Dr Poppy Watson

Dr Poppy Watson

Adjunct Lecturer
Science
School of Psychology

Dr Poppy Watson is working at University of Technology Sydney (poppy.watson@uts.edu.au), but maintains Adjunct Lecturer status at UNSW.

The research interests of Dr Poppy Watson lie at the intersection of motivation, attention and choice behaviour. The mechanisms that underlie reward-seeking behaviour are investigated in both healthy individuals and patient populations and this research aims to understand how and why maladaptive and compulsive reward seeking behaviour arises (i.e. as seen in addiction and obesity). She is also involved in intervention projects (to improve treatment outcomes for clinical patients and measuring efficacy of these interventions) and is interested more generally in health psychology and behaviour change.

Key Words: associative learning, reward, attention, control, addiction, habits, goal-directed, Pavlovian-instrumental transfer, EEG, eye tracking, fMRI, DTI

Originally from New Zealand, Poppy Watson completed her Masters (2011) and PhD (2016) at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.There, she investigated reward-seeking behaviours and how these could be triggered by cues in the environment. From 2017 - 2023 Poppy worked at UNSW - first as a postdoc with Mike Le Pelley and Steve Most and then as a Discovery Early Career research fellow (DECRA). Since October 2023 she has been working as a Lecturer at University of Technology Sydney, helping to develop the Psychology Undergraduate Programme.

 

