Dr Sam Roberts
School of Psychology
Faculty of Health
Email: S.G.Roberts1@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 6210
My research combines theories and methods from evolutionary psychology, social psychology and social network analysis to provide important new insights into the dynamics of social relationships. I also use this research approach to investigate how social relationships may be affected by the use of communication technologies such as Facebook and mobile phones. Another strand of my research focuses on social bonding in non-human primates, examining communication and social networks in both wild and captive chimpanzees.
In terms of educational background, I studied Human Sciences at the University of Oxford before going on to complete an MSc in Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Liverpool. For my PhD I moved to the University of Sussex, where I examined social referencing and visual perspective taking in Barbary macaques and chimpanzees. My postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford focused on the structure and dynamics of social networks in humans. I conducted an 18-month longitudinal study investigating how students’ social networks change during the transition from school to University, using a combination of questionnaire and mobile phone bills to track communication and changes in social relationships over time.
I am module leader for Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology (Level 4). I also teach on the Level 4 modules Research Methods and Statistics, Psychological Themes and Studying Psychology.
Degrees
2004, University of Sussex, UK, PhD: Hiding behaviour and social sensitivity in non-human primates
1999, University of Liverpool, UK, MSc in Evolutionary Psychology
1997, University of Oxford, UK, B.A. in Human Sciences
Certifications
Higher Education Academy, Fellow
Highlighted publications
Hidd VV, López E, Centellegher S, Roberts SGB, Lepri B, Dunbar RIM. 2023. The stability of transient relationships Scientific Reports, 13 :6120 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM, Roberts AI. 2022. Communicative roots of complex sociality and cognition: neuropsychological mechanisms underpinning the processing of social information Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 377 :20210295-20210295 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Brown R, Roberts SGB, Pollet T. 2021. Loneliness is Negatively Related to Facebook Network Size, but Not Related to Facebook Network Structure Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 15 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Saramaki J, Leicht EA, Lopez E, Roberts SGB, Reed-Tsochas F, Dunbar RIM. 2014. Persistence of social signatures in human communication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111 :942-947 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts AI, Vick S-J, Roberts SGB, Menzel CR. 2014. Chimpanzees modify intentional gestures to coordinate a search for hidden food Nature Communications, 5 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Journal article
Boedker I, Ball HL, Richter M, South TL, Roberts SGB. 2024. Construction of the Views oN Infant Sleep (VNIS) Questionnaire Early Human Development, 191 :1-7 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts SGB, Malcolm C, McCarty K, Pollet TV. 2024. No relationships between self-reported Instagram use or type of use and mental well-being: A study using a nationally representative online sample of UK adults Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 18 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Hidd VV, Zhang M, Centellegher S, Roberts SGB, Lepri B, López E. 2023. The rhythms of transient relationships: allocating time between weekdays and weekends Royal Society Open Science, 10 :230834 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Brown RM, Roberts SG, Pollet TV. 2023. HEXACO Personality Factors and their Associations with Facebook use and Facebook Network Characteristics. Psychological Reports, :332941231176403-332941231176403 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Hidd VV, López E, Centellegher S, Roberts SGB, Lepri B, Dunbar RIM. 2023. The stability of transient relationships Scientific Reports, 13 :6120 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Pollet TV, Thompson A, Malcolm C, McCarty K, Saxton TK, Roberts SGB. 2022. Are we measuring loneliness in the same way in men and women in the general population and in the older population? Two studies of measurement equivalence Ali GHAFFAR. PLOS ONE, 17 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Damjanovic L, Roberts SGB, Roberts AI. 2022. Language as a tool for social bonding: evidence from wild chimpanzee gestural, vocal and bimodal signals Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 377 :20210311-20210311 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts AI, Roberts SGB. 2022. Intentional gesturing increases social complexity by allowing recipient's understanding of intentions when it is inhibited by stress Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 377 :20210305-20210305 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM, Roberts AI. 2022. Communicative roots of complex sociality and cognition: preface to the theme issue Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 