Staff profile

My main research interest is concerned with how the framing of risks and benefits affects the choices people make about their health and safety. And key to this is understanding how, when, why the mind plays tricks on us in assessing information when it is framed in different ways. For example, people (including health professionals) have been found to perceive a medical treatment as more effective if the benefits are presented in terms of relative risk changes (i.e., 50% reduction in risk) rather than absolute risk changes (i.e., reduce risk from 2 in 1000 to 1 in 1000). And the relative persuasiveness of health promotion messages can depend upon whether they are framed in terms of gains (which emphasize the benefits of engaging in a certain behaviour) or losses (which emphases the consequences of failing to participate in a certain behaviour). Framing effects are also a potential source of bias in stated preference research where the aim is to elicit people’s preferences for health care and safety priority setting. Of particular interest to me are questions about why, as well as how, the values elicited from people can be affected by the framing of the problem and particular valuation technique used.

• how people perceive risks and value benefits in decisions affecting their health or safety
• evaluating methods for eliciting people's preferences and involving them in the decision making process

• Quantitative Social Psychology

• 2015: 2015-2019 HIVE: A new evidence base for respiratory Health Interventions in Volcanic Eruption crises, ELRHA
• 2009: The crime costs of a QALY(£2892.47 from Home Office)
• 2001: VALUATION OF HEALTH & SAFETY BENEFITS:DREAD RISKS(£20400.00 from Health and Safety Executive)
• 2001: VALUATION OF HEALTH BENEFITS(£10800.00 from DEFRA)
• 1999: HEALTH BENEFITS REDUCTIONS IN AIR POLLUTION(£12000.00 from Department of Environment, Transport & the Regions)

Chapter in book

• Branley, D, Covey, J & Hardey, M (2014). Online surveys: Investigating social media use and online risk. In SAGE Research Methods Cases. Sage Publications Ltd.
• Chilton, S., Covey, J., Hopkins, L. & et al. (2004). Valuing the 'value' of life: A case of constructed preferences? In Mixing Methods in Psychology. The Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Theory and Practice. Z. Todd, B. Nerlich, S. McKeown & D. Clark Psychology Press.

