Rate My Professor Ralph Pawling

Dr Ralph Pawling serves as Principal Lecturer in Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), within the School of Psychology. He earned his BSc (Hons) in Applied Psychology from LJMU in 2006, achieving a 2:1 classification, and subsequently undertook a summer studentship as a Research Assistant at the same institution. Pawling completed his PhD in Psychology at Bangor University in 2013, with his doctoral research focusing on cognitive and neural processes involved in learning about others through non-verbal social cues.

Pawling's academic interests center on psychophysiology, social neuroscience, and affective touch. His research investigates the affective and motivational aspects of gentle stroking touch via C-tactile (CT) afferents, physiological markers such as high-frequency heart rate variability in relation to touch sensitivity, pupil size influences on person perceptions, emotion mimicry retrieval, and negativity bias in virtual environments. Affiliated with LJMU's Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, he has published extensively, with over 500 citations across more than 14 peer-reviewed papers. Notable publications include: "C-tactile afferent stimulating touch carries a positive affective value" (Pawling et al., 2017, PLOS ONE; 290+ citations), "Assessment of threat and negativity bias in virtual reality" (Baker, Pawling & Fairclough, 2020, Scientific Reports; 40 citations), "High frequency heart rate variability is associated with sensitivity to affective touch" (Pawling, McGlone & Walker, 2024, Physiology & Behavior), "Incidental retrieval of prior emotion mimicry" (Pawling et al., 2017, Experimental Brain Research), "Psychophysiology and motivated emotion: testing the affective touch hypothesis of C-tactile afferent function" (2022), and "Pupil size changes influence lasting person perceptions" (Pawling, 2019). Pawling contributes to teaching on LJMU's BSc (Hons) Psychology, Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice, and Policing, Psychology and Investigations programs. His work features in Research Excellence Framework impact case studies, underscoring its influence in somatosensory and social neuroscience.