis and the role of soft inheritance in evolution. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 279 (1740), pp. 2913-2921. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.0273The extended evolutionary synthesis and the role of soft inheritance in evolution
Dickins, T. and Rahman, Q. 2012. The extended evolutionary synthesis and the role of soft inheritance in evolution. Proceedings B: Biological Sciences. 279 (1740), pp. 2913-2921. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.0273Sex-related invariance across cultures in an online role-playing game
Levene, R. and Dickins, T. 2008. Sex-related invariance across cultures in an online role-playing game. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 6 (2), pp. 141-148.Is this conjectural phenotypic dichotomy a plausible outcome of genomic imprinting? (commentary)
Dickins, B., Dickins, D. and Dickins, T. 2008. Is this conjectural phenotypic dichotomy a plausible outcome of genomic imprinting? (commentary). Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 31 (3), pp. 267-268. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X08004287Psychology, biology and the market place: response to John Radford’s 'Psychology in its place'
Dickins, T. 2008. Psychology, biology and the market place: response to John Radford’s 'Psychology in its place'. Psychology Teaching Review. 14 (2), pp. 17-20.Social constructionism as cognitive science
Dickins, T. 2004. Social constructionism as cognitive science. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour. 34 (4), pp. 333-352. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5914.2004.00253.xSymbols, Stimulus Equivalence and the Origins of Language
Dickins, T. and Dickins, D. 2001. Symbols, Stimulus Equivalence and the Origins of Language. Behavior and Philosophy. 29, pp. 221-244.2638
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