Featured publications

Towler, A., Kemp, R.I., Burton, A.M., Dunn, J.D., Wayne, T., Moreton, R., & White, D. (2019) Do professional facial image comparison training courses work? PLoS ONE 14(2): e0211037 [PDF].

Towler, A., White, D., & Kemp, R.I. (2017) Evaluating the feature comparison strategy for forensic face identification. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 23(1) 47-58. [Winner of the Best Paper in JEP: Applied 2017] [PDF].

Towler, A., White, D., Ballantyne, K., Searston, R.A., Martire, K., & Kemp, R.I. (2018) Are forensic scientists experts? Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 7(2) 199-208 [PDF].

Peer-reviewed publications

2022

Carragher, D.J., Towler, A., Mileva, V.R., White, D., & Hancock, P.J.B. (2022). Masked face identification is improved by diagnostic feature training. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications 7(1), 1-12 [PDF].

Growns, B., Towler, A., Dunn, J.D., Salerno, J.M., Schweitzer, N.J., Dror, I.E. (2022). Statistical feature training improves fingerprint-matching accuracy in novices and professional fingerprint examiners. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications 7(1) 1-21 [PDF].

Growns, B., Dunn, J.D., Mattijssen, E.J.A.T, Quigley-McBride, A., & Towler, A. (2022). Match me if you can: Evidence for a domain-general visual comparison ability. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 1-16 [PDF].

Growns, B., Dunn, J.D., Helm, R., Towler, A., & Kukucka, J. (in press). The low prevalence effect in fingerprint comparison amongst forensic science trainees and novices. Plos One.

2021

Towler, A., Keshwa, M., Ton, B., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2021). Diagnostic feature training improves face matching accuracy. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 47(80) 1288-1298 [PDF].

Towler, A., Kemp, R. I., & White, D. (2021). Can face identification ability be trained? Evidence for two routes to expertise. In M. Bindemann (Ed.), Forensic face matching: Research and practice: Oxford University Press [PDF].

White, D., Towler, A., & Kemp, R. I. (2021). Understanding professional expertise in unfamiliar face matching. In M. Bindemann (Ed.), Forensic face matching: Research and practice: Oxford University Press [PDF].

Edmond, G., White, D., Towler, A., San Roque, M., & Kemp, R.I. (2021). Facial recognition and image comparison evidence: Identification by investigators, familiars, experts, super-recognisers and algorithms. Melbourne University Law Review 45.

2020

Dunn, J.D., Summersby, S., Towler, A., Davis, J.P., White, D. (2020) UNSW Face Test: A screening tool for super-recognizers. Plos one 15(11) e0241747 [PDF].

White, D., Towler, A., Jeffery, L., Kemp, R.I., Palermo, R., Ballantyne, K., Curby, K., Edmond, G., Martire, K., O’Toole, A., Phillips, J., San Roque, M., Wilmer, J.B., Carter, T., Dunn, J.D., Tullberg, C., Ferguson, D., Geach, J., Heyer, R., Michalski, D., Moreton, R., Noyes, E., Ritchie, K., & Sutherland, C. (2020) Evaluating face identification expertise: Turning theory into practice. Digested Analysis. Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Workshop [PDF].

Robertson, D.J., Sanders, J.G., Towler, A., Kramer, R.S.S., Spowage, J., Byrne, A., Burton, A.M., & Jenkins, R. (2020) Hyper-realistic face masks in a live passport-checking task. Perception 49(3) 298-309 [PDF].

2019

Towler, A., Kemp, R.I., Burton, A.M., Dunn, J.D., Wayne, T., Moreton, R., & White, D. (2019) Do professional facial image comparison training courses work? PLoS ONE 14(2): e0211037 [PDF].

Towler, A., Kemp, R.I., Bruce, V., Burton, A.M., Dunn, J.D., & White, D. (2019) Are face recognition abilities in humans and sheep really ‘comparable’? Royal Society Open Science, 6, 180772 [PDF].

2018

Towler, A., White, D., Ballantyne, K., Searston, R.A., Martire, K., & Kemp, R.I. (2018) Are forensic scientists experts? Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 7(2) 199-208 [PDF].

Kramer, R.S.S., Manesi, Z., Towler, A., Reynolds, M.G., & Burton, A.M. (2018) Familiarity and within-person facial variability: The importance of the internal and external features. Perception, 47(1), 3-15 [PDF].

2017

Towler, A., White, D., & Kemp, R.I. (2017) Evaluating the feature comparison strategy for forensic face identification. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 23(1) 47-58. [Winner of the Best Paper in JEP: Applied 2017] [PDF].

Towler, A., Kemp, R.I., & White, D. (2017) Unfamiliar face matching systems in applied settings. In Face Processing: Systems, disorders and cultural difference. Bindemann, M. & Megreya, A.M. (Eds.), Nova Science [PDF].

Edmond, G., Towler, A., Growns, B., Ribeiro, G., Found, B., White, D., Ballantyne, K., Searston, R.A., Thompson, M.B., Tangen, J.M., Kemp, R.I., & Martire, K. (2017) Thinking forensics: Cognitive science for forensic practitioners. Science & Justice, 57(2) 144-154 [PDF].

Kramer, R.S.S., Telfer, C.G.R., & Towler, A. (2017) Visual comparison of two data sets: Do people use the means and the variability? Journal of Numerical Cognition, 3(1) 97-111.

2016

Edmond, G., Found, B., Martire, K., Ballantyne, K., Hamer, D., Searston, R.A., Thompson, M.B., Cunliffe, E., Kemp, R.I., San Roque, M., Tangen, J., Dioso-Vila, R., Ligertwood, A., Hibbert, D., White, D., Ribeiro, G., Porter, G., Towler, A., & Roberts, A. (2016) Model forensic science. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 48(5) 496-537 [PDF].

2014

Towler, A., White, D., Kemp, R.I. (2014) Evaluating training methods for facial image comparison: The face shape strategy does not work. Perception, 43(2-3) 214-218 [PDF].

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