Dr James Dunn

Dr James Dunn is an ARC DECRA Research Fellow and Lecturer in the School of Psychology at UNSW Sydney. His research examines how people perceive, recognise, and remember information in real-world contexts, with a focus on face recognition, human–AI interaction, and memory under stress. Using behavioural experiments and computational approaches, his work connects fundamental cognitive science with applied challenges in policing, national security, and digital identity. He works closely with government and industry partners, including the Australian Federal Police, to translate research into practical tools and evidence-based solutions.

He is a member of the School of Psychology Equity, Diversity & Inclusion team. 

Research Interests

• Face Recognition and Expertise: I study how people recognise faces and why some individuals are exceptionally good at it. This work helps identify and measure expertise, with applications in security, policing, and identity verification.
• Human–AI Interaction and AI-Generated Faces: My research explores how people detect AI-generated faces and how human perceptual expertise can inform the development of more reliable and trustworthy AI systems. This work addresses growing challenges around misinformation, scams, and digital identity.
• Memory and Decision-Making Under Stress: I investigate how stress and attention affect memory and decision-making in real-world contexts, particularly in high-pressure environments such as policing and emergency response.
• Individual Differences in Cognition: I examine why people vary in their perceptual and memory abilities, and how these differences can be understood, predicted, and applied in practical settings.
• Applied Cognitive Science and Translation: I develop tools, methods, and partnerships that translate research into practice, including personnel selection, training, and operational decision-making in government and industry.

Broader Impact

Dr Dunn’s research has direct real-world impact, improving how people and organisations make decisions about identity, memory, and information. His work has informed personnel selection and operational practices in policing and security, and contributes to public understanding of emerging issues such as AI-generated identities and misinformation. By combining insights from human cognition with technological innovation, his research supports safer, fairer, and more reliable systems in an increasingly complex and digital world.