![Katy Burgess BSc (Hons), PhD, SFHEA, CPsychol](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/3006?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Katy Burgess
(she/her)
BSc (Hons), PhD, SFHEA, CPsychol
Senior Lecturer
Overview
My career to date has centred on learning and memory mechanisms in humans and nonhuman animals, and the application of this knowledge in clinical and educational contexts.
I am particularly passionate about providing students with the best possible learning environment, and ensuring teaching methods are aligned with the literature on how we best learn new information. My current research is concerned with the testing effect, which is a well-established finding that testing yourself on new information improves memory more than other methods of learning (such as note taking, mind-mapping, reading).
Publication
2023
- Briscoe, J., Doherty, J., Burgess, K. and Kent, C. 2023. Errorful learning improves recognition memory for new vocabulary for people living with memory and dysexecutive impairment following brain injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (10.1080/09602011.2023.2259017)
- Burgess, K. V., Honey, R. C. and Dwyer, D. M. 2023. Instrumental responses and Pavlovian stimuli as temporal referents in a peak procedure. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 76(2), pp. 248-256. (10.1177/17470218221090418)
2022
- Brookes, O., Gray, S., Bennett, P., Burgess, K., Clark, F., Roberts, E. and Burghardt, T. 2022. Evaluating cognitive enrichment for zoo-housed gorillas using facial recognition. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, article number: 886720. (10.3389/fvets.2022.886720)
2021
- Brookes, O. et al. 2021. BristolGorillas2020. University of Bristol. Available at: https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/jf0859kboy8k2ufv60dqeb2t8/
2019
- Clark, F., Gray, S., Bennett, P., Mason, L. and Burgess, K. 2019. High-tech and tactile: Cognitive enrichment for zoo-housed gorillas. Frontiers in Psychology 10, article number: 1574. (10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01574)
2012
- Dwyer, D. M., Burgess, K. and Honey, R. C. 2012. Avoidance but not aversion following sensory preconditioning with flavors: a challenge to stimulus substitution. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 38(4), pp. 359-368. (10.1037/a0029784)
- Burgess, K. V., Dwyer, D. M. and Honey, R. C. 2012. Re-assessing causal accounts of learnt behavior in rats. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 38(2), pp. 148-156. (10.1037/a0027266)
- Burgess, K. V. 2012. Associative analyses of reasoning-like behaviour in rats. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
2011
- Dwyer, D. M. and Burgess, K. V. 2011. Rational accounts of animal behaviour? Lessons from C. Lloyd Morgan's Canon. International Journal of Comparative Psychology 24(4), pp. 349-364.
Articles
- Briscoe, J., Doherty, J., Burgess, K. and Kent, C. 2023. Errorful learning improves recognition memory for new vocabulary for people living with memory and dysexecutive impairment following brain injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (10.1080/09602011.2023.2259017)
- Burgess, K. V., Honey, R. C. and Dwyer, D. M. 2023. Instrumental responses and Pavlovian stimuli as temporal referents in a peak procedure. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 76(2), pp. 248-256. (10.1177/17470218221090418)
- Brookes, O., Gray, S., Bennett, P., Burgess, K., Clark, F., Roberts, E. and Burghardt, T. 2022. Evaluating cognitive enrichment for zoo-housed gorillas using facial recognition. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, article number: 886720. (10.3389/fvets.2022.886720)
- Clark, F., Gray, S., Bennett, P., Mason, L. and Burgess, K. 2019. High-tech and tactile: Cognitive enrichment for zoo-housed gorillas. Frontiers in Psychology 10, article number: 1574. (10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01574)
- Dwyer, D. M., Burgess, K. and Honey, R. C. 2012. Avoidance but not aversion following sensory preconditioning with flavors: a challenge to stimulus substitution. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 38(4), pp. 359-368. (10.1037/a0029784)
- Burgess, K. V., Dwyer, D. M. and Honey, R. C. 2012. Re-assessing causal accounts of learnt behavior in rats. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 38(2), pp. 148-156. (10.1037/a0027266)
- Dwyer, D. M. and Burgess, K. V. 2011. Rational accounts of animal behaviour? Lessons from C. Lloyd Morgan's Canon. International Journal of Comparative Psychology 24(4), pp. 349-364.
Datasets
- Brookes, O. et al. 2021. BristolGorillas2020. University of Bristol. Available at: https://data.bris.ac.uk/data/dataset/jf0859kboy8k2ufv60dqeb2t8/
Thesis
- Burgess, K. V. 2012. Associative analyses of reasoning-like behaviour in rats. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
Biography
My interest in learning and memory was sparked by my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Durham University. I then moved to Cardiff University to complete a PhD in learning and reasoning under the supervision of Professors Rob Honey and Dominic Dwyer. I became interested in the clinical applications of learning and thus worked in clinical settings for a few years (Mind Cymru, St Andrews Healthcare) to help rehabilitate patients with mental illness and brain injury.
I then returned to academia as I was offered a teaching position at Leicester University. I really enjoyed teaching and accepted a teaching position at Bristol University where I worked for 6 years. During this time I became passionate about embedding cognitive research findings into curricula to ensure students are able to perform to their full potential. I am excited to continue my career improving teaching and learning at Cardiff University.
Research themes
Specialisms
- Reinforcement learning
- Learning, motivation and emotion
- Memory
- Curriculum and pedagogy theory and development
- Teacher and student wellbeing