Michael Stirrat

Publications

M Stirrat, J F Lawson and D I Perrett. Male self-rated quality modulates sexual display and strategic alliance behaviour in the Trust Game. (in submission)

M Stirrat, M Gumert and D I Perrett. Food sharing and sex: The relationship between attractiveness and payment preferences on dinner dates. (in submission)

S M Horning, Davis , H P, Stirrat, M , and Cornwell, R E. Atheistic, Agnostic, and Religious Older Adults on Well-Being and Coping Behaviors. (in submission)

M. Stirrat and D.I. Perrett. Valid facial cues to cooperation and trust: Male facial width and trustworthiness. Psychological Science (forthcoming: Manuscript availabe).

Stephen, I D, Law Smith, M J, Stirrat, M R , and Perrett, D I. Facial skin colouration affects perceived health of human faces. International Journal of Primatology (forthcoming) doi: 10.1007/s10764-009-9380-z

Cornwell R, Law Smith M, Boothroyd L, Moore F, Davis H, Stirrat M, Tiddeman B, Perrett D. Reproductive strategy, sexual development and attraction to facial characteristics Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 361 (1476) , 2143 - 2154 (2006) (Epub 03 Nov 2006) doi: 10.1098/rstb.2006.1936

Law Smith M, Perrett D, Jones B, Cornwell R, Moore F, Feinberg D, Boothroyd L, Durrani S, Stirrat M, Whiten S, Pitman R, Hillier S. Facial appearance is a cue to oestrogen levels in women Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 273 (1583) , 135 - 140 (2006) (Epub 01 Nov 2005) doi: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3296

B Tiddeman, Stirrat M, Perrett D. “Towards Realism in Facial Image Transformation: Results of a Wavelet MRF Method.” Computer Graphics Forum 449-456 (2006) doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8659.2005.00870.x

B Tiddeman, Stirrat M , Perrett D. “Towards Realism in Facial Prototyping: Results of a Wavelet MRF Method.” Proc. Theory and Practice of Computer Graphics , Lever, L, McDerby, M (eds) 105-111 (2006) doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8659.2005.00870.x

Jones B, Perrett D, Little A, Boothroyd L, Cornwell R, Feinberg D, Tiddeman B, Whiten S, Pitman R, Hillier S, Burt D, Stirrat M, Law Smith M, Moore F. Menstrual cycle, pregnancy and oral contraceptive use alter attraction to apparent health in faces Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 272 (1561) , 347 - 354 (2005) (Epub 17 Feb 2005) doi: 10.1098/rspb.2004.2962

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Employment

2010-2011 – Post-doctorate Research Fellow, University of St Andrews

2009-2010 – Part-time Lecturer, University of St Andrews

• Ad hoc casual contract: Undergraduate Psychology lectures and marking.

2002-2006 – University of St Andrews, St Andrews

• Research Associate:
• Computer modelling of facial attributions of age, health and others parameters using various imaging technologies to service industry contracts; supplying deliverables such as experimental protocols to tightly specified budget deadlines.
• Programming for exhibition software (see Public Engagement)

2002-2006 – Open University (Scotland)

• Associate Lecturer: T396 – Artificial Intelligence for Technology.

1997-2001 – University of Edinburgh Computing Services, Edinburgh

• Computer Lab Supervisor (part-time)

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Teaching

2009-2010 – Guest Lecturer, University of St Andrews

• PS1001 First Year Foundation Course, lectures in face perception: brain processes and social attributions.

2008-2009 – Guest Lecturer, PS5012

• MSc. in Evolutionary Psychology , St Andrews University , UK .

2006-2007 – Co-Supervisor (with David Perrett)

• Psychology undergraduate honours project: Trustworthiness and trusting behaviour.

2005-2006 – Co-Supervisor (with David Perrett)

• Psychology undergraduate honours project: Do trust and trustworthiness look alike? An investigation into the facial appearance of trusting and trustworthy individuals.

2002-2006 – Associate Lecturer, Open University ( Scotland )

• Artificial Intelligence for Technology (T396) – The course surveyed the use of AI in technology, from fuzzy logic and neural networks to Bayesian updating and programming in PROLOG. I was also responsible for supervising undergraduate projects in this area – I supervised approximately 50 student projects.

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Conferences

Stirrat, M. R., and D. I. Perrett. "Male Dominance and Female Facial Attractiveness Modulate Behaviours in Trust Games." Paper presented at the 20th Annual Meeting of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Kyoto, Japan, June 4-8, 2008.

Stirrat, M. R., Jamie F. Lawson, Martin A. Sharp, Emad A. S. Al Dujali, Ian D. Stephen, and D. I. Perrett. "Fear of Punishment: Testosterone Elicits Trustworthiness in Trust Games." Paper presented at the 19th Annual Meeting of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, May 30-June 3, 2007.

Stirrat, M. R., Olga Zubko, Jamie F. Lawson, M. J. Law Smith, D. I. Perrett, B. Jones, and L. M. DeBruine. "Health Appearance Influences Trust Judgments." Paper presented at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, University of Pennsylvania, June 7-11th, 2006.

Tiddeman, B. P., M.R. Stirrat, and D. I. Perrett. "Towards Realism in Facial Image Prototyping: Results of a Wavelet MRF Method." Paper presented at the Theory and Practice of Computer Graphics, University of Kent , Canterbury , United Kingdom , 15th to 17th June 2005.

RE Cornwell, B. C. Jones, L.G. Boothroyd, D.R. Feinberg, M.J. Law Smith, F.R. Moore, L.M. DeBruine, M.R. Stirrat, R.M. Pitman, S. Whiten, and D. I. Perrett. "Hormones and Preferences for Pheromones and Facial Characteristics." Hormones and Behaviour 46, no. 1 (2004): 129.