Location
University of Technology, Sydney
  • Journal articles | 2023
    Watson P; Gladwin TE; Verhoeven AAC; de Wit S, 2023, 'Investigating habits in humans with a symmetrical outcome-revaluation task', Behavior Research Methods, 55, pp. 2687 - 2705, http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13428-022-01922-4
    Journal articles | 2023
    Watson P; Mahlberg J, 2023, 'Mechanisms underlying performance in a cued go/no-go Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer paradigm', Behavioural Brain Research, 446, pp. 114413 - 114413, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114413
    Journal articles | 2023
    Watson P; Onie S, 2023, 'Images of Australian alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages: A validation dataset', Data in Brief, 47, pp. 108914 - 108914, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2023.108914
    Journal articles | 2022
    Le Pelley ME; Ung R; Mine C; Most SB; Watson P; Pearson D; Theeuwes J, 2022, 'Reward learning and statistical learning independently influence attentional priority of salient distractors in visual search', Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics, 84, pp. 1446 - 1459, http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13414-021-02426-7
    Journal articles | 2022
    Pearson D; Watson P; Albertella L; Le Pelley ME, 2022, 'Attentional economics links value-modulated attentional capture and decision-making', Nature Reviews Psychology, 1, pp. 320 - 333, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00053-z
    Journal articles | 2022
    Smith VM; Watson P; Most SB, 2022, 'Enhanced recognition of emotional images is not affected by post-exposure exercise-induced arousal', Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 75, pp. 1056 - 1066, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/17470218211054950
    Journal articles | 2022
    Watson P; O'Callaghan C; Perkes I; Bradfield L; Turner K, 2022, 'Making habits measurable beyond what they are not: A focus on associative dual-process models', Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 142, pp. 104869, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104869
    Journal articles | 2022
    Watson P; Pavri Y; Le J; Pearson D; Le Pelley ME, 2022, 'Attentional capture by signals of reward persists following outcome devaluation', Learning and Memory, 29, pp. 181 - 191, http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/lm.053569.122
    Journal articles | 2021
    Ciria LF; Watson P; Vadillo MA; Luque D, 2021, 'Is the habit system altered in individuals with obesity? A systematic review', Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 128, pp. 621 - 632, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.07.006
    Journal articles | 2021
    Frank-Podlech S; Watson P; Verhoeven AAC; Stegmaier S; Preissl H; de Wit S, 2021, 'Competing influences on healthy food choices: Mindsetting versus contextual food cues', Appetite, 166, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105476
    Journal articles | 2021
    Le JT; Watson P; Begg D; Albertella L; Le Pelley ME, 2021, 'Physiological and subjective validation of a novel stress procedure: The Simple Singing Stress Procedure', Behavior Research Methods, 53, pp. 1478 - 1487, http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13428-020-01505-1
    Journal articles | 2021
    Mikhael S; Watson P; Anderson BA; Pelley MEL, 2021, 'You Do It to Yourself: Attentional Capture by Threat-Signaling Stimuli Persists Even When Entirely Counterproductive', Emotion, 21, pp. 1691 - 1698, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0001003
    Journal articles | 2021
    Pearson D; Watson P; Le Pelley ME, 2021, 'How do competing influences of selection history interact? A commentary on Luck et al. (2021)', Visual Cognition, 29, pp. 552 - 555, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13506285.2021.1912234
    Journal articles | 2021
    Watson P; Le Pelley ME, 2021, 'A meta-analysis of the relationship between eating restraint, impaired cognitive control and cognitive bias to food in non-clinical samples', Clinical Psychology Review, 89, pp. 102082, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102082
    Journal articles | 2021
    Watson P; Vasudevan A; Pearson D; Le Pelley ME, 2021, 'Eating restraint is associated with reduced attentional capture by signals of valuable food reward', Appetite, 159, pp. 105050 - 105050, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.105050
    Journal articles | 2020
    Luque D; Molinero S; Watson P; López FJ; Le Pelley ME, 2020, 'Measuring habit formation through goal-directed response switching', Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 149, pp. 1449 - 1459, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xge0000722
    Journal articles | 2020
    Pearson D; Watson P; Cheng P; Le Pelley ME, 2020, 'Overt attentional capture by reward-related stimuli overcomes inhibitory suppression.', Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 46, pp. 489 - 501, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000728
    Journal articles | 2020
    Watson P; Pearson D; Le Pelley ME, 2020, 'Reduced attentional capture by reward following an acute dose of alcohol', Psychopharmacology, 237, pp. 3625 - 3639, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-020-05641-6
    Journal articles | 2020
    Watson P; Pearson D; Theeuwes J; Most SB; Le Pelley ME, 2020, 'Delayed disengagement of attention from distractors signalling reward', Cognition, 195, pp. 104125 - 104125, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104125
    Journal articles | 2019
    Albertella L; Watson P; Yücel M; Le Pelley ME, 2019, 'Persistence of value-modulated attentional capture is associated with risky alcohol use', Addictive Behaviors Reports, 10, pp. 100195 - 100195, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2019.100195
    Journal articles | 2019
    Le Pelley ME; Watson P; Pearson D; Abeywickrama RS; Most SB, 2019, 'Winners and losers: Reward and punishment produce biases in temporal selection', Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning Memory and Cognition, 45, pp. 822 - 833, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000612
    Journal articles | 2019
    Watson P; Pearson D; Chow M; Theeuwes J; Wiers RW; Most SB; Le Pelley ME, 2019, 'Capture and Control: Working Memory Modulates Attentional Capture by Reward-Related Stimuli', Psychological Science, 30, pp. 1174 - 1185, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797619855964
    Journal articles | 2019
    Watson P; Pearson D; Most SB; Theeuwes J; Wiers RW; Le Pelley ME, 2019, 'Attentional capture by Pavlovian reward-signalling distractors in visual search persists when rewards are removed', PLoS ONE, 14, pp. e0226284, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226284
    Journal articles | 2019
