Over twelve years’ experience developing and teaching accredited curricula, producing internationally excellent research in Psychology (WoS h index = 17, 38 peer-reviewed papers cited 742 times). Proven track record of research leadership (> half of total papers first-authored, > third of total papers published independent of PhD team) with research-led teaching/mentoring a strong personal motivation (12 student-authored conference outputs and 8 peer-reviewed papers). Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, current Editorial Board Member for Archives of Sexual Behavior, and previous winner of the Ig Nobel Prize for Economics (2020). My papers have attracted media attention via 275 news articles (Altmetric, e.g., The Atlantic, The Australian, Hindustan Times, BBC, British Medical Journal, Nature, New Scientist, New York Post, Science, South China Morning Post, The Times).

Over six years’ experience of academic leadership (Head of Department 2.5 years; >4 years as Programme Leader, BSc Hons Psychology and Counselling), formulating successful action plans to facilitate staff success in improving NSS scores at first opportunity via the annual module/programme review process (100% overall NSS satisfaction - Forensic Science, 2023; Psychology and Counselling, 2018, the latter a ‘high performing’ programme for six consecutive sessions since 2018). Experience in managing a non-pay budget and deploying and supporting >20FTE staff to maintain strong UK-wide NSS scores as HOD (Psychology: Second/Fifth in UK for Teaching Satisfaction, 2023/4; Fifth in UK for academic support, 2024).

I obtained a BPS-accredited Master of Arts in Psychology (upper second-class honours) from University of Aberdeen (2005-09), before obtaining a Sixth Century Studentship at the same institution (1+3), obtaining a distinction in the master’s year (Postgraduate Diploma in Research Methods in Psychology, 2009-10) and sustaining my PhD in Psychology with no corrections (awarded 07/13, Supervisor Professor Benedict Jones). During this time, I obtained a course certificate in person-centred counselling skills (Centre for Lifelong learning, University of Aberdeen, 2012), and have since obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (with distinction, Abertay University, 11/14). I commemced my first lectureship immediately after submitting my PhD (Abertay University 09/12), with promotions to Senior Lecturer in August 2017, and (interim) Head of Division (Psychology and Forensic Sciences) in February 2022 (permanent from 05/22, demitted end 07/24). 

Current Teaching: PSY410 (supervision), PSY314, PSY101.
Prior Teaching: Developed new curricula on PSY401, PSY1031, PSY311, PSY207, SPS404, PSY315. Contributed to modules PS1030, PSY103, PS1111, CE1075.

Teaching practice has been recognized via student-led teaching awards (co-won, TEDx Abertay, 2016) and nominations (‘Enhancing student opportunities’, 2018; ‘Outstanding teacher’, 2016; ‘Best feedback on assessments’, 2015). Based on available data from course evaluation forms, I regularly score high for items such as ‘Ease of contacting lecturer’, ‘Timely feedback’, and ‘Valuing students’ opinions’, as well as organisation and management scores when leading a module.

What pulls us closer toward some people over others? Why do we look up to certain people, even if briefly, at the expense of others? In both cases, do we do this before we know anything substantive about the individual in question?

I am primarily interested in social judgements based on physical characteristics (e.g., face and voice), and what these findings suggest about our orientation toward others in various social and personal relationships. Understanding these issues can shed light on the psychological processes involved at different stages of various personal and social relationships, in ways that may energize them (positively or negatively) over time. Prospective collaborators or postgraduate students can contact me directly, particularly if interested in exploring applications for funding via our membership of SGSSS as a pocket of excellence (funded 1+3 Postgraduate studentships).

Representative publications

Watkins, C. D. (2025). Mate assessment based on physical characteristics: A review and reflection. Biological Reviews, 100, 113-130.

Sculley, J., & Watkins, C. D. (2022). The great porn experiment V2.0: Sexual arousal reduces the salience of familiar women when heterosexual men judge their attractiveness. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51, 3071-3082.

Watkins, C. D., Bovet, J., Fernandez, A. M., Leongomez, J. D., Zelazniewicz, A., Correa Varella, M. A., & Wagstaff, D. (2022). Men say “I love you” before women do: Robust across several countries. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39, 2134-2153.

Watkins, C. D., Nicholls, M. J., Batres, C., Xiao, D., & Talamas, S., & Perrett, D. I. (2017). Own attractiveness and perceived relationship quality shape sensitivity in women’s memory for other men on the attractiveness dimension. Cognition, 163, 146-154.

Watkins, C. D., Jones, B. C., Little, A. C., DeBruine, L. M., & Feinberg, D. R. (2012). Cues to the sex ratio of the local population influence women’s preferences for facial symmetry. Animal Behaviour, 83, 545-553.