Stephen Lea
Emeritus Professor of Psychology
University of Exeter
Information for Academic Year 2026/27

Personal web page on the university Psychology web site



Research
links and lists | animal behaviour | economic psychology
Teaching
summary | animal behaviour | economic psychology | statistics | general
Administration
University | Contact | National and international
Research areas: 

Publications list

List of talks at conferences and in other departments (incomplete)

The web versions of these lists are only updated about once a year

Some more details may be found on my ResearchGate page

 At the end of the 2010/11 academic year, I retired from my full-time post.  As an Emeritus Professor, I am always happy to chat with students, at any level, about areas of psychology I have worked in.  However I am no longer teaching any courses or supervising student projects at any level (BA/BSc, MSc or PhD).   If you're interested in doing a PhD in Psychology at Exeter, start here.

Some details of my former teaching responsibilities are below.  If you hit dead links on something you're interested in, email me - I probably have the materials in my files.  The same goes if you are interested in any of my former courses for which materials are no longer available online.
 University
In the past, I have served as
  • Head of the Department of Psychology (1983-1988),
  • Dean of the Faculty of Science (1993-1996),
  • Deputy Vice-Chancellor (2000-2003) and
  • Head of the School of Psychology (2005-2010). 
Since I have now retired from my full-time post, I will not be undertaking any further administrative duties in the university.
Animal Behaviour
  • Animal cognition, especially pattern recognition and concept formation in birds
  • Psychological mechanisms of foraging behaviour, currently including field studies of squirrels and diving birds (especially cormorants and shags)
 Animal Behaviour

Some of my old teaching materials may still be found in the following places.  Note that administrative etc information in these materials will not be accurate for current versions of the relevant modules:
  • PSY3422 Comparative Cognition: A taxonomically organized look at Animal Cognition. 


Contact
Whenever I am in Exeter, in normal times I expect to be around the department regularly on Tuesdays, and occasionally on other days for events such as research seminars.  None of the following means of contacting me will work on other days, except by prior arrangement. 
  • Office: Normally, in Washington Singer Laboratories room 124.  Note that this is a shared office - come in and look for me.
  • Office hours: 1.30 to 2.30pm on Tuesday - but you're welcome to look for me at other times.  
  • Postal address:
University of Exeter
Department of Psychology
Washington Singer Laboratories
Exeter EX4 4QG
United Kingdom
  • Telephone  (Psychology office): +44 1392 724626
  • Fax (Psychology office): +44 1392 724623
  • Email:  s.e.g.lea [at] exeter.ac.uk. 
  • Social media: I don't use Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn - sorry! I do use ResearchGate.
Economic Psychology
  • Relations of psychology to economics and cognate disciplines
  • Internet scams and other mass-market fraud
  • The psychology of debt and poverty
  • The psychology of money
  • Psychological measurements of utility
  • Psychological impacts of the tourist industry
  • Financial literacy
 Economic Psychology
For many years I taught modules on various aspects of economic psychology, often in collaboration with the late Paul Webley.  Materials from these courses are no longer available online, but can be obtained from me on request.

Local, national and international responsibilities:

  • Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences
  • Member of Editorial Boards for Animal Cognition, the Journal of Economic Psychology, and Behavioral Economics for Public Policy (formerly Editor-in-Chief of the first two of these)
  • Founder member and Treasurer of the International Association for Research in Economic Psychology (IAREP); President, 2003-05; Executive committee member 2002-06, and Chair of the Organizing Committee for its 2011 Conference, in Exeter.

Statistics and Methodology
Some of my old teaching materials may still be found in the following places.  Note that administrative etc information in these materials will not be accurate for current versions of the relevant modules:




General
Some of my old teaching materials may still be found in the following places.  Note that administrative etc information in these materials will not be accurate for current versions of the relevant modules:

 Document updated 20th October 2026