Journal Article

• Arroyos-Calvera, Danae, Covey, Judith & McDonald, Rebecca (2023). Are distributional preferences for safety stable? A longitudinal analysis before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Social Science & Medicine 324: 115855.
• Ustun, Beyza, Reissland, Nadja, Covey, Judith, Schaal, Benoist & Blisset, Jacqueline (2022). Flavor Sensing in Utero and Emerging Discriminative Behaviours in the Human Fetus. Psychological Science 33(10): 1651–1663.
• Wadsley, Michael, Covey, Judith & Ihssen, Niklas (2022). The Predictive Utility of Reward-Based Motives Underlying Excessive and Problematic Social Networking Site Use. Psychological Reports 125(5): 2485–2516.
• Froggatt, Suzanne, Reissland, Nadja, Covey, Judith & Kumardendran, Kumar (2021). Foetal mouth movements: Effects of nicotine. Acta paediatrica 110(11): 3014-3020.
• Covey, J., Dominelli, L., Horwell, C. J., Rachmawati, L., Martin-del Pozzo, A. L., Armienta, M. A., Nugroho, F. & Ogawa, R. (2021). Carers' perceptions of harm and the protective measures taken to safeguard children's health against inhalation of volcanic ash: A comparative study across Indonesia, Japan and Mexico. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 59: 102194.
• Froggatt, S., Reissland, N. & Covey, J. (2021). Risk Perception of Cigarette and E-cigarette use during Pregnancy: A Qualitative Postpartum Perspective. Midwifery 94: 102917.
• Froggatt, S., Reissland, N. & Covey, J. (2020). The effects of prenatal cigarette and e-cigarette exposure on infant neurobehaviour: A comparison to a control group. EClinical Medicine 28: 100602.
• Froggatt, S, Covey, J & Reissland, N (2020). Infant neurobehavioural consequences of prenatal cigarette exposure: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Paediatrica 109(6): 1112-1124.
• Covey, J., Horwell, C.J., Ogawa, R., Baba, T., Nishimura, S., Hagino, M. & Merli, C. (2020). Community perceptions of protective practices to prevent ash exposures around Sakurajima volcano, Japan. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 101525.
• Arroyos Calvera, D, Covey, J, Loomes, G & McDonald, R (2019). The Efficiency-Equity Trade-off, Self-Interest, and Moral Principles in Health and Safety Valuation. Social Science and Medicine 238: 112477.
• Short, Valentina, Covey, Judith, Webster, Lisa, Wadman, Ruth, Reilly, Joe, Hay-Gibson, Naomi & Stain, Helen (2019). Considering the team in team formulation: A systematic review. Mental Health Review Journal 24(1): 11-29.
• Covey, J., Horwell, C.J., Rachmawati, L., Ogawa, R., Martin-del Pozzo, A.L., Armienta, M.A., Nugroho, F. & Dominelli, L (2019). Factors motivating the use of respiratory protection against volcanic ashfall a comparative analysis of communities in Japan, Indonesia and Mexico. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 35: 101066.
• Spencer, A, Tomeny, E, Robinson, A, Covey, J & Pinto Prades, J L (2019). Do Time Trade-off values fully capture attitudes that are relevant to health related choices? European Journal of Health Economics
• Galea, K.S., Covey, J., Mutia Timur, S., Horwell, C.J., Nugroho, F. & Mueller, W. (2018). Health Interventions in Volcanic Eruptions—Community Wearability Assessment of Respiratory Protection against Volcanic Ash from Mt Sinabung, Indonesia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15(11): 2359.
• Branley, D.B & Covey, J. (2018). Risky Behavior Via Social Media: The Role of Reasoned and Social Reactive Pathways. Computers in Human Behavior 78: 183-191.
• Branley, Dawn & Covey, Judith (2017). Pro-Ana Versus Pro-Recovery: A Content Analytic Comparison of Social Media Users’ Communication About Eating Disorders on Twitter and Tumblr. Frontiers in Psychology: Eating Behavior 8: 1356.
• Branley, Dawn Beverley & Covey, Judith (2017). Is exposure to online content depicting risky behavior related to viewers’ own risky behavior offline? Computers in Human Behavior
• Robinson, A., Spencer, A., Pinto-Prades, J-L. & Covey, J. (2017). Exploring differences between TTO and DCE in the valuation of health states. Medical Decision Making 37(3): 273-284.
• Covey, J., Rosenthal-Stott, H.E.S. & Howell, S.J. (2016). A synthesis of meta-analytic evidence of behavioral interventions to reduce HIV/STIs. Journal of Behavioral Medicine 39(3): 371-385.
• Chilton, S., Covey, J., Jones-Lee, M., Loomes, G., Pidgeon, N. & Spencer, A. (2015). Response to 'Testing the validity of the "value of prevented fatality" (VPF) used to assess UK safety measures'. Process Safety and Environmental Protection 93: 293-298.
• Tyson, M, Covey, J & Rosenthal, H.E.S. (2014). Theory of Planned Behavior interventions for reducing heterosexual risk behaviors: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology 33(12): 1454-1467.
• Covey, J. & Zhang, Q. (2014). The effect of dynamic proximity cues on counterfactual plausibility. Judgment and Decision Making 9(6): 586-592.