377 :20220115-20220115 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM, Roberts AI. 2022. Communicative roots of complex sociality and cognition: neuropsychological mechanisms underpinning the processing of social information Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 377 :20210295-20210295 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Díaz S, Murray L, Roberts SGB, Rodway P. 2021. Between-task consistency, temporal stability and the role of posture in simple reach and fishing hand preference in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 242 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Brown R, Roberts SGB, Pollet T. 2021. Loneliness is Negatively Related to Facebook Network Size, but Not Related to Facebook Network Structure Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 15 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Diaz S, Murray L, Roberts SGB, Rodway P. 2020. Social Network Analysis of a Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Group in Captivity Following the Integration of a New Adult Member International Journal of Primatology, 41 :683-700 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Malcolm C, Saxton TK, McCarty K, Roberts SGB, Pollet TV. 2020. Extraversion is associated with advice network size, but not network density or emotional closeness to network members Personality and Individual Differences, 168 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts SGB, Roberts AI. 2019. Social and ecological complexity is associated with gestural repertoire size of wild chimpanzees. Integrative zoology, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts A, Roberts SGB. 2019. Communicative roots of complex sociality and cognition Biological Reviews, 95 :51-73 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts A, Murray L, Roberts S. 2019. Complex sociality of wild chimpanzees can emerge from laterality of manual gestures Human Nature, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts AI, Chakrabarti A, Roberts SGB. 2019. Gestural repertoire size is associated with social proximity measures in wild chimpanzees. American Journal of Primatology, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Heydari S, Roberts SG, Dunbar RIM, Saramäki J. 2018. Multichannel social signatures and persistent features of ego networks Applied Network Science, 3 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts AI, Roberts SGB. 2018. Persistence in gestural communication predicts sociality in wild chimpanzees Animal Cognition, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts SGB, Roberts AI. 2018. Visual Attention, Indicative Gestures, and Calls Accompanying Gestural Communication Are Associated With Sociality in Wild Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Journal of Comparative Psychology, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts AI, Roberts SGB. 2017. Convergence and divergence in gesture repertoires as an adaptive mechanism for social bonding in primates Royal Society Open Science, 4 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts SGB, Roberts AI. 2016. Social Brain Hypothesis: Vocal and Gesture Networks of Wild Chimpanzees FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 7 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts AI, Roberts SGB. 2016. Wild chimpanzees modify modality of gestures according to the strength of social bonds and personal network size Scientific Reports, 6 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Molho C, Roberts SGB, de Vries RE, Pollet TV. 2016. The six dimensions of personality (HEXACO) and their associations with network layer size and emotional closeness to network members PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, 99 :144-148 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Hooper J, Sharpe D, Roberts SGB. 2016. Are men funnier than women, or do we just think they are? Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 2 :54-62 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts SBG, Dunbar RIM. 2015. Managing Relationship Decay Network, Gender, and Contextual Effects HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE, 26 :426-450 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts AI, Roberts SGB. 2015. Gestural Communication and Mating Tactics in Wild Chimpanzees PLoS One, 10 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Aledavood T, Lopez E, Roberts SGB, Reed-Tsochas F, Moro E, Dunbar RIM, Saramaki J. 2015. Daily Rhythms in Mobile Telephone Communication PLoS One, 10 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Saramaki J, Leicht EA, Lopez E, Roberts SGB, Reed-Tsochas F, Dunbar RIM. 2014. Persistence of social signatures in human communication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111 :942-947 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts AI, Vick S-J, Roberts SGB, Menzel CR. 2014. Chimpanzees modify intentional gestures to coordinate a search for hidden food Nature Communications, 5 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Roberts AI, Roberts SGB, Vick S-J. 2013. The repertoire and intentionality of gestural communication in wild chimpanzees Animal Cognition, 17 :317-336 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Curry O, Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM. 