I completed my PhD with Jay Belsky, studying fertility-related aspects of female sexual response--work which I am currently turning into a book for Taylor & Francis. I have an Erdos number of five.
Previously, I have had teaching responsibilities in areas of research methods and statistical modelling, historical perspectives on psychology, clinical issues, philosophy of mind, and evolutionary biology. I have coordinated modules on evolutionary psychology for both undergraduate and post graduate levels.
Biography
I am a researcher with interests in biological psychology, behavioral ecology, philosophy of mind and research methods. I have published and consulted in areas pertaining to human sexual behavior and regularly review for Journal of Sexual Medicine, Archives of Sexual Behavior, Evolutionary Behavioral Science and Journal of Evolutionary Psychology.I completed my PhD with Jay Belsky, studying fertility-related aspects of female sexual response--work which I am currently turning into a book for Taylor & Francis. I have an Erdos number of five.
Research Interests
My research focuses on using a biological framework to investigate human behavior. Examples research interests include: Examining the UK riots, spree killing, and bare knuckle fighting traditions using behavioral ecology/life history theory, investigating fertility-related aspects of human female sexual response, and investigating aspects of human dating preferences from a biological standpoint. I I have integrated anthropological/ archaeological research into my profile with publications on what ice age art and myths can inform us about sexual behavior.Research Grants
| Project | Funding Body | Start Date | End Date | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare-Releated Avoidance and Comunication Apprehension in Transgender and Gender-Noncomformative Populations. | Irish Research Council | 01-SEP-19 | 31-DEC-23 | €105,333.00 | |
| HEACOVID19 | 01-SEP-21 | 31-DEC-23 | €6,167.00 | ||
| Understanding Fertility | UL Foundation Research Seed Fund | 01-SEP-16 | 01-SEP-16 | €2,000.00 | |
| Gambloing and Problem Behaviours | Other: Not Listed | 01-SEP-11 | 01-SEP-13 | €2,000,000.00 | |
| Understanding Fertility | UCC Strategic Research Fund | 01-SEP-18 | 31-DEC-22 | €8,289.15 | |
| Learning Teaching & Assessement Funding | UCC Strategic Research Fund | 01-SEP-21 | 01-SEP-22 | €1,635.00 |
Publications
Books
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2023) | Naturally Selective: Human female sexual response and orgasm. King, Robert (2023) Naturally Selective: Human female sexual response and orgasm. United States: Taylor and Francis. [DOI] [Details] |
Book Chapters
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2023) | 'Female Orgasm' Robert King (2023) 'Female Orgasm' In: Gavin Vance, Todd Shackleford (eds). The Springer Nature Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior. Switzerland: Springer. [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2021) | 'Determinism' Appleby, M and King, R (2021) 'Determinism' In: Todd Shackleford (eds). Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychology. Switzerland: Springer. [Details] | |
| (2020) | 'Qualitative versus Quantitative in Evolutionary Science' Dempsey, M, & King, R (2020) 'Qualitative versus Quantitative in Evolutionary Science' In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V (eds). Enclyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychology. Swizerland: Springer. [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2019) | 'Daniel Dennett: His work in evolution' King, R. J. (2019) 'Daniel Dennett: His work in evolution' In: Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychology. Switzerland: Springer. [Details] | |
| (2019) | 'Age of Parent' Dempsey, M & King, R (2019) 'Age of Parent' In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V (eds). Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychology. Switzerland: Springer. [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'Psychopathy' Felisberti, F. and King, R. J (2018) 'Psychopathy' In: Agustin Ibáñez, Adolfo Garcia and Lucas Sedeño (eds). Neuroscience and Social Science: The Missing Link. Switzerland: Springer. [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'Paredolia and Autism' King, R. J. (2018) 'Paredolia and Autism' In: Encylcopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Switzerland: Springer. [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Sexual Signalling: A review of major works of Steve Gangestad' King, R. J (2017) 'Sexual Signalling: A review of major works of Steve Gangestad' In: Encyclopaedia of Evolutionary Psychology. Switzerland: Springer. [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Socio-sexuality: A review of major works of Randy Thornhill' King, R. J. (2017) 'Socio-sexuality: A review of major works of Randy Thornhill' In: Encyclopaedia of Evolutionary Psychology. Switzerland: Springer. [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Interview with Daniel Dennett' Kuhle, B., King, R. J. (2017) 'Interview with Daniel Dennett' In: On the Origin of the Evolution Revolution: Conversations with the Pioneers of Evolutionary Biology, Anthropology, and Psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Jay Belsky: A Review of Major Works' King, R. J (2017) 'Jay Belsky: A Review of Major Works' In: Encyclopaedia of Evolutionary Psychology. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Hamilton’s Rule and its Theoretical Implications' King, R. J (2017) 'Hamilton’s Rule and its Theoretical Implications' In: Encyclopaedia of Evolutionary Psychology. Switzerland: Springer. [Details] |
