My research focusses on gaining a deeper understanding of the sensory, perceptual, behavioural, and emotional mechanisms involved in oral multisensory processing. My PhD, completed in October 2024 (BBSRC/Glaxo Smith Kline Case award) under the supervision of Dr Susannah Walker, Professor Francis McGlone, and Dr Ralph Pawling, explored this through a series of empirical studies. These included the use of an objective measure of incentive motivation to examine the priming and satiety effects of ambient food-related odours; visual tasks assessing local versus global processing to investigate cognitive differences in odour mixture perception; and the use of facial electromyography (EMG) to explore affective responses to bitter, astringent, and chemesthetic compounds in relation to genetic taster status. By combining behavioural and physiological methodologies, my research provides insight into how sensory cues shape our experiences and influence consumption-related behaviours. My passion lies in psychology and research, particularly in uncovering the mechanisms that shape our everyday sensory experiences and decision-making processes around food.
Degrees
2024, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, PhD Psychology
2018, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, MSc Research in Psychology
2017, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology
Academic appointments
Lecturer, Liverpool centre of Advanced Policing Studies, Liverpool John Moores University, 2022 - present
Sessional Lecturer, Liverpool centre of Advanced Policing Studies, Liverpool John Moores University, 2017 - 2022
Journal article
Hagan R, Moore D, McGlone F, Walker SC. 2025. Olfactory scene analysis: Does analytical visual processing predict superior identification of component odours in a complex mixture? Perception, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Hagan R, Pawling R, McGlone F, Walker SC. 2024. No evidence for goal priming or sensory specific satiety effects following exposure to ambient food odours Appetite, 204 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Haggarty CJ, Moore DJ, Trotter PD, Hagan R, McGlone FP, Walker SC. 2021. Vicarious ratings of social touch the effect of age and autistic traits. Scientific Reports, 11 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Thesis/Dissertation
Hagan R. 2025. The Multisensory Mouth: An investigation into the motivational, affective, and cognitive mechanisms, driving oral behaviours Walker S, Pawling R, McGlone F. Public Url
preprint
Hagan R, Moore D, Walker S, McGlone F. 2024. Olfactory Scene Analysis - Does Analytical Visual Processing predict superior identification of component odours in a complex mixture? Center for Open Science DOI Publisher Url
Hagan R, Pawling R, McGlone F, Walker S. 2024. No evidence for goal priming or sensory specific satiety effects following exposure to ambient food odours Center for Open Science DOI Publisher Url
Haggarty C, Moore D, Trotter P, Hagan R, McGlone F, Walker S. 2021. Vicarious Ratings of Social Touch, the Effect of Age and Autistic Traits Research Square Platform LLC DOI Publisher Url
Haggarty C, Moore DJ, Trotter P, Hagan R, McGlone F, Walker S. 2021. Vicarious ratings of social touch, the effect of age and autistic traits Center for Open Science DOI Publisher Url
Report
Cox C, Panter HA, James A, Boulton L, Hagan R, Craven J, Silverstone DM. 2023. Diversity and inclusion within police firearms teams Diversity and inclusion within police firearms teams Public Url
Conference presentation:
Oral presentation, Edge Hill University, North-West Visual Cognition, Cognitive Mechanisms underlying Olfactory Mixture Perception. 2023
Poster presentation, Brighton, British Neuroscience Association, The impact of odour exposure and food consumption on motivation for food items, using an implicit measure of incentive motivation. 2023
Oral presentation, University College London, Experimental Psychology Society, Cognitive Mechanisms underlying Olfactory Mixture Perception. 2023
Poster presentation, Keele University, Experimental Psychology Society, Is Taster Status predictive of Implicit Liking of Bitter, Astringent and Chemesthetic compounds? – a Psychophysiological Study. 2022