Faculty of Computing, Law and Psychology | School of Psychology

Dr Philip Fine

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

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BA (Hons), MA (Hons) (Cambridge), DPhil (Oxford)

Philip joined The University of Buckingham in 1996. He teaches modules in Cognitive Psychology, Creative Psychology & Expertise, and Cognitive Neuroscience & Neuropsychology, and is module leader for the UG project. He is a Graduate member of the BPS, and Honorary Secretary of their Cognitive Psychology Section.

Research interests: Philip is a founding member of the CREATE hub. His main areas of research are expertise and problem solving, the psychology of music, creativity, and the perception of time. Current projects include an investigation into factors involved in expert cryptic crossword solving, insight and creativity, factors affecting the understanding of sung lyrics, mental rehearsal in musicians, memory for musical speed, and time-related personality characteristics and time estimation. He has recently co-edited this Frontiers Research Topic on creativity methodologies.

Outside research and teaching, Philip is an actor, singer and pianist.

Selected recent publications and conference papers: 

Morse, K. F., Fine, P. A., & Friedlander, K. J. (2021). Creativity and leisure during COVID-19: Examining the relationship between leisure activities, motivations, and psychological well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.609967

Friedlander, K. J., & Fine, P. A. (2020). Fluid Intelligence is Key to Successful Cryptic Crossword Solving. Journal of Expertise, 3(2), 101–132. https://www.journalofexpertise.org

Fine, P. A., Danek, A. H., Friedlander, K. J., Hocking, I., & Thompson, W. F. (2019). Editorial: Novel Approaches for Studying Creativity in Problem-Solving and Artistic Performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(September), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02059

Fine, P.A., Danek, A.H., Friedlander, K.J., Hocking, I., & Thompson, W.F. (September 2019). A Synthesis of Novel Methodological Approaches for Studying Creative Problem-Solving and Artistic Performance Across Multiple Disciplines. ESCoP, Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Foster, E., Fine, P.A., & Friedlander, K.J. (September 2019). The Grounded Expertise Components Approach: how Quizzing might provide answers to the development of Expertise. BPS Cognitive Developmental Joint Conference, Stoke on Trent, UK.

Fine, P.A. & Ellis, D.A. (2018, 2-4 May). Am I On Time? The Development of a New Time Personality Questionnaire. Paper presented at the BPS Annual Conference, Nottingham.

Friedlander, K. J., & Fine, P. A. (2018). “The Penny Drops”: Investigating Insight Through the Medium of Cryptic Crosswords. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00904

Vanleer P., Friedlander K. J., Fine P. A. (2018, 22 May). “Thinking styles and creativity in medical practice: An exploratory survey”. Presentation at the UK Creativity Researchers Conference ‘Psychology of Creativity: Creative Sides’ Canterbury Christchurch University, Canterbury UK.

Hearn, J. H., Finlay, K. A., Fine, P. A., & Cotter, I. (2017). Neuropathic pain in a rehabilitation setting after spinal cord injury: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of inpatients’ experiences. Spinal Cord Series and Cases3(1), 17083.

Popovac, M. & Fine, P. (2017). An Intervention using the Information-Motivation-Behavioural Skills Model: Tackling Cyberaggression and Cyberbullying in South African Adolescents. In Campbell, M. & Bauman, S. Reducing Cyberbullying in Schools: International Evidence-Based Best Practices. Elsevier: USA.

Tilley, M.P., Fine, P.A. & Finlay, K.A. (2017, April). The mediating role of catastrophizing in the relationship between mental defeat and pain intensity ratings following spinal cord injury. 7th Conference of The European Spinal Psychologists Association.

Friedlander, K. J. & Fine, P.A. (2016). “The grounded expertise components approach in the novel area of cryptic crossword solving”, Frontiers in Psychology 7, 1-21: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00567/full

.Fine, P.A., Wise, K.J., Goldemberg, R. & Bravo, A., “Performing musicians’ understanding of the terms ‘mental practice’ and ‘score analysis’”, Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain 25.1 (2015), 69-82: read more.

Fine, P.A. & J. Ginsborg, “Making myself understood: perceived factors affecting the intelligibility of sung text”, Frontiers in Psychology 5 (2014): read more.

See also: School of Psychology

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