RE Cornwell, LG Boothroyd, LM DeBruine, DR Feinberg, BC Jones, FR Moore, MJ Law Smith, MR Stirrat, RM Pitman, S Whiten, DI Perrett. "Developmental influences on mate choice in young adults." Human Behavior and Evolution Society in Berlin, Germany. July 2004.

DR Feinberg, BC Jones, LM DeBruine, AC Little, RE Cornwell, LG Boothroyd, MR Stirrat, DI Perrett. "Women’s pitch of voice and facial-metric masculinity correlate: implications for reproductive strategy." Human Behavior and Evolution Society in Berlin, Germany. July 2004.

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Posters

M.R. Stirrat and D.I. Perrett. "‘Robust' male facial width predicts exploitation of trust" Fourth Meeting of the Evolution and Human Behaviour Association, University of St Andrews. April 6-8, 2009. (pdf)

M.R. Stirrat and D.I. Perrett. "Dominance and dinner dates: Who pays the bill?" 20th Annual Meeting of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Kyoto, Japan, June 4-8, 2008.

M.R. Stirrat and D.I. Perrett. "Sex, Trust and Participant Role." School of Psychology, University of St Andrews. December 13, 2007.

M.R. Stirrat and D.I. Perrett. "Health appearance influences trust judgments." School of Psychology, University of St Andrews. December 15, 2006.

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Public Engagement

March 20 2009: Public Lecture – "The Faces We Trust: How the way we look influences relationships." St Andrews Extension Programmes, Open Association 2008-9.

March 18 2009: Brain day interactive and practical workshop with local Fife school pupils – "Trust in the Brain"

March 25 to April 5, 2008: Edinburgh International Science Festival – Wonderama, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh : Face Morph

• This event was aimed at children aged 9+. Our exhibit demonstrated face averaging and 3D manipulation techniques alongside our usual morphing exhibit. I also worked with visitors explaining both the exhibit and the more detailed expositions of software and psychological research in accompanying posters.

March 8, 2008: Science Discovery Day – St Andrews Science Festival, University of St Andrews , Physics Building , St Andrews

• See previous entry.

2007-2008: NHS Tayside – Ageing & smoking software, installed on computers in 15 schools in Tayside area

October 2004 to February 2005: Wellcome Trust: Future Face – Exhibition at the Science Museum , London

• Curated by Sandra Kemp, Director of Research at the Royal College of Art, Future Face was a multidisciplinary exhibition that integrates art, science and medicine. More than 125,000 visitors attended.
• Collaborating with FifeX Ltd I was heavily involved with adapting face morphing software for our part of this exhibition and writing texts to explain the techniques used in psychological research of social attributions to faces.

July 5-8, 2004: The Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition, Exhibit 10: Should we judge a book by its cover?

• This event was designed to bring science to the public, with over 4,000 visitors over a 4-day period. 16 Exhibitors are selected from applications submitted from over 60 Universities across the UK . We demonstrated techniques of facial morphing as used in psychological research.
• I adapted our exhibition software for the event and worked with visitors explaining and directing use of the exhibit. I also had a major role in the logistics of transportation and maintenance of hardware.

Museum Exhibits 2004 to present: Face Morpher

• I have adapted face morphing software for various exhibits in various locations to communicate knowledge about the perception of faces to the public. These include: Sensations, Dundee; Camera Obscura, Edinburgh ; Glasgow Science Centre; London Science Museum , and Nickelodeon.

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Grants

EPSRC Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship .

Brain Travel Grant. Total value: £800. Won funding to give an invited talk at the 20th Annual Meeting of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Kyoto , Japan , 4-8th June, 2008 and to discuss collaborations at the departments of Psychology at Kyoto University .

Grindley Travel Grant Total value: £500. Won funding from the Experimental Psychology Society to attend the 19th Human Behavior & Evolution Society meeting, at William & Mary College, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA, 30th May to 3rd Jun 2007

EPSRC Doctoral Training Grant Total value: approx. £56,000 (full fees and maintenance). My PhD was funded by this grant. Funding runs Oct 2006 – Sep 2009.

Unilever Grant (2006-2009) Total value: £15,000: For research assistance under grants held by Prof. David Perrett (PI), University of St Andrews.

Department of Psychology Travel Grant Total value: £1000. Secured funding to attend HBES conferences in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

HBES Travel Grant Total value £150. Won funding to attend HBES 2008 conference.

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Education

2006-2009 – University of St Andrews, St Andrews

• PhD (Psychology): Sexual Selection and Trust Games

2001-2002 – University of Sussex, Brighton

• (PGDip) Adaptive and Evolutionary Systems

• Courses include: Programming Techniques (C/C++), Formal Computational Skills, Neural Networks, Artificial Life, Animal and Machine Intelligence, Philosophy of Cognitive Science, Adaptive Systems, and Simulation of Adaptive Behaviour.

1997 – 2001 – University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh

• MA Linguistics and Artificial Intelligence (1 st Class Hons.)

• Courses include: AI Programming in JAVA, Knowledge Representation and Inference, Cognitive Modelling, Artificial Intelligence Research Methodologies, Learning from Data, Computational Modelling of Linguistic Processes, Techniques in Natural Language Processing (1 & 2), Origins & Evolution of Language, Syntactic Theory, Semantics: Inference & Information, Phonological Theory, Advanced Phonology: Optimality Theory, Advanced Phonology: Prosody.

• My final year dissertation explored the computational modelling and theory of the evolution of Language and languages.

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