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.

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

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. https://doi.org/10.4135/978144627305013514666
• Chilton, S., Covey, J., Hopkins, L., & et al. (2004). Valuing the 'value' of life: A case of constructed preferences?. In Z. Todd, B. Nerlich, S. McKeown, & D. Clark (Eds.), Mixing Methods in Psychology. The Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Theory and Practice. Psychology Press

Journal Article

• Horwell, C., Elias, T., Covey, J., Bhandari, R., & Truby, J. (2023). Perceptions of volcanic air pollution and exposure reduction practices on the Island of Hawai‘i: Working towards socially relevant risk communication. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 95, Article 103853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103853
• Arroyos-Calvera, D., Covey, J., & McDonald, R. (2023). Are distributional preferences for safety stable? A longitudinal analysis before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Social Science & Medicine, 324, Article 115855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115855
• Ustun, B., Covey, J., & Reissland, N. (2023). Chemosensory continuity from prenatal to postnatal life in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 18(3), Article e0283314. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283314
• Wadsley, M., Covey, J., & Ihssen, N. (2022). The Predictive Utility of Reward-Based Motives Underlying Excessive and Problematic Social Networking Site Use. Psychological Reports, 125(5), 2485-2516. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941211025271
• Ustun, B., Reissland, N., Covey, J., Schaal, B., & Blisset, J. (2022). Flavor Sensing in Utero and Emerging Discriminative Behaviours in the Human Fetus. Psychological Science, 33(10), 1651-1663. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976221105460
• Froggatt, S., Reissland, N., Covey, J., & Kumardendran, K. (2021). Foetal mouth movements: Effects of nicotine. Acta Paediatrica: Nurturing the Child, 110(11), 3014-3020. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.16042
• Covey, J., Dominelli, L., Horwell, C., Rachmawati, L., Martin-del Pozzo, A., Armienta, M., …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, Article 102194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102194
• Froggatt, S., Reissland, N., & Covey, J. (2021). Risk Perception of Cigarette and E-cigarette use during Pregnancy: A Qualitative Postpartum Perspective. Midwifery, 94, Article 102917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2020.102917
• 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. EClinicalMedicine, 28(100602), Article 100602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100602
• Froggatt, S., Covey, J., & Reissland, N. (2020). Infant neurobehavioural consequences of prenatal cigarette exposure: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Paediatrica: Nurturing the Child, 109(6), 1112-1124. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.15132
• Covey, J., Horwell, C., 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, 46, Article 101525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101525
• 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 & Medicine, 238, Article 112477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112477
• Covey, J., Horwell, C., Rachmawati, L., Ogawa, R., Martin-del Pozzo, A., Armienta, M., …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, Article 101066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101066
• Short, V., Covey, J., Webster, L., Wadman, R., Reilly, J., Hay-Gibson, N., & Stain, H. (2019). Considering the team in team formulation: A systematic review. Mental Health Review Journal: Research, Policy and Practice, 24(1), 11-29. https://doi.org/10.1108/mhrj-12-2017-0055
• Spencer, A., Tomeny, E., Robinson, A., Covey, J., & Pinto Prades, J. (2019). Do Time Trade-off values fully capture attitudes that are relevant to health related choices?. European Journal of Health Economics, 20(4), 559-568. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-018-1017-8
• Galea, K., Covey, J., Mutia Timur, S., Horwell, C., 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), Article 2359. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15112359
• Branley, D., & Covey, J. (2018). Risky Behavior Via Social Media: The Role of Reasoned and Social Reactive Pathways. Computers in Human Behavior, 78, 183-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.09.036
• Branley, D., & Covey, J. (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, 8, Article 1356. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01356
• Branley, D. B., & Covey, J. (2017). Is exposure to online content depicting risky behavior related to viewers’ own risky behavior offline?. Computers in Human Behavior, 75, 283-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.05.023
• Robinson, A., Spencer, A., Pinto-Prades, J., & Covey, J. (2017). Exploring differences between TTO and DCE in the valuation of health states. Medical Decision Making, 37(3), 273-284. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272989x16668343
• Covey, J., Rosenthal-Stott, H., & Howell, S. (2016). A synthesis of meta-analytic evidence of behavioral interventions to reduce HIV/STIs. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 39(3), 371-385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-016-9714-1
• 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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2014.11.002
• Tyson, M., Covey, J., & Rosenthal, H. (2014). Theory of Planned Behavior interventions for reducing heterosexual risk behaviors: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 33(12), 1454-1467. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000047
• 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. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029305
• Zhang, Q., & Covey, J. (2014). Past and future implications of near-misses and their emotional consequences. Experimental Psychology, 61(2), 118-126. https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169/a000231
• Covey, J., Noble, A., & Schenk, T. (2013). Editorial: Fear of recurrence. Journal of neurosurgery, 119(4), 943-947. https://doi.org/10.3171/2013.2.jns13252
• Covey, J., Noble, A., & 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. https://doi.org/10.3171/2013.5.jns121688
• Wells, V., Greenwell, F., Covey, J., Rosenthal, H., 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), Article 20120039. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2012.0039
• Noble, A., 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. https://doi.org/10.1227/neu.0b013e318216047e
• Covey, J. (2011). The effects of absolute risks, relative risks, frequencies, and probabilities on decision quality. Journal of Health Communication, 16(7), 788-801. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2011.561916
• 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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2010.01.011
• 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. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11166-009-9082-0
• Covey, J. (2007). A meta-analysis of the effects of presenting treatment benefits in different formats. Medical Decision Making, 27(5), 638-654. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272989x07306783
• Whynes, D., Frew, E., Philips, Z., Covey, J., & Smith, R. (2007). On the numerical forms of contingent valuation responses. Journal of Economic Psychology, 28, 462-476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2006.07.002
• 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. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640560701401986
• Covey, J., & Smith, R. (2006). How common is the prominence effect? Additional evidence to Whynes et al. Health Economics, 15(2), 205-210. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.1062
• 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. (2004). Are people unrealistically optimistic? It depends how you ask them. British Journal of Health Psychology, 9, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1348/135910704322778713
• 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. https://doi.org/10.1023/a%3A1020962104810
• Covey, J. (2001). People's preferences for safety control: Why does baseline risk matter?. Risk Analysis, 21(2), 331-340. https://doi.org/10.1111/0272-4332.212115
• Edwards, A., Elwyn, G., Covey, J., Matthews, E., & Pill, R. (2001). Presenting risk information : the effects of 'framing' and other manipulations on patient outcomes. Journal of Health Communication, 6(1), 61-82. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730150501413
• 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., Edwards, A. K., Barker, J., Bloor, M., Covey, J., Hood, K., …Stott, N. (1999). Efficient literature searching in diffuse topics: Lessons from a systematic review of research on communicating risk to patients in primary care
• Covey, J., Jones-Lee, M., Loomes, G., & Robinson, A. (1998). Valuing the prevention of food-borne illness: Some limitations of consumers’ ‘willingness to pay’
• 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. (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
• 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., Kebbell, M., & Wagstaff, G. (1996). The influence of item difficulty on the relationship between eyewitness confidence and accuracy. British Journal of Psychology, 87, 653-662. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1996.tb02614.x