Career Summary
Biography
Emily has an Honours degree in Science (Psychology), a PhD in Cognitive Psychology, and a Postdoc in Cognitive Neuroscience. Her current research projects include examining the process(es) underlying the recognition memory decision, the influence of context on short- and long-term memory, and working memory in school-aged children.
Research ExpertiseMy central research focus is Human Memory. My main area of research expertise involves the study of Recognition Memory. I have examined such things as the effect of lexical characteristics of stimuli, study and test context effects, and the process(es) underlying the recognition memory decision. Although the majority of my research has focused on adult memory, I am also involved in studies looking at the relationship between working memory and achievement in children.
Teaching Expertise
I have taught and coordinated a range of undergraduate and graduate level courses in Psychology. These have covered such topics as cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, research methods and statistics.
Qualifications
- PhD (Psychology), University of Newcastle
- Bachelor of Science (Psychology)(Honours), University of Newcastle
Keywords
- educational psychology
- ERP
- psychology
- statistics
- research methods
- cognitive psychology
- cognitive neuroscience
- experimental psychology
- developmental psychology
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 170102 | Developmental Psychology and Ageing | 20 |
| 170299 | Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified | 80 |
Professional Experience
Academic appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1/01/2012 - 1/12/2013 | Research Associate | University of Newcastle Science & IT Australia |
| 1/07/2009 - 1/02/2012 | Senior Researcher | University of Newcastle Family Action Centre Australia |
| 1/04/2009 - 1/06/2009 | Research Associate | The University of Adelaide Faculty of Health Sciences Australia |
| 1/07/2008 - 1/04/2009 | Research Associate | The Ohio State University Department of Psychology United States |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Journal article (12 outputs)
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| 2018 |
Chalmers KA, Freeman EE, 'Does accuracy and confidence in working memory performance relate to academic achievement in NAPLAN, the Australian national curriculum assessment?', Australian Journal of Psychology, (2018) © 2018 The Australian Psychological Society. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine how accuracy and confidence in working memory performance relates to academic achievem... [more] © 2018 The Australian Psychological Society. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine how accuracy and confidence in working memory performance relates to academic achievement as assessed in the Australian national curriculum assessment (National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)). Method: A total of 150 Australian schoolchildren enrolled in Year 4 participated in the study. Accuracy and confidence in performance of a working memory task were assessed. Associations between these working memory measurements and scores in each of the NAPLAN domains (numeracy, reading, persuasive writing, grammar, and spelling) were examined, separately for males and females. Results: Accuracy in working memory performance was associated with achievement in all five NAPLAN domains, in both males and females. Confidence in working memory performance was also related to achievement, but the pattern of results differed for males and females. For females, significant associations were found between confidence and achievement in numeracy, reading, writing, and spelling. For males, confidence was associated with achievement in numeracy only. Females outperformed males in persuasive writing. There was a non-significant trend for males to outperform females in numeracy. Conclusion: The strong links between working memory and achievement highlight the importance of early detection of working memory problems. Further research is needed to examine the extent to which the pattern of results generalises to other year levels.
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| 2017 |
St George JM, Freeman E, 'Measurement of rough-and-tumble play and its relations to child behaviour', Journal of Infant Mental Health, 38 709-725 (2017) [C1]
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| 2017 |
Freeman EE, Karayanidis F, Chalmers KA, 'Metacognitive monitoring of working memory performance and its relationship to academic achievement in Grade 4 children', Learning and Individual Differences, 57 58-64 (2017) [C1] © 2017 Elsevier Inc. The relationship between metacognitive monitoring of working memory performance and academic achievement was examined in 73 Grade 4 children. Working memory w... [more] © 2017 Elsevier Inc. The relationship between metacognitive monitoring of working memory performance and academic achievement was examined in 73 Grade 4 children. Working memory was assessed using the Working Memory Power Test (WMPT) for children. Metacognitive monitoring was assessed by confidence ratings and two calibration measures, the Bias Index and the Absolute Accuracy Index, calculated from WMPT scores. Children also completed the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Australian Abbreviated (WIAT-II). Regression analyses showed the Bias Index was the best metacognitive monitoring calibration measure for predicting academic achievement. These findings extend previous research in two important ways. Firstly, we have shown that Grade 4 children have metacognitive monitoring abilities. Secondly, we have demonstrated that children are able to metacognitively monitor their working memory performance and that the calibration of this monitoring is related to their academic achievement.
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| 2015 |
StGeorge J, Fletcher R, Freeman E, Paquette D, Dumont C, 'Father¿child interactions and children's risk of injury', Early Child Development and Care, (2015) [C1] Unintentional injury is an important cause of infant and child hospitalisation and parents play a key role in reducing children's risk-taking behaviour. Studies show that mat... [more] Unintentional injury is an important cause of infant and child hospitalisation and parents play a key role in reducing children's risk-taking behaviour. Studies show that maternal and paternal parenting and supervision of children differ, but there is little research showing how fathers¿ parenting may influence children's tendency to engage in risk-taking behaviour. Recent theoretical developments suggest that father's parenting may be particularly effective in encouraging safe risk taking. In this study, we examine how well parenting practices typically undertaken by fathers predict rates of children's injury risk at three years. Questionnaire data were collected from 46 fathers. Results show that both duration of rough-and-tumble play and fathers¿ encouragement of perseverance predicted lower rates of injury behaviours, while their stimulation of risk taking predicted higher rates of injury behaviours. The results are discussed in the light of developmentally appropriate risk taking and fathering.
