Overview
Profile summary
I am a leading expert on mental imagery and its impact on emotion, motivation, and behaviour. My research focuses on the function of mental imagery and its implications for health and wellbeing, using both experimental as well as real world experience sampling methods.
A central aim of my work is to translate fundamental insights about mental imagery into theoretically grounded applications for health and wellbeing via adaptive goal-directed future thinking and behaviour change.
Academic positions:
2022 - Present: Lecturer (Assistant Professor),
School of Psychology,
Centre for the Psychology of Health & Wellbeing,
University of Plymouth, UK
2022 - Present: Adjunct Research Fellow,
School of Psychological Science,
University of Western Australia, Australia
2018-2022 - Forrest Postdoctoral Fellow
School of Psychological Science,
University of Western Australia, Australia
2017-2018 - Postdoctoral Research Associate
Department of Psychology,
University of Virginia, USA
Roles on external bodies
National Conference Scientific Committee Member,
Experimental Psychopathology Stream Co-lead,
British Association of Behavioural & Cognitive Therapies (BABCP)
Board member & Public Engagement Director
Association of Cognitive Bias Modification (ACBM)
Editorial Advisory Board Member,
Memory
Professional memberships
- Member - Experimental Psychology Society (EPS)
- Member - Psychonomic Society
- Member - Association of Cognitive Bias Modification (ACBM)
- Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy
Teaching interests
Module lead:
PSYC528 Health & Wellbeing
PSYC603 Harnessing the Human Imagination
Academic qualifications
DPhil, MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge
Award Date: 23 Oct 2017
Honours (Psychology), University of Western Australia
Award Date: 13 Dec 2012
MSc (Social Psychology), The London School of Economics and Political Science
Award Date: 1 Oct 2010
BA (Media & Communications), University of Sydney
Award Date: 6 Jun 2008
Research Interests
- Mental Imagery
- Emotion and Cognition
- Individual Differences
- Motivated Behaviour
- Experimental Psychopathology
- Mental Health Science
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
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SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
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SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
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SDG 13 Climate Action
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Dampened social motivation in dysphoria: the role of negative social expectancies and internal causal attribution style
Ji, J. L., Mor, N. & MacLeod, C., Jan 2026, In: Behaviour Research and Therapy. 196, 104940.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Momentary assessment of mental imagery and pain-related psychological factors in youth with chronic pain
Todd, J., Pickup, B., Ji, J., Norton, A., Holmes, E. A. & Sharpe, L., 1 May 2026, In: Pain. 167, 5, p. 1110-1119 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Picturing the past: the role of photo cue visual perspective on positive autobiographical memory recall in dysphoria
Snow, S., Niese, Z. A. & Ji, J. L., 20 May 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Memory. p. 1-20 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Threat-related mental imagery reduces endogenous pain modulation in healthy individuals
Ji, J. L., Whitehouse, M., Mugglestone, S. & Hughes, S. W., 1 May 2026, In: The Journal of Pain. 42, 106254.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Vaccine hesitancy and uptake during pregnancy: investigating the role of emotional mental imagery
Ji, J. L., Bradfield, Z., Notebaert, L., Lake, J., Hughes, C., Warland, J., Basanovic, J., MacLeod, C., Danchin, M., Blyth, C. C. & Attwell, K., 1 Jul 2026, In: Social Science and Medicine. 401, 119302.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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