2013. Altruism in social networks: Evidence for a 'kinship premium' BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY, 104 :283-295 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Pollet TV, Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM. 2013. Going That Extra Mile: Individuals Travel Further to Maintain Face-to-Face Contact with Highly Related Kin than with Less Related Kin PLOS ONE, 8 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Miritello G, Moro E, Lara R, Martinez-Lopez R, Belchamber J, Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM. 2013. Time as a limited resource: Communication strategy in mobile phone networks SOCIAL NETWORKS, 35 :89-95 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Roberts AI, Vick S-J, Roberts SGB, Buchanan-Smith HM, Zuberbuehler K. 2012. A structure-based repertoire of manual gestures in wild chimpanzees: statistical analyses of a graded communication system EVOLUTION AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR, 33 :578-589 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Vlahovic TA, Roberts S, Dunbar R. 2012. Effects of Duration and Laughter on Subjective Happiness Within Different Modes of Communication JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, 17 :436-450 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Binder JF, Roberts SGB, Sutcliffe AG. 2012. Closeness, loneliness, support: Core ties and significant ties in personal communities SOCIAL NETWORKS, 34 :206-214 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM. 2011. Communication in social networks: Effects of kinship, network size, and emotional closeness PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, 18 :439-452 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM. 2011. The costs of family and friends: an 18-month longitudinal study of relationship maintenance and decay EVOLUTION AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR, 32 :186-197 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Pollet TV, Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM. 2011. Use of Social Network Sites and Instant Messaging Does Not Lead to Increased Offline Social Network Size, or to Emotionally Closer Relationships with Offline Network Members CYBERPSYCHOLOGY BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL NETWORKING, 14 :253-258 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Pollet TV, Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM. 2011. Extraverts Have Larger Social Network Layers But Do Not Feel Emotionally Closer to Individuals at Any Layer JOURNAL OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, 32 :161-169 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Roberts SGB, Dunbar RIM, Pollet TV, Kuppens T. 2009. Exploring variation in active network size: Constraints and ego characteristics SOCIAL NETWORKS, 31 :138-146 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Roberts SGB, Wilson R, Fedurek P, Dunbar RIM. 2008. Individual differences and personal social network size and structure PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, 44 :954-964 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Roberts SGB, McComb K, Ruffman T. 2008. An experimental investigation of referential looking in free-ranging Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY, 122 :94-99 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
preprint
Hidd VV, Lopez E, Centellegher S, Roberts S, Lepri B, Dunbar R. 2022. The Stability of Transient Relationships Author Url Publisher Url
Chapters
Roberts SGB, Aledavood T, Lopez E, Reed-Tsochas F, Moro E, Dunbar R, Saramaki J. 2016. Channel-Specific Daily Patterns in Mobile Phone Communication Proceedings of ECCS 2014 European Conference on Complex Systems Springer 9783319292281 DOI Publisher Url
Roberts SGB, Arrow H, Lehmann J, Dunbar R. 2014. Close social relationships: An evolutionary perspective Dunbar R, Gamble C, Gowlett J. Lucy to Language The Benchmark Papers :151-180 Oxford University Press 9780199652594
Roberts SGB. 2012. Constraints on Social Networks Social Brain, Distributed Mind DOI Publisher Url
Conference publication
Lu YE, Roberts S, Lio P, Dunbar R, Crowcroft J. 2009. Size matters: Variation in personal network size, personality and effect on information transmission Proceedings - 12th IEEE International Conference on Computational Science and Engineering, CSE 2009, 4 :188-193 DOI Publisher Url
Lu YE, Roberts S, Cheng TMK, Dunbar R, Lió P, Crowcroft J. 2009. On optimising personal network size to manage information flow International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management, Proceedings, :19-26 DOI Publisher Url
Research Grants Awarded:
Mind & Life Institute, Gratitude interventions, well-being and social networks: A 16-month longitudinal study, Peter Malinowski, Grant value (£): 17.241, Duration of research project: 24 months. 2022
Facebook Research: Instagram Research Awards for Social Technologies, Testing for a positive effect of Instagram use on offline personal networks and personal well-being, Dr Thomas Pollet, Northumbria University, Grant value (£): 35,791, Duration of research project: 12 months. 2020
National Science Centre, Poland, Evolution of intelligence and communication in wild primates, Dr Anna Roberts, Grant value (£): 234,193, Duration of research project: 3 Years. 2019