• Covey, J (2014). The role of dispositional factors in moderating message framing effects. Health Psychology 33(1): 52-65
• Zhang, Q. & Covey, J. (2014). Past and future implications of near-misses and their emotional consequences. Experimental Psychology 61(2): 118-126.
• Wells, V.K., Greenwell, F., Covey, J., Rosenthal, H. E. S., Adcock, M. & Gregory-Smith, D. (2013). An exploratory investigation of barriers and enablers affecting investment in renewable companies and technologies in the UK. Interface Focus 3(1): 20120039.
• Covey, J, Noble, A J & Schenk, T (2013). Family and friends' fears of recurrence: impact on the patient's recovery after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Journal of Neurosurgery 119(4): 948-954.
• Covey, J., Noble, A.J. & Schenk, T. (2013). Editorial: Fear of recurrence. Journal of Neurosurgery 119(4): 943-947.
• Noble, A.J., Baisch, S., Covey, J., Mukerji, N., Nath, F. & Schenk, T. (2011). Subarachnoid hemorrhage patients' fears of recurrence are related to the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder. Neurosurgery 69(2): 323-333.
• Covey, J. (2011). The effects of absolute risks, relative risks, frequencies, and probabilities on decision quality. Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives 16(7): 788-801.
• Robinson, A., Covey, J., Spencer, A. & Loomes, G. (2010). Are some deaths worse than others? The effect of ‘labelling’ on people’s perceptions. Journal of Economic Psychology 31(3): 444-455.
• Covey, J, Robinson, A, Jones-Lee, M & Loomes, G (2010). Responsibility, scale and the valuation of rail safety. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 40(1): 85-108.
• Whynes, D., Frew, E.J., Philips, Z.N., Covey, J. & Smith, R.D. (2007). On the numerical forms of contingent valuation responses. Journal of Economic Psychology 28: 462-476.
• Covey, J., Loomes, G. & Bateman, I. (2007). Valuing risk reductions: Testing for range biases in payment card and random card sorting methods. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 50(4): 467-482.
• Covey, J (2007). A meta-analysis of the effects of presenting treatment benefits in different formats. Medical Decision Making 27(5): 638-654.
• Covey, J. & Smith, R.D. (2006). How common is the prominence effect? Additional evidence to Whynes et al. Health Economics 15(2): 205-210.
• Spencer, A., Covey, J., Chilton, S. & Taylor, M. (2005). Testing the internal consistency of the lottery equivalents method using health outcomes: A comment to Oliver. Health Economics 14(2): 161-167.
• Covey, J. & Davies, A.D.M. (2004). Are people unrealistically optimistic? It depends how you ask them. British Journal of Health Psychology 9: 1-11.
• Chilton, S., Covey, J., Hopkins, L. Jones-Lee, M., Loomes, G., Pidgeon, N. & Spencer, A. (2002). Public perceptions of risk and preference-based values of safety. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 25(3): 211-232.
• Covey, J. (2001). People's preferences for safety control: Why does baseline risk matter? Risk Analysis 21(2): 331-340.
• Edwards, A., Elwyn, G., Covey, J., Matthews, E. & Pill, R. (2001). Presenting risk information - a review of the effects of 'framing' and other manipulations on patient outcomes. Journal of Health Communication 6(1): 61-82.
• Edwards, A., Elwyn, G., Covey, J. & et al. (2000). The effectiveness of one-to-one risk communication in health care: A systematic review. Medical Decision Making 20: 290-297.
• Matthews, E.J., Edwards, AG K, Barker, J, Bloor, M, Covey, J., Hood, K., Pill, R., Russell, I. & Stott N (1999). Efficient literature searching in diffuse topics: Lessons from a systematic review of research on communicating risk to patients in primary care. Health Libraries Review 16: 112-120.
• Carthy, T., Chilton, S., Covey, J. & et al. (1998). On the contingent valuation of safety and the safety of contingent valuation: Part 2 - The CV/SG “chained” approach. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 17(3): 187-213.
• Covey, J., Jones-Lee, M., Loomes, G. & Robinson, A. (1998). Valuing the prevention of food-borne illness: Some limitations of consumers’ ‘willingness to pay’. Risk Decision and Policy 3: 245-259.
• Beattie, J, Covey, J., Dolan, P. & et al. (1998). On the contingent valuation of safety and the safety of contingent valuation: Part 1 - 'Caveat Investigator'. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 17(1): 5-26.
• Covey J. & Lovie, A.D. (1998). Information selection and utilisation in hypothesis-testing: A comparison of process-tracing and structural analysis techniques. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 75(1): 56-74.
• Covey J., Kebbell, M.R. & Wagstaff, G.F. (1996). The influence of item difficulty on the relationship between eyewitness confidence and accuracy. British Journal of Psychology 87: 653-662.