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| 2013 |
Fletcher R, StGeorge J, Freeman E, 'Rough and tumble play quality: Theoretical foundations for a new measure of father-child interaction', Early Child Development and Care, 183 746-759 (2013) [C1] Energetic, competitive, body-contact play (rough and tumble play (RTP)) is commonly observed among young children and is reported as an important feature of father-child relations... [more] Energetic, competitive, body-contact play (rough and tumble play (RTP)) is commonly observed among young children and is reported as an important feature of father-child relationships. Animal studies have demonstrated positive developmental effects of peer-peer play-wrestling, influencing cognitive and social outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the nature of RTP between father and child and its relationship to child development and to describe a theoretically informed measure of the quality of father-child RTP. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
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| 2013 |
Freeman E, Ross NM, St George J, Fletcher R, 'A quantitative analysis of practitioners' knowledge of fathers and fathers' engagement
in family relationship services', Australasian Dispute Resolution Journal, 24 270-277 (2013) [C1]
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| 2012 |
Freeman EE, Fletcher R, Collins CE, Morgan PJ, Burrows TL, Callister R, 'Preventing and treating childhood obesity: Time to target fathers', International Journal of Obesity, 36 12-15 (2012) [C1]
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| 2011 |
Fletcher R, Freeman EE, Matthey S, 'The impact of behavioural parent training on fathers' parenting: A meta-analysis of the triple-p positive parenting program', Fathering: A Journal of Theory, Research, & Practice about Men as Fathers, 9 291-312 (2011) [C1]
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| 2011 |
Fletcher R, Freeman EE, Garfield C, Vimpani GV, 'The effects of early paternal depression on children's development', Medical Journal of Australia, 195 685-689 (2011) [C1]
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| 2010 |
Freeman EE, Heathcote AJ, Chalmers KA, Hockley W, 'Item effects in recognition memory for words', Journal of Memory and Language, 62 1-18 (2010) [C1]
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| 2010 |
Heathcote AJ, Bora B, Freeman EE, 'Recollection and confidence in two-alternative forced choice episodic recognition', Journal of Memory and Language, 62 183-203 (2010) [C1]
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| 2009 |
Heathcote AJ, Freeman EE, Etherington JL, Tonkin J, Bora B, 'A dissociation between similarity effects in episodic face recognition', Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 16 824-831 (2009) [C1]
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Conference (11 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
Chalmers KA, Freeman EE, 'Validation of the Working Memory Power Test for Children', Granada, Spain (2016)
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| 2016 |
Chalmers KA, Goodman JB, freeman EE, 'Assessment of working memory: Implications for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder', Athens, Greece (2016)
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| 2015 |
Chalmers KA, Freeman E, 'The working memory power test for children', University of Sydney (2015) [E3]
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| 2015 | Freeman E, Tillman G, 'Recognition memory for familiar and unfamiliar words: Links between encoding and retrieval', Chicago, IL (2015) [E3] | ||||
| 2015 |
Chalmers KA, Freeman E, Pritchard LM, 'The structure of working meory: Does it differ for children and adults?', Chicago, Illinois (2015) [E3]
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| 2014 |
Chalmers KA, Freeman E, Karayanidis F, 'Working memory confidence and accuracy as predictors of reading, spelling and numeracy', Abstracts of the Psychonomic Society, Long Beach California (2014) [E3]
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| 2006 |
Bohlscheid EE, Chalmers KA, Heathcote AJ, Hockley WE, 'Reflections on the mirror effect: Comparisons of word frequency and nonword pronounceability', Australian Journal of Psychology V58, Suppl: Proceedings of the 33rd Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference, Brisbane (2006) [E3]
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Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 3 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $111,278 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20141 grants / $8,778
Are short and long term memory really different systems? A context-based alternative $8,778
Funding body: Keats Endowment Research Fund
| Funding body | Keats Endowment Research Fund |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Emily Freeman, Conjoint Professor Simon Dennis, Associate Professor Kerry Chalmers, Doctor Adam Osth |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | G1400745 |
| Type Of Funding | C3112 - Aust Not for profit |
| Category | 3112 |
| UON | Y |
20121 grants / $12,500
Are two processes one too many? A state-trace analysis of recognition memory for familiar and unfamiliar words.$12,500
Funding body: Keats Endowment Research Fund
| Funding body | Keats Endowment Research Fund |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Associate Professor Kerry Chalmers, Doctor Emily Freeman |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2012 |
| GNo | G1201245 |
| Type Of Funding | Grant - Aust Non Government |
| Category | 3AFG |
| UON | Y |
20111 grants / $90,000
Investigation of recognition memory in behavioural, electrophysiological, and functional neuroimaging domains using state trace analysis$90,000
Funding body: ARC (Australian Research Council)
| Funding body | ARC (Australian Research Council) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Professor John Dunn, Dr Greig De Zubicaray, Doctor Emily Freeman |
| Scheme | Discovery Projects |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2011 |
| Funding Finish | 2013 |
| GNo | G1100467 |
| Type Of Funding | Aust Competitive - Commonwealth |
| Category | 1CS |
| UON | Y |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Total current UON EFTSL
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | PhD | Child-Father Play Interactions and the Influence on Child Development | PhD (Psychology - Science), Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2016 | Masters | The relationship between paternal parenting stress and rough and tumble play | Psychology, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle | Australia | Principal Supervisor |
| 2016 | Masters | The relationship between child anxiety and paternal facilitation of child exploration | Psychology, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2016 | PhD | The relationship between working memory, early life stress, aggression, and resilience | PhD (Clinical Psychology), Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
Dr Emily Freeman
Position
Lecturer
Cognitive Research Group
School of Psychology
Faculty of Science
Contact Details
| emily.freeman@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | 4921 6115 |
Office
| Room | AVG11 |
|---|---|
| Building | Aviation Building |
| Location | Callaghan University Drive Callaghan, NSW 2308 Australia |
Research Networks
Connect with me