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2022) | '“Nose Job”: Possible Side Effects of Sars-Cov-2' Robert King (2022) '“Nose Job”: Possible Side Effects of Sars-Cov-2'. Archives of Sexual Behavior, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2022) | 'What Does She See in Him? Hybristophiles and Spree Killers' Shresta, A.Dempsey, M., Tuohy-Hamill, S., King, R. (2022) 'What Does She See in Him? Hybristophiles and Spree Killers'. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, n/a (n/a):online first-online first [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2020) | 'Running Amok: An evolutionary perspective on spree killers' King, R & Butler, N (2020) 'Running Amok: An evolutionary perspective on spree killers'. Mankind Quarterly, 60 (2) [Details] | |
| (2019) | 'Near the knuckle: how evolutionary logic helps explain Irish Traveller bare-knuckle contests' King, Robert; O’Riordan, Caoilfhionn (2019) 'Near the knuckle: how evolutionary logic helps explain Irish Traveller bare-knuckle contests'. Human Nature, 30 (3):272-298 [DOI] [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2019) | '“That which is crooked can be made straight”: Challenges and opportunities of Assistive Reproductive Technologies (ART) in Ireland in the 21st century' King, Rob; Nagy, Andrea; Dempsey, Maria; Rice, Aoife (2019) '“That which is crooked can be made straight”: Challenges and opportunities of Assistive Reproductive Technologies (ART) in Ireland in the 21st century'. Personality and Individual Differences, 151 :1-5 [DOI] [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'Pot of gold at the rainbows end? A spectrum of attitudes to ART in Ireland' Dempsey, M., Nagy, A., and King, R. J (2018) 'Pot of gold at the rainbows end? A spectrum of attitudes to ART in Ireland'. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'I Can’t Get (no) Boolean Satisfaction' King, R. J. (2016) 'I Can’t Get (no) Boolean Satisfaction'. Frontiers in psychology, [DOI] [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Gambling and violence in a nationally representative sample of UK Men' Roberts, A., Coid, J., King, R., Murphy, R., Turner, J., Bowden-Jones, H., Du-Preez-Palmer, K. & Landon, J. (2016) 'Gambling and violence in a nationally representative sample of UK Men'. Addiction (Abingdon, England), [DOI] [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Measuring sperm backflow following female orgasm: a new method' King, Robert J.; Dempsey, Maria; Valentine, Katherine A. (2016) 'Measuring sperm backflow following female orgasm: a new method'. Socioaffective Neuroscience and Psychology, 6 :31927-1-3192-13 [DOI] [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Seeing the man in the moon: Do children with autism perceive pareidolic faces? A pilot study' Ryan, C., King, R. J., & Stafford, M. (2016) 'Seeing the man in the moon: Do children with autism perceive pareidolic faces? A pilot study'. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Venus in Mammoth Furs: Evidence of Bridal Capture Rituals in Ice Age Figurines' King, R J (2015) 'Venus in Mammoth Furs: Evidence of Bridal Capture Rituals in Ice Age Figurines'. Mankind Quarterly, [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Alice in Blunderland: A Review of Alice Dreger: Galileo’s Middle Finger' King, R (2015) 'Alice in Blunderland: A Review of Alice Dreger: Galileo’s Middle Finger'. [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'A Regiment of Monstrous Women: Female Horror Archetypes and Life History Theory' King, R. J. (2015) 'A Regiment of Monstrous Women: Female Horror Archetypes and Life History Theory'. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Gene Genie' King, R. J. & Murphy, R. (2014) 'Gene Genie'. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, :1-9 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Just Growed Stories' King, R J (2013) 'Just Growed Stories'. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Fists of Furry: At What point did Human Hands Part Company with the Rest of the Hominid Lineage?' King, R. J (2013) 'Fists of Furry: At What point did Human Hands Part Company with the Rest of the Hominid Lineage?'. Journal of Experimental Biology, [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Baby Got Back: Some Brief Observations on Obesity in Ancient Female Figurines: Limited Support for Waist to Hip Ratio Constant as a Signal of Fertility' King, R. J. (2013) 'Baby Got Back: Some Brief Observations on Obesity in Ancient Female Figurines: Limited Support for Waist to Hip Ratio Constant as a Signal of Fertility'. Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy, [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'Evolutionary functions of human female orgasm' King, R. & Belsky, J. (2012) 'Evolutionary functions of human female orgasm'. Archives of Sexual Behavior, (Online first):1-16 [Details] | |
