Dr Tan Kok Wei | Lecturer in Psychology
Dr Tan Kok Wei obtained his PhD in Psychology from the University of Nottingham in 2016, where he studied the effects of skin colour and texture on health perception in Asian faces.
Kok Wei completed his master's degree in developmental psychology from the National University of Malaysia (UKM) in 2007, by which he examined the usage of private speech in young adults as a means of problem-solving. Upon completion, he worked as a lecturer at the University of Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) for 4 years. He was also engaged by a community college while pursuing his PhD, teaching developmental psychology-related subjects.
Before joining the University of Reading Malaysia in 2016, Kok Wei worked as a course writer for the Wawasan Open University (WOU). He designed and wrote academic modules for WOU’s students, in Experimental Psychology and History and Systems of Psychology subjects.
His research focuses on perception and applied cognition. He has designed and conducted several behavioural interventions with his collaborators - examining the impacts of diet, gaming, mindfulness training and nature exposure on cognition (e.g., executive functioning, attention and memory) and physiological changes.
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Telephone |
+60 7 268 6294 |
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Web profile |
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Speciality areas |
Perception |
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Highest qualification and awarding body |
PhD in Psychology, University of Nottingham, 2016 |
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UoRM programmes taught/supervised |
BSc (Hons) Psychology: PY1PAB The Person and The Brain PhD in Psychology |
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Research interests |
The impact of diet, mindfulness and nature exposure on cognition Judgment and decision making. Creativity and divergent thinking. |
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Current projects |
Perception of faces with facial mask - with Dr Ian Stephen (Macquarie University) Investigating the effects of green urban spaces on cognition, mental, physical, and physiological health – with Dr Shumetha Sidhu. Impact of micronutrients (carotenoids and flavonoids) on apparent health and cognition, with Dr Ian Stephen (Macquarie University), Prof Claire Williams, Dr Daniel Lamport (UoR), and Dr You Yee Xing (UKM). The building of an Asian face and body image database, 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 meditation can affect attention, executive functions and mental health, with Hooi Ling Yut, Dr Wong Hoo Keat and Dr Marieke de Vries (University of Nottingham Malaysia) |
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Recent publications |
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 does 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. https://doi.org/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. https://doi.org/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. https://doi.org/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. https://doi.org/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. https://doi.org/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. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0133445 Tan, KW & Stephen, ID (2013). Colour detection thresholds in faces and colour patches. Perception, 42: 733 – 741. |