    Watson P; Pearson D; Wiers RW; Le Pelley ME, 2019, 'Prioritizing pleasure and pain: attentional capture by reward-related and punishment-related stimuli', Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 26, pp. 107 - 113, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.12.002
    Journal articles | 2018
    Verhoeven AAC; Watson P; de Wit S, 2018, 'Failing to pay heed to health warnings in a food-associated environment', Appetite, 120, pp. 616 - 626, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.10.020
    Journal articles | 2018
    Watson P; Wiers RW; Hommel B; de Wit S, 2018, 'Motivational sensitivity of outcome-response priming: Experimental research and theoretical models', Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 25, pp. 2069 - 2082, http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13423-018-1449-2
    Journal articles | 2018
    Watson P; de Wit S, 2018, 'Current limits of experimental research into habits and future directions', Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 20, pp. 33 - 39, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.09.012
    Journal articles | 2018
    Watson P; van Wingen G; de Wit S, 2018, 'Conflicted between goal-directed and habitual control, an fMRI investigation', eNeuro, 5, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0240-18.2018
    Journal articles | 2017
    Albertella L; Copeland J; Pearson D; Watson P; Wiers RW; Le Pelley ME, 2017, 'Selective attention moderates the relationship between attentional capture by signals of nondrug reward and illicit drug use', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 175, pp. 99 - 105, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.041
    Journal articles | 2017
    Watson P; Wiers RW; Hommel B; Gerdes VEA; de Wit S, 2017, 'Stimulus control over action for food in obese versus healthy-weight individuals', Frontiers in Psychology, 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00580
    Journal articles | 2017
    van Steenbergen H; Watson P; Wiers RW; Hommel B; de Wit S, 2017, 'Dissociable corticostriatal circuits underlie goal-directed vs. cue-elicited habitual food seeking after satiation: evidence from a multimodal MRI study', European Journal of Neuroscience, 46, pp. 1815 - 1827, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ejn.13586
    Journal articles | 2016
    Watson P; Wiers RW; Hommel B; Ridderinkhof KR; de Wit S, 2016, 'An associative account of how the obesogenic environment biases adolescents' food choices', Appetite, 96, pp. 560 - 571, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.10.008
    Journal articles | 2015
    Watson P; Van Steenbergen H; De Wit S; Wiers RW; Hommel B, 2015, 'Limits of ideomotor action-outcome acquisition', Brain Research, 1626, pp. 45 - 53, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2015.02.020
    Journal articles | 2014
    Watson P; Wiers RW; Hommel B; De Wit S, 2014, 'Working for food you don't desire. Cues interfere with goal-directed food-seeking', Appetite, 79, pp. 139 - 148, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.04.005
    Journal articles | 2013
    Cousijn J; Watson P; Koenders L; Vingerhoets WAM; Goudriaan AE; Wiers RW, 2013, 'Cannabis dependence, cognitive control and attentional bias for cannabis words', Addictive Behaviors, 38, pp. 2825 - 2832, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.08.011
    Journal articles | 2013
    Watson P; Korjoukov I; Vartak D; Roelfsema PR, 2013, 'Luminance contrast has little influence on the spread of object-based attention', Vision Research, 85, pp. 90 - 103, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2012.12.010
    Journal articles | 2013
    Watson P; de Wit S; Cousijn J; Hommel B; Wiers RW, 2013, 'Motivational Mechanisms Underlying the Approach Bias to Cigarettes', JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, 4, pp. 250 - 262, http://dx.doi.org/10.5127/jep.030512
    Journal articles | 2012
    Cavanagh JF; Neville D; Cohen MX; deVijver IV; Harsay H; Watson P; Buitenweg JI; Ridderinkhof KR, 2012, 'Individual differences in risky decision-making among seniors reflect increased reward sensitivity', Frontiers in Neuroscience, pp. 1 - 7, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2012.00111
    Journal articles | 2012
    Watson P; de Wit S; Hommel B; Wiers RW, 2012, 'Motivational mechanisms and outcome expectancies underlying the approach bias toward addictive substances', Frontiers in Psychology, 3, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00440
    Journal articles | 2012
    de Wit S; Watson P; Harsay HA; Cohen MX; van de Vijver I; Ridderinkhof KR, 2012, 'Corticostriatal connectivity underlies individual differences in the balance between habitual and goal-directed action control', Journal of Neuroscience, 32, pp. 12066 - 12075, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1088-12.2012
  • Preprints | 2023
    Freichel R; Mrkonja L; de Jong PJ; Cousijn J; Franken IHA; ruiter T; Le Pelley M; Albertella L; Watson P; Veer I; Wiers R, 2023, Value-Modulated Attentional Capture in Reward and Punishment Contexts, Attentional Control, and their Relationship with Psychopathology, , http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/24edr
    Preprints | 2022
    Watson P; O'Callaghan C; Perkes I; Bradfield L; Turner K, 2022, Making habits measurable beyond what they are not: a focus on associative dual-process models, , http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/7m6c8
    Preprints | 2022
    van Timmeren T; Watson P; van de Vijver I; de wit S, 2022, Taxing working memory shifts the balance from goals to stimulus-response habits, , http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/zm9s6
    Preprints | 2021
    Ciria LF; Watson P; Vadillo MA; Luque D, 2021, Is the habit system altered in individuals with obesity? A systematic review, , http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/fhkne
    Preprints | 2021
    Le JT; Watson P; Le Pelley M, 2021, ‘Habit-like’ attentional prioritisation of reward-related stimuli, , http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/mwjhk
    Preprints | 2021
    Watson P; Gladwin TE; de wit S, 2021, Investigating habits in humans with a symmetrical outcome revaluation task, , http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ajxs4
    Preprints | 2020
    Le JT; Watson P; Begg D; Albertella L; Le Pelley M, 2020, Physiological and subjective validation of a novel stress procedure: The Simple Singing Stress Procedure, , http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ufh7c
    Preprints | 2020
    Le Pelley M; Ung R; Mine C; Most S; Watson P; Theeuwes J, 2020, Reward learning and statistical learning independently influence attentional priority of salient distractors in visual search, , http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/tzwyp
    Preprints | 2019
    Luque D; Molinero S; Watson P; López FJ; Le Pelley M, 2019, Measuring habit formation through goal-directed response switching, , http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/xnmfc