| (2011) | 'Are there different types of female orgasm?' King, R., Belsky, J., Mah, K. & Binik, Y (2011) 'Are there different types of female orgasm?'. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40 :865-875 [Details] | |
| (2008) | 'Fishing into our Past' King r j (2008) 'Fishing into our Past'. Evolutionary Psychology (Online Journal), 6 (2) [Details] |
Other Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2005) | 'The Elephant Whisperer' King, R. (2005) 'The Elephant Whisperer' Ecologist, 35(9) :48-54. [Details] |
Conference Publications
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2015) | Gambling Problems, Traumatic Life Events and the Perpetration of Violence Roberts, A., Coid, J., King, R., Murphy, R., Turner,. J. & Landon, J. Bowden-Jones, H. (2015) Gambling Problems, Traumatic Life Events and the Perpetration of Violence Gambling Problems, Traumatic Life Events and the Perpetration of Violence [DOI] [Details] |
Professional Activities
Professional Associations
| Association | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| London School Economics | Research Associate | / |
Conference Contributions
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2022) | Psychological Society of Ireland, King, R.,Shresta, A.Dempsey, M., Tuohy-Hamill, S., Minihane, K, Butler, N. (2022) PSI annual conference. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Psychological Society of Ireland, Portlaoise , 10-NOV-22 - 13-NOV-22. [Details] | |
| (2020) | Navigating Trans Healthcare in Ireland. PSI, Thomas, S., Murphy, M., King, R. & Dempsey, M (2020) Barriers to health care. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Navigating Trans Healthcare in Ireland. PSI, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2020) | 46th International Academy of Sex Research Online, Thomas, S., Murphy, M., King, R & Dempsey, M (2020) Barriers to Health-Seeking in Transgender Populations: Healthcare Avoidance and Communication Apprehension. Poster presentation. [Poster Presentation], 46th International Academy of Sex Research Online, Online . [Details] | |
| (2020) | PSI, Thomas, S., King, R. Murphy, M. & Dempsey, M. (2020) Factors associated with healthcare avoidance within the Transgender population: A systematic review. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], PSI, Online . [Details] | |
| (2020) | Psychology Health and Medicine Conference, Thomas, S., Dempsey, M. Murphy, M. & King, R (2020) A Qualitative Investigation of Healthcare Avoidance among Transgender Adults and the Role of the Doctor-Patient Relationship. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Psychology Health and Medicine Conference, Online . [Details] | |
| (2019) | EHBEA, King, R. J. (2019) Traveller Fights Viewed Through an Evolutionary Lens. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], EHBEA, Toulouse (France) , 14-APR-19 - 16-APR-19. [Details] | |
| (2017) | NEEPS, Garvey, K., and King, R (2017) US Voter Behavior and Life History Theory. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], NEEPS, USA . [Details] | |
| (2016) | P.S.I. (Health), Nagy, A., Dempsey, M. & King, R. J. (2016) Practitioners’ Understanding of Assistive Reproductive Technologies. [Oral Presentation], P.S.I. (Health), Cork (Ireland) . [Details] | |
| (2016) | P.S.I, Nagy, A. Dempsey, M., King., R. (2016) Assistive Reproductive Technologies: Practitioner and User Experiences. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], P.S.I, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2016) | P.S.I, McGrath, N., Dempsey, D. & King, R. (2016) ‘How About a Walk? Exploring the Implementation of Walk and Talk Therapy into Counselling Services’ considers WTT from practitioners, university students and a service users’ perspective. [Oral Presentation], P.S.I, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2016) | P.S.I. (health), King, R. J (2016) Sexual Risk Taking and Health. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], P.S.I. (health), Cork (Ireland) . [Details] | |
| (2015) | PSI, Murphy, R., King, R. Roberts, R., Turner, J., & Coid, J. (2015) Men’s sexual risk-taking and life history strategy. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], PSI, PSI Galway . [Details] | |
| (2015) | EHBEA, King, R. (2015) Life History Theory and the influence on Myths and Legends. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], EHBEA, Helsinki , 31-MAR-15 - 02-APR-15. [Details] | |
| (2014) | Aspects of Freedom, King, R J (2014) Does neuroscience threaten our notions of freewill?. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Aspects of Freedom, UCC , 07-MAR-14 - 07-MAR-14. [Details] | |
| (2014) | PSI 2014, King, R J (2014) Regiments of Monstrous Women: Horror stories as a window into life history theory. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], PSI 2014, Kilkenny, Ireland , 20-NOV-14 - 23-NOV-14. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Psychological Society of Ireland, Robert King (2013) New directions in fertility research. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Psychological Society of Ireland, Sligo , 07-NOV-13 - 09-NOV-13. [Details] | |
