Academic Team

Dr Tan Kok Wei | Lecturer in Psychology

Dr. Tan Kok Wei earned his PhD in Psychology from the University of Nottingham in 2016, where his research explored how fruit and vegetable supplementation influences skin colour and texture, and how these changes affect perceived health in Asian faces.

He previously completed a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology at the National University of Malaysia (UKM) in 2007, focusing on the use of private speech among young adults as a tool for problem-solving. Following this, he served as a lecturer at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) for four years and later taught developmental psychology courses at a community college while pursuing his doctoral studies.

Before joining the University of Reading Malaysia in 2016, Dr. Tan worked as a course writer at Wawasan Open University (WOU), where he developed academic modules in Experimental Psychology and History and Systems of Psychology.

His research centres on perception and applied cognition, particularly how internal factors (e.g., disgust sensitivity) and external factors (e.g., mask-wearing) shape facial information processing. In collaboration with colleagues, he has also designed and tested behavioural interventions investigating the cognitive (executive function, attention, memory) and physiological effects of nature exposure, diet, gaming, and mindfulness training

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Telephone	+60 7 268 6294
Web profile	https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kok-wei_Tan
Speciality areas	Experimental Psychology Perception Applied cognition
Highest qualification and awarding body	PhD in Psychology, University of Nottingham, 2016
UoRM programmes taught/supervised	BSc (Hons) Psychology: PY1PAB The Person and The Brain PY2SID Social Psychology and Individual Differences PY2CBP Cognitive and Biological Psychology PY3JUD Judgement and Decision-making PhD in Psychology
Research interests	The impact of Urban Green Space, biophilic design, diet and gaming on cognition Social perception, specifically on attractiveness and apparent health. Judgment and decision making. Creativity and divergent thinking.
Current projects	Face perception studies - with Dr Ian Stephen (Bournemouth University) Investigating the effects of Urban Green Spaces on cognition, mental, and physiological health – with Dr Shumetha Sidhu (UoRM), Dr Rozainee Khairudin, Dr Hilwa Abdullah Mohd Nor (UKM), and Dr Nor Akmar Abdul Aziz (UPM). Individual differences in face perception - with Dr Treshi Marie-Perera (Nottingham Trent University) and Dr Chung Kai Li (UoRM). Impact of nut, fruit and vegetable supplementation on cognition and mood, with Vashnareka Kumarasuriar (UoRM), Prof Chia Yook Chin, Dr Ooi Pei Boon (Sunway University) and Khor Khai Ling (Disted College Penang), How mindfulness can affect attention, executive functions and mental health, with Hooi Ling Yut, Dr Wong Hoo Keat, Dr Polly Chen and Dr Marieke de Vries (University of Nottingham Malaysia)
Recent publications	Chung, K. L., Tan, K. W., & Ding, I. L. (2024). Lay person’s and psychology officers’ beliefs about memory, investigative interviewing and deception detection: data from Malaysia. Psychology, Crime & Law, 1-18. Khor, K. L., Kumarasuriar, V., Tan, K. W., Ooi, P. B., & Chia, Y. C. (2024). Effects of fruit and vegetable intake on memory and attention: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Systematic Reviews, 13. Hooi, L. Y., & Tan, K. W. (2023). The association between divergent thinking, personality, and listening to classical music. Psychology of Music, 03057356231211824. Jones, B., DeBruine, L. M., Flake, J. K., Liuzza, M. T., Antfolk, J., Arinze, N. C., Ndukaihe, I. L. G., Bloxsom, N., Lewis, S., Foroni, F., Willis, M., Cubillas, C., Vadillo, M., gilead, M., Simchon, A., Saribay, S. A., Owsley, N. C., Calvillo, D., Włodarczyk, A.,... Tan, K. W.... ... Peters, K. O. (2021). To which world regions do the valence-dominance model of social perception apply? Nature Human Behaviour, 5(1), 159-169. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/n26dy Tan, K. W., Welling, L. L. M., Stephen, I. D., Jones, A. L., Sulikowski, D., eds. (2020). Perceptions of People: Cues to Underlying Physiology and Psychology. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA. doi: 10.3389/978-2-88963-748-5 Tan, K. W., & Stephen I. D. (2019) Skin colour preferences in a Malaysian Chinese population. Frontier in Psychology. 10:1352. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01352 Tan K.W., & Stephen ID. (2018). Skin texture and colour predict perceived health in Asian faces. Evolution and Human Behavior. 39(3): 320-335 Stephen ID, Salter DLH, Tan KW, Tan CBY & Stevenson RJ. (2018) Sexual Dimorphism and Attractiveness in Asian and Caucasian Faces. Visual Cognition. DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2018.1475437 (IF 2014: 2.16) Tan, KW, Graf, BA, Mitra, SM, & Stephen ID. (2015). Daily Consumption of a Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie Alters Facial Skin Color. PlosOne. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0133445 Tan, K. W., Graf, B. A., Mitra, S. M., & Stephen, I. D. (2017). Impact of fresh fruit smoothie consumption on apparent health of Asian faces. Evolution and Human Behavior. 38(4): 522-529. DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.02.004 Stephen, ID. & Tan, KW. (2015). Healthy body, healthy face? Evolutionary approaches to health perception. In: E. Sheppard & S. Haque (2015) Studies in contemporary psychology: A collection of critical essays. Bern, Switzerland: Peter Lang Publishing. Tan, K. W., Graf, B. A., Mitra, S. M., & Stephen, I. D. (2015). Daily Consumption of a Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie Alters Facial Skin Color. PlosOne. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0133445 Tan, KW & Stephen, ID (2013). Colour detection thresholds in faces and colour patches. Perception, 42: 733 – 741.