| (2012) | European Human Behaviour and Evolution, King, R. J., Spencer, R., Dickins, T (2012) Riotous Behaviour: A Guide for Governments. [Poster Presentation], European Human Behaviour and Evolution, Durham . [Details] | |
| (2011) | Human Behavior and Evolution, King, R J (2011) Human Female Orgasm and Typological Approach. [Oral Presentation], Human Behavior and Evolution, Montpelier . [Details] | |
| (2013) | DTrip Psychology Society Ireland, King, R J (2013) Sensitive Topics: Challenges for Design. [Plenary Lecture], DTrip Psychology Society Ireland, University College Cork , 21-SEP-13 - 21-SEP-13. [Details] | |
| (2007) | New Scientist New Researchers Competetion, King, R. J. (2007) Taking reports of the variance of female sexual response seriously. [Oral Presentation], New Scientist New Researchers Competetion, London , 01-JUN-07 - 01-JUN-07. [Details] | |
| (2010) | London Evolutionary Research Network, King, R. J. (2010) Invited competetion presentation to Amotz Zahavi. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], London Evolutionary Research Network, Univeristy College London , 01-MAR-10 - 01-MAR-10. [Details] | |
| (2010) | International Academy of Sex Research, King, R. J. & Belsky, J (2010) Evolutionary functions of female orgasm. [Poster Presentation], International Academy of Sex Research, Prague , 24-JUL-10 - 26-JUL-10. [Details] | |
| (2011) | Human Behaviour and Evolution, King, R. J (2011) Fertility implications of female orgasm. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Human Behaviour and Evolution, Montpelier , 01-JAN-13 - 04-JUL-11. [Details] | |
| (2012) | George Akerloff Social Behaviour Conference, King, R. J., Dickins, T., Pawson, C., & Spencer, R. (2012). (2012) Behavioral ecology analysis of the UK 2011 riots. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], George Akerloff Social Behaviour Conference, London School of Economics , 01-JUN-12 - 01-JUN-12. [Details] | |
| (2012) | EHBEA, Dickins, T., King, R. J., Pawson, C., & Spencer, R. (2012) Riotous Behaviour: A Guide For Governments. [Poster Presentation], EHBEA, Durham , 01-JUL-12 - 04-JUN-12. [Details] |
Committees
| Committee | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketting | / | ||
| Teaching and Learning | / | ||
| Research | / |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| University College Cork | Lecturer | 01-SEP-12 / | |
| Heriot Watt | Teaching Fellow | 01-MAY-12 / | |
| University East London | Post Doctoral Research Fellow | 01-JUL-11 / 01-OCT-12 |
Education
| Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | King's College London | BA (Hons) | Philosophy | |
| 1994 | Sheffield University | MASTERS | Philosophy, psychiatry and society | |
| 1999 | Birkbeck | Maths and Physics | ||
| 2003 | Middlesex University | Psychology and Maths | ||
| 2005 | British Psychological Society | BSC (HONS) | Psychology | |
| 2011 | Birkbeck University of London | PHD | Psychology |
Consultancy
| Client | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Natural History Museum London | ||
| RedFM | ||
| Psychology in Pubs | ||
| Channel Four |
Journal Activities
| Journal | Role | To / From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolutionary Psychology (Online Journal), | Referee | - |
Other Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
On the editorial review board for Journal of Sexual Medicine, and Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. |
Teaching Activities
Teaching Interests
At Cork teach in the areas of social psychology, cognitive psychology and bio psychology as well as research methods. I supervise students in areas pertaining to biological psychology and forensic psychology. I have co-ordinated the Conceptual and Historical Issues module (previously the philosophy of science and philosophy of psychology modules) since 2013 and. I am co-director of the Masters in Applied Psychology program and teach extensively on that course.Previously, I have had teaching responsibilities in areas of research methods and statistical modelling, historical perspectives on psychology, clinical issues, philosophy of mind, and evolutionary biology. I have coordinated modules on evolutionary psychology for both undergraduate and post graduate levels.
Recent Postgraduates
| Graduation Year | Student Name | Institution | Degree Type | Thesis Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Andrea Nagy | UCC | PHD | Assistive Reproductive Technologies | |
| 2019 | Scotty McQueen | UCC | PHD | Psychic Perfromance | |
| 2026 | Agnieszka Sokolowska | University College Cork | PHD | Art Therapy and Infertility | |
| 2019 | Eliana Montiero | UCC | PHD | Mating Intelligence | |
| 2024 | Siobhan Thomas | UCC | PHD | Experience of Trans clients in Ireland |
Current Postgraduate Students
| Student | Degree Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Minihane Keith Patrick | Masters Degree by Research |
Contact details
- Robert King
- r.king@ucc.ie
- +353-21-490-3000
- Lecturer BA, MA, BSc, PhD
- 353-21-490-4515